WinAGES v0.23a (Borg)           *** COPYRIGHT ***  by Quinntesson
http://ages.emuunlim.com


Minimum requirements
--------------------
You will need Windows, DirectX 3.0 or higher, and a 350 MHz CPU with
MMX.  To use a joystick, you will need DirectX 5.0 or higher.  To use your
CD-ROM drive(s), you will need ASPI.  To use AGES in windowed mode your
display must be 16-bit color.


Getting Started with Sega 32X
-----------------------------
Use GROM, Ucon, GoodGen, or other program to convert all of your 32X ROMs to
BINARY format.  Then rename their extensions to ".32X".  Download the 3 32X
BIOSes.  Configure AGES (via "Config->File IO->Load System ROM") to be able to
load them.  The 32X Master SH2 ROM is 2048 bytes, the 32X Slave ROM is 1024
bytes, and the 32X M68000 ROM is 256 bytes.  You can turn off use of the 32X
system ROMs, and AGES will fall back on its BIOS faking routines, but
compatiblity *WILL* be lower.  I will not officially support the use of BIOS
faking, so if there is a problem with AGES, be sure you have the ROMs and have
configured AGES to use them!

You can download Ucon and the complete 32X BIOS fileset from Eidolon's Inn.
(http://www.eidolons-inn.de/sega/gen_files.html)
(http://www.eidolons-inn.de/sega/32x_dev.html)
You can download GROM from http://www.powernet.net/~trzy/
You can download GoodGen from any decent emulation website.


Getting Started with Sega CD
----------------------------
First make sure you have ASPI installed.  If you don't, AGES will display
something like "Error with WNASPI32.DLL."  Download the Sega CD BIOSes.
Configure AGES (via "Config->File IO->Load System ROM") to be able to load
them.  AGES WILL NOT RUN SEGA CD GAMES WITHOUT A BIOS!  AGES will
automatically choose which BIOS to use, but this means you must choose your
regional settings before booting the Sega CD.  If you make any changes, you
must reset the Sega CD before the changes will take effect.  If you change
the CD in your drive you must reset the Sega CD before the changes will take
effect.

As of this release, the Japanese BIOS v1.01 (and thus all Japanese games)
and the USA BIOS v2.00 do *NOT* work!  I am working on the problem, please
don't email me about it.

You can download ASPI from the Adaptec Inc FTP.
(ftp://ftp.adaptec.com/software_pc/aspi/aspi32.exe)
You can download the Sega CD BIOSes from Eidolon's Inn.
(http://www.eidolons-inn.de/sega/segacd_dev.html)
You can download WinRAR from the WinRAR website.
(http://www.rarsoft.net)


Important information
---------------------
AS ALWAYS read the AGES FAQ (http://ages.emuunlim.com/faq.html) for further
information.

To run AGES in windowed mode, you must set your desktop's color depth to 16
bit.  If it isn't, you will only be able to use AGES in fullscreen mode; AGES
will stay paused in windowed mode.  If, during loading, a DirectInput call
fails, AGES will stay open, but alert you that you will only be able to watch
games run.

The "load patch" action only works with IPS patches intended for use with
BINARY ROM images.  Patches for SMD, MD, or RAW/BIN files should not be
used!  Patches for ISO images also should not be used.

You can now control the speed of the SH2s in the 32X by editting AGES.INI.
The numbers are represented as hexidecimal.  75 (the default value) is
reasonable value for emulation accuracy, but is slow.  Larger numbers will
underclock the SH2s and thus make the emulator faster.  If the numbers
are set too high, AGES will exhibit graphics glitches or outright loss of
compatibility.  The number D8 should give you the speed of GENSX, but I do
not recommend setting it that high.


What's implemented
------------------
+ Player 1 and player 2
+ 3 button and 6 button controllers
+ 4 way teamplayer
+ Sega mouse (not usable yet)
+ M68000 and Z80
+ Master and Slave SH2s
+ Raster effects
+ All three 32X graphics modes
+ 32X/Genesis layering
+ most SH2 peripherals
+ Dual frame buffer support
+ BIN/GEN, SMD, MD, 32X, ISO, and RAW/BIN filetypes
+ RAR support for BIN/GEN, SMD, 32X filetypes (ISO, and RAW/BIN are disabled)
+ Genesis/32X Battery RAM saving and loading
+ Direct CD-ROM support for Sega CD
+ Sega CD internal backup RAM loading (saving is disabled)
+ IPS patch loading

What's not implemented (yet)
----------------------------
- Game saved state files
- Sound (Genesis, 32X, or Sega CD)
- Sega Menacer, Activator, Optical Pad, & other unmentioned peripherals
- SH2 INTC (partial)
- SH2 SCI (partial)
- RAR support for MD filetype
- RAR support for Sega CD images
- ZIP support for any filetype
- Shadow and Highlight effects
- Sprite Masking, Sprite Limiting, and Sprite Collision
- Interlace mode
- SVP (might not even do this one anyway, can't get ahold of VR ROM.)
- Sega CD graphics "layer"
- Sega CD RAM cartridge saving and loading


Keys
----
Alt-L           - load a ROM
Alt-P           - pauses emulator
Alt-R           - resets emulator (still somewhat buggy)
Alt-X           - exists emulator
F1              - about AGES
F2              - save state (not yet implemented)
F3              - load state (not yet implemented)
F4              - switch between windowed and fullscreen modes
F5              - capture/release mouse (right now all it really does is make
                    the mouse cursor disappear or reappear)

AGES defaults to the following keys for gameplay:

Player 1
    numpad up       - D-pad UP
    numpad down     - D-pad DOWN
    numpad left     - D-pad LEFT
    numpad right    - D-pad RIGHT
    enter           - START
    a               - A
    s               - B
    d               - C
    z               - X
    x               - Y
    c               - Z
    v               - MODE (does not actually switch modes; use config menu)

Player 2a
    o               - D-pad UP
    .               - D-pad DOWN
    k               - D-pad LEFT
    ;               - D-pad RIGHT
    l               - START
    t               - A
    y               - B
    u               - C
    g               - X
    h               - Y
    j               - Z
    b               - MODE (does not actually switch modes; use config menu)

Players 1b-d and 2b-d do not have default settings.

Configuration
-------------
Options marked with a ## are adjusted automatically by AGES, but you can
modify them by editting the AGES.INI file if you want.

* File IO
    Load System ROM    - Use this to provide AGES with the full path to you
                         Genesis and 32X system ROMs.
    Default CD drive   - Lists all the CD-ROM drives that AGES detected on
                         your computer.  Choose one and it will be used
                         for Sega CD emulation.
    BRM Path           - BRM's are direct dumps of the battery RAM.  These
                         files (if they come from a Genesis game) should be
                         completely compatible with Genecyst.  Simply change
                         the file extension.  This option is useful if you
                         want to play your games off a CDR and still have
                         battery RAM support, or if you just don't want your
                         ROM directory to be cluttered.  [You have to edit
                         AGES.INI for this, its not implemented in the GUI
                         yet.]
 ## ROM Path           - AGES remembers the directory that ROMs are loaded
                         from.  It also remembers the previous file type used.
 ## GSS Path           - This is the directory to store your game saved state
                         files in.  Again, it is useful for playing games off
                         a CDR or simply not cluttering your ROM directory.
                         [Game saved states are not implemented yet.]

* Graphics
    Frame Skip         - Can be set to none, 1, 3, or 7.
    Screen Size        - Sets the screen size.  F4 toggles between fullscreen
                         and previous windowed mode.
    Scan Lines         - Chooses a scanline option: none, 50% intensity, or
                         blank lines (the classic full effect).  This option
                         is only used in the double resolution and fullscreen
                         graphics modes.
    Enhance Visibility - Forces a pre-cooked palette on the Genesis, and 32X
                         256 Color graphics modes.  If a game is chugging
                         along without establishing a palette, the screen
                         stays blank and the game isn't playable.  Use this
                         option to "see in the dark."  This may also be
                         benficial to game developers/hackers.

* Sound
    (no options yet, sound not emulated.)

* Input
    Player 1/2[abcd]   - Select the device that each player uses.  Choices are
                         keyboard, joystick, mouse, and network connection.
                         [Though you can set this to "network", AGES does not
                         support network play yet.]
    Define Keys...     - Define which keys are used for gameplay.  Press the
                         "change" button to change a key, and the value will
                         turn into flashing ?'s until you press a key.  If you
                         do not press a key after 6 seconds, the selection
                         will revert to its original value.
    Define Joystick... - Define joystick buttons used for gameplay.  You
                         can not change up, down, left, or right.  Press the
                         "change" button to change a key, and the value will
                         turn into flashing ?'s until you press a key.  If you
                         do not press a button after 6 seconds, the selection
                         will revert to its original value.
    Network...         - Configure network options for network games.
                         [Reserved for future expansion.]

* GUI
    Error Messages     - Allows you to turn on/off some nonessential (and
                          often annoying) error messages.  Your choices are:
                         ROM Validity Failure, Missing UnRAR.DLL, and Missing
                         ZLib.DLL.  The last one has no effect because .ZIP
                         support isn't coded yet anyway.

* Machine
    Miscellaneous
      Region           - Select region.  Choices are Autodetect, USA, Japan,
                         and Europe.
      Region Order     - Works with the Autodetect option.  Use this to
                         control the search order (top down) of the
                         autodetector.  Click on a region to bring it to the
                         top of the list.
      Port 1/2         - Select the device which will be emulated on that
                         input port.  Choices are 3 button controller, 6
                         button controller, Sega mouse, menacer, or
                         teamplayer.  [Presently, the mouse is in the
                         experimental stage.  The Menacer is not emulated at
                         all.]
      Teamplayer Port  - Selects the device which will be emulated on the
                         teamplayer port.  These settings will have no effect
                         if the Teamplayer device isn't selected on Port 1/2.

    Genesis
      Use system ROM   - Turn on use of the Genesis system ROM.
                         [Reserved for future expansion.]
      Disable Z80      - Some games require Genesis Z80 emulation to work.
                         Due to bugginess, some games will not work if
                         Genesis Z80 is enabled.  Use this option accordingly.
      Autofix checksum - Corrects a ROM's checksum in memory.  It is not wise
                         to use this option as some ROMs use a different
                         checksum scheme.  [Reserved for future expansion.]
    32X
      Use system ROMs  - I strongly recommend you enable this option!  Turn
                         this option off only in extremely dire situations.
    SCD
      Use Cart BRMs    - Enables saving and loading of Cartridge BRMs for
                         each individual game.  Turn this opten off if you
                         don't want your BRM directory cluttered with files.
                         [Reserved for future expansion.]

Thanks
------
AGES could not have existed without the help of many individuals out there.
Special thanks go out to (in no particular order) Eric Quinn, Eidolon, Atani,
the guys of SegaXtreme and of Sega ROMHouse, the guys of Genesis Power,
Flavio, Charles MacDonald, The Fox, Kilrathi, Red5, and Zoop.  I hope I
didn't forget anyone.  Email me if I did.
