Differences

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--- blog:pc98_game_advancedpowerdolls2 [2019/05/31 14:12] – john
+++ blog:pc98_game_advancedpowerdolls2 [2019/05/31 15:19] (current) – [Running the Game] john
@@ Line 95: / Line 95: @@
 {{:blog:apd2-boot-error1.png?640|}}
+That seems to be saying "This is Power Dolls 2 install disk 1", the same happens for disk 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. So none of the disks appear to be bootable.
+What you //actually// need to do is boot from a DOS boot floppy, remove the boot disk, then swap in the Power Dolls disk 1. If you have 2x floppy drives then you need to remember that your hard drive is now //C:// at this point. Run ''INST.EXE'' from disk 1 (which should be located at drive //A://), and you'll be presented with the following install screen:
+{{:blog:apd2-inst1.png?640|}}
+All that screen is saying is that it's the Advanced Power Dolls 2 install utility, and the currently selected install mode is //HDD//. You don't have any choice other than to click on the bottom option, a second or two later and the installer will detect the available hard drives:
+{{:blog:apd2-inst2.png?640|}}
+Unless you have multiple drives/partitions, just choose what it offers you...
+{{:blog:apd2-inst3.png?640|}}
+This is giving you an option to confirm (top) or cancel (bottom) the installation to //C:// before we continue. Choose the top option and then the installer begins copying files from disk 1, it will then stop, and show the following:
+{{:blog:apd2-inst4.png?640|}}
+Swap to disk 2, select the top option (continue) and keep going, the disk numbers it wants are clearly visible in the middle of the prompt.
+After the install has copied the contents of disk 9, it will ask you to replace the DOS boot floppy again, swap it back in and click the top option again (continue), it will show this message:
+{{:blog:apd2-inst5.png?640|}}
+This appears to be recommending that you enable XMS for best performance; since we only temporarily booted from a DOS floppy, we can probably ignore this if we're already enabling ''HIMEM'' or equivalent. Still, we need to click on the message and we are asked if we want the installer to make the changes for us (top option), or proceed without it (bottom):
+{{:blog:apd2-inst6.png?640|}}
+We have a final message which thanks us for the install and to then reboot in order to play the game:
+{{:blog:apd2-inst7.png?640|}}
 === Installed Files ===
@@ Line 133: / Line 165: @@
 Apr 15  2017 USERDISK.ID
 </code>
+===== Running the Game =====
+Start the game via the file ''GO.EXE'', the (minimal) config screen will load allowing you to choose either //FM// sound or //MIDI// output.
+//At present I am unaware if the MIDI option is limited to a certain hardware interface, or if it will work with any of the standard Roland MPU MIDI interface cards available for the PC-98 (the PC-98 MPU-II and the Super MPU).//
+{{:blog:apd2-config1.png?640|}}
+Clicking on the second option brings up the two sounds choices; FM or MIDI:
+{{:blog:apd2-config2.png?640|}}
+... but clicking on MIDI then gives the following warnings (at least in the //np2kai// emulator) to firstly confirm that your MIDI device is connected:
+{{:blog:apd2-config3.png?640|}}
+... then this one which warns that serial device interface may not work:
+{{:blog:apd2-config4.png?640|}}
+... then a final confirmation to continue with the choice of MIDI (top option), or cancel (bottom option), and not to have a modem plugged in:
+{{:blog:apd2-config5.png?640|}}
+Clicking through that and then choosing the final option of the main menu starts the game proper:
+{{:blog:apd2-menu.png?640|}}