Some finds in Lord of the Ring code

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Did you ever wonder how complete the game is? E.g. the obstacle graphics in the open area screens always looked pretty unfinished to me. The catalog mockup (see below) shows a nice fence, which IMO is way more appropriate than that "Cowboy" graphics used in the proto.

 

Well, while doing some disassembling, I noticed one unused graphic which looked exactly like this fence. And following some superfluous code, which utilizes those graphics.

 

As it turned out, even some code fragments for displaying the fence graphics where still in the kernel, but the main display code was replaced. Reconstructing the small piece of missing code was pretty straightforward and voila, the fences are back!

 

I also noticed that there must have been plans for a 6th scenary besides town, forrest, open area, road and river. There is no extra code for handling it, currently it is defined as being displayed like the open area but handled like being inside a town (slower movement, no Nazguls or birds). The ingame map shows some mountains, so maybe the missing scenary was meant to become those mountains?

 

So, even though the game looks pretty much finished, IMO it now looks more like a beta version, with (almost?) all game elements, but with missing some polishing and the final tweaks to the gameplay.

[midget35]

Ha ha!

 

This is amazing - I was wondering exactly the same thing just yesterday: 'I wonder if there are any unused sprites left over?'

 

Excellent work. This game would have shaken up the 2600 adventure genre if it had seen a release in my opinion: the scope of the game is quite hypnotic for me: always pulling me back to try and find another secret (though of course: there are so few!).

 

Nice work again TJ- if you find anything else: be sure to share!

 

I have recently written my own review (nearly finished) at http://prawnstarproductions.com/articles/LOTR

[Rom Hunter]

Interesting.

 

I'm going to make a note of this in our database, Thomas.

 

Now try to figure out this one:

http://atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?MENU...ERSION_ID=15914

 

[Lonely Mountain Hermit]

That is pretty cool. Also, whatever happened with that prototype that was discovered after the one that we've all seen? There was mention a while back, that something interesting was in the works regarding this later, possibly more complete version of the game. Has anyone heard anything about this?

[Godzilla]

I was just wondering the same thing myself... (ergo the newer proto.)

 

biiiilbo biiiilbo baggins, the bravest little hobbit in the shire!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Nice work again TJ- if you find anything else: be sure to share!

 

I have recently written my own review (nearly finished) at http://prawnstarproductions.com/articles/LOTR

Nice review. I am pretty sure with some more polishing the game would become a lot better.

 

A few new game facts (more info here):

• There are two Nazgul indicators:
  - 1. The background color becomes darker at a distance of 1 or 2 units
  - 2. There are two different warning sound volumes for the same distances
  (the game calculates and stores distances up to 8 units, but it doesn't use everything above 2, so maybe there were more plans)
  
• Pressing the button (wearing the ring) does work: The Nazguls hunt you while you are outside a town or the forrest. And they will hunt you 4-times more effective (updating their direction towards you), while they or the bird are on the screen. Wearing the ring makes you invisible to the bird, so the Nazguls won't hunt you more effective then. But while wearing the ring this makes the Nazguls move a bit faster each second you wear it.
  
• With Gandalf the Nazguls can't hunt you too.
  
• Wearing the ring or Gandalf don't reduce he Nazgul's hunting effectivity when you are across the river.
  
• There are 9 Nazguls, 4 are hunting you before the river, the other 5 behind the river
  
• The Nazgul speed (initial speed higher with left difficulty A) not only increases over time (especially during night) and by wearing the ring, but also when crossing the river
  
• Not only the Nazguls move faster during the night, also Frodo moves slower.
  
• The bird is NOT just eye candy (see above).
  

Edited March 25, 2007 by Thomas Jentzsch

[+RandomPerson]

But haven't you been playing around with the LOTR code for a while now TJ? Are these new developments or just ones your now willing to share. Either way you da man

[midget35]

Thanks for the tips Thomas! I'll be sure to amend the information in my review.

 

So the ring does have some effect! Cool!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

But haven't you been playing around with the LOTR code for a while now TJ? Are these new developments or just ones your now willing to share.

I had been playing with the code before, just did not look that deep into it. So those are all new finds.

[+RandomPerson]

But haven't you been playing around with the LOTR code for a while now TJ? Are these new developments or just ones your now willing to share.

I had been playing with the code before, just did not look that deep into it. So those are all new finds.

 

 

make the birdie do something. It's too pretty to just be candy.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

make the birdie do something. It's too pretty to just be candy.

Actually I was wrong. The bird does help the Nazguls!

 

I corrected my mistake above.

[Tempest]

Wow, neat! I've updated my page to reflect these new finds. I wonder why the fences were taken out? Maybe they were causing trouble with the display kernel? Artistic difference perhaps?

 

Tempest

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Wow, neat! I've updated my page to reflect these new finds. I wonder why the fences were taken out? Maybe they were causing trouble with the display kernel? Artistic difference perhaps?

Not sure. The problem with the fences in the current code is, that they show up only every ~2nd screen. So 50% of the time, the screen is completely blank.

 

I think the current open area graphics ("buildings" as you call them") show the early result of an experiment on how to handle this problem. Though some extra code would have solved the problem too.

 

Or maybe the current graphics have to do with the missing (mountain) scenary?

 

Without asking the programmer (or either finding the code or a different proto), I am afraid we will never know for sure.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Here is the binary with the fences reactivated. Only 27 bytes difference to the proto we know. Use Parker bankswitching (e.g. z26 -g3)!

LotR__Fences_.bin