helping one of those youngins

[bpatte02]

I need help figuring out my Commodore Vic-20. Did not expect to be this lost, but the computers has +7 years on me. I have been trying to run the count and adventure (adventure land) carts I just recently acquired, but I don't know the command. I thought it would be Load"count",8 and Load"adventure",8 but I receive a device not present error... Any help form the experienced veterans would be great.

[TMR]

I need help figuring out my Commodore Vic-20. Did not expect to be this lost, but the computers has +7 years on me. I have been trying to run the count and adventure (adventure land) carts I just recently acquired, but I don't know the command. I thought it would be Load"count",8 and Load"adventure",8 but I receive a device not present error... Any help form the experienced veterans would be great.

Device 8 is a disk drive so, if you don't have one connected, you get a device not present error like that. Cartridges don't "load" in that sense, the program just "appears" in memory from the ROM and usually they start automatically but those titles need you to type the command SYS 32592 and press RETURN - there's sometimes a note on the cartridge's label saying the same.

Edited March 30, 2016 by TMR

[bpatte02]

Thanks you! I'll be honest I don't see anything or the cart, but it's possible that it has come off. They are both very plain labels with the title and I assume the games catolog number, such as the count is Vic-1917.

[carlsson]

Scott Adams' adventures came in a few label variations, so not all of them have the SYS printed on the label. I think Commodore added that in second or perhaps third reprint, before it was only mentioned in the manual.

 

Technically the reason for the SYS appears that the games are programmed to use a contiguous block of 16K memory (ROM) whereas the VIC-20 memory map is segmented and the regular slot for autostarting cartridges is only 8K. With a bit of additional programming, I'm sure the parser could have been split to two different ROM areas and made to autostart. Adding a third chip - even 4K - to make it a 20-24K ROM cartridge only for the autostart feature probably wasn't cost effective compared to having the user type in a semi cryptic command to start the game.