[JaglanBeta]

Hi,

This is an interface for the 1993/4 ShadowCaster PC game. It’s not available on Steam or GOG as far as I’m aware, I used the boxed CD version I bought back in ’94 … and then never played until i got Magic Dosbox. This is the interface I completed the game with.

ShadowCaster MGC File
(link updated to downloadable (I hope!))

alternate download

This MGC has :
– “normal” mode
– “Mega Mode”
– “Mega Mode” with inventory
– Automap
– Options
– every control in the DOS game has a touch button over it
– toggle buttons for a 8 way custom game-pad and a 2-way flight keys
– auto-switches between the 5 overlays based on user input for in-game events
– a manual layer switch on all screens in case it gets out of sync with DOS game

The DOS game’s display screens are a bit more complicated than the usual FPS. Options and Automap are fine, but the game has a “normal” 3D view, plus a “Mega Mode” which I spent most of the time with. This mode squashes the side panels and so has to have a separate inventory panel, and was designed to show off the game’s capabilities (a bit laughable now..).

Start / Options Screen

This is the start screen when the game loads.
– Every button has a touch overlay
– The top right shows a label in the top corner showing which overlay is active and a button underneath to allow you to switch overlay by opening a widget bag – this is cos the way the game works it can get out of sync with the overlay (especially when you die).
– ESC is used to save a game after typing a description

“Normal” 3D mode

On this one
– every icon has a touch button over it (not the inventory slots)
– red buttons are for in-game actions
– yellow buttons toggle the direction arrow keys on/off
– blue button switches between “Normal” and “Mega” mode in the DOS game
– top right again has a label and button for manually switching overlays if needed

“Mega Mode” Views

In this mode
– again all in-game DOS icons have touch overlays (except actual inventory slots)
– tap the character face to switch between Action and Inventory screens

Automap

On these
– all DOS buttons have a touch overlay
– the map icon on the right toggles a Telescope widget to zoom on the full area level map

The game is a lesser known FPS with fantasy and some pretend RPG leanings. It was written by ID Software between Wolfenstein-3D and Doom, and uses a modified Wolfenstein engine. Everything is right angles, though in this one you can fly with 2 of the metaforms and swim with another. Underwater areas are actually a different game level which meshes with the above level to give the impression of extra complexity.

Notes :
– The CD image used at launch references a .cue file – the CD ISO has been converted to a cue/bin pair using ImgBurn so the game can find the tracklists. The Cd isn’t used for anything else.
– The game always crashed at the opening cutscene in Dosbox on a PC, but worked faultlessly when launched in Magic Dosbox.
– The button backgrounds are taken from the Options screen artwork (the save slots before any saves are displayed)
– The font is Baldur.ttf
– The movement / flight arrows are shamelessly copied from my Ultima Underworld 1 overlay (and uses the in-game cursors from that game).

[Al ex]

Holy moly! Amazing work, thanks for sharing. ??

[admin]

Oh, this looks awesome!

[admin]

Can be google drive converted to direct download? My stupid phone always opens google drive app…

[JaglanBeta]

Hi,

Just updated the link in the original post using Google Direct Link Generator page. The link URL now includes the word “download” instead of “open” so hopefully it’s OK.

Let me know if it works or not…

thanks,

[admin]

it works now fine on pc, my phone still tries open it, but maybe because of cache, i added alternate download, this could work on mobile fine

[JaglanBeta]

That’s good that it works on PC at least!
I’ll update my other MGC post to try and make the link is downloadable.
thanks

[admin]

Many thanks. Layouts will surely great like this one 🙂

[Author]

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