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Cafeman

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Posts posted by Cafeman

  2. Posted

    49 minutes ago, phaeron said:

    The reason this isn't working is that you have Altirra set to use its internal 5200 ROM and your startup code is hardcoded to addresses within the Atari ROM, particularly the location of the vector table. It'll work if you switch to the Atari ROM. The internal ROM has some accommodations for games that hardcode addresses, but it can't accommodate all possible dependencies on the specific code Atari used since the point of the internal ROM is to have an independent implementation. In most cases this distinction would be noticeable to the user since the logo screen is completely different, but that isn't visible here since the crash occurs before the logo is displayed.

     

    Ah! Okay , that makes sense.  Thanks for the explanation.  I'm sure I have the correct bios roms on my drive, I actually wasn't aware that Altirra has its own internal one, and that it is different. 

  3. Posted

    I only have so much time and mental energy so I have come to avoid new versions of things. But it must be time to upgrade.  I hope there are more debugging features, although I have likely  not learned how to use fully the old Altirra version. 

     

    I just downloaded V3.20 .  It also does not load the Koffi homebrew ROM (or 5200 Adventure II , I just double-checked) ,  likely due to the y2k compliant code which copies the 5200 startup into RAM and changes the century , as explained above.  I've removed that code and the game plays fine, as expected.  If you want to play with it, the ROM is here:

     

    https://atariage.com/software_list.php?SystemID=5200&searchValue=koff&Submit2=Begin+Search&searchCompanyID=ALL&searchRegion=ALL&searchTvFormat=ALL&searchRarity=ALL&searchLabel=&orderByValue=Ascending&recordsPerPage=100&searchType=NORMAL

     

     

  5. Posted

    Thanks for Altirra, Phaeron.   

     

    I just noticed that my 2002 Atari 5200 homebrew, Koffi: Yellow Kopter, does not boot in Altirra .  After playing around with different ROMs I believe the reason is that I have Y2K-compliant code for the 5200 boot-up Atari splash screen, and Altirra doesn't like it.  I has always run ok in other emulators like Atari800Win .  

     

    Here are the memory locations and code I used, compiled using a version of DASM.   I'm curious why Altirra doesn't like this.  I am running Altirra Version 2.60 [March 21, 2015]:

      

     

BIOSCOPYLOCATIONHIGH = $FD   
COPYLOCATION2PORTLOW = $58   
COPYLOCATION4PORTLOW = $42   
INXINSTRUCTION = $E8   
NOPINSTRUCTION = $EA   
RTSINSTRUCTION = $60   
CODESTART = $4000 

 



; DisplayStartupScreen   
;   
; Copy the startup code for the 5200 BIOS into RAM. This is done so the   
; copyright date can be Y2K complient. We store this data into RAM because   
; this routine will only be called once (during game start up) and this saves   
; precious ROM space. This RAM will be reused later in the program too.   
;   
; I chose to use page 6 and 7 to store my routine. You can place it anywhere   
; in RAM you like as long as the BIOS doesn't touch it    
;   
DisplayStartupScreen   
    rts        ; RWLTST 06/25/2020 - is this why Altirra won't run Koffi? 


    ldy #$00   
    lda #BIOSCOPYLOCATIONHIGH   
    sta tempHigh   

;   
; here is where we check to see if this a 2-port or 4-port system   
; a 4-port system will have an inx instruction ($E8) in location $FD32   
; a 2-port system will have a lda instruction ($AD) in location $FD32   
;   
    lda $FD32   
    cmp #INXINSTRUCTION ; if there is no inx instruction here then this is a   
    bne TwoPortSystem ; 2-port system   

FourPortSystem   
    lda #COPYLOCATION4PORTLOW   
    sta tempLow   
    jmp CopyBIOSLoop1   

TwoPortSystem   
    lda #COPYLOCATION2PORTLOW   
    sta tempLow   

CopyBIOSLoop1   
    lda (tempLow),y   
    sta $0600,y ; I chose to use page 6 but you can move it    
    iny   
    bne CopyBIOSLoop1   

    ldy #$50   
    inc tempHigh   
CopyBIOSLoop2   
    lda (tempLow),y   
    sta $0700,y   
    dey   
    bpl CopyBIOSLoop2   

    lda #<CopyrightMessage ; Point the copyright read to our ROM  

    sta $0724 ; address.   

    lda #>CopyrightMessage 
    sta $0725   

    ldx #$0B   
    lda #NOPINSTRUCTION   
;   
; here we place NOP instructions in the routine. It was easier than removing   
; the unwanted instructions.   
;   
NOPLoop   
    sta $0732,x   
    dex   
    bpl NOPLoop   

    lda #RTSINSTRUCTION ; Place a rts to return from the subroutine   
    sta $0750 ; This replaces the jmp instruction   

    jsr $0600   
    rts   

  6. Posted

    29 minutes ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

    I am using TextPad with syntax highlighting and executing DASM directly from within the editor. Last not least it can read the error output and jump to the error line. 

     

    Executing DASM directly in the editor and jumping to the error line is a pretty awesome upgrade from what I'm used to. 

  8. Posted

    So I'm starting a new project.  Koffi:Yellow Kopter (2002) was programmed using old DASM V2.0 , I believe.   Adventure II 5200 and XE were started using TASM by Alan Davis,  so I kept using that assembler.  Didn't seem to cause any problems vs DASM.   And I used the simple original Notepad.      But for my new project, I've been investigating newer tools.  I want to keep concurrent 5200 and A8 versions of the game, which is something new to me as others like Tep392 and Debro have helped me with the 5200-to-A8 conversions in the past. 

     

    I downloaded DASM V2.20.13 which seems to be the newest.   I see that there are several other windows tools out there, but I think I'll stay old-school for now and just code in text file using Notepad or Notepad++.    

     

    Any suggestions to make development quicker or simpler by using another dev tool along with DASM?    I'm actually fine coding just using the text file, then compile in a command prompt, then run it in Altirra to test, but maybe there is a better way. 

     

     

  10. Posted

    In addition to the need to clean the contacts of old carts, I have found especially with Activision cartridges that I need to stuff a little wedge of folded paper behind the cartridge for it to properly make a good connection in my 5200. Otherwise the cart tends to wobble a little bit.

  11. Posted

    Dreamcast, Skies of Arcadia.  9 hours = 540 minutes.

     

    I made it through the Dark Rift, trudged through Mount Fuji dungeon, beat it's boss and got the Blue Moonstone.  Battles still happen too frequently but are not difficult. My party has no trouble wiping the floor with the assorted soldiers or Monsters. Same thing for the ship-to-ship battles, it may take some time, but the Moonstone Cannon on my ship takes down enemies eventually.  I made sure that my ship and my party has enough repairs or health for when I get hit badly.

    • Like 4

  13. Posted

    I already own this on disc, I got it pretty cheap a year ago, but evidently the former owner used up the extra characters Code that came along with it. So maybe I will download this for PS4 and see if it gives me the four or five new characters. I really don’t like the game to be honest, but I love DC comics and there was a lot of work that went into the animations and scripting for this game, which is interesting.

  14. Posted

    New DEMO dated 06/20/2020 -- see page 1:   https://atariage.com/forums/topic/213695-adventure-ii-xe-demo-and-testing/

     

     

    This is a release candidate. I'm not adding any more content. Despite my requests above for some bg art on the tapestries, I decided to NOT add that.  It's time to call it quits and publish this game soon!   Please report any major bugs in this thread with screenshot or detailed description. Thanks! 
     

    I think the only difference between this version and the one I released in February would be some collision detection improvements so you don’t get stuck with certain alt icons, and all the keys have their own unique shapes now. And I added level 10 to this demo, which is Advanced difficulty.  

    • Like 2
    • Thanks 2

  15. Posted

    I played around with the game on Altirra just using the arrow keys for controls, and it seem to control good enough for me. I defeated two or three opponents in that play session. I watched the ZPH show too, I really like the unique special moves that each character has. I also thought it was cool that you included the alligators from Ratcatcher as one character's special moves. It takes a couple play Throughs to understand exactly what’s Going on and what the gauges mean.  

    • Like 1

  19. Posted

    Dreamcast, Skies of Arcadia.   10 hours = 600 minutes. 

     

     Most of that in the last 3 days.  Captain Drachma left us again, Vyse was picked up by a new ship-owning  party member while separated from Aika and Fina.  Now fighting twin rock head bosses at the pirates treasure island .  Probably I should have made more effort to stock up on health goodies before coming here!  The game is sometimes magnificent and fun, but it is marred in some places by the frustratingly frequent random encounter rate! So I would not give the DC version 10/10 rating at this point, but definitely at least 8/10. 

    • Like 4

  23. Posted

    On 6/7/2020 at 10:32 PM, unoclay said:

    Well i guess if nobody challenges my high score posted in the screenshot above, im officially the AA all time champ of Space Dungeon?

     

    :gauntlet thrown:

     

     

    Decent score but you aren't even close! Try beating 945k!  The 5200 HSC just did SD last October, and a few times before that over the years. Maybe check if SD could reappear for the next HSC or HSC OE challenge? 

  24. Posted

    I enjoyed the interview and watched it in three parts due to the length. It is not difficult to tell which one of you two is speaking,  you seem to have polar opposite personality types !  ;)

     

    Great job on adding all the associated gameplay footage and pictures! I had already forgotten a couple games that Bob has done over all these years! Even though I own some! He really did play the largest role to revitalize interest in the 7800, which has one of the most disappointing original libraries of any game console I've ever seen. I am recovering from surgery and can't sit up to play many games right now, but I'm really eager to hook up the 7800 and explore the Bob games that I own some more.  

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
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