Just got me a Mega STE. First questions.

[Tempest]

Congrats on getting a Mega STE, I'm quite jealous.

 

One thing I've always wondered is if there are any Mega STE only games? I know there are STE only games, but those also work on the 1040STE. Did any games actually require a Mega STE? Somehow I would doubt it since it wasn't a very popular ST.

 

Tempest

[Gunstar]

Congrats on getting a Mega STE, I'm quite jealous. 

 

One thing I've always wondered is if there are any Mega STE only games?  I know there are STE only games, but those also work on the 1040STE.  Did any games actually require a Mega STE?  Somehow I would doubt it since it wasn't a very popular ST.

 

Tempest

926166[/snapback]

Not that I'm aware of, exactly...I'm sure there are some games that will use any extra available memory over a 1040ST, for example, a RPG like Ishar Trilogy might take advantage of more memory from a Mega/TT/Falcon. I do know that there are quite a few STE/Falcon only games and I'm sure that while those will work on a 1040STE, that the extra memory is used in Mega STE's and Falcons.

I'll keep you informed though, as soon as I get a keyboard I'll be checking out all those cool STE/Falcon only games as well as comparing how games like Ishar and other longer games play/load compared to a standard ST or non-Mega STE. Not to mention all the ST games that had STE enhancements and polygon games like Virus, Infestation, Elite, Frontier, and flight sims will all probably run faster on the 16mhz STE processor over the original 8mhz of the ST. I know that when I upgraded my Amiga 2000 from it's 7mhz 68000 to a 68030 eccelerator board with FPU it made a HUGE difference with F-16, it went for 2-3fps animation to at least 30-60fps. I hope for a similiar, but less substancial speed increase with the extra 8mhz.

[A2600]

Hi gunstar wow sweet pickup on the MegaSTE, welcome to the club (LOL) I personally use a Mega keyboad, Congratulations and glad you are progrssing, remember when we used to talk about owning these machines now we have em!! (good times, good times)

[Gunstar]

Hi gunstar wow sweet pickup on the MegaSTE, welcome to the club (LOL) I personally use a Mega keyboad, Congratulations and glad you are progrssing, remember when we used to talk about owning these machines now we have em!! (good times, good times)

928013[/snapback]

 

Yes, I still want a Falcon though, or maybe one of the Milan or other TOS clones with more modern technology, but this will do for a long while, I'll probably just upgrade it to the max. Though all I have left to do is a memory upgrade on my 1040STf and it's virtually a Mega computer itself, with Mega TOS and 2-4 megas of memory, stereo sound, video shifter chip for 4096 colors, etc...

[Gunstar]

Well, it turns out that the 1040ST keyboard I was trying to do the keyboard mod with was indeed broken. I went ahead and did what was suggested and just made a STE keyboard cable going from my 1040STf into the Mega STE and it works fine. So I've decided to forget about a Mega STE/TT keyboard for a long time and just use my 1040STf's keyboard. Besides, it allows me to have both computers hooked up together so I can use either one at any given time for 100% program compatibility, yet still have the Mega STE&4MB memory for more advanced stuff like CAD, MIDI and Internet. I was trying out some Polygon games with the double-speed processor and other enhancements like the Blitter, etc., and these games do seem to run about twice as fast (more precisely, twice as smooth of a frame-rate). I hope this speed increases with the addition of an FPU chip already on order. A downside from my particular 1040ST that I've noticed is the STE stereo sound isn't as good as the Tweety board Stereo I've hooked up to the ST. At least not with most stuff. I'm sure there will be a few games that take advantage of the newer sound chip, but for games that use the regular Yamaha chip, which is the vast majority, the ST Tweety board upgrade is superior. Most games on the STE I've tried so far just seems to be mono coming out of both speakers. Though I'm sure there are some games that use the STE's stereo to far better use, I just have to find them still.

[+DarkLord]

Well, it turns out that the 1040ST keyboard I was trying to do the keyboard mod with was indeed broken. I went ahead and did what was suggested and just made a STE keyboard cable going from my 1040STf into the Mega STE and it works fine. So I've decided to forget about a Mega STE/TT keyboard for a long time and just use my 1040STf's keyboard. Besides, it allows me to have both computers hooked up together so I can use either one at any given time for 100% program compatibility, yet still have the Mega STE&4MB memory for more advanced stuff like CAD, MIDI and Internet. I was trying out some Polygon games with the double-speed processor and other enhancements like the Blitter, etc., and these games do seem to run about twice as fast (more precisely, twice as smooth of a frame-rate). I hope this speed increases with the addition of an FPU chip already on order. A downside from my particular 1040ST that I've noticed is the STE stereo sound isn't as good as the Tweety board Stereo I've hooked up to the ST. At least not with most stuff. I'm sure there will be a few games that take advantage of the newer sound chip, but for games that use the regular Yamaha chip, which is the vast majority, the ST Tweety board upgrade is superior. Most games on the STE I've tried so far just seems to be mono coming out of both speakers. Though I'm sure there are some games that use the STE's stereo to far better use, I just have to find them still.

929696[/snapback]

 

Honestly, the biggest difference I noticed in the STe sound was when I played music, stuff like MODs...

 

Oh, and of course the demo scene. Demos always seem to push the machines to their limits and look/sound great. There are some really awesome ones for the STe. :-)

[tjlazer]

Congrats on getting a Mega STE, I'm quite jealous. 

 

One thing I've always wondered is if there are any Mega STE only games?  I know there are STE only games, but those also work on the 1040STE.  Did any games actually require a Mega STE?  Somehow I would doubt it since it wasn't a very popular ST.

 

Tempest

926166[/snapback]

 

 

Well I dont think it would happen as the Mega STE is just a STE but with a faster clock. So any game that works on the 1040STE also runs on the Mega STE but just faster if enabled.

[Tempest]

Congrats on getting a Mega STE, I'm quite jealous. 

 

One thing I've always wondered is if there are any Mega STE only games?  I know there are STE only games, but those also work on the 1040STE.  Did any games actually require a Mega STE?  Somehow I would doubt it since it wasn't a very popular ST.

 

Tempest

926166[/snapback]

 

 

Well I dont think it would happen as the Mega STE is just a STE but with a faster clock. So any game that works on the 1040STE also runs on the Mega STE but just faster if enabled.

929857[/snapback]

 

Oh so the Mega STE is just faster? I thought it might be enhanced in other ways as well. Are there any games that took advantage of the extra speed?

 

Tempest

[Gunstar]

OK, I have another big, fat, obvious question, but since I don't have any manuals or anything for my M/STE, I have know idea (I can guess); whats the big "port" for on the inside of this Mega STE that is accessed if you remove the rear of the machine where the Serial port 2 is? It's obviously some sort of expansion area, but what for? were there "cards" made for this area? Is this where most accelerator boards and other upgrades are installed? If I have too, I suppose I could open it up and take a picture, but it's all set up now, so I'd rather not.

 

On a side note, my Spectre GCR Macintosh emulator (V3.0) arrived today, so now I'm also 100% Macintosh capable too, on my Mega STE! Yoo-hoo!

Edited September 13, 2005 by Gunstar

[krupkaj]

This is VME bus slot. VGA or Ethernet cards are available. They are on ebay sometimes