[Dungeons & Dragons Manuals & Modules PLATFORM]

Had to rename some of the image files on the MEGA site as they were a bit messed up. I'll soon be uploading the images to the DOWNLOADS section in hopes they will get a bit more attention there.

What would really be great is if someone has Photoshop and CoverActionPro 3 or something similar so I could make 3D books out of all the images. Something like these:I really believe there is an audience for this platform but it just may not be reaching them.

In the near future, I'll also be putting together a collection/playlist of as many D&D Video Game products as I can find. Such items would include things from MS-DOS, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, XBOX, Windows, etc.

I'm really interested to hear peoples' feedback on this platform!

Larry

 

[How to Enable FANART Images for Playlists in the BigBox DEFAULT Theme?]

Hello friends!

Main D&D video now plays in both BigBox default themes but the background art for playlists has gone missing. This used to work fine... I have plenty of screenshots proving so. SEE POST #2. The video issue must have been fixed in a recent update but now playlist art is broken?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone know how to configure the BigBox settings so a video plays for the platform/platform category while artwork is displayed for the playlists? I can get it to do one or the other but not both with the 2 themes that come with BigBox.

If a video plays in the platform category, no background artwork is displayed when viewing playlists (DEFAULT THEME). Conversely, if background artwork is displayed for playlists, no video is played in the platform category (CriticalZone V2 - DEFAULT). Is there a THEME or a way to get the Video to play for the Platform Category AND background artwork shown for the playlists? Is this not possible or perhaps a glitch? I've tried every setting I can find withing the options menu.

I only need this type of setup for this one platform.

Thanks for any help you can provide

 

 

[Dungeons & Dragons Manuals & Modules PLATFORM]

7 hours ago, RetroHumanoid said:

This is awesome...as I currently have a large pdf collection already,I would love to get ahold of your premade setup (minus the actual books)...It would look great in my setup,and make D&D night more convenient. I will have to make a platform category video for "Books & Magazines" now if I set this up

Well, you're in luck! I just finished uploading the images, database, and video to my MEGA site. You can be the first one to test it out (although you may have to change your filenames to match the XML). I hope you enjoy!  https://mega.nz/#F!tZtliI6Q!IrbOa3ig6xz40HV-tN31Ow

Have a wonderful holiday and let me know if you come across any errors or problems with the download. I tried to make it somewhat of a bolt-on so all you need to do is drop the folders into the LaunchBox folder. I, hopefully, uploaded all the necessary files.

Larry

[Dungeons & Dragons Manuals & Modules PLATFORM]

12 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

Hi Larry, this is very cool. I am slightly concerned with copyrights though if you plan to upload it here to the forums; we generally don't distribute manuals to avoid any kind of legal issues from that front.

As far as the images, I think if you were to make the distribution method a torrent, then I'd just leave the full-size images in there. In the emulation world, 8 gigs really isn't all that big. But that's just my two cents.

Thanks, Jason, for the input.

I was only going to release the images of the manual covers and backs, not the actual PDFs themselves. I would never share those. If it's OK, I may just link the images to my MEGA site. I did release all these "front of the box" images over on the Hyperspin forums a long time ago and there's never been any issues. I know a lot of people have similar images and descriptions on their websites (such as tsr.bothgunsblazing.com) but I am not sure if they ever dealt with any permissions from Wizards of the Coast. I think I have even seen  image logos for Forgotten Realms and other D&D items on these forums.  I guess I will upload the original larger images to MEGA and, if anyone wants smaller versions, I can easily shrink them.

[Dungeons & Dragons Manuals & Modules PLATFORM]

Hey everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful day.

I've been working on a new LB Dungeons & Dragons system, mostly for personal enjoyment, for quite some time now. I originally made it for my Hyperspin installation but finally decided to try it out for Launchbox. Once I saw how feature-rich LaunchBox is, I decided to rework this D&D system for LB. I extracted the front and back images from all modules and manuals, reworked almost every filename so they are longer and more descriptive, and added NOTES/Descriptions for all 960 files. This took a LONG time but was totally worth it (it gave me something to do). I think I started on it in September and worked on it as I had time but the 1st draft is finally here for you all to enjoy. If you're a D&D fan or simply enjoy the artwork, I think you may enjoy this system. The games within the system consist of Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks, gaming modules, cards, and boardgames from Original D&D all the way through the end of AD&D 2nd Edition (~1972-2000). This is not a video game system but a PDF e-reader system.

Of course, there will definitely be updates to the filenames, images, and notes as I find misspellings, omissions, grammatical errors, and other mistakes. I did not type all the notes myself but found a lot of information and back-cover descriptions for each file on sites such as rpggeek.com, tsrbothgunsblazing.com, tomeoftreasures.com, waynesbooks.com, dmsguild.com, worthpoint.com, and several others. Much of the data on these sites had a lot of misspellings, omissions, and grammatical errors so I did my best in refining the data.

The images are quite large so each folder (front, back, background, etc.) of 960 images is around 2.5 GB. I am not sure if the community wants images in this size or if I should run them through some sort of image compression process so they are much smaller. I like having the originals but PLEASE LET ME KNOW how you would like them before I upload them

Also, the painstaking effort of naming and describing every file was extremely time consuming. It would be awesome if there was some way to add not only the images but all the filenames (not the PDFs themselves of course) and notes to a online repository so others can simply download these images and notes files through the LB program. Of course, I will upload everything first so people can simply BOLT-ON the system and start enjoying it immediately but I wanted to get the admins' and users' responses for what I have so far. The whole system on my drive is over 8GB so I am sure it will need to be slimmed down quite a bit,

You may be wondering how it works with a PDF reader. Well, I use Soda PDF with Rocket Launcher and it works amazing. I will detail how to set all that up once I post the files in the downloads section.

I've included several playlists that make up the various game settings such as Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Ravenloft, and DragonLance. As you can see in the examples, I use the front page of the manual as the background for the selected item. Using the FLIP feature, you may also view the artwork/descriptions from the backs of every item.  I also included several background images and logos for the various playlists. It definitely needs more work to reach its full potential but I am happy with how it's turned out so far. PLEASE Let me know your thoughts! I will be posting the bolt-on of this system soon. I just need to slim down the size (unless people want the originals).

Here are examples of the system so far:

Best regards,
Larry

 

[New ColecoVision Phoenix Console Kickstarter]

Here's another demonstration where RetroGamesFan (https://twitter.com/retrogamesfan) plays DK on a Phoenix prototype: 

 

[New ColecoVision Phoenix Console Kickstarter]

I imagine the PS/2 is to keep costs down although I am in no way sure of any of the technology licensing aspects of the hardware. Those are questions for the developers.
EDIT: Correct me if I am wrong but also I think PS/2 is one standard while there may be dozens of standards of USB keyboards that may need drivers? Again, cost is my guess.

This console is definitely not for the casual observer but for those who perhaps own/owned a ColecoVision (or always wanted to) and want a modern system for modern TVs. All this can be easily played now with an emulator and any number of hardware devices from an Android, RetroPie, Modded Xbox/Wii/DreamCast, a PC, etc but the point is to play original cartridges and expansion modules on something that mimics the original hardware 

The hardware has been developed for years by CollectorVision and OpCode and sold on the AtariAge forums. People would send their console in for modding service at a cost of $200-$300. These guys just decided to put all their hardware together to make one awesome machine. There is in now way anything shady about this group. As for Coleco Holdings... you may want to read up on the whole spat between the collector/developer community and Coleco Holdings (and the failed/shady attempt it made at a new console).

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/265739-coleco-strong-arming-homebrew-publishers-and-fan-sites/

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/283794-collectorvision-phoenix-kickstarter-is-now-live/

I am pretty sure if anyone messed with the good folks on the AtariAge forums they would be harshly dealt with. OpCode and CollectorVision are very trustworthy names in the community. Coleco Holdings is not.

https://hackaday.com/2016/03/10/yet-another-kickstarter-scam/

I have done my homework for a long time with these guys so I have no worries. Here are their Twitter/Facebook pages:
https://twitter.com/CollectorVision
https://www.facebook.com/Collectorvision/

https://www.facebook.com/opcodegames/
https://twitter.com/opcodegames

[New ColecoVision Phoenix Console Kickstarter]

Hey Everyone!

If you a fan even somewhat of the ColecoVision, this may interest you. A group of savvy engineers from CollectorVision just implemented a Kickstarter for their new ColecoVision Phoenix Console 

http://kck.st/2ynKCVn

I am NOT affiliated in any way with CollectorVision, this console, or the Kickstarter (other than backing it myself). I am just a big ColecoVision fan and am so happy to see this get released. 

Here are its amazing features: 

- Compatible with ALL original ColecoVision game cartridges!
- 100% Accurate!
- Region Free!
- Worldwide Compatibility [PSU: 100-240v, 50-60hz]
- HDMI Output
- Digital audio via HDMI
- Loads and plays games (ROMs) through the SD Card Slot
- Sydney Hunter & the Caverns of Death (Exclusive pack-in Game cartridge with a $50 value)
- 10 Built-in digital Homebrew games included! (a $150 value)
- Instruction Manual
- HDMI Cable
- Worldwide Power Supply [100-240v, 50/60hz, USA/JPN plug-type]
- Expansion Module Port
- A variety of expansion modules will be released after console launch. More information on these will be provided later.
- F18A Video Enhanced Compatibility Built-in* ($86 value!)
- Officially licensed Opcode SGM compatibility Built-in* ($100 value!)
- Original-style ColecoVision™ (DB-9) Controller Ports
- Original ColecoVision™ Cartridge Port
- Original-style SNES/SFC Controller Port (For even more controller compatibility!) (NTT Data compatible)
- SD card firmware updating [via SD card slot]*
- PS2 Keyboard input
- The SEX7264 “COURTNEY” Wavetable Sound Generator (WSG) is a new custom sound chip which can produce a rich plurality of sounds with minimal intervention of the CPU.

If you could kindly please back this project, it is totally worth it. Thanks for looking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMXD8piieqo

[JoyToKey Profiles for LaunchBox and Rocket Launcher]

JoyToKey Profiles for LaunchBox and Rocket Launcher

View File

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What's New for Version 1.1.0:

• ADDED 7 New Systems (80 TOTAL) + LB/HS/RL/Default profiles. New systems include Sega Model 1, Sega System 16, Sega System 24, , Sega X Board, Sega Y Board, Pop-Cap, and Microsoft MS-DOS.
• Changed the ESC key functionality to buttons 7 + 8 (COIN+START). You must now press both to exit the game.
• Placed the ESC key location on Button 25 (a dummy location good for using combo buttons).
• Changed Button 5 to TAB.
• Changed Button 6 to P (PAUSE).
• Changed Button 9 to C.
• Changed Button 10 to V.
• Changed Button 11 to Z.
• Changed Button 12 to X.

I'll see how this configuration works for me for the time being. If it's a pain or something is not quite right, I'll continue tweaking it until I find what's best.

*********** BACK UP YOUR OLD PROFILES IN CASE YOU DON'T LIKE THE CHANGES ***********

 

If you use Rocket Launcher as the primary emulator for Launch Box then this is for you.

I created about 75 profiles for various systems, added them to a RAR archive, and attached to this post. All you have to do is unrar and place the folders within the archive into your ..\RocketLauncher\Profiles\JoyToKey directory. For example, mine is --  ..\RocketLauncher\Profiles\JoyToKey.

You may need to edit the profiles so they are more to your liking or work correctly with your setup. I use the default MAME setup for everything. If you want to change one or all of them, all you have to do is edit only one CFG file, copy the CFG file to every other folder, and rename the CFG file and FOLDER to the name of the emulator you're using for the system.

For example -- I use Rocket Launcher as the emulator for ALL my systems but, once RL starts, I use Stella for the Atari 2600. My path is then ..\RocketLauncher\Profiles\JoyToKey\Atari 2600\Stella\Stella.cfg

Maybe you don't use Stella for the Atari 2600 but use RetroArch. Here's how to change it:
You would simply rename ..\RocketLauncher\Profiles\JoyToKey\Atari 2600\Stella\Stella.cfg to ..\RocketLauncher\Profiles\JoyToKey\Atari 2600\RetroArch\RetroArch.cfg.It's the same path\folder\file but the innermost folder and cfg file have simply been renamed to match the emulator being used.

It's tedious to copy, paste, and rename but it doesn't take too long. I've copied these files to from my Hyperspin machine to another PC that uses Launch Box, set up JoyToKey in Rocket Launcher via the tutorial link below, and found it working beautifully. MAME is a bit of a jerk, however. Sometimes it works straight away and sometimes you still have to map the game within the MAME TAB menu. 

I ONLY HAVE CONTROLLER 1 MAPPED IN THESE FILES!

NOTE: There are NO games or programs within this archive. There are, however, 2 other files -- a BAT file for killing the JoyToKey process and a shortcut that gives that BAT file ADMIN privileges. As I use Hyperspin for my main machine, I am not yet sure if there is a way to have Launch Box use the JoyToKey.exe as the startup program and JoyToKeyKill.lnk as a shutdown program. Once I find out a way to get them to function, I will update this post. In the meantime, there shouldn't be too much trouble with it. You can always exit JoyToKey manually if it causes you any issues.

All files were created manually by me so there's no copyright issue. Launch Box doesn't need a JoyToKey profile as, from my testing, it has its own ability to use a joystick/controller.

**** Here is a very good tutorial on how to set up JoyToKey with Rocket Launcher - READ IT CAREFULLY!:
http://bit.ly/2oA2CJ4

Here's a tutorial on how to use Rocket Launcher with LaunchBox:

----------------------------------- ONLY FOR THOSE USING A MOGA PRO CONTROLLER-----------------------------------
In case you have a Moga Controller, download and install the Moga Serial program:
https://github.com/Zel-os/MogaSerial
NOTE: I can only get it to work in Mode A on the PRO Controller but it works great!
Your computer will also need BlueTooth enabled and successfully linked to the MOGA.

Here is where you can get the latest vJoy USB Controller Driver (you'll need this for the MOGA Controller):
http://vjoystick.sourceforge.net/site/

 

---

• Submitter
  malarrya
• Submitted
  05/02/2017
• Category
  Third-party Apps and Plugins

 

[Immensely slow media downloads 7.6]

I'm guessing that if you're using the FREE version of Launchbox your download speeds are throttled. Maybe I'll invest in LB someday but I've already put a lot of money, time, and effort into Hyperspin, EmuMovies, and RocketLauncher.

I would like to be assured BEFORE I buy that if I paid for LB this wouldn't happen but until then I can only expect the same slow download frustration with the paid version.

[Immensely slow media downloads 7.6]

I am having insanely slow downloads from EmuMovies through LB as well. Sega 32x took over an hour and there are only about 63 roms. Hyperspin's HyperSync is downloading very swiftly and I am on an extremely fast connection.