Verify Ultima VII: The Black Gate + The Forge of Virtue

[tomojira]

This game is already in the verified dat, but like Ultima VII Part Two, it's missing copy protection removal. So I'll go through the whole checklist and re-verify while I'm at it.

Can DoDAT build the game from the disc image?
Yes, using Ultima Collection (USA) (Rerelease) (Redump).
Also Ultima Collection v1.03F (1999)(Electronic Arts, Inc., ORIGIN Systems, Inc.) [bin-cue] (TDC#23).

Does the DOSZ run standalone?
Yes, but without sound at first. Run INSTALL.EXE to configure sound and create U7.CFG, which is included in the DOSC.
A DOS.YML is included in the DOSZ to make the game playable with these settings:

mem_ems: false
mem_umb: false

Actually, only mem_ems: false seemed strictly necessary, but sources online say mem_umb: false too, so it was included just in case.

Does the DOSC contain problematic data (i.e. copyright issue)?
No.

Are there .PIF or .ICO or Win32 .EXE files that could be excluded?
No.

Does the game have MT-32 support? If so, is it correctly using MT-32 (old) or CM-32L (new), going by the Vogons Wiki?
The game has MT-32 support, but it was incorrectly set to CM-32L (new) - Vogons Wiki says yes to "old" instead, with "new" having distorted sounds. Changed the setting to match with this. (I'll have to update Part Two again to fix this, no idea how I made this mistake...)

Does the game have General MIDI support?
No.

Is the game running at the correct speed? Is CPU year specified?
The game ran too quickly, so cpu_year: 1990 is set. This matches with the 14000 cycles used by GOG, and it appears to be a similar speed to Ultima VII Part Two (which seems to have a stable speed regardless of the CPU setting).

Is the DOSC auto-running and skipping past any obstructions? Is it updated to use WAITMODECHANGE if possible?
The DOSC auto-runs ULTIMA7.COM, but WAITMODECHANGE is not used since it skips a chunk of the intro. The game starts at 320x200 resolution regardless.
MT-32 takes longer to load, so that option has run_input: (WAIT:8000) set. (This was not the case for Part Two, MT-32 loaded quickly there)

Is the game creating a swap file in the .pure.zip that could be avoided by increasing memory size? Or is it creating other bloated files that could be prevented by adding them in the DOSZ?
No, though the game does create many small files in the .pure.zip while playing.

Does the DOSC have copy protection removed, if possible?
No, but the game does have copy protection according to PCGamingWiki - we overlooked this last time. I have added a patch to remove it to the DOSC - it affects the file STATIC\USECODE.

Can the game benefit from using CHDtoOGG?
No.

Can the game benefit from using embedded data or embedded patches in the datfile?
Yes, the DOS.YML in the DOSZ already uses embedded data.

Does the game share saves with a sequel, expansion, etc? If so, is it updated to use the .savename feature?
Not applicable.

Does a game with separate episodes/executables have the options named and ordered properly in the DOSZ? Do they use the run_utility feature?
Not applicable.

For certain old games only - are the graphics/audio improved by specifying video_card: pcjr, tandy, or generic_cga?
Not applicable.

If the game requires a yml in the DOSZ, has it been added to the yml folder in the repo?
Yes, mem_ems_umb_false.yml is present.

Have any official patches been applied, if necessary?
This CD-ROM version is already fully patched.

Have digital versions (Steam, GOG) been checked for matching?
Yes, GOG matches. The game is not on Steam.

Is the game set up to run with the best quality graphics options by default?
Not applicable.

For CD games, can the game be set up to run without a CD mounted?
Not applicable.

Do the file timestamps match the installation media?
Yes.

Have adequate installation instructions been provided to match any config files in the DOSZ?
Not applicable.

Does the game have a mouse cursor that benefits from enabling input_directmouse?
Yes, and it was already enabled. (I never noticed this option before, I can also update Part Two again with this)

Summary of changes

• Changed from CM-32L to MT-32
• Added copy protection removal to DOSC
• Edited comments and added links