SMSQzine #9

[Derek_Stewart]

HI:

I tried QSTAR1 on sQLux and QPC2 v5.02 all worked fine

sQLux: 640K, Minerva v1.97

QPC2 v5.02: 2Mb SMQ/E v3.41

Could not get SMSQmualtor to run the game, I will ask Wolfgang if no one has asked him.

[Derek_Stewart]

SMSQmulator works beautifully on Windows! What seems to be the problem?

I tried to run SMSQumulator for Java 21/ Java 17/ Java 11 on my PCs (Windows 10 Pro + Java 8 update 421, Windows 11 Pro + Java 8 update 431) but failed with error "A Java exception has occurred"
Obviously we need a JAVA 8 version of SMSQmulator.
There is no JRE for the newer JAVA versions and I do not want to install a huge SDK.

Just install the runtime version.

[Derek_Stewart]

HI:

I have asked Wolfgang to have a look at QSTAR 1 and SMSQmulator, as this is the only QL platform I can not get the game to run.

[Andrew]

Just install the runtime version.

Oracle no longer distributes a Java Environment Runetime (JRE). To install and run a newer version of Java, you need to download the full JDK

[Derek_Stewart]

HI:

Try OpenJDK, Microsoft even supply it:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/java/openjdk/download

[Andrew]

Ok - I have installed JDK 21 and now I can run SMSQmulator!

1. When QStar is run the first screen it shows is just the background color (cyan+ green checkerboard). The splash image is not shown, but the game runs

2. Press 1 (for english) or 2 (for spanish) and the game starts, shows and runs correctly

3. At command prompt I tried to load the splash screen with lbytes win1_QStar_init_dat, 131072
result: The image is loaded but it is not displayed on screen!
I know that it is loaded because when I move the mouse on the screen the image is painted as the mouse moves!
This doesn't happens on Q68, QIMSI Gold, real QL running SMSQ/E, QPC or on QEmulator running SMSQ/E.
But it also happens on QEmulator + QDOS + PE

It seems to me that this is a SMSQmulator bug.

[Andrew]

A similar issue happens when I run Pitman in 512x384 and 16 bit colours:
The images and sprites are loaded but are not fully rendered on screen, and are painted on screen only when you move the mouse around

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I asked Wolfgang and it seems that adding the command:

JVA_QLSCREMU 8

to the boot file before executing the game make it work in SMSQmulator.

Note: The Screen setting must have the Allow QL Screen Emulation enabled

[Andrew]

Hi,

I asked Wolfgang and it seems that adding the command:

JVA_QLSCREMU 8

to the boot file before executing the game make it work in SMSQmulator.

Note: The Screen setting must have the Allow QL Screen Emulation enabled

It fixes some of the problems, but not all.
Qstar: If Animation Delay (menu option F1) is set to 0 or 1 then the hero animation is missing frames. A lot of frames!
Pitman: works ok in QL colours and in Aurora 8 bit colours modes, but all the above-mentioned problems for mode 16 bit colours are still present.

I am running SMSQmulator on a Intel i5-13500 at 2.50 GHz, WIndows 11, so it's pretty fast.
But QPC running on the same computer hasn't got the same problems.

[furellax]

Thanks Tim!!!