bBasic teaser video...

[CPUWIZ]

Oh, and it will work with any of my bankswitched boards (Atari, Coleco, Parker), maybe RevEng can get SARA support working as well.

 

Maybe I'll do an Activision style bankswitched board, I have so many Activision carts collecting dust.

[Cybearg]

How much more will boards for this bankswitch method cost as opposed to the 32k version?

[CPUWIZ]

They are the same boards, just need a small hand modification (a trace cut and a jumper wire) and a different kind of PLD. I may make a new run of PCB's, with a tiny jumper to solder, buy Al's new boards should just work.

 

So, in other words, no difference.

[+Gemintronic]

Which section should I keep on hitting refresh on until I see the RevEng modded bB 64k files? The sooner I get started the sooner Ultima 2600 is released!

 

UPDATE:

Hopefully I'll have something more to share in a week or so.

 

Dammit! I can't just drop my current project and immediately start on this?!? Life is cruel!!

[abaudrand]

if SARA is supported, I will directly upgrade my game on it

[+iesposta]

I need batari Basic and/or Visual BB enhanced for larger Melody Ram/Rom/Flash.

I am hoping Harmony 2 has more Ram/Rom so I can develop 2600 games that can be made with Melody or just played on real hardware.

Any guess if Harmony 2 will be able to run 7800 AND 2600 games?

[Sprybug]

Oh come on guys, don't you recognize an Atari 2600 Jr. when you see it? It says "ATARI 2600" right on the plate!

Yeah, you cycled through the 16 banks. That's great. I might need this for Zippy the Hedgehog. My ROM space is gonna be really tight on it.

[Sprybug]

It's looking more and more like Zippy the Porcupine is going to need 64k, so please RevEng! Please!

[Sprybug]

Now that we've had the reveal, a few points...

• I have EF/64k bankswitching mostly working in bB. Goto and drawscreen work correctly, but I still need to fix up the return part of bankswitching gosubs. The issues around getting this last bit to work are well understood, it's just a matter of getting a few hours free. When its done, I'll create a new thread for the release.
  
• The graphics go in the last bank with the kernel, just as they do with 8k/16k/32k games. As you guys may have noticed, I posted a workaround method that allows for multiple bB kernels in 32k bins, and will release a 64k version of the workaround after I finish this project.
  
• The bB compiler needed some updates to make this work. I've made the changes with a light hand and done it in the style of the existing code, but it's not official until batari adopts it.
  
• CPUWIZ should be able to produce the 64k boards in quantity, so coders shouldn't need to worry about availability of the hardware.
  

Hopefully I'll have something more to share in a week or so.

 

[edit - the sample binary is attached, in case someone is really bored]

 

64K_EF_test.bin

 

Hey Rev. Working on my Zippy the Porcupine game. Looks like I'm going to need the 64k afterall if I want to do the overworld map selection portion. This portions looking to take up half-a-bank if not a whole bank and I'm already starting to fill up my 32K on everything else. If I stick with 32K I won't be able to do an overworld map not to mention different looking levels in the different zones.

[+Gemintronic]

It's looking more and more like Zippy the Porcupine is going to need 64k, so please RevEng! Please!

 

I had a dream about this moment... When I was compiling BASIC... to my emulator Stella. On top a Windows; powerful framerates, filling the 46" inch screen. Heavy breath. My son Sprybug walked in, little boy. My debug window sprung out of VisualbB and said "Unrecoverable error(s) in pass, aborting assembly!" And I said "No, bB, shut your mouth, let him compile." Let him compile what romsize is being consecrated here. And I want the people to watch what is going to be consecrated here. And I will bring my Sprybug down here, and he will watch.

[Sprybug]

I had a dream about this moment... When I was compiling BASIC... to my emulator Stella. On top a Windows; powerful framerates, filling the 46" inch screen. Heavy breath. My son Sprybug walked in, little boy. My debug window sprung out of VisualbB and said "Unrecoverable error(s) in pass, aborting assembly!" And I said "No, bB, shut your mouth, let him compile." Let him compile what romsize is being consecrated here. And I want the people to watch what is going to be consecrated here. And I will bring my Sprybug down here, and he will watch.

What did you eat before you went to bed???????

[+Gemintronic]

What did you eat before you went to bed???????

 

Alas, the quotes online are pretty different from the final version on Eastbound & Down. I should have realized the reference would be hard to get

[Sprybug]

Alas, the quotes online are pretty different from the final version on Eastbound & Down. I should have realized the reference would be hard to get

I just read the quote on link. Holy crap.

[+Gemintronic]

I just read the quote on link. Holy crap.

 

Yeah, it's all about context. The scene always makes laugh out loud. Every time!

 

In other news, when this comes out I really think we should gather together what we consider the latest bB files and call the combination an unofficial community build. I'm sick of getting my files mixed and matched and not being able to compile others source.

[+iesposta]

 

...when this comes out I really think we should gather together what we consider the latest bB files and call the combination an unofficial community build. I'm sick of getting my files mixed and matched and not being able to compile others source.

Good idea. I have noticed the score font "tiny" was dropped somewhere along the line. I really like that look!

[+RevEng]

I hate to tease more, but I just wanted to share that I'm still working on this and am further along, despite having little time and hitting some snags along the way.

 

bB's bootup switching, drawscreen switching, bankswitch goto, bankswitch gosub, return thisbank, and return otherbank appear now to be working without any issues... there's a bit of code in a plain return that handles conditional bankswitching which needs to be overhauled for 64k support. Gotta mull over how I'm going to tackle that.

 

Then I need to figure out how to produce suitable Windows bB binaries and get you guys to thoroughly test it out.

 

 

In other news, when this comes out I really think we should gather together what we consider the latest bB files and call the combination an unofficial community build. I'm sick of getting my files mixed and matched and not being able to compile others source.

 

I have mixed feelings here. Having posted "it compiles fine for me" to problem threads a bunch of times, I completely share your frustration. But the best solution would be for batari to put out an official update.

 

 

Good idea. I have noticed the score font "tiny" was dropped somewhere along the line. I really like that look!

 

Thanks!

 

batari did a "best of" when he incorporated my unofficial score_graphics into bB, so that one probably got dropped. You can always ask for it to be added in, or just create an unofficial addition.

[+Gemintronic]

I have mixed feelings here. Having posted "it compiles fine for me" to problem threads a bunch of times, I completely share your frustration. But the best solution would be for batari to put out an official update.

 

Maybe someone should submit a "community" update to Fred. If he is too backed up with current projects to respond then release a unofficial community version and carry on.

 

Then I need to figure out how to produce suitable Windows bB binaries and get you guys to thoroughly test it out.

 

You don't have to figure out how to get ME to use it! I'm already designing games for it on my lunch breaks! All I need to do is figure out where time for sleep is gonna fit once I get my greedy hands on this!!

 

*gurgle!*

 

*froth!*

 

=)

[+RevEng]

I've released my 64k/64kSC bB mod here.