Loom TG16 Extract

[Kaminari]

Fantabulous. I can't believe it actually works :)

Big props to Tobias and Kirben for their tremendous work. Is it ok to post bugs on the Bug Tracker at this stage of development?

[Red_Breast]

Mind if I ask a question or two?

This thread has reminded me of the FMtowns games.
I'm Mr. Vanilla when it comes to Loom and Zak McKracken. In other words I have the DOS CD for Loom and the DOS floppy for Zak.

Whilst I check for FMtowns sometimes on EBay it's generally too expensive for me. I make do with my floppies and play the tracks from Soundtrack Island's FMtowns ripped .oggs in a media player alongside in some vague attempt to create the FMtowns experience. The poor man's version.
http://s-island.mixnmojo.com/zak.php

Now on to Loom. I've managed to find the thread in which I first read about the FMtowns differences. The 2nd post by ATMachine.
http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?p=1629575

The post says FMtowns Loom has differences to the DOS version. From what I can understand it has more dialogues which were also on the DOS floppy but not on the DOS CD.
Or have I read that wrong?
I've never played the floppy version of Loom. But I'm intrigued now by more dialogue. Soundtrack Island also have the FMtowns music for Loom by the way.
http://s-island.mixnmojo.com/loom.php

Can anybody post with a description of what the TG16 version has? Voice like the DOS CD or no voice but more dialogue like the FMtowns release? Also if no voice then does it have the same music as the FMtowns game as well?

It's a shame that the DOS CD doesn't have all this dialogue and fully voiced. I assume it's so it fits onto one CD? I can't help but think though that during the recording sessions for the voices that all the dialogue as in the original floppy version might of been recorded as well. Then later it was cut down so as to fit on one CD.
Although it might of happened differently and Lucas knew it couldn't fit all the dialogue fully voiced onto one CD so they re-scripted the dialogue before the recording sessions.

[clone2727]

Can anybody post with a description of what the TG16 version has? Voice like the DOS CD or no voice but more dialogue like the FMtowns release? Also if no voice then does it have the same music as the FMtowns game as well?

ATMachine has a good page on it. It's pretty much the floppy release upgraded to 64 colors and with the FM TOWNS CD audio tracks.

[eriktorbjorn]

Can anybody post with a description of what the TG16 version has? Voice like the DOS CD or no voice but more dialogue like the FMtowns release? Also if no voice then does it have the same music as the FMtowns game as well?

ATMachine has a bunch of screenshots from some different versions of Loom on his House of LucasArts and Sierra Oddities web page.

As far as I know, the PC Engine version of Loom is like the DOS floppy version, except with updated graphics (not as nice as the DOS CD or FM-Towns versions) and CD audio tracks for the music. I don't know if they're the same as the FM-Towns version. So, no voice-overs.

I assume it's so it fits onto one CD? I can't help but think though that during the recording sessions for the voices that all the dialogue as in the original floppy version might of been recorded as well. Then later it was cut down so as to fit on one CD.

I don't know, but lack of space was probably one reason for changing the dialog. (Though at least one scene was actually lengthened in the CD version.) And maybe some of it didn't sound right when it was read out loud, because much of it has been rewritten in one way or the other. Those changes make at least me doubt that they ever recorded the entire floppy version's dialog.

[Red_Breast]

Thanks for the posts and links guys.
I'd like to get one of the FM or TG16 versions. I imagine the TG16 games are priced similar to the FMtowns games though.

Loom TG16 would make a great release for Wii Virtual Console, like a few other Lucas games I can think of.

[eriktorbjorn]

Thanks for the posts and links guys.
I'd like to get one of the FM or TG16 versions. I imagine the TG16 games are priced similar to the FMtowns games though.

No, not yet at least. Judging by a quick search on eBay (which, admittedly, turned up just one of each), the FM-Towns version is about ten times more expensive.

[Kaminari]

Just checked the wiki and wanted to clarify something.

The PC Engine actually has seven channels. The extra ADPCM channel is provided by the MSM5205 processor, which is built into the CD-ROM expansion units. I'm pretty sure the missing sound effects are produced by the 12-bit ADPCM channel (doesn't sound like standard 5-bit PCM to me).

[Red_Breast]

Thanks for the posts and links guys.
I'd like to get one of the FM or TG16 versions. I imagine the TG16 games are priced similar to the FMtowns games though.

No, not yet at least. Judging by a quick search on eBay (which, admittedly, turned up just one of each), the FM-Towns version is about ten times more expensive.

I see what you mean!

If anybody's after the game their is somebody with 4 copies left $30 BuyItNow 21 days left. I think I'll see if I can snag one.

[sanguinehearts]

$30 is very expensive, keep your eye on ebay and certain web shops and you will find it cheaper, I paid no more than $12 for both of my versions(EN/JP).

You can find the Japanese TG16 Loom for £14.99(pretty pricey but good company) here http://www.genkivideogames.com/games/lo ... m/jccd2009

[Kaminari]

Since the Japanese version is also supported, I wonder if a PC Engine System Card ROM will be required in order to display the kanji characters? Right now, the Japanese text is totally mangled (but that might be expected at this early stage of development).

[Red_Breast]

Thanks Sanguine. I actually asked the seller on EBay with 4 US copies a question as soon as I saw it but I've had no reply yet so I'll check your link.

[scoriae]

Is there a way to dump the pce cardbios from ones PCE console in a way in which ScummVM can recognize it? I spent the afternoon going through the dumpcd and extract_tg16 tool only to find that the Japanese version crashes out with the lack of the System Card pce.cdbios error. I saw an earlier mention of how this card controls the system font, but I did not catch anything as to if this had every been addressed or if it was even possible to play the game.

[sanguinehearts]

The Japanese version is supported, The font is actually in the cd bios(possibly only the japanese cd bios)

The only way to play the Japanese version currently is using the cd bios. I believe the only way to extract it from the actual hardware is to wire the bios chip up to a chip dumper.
I dont think there is any pc engine homebrew that would read the bios chip and dump it.

There is some code in the trunk that will make use of a SJIS font(generated with a trunk tool)(currently in use with FM-Towns SCUMM games and Japanese versions of Kyra)
Perhaps this could be extended to work with the Japanese version of Loom.

[LordHoto]

There is some code in the trunk that will make use of a SJIS font(generated with a trunk tool)(currently in use with FM-Towns SCUMM games and Japanese versions of Kyra)
Perhaps this could be extended to work with the Japanese version of Loom.

Actually the SJIS font created by the trunk tool is currently only supported in Japanese versions of KYRA games. SCUMM does not support it (yet).

[scoriae]

I suppose I was confused as to the exact bios that was needed, as well as the naming convention.

I was thinking I had to somehow dump a chip within the hardware, where as what I needed seems to have been a dump of the System Card, the hucard add-on for the system. I had already dumped my System Card 3.0 a while back, and after playing around with renaming it different things, I found that by naming it pce.cdbios the game started right up.

Interestingly, it is not even a Japanese System Card, it is the (semi-rare and more expensive) english one.