"God Mode" - In TI-99/4A Games

[Omega-TI]

Would you like to see a "God Mode" included in all future TI games?

 

PRO

If selected, it would allow new or poor players the opportunity to practice without repeatedly seeing the same few sections of a game over and over again, thus reliving boredom and keeping them playing the game longer with more chances to improve.

 

CON

Games should be played the way the programmer offers, if you don't like it, don't play it.  After all, it's not our fault you suck at playing games.

 

[wierd_w]

I prefer option 3;  Software debugging enabled cheat support via cartridge.

 

EG, something that can set breakpoints for various values being changed by the game, then set them back to a value the user specifies, before resuming execution. 

 

IIRC, I saw an interesting bit of work in the dev forum that could be abused in this manner.

[Tornadoboy]

Someone ought to make a Game Genie-type gizmo that goes between the cartridge and the port, then people can come up with whatever cheats they want for whatever cartridge, present and future. I don't know how viable that is with the hardware/software compared to an NES but it's an interesting thought.  

Edited January 8, 2020 by Tornadoboy

[+9640News]

How about the use of a Load Interrupt button that creates a cheat.  Basically, you run a program that has a call link for the cheat for a game.  The load interrupt can be a short piece of code that adds "lives" to a variable, or whatever needed, then returns execution back to the program.  Each cheat is unique to the game.

 

Beery

 

[+FarmerPotato]

28 minutes ago, BeeryMiller said:

How about the use of a Load Interrupt button that creates a cheat.  Basically, you run a program that has a call link for the cheat for a game.  The load interrupt can be a short piece of code that adds "lives" to a variable, or whatever needed, then returns execution back to the program.  Each cheat is unique to the game.

 

Beery

 

 

I did something for TI-Runner back in the day. There was a file called TSS on my SuperSave freeware disk. The routine it installed would reveal the exit ladder after 30 seconds.

It was possible to figure this out by looking at the levels file and noticing the exit ladder was stored with a different char than the regular ladders.

 

Finding "lives remaining" memory locations would be much easier now with MG Explorer or just Classic99 debug.

 

Tunnels of Doom would be ripe for cheat buttons, but BITD we did that with a sector editor.

 

[HOME AUTOMATION]

I'm sorry, I find your premise to be somewhat amiss, as it is the requirement to improve one's playing skills and desire to advance in the game that presents an engaging challenge, which is the very antithesis of boredom. Perhaps more realistically thought out skill/handicap settings would accommodate those with limited hand/eye coordination or other disabilities/impairments.

 

I believe "GOD MODE" is actually better appreciated by expert class players!

Cheats are good at stunning those whom like cheating or to peive the bean counters, Whom else notices, I'm unsure.

 

However, all considered, "GOD MODES" do create new fun understandings/meaning.

Personally though, I dropped out of the competition thing... long ago.

[Tursi]

Not everyone plays games for the same reason. I have plenty of challenge in my life and play games to watch the pretty moving pictures.

 

[Omega-TI]

In my case, there I certain games that are fun, but only to a point, the point being the spot in a game I can never get past.  If I had a clue what else the game had to offer me, other than repeated attempts to endlessly see a couple of levels (which gets boring) and go no further, I might have played the games longer, rather than disposing of them for good.

[HOME AUTOMATION]

In these cases I've always liked to watch more experienced/better players. YouTube encourages this, but seems to have come along a little too late in life for me!

[RXB]

Sometimes like to see end of game, when you can not I just stop playing as know will never see it.

Challenge is fun but beating a dead horse is not fun.

 

 

[GDMike]

In that case you'll just have to look at the winners screen shot...he's/she's a winner for a reason. The winners should see it for sure. And I'm never a winner...Lol

Edited January 8, 2020 by GDMike

[jrhodes]

Put in god mode, BUT, make it so that a user needs to private message/email the author to get the unlock code.

Unlock code needs to be something complex, not something a keyboard-pecking kid could accidentally turn on.

[Omega-TI]

My favorite of alltime was. DNKROZ. (not a TI game)

[JB]

13 hours ago, Tornadoboy said:

Someone ought to make a Game Genie-type gizmo that goes between the cartridge and the port, then people can come up with whatever cheats they want for whatever cartridge, present and future. I don't know how viable that is with the hardware/software compared to an NES but it's an interesting thought.  

Don't Gramkracker et al offer basically this? Once the (G)ROM image is in a writable media, you can patch it at will.

And that's all Game Genie codes are, short patches.

[HOME AUTOMATION]

1 hour ago, jrhodes said:

Unlock code needs to be something complex, not something a keyboard-pecking kid could accidentally turn on.

Unlike...

 

SHIFT+838.

[Omega-TI]

I would also change the border of the screen and zero out the score if activated.  This would prevent cheating in the contest thread.

[1980gamer]

I said yes...  But more of a select number or players or increase timer.

I don't like turning off collisions etc.

 

Shift 838   We have it in some games already.

[Asmusr]

I have added cheat modes to a few of my games: Jet Set Willy and Flying Shark and maybe more that I forgot. But a collection of patched images for the FinalGROM99 would be the easiest way to add cheats to all games. It's a shame if nobody ever sees the levels you have spent countless hours completing. How may of you have seen level 4 of Flying Shark?

[Omega-TI]

24 minutes ago, Asmusr said:

I have added cheat modes to a few of my games: Jet Set Willy and Flying Shark and maybe more that I forgot.

What's the code for Flying Shark?

[Asmusr]

5 minutes ago, --- Ω --- said:

What's the code for Flying Shark?

Shift+EVIGTLIV on the title page.

 

[wierd_w]

I've only made it halfway through level 3.  But I think I can get the better of the game just by getting guud.

 

I've also gotten 75% on Sabre Wulf recently.