Tommyptr

Yeah, Phreakerg.... its not a direct replacement for things like Tasc or Beagle... there are a lot of things it can not do nor was it designed that way... its meant to speed up a portion simultude of Applesoft to handwritten code, pretty much into something that is as fast as it can be done (unless your doing super tricks). Its basicly can be used as a 'driver' builder. One example, I was working on my mockingboard driver, which was orignally written in applesoft basic, just to get it off the ground. It took me nearly a month to get it working in assembly when I was ready to do that... but it kept having small errors and bugs which were constantly being patched... I believe there were 7 handwritten error fixes eventually found (It was working all this time, but improvements/note sound fixes ect). Idiot was far enough along at that point, so I translated the basic using it... and lo and behold, it created a perfect 'assembly' version in one hour that was smaller and more cycle efficient than any of my hand written versions... and it even corrected a bug I didnt even know existed with one of the sound channels. Now with improvements (its been at least 2 years since the last version 1.79z), you can translate applesoft into assembly, and then unlike other compilers, you can open the translated code manually and change it or modify each particular applesoft equiv ASM line in notepad, then dump that back into the compiler before the file compile, if you needed to manipulate it in some fashion, and there have been cases... or say you can look at the code it creates, and even hand optimize it, dump it back into the compiler and it will spit out those hand made improvements. Its not a program compiler per say, its more of a driver maker and super optimizer. I have this analogy, the other compilers are like sedans, suv's or buses, they can 'move' a lot of code down the highway, but can only go a certain speed... Idiot Compiler is like a lambo, it can only carry 2 people and no luggage, but what it can move, its going at 200mph... many tests over the life cycle of development, it whoops the other compilers butts in the things that it can do. Yes, its very quirky in a lot of ways, and its hard to know what it 'can' and cant' do if you dont know its underlying mechanics and capabilities. And to be honest I dont expect other people to use it... I designed it specifically for me, and it eliminates about 90% of all my asm coding since the last version. I cant live without it these days.

Dan Henderson's game Oubliette 2021 released end of January 2021 is a full mockingboard puzzle game for enhanced 128kb systems... has 7 full soundtracks mockingboard soundtracks from the guy who did the Nox Archaist mockingboard engine, and a really cool double lores ending sequence for finishing up the game.... should check it out! https://www.dropbox.com/s/n9ww5m7ebtpkv8u/OUBLIETTE 2021.zip?dl=0

Hey guys and gals. I am the one who wrote the Mockingboard software driver for NOX Archaist. (Having that said, I had nothing to do with the rest of the game). When I started, there was absolutely no available ram for it to function... so my Midi2Mock software (from Naspite Labs) was totally insufficient for the job. So we created a tiny player that has 3 voices that eventually ended up running the in the AUX-RAM stack space and only enough room for a 512 byte data buffer for its audio. Due to that limitation, we could have incredibly simple music, as there was no ram for the music files (the game is insanely huge). So it was decided to have short dittys to set the mood whenever a major event happened or a new area was encountered/explored. So yes, it does have mockingboard support, and quite a few custom soundtracks, but due to space limitations, and since its such a long game, we did not want the song to just keep looping endlessly for potentially 30 minutes while exploring an area, getting insanely tedious, they tend to be short 10 to 30 second clips, setting the mood of the area/battle whathave you. I do plan on making an informational video about the driver, how it works, data structure and how it bent my mind in creating it, running from aux-ram stack space on the interrupts. I will not lie, it did stretch my abilities and had to build custom assembly tools to program it. Most of it was coded on graph paper, then transferred to the Apple II.

I just received Programming Games With Intellivision and its a pretty cool book... after seeing the music capability with INTYBasic, I stopped reading and attempted to convert music from the Apple II into IntyBasic format... I just started so it has a long ways to go... here's a disk image that should work in emulators... https://www.dropbox.com/s/bcu4rbwy8una19d/WBOY.rom?dl=0 and https://www.dropbox.com/s/3h9dx8jopdps0me/BTHEME.rom?dl=0 The main problem going forward is my music is in compressed non-tracker type format, and IntyBasic required the note to keep being sustained... so the logic for that is incomplete.. at the moment.

LORES 40x40 or higher resolutions?

There is so much entertainment in Packard's games, the Popcorn now comes standard! Great Job Michael!

Midi2Mock software now has an interrupt driver that allows MIDI music converted mockingboard music in any 'new' homebrew. It has 100 samples to try out... as of 8.10.18 it only works with the card in Slot4... there are modifications that will be uploaded by 08.15.18 that will have a driver that can play music installed in ANY slot... and will also have Echo+ support... the same link will apply now, or in the future. https://www.dropbox.com/s/z0ldxehkebwbfeg/MIDI%20TO%20MOCK%20VER1.zip?dl=0 -Over at AppleII gamezone we have converted a couple minor homebrew games... and even Charles Mangin's Jumpy Guy game. https://www.dropbox.com/s/wkxs5wm9zlmts7z/JUMPY%20GUY-%20MOCKINGBOARD%21.dsk?dl=0 We plan to have many more soon. For those with PHASOR... here is a Midi2Phasor translation that can do upto-12 voices... its set for Slot#4 for now... not designed for games at the moment but has many songs (20-30), even the Diddy Kong Racing theme... https://www.dropbox.com/s/jz6emstwvouan2z/MIDI%20To%20PHASOR.zip?dl=0 *Side note, the latest version of AppleWin has a problem with timing, also other emulators may exhibit problems, which all should be corrected with out new update to Midi2Mock next week.

SAVE GAME doesn't work? are you in 80 col mode?

Are you attempting to BRUN a program you have made. Sometimes a BRUN from applesoft will hang a system indefinitely because the way the output charrecter links with the internal structure. Most professional programs exit their programs in a different manner. I was having trouble with my first versions of Idiot Compiler doing this, so after some research, I now end my programs with JMP 976, which links it back to the Applesoft prompt. If you CALL the location of the program you usually wont have a problem, but if you BRUN the same program, it could hang.

Is this open for ALL Apple ][ Demos? VeCaves II- Eat to survive (very early concept with Mockingboard support). - Spacebar is all you need to know. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ardrd6rafkcduqz/Vecave%20mock%20demo.dsk?dl=0 Introduction to a future game TREX. (*128kb) (w/ *1bit digital sound) In development now! https://www.dropbox.com/s/2vjbrc3nxostgee/Z_FINALIZED%20TREX4.dsk?dl=0 Introduction to RiverRaid (*128kb) (w/ *1 bit digital sound)- Slated for development after TREX https://www.dropbox.com/s/euq73v27m8ghzj9/Z_RIVER%20RAID-%20MASTER.dsk?dl=0

This pales in comparison to what is coming... but if you are interested in a Modern Mockingboard game demo, here is VECAVES II. This was an old demo of mine I upgraded for mockingboard music. This game is only a concept, the real game which will be slated to be worked on in the 2nd half of 2018 will be double lores and a lot more advanced. Use the spacebar to ascend, let go to descend . Vecaves II -very early demo with Mockingboard Added https://www.dropbox.com/s/ardrd6rafkcduqz/Vecave%20mock%20demo.dsk?dl=0 If you have a Phasor and 128kb, I would love feedback on audio quality on real hardware. This is a demo disk for Reactive Micro's new Phasor Remake, there will be a series of 4 disks. Prototype of course. https://www.dropbox.com/s/jnxosl8vipl1g36/PHASOR%20DEMO%20NO1%20beta.dsk?dl=0 PHASOR DEMO NO1_000000000.bmp Vecave mock dem_000000000.bmp

We just started a Facebook group that is dedicated to HOMEBREW Apple II games... We are in its infancy, but if you follow facebook its worth your while to join. We will be posting pictures and descriptions of homebrew games, and if available links to them as well! Remember, we just opened our doors, but in a few months we will have A LOT of content, some of it already posted is pretty cool! Tom @ AppleGAMEZONE on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1950493008547766/?ref=bookmarks

Hey, I just found this Thread... cool, I got some fans! Idiot Compiler was just an attempt to make ASM coding faster for me... but it turned into a 'semi' full fledged compiler. The main goal was to prevent runtime code and have everything inline... this does bloat code a little bit, but when other compilers have a 4kb runtime before your first 'compiled basic line'... small programs start off with a huge advantage. As a side effect.. you need calls and setup JSR's for routines inside the runtime, so its actually eating into those, it would take a LONG time to overtake the amount of out-put code. Its true, I hate hex... had to build my own ASM assembler and disassembler just to program, everything is done is decimal assembly and that means it is a direct translation to basic in terms of line numbers and how memory works... its true it messes me up sometimes. My mockingboard audio work took off very slowly because something like a C0-xx address translated into 50xxx, which makes it hard and isn't obvious which switches to hit... Anyway, back to the compiler... a lot of bug fixes in the newest version... there is more work to do. https://www.dropbox.com/s/n9dnfc4vhg78l3b/Idiot%20Compiler%203.89i.dsk?dl=0 The great thing is its a 'SMART" compiler... meaning YOU are the smart one. It does variable 8bit, 16bit or (limited 24 bit) math, blazing thru others in speed. Along with no JSR's for code runtimes... RESET at the LINE.... type the LINE # do basic commands... to see list type (?) or (COMMANDS) at the end of each BASIC LINE, you have to type END to end that particular line. Its primitive BASIC background code makes it a little less than idea. To enter a command... like PLOT X,Y you will have to PLOT (ENTER) then it prompts you for... (VAR or #): at point you can type a name for variable, or a number. If a variable does not exist, it will create one for you. RESET - to reset compiler COMPILE - to compile into ASM program I would reboot the disk if you are starting a new project, if you were already working on one.... most entry points are "helper" prompted. It normally defaults to 16 bit... but if you know a variable will only be 8 bits (max 255) at any time... you can do LET 8 for math, such as A=B+C or A=B-C or A=B*C or A=B/C there are also SPECIAL FUNCTIONS in the options... so if you did A=A/2 it would equate to a simple LSR statement instead of several command division... these things make the compiled code equal to its ASM counterparts in many situations.... Anyway, I posted enough... thanks for the mention... I appreciate it a lot! Tom Porter naspite labs If you haven't seen DogFighters of Mars2 space shooter demo for the Apple II.... (This is the Special Edition!) https://www.dropbox.com/s/h0yzya36nrue4ho/DOGFIGHTER2%20SPECIAL%20%28r1%29.zip?dl=0 If you need a Double Lores library thing a majig... a hard to get info graphics mode... https://www.dropbox.com/s/nawea8sumu86fzw/Double%20LoRES%20Library%20v1.80zA.zip?dl=0 If you have a mockingboard... here are 70+ songs plus software to potentially convert MIDI's... version 2.00 is incoming soon... https://www.dropbox.com/s/z0ldxehkebwbfeg/MIDI%20TO%20MOCK%20VER1.zip?dl=0

I was toying around with some other game ideas, but the next one from Naspite Labs (Aka developer of DogFighters of Mars 2 and Music Master RPG ©2015) will be Kiddy Kaboom. Its classic Kaboom but using characters from Donkey Kong Country 3 Kiddy and Dixie, along with ol' Cranky up the top throwing the bombs. 2 versions will be made, one for full mockingboard support with quite a few audio tracks... and a slightly dumbed down edition using SFX multi-tasking audio for those without extra sound chips. It will have intermissions between the stages using a story-board type atmosphere It will have 7 stages... that will save to the disk, so you can save your progress half-way thru and pickup the story line where you left off. Using mainly Double-Lores 80x48, a highly underutilized graphics format for the Apple II.

I don't believe too many people are aware of DogFighters of Mars 2... the sequel to the 2012 Apple II game. Its only a 1 stage demo... but quite a showcase of the best 1bit audio during gameplay... a full soundtrack with voice over announcements... yes while animation is occurring. No extra soundchips required... utilizing the SFX 1bit multitasking audio engine. Requires a 128kb system... Arrow keys fly, space bar shoots, but only after the puzzle section. There are two versions in the download... skip the early and only play the FINAL edition. https://www.dropbox.com/s/mp8sm0t5x9g4tde/DogFighter%202%20Game.zip?dl=0