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Need wingcmdr.cfg settings for Wing Commander 1

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First post, by skitters

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I'm trying to get Wing Commander sound settings working the way I want on a computer with Linux Mint 17.
I have the GOG version, but it doesn't have the install.exe file that is necessary to configure sound settings.
I bought a CD version off of eBay (the one with Ultima VI on the same CD) --
http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/wing-comman … e-false-prophet
without realizing those CD's have bad installers that don't work right in DOSBox (may never have worked right on anything), and that you have to manually copy the files off the CD and then create your own wingcmdr.cfg file from suggested settings you find somewhere on the Internet. Running the install.exe from that version produces weird errors and can't be used to create or modify a wingcmdr.cfg file even if you do manage to get it installed.

What I want is the sound effects, but no music.
I can't get MUNT working on this Linux computer and I can't stand the Adlib music.

So far I've only found this for Roland:
v r c27 z

and this for Adlib (which is currently the DOSBox default):
v a904 z

and this, which may also be for Adlib sound:
v a552 z

But I haven't found wingcmdr.cfg contents for Adlib or Soundblaster sound effects with no midi sound.

Reply 2 of 22, by PhilsComputerLab

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RTFM to learn how to disable music 😀

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Reply 3 of 22, by skitters

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Wasn't asking about trying to install MUNT on Linux -- spent too much time on that already to no avail.

The FM for WC says to run the install.exe -- which is either missing or does not work.

Tweaking the wc.conf file hasn't helped with the midi, though it helped with other things like aspect ratio, window size, etc.

It makes no difference whether I set mpu401=none and mididevice=none in the wc.conf file -- I still get the Adlib midi. So if those settings are supposed to work to turn off midi, they aren't working in Linux.

Soundblaster settings in the wc.conf are

[sblaster]
sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=5
dma=1
hdma=5
sbmixer=true
oplmode=auto
oplemu=default
oplrate=44100

Changing sbmixer=true to sbmixer=false had no effect.
As I understand it, the oplmode, oplemu, and oplrate are for overall sound quality, not strictly midi.

Does this game use midi for sound effects?
Because other than tweaking the sound settings through typing the appropriate "code" into the wingcmdr.cfg file, I haven't found a way to turn off music without turning off sound effects as well.

Reply 4 of 22, by Zup

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MIDI is not the same than music.

Yes, MIDI is used only to play music (although it has some f/x, I highly doubt any game has ever used MIDI events for sound f/x) but not every music played on games is MIDI. MIDI means "those events thrown trough the MIDI port or to MIDI synthetizers", but your Wing Commander is playing music through Adlib soundcard or OPL synthetizers on your virtual sound blaster.

Putting oplmode=none should cut out your music, or lowering the volume (channel FM) through the mixer.

I have traveled across the universe and through the years to find Her.
Sometimes going all the way is just a start...

I'm selling some stuff!

Reply 5 of 22, by PhilsComputerLab

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skitters wrote:

I haven't found a way to turn off music without turning off sound effects as well.

RTFM 😀

YouTube, Facebook, Website

Reply 6 of 22, by skitters

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Zup wrote:

MIDI is not the same than music.

Yes, MIDI is used only to play music (although it has some f/x, I highly doubt any game has ever used MIDI events for sound f/x) but not every music played on games is MIDI. MIDI means "those events thrown trough the MIDI port or to MIDI synthetizers", but your Wing Commander is playing music through Adlib soundcard or OPL synthetizers on your virtual sound blaster.

Putting oplmode=none should cut out your music, or lowering the volume (channel FM) through the mixer.

Thanks. I'll try that.

Edit --
Still not having any luck.
The only thing that's worked so far to get SFX without music is using Ctrl-M ingame, but that seems to be session dependent and doesn't seem to carry over to other missions. Ctrl-M doesn't stick when you save the game and restore it. Maybe what I want isn't possible with the way this particular game's sound works. Every DOSBox tweak I've tried seem to affect both music and SFX together, so I can't get one without the other. And without a functional install.exe I don't really have a way of checking whether the game has a permanent sound configuration option for SFX without music, but I'm starting to suspect there is none.

Phil,
This is all your fault, you know.
It was your YouTube videos that got me interested in the game in the first place. 😀

Reply 7 of 22, by bloodbat

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Wing Commander 1 uses adlib SFX, so Ctrl-M every time is the way to go.

Reply 8 of 22, by skitters

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On a Windows computer with an MT-32 attached, using
v r c27 z
in the wingcmdr.cfg (for MT-32 sound) produces both music and SFX when the MT-32 is turned on,
however there is no sound at all when the MT-32 is turned off.

If the game always uses Adlib for SFX, then why would there be no SFX when the MT-32 was turned off?
It seems to me the game is using either Adlib for all sound or MT-32 for all sound, depending on whether you have
v r c27 z
or
v a 904 z
in the wingcmdr.cfg file.

Or is there another explanation?
I assume the "r" in v r c27 z means "Roland MT-32" while the "a" in v a 904 z means Adlib.
But I wonder what the c27 and 904 mean.
or the 552 in v a552 z (which seems to do the same thing as v a 904 z)

Reply 9 of 22, by bloodbat

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I'll rephrase that then...the game produces sound effects from whatever is set to play its MIDIs...if it's an MT-32 you get MT-32 SFX, if it's an adlib, you get FM SFX...I hope that was clear enough.

Reply 10 of 22, by dr.zeissler

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you can DL the WC1 Win95 Remake for free if you google for it.
it is the original Game, Music is Wav or something, GFX,SFX all original, but it has no issues on fast machines 😀

(as far as I know, it is part of the "Kilrathi Saga) Part 1-3, but only Part1 was released for free.)

Retro-Gamer 😀 ...on different machines

Reply 11 of 22, by skitters

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bloodbat wrote:

I'll rephrase that then...the game produces sound effects from whatever is set to play its MIDIs...if it's an MT-32 you get MT-32 SFX, if it's an adlib, you get FM SFX...I hope that was clear enough.

Yes, thanks.
That matches the results I got.

dr.zeissler wrote:

you can DL the WC1 Win95 Remake for free if you google for it.
it is the original Game, Music is Wav or something, GFX,SFX all original, but it has no issues on fast machines 😀

(as far as I know, it is part of the "Kilrathi Saga) Part 1-3, but only Part1 was released for free.)

I found a download for a WC1 remake -- actually a mod of Flight Commander
http://www.wcnews.com/news/update/8108
http://www.ciinet.org/kevin/wc1remake/

I didn't find a free legal download of any part of "The Kilrathi Saga," however there is a "Wing Commander Saga" that might be what you were thinking of
http://www.wcsaga.com/downloads/files/releases.html

I might try one of those -- not just because of the Adlib music issue but because I'm having trouble controlling the joystick in the original.

Reply 12 of 22, by dr.zeissler

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http://download.wcnews.com/files/wing1/

The File is: wc_pcgamer.zip (That's WinCommander1 of the KilrathiSaga (WC1-3 redone for Win95)

Retro-Gamer 😀 ...on different machines

Reply 13 of 22, by skitters

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Thanks dr.zeissler. I'll try that one out.

Reply 14 of 22, by bloodbat

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Is that a legal download?
Anyway, Kilrathi Saga has palette issues in Windows 7 (and I think I managed to crash it several times).

Reply 15 of 22, by Zup

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I don't think so. WC is still at sale on GoG.

I have traveled across the universe and through the years to find Her.
Sometimes going all the way is just a start...

I'm selling some stuff!

Reply 16 of 22, by kolano

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bloodbat wrote:

Anyway, Kilrathi Saga has palette issues in Windows 7 (and I think I managed to crash it several times).

I would guess that Mudlord's Windows 7 DDraw Compatability Fix, would fix the palette issues. Not sure that anything can be done for the crashing.

Eyecandy: Turn your computer into an expensive lava lamp.

Reply 17 of 22, by bloodbat

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Depending on what you have running (and if you have the wallpaper set to autochange every x time) the ddraw fix is not an ideal solution, as it's defeated as soon as explorer redraws itself in the background. Dxwnd has worked better in my case (though I haven't tested kilrathi saga).

Reply 18 of 22, by Stiletto

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Zup wrote:

I don't think so. WC is still at sale on GoG.

WCNews.com claims they are permitted to post it.
http://www.wcnews.com/news/update/10285

We are only permitted to post the specific release included on a 2000 PC Gamer coverdisk.
... Finally, to other webmasters and magazine editors: this is not a freeware release of the game--anyone wishing to include this download at their website or in their publication must contact the rights holders themselves.

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do the Fandango!" - Queen

Stiletto

Reply 19 of 22, by skitters

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Stiletto wrote:

WCNews.com claims they are permitted to post it.
http://www.wcnews.com/news/update/10285

We are only permitted to post the specific release included on a 2000 PC Gamer coverdisk.
... Finally, to other webmasters and magazine editors: this is not a freeware release of the game--anyone wishing to include this download at their website or in their publication must contact the rights holders themselves.

I actually have that PC Gamer disc.
I'd completely forgotten about it.