Wack0
Member
Level: 13
   
Posts: 12/26
EXP: 8294
For next: 1973
Since: 08-15-11
Since last post: 5.9 years
Last activity: 5.7 years
|
| Posted on 08-09-12 05:07:25 PM (last edited by Wack0 at 08-09-12 06:20:12 PM) |
Link | Quote
| |
Download them here.
The earliest is Maelstrom 0.91, then came Maelstrom 1.00, last would be the Space Cadet Preview Version.
The most interesting are the two Maelstrom protos: they look completely different to Space Cadet and have different sounds and music too, among other differences, like leftover code in pinball.exe (starting at offset 0x36c4c in 0.91)... The Space Cadet Preview Version is basically the same as the final but it has 'Preview Version' text in a certain place.
I guess I'll document some other stuff I found: in demo.dat/pinball.dat of the Maelstrom protos, the internal name of the table is "Test Table 1".
The music and some of the sounds are different between the Maelstrom protos, and the Preview Version and final.
Interesting text in the Maelstrom protos, at offset 0x2ae14 in 0.91.
In the Maelstrom protos, the unused Edit Pinball Components dialog does not say 'FOR TESTING ONLY' in the title bar.
There exists an unused table selection dialog in the Maelstrom protos.
Maelstrom 0.91 loads the table from TEST.DAT, not PINBALL.DAT.
The leftover code in the Maelstrom protos acknowledge the existance of an earlier version of Maelstrom; version 0.87. |
Aeonic Butterfly
200 
Level: 32
Posts: 118/207
EXP: 191748
For next: 14694
Since: 12-27-10
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Since last post: 4.5 years
Last activity: 4.5 years
|
|
Nice find. I'll be testing these extensively for differences, if you get my drift.  |
Wack0
Member
Level: 13
Posts: 13/26
EXP: 8294
For next: 1973
Since: 08-15-11
Since last post: 5.9 years
Last activity: 5.7 years
|
|
Originally posted by paulguy
Might also want to make comparisons to Full Tilt Pinball. Not sure which came first, but it'd add another data point to determine a lineage.
It actually seems that the Space Cadet table included in 95Plus! (and then NT4 etc) was developed alongside the rest of Full Tilt. (the earliness of maelstrom, the greyed out 'select table' option etc)
Also, there's a number of bugs in Maelstrom 0.91 making it unplayable: however, Maelstrom 1.00 is perfectly playable, and even stores its highscores in plain text in PINBALL.INI. |
Sheeza
Member
Level: 17
Posts: 14/54
EXP: 23901
For next: 842
Since: 05-27-12
Since last post: 1.3 years
Last activity: 1.5 years
|
|
I played a bit with 0.91. "Unplayable" fits it well: the ball likes to get stuck in the ramps, the multiplier stacks indefinitely, gravity mode is totally broken, and the scoreboard only shows up once and then never again. And the music is a 15-second MIDI that loops indefinitely.
It's pretty amusing, if anything. |
PatSter21
Level: 18
Posts: 47/61
EXP: 28506
For next: 1391
Since: 07-14-12
From: California, US
Since last post: 7.8 years
Last activity: 2.7 years
|
|
Nice find, Wakun!
Where were these acquired? If they came from early Windows NT betas, we should check those for more possible prototypes...
I also ripped the annoying MIDI from the game and put it in the wiki article.  |
Wack0
Member
Level: 13
Posts: 14/26
EXP: 8294
For next: 1973
Since: 08-15-11
Since last post: 5.9 years
Last activity: 5.7 years
|
|
Originally posted by PatSter21
Where were these acquired? If they came from early Windows NT betas, we should check those for more possible prototypes...
Betas of the Windows 95 Plus! pack. |
