VOGONS

Search

Common searches

Tie Fighter floppy version VESA support (and Pentium)

Topic actions

First post, by smevans526

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

In my youth, I owned the floppy version of TIE FIGHTER. I recall always typing 'VESA' in the prompt before loading, and getting graphical improvements. In fact, I recall I exited the game to type VESA incase I forgot it, because I noticed a graphical downgrade. The difference I recall is a faster framerate and sharper images.

At the moment, I do not own either the floppy nor collector's CD version, and am debating which one to get.

Is high resolution support only for the CD version and my imagination is playing with me?

Please don't write about more missions, or voice support, or those things concerning the CD version. I know what it is.

On a similar note. I recall reading that the game conflicted with Pentium, at least, for the floppy version. Anyone hear of this?

Reply 2 of 7, by gerwin

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Floppy version is MCGA only: 320x200 pixels. It requires EMS memory.
CD version can switch from 320x200 to 640x480. It is a protected mode game.

--> ISA Soundcard Overview // Doom MBF 2.04 // SetMul

Reply 3 of 7, by keropi

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Maybe op's vga was using LFB mode when "vesa" was loaded and this made it faster, I am pretty sure that's the case

🎵 🎧 ⏳ ⚡ PCMIDI MPU , OrpheusII , Action Rewind , Megacard and 🎶GoldLib soundcard website

Reply 4 of 7, by smevans526

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Really? So, some of these vintage VESA cards can augment games not specifically written to take advantage of them? Is there more about this on Vogons? I couldn't find anything.

Why was MCGA used to describe the floppy version instead of VGA? I always thought the two were equivalent, but incompatible standards. Did Lucas Arts write a generation of their games natively in MCGA and then convert them to VGA? Sorry for my ignorance.

Reply 5 of 7, by gerwin

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

I don't know by head, but I wrote MCGA to differentiate from the 640x480 16 color mode which is also referred to as VGA. (this 16 color mode has nothing to do with TIE Fighter.)
Most 320x200 games use https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_13h, But some use 320x200 Mode-X.

Not sure if Keropi is talking about the floppy or CD version. But 320x200 MCGA is always linear anyways. VESA modes like 640x480 256 color are either banked or linear/LFB. So only the hi resolution mode could benefit from switching to an LFB. If the VESA BIOS of the graphics card would originally use it as a banked mode, some software can persuade it to switch from banked to LFB. Software like UNIVBE. I don't expect speed increase to be much.
That is all I know about such.

There is also the write combining trick for pentium II and later systems. This certainly gives improved framerates, but it is useless trying to use this for 320x200, on such fast systems.

Last edited by gerwin on 2017-08-23, 01:33. Edited 1 time in total.

--> ISA Soundcard Overview // Doom MBF 2.04 // SetMul

Reply 6 of 7, by smevans526

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Ok, I got you concerning MCGA.

It was the low resolution floppy version that I recall benefitting from VESA.

A little off topic, but, 320x200 and 640x480 are not proportional. Did they do some sort of scaling(aka: warped distortion) or cropping for the high res version?

Reply 7 of 7, by nekurahoka

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

On collectors CD the non-combat parts of the game are still in 320x200. In combat it switches to 640x480 with new 2d art that is proportional.

Dell Dimension XPS R400, 512MB SDRAM, Voodoo3 2000 AGP, Turtle Beach Montego, ESS Audiodrive 1869f ISA, Dreamblaster Synth S1
Dell GH192, P4 3.4 (Northwood), 4GB Dual Channel DDR, ATI Radeon x1650PRO 512MB, Audigy 2ZS, Alacritech 2000 Network Accelerator

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to Software
Close window
Close window