Vaxalons WIP

[Vaxalon]

Currentely working on the Spectrum dats, games tzx part in particular, bringing it all upto date.

Any error reports would be appreciated.

[Vaxalon]

Ok got a little question guys, something i want to do, not quite sure what route to take..lets see
 
ok an example file being :
Conman The Barbaric (19xx)().tzx

now, this is a 3 part adventure, all included inside that tzx, im not quite sure how to properly represent that thou, atm, to fill in, im using

Conman The Barbaric (19xx)()[Parts 1, 2, 3].tzx

Doesnt feel quite right, any suggestions? and i DO want to keep that info in.

[PandMonium]

Hi Vaxalon,

Media Type flag (TNC) is exactly what you're looking for.

According to your example and extra info provided by WoS, the right setname would be:

Conman the Barbaric (1991)(Elven Adventurers)(Part 1-3 of 3)

which would result in:
TITLE:      Conman the Barbaric
YEAR:      1991
PUBLISHERS:   1   ("Elven Adventurers")
MEDIA TYPE:   Part   CURRENT #:   1 (to 3)   TOTAL #:   3

In WoS link there is also information about "Machine Type" (ZX Spectrum 48K) and publisher country (?) (UK). I don't know details about spectrum or WoS but others can tell you if that info is valuable to be added in system and country flags as well, if it is the set would change from (1) to (2):
1) Conman The Barbaric (19xx)()[Parts 1, 2, 3]
2) Conman the Barbaric (1991)(Elven Adventurers)(48K)(GB)(Part 1-3 of 3)

The last part is just an example on how existent sets can be improved! In this case it is probably wrong and "48K" was never used as a system flag before.

[Vaxalon]

Yep, thanks for the way forward on that one.

as to country...um, well i dont think i really agree with the need, being as oh..95%? of all spectrum stuff IS from the UK, thou of course, I can see where its handy for the few non english ones.

As to 48....well thats a trickier one, 48k is pretty much the standard , for again, 95% of the stuff, so far with those, its more a case that ive been adding (16k)(128k) or, (48k-128) on the exceptions to the rule. While I COULD add (48k) to everything, i would call it fairly useless.

[Vaxalon]

hm just checked that again

..)(Part 1-3 of 3)

does that really tell people all 3 parts are in the one file?

[PandMonium]

Like i said both flags were examples (UK) and (48K), i'm not saying that the usage of it in this case is correct.

Media Type is correct that way. It identifies the media number, for example Disk 1 of 3. Since there are cases (like the set you have there) with multiple parts you add the interval with "-", (Part 1-2 of 3) for example. The rule is defined there so anyone reading (Part 1-3 of 3) should really understand that this set is part 1 to 3 of the software, with a total of 3 parts.

[gorski]

Vaxalon is right (GB) country flag will be strange in sinclair stuffs, other country active righting software is (ES) in this case flag is good i change some flags almost all (es) flags in dats must be (ES) may be few (IT) stuffs from italy magazines most of them stolen from original UK games and this 3 country flags get 99,999% of all thousand names

Greets,
Gorski

p.s.

Double Dragon II - The Revenge (1989)(Virgin Mastertronic) in one side and
Double Dragon II - The Revenge (1990)(Dro Soft)(es)[re-release]
Dro Soft is ES but this is only re-release but game display espaniol messages in this re-release what must be only (es) or (ES) Dro Soft is not writer of game
?

[Vaxalon]

heres a possibility :

Double Dragon II - The Revenge (1990)(Virgin Mastertronic - Dro Soft)(ES)[re-release]

[Cassiel]

Exactly….. it’s not unusual for games to have different/additional publishers in territories outside the original domestic release.

I wouldn’t bother with adding [re-released] either, since it’s simply a different territory release not a re-release to the same country.

If it looks like it’s an unauthorised copy though (as you said some of these can be), that complicates it slightly. You would then need to add a [p] or a possibly a [h] flag, depending on what the story is….

[TKaos]

Wouldn't put Virgin Mastertronic in there cause they have nothing to do with the ES release.

[Vaxalon]

Right...got another naming issue to throw at you guys.

The central problem here, is often the only way to tell a spectrum TZX apart from another, is the loading method used. Sometimes this is due to pirating...ie..multiface rips, but those happily are very rare.

Most of the time its a simple re-release, and the company in question felt the need to change the loading system, for no particular, or known reason. As its a useful way to differentiate the files, I keep it in.

Arrow Of Death (Channel 8 Software)(Part 1-2 of 2)[Brian Howarth's Mysterious Adventures no3&4].tzx
Arrow Of Death Part II (Channel 8 Software)[a different loader][Brian Howarth's Mysterious Adventures no4].tzx
Arrow Of Death Part II (Channel 8 Software)[a2 different loader][Brian Howarth's Mysterious Adventures no4].tzx

ok my issue here is...different loader seems...clumsy. when i can identify the particular loader type , i use that instead but..not always possible. Any ideas?

[PandMonium]

Hey,

I guess you can drop the "different". It is an alternate flag so it already means something is different. That way using "[a bootloader]", "[a sprites]", "[a title]" and so on already explains quite correctly what is different, do you agree?

Also, just by looking at that example, you don't need to have two alts, after all it seems to me you have 2 different "pieces of software" there:
1) Arrow Of Death by Channel 8 Software
2) Arrow Of Death Part II by Channel 8 Software

Am i correct? So... only the last two are similar and they could even be different versions and all that. You just have to use alt flags when you have sets that are exactly the same software, version, date and so on with minor changes introduced by the publisher itself (if they were done later, by users it is not an original alternate but a user made modification - m).

To conclude, you're also missing the "date" flag in those examples, don't know if you already have TDE with you but it will highlight such errors and need to be fixed

[Vaxalon]

yes i know im missing the dates, you will just have to trust me on the obvious stuff hm?

The trouble alot of the time....is you DONT know who modified a spectrum tape....in many cases, the same company could have re-released them with a different loading system, or..an alternative company, doing the same.

unlike the c64..where pirates put trainers on damn near everything, that hardly happened on the spectrum, at all.

which is why we decided, a LONG time ago, that the [!] flag was damn near impossible to certify, even if you converted the game yourself.

right.the alt thing, ok well im no programmer, but i can identify certain loading systems, bleepload...speedlock..etc etc. What im looking for here is a generic term to cover unidentified loading systems. As already stated, thats sometimes the only difference between many speccy games.

"[a bootloader]", "[a sprites]"....and so on...hm. now...to give an example...two of the loaders here are different...because the header block says "advent" on one, and "arrow/d" on second. And for those thats the ONLY difference i can see. so....how would you put that across? [a header]..?

[TKaos]

Would just go with [unk loader] into the more info flag, just like I use [unk filesystem] in the Apple II DATs when I can't identify those.

[gorski]

Hello,
[cassiel]
If it looks like it’s an unauthorised copy though (as you said some of these can be), that complicates it slightly. You would then need to add a [p] or a possibly a [h] flag, depending on what the story is….

we talk for fully legitime re-release in other country (ES).. we not have to discuss about this

Vaxalon what about speedlock numbering system ... i know two "standards" for numbering of speedlock .. and not know who is right ... i talk in 2 speccy uk channels and work is 70/30 ... speedlock 7 = speedlock 4 variant 1,2 ? and etc..
Vaxalon i suggest to do rename quite and not disturb others with complicated sinclair stuffs :-P ))
current dat have hundred (thousand:) of errors but in any way i'm respected of all work do in this dats from begginig
Vaxalon say:
which is why we decided, a LONG time ago, that the [!] flag was damn near impossible to certify, even if you converted the game yourself.

C:\newspeciproject\originals\hypersports>c:\games\sinclair\maketzx234b1\maketzxw.exe -ls1 hsa.wav

this line genereate tzx file of hyper sports game for sinclair (100% accurate and usable if convert to wav save to tape and play in real spectrum)
i own this tape ( http://tosec2.no-ip.org/vaxalon ) and sample hsa.wav is my ... problem is this line with same input generate EVERY time different tzx file .. no chances to make same tzx .. i have rights to put [!]  in generated in this way file ?

Greets,
Gorski

p.s. /me is happy Vaxalon is back

p.p.s. Vaxalon i think long time to add [tzx v 1.20] info flag for files with this version (because i add them to dat) but at all i not add ..(i think this must know for this files..