Betrayal at Krondor

Title: Driver fixes
Date: July 9, 2013

About:

Addendum to NewRisingSun's Krondor fixes.

General MIDI
- Sfx now use full channel 1-16
- Send GS reverb
- Fix volume slider

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Krondor trivia:
'open surdo' GS percussion, on top of shakers + castanets.

SQ5 notes

Finished SQ5 recently. Enough times interpreter uses 11+ MIDI channels.
1- Intro with alert! (+2)
2- Finishing crest polishing (+1)
3- Cutscene with maggot (+1)
4- Leaving bridge for android duel (+2)
5- Space bar (+2)
6- Goliath attack (+1)
7- Self-destruct timer (+1)

Not sure if 2-7 chops music. Maybe just SE.

There was 1 unusual EXE bug - Cliffy's toolbox items would randomly disappear or not work. Replaced with SQ Collection EXE and it worked okay.

NewRisingSun wrote:

The solution was simply to take the 1.PAT from the floppy version, which is guaranteed to work because the MIDI files both for music and sound effects are identical between the floppy and CD-ROM versions.

Ah, perfect. I'd wondered about the difference in SX.OVL files (between the old patch from a few years ago, and this new one). Thanks again for your work on this.

NewRisingSun wrote:

The command line option m (without dash or slash) skips auto-detection and allows all available options to be selected.

Excellent, thank-you! This is going to come in handy... 😀

tikalat wrote:

There was 1 unusual EXE bug - Cliffy's toolbox items would randomly disappear or not work. Replaced with SQ Collection EXE and it worked okay.

Must be a placebo, as both are SCI version 1.001.068. If you replace SIERRA.EXE with the unpatched one, the 16-channel patch will be lost.

The only problem I have had with the toolbox is when taking items out into the inventory, the score sound is played, but the items are kept in the box. Trying a second or third time however works and won't mess up the score, either. And that happens both with patched and unpatched EXE.

both are SCI version 1.001.068.

They added 288 bytes to the front of the SQ collection EXE (compared to NRS exe). And use +2 offsets hundreds times. Don't know what else changed.

Otherwise, *shrug* - probably just me.

If you replace SIERRA.EXE with the unpatched one, the 16-channel patch will be lost.

That's what confuses me. The SQ collection EXE looks to work with your driver? >.<;;

During alert!, VSC panel says:
16 = Timpani
15 = Reverse Cymbal
14 = Glockenspiel
13 = Trombone
12 = French horns
11 = Trumpet
10 = Orchestra
9 = Strings
8 = Pizzicato Str
7-4 = Baritone Sax (SE i.t.)

Volume bars start firing across all channels.

I did hack up my own SQ5 driver to re-verify and got the same result. ^^

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Looked at PQ1 VGA midi files. I think it's well-known this isn't GM-intended.

Trivia:
- Enough modulation pieces
- Good # MT-32 exclusive parts

GM:
- No unique GM parts
- 65 00 / 64 00 / 06 0C (pitch bend) (driver doesn't send)
- Driver doesn't do modulation
- Driver reports itself as: MT-32 ID ($0C)
- 4.pat remaps GM instruments to other program #s

It's how PCM sounds compare to MIDI equivalents that interest me atm (PCM embedded with MIDI data). 😀

tikalat wrote:

They added 288 bytes to the front of the SQ collection EXE (compared to NRS exe). And use +2 offsets hundreds times. Don't know what else changed.

No, my SIERRA.EXE is a patched version of the Space Quest Collection's. I added 32 bytes to the front (not 288), because there wasn't enough space to include the code to force the rhythm part on channel 10.

tikalat wrote:

That's what confuses me. The SQ collection EXE looks to work with your driver?

Yes, but not in the way it should. An unpatched SIERRA.EXE will sooner or later play a melodic part on channel 10, or a rhythm part on a channel other than 10.

Unpatched exe is 288 bytes larger than yours. Difference is padding removal. Plus addition of your patch. I wrongly assumed it was an older interpreter.

Thank you for the lesson. I see how / why it works.

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Addendum to NewRisingSun's SQ5 fixes.

SIERRA.EXE
- Alternate versions of exe if unstable
ex. missing tools from Cliffy's toolbox

(only use this if you have problems with NRS exe)

Other than possible buggy PQ1 installer, on Sorcerian, how does the game play sound effects? Is it always PC Speaker?

Also, is it possible to fix the problem (also in Sorc) where the music resources are misaligned by 1 in the latter half of the game (from a certain point where a music resource is wrong, all music tracks are playing the resource after what should be playing)?

Spikey wrote:

doesn't PQ1VGA have some broken sound driver in a weird install program?

I am not aware of any such problem. Explain.

Spikey wrote:

on Sorcerian, how does the game play sound effects? Is it always PC Speaker?

Yes

Spikey wrote:

Also, is it possible to fix the problem (also in Sorc) where the music resources are misaligned by 1 in the latter half of the game (from a certain point where a music resource is wrong, all music tracks are playing the resource after what should be playing)?

I need a precise description of when exactly an incorrect song is played, what song should be played, and how you know that the song is wrong. A saved state would be helpful as well to reach that point in the game.

Some info is here, on the Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorcerian

Of course this doesn't tell you resource numbers. I will get back to you.

I know this is wrong because the game is Japanese and Sierra's has the music correct for most tracks but from one point in the game onwards, all the music resources are off by one and this continues right through to the last scenario.
It is also the same for the Musicians Guild, which plays all the resources in order, as according to the Japanese track list- except for one or two variances (they also changed two other tracks around, Survivor got swapped with Beautiful Day I think), but I'm not going to nitpick.

My mistake on the PQ1VGA thing, it was a faulty installer, not a sound driver. Seems like an isolated thing. Never mind 😀

Police Quest IV: Open Season (1993-1994, DOS + WIN)

Title: Driver + Speech fixes
Date: July 26, 2013

About:

General MIDI (DOS)
- Sfx now use channel 1-16
- Send modulation
- Fix volume slider

General MIDI (WIN)
- Sfx now use channel 1-15
- Higher polyphony
- Send GS reset

General MIDI (WIN CD)
- Send cc7 volume
- Fix note velocity
- Fix volume slider
- Send GS reset

DAC (DOS / WIN)
- Fix 8-bit --> 16-bit conversion
- Fix 16-bit --> 8-bit conversion

ADPCM (CD)
- Repair peak overflows
- Reduce isolated noise

Sound Blaster (DOS - Floppy)
- Repair unknown DAC error

PPF patcher:
http://www.romhacking.net/?page=utilities&cat … =&utilsearch=Go

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Trivia:
GS Percussion
- 725 (shakers), 755 (belltree), 801 (Scratch Push / Pull)

16-bit PCM mono

FM pan-pot
- 1, 17, 150, 270, 315, 320, (..), 1027, 1028, 1031

note:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func … 116&atid=418820

Extension to NewRisingSun's SQ4CD 1.2 patch

1. Changes intro to use Text + Speech by default
2. Fixes intro space bar subtitles - narrator + extra roger talk

Instructions:
1. Install NewRisingSun's SQ4CD patch first
2. Copy over files
3. Run

Quest for Glory III: Wages of War

Title: Driver fixes
Date: July 13, 2013

About:

General MIDI
- Sfx now use full channel 1-16
- Send modulation to device
- Send GS reset
- Send drum kits
- Fix volume slider

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trivia:
111 = ch12 (GM + MT-32)
240 = GS drum kit (room)
350 = GS percussion (belltree)
360 = GS percussion (mute surdo)
392 = GS percussion (jingle bell + belltree)
405 = ch12 (GM)
406 = ch12 (GM)
409 = GS percussion (open surdo)
490 = GS percussion (open surdo)
490 = ch11 (GM + MT-32)
491 = GS percussion (castanets)
622 = GS percussion (belltree)
780 = GS percussion (belltree)
836 = ch11 (GM + MT-32)
917 = GS drum kit (room)
924 = Modulation
925 = Modulation
946 = GS drum kit (room)

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Have to study Sorcerian sometime. And Silpheed.

Updates:
Krondor Re: Sierra/Dynamix sound driver hacking
PQ4 Re: Sierra/Dynamix sound driver hacking
QFG3 Re: Sierra/Dynamix sound driver hacking

All: SilenceDevice (VolumeOff) does ch1-16.
PQ4: GlobalVolume does ch1-16
QFG3: Added multi-language versions (Anthology CD)

Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (1993, DOS + WIN)

Title: Driver fixes
Date: August 7, 2013

About:

General MIDI (DOS)
- Sfx now use full channel 1-16
- Send modulation to device
- Fix volume slider

General MIDI (WIN)
- Sfx now use full channel 1-15
- Higher polyphony
- Send cc7 volume
- Fix note velocity
- Fix volume slider
- Send GS reset

DAC (DOS / WIN)
- Fix 16-bit --> 8-bit conversion

ADPCM (CD)
- Repair peak overflows
- Reduce isolated noise

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trivia:
103 = Modulation
109 = Modulation
109 = GS percussion (scratch push / sticks)
440 = Modulation
825 = Modulation
836 = Modulation
856 = Modulation

FM pan-pot (stereo)
- 100, 103, 104, 105, 108, 109
- 203, 240, 251, 320, 340, 471
- 551, 552, 553, 556, 557, 558
- 559, 581, 630, 631, 632, 633
- 634, 635, 680, 790, 825, 831,
- 833, 841, 851, 930, 934, 936,
- 937, 938, 940, 941, 943, 944,
- 965, 966, 971, 979, 980, 981,
- 982, 983

Laura Bow 2 trivia

(Re-confirming known knowledge)

Floppy:
- 4.pat = GM -> MT-32 instrument remap
- GENMIDI.DRV = MT-32 device ID
- No unique GM parts
- Ignores modulation

CD:
- 4.pat = GM -> MT-32 instrument remap
- MT-32 = same floppy tracks

- GENMIDI.DRV = General Midi device ID
- GM tags = uses same MT-32 tracks 100%
- No unique GM parts
- Ignores modulation

Short: LB2 not specifically written for GM

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@Alistair
Please look over Sorcerian (DOS) track list - confirm / correct / modify / comment.

src:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorcerian
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&i … ic/cd/bgm1.html
http://queststudios.com/Joomla/index.php?opti … rian&Itemid=161

Sorcerian work today. Head spinning from soundtrack listening.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUZXfCcb … jw&feature=plcp (PC-98 version)

(old list)

Could be possible to expand TOWN.EXE music player for extra tracks.

EDIT:
Updated list. Moved to text file.

4 unidentified tracks. Others need confirmation.

Easier to replace actual song tracks than file ID #s - harder to find. More of them to find - scattered around some bit.

EDIT2:
List complete (almost). Can anyone identify track #54? Or know of somewhere to use it?

DISK1-3 = SS099 (alternate fanfare) - not in music guild

May attempt a WIP package later, if no one else interested.

Sorcerian

Title: Driver + MIDI fixes
Date: July 9, 2013

About:

MT-32
- Fix memory error

Soundtrack
- Fix wrong songs when possible

== PC-88 soundtrack

1-1: Beautiful Day --> Survivor

1-3: Underground Dungeon --> Bloody River

1-4: Bloody River --> Luwan and the Gold Dragon --> (Red Dragon) [original N/A]

1-5: Silent --> Major Demon
1-5: Beautiful Day --> The Seal --> (Bloody River) [original N/A]

2-2: Evil Shaman --> Romancia Kingdom --> (Forest Medusa) [original N/A]
2-2: Bloody River --> Azorba Kingdom --> (Desert) [original N/A]
2-2: Survivor --> Vaides --> (Major Demon) [original N/A]

2-3: Beautiful Day --> Peaceful Forest

2-4: Dungeon II + Gedis --> Dungeon II
2-4: Silent --> Gedis

3-1: Harp --> Celestial World
3-1: Celestial World --> Harp
3-1: Cave I --> Evil Shaman

3-2: Cave II --> Cave I
3-2: Survivor --> Vaides --> (Evil Shaman) [original N/A]
3-2: Beautiful Day --> Cave II

3-3: Town --> Forest
3-3: Medusa --> Town
3-3: Underground Fortress --> Medusa

3-4: Fire Elemental --> Underground Fortress
3-4: Living Cavern --> Fire Elemental

3-5: Pounding Heart (part 1) --> Living Cavern
3-5: Pounding Heart (part 2) --> Pounding Heart [merged]

Dragon: Beautiful Day --> Vaides --> (Major Demon) [original N/A]

== PC-98 soundtrack

Many: Dungeon BGM --> Beautiful Day
Sigh and Tear: silent [original N/A]

2-2: Silent --> Romancia Ending --> (Beautiful Day) [original N/A]

== X1 soundtrack

3-2: Double Devil --> Ekim

Romancia Map
- Easier to escape well

Musician Guild
- fix tracks 1-59

- add missing tracks

60 = Bloody River [alternate]
61 = Dungeon II [Dark Magician]
62 = Gedis [boss]
63 = Fanfare [dungeon]
64 = Beautiful Day
65 = Sigh and Tear
66 = Romancia Ending

Re: Krondor

Seems to work. But it only worked on the supplied EXEs, not for instance this ex-CD EXE of "Monday, March 21, 1994, 6:44:00 PM." tikalat's "Monday, March 21, 1994, 8:44:24 AM" one does.

I didn't play through, but one thing I noticed was no sound for the whetstone or adventurine. I do not know if that's correct or not.

Much kudos to NewRisingSun and tikalat, I've been wanting this to happen for years!!

NewRisingSun fixed EXE for rest of us - only way to make it work.

Checked the whetstone sound - Floppy 1.02 (original) vs CD 1.02 (unpatched) vs CD 1.02 (patched). All play with GM but short and soft (not loud) - turn up your volume to check?

VSC LCD display confirms sound playing. Tried ~6 different dungeons, ~3 different chapters.

adventurine - sorry. Don't have this item off-hand to test.

Yes, you're right. It's a sort of nondescript sound, not really audible, but I guess the correct one. I tried NRS's EXE and then the CD 1.02 copy you supplied, and they both work. Don't ask me...

Attaching what I hope is a chapter 4 save by Romney, to talk to M. Waylander, and some bandits just north of that, to damage swords, crossbows and armour so that we can hear it being repaired. 😁 But yeah, I think it just works.

Great job once again!