VINTAGE Games in BASIC

[+TheBF]

I found this site on Hacker news.

 

Lot's of material for the new 99er and the old alike.

 

Some translation will be needed, but that's why we're all here.

 

http://www.vintage-basic.net/games.html

 

 

[RXB]

Most of these run in RXB with no modifications to the Basic programs and a bonus is they run faster then TI Basic.

[+Vorticon]

For the more interesting programs, the screen width was the main limiting factor. I remember way back when trying to convert a really cool naval warfare game (I think it's in Ahl's second book) but being thwarted by the fact that it required 80 columns...

[+TheBF]

For the more interesting programs, the screen width was the main limiting factor. I remember way back when trying to convert a really cool naval warfare game (I think it's in Ahl's second book) but being thwarted by the fact that it required 80 columns...

 

That's a very good point. 32 columns was always a challenge back in the day.

 

Ah well the text based games are possible.

[senior_falcon]

Most of these run in RXB with no modifications to the Basic programs and a bonus is they run faster then TI Basic.

I have this book. It is pretty generic BASIC, but I think every program must be adjusted, unless someone has already done it for the TI.

620 IF LEFT$(A$(I),2)<>"\A" THEN 650

640 IF MID$(A$(I),Z,1)<>"\" THEN.......

And of course the adjustments for the 28 column screen.

Since no CALLs are used the programs would probably run a bit faster in TI BASIC.

[RXB]

I have this book. It is pretty generic BASIC, but I think every program must be adjusted, unless someone has already done it for the TI.

620 IF LEFT$(A$(I),2)<>"\A" THEN 650

640 IF MID$(A$(I),Z,1)<>"\" THEN.......

And of course the adjustments for the 28 column screen.

Since no CALLs are used the programs would probably run a bit faster in TI BASIC.

Hmm RXB has command CALL KEY(string,5,K,S) so that would be a lie about conversions.

Thus RXB has CALL KEY(A$,5,K,S) would be very much like INKEY in most other basics.

 

I understand the bias about RXB as seen it often. Thus these digs I get.

 

And last I check TI Basic also has CALL KEY but nothing that has a built in string check and if then else.

 

Also RXB has CALL ONKEY(A$,5,K,S) GOTO 200,300,400,500 (So if A$ was "12XY" it corresponds to line numbers.)

(This is a CALL KEY+IF value THEN and ON GOTO all built into a single command.)

Edited April 10, 2019 by RXB

[+Vorticon]

 

I understand the bias about RXB as seen it often. Thus these digs I get.

 

 

Rich, there is no bias against RXB. It's truly a powerful upgrade to plain old XB, particularly the low level access functions like CALL IO, as well as the integrated utilities like disk directory and such. For quick low-level experimental hardware interfacing testing, there is no substitute for it in my book.

[senior_falcon]

Hmm RXB has command CALL KEY(string,5,K,S) so that would be a lie about conversions.

Thus RXB has CALL KEY(A$,5,K,S) would be very much like INKEY in most other basics.

 

I understand the bias about RXB as seen it often. Thus these digs I get.

 

And last I check TI Basic also has CALL KEY but nothing that has a built in string check and if then else.

 

Also RXB has CALL ONKEY(A$,5,K,S) GOTO 200,300,400,500 (So if A$ was "12XY" it corresponds to line numbers.)

(This is a CALL KEY+IF value THEN and ON GOTO all built into a single command.)

Your statement that RXB could run these programs with no modification is a bunch of baloney. This is not a bias against RXB. It is a FACT. Does RXB have LEFT$, MID$, or RIGHT$. No, so right off the bat you have to start making changes.

"Thus RXB has CALL KEY(A$,5,K,S) would be very much like INKEY in most other basics." But it's not INKEY so there is another needed change. Likewise with ONKEY and all the other enhancements you have made. They are not in the dialect of BASIC used in this book. It is true to say that RXB can run TI BASIC programs without modification, but that doesn't apply here because these programs are not written in TI BASIC. I don't see how telling the truth about your erroneous statement is grounds for calling me a liar.

I remember typing in a lot of these programs and ALL of them needed changes in order to run on the TI.

Edited April 10, 2019 by senior_falcon

[twoodland]

Just to confirm, for the 10 or so that I have tried by pasting them into Classic 99 using RXB 2015E, they do not run without needing changed. Unfortunately. I seem to remember a conversion table listing in the beginning of this book. Does anyone know of any additional resources about conversion to TI Basic?

 

Also, I see that they have reissued a 30th anniversary Microsoft small basic edition with the original George Beker "Robot" illustrations. He came out of retirement for this one and even added comments to each of his iconic illustrations.

[jrhodes]

Your statement that RXB could run these programs with no modification is a bunch of baloney. This is not a bias against RXB. It is a FACT. Does RXB have LEFT$, MID$, or RIGHT$. No, so right off the bat you have to start making changes.

"Thus RXB has CALL KEY(A$,5,K,S) would be very much like INKEY in most other basics." But it's not INKEY so there is another needed change. Likewise with ONKEY and all the other enhancements you have made. They are not in the dialect of BASIC used in this book. It is true to say that RXB can run TI BASIC programs without modification, but that doesn't apply here because these programs are not written in TI BASIC. I don't see how telling the truth about your erroneous statement is grounds for calling me a liar.

I remember typing in a lot of these programs and ALL of them needed changes in order to run on the TI.

This. Right on, could not have said it better myself. RXB (the software, not the user...) is useful... but not perfect.

[Tursi]

Just to confirm, for the 10 or so that I have tried by pasting them into Classic 99 using RXB 2015E, they do not run without needing changed. Unfortunately. I seem to remember a conversion table listing in the beginning of this book. Does anyone know of any additional resources about conversion to TI Basic?

 

Also, I see that they have reissued a 30th anniversary Microsoft small basic edition with the original George Beker "Robot" illustrations. He came out of retirement for this one and even added comments to each of his iconic illustrations.

 

I grew up with those books and converted a lot of them to TI BASIC over the years. String functions were the worst, since LEFT$ and RIGHT$ had to converted to SEG$ with a bunch of hackery for lengths. (MID$ and SEG$ are the same thing).

 

Over time you could do it as you read it, but it can take a while. Even with ( R )XB, you have to both understand the source syntax and the dest syntax, and convert as you go.

Edited April 11, 2019 by Tursi

[LASooner]

I had this book growing up. I had converted a lot of them back in the day, but I have long lost that cassette

[RXB]

Your statement that RXB could run these programs with no modification is a bunch of baloney. This is not a bias against RXB. It is a FACT. Does RXB have LEFT$, MID$, or RIGHT$. No, so right off the bat you have to start making changes.

"Thus RXB has CALL KEY(A$,5,K,S) would be very much like INKEY in most other basics." But it's not INKEY so there is another needed change. Likewise with ONKEY and all the other enhancements you have made. They are not in the dialect of BASIC used in this book. It is true to say that RXB can run TI BASIC programs without modification, but that doesn't apply here because these programs are not written in TI BASIC. I don't see how telling the truth about your erroneous statement is grounds for calling me a liar.

I remember typing in a lot of these programs and ALL of them needed changes in order to run on the TI.

Ok just one factual question.....How many RXB programs have you run or created using RXB?

(If the answer might be none, I think I have made my point pretty much confirmed.)

Edited April 11, 2019 by RXB

[RXB]

Just to confirm, for the 10 or so that I have tried by pasting them into Classic 99 using RXB 2015E, they do not run without needing changed. Unfortunately. I seem to remember a conversion table listing in the beginning of this book. Does anyone know of any additional resources about conversion to TI Basic?

 

Also, I see that they have reissued a 30th anniversary Microsoft small basic edition with the original George Beker "Robot" illustrations. He came out of retirement for this one and even added comments to each of his iconic illustrations.

Never claimed other basics run unconverted in RXB, what I did say is it would more easy then TI Basic as RXB has more features meaning less code to convert.

[RXB]

 

I grew up with those books and converted a lot of them to TI BASIC over the years. String functions were the worst, since LEFT$ and RIGHT$ had to converted to SEG$ with a bunch of hackery for lengths. (MID$ and SEG$ are the same thing).

 

Over time you could do it as you read it, but it can take a while. Even with ( R )XB, you have to both understand the source syntax and the dest syntax, and convert as you go.

Just to explain a fact of RXB:

Qbasic:

PRINT "Press Esc to exit..."
DO
LOOP UNTIL INKEY$ = CHR$(27)    '27 is the ASCII code for Esc.

Rxb example same result:

PRINT "Press FCTN 4 to Exit" ! there is no ESC key on TI99/4A keyboard
CALL KEY(CHR$(2),5,K,S) ! which on takes less bytes and less code?

Edited April 11, 2019 by RXB

[twoodland]

Most of these run in RXB with no modifications to the Basic programs and a bonus is they run faster then TI Basic.

 

Never claimed other basics run unconverted in RXB, what I did say is it would more easy then TI Basic as RXB has more features meaning less code to convert.

 

 

Most of these run in RXB with no modifications to the Basic programs and a bonus is they run faster then TI Basic.

 

I must have misinterpreted your post then. In reviewing your post can you see why I thought that?

[senior_falcon]

Never claimed other basics run unconverted in RXB, what I did say is it would more easy then TI Basic as RXB has more features meaning less code to convert.

"Most of these run in RXB with no modifications to the Basic programs and a bonus is they run faster then TI Basic."

You may remember it differently, but this is what you actually wrote. Why don't you just admit that you misspoke instead of calling people liars for telling the truth?

"Hmm RXB has command CALL KEY(string,5,K,S) so that would be a lie about conversions."

Edited April 11, 2019 by senior_falcon

[Omega-TI]

I really liked message number one of this thread, but at the risk of alienating people, I have to get this off my chest. I'm sick of seeing so many threads hijacked and turned into an RXB thread followed by heated discussion and or arguing. Because of this I've been turned off from ever using RXB.

 

As I am unable to contribute anything positive to this thread I'll go now.

[senior_falcon]

I really liked message number one of this thread, but at the risk of alienating people, I have to get this off my chest. I'm sick of seeing so many threads hijacked and turned into an RXB thread followed by heated discussion and or arguing. Because of this I've been turned off from ever using RXB.

 

As I am unable to contribute anything positive to this thread I'll go now.

Excellent example for the rest of us to follow. And so, as the Master Control Program said in "Tron"

"End of line..."

[senior_falcon]

Getting back to post #1:

I remember 2 programs that I ran on a Xerox Sigma 7 time sharing mainframe.

Lunar Lander

3D tic tac toe

I loved both of these and played them for hours. Both are in that book. (Or maybe the sequel to it)

[RXB]

 

Most of these run in RXB with no modifications to the Basic programs and a bonus is they run faster then TI Basic.

 

Never claimed other basics run unconverted in RXB, what I did say is it would more easy then TI Basic as RXB has more features meaning less code to convert.

 

 

Most of these run in RXB with no modifications to the Basic programs and a bonus is they run faster then TI Basic.

 

I must have misinterpreted your post then. In reviewing your post can you see why I thought that?

 

Ok being a little picky here. Did not know it was a english composite test for total accuracy. I stand corrected.

(Also in original post did not know none of the downloads were totally unconverted as I have copies of all of these already converted from mags years ago. Seems odd to post unconverted old programs?)

 

Again my misspoke mistake.

Edited April 11, 2019 by RXB

[FDOS]

I won't say anything bad about any XB for our TI systems; other than that there are too darn many of them to choose from, and I made the mistake of going for Myarc XB II Level IV (which is the fastest interpreted XB for the TI, in addition to being the most expensive), so developing software for it is a waist of time, as there are so few users. So, I opted to enhance TI BASIC (TIB+), mostly because I could make use of more program space in GRAM (used by all versions of XB as GROM/GRAM). Also because I had a full SNUG TI-99/4P with a 16 bank SNUG HSGPL card, so no new XB choice to make.

[+Vorticon]

This topic prompted me to dig up the text-based games I created using Turbo Pascal 3 on the TRS-80 Model 4 computer running CP/M. Different language, same concept These programs were later converted to run under PC-DOS on my IBM PCjr and this is the form they are in currently. Pascal source is included. Just type GAMES under PC-DOS and the games menu will show up. Runs fine under DosBox as well. Ah the memories...

 

Pascal Games-20190413T161400Z-001.zip

[RXB]

I won't say anything bad about any XB for our TI systems; other than that there are too darn many of them to choose from, and I made the mistake of going for Myarc XB II Level IV (which is the fastest interpreted XB for the TI, in addition to being the most expensive), so developing software for it is a waist of time, as there are so few users. So, I opted to enhance TI BASIC (TIB+), mostly because I could make use of more program space in GRAM (used by all versions of XB as GROM/GRAM). Also because I had a full SNUG TI-99/4P with a 16 bank SNUG HSGPL card, so no new XB choice to make.

Question how many XB are updated or still being supported today?

 

Is someone updating Myarc XB II?

[senior_falcon]

I have copies of all of these already converted from mags years ago. Seems odd to post unconverted old programs?)

 

If you can find them easily you should post these programs to save others the trouble of converting them.