The Sinclair QL Forum

Just tried the QemuLator mdv version and am not sure if it's me doing something wrong or if there are a number of issues. Not to decry the hard work everyone's done on this of course. QemuLator version 3.3.1, JS ROM.

1. Occasionally when it runs it flashes all 8 'MDV' lights, as though searching all 8 drives.
2. Only seems to run in 'QL speed' mode - everything is way too fast in other speeds and game ends before I've had a chance to do anything.
3. Can't seem to select the quiz sets, it seems to stop at the first (World Facts) without letting me select the other 3. Or do they have to be gone through in order?
4. Some of the answers to that set seem to be 25%/50%/75%/100% rather than the word/name answers you'd expect.

I gave up at that point before I wasted any more time if (as seemed likely) I was doing something wrong.

dilwyn wrote:Just tried the QemuLator mdv version and am not sure if it's me doing something wrong or if there are a number of issues. Not to decry the hard work everyone's done on this of course. QemuLator version 3.3.1, JS ROM.

1. Occasionally when it runs it flashes all 8 'MDV' lights, as though searching all 8 drives.
2. Only seems to run in 'QL speed' mode - everything is way too fast in other speeds and game ends before I've had a chance to do anything.
3. Can't seem to select the quiz sets, it seems to stop at the first (World Facts) without letting me select the other 3. Or do they have to be gone through in order?
4. Some of the answers to that set seem to be 25%/50%/75%/100% rather than the word/name answers you'd expect.

I gave up at that point before I wasted any more time if (as seemed likely) I was doing something wrong.

Just tried it, same Qemulator settings (using the versions Martin uploaded a couple of posts prior) and it works for me. That thing with all 8 mdv lights is what I was getting with the copy protected version.

Press any key when you see the high scores. Then to select the category you chose it with the up/down and then select it with the right arrow (which isn't that obvious).

The percentage question is your stake, i.e. how likely you think you are to get that question right, like a bet. After that you get the 4 possible answers.

I just failed miserably at pop music as I didn't know who the bassist was in The Jam!

Can someone hack it now so that you are allowed, say 10 wrong answers instead of 1 (after the first 3 q's)?

Ah, yes, that works. Well, for a few questions, then this happens at a random point (never the same place twice):
The executable stops and goes back to BASIC. The -7 error implies something was not found.

I think where I went wrong with the keys was that the cursor keys are so fast you don't actually see them go up and down - it seems to use the equivalent of KEYROW.

You certainly don't get much time to answer questions - barely enough to read them, not think a little about the answer to choose. But that's part of the game I guess.

Copied the files to try on QPC2 5.02, but as Martin said it just freezes with a blank screen as it tries to start.

dilwyn wrote:Ah, yes, that works. Well, for a few questions, then this happens at a random point (never the same place twice):

oxfordtrivia.jpg

The executable stops and goes back to BASIC. The -7 error implies something was not found.

That's odd then. You get the same error when there is no cart at all in mdv2.

Oh look
someone is selling a copy on eBay.
Untested.
Expensive too
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165632031786 ... R_bF85TWYA

A bit OT: I once saw a complete PCB with EPROMs and ULAs from an australian guy: Oxford Trivia as an EPROM based game in Australia. The PCB was in fact a QL with the game to play in a kind of a slot machine. The PCB was about 30cm2, totally different from a genuine QL one.

Has anyone seen this before? I think, the software was the same as the one mentioned here.

RichardCGH wrote:Oh look
someone is selling a copy on eBay.
Untested.
Expensive too
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165632031786 ... R_bF85TWYA

They're like buses!

I'd be interested to see what is on that Questions cart as it looks a little different to mine. Perhaps he'd take a $40 best offer, but I don't think I want it enough to pay the $35 on top of that for customs and global shipping. I don't understand how eBay works out about $18 customs for something priced $49. Or $17 for shipping.

Chr$ wrote:I don't understand how eBay works out about $18 customs for something priced $49. Or $17 for shipping.

The USA are a very different kind of world, seems to be the same, as you would send something to the moon. On the other hand it is just EUR 1 from China to Germany. Nobody can understand this.

I once bought a cover for a SKB mixing device case here in Germany, they ordered it especially for me. I have paid EUR 40 for the cover and EUR 60 for the postage. 'nough said.

Chr$ wrote:

RichardCGH wrote:Oh look
someone is selling a copy on eBay.
Untested.
Expensive too
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165632031786 ... R_bF85TWYA

They're like buses!

I'd be interested to see what is on that Questions cart as it looks a little different to mine. Perhaps he'd take a $40 best offer, but I don't think I want it enough to pay the $35 on top of that for customs and global shipping. I don't understand how eBay works out about $18 customs for something priced $49. Or $17 for shipping.

eBay shipping can be a bit weird. I buy some vinyl records off eBay and although I'm obviously UK based, even buying from a UK supplier, it sometimes quotes me a $shipping estimate price. The end postage I pay is often different to that quoted I wouldn't pay $20 or so to buy a £2 item! I use Edge browser with an ad-blocker and a strict cookie control, wonder if that makes eBay unsure of my location? It should know from my login details though.

Chr$ wrote:

dilwyn wrote:Ah, yes, that works. Well, for a few questions, then this happens at a random point (never the same place twice):

oxfordtrivia.jpg

The executable stops and goes back to BASIC. The -7 error implies something was not found.

That's odd then. You get the same error when there is no cart at all in mdv2.

I think I had them the right way round (with my brain anything is possible). Mind you, it wouldn't have started at all if I had the two MDVs the wrong way round. Was a bit weird since it happened after the start of the game. All I can think of was that something went wrong with MDV2 at some point.