Imperious Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Hi All, For starters I know why the game won't run, which is because I do not have a genuine EA Cart, but have tried with the EA II and other utils like funnelweb to no avail. The same behaviour is reproduced in Classic 99. Works fine with a genuine EA cart in Classic 99 of course. It would be wonderful if someone talented could come up with either a fix for the non-genuine EA II cart (on a Jon Guidry 64k eprom board), or a load file that works with Extended basic. It's a bit of a shame that I can't try this on the real hardware. I'm unlikely to ever get a real EA cart, and I'm probably not the only one here that can't get this game to run. I like Boulderdash type games, and this would be nice to play along with a brilliant 3.5k version for my Vic-20 and the c64 version. Maybe I could try converting it to a bin file for use in a 64k board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 You might just want to buy one of the XB 2.7 cartridges--it includes the Editor/Assembler. . . On another note, Eric LaFortune, the original author of Boulder Dash for the TI is occasionally here on the forum. Actually, now that I think about it--are you running the Rock Runner version or the one with the original Boulder Dash title? The former is for the E/A, while the latter is for the Mini Memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 It looks like the E/A#5 version is dependent on GPL routines in the E/A cartridge GROM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Post it here, please. It's probably a simple matter of adding the EA low memory code to the files. Gazoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperious Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 Thanks for the replies, here is the .dsk file attached.. Rockrun.dsk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 A quick disassembly of the ROCK file shows that it does indeed use some routines from the EA cart as Rasmus suggested, and as indicated by the branch to >0060 at >F102. To make the program compatible with more environments, one would have to find out what was being used in the EA cart and duplicate it in assembly code. It would probably have been a better approach to just do the required tasks in the assembly code, instead of jumping into the EA cart to do them. Gazoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXB Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 A quick disassembly of the ROCK file shows that it does indeed use some routines from the EA cart as Rasmus suggested, and as indicated by the branch to >0060 at >F102. To make the program compatible with more environments, one would have to find out what was being used in the EA cart and duplicate it in assembly code. It would probably have been a better approach to just do the required tasks in the assembly code, instead of jumping into the EA cart to do them. Gazoo Well the GPL Code for that area per my using the old EA cart as a template for REA is: G6883 DCEQ >A55A,@>2000 * Check to see if Lower 8K has loaded support BR G6916 * Show error if not set CALL USSCRN * Clear user screen and return to EA Cart menu G688E DCLR @CODE * Clear error code XML >21 * Execute program in Lower 8K BS G68E3 * Returned ERROR STATUS? CLOG >20,@FLAG2 * Flag for section of EA cart used BS G68A3 * Error or normal return INCT @SUBSTK * Restore SUBSTACK list count DST G688E,*SUBSTK * New address onto SUBSTACK INCT @SUBSTK * Add new value to count RTN * Return to GPL Caller program G68A3 B G68A8 * Error Reports... later... G68A8 CALL EASCRN * Reset EA Screen CALL WENTER * Show errors or return BR GE029 * Restart EA Cart GE8B0 CALL EASCRN * Reset EA Screen GE8B3 CALL G68FC * Reset Graphics mode CHE >08,@CODE * Must be some type of error BR CHKERR * Check for any errors SUB >08,@CODE * Adjust for error check CH >05,@CODE * Other types of errors BS G68D4 * Odd ball error CALL CLSALL * Close all PABs CASE @CODE * Errors and branch tables BR G690F BR G6908 BR G6928 BR G692F BR G6936 BR G693D GE8D4 CLOG >20,@FLAG * Check for where to return in EA Cart BR G6767 * Restore EA Assembler menu and PABS start over. (Press enter) CLOG >01,@FLAG2 * Check flag for where to return in EA Cart BR LANDR * Return to Load & Run in EA Cart CALL CLSPAB * Close all PABs BR EDITOR * Return to Editor in EA cart later... GE8E3 CALL G68FC * Reset Graphics mode CALL EASCRN * Restore EA Screen CEQ >0F,@CODE * Check for Load errors? BR G68F5 * Show error code CALL ERRMSG * Show error DATA ERRPNF * ERROR PROGRAM NOT FOUND BR G6949 * Figure out file error for Assembler or Editor GE8F5 CALL ERRMSG * Show error DATA ERRC * ERROR CODE report BR GE029 * Retart EA Cart GE8FC MOVE 1,G@G6271,#1 * Restore VDP Register 1 GE907 RTN later.... G6916 CALL ERRMSG * Show Error message in next data statement DATA ERRPNF * Error Program Not Found Hope this helps took a hour to type out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lee Stewart Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 That stuff is also here on Thierry’s site: http://nouspikel.group.shef.ac.uk/ti99/ea1.txt ...lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Here's the Editor Assembler low memory utilities to include in the assembly process if the program needs them. There's probably a little more data here than you need, but I wasn't sure exactly where they ended. ea5utils.TXT Gazoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperious Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 You fella's are absolute geniuses 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 You fella's are absolute geniuses Ain't it great, this place has the 'creme de la creme' of the all the TI-Guru's on the planet, in essence all the "TI-Gods" in one place. Sometimes I have to put on my sunglasses not to be blinded by their brilliance. (Did I lay it on too thick?) Seriously now, I'm constantly amazed at what the guys here have accomplished. Just look at what has happened in 2014 alone! We've gotten new games, new carts, new hardware and excitement is at levels I've not seen in quite awhile. Is 2014 the year of the TI? Or will 2015 be even better? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 The E/A#5 version of Rock Runner is making 3 calls to a GPL routine in the E/A GROM at >6892. The first call seems to be mirroring some character patterns while the 2nd and 3rd calls are loading two character sets. It seems a bit strange to me that the E/A GROM contains this kind of routines. I asked Eric Lafortune if he remembers what the calls are doing, but he doesn't remember putting them in. Could they have been added be some kind of E/A#5 file creator? In the attached version I have replaced the GPL calls with calls to my own assembly routine at >3600 that mimics the behavior of the GROM calls. This version works with E/A II (which doesn't contain the GROM) and also with the included XB loader. It doesn't work with TI Workshop, but I assume that's because that loader cannot handle all E/A#5 files. ROCKRUNNER.dsk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lee Stewart Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 The E/A#5 version of Rock Runner is making 3 calls to a GPL routine in the E/A GROM at >6892. The first call seems to be mirroring some character patterns while the 2nd and 3rd calls are loading two character sets. It seems a bit strange to me that the E/A GROM contains this kind of routines. I asked Eric Lafortune if he remembers what the calls are doing, but he doesn't remember putting them in. Could they have been added be some kind of E/A#5 file creator? In the attached version I have replaced the GPL calls with calls to my own assembly routine at >3600 that mimics the behavior of the GROM calls. This version works with E/A II (which doesn't contain the GROM) and also with the included XB loader. It doesn't work with TI Workshop, but I assume that's because that loader cannot handle all E/A#5 files. FWIW, >6892 is right in the middle of the E/A “Run” routine: *--------------------------------------------------------- *PA * run G6838 ALL >20 === FMT COL >02 ROW >02 HTEX '* RUN *' FEND G6848 ST >7E,@>8373 sbr stack FMT ROW >08 COL >02 HTEX 'PROGRAM NAME?' FEND DST >0142,@>8320 OR >04,@>8348 CALL G@G640A input line of text DCZ @>8350 BS G@G6883 none = same DST @>834E,@>8320 DCH >0006,@>8350 BS G@G6944 name too long ST >20,@>834A copy name in mem MOVE >0005,@>834A,@>834B MOVE @>8350,V*>8320,@>834A G6883 DCEQ >A55A,@>2000 BR G@G6916 CALL G@G6539 vdp for programs G688E DCLR @>8322 assem err flag XML >21 execute program BS G@G68E3 err >6892 >>>>>> CLOG >20,@>8349 BS G@G68A3 INCT @>8373 gpllnk DST G688E,*>8373 return to prog INCT @>8373 gpl address RTN G68A3 CLOG >08,@>8348 BR G@G6DDE to subs G68A8 CALL G@G6525 vdp setup CALL G@G6A27 wait for enter BR G@G6029 to start *--------------------------------------------------------- ...lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I forgot to mention that after making my modifications I also had to remove something that looked like a checksum from the code: it added together the content of a number of memory locations and if the result was different from the expected it would reset the machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperious Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share Posted December 3, 2014 Thankyou very much Rasmus, not a bad game at all, and now works on the Rom only E/A II cart I made up real nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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