From: tim@softpress.com (Timothy W. Arnot)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Mac Discworld problems - summary
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 10:52:04 +0100
This is a summary to alt.fan.pratchett of the major problems found in the
Mac version of the DISCWORLD game. My thanks to Dave Le Good
(dave@minuet.demon.co.uk), Peter Young (petey@hwuk.demon.co.uk) and Richard
Barrett (R.Barrett@ftel.co.uk) for additional information, plus a whole
host of other folks for expressing an interest.
Note 1: This report does not concern itself with problems that may be
encountered during gameplay, nor does it contain any spoilers. It simply
addresses the question "will it run on my Mac"
Note 2: This article was originally sent out to some people in draft form
for comment. Comments to the draft have been added in brackets [] with
appropriate attributions.
1. Solvable problem: "Error: Discworld is unable to find the Discworld CD"
It seems this is caused by having file sharing switched on. Cure: Turn off
file sharing.
(actually I believe this may related to a bug in System 7.5.1 that produces
CD errors with various combinations of file sharing, SCSI manager and RAM
Doubler. It is reputedly fixed by System 7.5 Update 2.0)
[This error can also happen if you do not have a late version on the ISO
9660 file access extension, as on my 475. v5.0.2 works. - Dave]
[The release note with Connectix' RAMDoubler updater for 1.5.1 says
(amongst other things):
a. RAM Doubler no longer causes folders to appear "missing" on some
Macs when Apple CD-ROM 5.0 and file sharing are in use simultaneously.
b. Certain CD-ROM sound files now play with RAM Doubler installed.
Its available in:
ftp://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/computing/systems/mac/Collections/umich/misc/upda
te/
I've used the updater to fix a RAMDoubler incompatibility with the 603
processor in my 5200. I can't comment on other benefits claimed by the
release note but Connectix were prompt and professional in dealing with the
603 problem so I'd be fairly optimistic. - Richard]
2. Unsolvable problem: The program crashes PowerMacs on startup.
(The exact symptoms seem to vary - sometimes the machine just freezes,
other times it displays an exception alert.) This problem only affects
Power Macs, but curiously, not all Power Macs (we have been unable to
determine what specific factors cause it to work or fail)
A summary of machines is included below (amount of real memory installed is
specified where known):
Power Macs on which the game has worked:
7100/80 av cd (16Mb)
6100/60
8100/80
Power Macs on which the game has not worked
Performa 5200 (24Mb)
6100/66 (24Mb)
7100/66 (x3) (24Mb/32Mb/??)
9500/120 (x2)
8100/80 (x3)
Quadra 650 w. PPC Upgrade card (32Mb)
Totals: Success 3, Failure 10
According to one of the playtesters at Psygnosis (identity withheld from
this summary), it has been tested and found to work on the following
PowerMac systems:
Machine RAM (Mb) MacOS
------- -------- -----
PowerMac 8100/100av 49 7.5
PowerMac 6100/60 17 7.1.2
PowerMac 6100/60 11 7.1
PowerMac 6100/60 21 7.1.2
[Wierd memory configurations. How when all the machines involved take 72
pin SIMMs (which usually come in 4,8,16 & 32 Mb) installed in pairs can you
end up with Mbs which aren't a multiple of four let alone an odd number?
This could be the explanation. - Richard]
3. A Dealer Comment
I called up a Mail Order Mac software dealer this morning (MacGold Direct,
01723-582100), and the first thing the sales assistant said when I enquired
about the program was "Do you have a PowerMac?" "Why?" says I, "Because
we've been told that it doesn't run on PowerMacs" When I asked who had told
them (i.e. Psygnosis or the users), she said that she didn't know for sure
but presumed it was from user feedback.
[I did talk to their helpline (0151 282 3333) today. On the fourth try they
finally answered the phone. Paraphrasing, the guy said, sorry guv I'm a PC
expert not a Mac man, they're out to lunch! When pressed he more or less
said:
a. that it didn't work right on the PowerMac
b. that there had also been troubles on the PC version
c. a fixed CD would take a couple of months
d. there was no current plan to publish fixed software via the net (a
fix for the PC version is available this way i believe)
This conversation (being the fourth over the period of a week) did not give
me a warm and fuzzy about Psygnosis or the product developers. Frankly,
Psygnosis' people don't seem to have a clue about the problem or what's
being done to fix it. Its amateur night in dixie. - Richard]
4. Conclusion:
If you have a 68K Mac, it works fine (or can be made to do so if you suffer
>from problem #1 above). If you have a PowerMac, at least one dealer claims
it won't work, and based on our collection of machines you may have a
3-in-10 chance of it working (caveat: 601-based machines only. None of our
603- or 604-based machines has had it working).
Time, I think for Psygnosis to get their finger out.
Tim.
(This article has been cc'd to Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs and
helpline@psygnosis.co.uk)
--
tim@softpress.com digits@cix.compulink.co.uk
"The loud learning of lines must be restricted to speeches of a generally
optimistic nature" - Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters on Radio 4
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