Re: [SWCollect] [OT] Roland LAPC-1
Lee K. Seitz wrote: Jim Leonard boldly stated: Jim Leonard wrote: To appease you, I'll fix Monty Python. [snip] It's finicky. I'll have to debug it on a box with an actual working *real* Adlib to be safe, so this could take a while as I need to drag out the 386. Just a status update. Did anything more ever come of this? No, but you picked a good time to ask because I'm in the middle of capturing footage for www.demodvd.org and I just built a 386/40 out of donated parts -- and it has an SBPro in it. I'll search prior messages for what I'm supposed to be debugging :-) but if memory serves, I was going to try to fix the Adlib initialization code so that it inits properly on high-speed machines (or at least see why nobody gets Adlib sound) -- that a good guess? -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] [OT] Roland LAPC-1
Jim Leonard boldly stated: No, but you picked a good time to ask because I'm in the middle of capturing footage for www.demodvd.org and I just built a 386/40 out of donated parts -- and it has an SBPro in it. I'll search prior messages for what I'm supposed to be debugging :-) but if memory serves, I was going to try to fix the Adlib initialization code so that it inits properly on high-speed machines (or at least see why nobody gets Adlib sound) -- that a good guess? Yep. 8) The problem I encountered with Monty Python's Flying Circus (many years ago) was that Adlib sound worked on my roommate's original IBM PC with an Adlib card, but not my 286 with an SBPro. BTW, has anyone ever finished this game? I was never able to make it through the last level. -- Lee K. Seitz * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/ Wanted: Vintage Pac-M*n necktie (The asterisk is to keep from mucking up people's Usenet search results. Replace it with an a, if you didn't know.) -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] [OT] Roland LAPC-1
Jim Leonard boldly stated: Speaking of using different sound cards with the same game Has anyone here ever gotten Monty Python's Flying Circus (a Nintendo-style platformer/shooter from the early '90s) to work with a non-Adlib card? When I first got this game, I tried it on my roommate's IBM PC with an Adlib card and it sounded great. When I got a 286 with a SoundBlaster Pro, it wouldn't play through the card, just the PC speaker. Now what happens on a faster machine? The detection routine whips through the 35 short JMPs much quicker than it is supposed to. When it tries to read the ID byte, the Adlib isn't ready to supply it yet. So no byte is read, and no Adlib card is detected. But that doesn't explain why it didn't work on my 286. Well, it was a 286 20MHz, and I admit I don't remember if I tried the game without turbo on. But still, the game's from 1991 and, IIRC, 386s were pretty common then. I do know that when I got it, my roommate's original IBM PC was outdated. No hard drive (just two 5.25 floppy drives), but he did have a VGA monitor and Adlib card. And he played Eye of the Beholder on it. Try playing new games on five-year-old hardware now! (I had to check MobyGames for the date. Cool ASCII logo for Lynx browsers, Jim! Never been to MG using Lynx before. Now it's my only choice from work.) -- Lee K. Seitz * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/ Wanted: | Visit the Classic Video Games Nexus Vintage Pac-M*n necktie| for all your classic link news needs! |http://start.at/cvgnexus -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] [OT] Roland LAPC-1
Lee K. Seitz wrote: Now what happens on a faster machine? The detection routine whips through the 35 short JMPs much quicker than it is supposed to. When it tries to read the ID byte, the Adlib isn't ready to supply it yet. So no byte is read, and no Adlib card is detected. But that doesn't explain why it didn't work on my 286. Well, it was a That explains exactly why it didn't work on your 286. Read on: 286 20MHz, and I admit I don't remember if I tried the game without turbo on. But still, the game's from 1991 and, IIRC, 386s were pretty common then. ..in America. In Europe in 1990, where and when the game was programmed (and published -- 1991 is the US release date), 7.16MHz 8086 clones were extremely common still because Amstrad was popular in Europe and sold a lot of clones. That was the development platform for the game. I do know that when I got it, my roommate's original IBM PC was outdated. No hard drive (just two 5.25 floppy drives), but he did have a VGA monitor and Adlib card. And he played Eye of the Beholder on it. Try playing new games on five-year-old hardware now! :-) But it was different back then; hardware depreciated MUCH more slowly than today. Getting games to work on an original PC was a developement requirement up until 1989, and even for 2 years after that a lot of games still ran okay on your friend's hardware because they weren't speed-intensive -- they only needed decent graphics and sound. (Actually, Eye of the Beholder was developed in 1990 and it runs fine on an original PC with CGA and no sound. Since there wasn't any reason it shouldn't, it was intentionally designed that way.) (I had to check MobyGames for the date. Cool ASCII logo for Lynx browsers, Jim! Never been to MG using Lynx before. Now it's my only choice from work.) Hey, someone finally noticed! That's 2 years old, that logo. :-) As for the Python info, I just found out that much of it was WRONG -- I've fixed it with proper data. (I didn't approve that entry, needless to say...) To appease you, I'll fix Monty Python. Let me check around for the game online... Found it. Checking .exe... Geez, what an incompetent rip, not cracked, it's the EGA/VGA version only and the game itself is included *twice* in the archive!! This is why the current state of Abandonware websites is pathetic. Checking for modern box compatibility... works! Under NT no less, on a PII 233. I'll work at this on the trainride home tonight. -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] [OT] Roland LAPC-1
Jim Leonard boldly stated: That explains exactly why it didn't work on your 286. Read on: 286 20MHz, and I admit I don't remember if I tried the game without turbo on. But still, the game's from 1991 and, IIRC, 386s were pretty common then. ..in America. In Europe in 1990, where and when the game was programmed (and published -- 1991 is the US release date), 7.16MHz 8086 clones were extremely common still because Amstrad was popular in Europe and sold a lot of clones. That was the development platform for the game. Ah! Okay, I'll buy that. What a difference a year and a few thousand miles makes. 8) Getting games to work on an original PC was a developement requirement up until 1989, and even for 2 years after that a lot of games still ran okay on your friend's hardware because they weren't speed-intensive -- they only needed decent graphics and sound. Maybe, but he was the only person I knew with an Intel-compatible computer (happy, Hugh?) who didn't have at least a 286. And I seem to recall there being plenty of games he couldn't play. At least not at a decent speed. (Actually, Eye of the Beholder was developed in 1990 and it runs fine on an original PC with CGA and no sound. Not that you'd want to. 8) To appease you, I'll fix Monty Python. Let me check around for the game online... Found it. Checking .exe... Geez, what an incompetent rip, not cracked, it's the EGA/VGA version only and the game itself is included *twice* in the archive!! This is why the current state of Abandonware websites is pathetic. Checking for modern box compatibility... works! Under NT no less, on a PII 233. I'll work at this on the trainride home tonight. You're scary, you know that? BTW, it doesn't have to be cracked; I still have my original copy with box and manual. (And somewhere the copy where I drew all the cheeses on the (5.25) disk sleeve so I didn't need the manual.) I can't believe they tried to pass that security feature off as an opening game in the docs. BTW, don't be put off by my new sig. I just got yet more spam, this time pushing a two CD-ROM set of Sega Genesis games for the Dreamcast. I was finally pushed over the edge. 8) -- Lee K. Seitz * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/ Wanted: Vintage Pac-M*n necktie ** If you send me spam selling illegal compliations of old ** ** games, I WILL report you to the IDSA! (I hate spam!) ** -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] [OT] Roland LAPC-1
On Fri, 6 Jul 2001, Jim Leonard wrote: Stephen Lee wrote: [snip] I'm trying to install a Roland LAPC-1 I recently acquired in a 486 that I've set up to be a Killer Retrogaming Rig (tm). (Eventually, I'll get an XT.) I only got the card itself (no software or documentation). Music doesn't quite work right. Using Ultima VI as a test game, the music plays very slowly (every time a new note begins, both the music and the game freeze for about a second). Can anyone help get this to work right (or put me in touch with people who would know)? If I need to install a device driver, run the proper install program, set an environment variable or two, etc., I'd like to know. Your machine is too fast for the music routines in U6. Slow down the box, but don't use a slowdown program as this won't work; slow it down via hardware (go to slow or non-turbo speed, or disable some caches in the BIOS settings) and try it again. This is a known problem with U6 (and other games of that era). It's a timing issue in the software. That's not the problem, as I have the U6 music patch installed. The game runs pretty much flawlessly on my AMD K6-2/350. You mentioned you have a SB16 in there as well -- at what IRQ/port/DMA settings is it set to? It might be conflicting with the LAPC-1, which uses IRQ2/9 and port 330 on its default settings (and is what it *should* be set to for maximum compatibility). Yeah, this was the problem. My SB16 was set to port 330, and I had to yank a jumper from the card to convert it to 300 (ah, old hardware). That fixed the problem (yay!); now the last thing I need to do is to properly mix the SB and Roland sounds ... It's odd how different games can feel with a Roland installed. -- Stephen -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
