Wikipedia Games list - How did you test and know which Generation to use?

[Mau1wurf1977]

Firstly thanks to anyone who did work on the MT-32 games list on Wikipedia!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MT-32-compatible_computer_games

When I grew up with computers there was no internet and the only source of information where gaming magazines (I'm from Europe). I never read an article outlining the differences in Roland modules or mentioning that some games support extra sound effects and some where exploited bugs...

I guess many gamers and reviewers simply never noticed this.

I wonder how you guys test for these differences? I can imagine that the missing sound effects would be quite obvious. I have read references to missing water noises in Ultima Underworld and various sound effects in Monkey Island 2.

But how can you tell that a game was meant for a first generation unit that "exploits bugs" found in those units? How does the lack of these exploits sound? Does one look for certain patterns in the midi files?

I can only imagine that a game that uses these extra sound effects would somehow reflect this in the midi data?

Or do you guys look for these 40 millisecond delays in the system exclusive messages? I guess if one finds these 40 millisecond delays in the data, one could conclude that this is meant for a first generation unit and if these delays are missing one could exclude the first generation unit from being used to compose for this particular game?

I am really keen to hear some "hands on stories" as how you guys figured out that some games are meant to be enjoyed on a first generation unit. I find this very fascinating and it shows a level of attention to detail that nobody in the mainstream media "back in the days" seemed to have. When I grew up there was only MT-32 and LAPC-I and that was it...

[Great Hierophant]

Gaming magazines were less hardware oriented in the days when the MT-32 was prominent.  These were the days before huge graphics and sound card comparisons.  I have read in some of the magazines of the period that the LPAC-I and/or the CM-32L did come with extra sound effects.  It is not like those sound effects were totally unknown.

I am not aware that the exploitation of bugs to affect sound would have been common knowledge until revealed on this board.  It isn't like programmers were sharing their tricks with their competitors.  Since the exploits were often relegated to a few isolated incidents, I don't think too many people noticed.  In the pre-internet days, this meant that this issue did not become common knowledge.  

The existence of a 40 millisecond delay does not always lead to the conclusion that a game was composed for a first gen unit.  Many games that were composed on a second gen unit would impose the delay to retain compatibility with first gen units.  Its those games that do not where you can reliably conclude that the game was meant for a second gen unit.  

It can be more difficult to determine that a game uses the extra sound effects because all the LA modules that support the extra sound effects do not have on screen displays to show the patch being used.  I suppose you could use an SC-55 to view the extra patches in use.  

Back in the day, it would have been extremely rare for someone to have a module with and a module without the sound effects.  These devices cost $500 each for much of their shelf life.  How likely would it have been for someone outside a gaming company to have dropped almost $1,000 for two nearly identical devices back in the day?  These days, modules tend to be much more affordable and it is not uncommon for DOS-games enthusiasts to have a first and a second gen unit.  

Good hearing and a careful attention to detail are the best ways to determine whether a game exploits bugs.  For example, someone was playing King's Quest V one day with a CM-32L and notices that a sound effect sounds "off".  Fearing his module is not working properly, he grabs his MT-32 first gen and tries it with the game and it works fine.  He asks a friend of his with a CM-32L to try it and that friend gets the same result.  Therefore, it is unlikely that two modules are similarly not working properly.  

These topics give an idea of the reasoning process by which these bugs were discovered:

http://queststudios.com/smf/index.php/topic,1654.0.html
http://queststudios.com/smf/index.php/topic,2138.0.html

[Mau1wurf1977]

Yup that makes a whole lot sense!

Use the midi through onto a Sound Canvas and the extra sound effect patches would show up when in use?

And if the 40ms delays are missing make a note that you will likely run into issues with a first generation unit...

These are solid test patterns. Awesome!

I guess the case where a game sounds "a little off" on a non first generation unit need a good ear. e.g. I someone posted samples from Dune credits and although they sounded different it wasn't obvious to my (my ears) that the sample from the first generation unit sounded "right"...