VileR wrote on 2020-07-10, 00:30:
Jo22 wrote on 2020-07-07, 12:28:So except for exotic video modes, such as Amstrad/Schneider PC1512, Olivetti M24, BBC Master 512, Sanyo MBC 555 , IBM PGC, 8514/A, TIGA and Mindset graphics
the game virtually covers all types of old video hardware.
Machines like the Master 512, the Sanyo MBC-555, or the Mindset were only semi-compatible with the PC... so the game would probably need more extensive rewrites than just graphics code to run on those things.
If you're already including that sort of stuff, then why not ACT Apricots, FM-Towns, NEC APC III / PC-9801, Philips :YES, Tandy 2000, and so on 😉
Fair enough, I agree that the Master 512 and Sanyo MBC-55x were indeed not fully IBM compatible. 😀
For example, the Master 512 used different colour schemes in CGA.
However, they each ran a PC DOS compatible DOS, had basic PC BIOS emulation and could do emulate CGA graphics (more or less).
The other platforms were indeed very exotic. I don't know much about the Tandy 2000, but the Robotron A7150 and EC 1834 surely were.
Although, they also had CGA compatibility in additon to proprietary video modes. And ran on DCP (Disk Control Program) which was like MS-DOS 3.2/3.3..
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_7150
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/EC_1834
A7150
CGA
640x480 Pixel, 8 colours (maximum)
EC 1834
320 × 200 with 4 colours (CGA compatible)
640 × 200 monochrom
640 × 400 monochrom
640 × 480 with 16 colours from a palette of 4.096 colours (3x 4 bit)
I also agree what you said about the Schneider/Amstrad machine.
The PC1512 was one of the most popular PCs for a while, but likely more or less only in UK/EU.
I have no idea if whas popular in over seas. Hence I said "exotic".
If I had to name another oddball, I'd propably go for the Sharp MZ series of computers.
They are from Japan, but were popular in Europe for a while (in the late 70s/early 80s).
The MZ-5500 series could run some flavour of MS-DOS and could do graphics up to 640x480.
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=296
Edit: I forgot about the Victor Sirius 1 (Europe's first IBM PC w/ 800x400 res) and Alphatronic PC.. It had an optional 8086 card..
Anyway, I was just thinking out loud.. I didn't mean to be ungrateful.
I love games similar to Starlight and appreciate all the efforts so far.
The current state supports all popular systems. Minus PC1512 and MT-32, of course. 😁😉
Edit: Short explanation why the Amstrad PC1512 was mentioned several times:
The PC1512 was one of the cheapest and most feature-rich PC in Europe of the mid-late 1980s.
In some way or another, it was the "European Tandy".
Even though it lacked the wonderful 3-Voice Sound.
At least it had a volume knob.. 🙂
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