Old thread but now I also need to know 😀
Is it possible to get any sound at all though an SB card with Maniac?
My 286 only plays the silly built in speaker.
The SB works fine with other games.

Thanks!

C0deHunter wrote on 2019-11-01, 23:23:

I have an 1988 version of the game, and my only *functional* options in the game are: SHIFT V = MCGA Mode SHIFT E- EGA Mode SHIF […]
Show full quote

Akuma wrote:

Start the game, in the selection screen you can
switch to tandy mode by pressing SHIFT+T

I have an 1988 version of the game, and my only *functional* options in the game are:
SHIFT V = MCGA Mode
SHIFT E- EGA Mode
SHIFT C = CGA mode
SHIFT B= CGA Black and White mode

When I press SHIFT T, nothing happens, same with SHIFT H (for Hercules)

Interestingly, on a 1987 version of the game, non of these keys work at all! (except Alt-X, which quits the game!).

Thanks!

As far as I know, Maniac Mansion detects whether the appropriate hardware is present, and blocks the hotkeys for unsupported modes. It seems your (virtual) computer doesn't have the hardware needed for Tandy or Hercules modes. I think the Tandy/PCjr is detected by peeking at the BIOS type byte, and the Hercules is detected using the video status register at 3BAh.

There is a common variant of the non-enhanced (below 360KB) version of maniac mansion that does not support any of these hotkeys and contains 80186 instructions (so it crashes on PC/XT computers). It's the version that comes bundled with Day of the Tentacle as "bonus game". This version is widespread on abandonware sites, because it came "pre-cracked" by Lucasfilm Games themselves, as Day of the Tentacle didn't include the code sheet for the security door in Maniac Mansion. The size of the EXE file of the "DOTT version" of non-enhance maniac mansion is 63647 bytes.

Hmm. not sure I understand. Are you referring to Tandy-mode in Scummvm?
I'm playing with an IBM 10Mhz 286 today.
I am using that version of Maniac you are referring to but I didn't download it.
I pulled it off my original DOTT CD and renamed the ovl to exe.
I have also added the PREFS file to activate the mouse and test the Tandy mode.
However, I only get garbled screen in Tandy mode.
It runs fine in VGA mode but that awesome tune is played through the internal speaker.

I was hoping there was a way of playing sound through my SB.

epictronics wrote on 2020-12-26, 17:11:

Hmm. not sure I understand. Are you referring to Tandy-mode in Scummvm? I'm playing with an IBM 10Mhz 286 today. I am using tha […]
Show full quote

Hmm. not sure I understand. Are you referring to Tandy-mode in Scummvm?
I'm playing with an IBM 10Mhz 286 today.
I am using that version of Maniac you are referring to but I didn't download it.
I pulled it off my original DOTT CD and renamed the ovl to exe.
I have also added the PREFS file to activate the mouse and test the Tandy mode.
However, I only get garbled screen in Tandy mode.
It runs fine in VGA mode but that awesome tune is played through the internal speaker.

I was hoping there was a way of playing sound through my SB.

No, I am not referring to ScummVM. When I wrote "(virtual) computer", I was thinking about dosbox.

The Sound Blaster is not compatible with the 3 voice sound chip used in the IBM PCjr and the Tandy 1000 series computers. Actually, you can't have an AT compatible computer that is 100% compatible with the Tandy 1000 sound system, because the address of the Tandy sound chip conflicts with the 16-Bit DMA controller in the AT (and all compatible computers up to today).

Also, normal VGA or SuperVGA cards are not compatible with the enhanced 16-color video modes the IBM PCjr and Tandy 1000 series computers introduced as "better CGA modes". So it's not surprising that you get a garbled screen if you force Maniac Mansion into using that mode that is not supported by your system.

There are three ways to enjoy Tandy sound: Get a PCjr/Tandy 1000 machine, or use a PC emulator that emulates these devices. One such emulator is DOSbox configured using "machine=tandy". The third way is to use ScummVM's tandy sound emulation.

Thanks, now I have a reason to buy a Tandy, haha
I'll do some research and shop around 😀