(See The premise at the end of this posting for details on this ongoing feature)
OK, I'm sure you're getting tired of "setup" at this point, but this is finally it. Frankly, it was bothering me that I'd have to type on the same system I was using as a display that I was also capturing direct images and videos on, so I decided to be a bit technically poor and split the composite video/mono audio signals coming from the C-128D into two outputs. There appears to be little-to-no noticeable degradation, so there you go. This will now allow me to be as "authentic" as I prefer to be, meaning I'll be playing "Wizard's Crown" on a real Commodore 8-bit system with a vintage monitor, while still having full capture capability on my laptop.

So, once and for all, here are the specs for the review and chronicle:

- C-128DCR with JiffyDOS, with input from the original keyboard
- Original Wizard's Crown game disk
- Commodore 1084S monitor using the composite inputs

For notetaking and direct video/snapshot capture:

- Gateway CX210X Tablet PC running Windows Vista
- Adaptec GameBridge USB capture device using composite inputs (NOTE: To run smoothly with Windows Vista, "Home Theater.exe", which displays the C-128DCR's output in real-time has its priority in Windows Task Manager manually set to High)

I will be using Notepad to take notes and write the story since that will make it quick and easy to paste into the Armchair Arcade blog. I will do final edits directly on Armchair Arcade.

I will be using my upgraded Flickr account to host all images and link back directly from Armchair Arcade. Videos will be hosted on YouTube and also utilized directly from Armchair Arcade.

To begin, I will be typing "GO64" at the C-128DCR's "READY." prompt and pressing RETURN. I will then answer "Y" to the "ARE YOU SURE?" prompt and press RETURN. I will then type "Load "*", 8", pressing RETURN, then typing "RUN". Wizard's Crown will now boot and I'll begin. This is then shown below, taken from the Panasonic LUMIX digital camera:

See you next time when our review and story finally begins...

END

The premise
Having seen and enjoyed other blogs/recountings of personal experiences in chronicling the regular goings on while playing computer or videogame RPGs, I decided to present my own take on the concept. More than a simple review or type of "fan fiction", this is an ongoing series of features told in both traditional review and story formats concurrently (and as visually as possible, perhaps even with some video). Whether the experiment is ultimately a success or not won't be determined until the game is completed and the last blog entry written, when I'll compile each piece into separate features (likely smoothing a few things out and making proper transitions). I may even change styles and formats along the way if I see the need or get feedback to that effect. As with my other ongoing series here on Armchair Arcade, this will not be a regularly scheduled event, but I'll try to make it as consistent as possible. Regardless, there's always a good reason to keep checking Armchair Arcade daily for something new!