Jump to content
IGNORED

M.U.L.E. for TI


hloberg

Recommended Posts

I use notepad++ for everything, but each to their own. It's just what you're familiar with, I suppose.

 

notepad++ has syntax colouring for C/C++ plus a myriad of other languages, and there are also syntax files available for TI assembly language, extended basic and Forth. The assembly language and Forth allow folding of subroutines etc. See the development resources thread, bottom of section 4.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The editor I used to use could split the screen left and right, top and bottom, or a combination of the two.

For example, I could have the left side of the screen full height but the right side split top and bottom.

It was pretty handy for some things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any particular reason why nobody is proposing writing M.U.L.E. in assembly? :)

 

Without actually sitting down and writing it, I'd guess that Extended BASIC would have enough memory to implement the game, but you'd have to simplify the interface and drop the music and cut scenes.

 

I agree that bitmap is not really necessary. Graphics were not a huge requirement of the game, although the interface that has you moving your player into separate stores would be a challenge to implement in Extended BASIC efficiently. Also, the frequent screen changes would mean you would have to store the game map and redisplay it, something Extended BASIC isn't that good at without using the sluggish DISPLAY AT.

 

The original game was designed for up to four players, which could be tricky on the TI. You'd have to separate reading the two joysticks from the left and right keyboards, or split the keyboard into four sets of keys for each player to use.

 

Does anyone know if there is source code available? I've learned the hard way that re-implementation really requires COMMENTED source code if you want an accurate version.

 

Adamantyr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a disassembly of the Atari version out there but it has almost no comments through most of the code.

 

Ugh... yeah, I had a partially commented listing of Eastern Front 1941 to work off of... The good part was that it was the original Chris Crawford work, so the variables had sensible names and there was a comment or two which gave you a rough idea of what the code section was doing.

 

The problem was trying to reverse-engineer the algorithms being used, which was really difficult to do. It's kind of like trying to see the forest by assembling all the leaves and branches in a pile to try and assemble a tree.

 

If you can find the disassembly of the Atari version in 6502 code, post a link here.

 

Adamantyr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any particular reason why nobody is proposing writing M.U.L.E. in assembly? :)

 

Without actually sitting down and writing it, I'd guess that Extended BASIC would have enough memory to implement the game, but you'd have to simplify the interface and drop the music and cut scenes.

 

I agree that bitmap is not really necessary. Graphics were not a huge requirement of the game, although the interface that has you moving your player into separate stores would be a challenge to implement in Extended BASIC efficiently. Also, the frequent screen changes would mean you would have to store the game map and redisplay it, something Extended BASIC isn't that good at without using the sluggish DISPLAY AT.

 

The original game was designed for up to four players, which could be tricky on the TI. You'd have to separate reading the two joysticks from the left and right keyboards, or split the keyboard into four sets of keys for each player to use.

 

Does anyone know if there is source code available? I've learned the hard way that re-implementation really requires COMMENTED source code if you want an accurate version.

 

Adamantyr

 

From my experience with 6502 Atari assembler its not much like the 9900 TI-99 assembler. How the Atari handles video would be the biggest rewrite. The Atari relies a lot on bit-map graphics and the TI on character graphics. The Atari uses DLIs something TI couldn't do easily and has several character sizes to the TI one, only 5 sprites (player/missles) to the TI 32 and video memory access is also very different.

 

Having all said that, someone did manage to do a direct translation of PITFALL! to TI so I guess it could be done.

 

My plan is to do most in 'C' or FORTH and assembler. Your right, XB would only get me about 80% of the way there.

I do have a copy of the some notes made by the programmers so that should help.

Also, I plan to limit the game to 2 humans and 2 computer (I believe that was the way the C64 had it).

 

Interesting story, i once read that when when the Atari programmers were given a game to translate from another company (arcade, another computer) all Atari ever gave them was the machine (or cartridge) and a copy of the instructions and said 'go to it', which frustrated the programmers to no end since Atari always did have the rights to the code but was too lazy to get it from the source.

Edited by hloberg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose this is character mode.

 

Yep, seems to fit character mode.

 

Raccoon Lad is very talented in doing graphics. He did the Tutankham graphics for me (level maps, sprites and bit-map titlescreen)

 

Hmmm, here I thought it was you, retroclouds.

 

Racoon Lad, just into graphics or did you have a TI-99/4A at some point ? Do you program too ?

 

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's some graphics I put together for fun.

post-218-0-62437500-1357883791_thumb.pngpost-218-0-32936800-1357883811_thumb.png

 

The map screen is partly based on the NES version of mule, but with the graphics improved and made compatible with the TI video chip.

Wow. Well, now I have a bench mark.

If you have a listing or how you created the graphics that would be greatly appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out magellan, a nice tool (so I'm told) for designing graphics for the TI VDP chip. Sometimes also has a number of nifty tools for designing sprites, and has a collection of hundreds of fonts an associated tools. Check out section 4 of the utilities thread.

 

Looks to be a broken link. Someone got a copy they could send me.

Edited by hloberg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks to be a broken link. Someone got a copy they could send me.

 

Hmmm, seems that codex took it down.

 

 

Here's a link to my (unofficial) updated version. While working on Tutankham I found some bugs in Magellan and I fixed those. Hence the "unoffical" updated version. :-D

 

http://www.atariage....50#entry2302456

 

Seems that I need to update the Development Resources thread. Crazy how stuff breaks after a while ;-)

Edited by retroclouds
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm, seems that codex took it down.

 

 

Here's a link to my (unofficial) updated version. While working on Tutankham I found some bugs in Magellan and I fixed those. Hence the "unoffical" updated version. :-D

 

http://www.atariage....50#entry2302456

 

Seems that I need to update the Development Resources thread. Crazy how stuff breaks after a while ;-)

Thanks. FYI, also looks like grapefruit is also a broken link.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Racoon Lad, just into graphics or did you have a TI-99/4A at some point ? Do you program too ?

:)

 

I never had a TI-99/4a, but I have a fondness for the TMS-9918a. Making TI/Coleco/Sg-1000/MSX graphics is fun and challenging, and every so often I get the bug to make art with the 16 colors 2 colors per line / character limitations. I poke me head in here every so often because I love to see people making games. That's probably the main reason I hang around AA is for the homebrew scene.

 

Anyway, for graphics, I use ProMotion. It's kind of expensive for the average user, but I got a copy for free some years back while doing professional game art. When I do tms9918a graphics, I usually just turn on the 8x8 pixel grid, zoom in and try to remember to keep the colors to 2 per character.

 

Here's graphics for the other primary screens in the game.

post-218-0-96817300-1357957918_thumb.pngpost-218-0-93842000-1357957937_thumb.pngpost-218-0-25692400-1357957953_thumb.png

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...