Rebooteroids - Public Testing Phase (And user created level submission)

[PeterG]

I've got again the same problem as mckafka99, seems we have similar k models. The high res rom goes to black screen after the two splash screen. The other rom runs fine.

 

I also tried the level editor. It's interesting to see the tool, but I have my doubts, that there will be a level coming out from me. Though I like the thought to contribute.:-) Right now VJ crashes, when I press on the test level button... (not that there is a level per se but I wanted to try it out...) Anyway I want to thank you guys for letting us see all this, that is cool in its own way.

[Goochman]

Got some more play time today with Rebooteroids - 20160402-0913.ROM and the HighRes rom. On my K model Jag with v2 Skunkboard and the Composite cable connected to my old 720p Plasma TV it worked fine. I was able to see the startup screen and play through a # of levels no problem.

 

Im not as good as others here - Im only able to achieve a score of around 40k when starting from level 0. Ive tried a few of the other modes and everything played fine, no hiccups and no sound issues.

 

I used a Pro Controller today - it does not appear to have any Pro benefits with the extra buttons unless I missed something.

 

Also not sure if this means anything but I do have my JagCD plugged in during my tested.

 

 

Turns out my 2nd Jag is an M unit. I just plugged it in for a test with the Rebooteroids - 20160402-0913.ROM - everything went well until my game ended. The screen went blank and I was not taken to the High Score table. No JagCD plugged in, otherwise same as above.

 

I played the HighRes ROM on my M model with no issues - I died on the same screen and the High Score worked fine.

[Fredifredo]

 

Also not sure if this means anything but I do have my JagCD plugged in during my tested.

13 years ago when I tried to code in asm with a friend name cts , we quoted that some times my K Jaguar was crashing when the JagCD was plugged and we were testing some "special" screen mode... But now Orion_ with his code has no problem with that...

[rayik]

I've been playing this a lot. This is up there with the best Jag games ever made. T2k fun. This would have been a best seller back in the day. Very enjoyable.

 

I like the little tweaks to the original asteroids gameplay. Your ship eventually stops moving when you release thrust. I used to have so much trouble controlling the ship in original asteroids. There was no gravity and the ship would just keep moving. I also love auto fire. I like the way difficulty ramps up by using asteroid patterns rather than just making everything go faster.

 

To me, all that remains to be done is just play balance tweaks and bug testing. It's already a very polished game.

 

@Welshworrier - no need to look for the eprom programmer code you wrote years ago. I'm pretty sure I have a bad batch of 93c86s. My programmer cannot ID the chips. They don't work in the game. I have a couple soic 93c86. Programmer IDs them and they work fine in the cart. I've ordered some new dip8 93c86s from digikey.

 

For now I'm using this kludge in the cart. Little bit of wire and solder to make a soic fit without a soic to dip8 board.

 

@CJ - I'm not going to look for or report any bugs until there is a proper dip8 93c86 installed

[+CyranoJ]

I've been playing this a lot. This is up there with the best Jag games ever made. T2k fun. This would have been a best seller back in the day. Very enjoyable.

 

CJ - I'm not going to look for or report any bugs until there is a proper dip8 93c86 installed

 

Just glad you're enjoying it - thanks for the words (and everyone else's too!)

[guSTaw]

On my 2 Jaguar M model everything all right. Great game!!!

I am waiting on full version

[+LS650]

Since this came out, I usually fire it up daily and play at least one round each of both regular and Skirmish mode. I typically score somewhere around 60000 -70000 bofore dying off in either mode. Kombateroids looks like its cool too.

 

Great fun!

[rayik]

20160402-0913.ROM on real cartridge with fully working 93c86 eeprom on "k" jaguar.

 

 

Bug report:

 

No extra ship awarded went shooting last rock on wave causes score to go over 75,000.

 

Score was 74,800 with one rock left in wave. Shot rock. Score went to 75,200 and "Wave Complets" displayed. No extra ship awarded

 

 

Tweak suggestion:

 

Raise sound level of "Wave Complete" at end of level. Even with soundfx option raised, it's barely audible.

[+CyranoJ]

And the download count resets back to zero

 

• Changed the © on the menu to 2016 (Pfft, massive amount of work required. I was hacking away all night!)
• Added a 2nd check for an extra life after the Wave Complete (Rayik)
• Boosted the 'Wave Complete' sample by 6db (Rayik)
• Pressing C backs out of the Level Select sub menu (Can't remember who, but great idea!)
• High Res splash screen gone for good - it's not worth the risk of a non-booting game on someone's machine.

ROM in the first post.

 

Goochman: I did just pickup a 'power item' - it was the up arrow the pulsed a bit??? Anyhow I couldnt read the text on what it actually did, I think it was end level or something? Maybe it was terminate game and a bad 'power item'?

 

Flashing power-ups mean they are about to disappear! Power-ups collected are all lost on Wave Complete. I'd be almost certain the timer ran out explaining the death.

Edited April 11, 2016 by CyranoJ

[Goochman]

CryanoJ,

 

With the latest ROM do you have a preference on which model you'd like folks to test the game on (K or M)? I might get some time to play the new ROM but would rather focus on the console you'd like more testing on.

[+CyranoJ]

I don't think it matters now ☺

[masematte]

@ cyrano can you boost the Sound of th Explosion ( hit the Asteroids) ?

[rayik]

Rebooteroids - 20160411-2009.ROM burned to cart with 93c86 eeprom.

 

I'd appreciate if someone could verify this. Free ships are not being awarded. I had games with scores over 216,000 and 170,000 and no free ships were awarded.

 

I think this may have started with the prior build 20160402-0913.ROM. With that build I noted no free ship at 75k when level ended. I really did not pay attention as to whether free ship was awarded at 125k nor whether free ship awarded at 75k in middle of level.

 

I've tried two different 93c86 eeproms - ST Microelectronics and Atmel. High score are being saved ok. Just no free ships awarded. On a prior build free ships were being awarded with the atmel installed. (Did not own ST Micro at that time) Also, if I do not install an eeprom, free ships are never awarded. On prior builds free ships were awarded if no eeprom installed.

 

I've attached dumps of both eeproms I've been using.

atmel_at93c86si27_eeprom_read.bin

STmicro_93c86wp_eeprom_read.bin

[+LS650]

Have spent an hour playing both skirmish and arcade modes on the April 11 version. No issues noticed.

[+CyranoJ]

Rebooteroids - 20160411-2009.ROM burned to cart with 93c86 eeprom.

 

I'd appreciate if someone could verify this. Free ships are not being awarded. I had games with scores over 216,000 and 170,000 and no free ships were awarded.

 

 

A free ship won't be awarded if you already have a full set, maybe that's the problem?

[rayik]

A free ship won't be awarded if you already have a full set, maybe that's the problem?

I'll check by losing a ship before reaching 75k

[+CyranoJ]

I'll check by losing a ship before reaching 75k

 

Thanks, the lives counter is in the lower right of the screen, above the level timer (Just so we're looking at the same thing!)

 

On another note: How the hell are you scoring so high???? Fantastic!

Edited April 13, 2016 by CyranoJ

[rayik]

No free ships being awarded. Had lost ship before reaching 75k. When 75k reached no free ship recieved.

 

Maybe someone else on real hardware can check.

[WAVE 1 GAMES]

I would very much like to try this on my jag cd the way i tried your ST ports. I do have virtual jaguar on my PC but i would rather play the test demo on a real jag. Could you provide a .ABB file the way you did with those ST games so i can burn a disk? Also how do I know what kind of jaguar I have? I dont know if its a K or M model??? Im really looking forward to testing this out! Id like to make some levels too

 

 

How much will the final game cost? Im buying it!!!!

Edited April 13, 2016 by Jeffrey_Bones

[rayik]

Thanks, the lives counter is in the lower right of the screen, above the level timer (Just so we're looking at the same thing!)

 

On another note: How the hell are you scoring so high???? Fantastic!

Check - lives counter are blue dots on lower right of screen. **** EDIT - purple dots to right of count down timer bars **** END EDIT

 

Scoring high? If free ships awarded could get a lot higher.

 

Seriously, to me the game is challenging but beatable. Don't move much. Little position adjustments to avoid collision with rocks. On the pattern waves, it's just a matter of figuring out the pattern. Once you do, just put your ship in the correct position and it's level over. Literally within 10 - 15 seconds. Example - levels 4 and 11 with the expanding circle of rocks. Don't thrust. Just hold down fire and spin repeatedly in a circle in one direction. Level instantly over.

 

I've found level 12 to be the hardest level so far. Lots of rocks moving fast which when split move fast in different directions.

 

I really like the small hit box of your ship. You can avoid being hit by rocks sometimes by just turning to the side.

 

I love shumps. When you get in a groove this game becomes so enjoyable and beatable. No groove and you just die. Really well designed game.

[+CyranoJ]

I would very much like to try this on my jag cd the way i tried your ST ports. I do have virtual jaguar on my PC but i would rather play the test demo on a real jag. Could you provide a .ABB file the way you did with those ST games so i can burn a disk? Also how do I know what kind of jaguar I have? I dont know if its a K or M model??? Im really looking forward to testing this out! Id like to make some levels too

 

 

How much will the final game cost? Im buying it!!!!

 

Nope, sorry - This is a ROM and needs to run from cart.

 

Pricing has yet to be decided.

[sh3-rg]

Don't move much

This is what I do not like about the game - I wanted the game to actively punish you for camping centrally. When I see people play it like that it's a bit annoying. I totally get that some peoplefind it better for scores, but I can't see how it's any fun at all being a little blob spinning around 90% of the time and not much else :/

[GroovyBee]

This is what I do not like about the game - I wanted the game to actively punish you for camping centrally. When I see people play it like that it's a bit annoying. I totally get that some peoplefind it better for scores, but I can't see how it's any fun at all being a little blob spinning around 90% of the time and not much else :/

You need the equivalent of an Evil Otto.

[omf]

This is what I do not like about the game - I wanted the game to actively punish you for camping centrally. When I see people play it like that it's a bit annoying. I totally get that some peoplefind it better for scores, but I can't see how it's any fun at all being a little blob spinning around 90% of the time and not much else :/

 

get the game to send a very large very tough asteroid at speed through the middle of the screen at an angle so that the player will be destroyed as they wont be able to destroy the rock in time if they camp in the middle for long periods of time

 

[Welshworrier]

Or change the game mechanic slightly? Have it so that the engines of the ship charge up at a certain rate, and that if they are not depleted through thrusting then you'll get to a stage where the ship explodes.