Question

Old Pong program from PC-88, need a script to open it with dos box

Asked by: DAWR

hi,

i have a customer who requires this program to train autistic kids. it seriously out of the ark! i can get it to run in just just your normal Command promt, but it is WAY to fast. the game is not playable. i need some way of making it work. someone else has made it work with DosBox and instructions are in word doc attached.
i need either a better way or a script to automate the instructions in the word doc. this is an old lady im doing it for, it needs to be simple.

ive also attached a copy of the game. its a .RAR file so you will have to rename the extension from.JPG to .RAR

ive tried to convince her that its just pong and there are new versions out there. but t his one apparently has been calibrated to do something to help these autistic kids do something with eyes and brain hemispheres... dunno... anyways, she really needs it to work.

thanks guys!

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Asked On
2009-07-21 at 00:56:47ID24586438
Tags

Old program

,

DOS

,

Script

,

DosBox

,

create script to open.

,

DOS Games

Topics

Computer Games

,

MS DOS

,

Windows Batch Scripting

Participating Experts
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: t0t0Posted on 2009-07-21 at 06:20:27ID: 24904200

Pick up an old XT PC or even an older AT PC for less than 30 quid and install it under DOS 3.2 or higher onto a half gigabyte HDD and have done with it.

As you've discovered, there are limits to backward compatibility and speed is one of them.

DOSBOX has the capability to slow down DOS programs so you could fire up Amazing Pong using a batch file which sets it's parameters for running it as you wish.

Don't give her instructions.... just automate the whole thing so that there's nothing more for her to do except click on an icon.  Keep it simple !!

 

by: omodthsPosted on 2009-07-21 at 08:23:28ID: 24905570

DOSBOX uses .conf files to customize its environment.  You can pretty much customize every aspect of DOSBOX from the .conf files, including how much CPU time it uses, sound card settings, and display settings.  Furthermore, the end of the .conf file behaves like autoexec.bat so you may be able to get the game to start automatically in conjunction with a shortcut.  I have a separate, tailored .conf file setup for each game I play.  See if you can find the general .conf file, make a copy, and edit it to your needs.  I'll try the same thing on my end.

 

by: AmazingTechPosted on 2009-07-21 at 08:47:24ID: 24905947

I've been going through the www.dosbox.com website and I have been able to configure it to work for me.

I put a dosbox.conf in the same folder as the dosbox.exe.

http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Dosbox.conf

I slowed down the cpu to 1000 in my example and added fullscreen.

[sdl]
fullscreen=true
 
[cpu]
cycles=1000
 
[autoexec]
mount f f:\amazingp
f:
basic amazingp

                                              
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by: DAWRPosted on 2009-07-21 at 21:44:50ID: 24911617

had to make the [cpu] cycles = 500 for it to be even close to playable.
i dont know if your having any trouble with it but myn is now trowing up syntax errors all the time when playing the game.

any ideas?

the .conf file works an abslolte treat though. exactly what i wanted.

 

by: t0t0Posted on 2009-07-21 at 21:57:53ID: 24911651

A refurbished compatible computer surely must provide the best solution.

Would you try to play a 7" 45rpm single on a CD player?

 

by: DAWRPosted on 2009-07-22 at 02:02:42ID: 24912667

ive no idea where to find a pc-88, let alone a working one. and to have a huge clunky bit of hardware to do one task donent seem that practical.  

but yeah if i could find someone who has a evergo systems pc-88 and can ship it to the south west of western australia without costing an arm, that would be ok.

i still would prefer it to work in a emulator tho.

 

by: t0t0Posted on 2009-07-22 at 02:13:56ID: 24912715

Here's an emulator for you:

   http://www.zophar.net/download_file/2131

You may also need a ROM file, you can get one from here:

   http://www.jcec.co.uk/pc88rom.zip

 

by: t0t0Posted on 2009-07-22 at 02:15:54ID: 24912721

Reposted due to typo

Here's an emulator for you:

   http://www.zophar.net/download_file/2131

You may also need a ROM file, you can get one from here:

   http://www.jcec.co.uk/pc88roms.zip

 

by: DAWRPosted on 2009-07-22 at 02:17:24ID: 24912733

they were both the same file. and running it throws up an error.

 

by: AmazingTechPosted on 2009-07-22 at 08:06:48ID: 24915835

I get the syntax error too on 22000.

I fixed it and have attached a new amazingp.bas replace yours and give it a try.

  • AMAZINGP.JPG
    • 2 KB

    Rename to .bas and replace your existing one.

 

by: DAWRPosted on 2009-07-22 at 19:03:14ID: 24921356

hi i did as you said amazingtech, and still get this....

 

by: DAWRPosted on 2009-11-10 at 01:30:08ID: 25783736

old question. didnt end up resolving.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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