I've just updated the Montana John and the Templar's Treasure Password Addition patch to the just released v1.1 of the game. An additional feature to the patch is that the position of the pointer doesn't change anymore.

Again, the IPS patch is available in the MSX IPS Patch Archive.

After almost a year of delay due to MRC, ROMLOAD v1.99u was released. Among the changes are of course the bugfixes I've released a cumulative IPS patch for v1.99t for. Here's the list:

• Fixed support to run 16 kB mapped games in the SD-Snatcher Sound Cartridge
• Added support to run the MSX-DOS 2 Kernel in a Sound Cartridge
• Added reformatted usage output to make everything fit a WIDTH 80 screen
• .ROM is now the default extension
• Fixed subslot number display when detected in an expanded slot
• Fixed bug causing non-existing Sound-Cartridges to be detected
• Added support to use ESE-SCC up to 512 kB of RAM in stead of a Sound Cartridge
• Updated /P to enable patching up to 64 blocks within the limits of the ROM image

At my request (almost a year ago) and some persuation MRC has finally removed ROMLOAD and IPS4MSX from their download database. The reason I wanted them offline were the following:

1. The fine print of their policies became quite clear in a forum post posted on 30 June 2007:
   "...there's a reason they were drawn up the way they were: we get to do whatever the h00t we feel like. Basically the policies were written with a few things in mind.
   
   1) If you behave like a wanker we get to ban your ass.
   2) If we ban your ass because you're a wanker you don't get to delete your forum posts.
   3) If you dislike us because we're a bunch of wankers you don't get to delete your forum posts.
   4) If we ban your ass because you're a wanker you don't get to remove anything you submitted from the freeware downloads db.
   5) If you dislike us because we're a bunch of wankers you don't get to remove anything you submitted from the freeware downloads db.
   
   Well, basically, once you submit something to MRC it stays on MRC, even if you very much dislike us."
2. I never agreed on automatic updates for the new releases in the download database, and yet every time I released a new version of either of the programs it got updated there.

There was a referer block on the download files for a while, and MRC thought that was the actual reason and they interpreted it as such. If it was the actual reason I would've requested them removed before 30 June 2007.

During the e-mail correspondence, references were made to totally unrelated topics and me not replying on those particular parts seemed to be the main reason for the particularly persistent stalemate.

The last week I've been working on a new version of the F-1 Spirit and A1 Spirit password generator. It was completely rewritten and the following things are changed:

• Displays the passwords for all versions simultaneously.
  In the previous version the user could select which version is to be displayed.
• Displays all F1 races in a list, showing all scores simulateneously. It's possible to select multiple F1 races to change the score.
  The previous version could select only one F1 race to change the score for. It looked similar to the original game that way, but editing scores is a pain.
• Added a password input feature. This allows to quickly convert a password between versions. The password generator detects which version of the game generated the password, and reflects that in the generated password list by regenerating it. Typing the 24 letters of the password will automatically decode the password. If it gets recognized the scores are displayed for all the races and the passwords are regenerated. It'll ignore the entered password if it doesn't get recognized.

In the rare occasion the entered password could match for more versions, a message is generated. If this occurs I'd like to know the password so I can implement the additional required checks to find the correct version.

The password generator works in the Win32 environment.

Yesterday I've added Novalia Spirit's Golvellius English patch to the archive. It would've been added a month after the release anyway, but due to recent developments it was added much sooner. I've helped him out moving the end demo text to a different location in the ROM image so he'd have more room for the complete end demo text.

Also I added a BeTiled! Quick Start patch. It allows you to start the game immediately from the menu with having to choose the option first. This can be done when pressing the B-trigger or GRAPH-key in the menu. It works even when it points at a different selection.