Petscii Robots Now in Color

[+Larry]

This color version is such a great improvement IMO. I was so disappointed when David first put up the video showing the mono Atari version, and basically explained that with the limitations of the Atari graphics modes, this is what you get. 

[Mrshoujo]

Someone sector edit so it says Attack of the ATASCII Robots instead.

[+Philsan]

4 hours ago, Larry said:

This color version is such a great improvement IMO. I was so disappointed when David first put up the video showing the mono Atari version, and basically explained that with the limitations of the Atari graphics modes, this is what you get. 

I liked mono version but I didn't like too what David said in the video.

I remember he wasn't correct about Atari color capabilities.

Moreover, he didn't say he wanted the game to run on 48KB machines.

[Yellowman]

On 12/12/2021 at 4:10 PM, Philsan said:

Now I have to figure out how to buy Snack, ABBUC's website forgot to add shipping to Switzerland...

Oh yes, it was only possible for Germany and the European Union.

I have added countries outside the EU again, including Switzerland. Excuse me.

 

[pixelmischief]

3 hours ago, Mrshoujo said:

Someone sector edit so it says Attack of the ATASCII Robots instead.

But then it would lose the play on words, "Attack of the Pesky Robots"!

[patjomki]

38 minutes ago, pixelmischief said:

But then it would lose the play on words, "Attack of the Pesky Robots"!

Well then it should be renamed to "Attack of the Pesky Music". 

Edited December 13, 2021 by patjomki

[pixelmischief]

2 minutes ago, patjomki said:

Well then it should be renamed to "Attack of the Pesky Music". 

Ouch ?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I played through the first map on the new color version yesterday and then got my butt handed to me on the map The Islands. I wish it were possible for the new additional maps that the C128 version has gotten to be added but I guess there isn't room for them on actual diskette format at this point is my guess?

 

The colors are much nicer but then some things took a hit graphically like the item menu. The grayscale bitmaps we had were nice there. As for the music, yeah I shut it off and I believe that is reason it is disabled by default. It would be really cool if some pokey tracks could be implemented, but I'm guessing space isn't there for it?

 

[+orpheuswaking]

18 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

I played through the first map on the new color version yesterday and then got my butt handed to me on the map The Islands. I wish it were possible for the new additional maps that the C128 version has gotten to be added but I guess there isn't room for them on actual diskette format at this point is my guess?

 

The colors are much nicer but then some things took a hit graphically like the item menu. The grayscale bitmaps we had were nice there. As for the music, yeah I shut it off and I believe that is reason it is disabled by default. It would be really cool if some pokey tracks could be implemented, but I'm guessing space isn't there for it?

 

If anyone wants to make a better version David is very open with the sources. 

[Irgendwer]

9 hours ago, Beeblebrox said:

First is a small observation -  that when you opt to map and select the custom control key bindings, rather than get the letter mapped next to each control, you get a 3 digit number, (thus you have to remember which key you just mapped). So for example if I select W for "move up", I get 046 mapped. Essentially I wanted to map the keys then take a note/quick photo of the screen on my camera phone of the keys I mapped - as there are 13x to remember. Unfortunately the number label therefore doesn't really allow for this. I wonder why this was chosen over the actual key letters? (Perhaps a knock on from it being a port with different system's keyboards?)

I can write them down of course. Just wonder why this is the case?

To print every character on the keyboard you'll need a font supporting all those characters. Since many are occupied with other symbols, you cannot print them in a meaningful way.

 

9 hours ago, Beeblebrox said:

The second is that there is a 1 second delay when you hold down the move up, down, left or right controls when you want to continually move in any given direction, rather than just move one step as it were. If you are trying to move quickly or get away from a Robot or change direction quickly it doesn't help matters and it's actually unneccassarily frustrating (IMHO).

Emulator or real hardware?

[Beeblebrox]

9 minutes ago, Irgendwer said:

To print every character on the keyboard you'll need a font supporting all those characters. Since many are occupied with other symbols, you cannot print them in a meaningful way.

 

Emulator or real hardware?

@Irgendwer   thanks although you'll have to excuse my ignorance but sorry to say I don't follow what you mean.

 

So all I mean on the custom key binding mapping screen is when I am mapping my chosen keys, currently if I want to map W as move up, as soon as I select W, I get:

 

Move up: 046

 

I was just wondering why it can't display:

 

Move up: W

 

Yes, 1 second delay on real hardware. I've not tried running on Altirra

[Mazzspeed]

That music's a bit jarring, I'd be turning that off quick smart.

[Irgendwer]

19 minutes ago, Mazzspeed said:

That music's a bit jarring, I'd be turning that off quick smart.

So why did you turn it on in the first place? ?

 

It's the original "PET-Sound-Track" a little spiced up with reverb and at a little bit lower frequency so that it is not so jarring... ?

[Irgendwer]

49 minutes ago, Beeblebrox said:

I was just wondering why it can't display:

 

Move up: W

Ok, you can print 'W' but what if you press '(' and no character is able to show that while the font is occupied with other symbols?

 

1 hour ago, Beeblebrox said:

Yes, 1 second delay on real hardware. I've not tried running on Altirra

Hmm - David and I tweaked quite a bit with the keyboard delay and repeat and the issues he encountered where all emulator related. On the real gear everything works just like intended. That said I'm surly able to supply a patch for that value but I would recommend to obtain a SNACK adapter anyway, as it fixes both of your problems... ?

[Beeblebrox]

8 minutes ago, Irgendwer said:

Ok, you can print 'W' but what if you press '(' and no character is able to show that while the font is occupied with other symbols?

 

Hmm - David and I tweaked quite a bit with the keyboard delay and repeat and the issues he encountered where all emulator related. On the real gear everything works just like intended. That said I'm surly able to supply a patch for that value but I would recommend to obtain a SNACK adapter anyway, as it fixes both of your problems... ?

@Irgendwer  Ahh I see what you mean now re the available symbols - gotcha!

 

Strange - there is definitely almost a 1 second delay playing on my 800XL. I'll try it with my 800 in a bit.  I'll check out the Snack adapter - thanks

[Mrshoujo]

4 hours ago, pixelmischief said:

But then it would lose the play on words, "Attack of the Pesky Robots"!

It's not a play on words. It's a reference to the character set. Which is why the Atari version needs to be ATASCII Robots. I mean, come on. Why wouldn't it?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

23 minutes ago, Irgendwer said:

I would recommend to obtain a SNACK adapter anyway, as it fixes both of your problems... ?

Is there an actual online order for this adapter yet? I saw the links mentioned earlier but couldn't find a price or a means to actually order them? Just information on how they were made etc.? I'm sure I missed it as I was having to use google to translate the page anyway but didn't see anything obvious? I'd like one to make it easier to play so I don't have to sit right in front of the 130xe to play it.

[Irgendwer]

18 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Is there an actual online order for this adapter yet? I saw the links mentioned earlier but couldn't find a price or a means to actually order them? Just information on how they were made etc.? I'm sure I missed it as I was having to use google to translate the page anyway but didn't see anything obvious?

 

If you are an ABBUC member you should be able to do so, as international ordering is fixed now:

 

That said, stock is low and the new batch will be available beginning of January.

I tried to come up with a different solution for American and/or non ABBUC users (see the SNACK thread), but no one is interested so far (David was also not interested distributing them, I guess why...).

 

18 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

I'd like one to make it easier to play so I don't have to sit right in front of the 130xe to play it.

If you also order a SNES BT wireless adapter and controller, you can sit 30 feet away from your Atari. ?

[Beeblebrox]

@Irgendwer Ah, very interesting - ok, it appears on my Incognito Atari 800 there is no such key delay on both original and enhanced versions. I can change direction very fast.

 

Here's the thing - my 800XL driver A8 has an AKI USB keyboard interface internally installed. It's worth pointing out that I had been testing both versions of the game on the 800XL's own keyboard, not a USB external one. However the adapter is in place in the Pokey socket all the time. So that is the only explanation. It appears to introduce this delay even on the 800XL's own keyboard.

 

If I then test using an external USB keyboard with my 8000XL it has the same lag.

 

I've not noticed any other keyboard lag with any other game, and in fact just booted up Final assault to test the responsiveness of the left and right strafe keys, as well as others, (weapon select). No delay and instantaneous response with my 800XL's keyboard AND the USB keyboard.

 

I wonder if anyone else has the AKI USB keyboard interface installed who has this game?

FYI the specs of my 800XL driver are in my signature.

 

So whilst it's not exclusively the game causing the issue, it definitely doesn't like the adapter being present it appears. Any thoughts?

[_The Doctor__]

3 minutes ago, Beeblebrox said:

@Irgendwer Ah, very interesting - ok, it appears on my Incognito Atari 800 there is no such key delay on both original and enhanced versions. I can change direction very fast.

 

Here's the thing - my 800XL driver A8 has an AKI USB keyboard interface internally installed. It's worth pointing out that I had been testing both versions of the game on the 800XL's own keyboard, not a USB external one. However the adapter is in place in the Pokey socket all the time. So that is the only explanation. It appears to introduce this delay even on the 800XL's own keyboard.

 

If I then test using an external USB keyboard with my 8000XL it has the same lag.

 

I've not noticed any other keyboard lag with any other game, and in fact just booted up Final assault to test the responsiveness of the left and right strafe keys, as well as others, (weapon select). No delay and instantaneous response with my 800XL's keyboard AND the USB keyboard.

 

I wonder if anyone else has the AKI USB keyboard interface installed who has this game?

 

FYI the specs of my 800XL driver are in my signature.

 

So whilst it's not exclusively the game causing the issue, it definitely doesn't like the adapter being present it appears. Any thoughts?

Yes I'd say update the adapters firmware and then let @mytek know the results and contact @Stephen J. Carden as well so many adapter aki krh tk.... etc...  I'd see what they'd say

Edited December 13, 2021 by _The Doctor__

[Beeblebrox]

31 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said:

Yes I'd say update the adapters firmware and then let @mytek know the results

@_The Doctor__ Thanks for the suggestion. It's not Mytek's device as far as I am aware.  I am not having issues with another game (Final Assault), as I say - so far it only occurs with Attack of the Petscii Robots. I am finding other games to test which have keyboard input. A lot are joystick only.

 

EDIT: Just tested left and right (G and J on 800XL's keyboard) on Prince of Persia and instant response when holidng each down, no lag. I'll try and find a tile based game as it were that uses keyboard input also.

Incidentally cycling through my SIDE3 menus by holding down the left and right arrows is also instantaneous.

 

EDIT: And Brundles left and right scroll instantanously too when held down. Also just found and loaded Fairlight which is isometric and the Q and S up and down keys are also instantaneous, again also when held down - no lag. 

 

I am struggling to find another game with keyboard controls that exhibit's the same issue.

Edited December 13, 2021 by Beeblebrox

[desiv]

1 hour ago, Mrshoujo said:

It's not a play on words. It's a reference to the character set. Which is why the Atari version needs to be ATASCII Robots. I mean, come on. Why wouldn't it?

Actually, it is a play on words, from early on:

Jump to about 5:23 to hear him mention the name: Pesky/PETSCII.

[_The Doctor__]

7 minutes ago, Beeblebrox said:

@_The Doctor__ Thanks for the suggestion. It's not Mytek's device as far as I am aware.  I am not having issues with another game (Final Assault), as I say - so far it only occurs with Attack of the Petscii Robots. I am finding other games to test which have keyboard input. A lot are joystick only.

 

EDIT: Just tested left and right (G and J on 800XL's keyboard) on Prince of Persia and instant response when holidng each down, no lag. I'll try and find a tile based game as it were that uses keyboard input also.

there a few of them and they may be interrelated so it won't hurt to talk to a couple people with what you find a I noted two people but I'm sure there is another fellow that made boards with one of them.

[Beeblebrox]

1 minute ago, _The Doctor__ said:

there a few of them and they may be interrelated so it won't hurt to talk to a couple people with what you find a I noted two people but I'm sure there is another fellow that made boards with one of them.

@_The Doctor__  sure. Thanks

[+-^CrossBow^-]

1 hour ago, Irgendwer said:

That said, stock is low and the new batch will be available beginning of January.

I tried to come up with a different solution for American and/or non ABBUC users (see the SNACK thread), but no one is interested so far (David was also not interested distributing them, I guess why...).

I'm not a member so that is likely why in addition to be in the States. Have you reached out to Luke over at Console5.com? This adapter looks like something he would be interested in carrying assuming this can be used in more games going forward? I can understand the hesitation of distros carrying something that is a single game use for the moment.

 

As for a BT receiver, my entre game room is only about 15 wide to begin with and the 130xe has to pulled out for playing. It usually gets setup on my galaga cocktail cabinet that doubles as a coffee table in my game room so honestly a standard 6ft joystick is enough for me to sit back on the couch and play controller only. This adapter would allow that easily.