Might and Magic The Might and Magic Discussion Thread

[newtmonkey]

(Interestingly, the below text mentions the 2-semitone pitch shift bug, but not the random crashes. *Maybe* only the World of Xeen release is affected by the buggy MT-32 driver, and the two individual earlier releases are fine... I'd have to check.)

In my experience, it unfortunately affects both the combined game and the individual releases (on an actual DOS machine with a real MT32, etc.).

At first I thought this might be one of those games that expects you to use the default Roland MIDI interface settings (IRQ 2 Port 330), but the game still crashes even with my MIDI interface set to 2/330.

It seems the only choices are:

• MT32 for music/SFX, no SB speech
• Sound Canvas for music/SFX, with SB speech
• SB for music/SFX/speech

Personally, I find the speech and SB effects to be annoying in MM4/5 and definitely prefer the MT32 soundtrack, so I just disable speech.

 

[ChaDargo]

Anyone who voted for Might and Magic X in this poll is a complete tool.

Nah, I just don't like any of the other games in the series at all (not that I particularly like X).

 

[Rincewind]

It seems the only choices are:

• MT32 for music/SFX, no SB speech
• Sound Canvas for music/SFX, with SB speech
• SB for music/SFX/speech

Personally, I find the speech and SB effects to be annoying in MM4/5 and definitely prefer the MT32 soundtrack, so I just disable speech.

Yes, the MT-32 music is non-negotiable with this game for me as well, it's sooo good. I'd rather let the speech go too. The other option is to play the Mac CD-ROM version with full-speech and (badly) recorded MT-32 music (mono, 22kHz, a bit overdriven, and there's some background hiss).

You might be interested in the info I posted about the soundtrack here.

Btw, I envy you for that hardware MT-32 of yours! That ship has sailed for me, unfortunately, looking at the current prices. But my SC-55 (original version) is on its way from Japan, found one for cheap!

 

[unseeingeye]

Btw, I envy you for that hardware MT-32 of yours! That ship has sailed for me, unfortunately, looking at the current prices. But my SC-55 (original version) is on its way from Japan, found one for cheap!

Can any SC-55s still be found for reasonable prices? I bought a MPC-2000 for dirt cheap two years ago for my son but that was the last bit of electronic or synthesizer equipment I've picked up in years. I used to be heavily into that stuff; had a Mini Moog, a Micro Moog, a Korg MS-20 (was big into monophonic bass stuff back then), then a bunch of cheaper, more modern pseudo-analog stuff like the Korg MS-2000. Then my heroin addiction took over and that shit all got sold for half what I paid for it, just to avoid getting sick. I remember laying there listening to Untitled 8 by Sigur Ros and weeping at how much I'd lost, and was about to loose... Anyway, I've been clean since 2014 so, ancient history. Just brought back a lot of memories. I would be interested in playing Daggerfall with the original SC-55 hardware though, it has been a dream of mine for a while now. A mod released for the Unity version where the guy actually recorded the soundtrack using the original, which I've been using for now, it is very well done.

 

[lukaszek]

Anyone who voted for Might and Magic X in this poll is a complete tool.

arcane/zen archers are meh in there but its not big enough reason to hate it.
For most of us anyway

 

[Rincewind]

Can any SC-55s still be found for reasonable prices?

The one I bought went for 144 USD which is a good price in 2023, considering old shitty Sound Blasters can easily sell upwards from 300... It's a very early revision, without the GM sign on the front plate, so I'm quite happy I found it.

I got the SC-55 from this seller:

https://www.ebay.com.au/str/kakigori8

I regret I gave my Gravis UltraSound away about 10 years ago; today they go for absolutely crazy prices, easily in the 500+ USD range.

That's some nice analog gear you used to have, I'm also into music production. Well, best to be addicted to that and old games, that's for sure

 

[Blake00]

The MM2 Genesis is daggers to your ears or worse.

Yeah being a MM fan and a Genesis/MegaDrive collector I got MM2 for fun a couple of years back. Started it up, the music played and wow.. what the hell were they thinking...

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

This video explains the worst music on the genesis and how they managed it.

 

[JBro]

So should I just disable voice in the in-game settings and I should be good with my mt-32 settings? Or do I have to diddle the sound settings first?

 

[newtmonkey]

So should I just disable voice in the in-game settings and I should be good with my mt-32 settings? Or do I have to diddle the sound settings first?

I disabled speech in the installation program, probably better to do it that way, just to be sure.

 

[JBro]

Game still froze on me...

 

[Rincewind]

Game still froze on me...

How? More details?

If you enable MT-32 music, and disable digital sound via INSTALL.EXE, you should get zero crashes.

 

[JBro]

It froze as I was leaving one of the towers on the dark side. I'm using the gog version and it has a launcher that lets you do the sound settings before starting the game.

These are my settings. I'm also still using the CD version. Should I switch to the floppy version? Can I even do that with the same save?

 

[Rincewind]

It froze as I was leaving one of the towers on the dark side. I'm using the gog version and it has a launcher that lets you do the sound settings before starting the game.

These are my settings. I'm also still using the CD version. Should I switch to the floppy version? Can I even do that with the same save?

Yes, that should work. I'm using the same one, V2.1.

Btw, you can just run `INSTALL.EXE` from `C:\WORLD` after installation to change the settings.

Never tried using the saves from the floppy version with the CD version, or vice versa, so no idea.
I never completed it myself, so can't help, but vaguely remember there was some CD swapping problem reported with the game. Try mounting both CDs like this:

imgmount D "CD\NEW_WORLD_1_WORLD_OF_XEEN.img" -t iso
imgmount E "CD\NEW_WORLD_2_WORLD_OF_XEEN.img" -t iso

It should be able to handle multiple drives. Or try using DOSBox Staging, I remember we fixed some CD access related bug with this game a while ago.

 

[JBro]

I got the CD swapping to work. I started using dosbox-x when the crashing started, because I figured it was an emulation error on staging. Should I switch back now that I know it's not? Maybe x is causing the non-sound related freezing.

 

[newtmonkey]

JBro
Do you know how your SB and MIDI interface are configured in dosbox? I'm not using WoX CD (I'm using MM4 floppy), but when you run the install program does it ask you for the IRQ and I/O port for the MT32 when you select it? Freezing like that can often be caused by an IRQ conflict.

It's possible that Xeen requires the MT32 on to be on IRQ2 I/O330. Or maybe, you have the SB and MIDI port configured for the same addresses?

 

[NotSerious]

Which of the more modern ones is the best for a first time player?

 

[Ysaye]

Which of the more modern ones is the best for a first time player?

A lot of people would say 7 is the right game for a first timer of the "newer games", because it has a sort of introductory sequence which sort of goes through the basic mechanics, whereas 6 just throws you in there. It is also a shorter and smaller world. 6 IMO is a better game though.

 

[Average Manatee]

Which of the more modern ones is the best for a first time player?

What do you mean by more modern? I'd say that M&M3-5 will probably feel more like a "normal" RPG than M&M6-9 and therefore would probably be easier to get into. To a certain extent each M&M engine change practically becomes a different genre though so it's worth trying at least one of each of them. 1-2 are definitely not modern though they are still far more accessible than e.g. early wizardry games that they seem to be replicas of at first glance.

 

[NotSerious]

Which of the more modern ones is the best for a first time player?

A lot of people would say 7 is the right game for a first timer of the "newer games", because it has a sort of introductory sequence which sort of goes through the basic mechanics, whereas 6 just throws you in there. It is also a shorter and smaller world. 6 IMO is a better game though.

What about 10?

 

[Rincewind]

I got the CD swapping to work. I started using dosbox-x when the crashing started, because I figured it was an emulation error on staging. Should I switch back now that I know it's not? Maybe x is causing the non-sound related freezing.

Shouldn't really matter which DOSBox you use (unless X has introduced some regressions; they're moving very fast).

Of course, my personal recommendation is always DOSBox Staging The game autodetects everything properly with our default config, no need to muck around with manually configuring IRQs and stuff.

 

[JBro]

JBro
Do you know how your SB and MIDI interface are configured in dosbox? I'm not using WoX CD (I'm using MM4 floppy), but when you run the install program does it ask you for the IRQ and I/O port for the MT32 when you select it? Freezing like that can often be caused by an IRQ conflict.

It's possible that Xeen requires the MT32 on to be on IRQ2 I/O330. Or maybe, you have the SB and MIDI port configured for the same addresses?

It doesn't seem to make me choose those things with Soundblaster off.

I got the CD swapping to work. I started using dosbox-x when the crashing started, because I figured it was an emulation error on staging. Should I switch back now that I know it's not? Maybe x is causing the non-sound related freezing.

Shouldn't really matter which DOSBox you use (unless X has introduced some regressions; they're moving very fast).

Of course, my personal recommendation is always DOSBox Staging The game autodetects everything properly with our default config, no need to muck around with manually configuring IRQs and stuff.

I moved back to Staging just in case. Does it have a borderless window mode?

 

[Rincewind]

I moved back to Staging just in case. Does it have a borderless window mode?

Yes it does — just put "window_decorations = off" in the [sdl] section.
Then you can set the position of the window with "window_position".

E.g.:

[sdl]
window_decorations = off
window_position = 100,200

 

[JBro]

Which of the more modern ones is the best for a first time player?

I started with 6. Whichever one you choose, just remember to put the bows on everyone asap and in 6-8, running doubles your attack cooldown in realtime mode. Even if you're standing still. In other words, with the grayface patch and autorun on, you have to hold down the walk key for a normal cooldown in realtime battle mode.

Imo Grayface should add an option to just remove the cooldown penalty with running enabled. Most people don't even realize it's a thing.

 

[hello friend]

I've been playing mm6 recently with the grayface patch, and when I go to the Baa place with the bathhouse I can't open the door to get the chime of harmony from the chest. I'm pretty sure I've been everywhere, I picked up a key from the chest in the room locked with the puzzle doors with the plaques outside - which according to the internet is the key I need, but it doesn't open either of the hidden doors in the gallery. Is this a bug, you think, or is it possible I missed something? I opened every door in the bathhouse and checked every chest, cleared out the caves etc. If it *is* a bug, is there any way to fix it?

Also, how tf do you guys use meter shower effectively? When I fly over mobs and drop it on them I miss a lot of the time. Just git gud or what?