CD-ROM vs. CDi Version

[mogo768]

Did you already see or play the CDi version of this game? It always was one of my old time favorite, music, graphics, just amazing. But as I discovered the CDi version I couldn´t believe it, videos are running with a much higher frame rate, what gives a complet different feeling of the game, it´s just smooth as it should be. So why do they still release the old choppy CD Rom version on Steam or GOG? I mean it was the opportunity to give it a shinny nice final release, but no it´s the same old thing..

here the cdi version (jump to 00:55)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZGMCE0T7Sc

[Xyzzy_Swe]

I totally agree, the CD-i port looks an amount of better! (Why couldn't we have ITs changes for this pitiful 20th Anniversary? Another World/Out Of This World did that back in 2006, one doesn't re-release a game like this without fixing any problems that came with the original PC version!)

..The Mac (for OS 9 on Macintosh Garden) one isn't much different, just custom samples for the music because it didn't need anything but graphics cards unlike the DOS platform.

[daemonatheart5]

I LOVED the CD-I version as a kid. I've commented to Trilobyte to release a port of the CD-I's engine, but that has fallen on deaf ears...

[fifo.gigo]

Without rewriting the code they can't, that type of emulation requires a rom and i'm guessing the owner of that copyright is not willing to allow it's distribution.

[mogo768]

I thought it has nothing to do with the cdi version, using bigger video files with the old pc code. CDi is NTSC / PAL so 720x576 at max, maybe they would have to render all new for a PC version who would not sell enough to really thing about it.

It´s like dreaming about a high res version of Cyan Riven. ... :) i think will never happen.

[Xyzzy_Swe]

Originally posted by daemonatheart5:

I LOVED the CD-I version as a kid. I've commented to Trilobyte to release a port of the CD-I's engine, but that has fallen on deaf ears...

I think that's because the CD-i port had an engine used by Philips. That's why the ScummVM emulator won't work with it.

[Gameplay Crush]

I think it's the same engine adjusted to work on the CD-I system, i think the diffrence is the CD-I platform had fixed hardware to work with, that might not be meaningfull in todays games, but back then it did make a big diffrence regarding optimasation.
If you emulate the CD-I version on pc it probably would do the same as the pc version.

You can actually change the "smoothness"on pc but you will have the same issuess like on any platform including the ipad version... other gameplay elements will go to fast http://youtu.be/JnbmjnvSJN4?t=1m17s
Everything that's not pre-rendered is going too fast

[Xyzzy_Swe]

Hey guys, do you even question some of the changes of the CD-i? First, the Front Door Puzzle had worms in place of spiders, then the soup cans were deleted because not many could understand Ye Olde English and finally the heart puzzle in Julia's room. (The lattest was replaced with an animation)

Plus, I enjoy Stauf's red-tinted mansion way more than the simple PC fading.

[mogo768]

i couldn´t get so far on the CDI because my batterie is dead what i noticed the day after after a night playing.. my saves on the next day were gone. And it´s some pain to change the batterie on the CDi hardware, it´s inside a chip solded on the mainboard.. i heard some puzzle were different like you said.

Originally posted by GameplayCrush:

Everything that's not pre-rendered is going too fast

Same problem on the mac / pc. With slow enable, it´s shuttering slow like 5 fps, what i think was normal speed 20 years ago.

[DATASTORM]

I agree with this, I had the CD-i version when it came out and the whole game was much smoother and polished.

[Xyzzy_Swe]

Originally posted by A Lone Gunman:

I agree with this, I had the CD-i version when it came out and the whole game was much smoother and polished.

Good to hear, and the Microscope Puzzle/game is actually beatable like the Mac version I was playing yesterday. (PowerPC somewhat kicked DOS's ass back in the day, System 7 for the win)

[montanajones007]

I still have the CD-i version of the game as well as a player to play it on, yet I'm glad I can play it here as well now, saves me the trouble of connecting all the cables back ^^

[Seri]

Originally posted by GameplayCrush:

You can actually change the "smoothness"on pc but you will have the same issuess like on any platform including the ipad version... other gameplay elements will go to fast http://youtu.be/JnbmjnvSJN4?t=1m17s

Not strictly true. Given it's using ScummVM, there's an option for a 'hybrid' mode - fast/smooth navigation, normal speed puzzles/supernatural events. Wherever the scummvm.ini file is located, add t7g_speed=tweaked in the [scummvm] section

(Edit: pending, of course, on which version got bundled in)

[Gameplay Crush]

Originally posted by ST:

Originally posted by GameplayCrush:

You can actually change the "smoothness"on pc but you will have the same issuess like on any platform including the ipad version... other gameplay elements will go to fast http://youtu.be/JnbmjnvSJN4?t=1m17s

Not strictly true. Given it's using ScummVM, there's an option for a 'hybrid' mode - fast/smooth navigation, normal speed puzzles/supernatural events. Wherever the scummvm.ini file is located, add t7g_speed=tweaked in the [scummvm] section

(Edit: pending, of course, on which version got bundled in)

not sure i understand what you said, wich part "isnt fully true" the issuess that would arrize or that you couldnt change it.
You can setup a new profile for T7G by just running the scumm exe

[Xyzzy_Swe]

I know of some other changes, according to videos on YouTube:
*Music; All how it was supposed to sound like!
*Cake Puzzle; No more "two skulls, two stones, the rest is just icing" in a voice nothing like Ego himself. He simply says "Two, two and one". Even comments on Martine's perfume! (I noted it on The Cutting Room Floor)
*Kitchen; You can watch Tad climbing through the window from the start, already mentioned "no soup cans because kids don't understand old-generation English".
*Crypt & Maze; New graphics and neat intro for the maze itself, no jump-scare music if you run into a dead end.
*Gaming Room; I didn't know Hamilton was actually trying to say "No, they want THE BOY!", so I assumed he said "..Oh" in shock. Ego even comments on seeing Tad!
*Some puzzles play sounds or simply have parts fade, like the House Flipping Puzzle with a scary wind-like sound and nothing gets flipped. Same for the markings in the Chapel, "thud" and crumble away!
*Laboratory; No music, just the sound of Stauf's homemade radio saying things like "France is the news he's doing it etc."

I'm not going to note down everything, but ONE mistake I could think of is Stauf's portrait where Ego acts as if he was playing the Knight-swapping puzzle.., drunk. (Hah, "drunk")

[Seri]

Originally posted by GameplayCrush:

not sure i understand what you said, wich part "isnt fully true" the issuess that would arrize or that you couldnt change it.
You can setup a new profile for T7G by just running the scumm exe

Possible I misinterpreted you as well, but I mean that it's not strictly true that issues would arise if using a 'fast' mode to get similar to iOS with ScummVM. There's a global 'fast' mode, and a 'tweaked' mode which plays house navigation quickly (smoothly) and uses the original (slower) framerate for cases like that youtube video to keep the music, etc in sync.