Sci Win Versions

[Patrik]

Hey ppl.

Just an interpreter related question. I'm wondering if anyone knows if there are any win versions for the remakes (Lsl1vga, Sq1vga, Pq1vga etc) and for old Sci1 games (Kq5, Pq3)? I've only got the dos versions of most Sierra games but found out that I could "make" win versions for some games by using the sciw executable from Sq4win (would probably work with any other as well). This worked for Sq5 for example, that I'm quite sure did NOT "officially" come with win exe. But this did not at all work with the games mentioned above. I kinda hoped there would be a win interpreter that would work with them. Does anybody know?

[Shish]

Hi man!
Unfortunately, there is no Win versions of eraly SCI
interpriter versions
Only last ones (Sq 4, Sq 5, Pq 4, Pepper's Adventures
in Time) may use one Win interpriter.
And why do you want Windows versions of it?
Do you have problem with soundblaster-sound in DoS?
(That was my reason to find win interpriter...)

[Patrik]

Oh, there are several reasons... Sound, yes. Sound fx don't work properly all the time, the midi doesn't sound as good as it does when playing through my virtual sound canvas. And then there are those timing related problems that actually do work a little better for me in the win versions (but it's not so important since I discovered that DosBox solves those problems very neatly). And then it's just fun to have different versions to play around with... I'd really really like to try the Kq5win version and the Sq3 sci01 version...

[OmerMor]

Check out this thread on this board:
http://www.mega-tokyo.com/forum/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1832
Ramon posted there a list of all of the sci versions he knows of, and you can see which games has a win version. I have most of the stuff he wrote there if you want to ask about a specific version.

[Patrik]

Actually I DO have a question... about Sq3 Sci01. Since Sci01 supports sound fx, does that version include the cool sound fx that the amiga version had? I have the amiga version and I had hoped that they would work with a Sci01 interpreter (Kq1rem for example), but it didn't. The resource files worked with FreeSci though, but the sound fx didn't... Rather silly really, but I just love the "W.. Where am I?". Heh. Is the sq3 version ONLY in german or is it in english too?

[OmerMor]

That's an interesting question about the sound-fx. I'll be sure to check it tonight when I come back home.
I still I will also try to collect Amiga versions of sierra games.
About this version: It is Bi-Lingual and as far as I know the only bi-lingual sierra game with a parser. this fact makes this game very unique:
You can choose from german/english/both messages, and german/english parsing.
So it's possible to write the commands in german, and get the messages in engish. as i said - very unique.
BTW - If you're interested in other rare sierra games you can check this thread (the first message there):
http://www.mega-tokyo.com/forum/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1690
it has my list of the rare games. since I wrote this list I got hold of almost every sierra game in most of their versions (cd, floppy, win, foreign).

[Patrik]

Yes, I've read your list. It's really quite impressive.. Where do you get all those versions? I own the amiga version and the Sqcol cd version (the ordinary) of Sq3, but I'd die for this bilingual Sci01 version. I guess it can't be bought anywhere and it's not very easy to find on the net either. Just a question.. Is it considered illegal to download a version of a game that you already own an original version of? I guess it is and I think it's quite strange. I'm NO friend of software piracy, but an old rarity like your Sq3 version, which is probably impossible to find... Actually, I try to buy every old sierra game I can find even if the money probably doesn't go into the right pockets as sierra is not really what they used to be... But they get more & more difficult to track down, they are not Halflife you know. Sigh.

[HWM]

http://www.mega-tokyo.com/forum/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=878;start=0
http://www.mega-tokyo.com/forum/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=1489

Perhaps this will help you...

[Patrik]

Aw, thanks man! Guess I haven't searched every corner of this board yet. Heh.

[Patrik]

Ok, I tried this bilingual version of Sq3 and it's really som phunky stuff!! Interesting, there ARE indeed sound fx (including "w.. where am I?", but ONLY if you choose english language). But not all fx from the amiga version seem to be present. For example, in the amiga version there is a humming sound when the pod shuts down but it's dead silent in this version (but you can hear Roger slamming into the ground).

I also tried to run the amiga resource files with this interpreter but it was no surprise that it didn't work... Still, I hope the FreeSci team make those soundfx in the amiga version work (since everything else seems to do it).  

[Patrik]

Hey, I was wrong! The humming sound when the pod shuts down is indeed in this version! For some strange reason it just didn't play through my soundcard when I ran the game the "normal" way. I tried it with DosBox, through Soundblaster emulation and then I heard it. Strange though that I could hear the other fxs... Actually, I played the game a bit further today and most (ALL probably) of the amiga effects seem to be in this version, making it perhaps the COOLEST sci game ever. Oh, do I love this game!? It's brilliant. As are most of the old sierra games.

[OmerMor]

Hi Patrick!
I tried yesterday the sci01 version of SQ3, and to my disappointment it had no soundfx even though i was using a soundblaster driver.
but after seeing your post today i tried again, and it worked!
I made 2 changes so i dont know which one cause the fx to appear:
1) I switched to english during the introduction: yesterday I watched the intro in german
2) I added this line to my RESOURCE.CFG:
audioDrv=SNDBLAST.DRV
before that I only had this line:
soundDrv=SNDBLAST.DRV
I inspected the EXE file with a hex viewer and saw that it recognizes this key. Because I have the game with no INSTALL.EXE file (do you happen to have it?) I had no way of generating a proper RESOURCE.CFG otherwise.

I should try to run this intro in english with that audioDrv key removed and see if it still plays the fx...

I play this game with VDMSound, not with DOSBox. I have yet to check if the pod humming sound is there...

And you're right! this game IS great..
BTW - have you seen the 256 colors version of Zak McKracken? it's unbelievable... (even if not SCI related).

[Patrik]

Yes, as a matter of fact I have seen the Zak 256 version and I have to admit that it really does rock... Another grrreat old adventure game there.

Sq3 yes. I used an install program from another old sci game, don't remember which. I think anyone will do. It's possible that your solution to the problem is true since I used the install program the first thing I did (and it probably made the change you're talking about automatically).