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RamrodHare

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Posts posted by RamrodHare

  1. Posted

    I'd be mad as hell. I try to NEVER order from anywhere outside of my own country for the same reasons. It's just too risky. Not to mention the fact that most of the time,if there is a problem, there's a language barrier. If they don't speak the same language, then communication is usually routed through Google translate. Trust me, neither of you will understand what the hell is being said. I've dealt with it firsthand. I recently had a similar incident, but with a different seller, that's a story for another thread..

     

    I also tried to go to the website, just to check it out. My Windows computer wouldn't let me access it, so I tried my Android tablet and was immediately alerted that this site contained harmful malware and was a known phishing site. My Windows computer, running Chrome, just refused to acknowledge the site even existed. This, along with your story, and the others I've seen here is a good enough reason for me to stay far, far away from this site. If I were you, I'd try my best to get a full refund, through Paypal, your credit card company, or whatever. I wouldn't let them get away with it. They could have EASILY contacted you, but they chose not to. They were smart enough to know that if they contacted you, you would have canceled the entire order. They wanted money and didn't give a [email protected]#t about you. I say fight the bastards and get your money back.

  2. Posted

    I've only seen this version in photos online, so I can't be much help when it comes to modding it. I can tell you that the standard AV composite mods have varying results. My 7800, with the standard AV mod works great, but my Vader 2600 has really bad issues with color bleed. My suggestion, would be to look up the UAV thread and see if Bryan, (He makes those boards) can help you out. From what I've read, that mod is hard to beat, and it's affordable. :-D

    • Like 1

  4. Posted

    As far as the lettering goes, wash it first and see if that helps. If it's really faded, there's not much you can do other than painting over it or swap the switch cover out for one from another system. Painting over the letters will never look just right, so if it's something you really want fixed, buying a parts system and swapping out the switch cover is the only real solution.

  5. Posted

    It's sad that there's so much "red tape" when it comes to making games like this availible for the public. I know there are loopholes, but lawyers could still tie it up in court for who knows how long, so it MAY not be worth the effort. I'm not sure though how the laws would work on something like this. For example, there are tons of "Fan-made" things being bought and sold everyday without repercussions. It seems to me, something like this, should fall under that category. Like I said, I have no idea how the laws work, but if they were to enforce laws on everything "fan-made", the courts would be tied up for eternity. I've made replicas of movie props and stuff and sold them on eBay. Some things, I made quite a few copies of and I never got contacted by anyone telling me to stop. I may have been lucky or it may just be that they don't care as long as you aren't getting rich. I don't know. I guess if they never know you're selling it, you're ok. It's all about "IF". Let's say I made a game based on a Disney Movie and I sold 50 copies with a profit margin of $5 or less, I don't see Disney wasting money to sue me. Sure, I may get one of those cease and desist letters, at which point I would stop selling the game. In order to send me a letter, they would first have to find out about the game, then find out who made it and how to get in touch with them. It just seems like a lot of trouble for something so insignificant. I'm sure they have bigger issues to deal with.. Again, I'm no expert, I have no law degree, and I don't even PLAY a Doctor on TV. I'm just sharing my opinion, no matter how incorrect it may be. :P

  6. Posted

    Oh thanks so much!!

     

    Got a lot of things re-arranged and fixed this weekend. :3

     

    Glad you're enjoying it, the next boss will be a fun time as well.

     

    Who do you like better, Jinny or Chocolat? ;3

    I feel like Chocolat would fit better in this game, with the carrot theme, but there's nothing wrong with Jinny. I like both actually. Years ago I used to annoy people on one of my favorite forums by finding a way to work the word "bUnNiEs" into EVERY post I made. BUT, I also used to DJ at a local club and I would sometimes throw in a loud "MEOW, MEOW!" when I was about to play a song requested by my girlfriend/bartender. Now days, I'm fond of trying to talk random people into buying an invisible turtle. I even sweeten the deal by telling them I'll throw in some dehydrated water for free. Everyone knows invisible turtles get thirsty!

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    First off, this seller needs to be tied behind a horse and dragged through the desert naked, then burned at the stake, castrated, drowned and then given a papercut between his fingers. (Notice the mean streak I have, saving the worst punishment for last.) :twisted: . Since none of that is really an option in today's society, I'm not sure there's much that can be done. Trying to get eBay to give up their share of the profits from this guy's sales, well, it's just not going to happen. The only thing to do is try and educate the buyers, which is also going to be nearly impossible. Most of the people who shop on eBay have no clue as to what things are really worth. They either can't or won't do any research. I know plenty of people like this. Even with the magic of the internet at their fingertips, there are still people who just can't "do" anything. I try my best to do my research before I buy or sell anything. Research is what brought me to AtariAge to begin with. For a buyer to blindly go shopping for "vintage" or "rare" items is just plain stupid, yet they do it all the time. There's no way to help people like that. I don't like to see people get cheated, but sayings for people like that have been around for years, "A fool and his money are soon parted", and "There's one born every minute." There are others, but you get what I'm saying. I feel bad for the buyers, but I can't force them to educate themselves before making a purchase. :(

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    So far I've been given quite a bit to think about when making my next joystick purchase. It's really looking like it will be the Tac-2, but with the prices I've been seeing, I might start off with the Starfighter or Slik Stik. Of course there's still the option to build my own, which brings up a whole new range of options, such as which stick and what buttons, so I don't even want to get into that right now. :-D

  11. Posted

    It's looking good so far! Are you going to update any of the graphics? The tanks on Tron had an offset barrel, if I remember correctly. I have no idea if that would be something easily changed or not, since it might require other things to be changed in order for the tank to still fire from the barrel. I'm just now learning how to change colors, so the rest is still way over my head. I've been changing some stuff around, graphics wise, just hoping I don't screw up the code on the game I'm using as a learning tool. If it weren't for the members here who are more or less walking me through it, I'd have no clue what I was doing.

  12. Posted

    OK. Thanks Nukey Shay! I've got a lot to learn, but I feel a little less intimidated by it now. I at least have a basic understanding of the colors and how to find and change them.

    I have been working on editing the symbols on the sails too. I just haven't been able to decide what to change them to. That part is really straight forward, so I don't think I need any help there..

    My question now is, how does collision detection work on this game? For instance, if I make the top row of pixels, "the enemies Hats", wider (just like editing the sail symbols), does the collision detection also change with this, or is there more to it than that? ( I've already tried it, but I'm not sure if it did anything or not, that's why I'm asking..) I also changed the pixels on the enemies so that they climb- "left hand, right hand", as they go up the ladders. Since they aren't centered on the ladders, it's not a huge improvement.

  13. Posted · Edited by RamrodHare

    OK, I'm happy to report that, while I don't have much of a grasp on what's going on, I was able to follow along with the instructions to get the desired results. I think my issue is just the fact that I'm not 100% sure what's happening, since I'm not familiar with the code or how it works. What I did figure out, purely by accident, is how to change the symbols on the sails, so that's something, I guess. I understand the concept of the colors and I understand changing the number. The part that confuses me is

     

    "Use the Step button to slowly follow the program flow to where LF76B was branched to. In this case, it was a loop...the color value is coming from address LFC2E + the X index of $05, or $FC33 (picture 9)".

     

    Where or how, did we come to LF76B? I have a feeling that I'm just not looking at the right thing on Stella. Also, I'm using a newer version 4.7.3, in case that matters. OK. I think what I'm missing is what I'm looking for in the top right corner there. If I keep messing with it, I'll probably figure it out, but if someone wants to add a bit of detail as to how to use what's being shown there, that will probably help me along. I know I'm missing something simple and I'll probably slap myself once I notice it or someone points it out.

     

    I just hit another snag. My version of Stella isn't giving me the option to save the rom.... :(

     

    ​* OK, figured it out, you have to use the command prompt on this version.

  16. Posted

    Got a big rainbow Junior available, tested & working. Includes power supply. Currently, the joysticks I have with it are Gemsticks, which are better than OEM CX40s in my opinion. I can post pics tonight when I get home.

    I look forward to seeing the pictures. I would rather have CX40s, but I can live with Gemsticks. ;-)

  19. Posted

    The PointMaster is a cheaply built unit. It's rather light but it fit my gaming style though. I liked flicking the base one way, and the stick the other way. The fire button has minimum throw or push distance. The stick is cheaply built so keep that in mind. Joysticks are a highly personal thing.

     

    People dislike the scissors laptop keyboards for gaming, I love 'em!

    I knew it was cheaply built, hence the low prices on them now. My goal is to find the best all around joystick for me. I figure that if enough people like one certain stick, it increases the chance of that same one working well for me. All the aftermarket ones I have tried so far, I tried because I got them for almost nothing, so there's no buyer's remorse. I can grab a nice Pointmaster for $10, so even if it was horrible, I wouldn't feel too bad about it, but I think I'll hold off on that, since that would be $10 less I'd have to put toward better joysticks. :P

     

    I think based on the majority so far, a Tac-2 is probably the way I should go, if I can find them for a decent price. I'm really hoping someone who knows about the Tac-2 and the Starfighter will jump in and tell me the joystick is just as good on one as it is on the other. If that happens, I'll be able to grab 2 Starfighter joysticks for the price of one Tac-2 and have them in hand in 3 days. If I have to hold out for the Tac-2, that's fine. Of course, I could go with what already works for me and pick up a set of CX-40s cheap and then put the Gold PCBs in them... It's a tough decision. :?

  20. Posted

    Tac-2 joysticks are getting mentioned a LOT. :-o

    That makes me want to grab at least one of them to try out. The thing I'm noticing though, is the price. It's almost up there with the Competition Pros. However, the Suncom Starfighters are much cheaper. Does anyone here have both? If so is the Starfighter as good as the TAC-2? Do you know if the internals for the joystick are the same? I'm also considering the Slik Stik, since I can easily source the necessary parts to bring it back to "new" condition for a lot less than I can grab a Tac-2 for.

     

    With the PointMaster ...

    OK, your post was , well, interesting. :-D I haven't heard anyone say much about the Pointmaster, but if you are being serious about thinking it's that good, then I'm tempted to get one to try out. The price on them is extremely cheap, even for new old stock. So, if you are kidding, tell me now, so I don't waste my money on one. :P

  21. Posted

    So, I've been watching review videos and reading about quite a few different joysticks that were/are availible for the 2600. Different people have different opinions on what they like and why they like them. I'm sure threads like this have been done over and over, but some people may have gotten different controllers or changed their mind since the last time a similar thread was started. What I'd like to gain out of this is a little bit of insight into "WHY" people like one joystick/controller over another, so that I, or others, can possibly put that information to use while searching for our own "favorite" controller. I know nostalgia plays a large role in some people's decision and that's fine, but for this thread, I'd rather we all stick to the actual features and design of the joystick. In other words, the things that make it work well.

     

    I'll start with the controllers I have in my possession right now.

     

    The Atari CX-40. In standard form (no upgraded parts), It seems to have a little more play in the joystick than I'd like. Also, it really doesn't have a definitive stop position. I'm sure I push it much harder than I need to, because there's no feedback telling me the switch has been activated. These things have held up to 30 or more years of abuse and most of them still work. Anytime your hand wears off the factory paint and the joystick is still working, that's a win in my book.

     

    The Atari Flashback Joystick. This one had me on the fence for a while. I liked the feel of it more than I liked the CX-40, because there was just a bit of feedback letting me know I had activated the switch. Also it took less force to move, but at the same time, it had more play in it. I used this joystick for a while though. The build quality isn't great, but I feel like these would last if you don't get carried away and break the stick off.

     

    Epyx 500XJ. This one had good reviews from a lot of people, but I'm not sure I will ever be one of them. It does have nice clicky switches and almost no play in the stick. The issue I have with it, is the placement of the fire button and the size of the controller. The fire button feels awkward. This may be due to the placement, I'm more used to using my thumb, or it could be that I have a hard time holding it well due to it's size/shape. I can't knock it's build at all. The set I have are in great condition despite their age and how many hands they passed through before I ended up with them.

     

    The Wico, Command Control (Bat). This is another one with a lot of people standing behind it. It's well built and has the added feature of using the standard fire button on the base, or switching to the one on the end of the joystick. I really wanted this one to be my favorite, but after using it, I just wasn't sure about it. I felt like it was too large overall and the throw of the stick was more than I wanted. It just ended up feeling a little clumsy and awkward. If you like actual arcade controls, this one has that feel. I just don't think it has the precision I want when playing.

     

    Modified NES gamepad (For 2600 or 7800 with both fire buttons working). This was meant to be the go to controller for me, since it has a nice precise directional pad and very responsive fire buttons. In the end, it turned out that it wasn't as comfortable as I remember. I hadn't held one in over 20 years, so my memory of it being comfortable were either wrong or my hands are just too "OLD" to use it. I even went so far as to add a tiny ball top joystick to the D-pad to see if it would be easier on my thumb, but it didn't help.

     

    Modified SMS gamepad (again, 2600 or 7800). Another try at making a gamepad that I remembered as being comfortable to use. The D-pad is really sloppy on the Sega Master System controller. There's no precision at all with it. The basic shape is the same as the NES, so it just didn't agree with my hands.

     

    7800 Prolines. I wasn't a fan of them at first, but they started to grow on me. I shortened the sticks on them, which lessened the throw. This was a big improvement. The stick and the buttons have a nice tactile click to them, so you don't just keep forcing it like on the factory CX-40s. I haven't used these for extended periods of time, so I'm not sure if they would cause my hands to cramp up, but I'm guessing they would, just because of the odd shape and the fact that my hands aren't happy with NES or SMS controllers anymore.

     

    There's not a lot to say about the paddle controllers really. I guess if I were to make one point about them, it would be that the "Gemini" paddles are stiffer feeling than the Atari ones. That means for me, the Gemini ones are more precise, but there are many factors to this. My Atari paddles may be more worn or the pots may be different in the Geminis. My advice on the paddles is, don't pay any attention to my experience with the ones I have, since it may not apply to all the paddles out there.

     

    The driving controllers and keypads I have, haven't seen much use, so I don't even have an opinion on them.

     

    Now, Here is what I consider to be my favorite Joystick/controller, right now...

    It's the CX-40, but not in it's factory state. I'm talking about the ones I've upgraded with the Best Electronics Gold PCBs, new fire buttons, springs,boot rings, boots, and new handles. I don't want to sound like an advertisement for Best Electronics, but it's hard not to, if you've tried out their Gold PCBs. However, i didn't buy the other parts from them, since I found a much better price for upgrade kits (everything but the PCB) on eBay. I actually had a small issue with one of the Gold PCBs, but it was easily corrected with a couple of emails to Brad (Best Electronics), It's not even important enough to go into detail about, since it was probably a one in a million issue.. What makes the new PCBs so nice, are the new domes. The old ones didn't click and were kind of mushy feeling to me. Of course they were old, but I don't think the original dome contacts were much better new.The PCB feels more substantial and there's a nice thick plastic layer that keeps the domes from "walking", then a thinner protective layer on top that adheres to everything, making a nice enclosed set of switches. As far as the gold coating goes, I know it's important, but it has nothing to do with how the controls respond. Once I had the joysticks reassembled with the new parts, there is almost zero play in the stick. There's a nice click in each direction and when you press the fire button. It's extremely easy to tell that you've activated the switches. I'm sure these are better than they ever were, even when brand new. I have around $40 total in the two joysticks, not counting the initial cost, which was basically zero, since they came with my 2600. If you have an old set, I feel it's worth $40 to rebuild them, but I don't know if I'd feel as good if I spent much more than that. Keep in mind, I'm on a fixed income, so $40 to me is equal to $100 for most people. Best Electronics sells NEW CX-40s with upgraded PCBs, but I couldn't justify spending that much when I already had a pair of them here that I could rebuild for less money.

     

    Now, that's my opinions on joysticks and controllers. I want to hear from other members here. I'm always willing to try a different joystick if it's something I can hunt down for a reasonable price. :)

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    Different colors would probably make me more interested in buying carts. I don't have anything against black (It's usually one of my favorite colors). It's just that having 60 or so carts, all black, getting another one isn't that exciting, but if every one of them was a new color, that would be interesting. If I could buy empty carts in different colors, I'd probably reshell some of my favorite games and make new labels for them. As it stands right now, I'm probably going to sell off most of my carts, since I have a Harmony Encore. I'll still hold on to my favorites, just in case colored shells become availible. :-D

  24. Posted

    I tinkered with it a bit. Didn't know what to do with those symbols on the sails, so I left those colors as-is.

     

    Thanks! That looks NICE! I think it was really just the boat that was giving me a headache. I've got a bunch of games you hacked and they all look SO much better than the originals.

    I really like this game, but I feel like it needed a few tweaks. The colors being the worst complaint. I really want to learn how to do some simple hacks myself, like changing colors, modding player shapes (your pirate, or whatever he is) and tweaking collision detection (like expanding the "HIT" area on this game to make it a little more forgiving). I'm just using this game as my starting point, since it's one I like. Right now though, I just want to focus on learning how to change the colors. I'd like to eventually have the knowledge to program a simple game (or at least hack an existing one.) Before I joined the forums at AA, I had an idea about hacking Berserk into a Dr. Who game. Of course once I started doing some searching, it turned out it had already been done (and quite well I might add).

     

    Do you use Stella for your hacking or something else? I'm interested in learning how to do things with Stella, but I'd never even used it until a couple of days ago (after CDS mentioned it) and I have no clue where to start. I hope to hear back from Nukey or CDS, but my online hours don't overlap theirs, so if you have any pointers, I'd be interested in reading them. Thanks again for the color fix! :thumbsup:

     

    Someone has probably posted a "How to" on changing colors and stuff, but my searches haven't pulled anything up, so if anyone has a link to them, that would be helpful too. ;-)

  25. Posted

    This is due to too much color saturation in the monitor and mismatched black levels in the video signal. In short, the single edge created by BLANK to BLACK transition looks like a colored pixel to the video decoder. Depending on the delay vs. the color burst you'll get blue (close to 180 degrees of phase) or green/brown/gold (close to 0 degrees).

     

    Solution: Turn down the color saturation of the TV/monitor. Of course that creates other issues such as washed out colors, but....there are compromises.

    I'm really glad you posted this! :thumbsup:

     

    I went into the menu on my TV and did some fine tuning and as if by some sort of magic, the lines are gone! :-D I adjusted a few different things to get the desired effect. I still have really nice colors and brightness, just without the lines. Luckily my TV has some very handy settings, some of which I just discovered while randomly tweaking things tonight.

    I had no idea that my modern HD LED TV had adjustments for horizontal and vertical position and size. :-o No more slight shift to the right due to the AV mod. Now the picture is perfectly centered and stretched to fit the "4:3 box" my TV uses when not in widescreen mode. I would have probably went the rest of my life without messing with the "Advanced" settings on this TV. I remembered messing with some of them when I first got the TV, but I went online and just did a google search for recommended settings & my TV model, since I was in a hurry to use it and had zero interest in reading the manual.. Once I set everything that one time, I never messed with it again. :-D Now that I've seen how much stuff there actually is to mess with in the advanced settings, I'm gonna have to read through the manual and find out what some of it does. :P

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