Forgive me for going on a tirade near the end,but this has been THE biggest issue w/ VP since I've been encountering this problem myself & haven't yet found a solution(other than to erase the MIDI-dependent parts of the script & do w/o the music). AND,that this is EVEN WORSE w/ the tables using the "DMC2" program. Which,similarly affects the emulated tables of "Extreme Pinball"(& maybe more,I forget)...
Also,I know this thread is /very/ old,by most people's standards,but if anyone should ever encounter THIS(that I'm typing),I DESPERATELY want to know if anyone /has/ ever found a way to get VPMIDI/DMC2 tables to play music like they USED to,back in the old VP8-&-earlier,days...
Because,ever since VP9 took-over,they haven't worked since,it seems. But,I was late getting into VP9(VPX was in open beta-testing,when I finally had a PC that could handle VP9). So,I can't verify at what point VP9 broke their functionality. But,as soon as I was playing VP9 tables,I found that the VPMIDI/DMC2-using tables were no longer working. So,I can say /about/ what time period they must have stopped working...
What caused them to no longer function correctly?? If the script was at fault,they never would've been working in the first place. So,it looks like something in VPinMAME was changed to where the system can't recognize how to work with VPMIDI or DMC2,any more(I speak in present-tense,because I ONLY use VP9 & earlier)...
Apparently,these days no one cares or just accepts that it's "Lost-Tech". BUT,there's almost NO search-results about VPMIDI/DMC2 tables not-working,besides this post & a scant few others. So,apparently no one has cared to check on their functionality,since w/e update(s) in the VP9-age broke them. OR,there's something that's changed w/ Windows since that time,that has ruined the correct functioning of VPMIDI/DMC2. That,now interferes w/ any of those tables working correctly,because it was never planned for by the table-designers(not their fault,if so)...
But,at some point during VP9's take-over,no one noticed that these tables were no longer working correctly. OR,those that did notice,were expecting it to have been because ppl were just having personal issues on /their/ end. That,if they would've had the "correct" install/setup,they wouldn't be having probs. running the files as-intended. Or,even further,those w/o issues couldn't relate,because their version of Windows still allowed everything to work correctly,some how...
However,I just wonder if there's some kind of change that can be done to the scripting of the table,that can cause the music/sfx to work correctly(in DMC2-tables,the SFX aren't even functioning). That,someone actually DOES know about,but figures everyone else has discovered the solution themselves,already. And,as such,hasn't thought it necessary to inform others. So,I'm posting to let it be known,that unless someone is readily-familiar w/ how to make script-alterations,these tables fail to work,AT ALL. And,at best,even w/ decent editing skills,the tables will still either have NO sound or just basic sfx. Which,is FAR from being preserved correctly,given how rare these tables are & that the VP designers are more than familiar w/ how to fix these tables,these days...
Unless,it's true that there isn't a way even for some-what-modern Windows(I'm on W10,which is "out-of-date",by most standards)to allow these programs to work,such that anyone can figure-out a way,themselves. I mean,it's true that maybe NOTHING can be done,due to the way Windows keeps erasing backwards-compatibility w/ older programs considered "non-essential" & that Table-Designers can't be faulted for lack of knowledge how to circumvent Micro$ hamstringing of programs that are "obscure/non-relevant-to-most". As,the VPMIDI & DMC2 programs were both only meant to assist ppl emulating things & that that practice is considered associative to "pirate-like" behavior,as far as their concerned,I imagine...
Anyway,I think it's quite sad that the designers that are still actively making/editing tables, would let ANY PC/Videogame-emulation tables in VP languish in a(n) (nearly)un-playable state. Given,again,the coding/scripting skills they have these days(unless it's EASIER to script w/ VPX,that is). As,would appear from the VERY complex/advanced tables seen in VPX(I may not play them,but I can see they aren't nearly as rough as they /used/ to be)...
I mean,there hasn't been any updated versions of the old VPMIDI/DMC2 tables,that fix it so they at least launch(is the expectation EVERYONE knows how to script-edit?). But,even worse,we now know how to emulate the music well-enough,that there should have been fixes so that those files could be replaced by wma/mp3 files. Which,seem to work w/o issues(as far as I've seen)...
It's just such a let-down to me,that the MIDI & DMC2 (PC/Videogame-Emulation)Tables are left in such a forgotten state. Given,how skilled VP Designers have become over the years & that there's a professed desire to preserve the various forms of pinball. Yet,the tables most-affected by these programs,are obscure digital pinball games/tables. And,we don't HAVE to rely upon DMC OR MIDI anymore,to have the music functioning. Yet,because NO ONE w/ the skill to fix these tables is bothering w/ updating them to functionality,they remain non-working or only partially working(once the necessary scripting sections are removed)...
Finally,I couldn't stand to see the last posting here just basically state "VPMIDI is obsolete,nothing can be done unless the table designers fix their coding/scripting". And then,knowing that the designers /may/ be able to fix this on THEIR end,that they haven't bothered to in the DECADES this has been going on. Such that,if anyone in the future should have interest in looking-back at these older tables,they will be able to properly,or at ALL enjoy them(unless they learn how to script-edit at least on a basic-level). And,that it's really just because the prevailing attitude is: "It's old/low-quality stuff,who does or will care if they are playable?"...
Which,is something absolutely offensive to me,as I'm a die-hard preservationist & can't relate to this way of thinking. I can verify that I'm 1 of the few that has taken advantage of the (thankfully)ARCHIVED ReCreation AND Custom/Original tables & have even downloaded ALL of the un-finished/WIP tables that I could still find(there's a few forever lost to time,apparently)...
Unfortunately,I'm not skilled enough w/ scripting to fix most tables beyond just WORKING. But,I appreciate their having been created,in itself & that someone has taken the great effort to make them available,at least..
Anyway,I'm starting to go off-topic. But,if anyone should ever read this far,I just wanted to express my thoughts on the lack-of-concern there seems to be RE: the loss of functionality to some tables,just because they're so "out-of-date/unimportant". That,they are COMPLETELY passed-up for improvement. While,there's /multiple/ versions of MANY of the more-common tables,by comparison...
P.S.- Apologies if I sound like I'm insulting the Table Designers of the midi/dmc2-requiring tables. I understand they wanted the best for their emulations/creations,at least at the time. However,I do take /some/ umbrage if they should be aware of the lack-of-functionality of their tables. Yet,take no interest in making them at least PLAYABLE...
For,to act like there's no interest in the accessibility/preservation of their OWN work,is absurd to me. And yes,I /am/ aware those in question are likely not a part of the community any longer or have since otherwise become "inactive",such that it would take another to fix these files. Therefore,I would appeal to any that read this: If you have an understanding of how to make these tables function in ANY capacity,beyond simple script-deletion(even I'm capable of that),it would be 1 of the greatest acts of pinball-emulation/preservation possible,for those of us that rely upon VP to play these tables with. Also,I highly doubt it would offend them if you fixed their tables,considering they aren't doing anything about it(if they can)& therefore shouldn't be complaining,as such...
-Apologies 4 the length,but necessary 2 express myself correctly...
