Modern hacks and updates

[Pobulous]

It would be helpful if patched and updated versions of games were available within the database with the official downloads.
In some cases, the linked videos are of modified versions, and those versions aren't actually listed or available in the database.

Eg, +2a fixed versions, added AY music, bug fixed versions, etc.

Having these versions spread all over the internet makes them hard to find and liable to disappear entirely.

In the case of denied files, the database could store poke, patch or diff files for use with specific commercial versions.

Dark Fusion and Commando have 128K versions that spring to mind as being ripe for listing in the database.

[StooB]

I agree. There is a 128k mod of Barbarian which for some reason gets its own entry in the database. It's "distribution denied" which seems a bit audacious seeing as the original version isn't.

[Einar Saukas]

BUGFIXES are stored in the database:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/list?bug=2

MODS are stored if they contain enough changes to the original game to produce a new gameplay:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/list?machine_id=Z&mod=1

PATCHES (minor changes) are not stored for a few reasons. There are too many of them and the ZXDB team is already struggling to handle the current volume of database additions, so we cannot take more work. Even contributions through the online form help us a lot but they still involve some work from us to review and complement information. Another reason is, we are not sure storing patches is worthwhile for users. Imagine yourself searching for Breakout clones and this site giving you result pages with 200 titles, but over half of them are Thro' the Wall variants with just different colors and new brick graphics...

[Einar Saukas]

I agree. There is a 128k mod of Barbarian which for some reason gets its own entry in the database. It's "distribution denied" which seems a bit audacious seeing as the original version isn't.

This information came from Martijn's WoS, including the "denied" status.

[Pobulous]

Are +2a patches treated as bugfixed versions and stored in the database (where allowed)?

I appreciate the time aspect, but if tweaked versions (such as multiloads converted to single load 128K, or added AY music) were listed as downloads with the original that would prevent an overload of the search results. I think the biggest barrier would probably be sifting through which tweaked versions were worthy of listing.

[Stu]

This is something I've been wondering about recently. I don't recall seeing many TRD versions of games in ZXDB but they feel like something that would be worth adding (due to the aforementioned added AY music -- from CPC/ST/MSX versions of games so they're actually relevant and not just the musical equivalent of a palette swap -- but also bugfixes, remapping rubbish keyboard controls, etc.). Virtual TR-DOS lists the changes in versions so that might take some of the pain out of sifting through them.

[BiNMaN]

https://velesoft.speccy.cz/other.htm

see the link IM2 vector in rom for +2a patched games

[Einar Saukas]

Are +2a patches treated as bugfixed versions and stored in the database (where allowed)?

These are not really bugfixes. If a program doesn't work on computers that didn't exist when this program was released, then that's not a bug.

However the database contains a link to @Alessandro's page that provides patches or instructions on how to make these programs work. The link is called "Spectrum +2A/+3 Incompatibility" and you will find it in secton "RELATED LINKS" near the bottom of each page (where appropriate).

I appreciate the time aspect, but if tweaked versions (such as multiloads converted to single load 128K, or added AY music) were listed as downloads with the original that would prevent an overload of the search results. I think the biggest barrier would probably be sifting through which tweaked versions were worthy of listing.

If you only want the files, then you can easily get them from TOSEC.

I don't see any advantage in simply adding the same files to the archive without any information about each of them.

[Turtle_Quality]

It's annoying in the case of Penetrator (where the keyboard controls really needed fixing, what were they thinking ?) and Jumping Jack where the keys don't suit modern keyboards. So every few months I'm pointing people to where they can locate the fixed versions on sites.

On the other hand, I completely understand it's not black and white, after the better key options, there are versions with music added, extra functions (some excellent Elite versions lately), but then there is improved graphics which is in the eye of the beholder, and at the other end of the scale there's umpteen Through the Wall updates of no real value.

From my perspective, I could put the fixed Penetrator and Jumping Jack files on the FAQ Pages https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/faq/Spe ... _home.html , they are frequently asked for after all.

[Pobulous]

If you only want the files, then you can easily get them from TOSEC.

I don't see any advantage in simply adding the same files to the archive without any information about each of them.

I would suggest if they were added, then the column after the language in the download section could have a short comment as seen in the Jet Set Willy section - eg, +2A/+3 fix, AY music added, Modified controls, etc

Whilst it's sometimes easy to get the files from TOSEC, it would be helpful to have significant or useful variants listed in what is now the defacto official Spectrum resource. Currently it's inconsistent (due to historical changes, no doubt) - JSW has variants listed, some +2A fixes are listed or mentioned, but many aren't.