USAS (RC-753) enhanced | MSX Resource Center (Page 6/16)

Ambassador (5672)

31-12-2017, 07:18

fernando.collazo.5682 wrote:

Great work, and please do a smooth scrolling version of Super Laydock: Mission Strike

Just dreaming aloud here, but could also do with some palette tweaks, MSX2 multicolor sprites and OPLL soundtrack rearrangements.
It's a weird coincidence that I was actually thinking today about how this great game could be rejuvenated, and you actually mention this one.

Sidenote: OPLL reworkings would be fine in the Laydock 2 style for this game, so could even be done reasonably well in Moonblaster (of which the replayer seems to have been figured out how to implement in the coding of games).
Because of the awesomeness of the game and the relative straight-forward nature of the music, I would be willing to take the time and effort for that.

Par gdx

Enlighted (6223)

31-12-2017, 08:31

MGS driver seems very good but not the installer. MGSVRV v.3.20 does not work with the Sunrise CF interface. The MGSVRV v.3.18 works fine (if the FAT16 driver is not installed).

Par Victor

Champion (509)

31-12-2017, 09:28

gdx wrote:

MGS driver seems very good but not the installer. MGSVRV v.3.20 does not work with the Sunrise CF interface. The MGSVRV v.3.18 works fine (if the FAT16 driver is not installed).

I'll explain what I've done:

- Execute MGSEL and pause it before inits the driver.
- copy RAM to a file.
- The driver in in 06000h-08000h of RAM (8 kbytes)
- Edit the drivers skipping the changes in (0A8h) and (0FFFFh)...
- Edit the driver skipping search of SCC
- copy it to a block in the USAS rom
- When start USAS, put RAM in 04000h-08000h and copy the MGSEL driver.

- Then it's just a question of copy the song to RAM when it starts playing (call 06016h). The song MUST be in RAM.. and the driver too...
- call continue playing in interrupt (0601FH)... and check for mute some channel of the PSG if a sound effect have to sound...

The driver doesn't allow to change the pitch... as long as I know... so.. that it's really dificult to be done...

The good side, It's that from now, it possible to make the same with any game...

Par Manuel

Ascended (19471)

31-12-2017, 11:13

Perhaps it is possible to modify the driver to allow pitch changes? It would have to modify the note/frequency data on the fly. Or, alternatively, add 4 different versions of each world's tune and switch each time the emotion changes. Which method is used for the original PSG music?

Par Victor

Champion (509)

31-12-2017, 11:21

Manuel wrote:

Perhaps it is possible to modify the driver to allow pitch changes? It would have to modify the note/frequency data on the fly.

I don't know how to change the picth....

Manuel wrote:

Or, alternatively, add 4 different versions of each world's tune and switch each time the emotion changes.

Yes.. that's viable... but that will make the ROM bigger..... I'll coment this to Koichiro...

Manuel wrote:

Which method is used for the original PSG music?

The original PSG changes the pitch at fly...

Par Manuel

Ascended (19471)

31-12-2017, 11:33

Victor wrote:

Manuel wrote:

Perhaps it is possible to modify the driver to allow pitch changes? It would have to modify the note/frequency data on the fly.

I don't know how to change the picth....

I guess it is a matter of finding out where the frequency data is written to the SCC and add some code there that can change the frequency depending on the active emotion. Alternatively, the music data can be modified when changing emotion.

Par sd_snatcher

Prophet (3659)

31-12-2017, 11:37

Quote:

I don't know how to change the picth....

Tip: All replayers have a table with the note frequencies. They get a note from the stream,look up in the table for its respective frequency, then write that data into the soundchip.

In theory, all you would need to do is to add 3 more tables with different pitches, and change the table pointer according to the mood of the player.

If you find the MGS driver table, maybe you can post it here so people that are experienced in music can help and calculate the correct frequencies for the other moods for you.

Par syn

Prophet (2123)

31-12-2017, 12:04

Victor wrote:

gdx wrote:

MGS driver seems very good but not the installer. MGSVRV v.3.20 does not work with the Sunrise CF interface. The MGSVRV v.3.18 works fine (if the FAT16 driver is not installed).

I'll explain what I've done:

- Execute MGSEL and pause it before inits the driver.
- copy RAM to a file.
- The driver in in 06000h-08000h of RAM (8 kbytes)
- Edit the drivers skipping the changes in (0A8h) and (0FFFFh)...
- Edit the driver skipping search of SCC
- copy it to a block in the USAS rom
- When start USAS, put RAM in 04000h-08000h and copy the MGSEL driver.

- Then it's just a question of copy the song to RAM when it starts playing (call 06016h). The song MUST be in RAM.. and the driver too...
- call continue playing in interrupt (0601FH)... and check for mute some channel of the PSG if a sound effect have to sound...

The driver doesn't allow to change the pitch... as long as I know... so.. that it's really dificult to be done...

The good side, It's that from now, it possible to make the same with any game...

very interesting, I don't know much about the japanese MML replayers, I thought they were too resource-heavy to use in games. Perhaps I will give MML a 3rd try for psg+fm+scc music :D

Par Victor

Champion (509)

31-12-2017, 12:25

syn wrote:

very interesting, I don't know much about the japanese MML replayers, I thought they were too resource-heavy to use in games. Perhaps I will give MML a 3rd try for psg+fm+scc music

Yeaahhh!! come on, please!!!

I need psg+fm+scc for Ys2, ys3, penguin adventure!!! and a lot of games!!

Par JohnHassink

Ambassador (5672)

31-12-2017, 16:58

If you are planning to enhance that much titles, it would perhaps be wise(r) to research how the MB 1.4 replayer is implemented in games, as was done with the Ashguine Story 2 reboot. Or maybe even have a look at implementing the TriloTracker replayer (as was done successfully with the Who Dares Wins remake).

Not only is MML a format that takes a lot of time and labour; compared to tracking it's also relatively unpopular with the lion's share of contemporary MSX musicians (and chiptune artists in general).
Having a look at non-MML options would increase your chances of getting fully re-arranged soundtracks (not to mention, musicians that would be willing to take on such a project) with roughly 10000%.

Ofcourse, those options would not provide PSG with and OPLL and SCC, but that's overkill and unnecessary anyway, at least IMHO. ;)
Having said that, I do think a lot of work in MGSEL was already done by dedicated (Japanese) arrangers, particularly for at least one of those Ys games, so if those files could be retrieved, Bob's your uncle.