CV Programming.

[CV Gus]

Is there a programmer's guide for programming a CV? I guess one for the MSX would be the same- or would it? I have an idea for a text game which I can program easily on a c-64, but I have no idea how to do that for a CV.

 

Its hard to explain here, but it has random placing- so no two games are ever alike, right down to the place you are exploring. So random numbers are important.

Edited November 11, 2006 by CV Gus

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Its hard to explain here, but it has random placing- so no two games are ever alike, right down to the place you are exploring. So random numbers are important.

(Pseudo-)Random numbers are no problem. 8 or 16 bit LFSRs are often used for those.

[CV Gus]

Its hard to explain here, but it has random placing- so no two games are ever alike, right down to the place you are exploring. So random numbers are important.

(Pseudo-)Random numbers are no problem. 8 or 16 bit LFSRs are often used for those.

 

 

No, I mean EVERYTHING is random from game to game- even the mazes. It uses a sort of "put tiles together" system.

[jbanes]

No, I mean EVERYTHING is random from game to game- even the mazes. It uses a sort of "put tiles together" system.

Step 1: Implement a pseudo-random number generator.

Step 2: Implement a maze generating algorithm.

Step 3: Apologize for not opening a new topic rather than asking on an unrelated topic.

[CV Gus]

No, I mean EVERYTHING is random from game to game- even the mazes. It uses a sort of "put tiles together" system.

Step 1: Implement a pseudo-random number generator.

Step 2: Implement a maze generating algorithm.

Step 3: Apologize for not opening a new topic rather than asking on an unrelated topic.

 

 

1) What doesn't?

 

2) Doesn't use that sort of a system.

 

3) I want to program a version for the CV- that's why I asked about programming instructions. C-64 know-how is useless for a CV.

[CV Gus]

O.K, here it is- a new thread.

 

NOW can I ask where someone can get instructions for programming a CV? Online, or a book you can order, or what to look for- anything.

 

I'd like to do a few homebrews, but can't with C-64 skills.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Did you check this forum?

[CV Gus]

I'm still new here. Sorry.

[Uzumaki]

For starter- understanding Z-80 processor.

[Bruce Tomlin]

Yep, #1 is to learn the Z80. I started with the Z80, and then the 6809, so to me, the 6502 just seemed to do things completely backward. Which means you will probably have similar trouble adjusting to the Z80 with a 6502 background. I also learned assembly language by disassembling the TRS-80 BASIC, so you might even say Bill Gates himself taught me assembly language. So go to www.trs-80.com and look for the books with BASIC disassemblies, because there was some good coding in Level II BASIC.

 

There are just a few basic parts to worry about:

* The Z80 (is there an echo in here?)

* The VDP

* The sound chip

* The joysticks

 

Also, the Z80 only has 1K of RAM. If you want any more than that, you need to use the VDP, which is slow, but none of the video modes use more than 12K of its 16K. Cartridge space is 32K from $8000-$FFFF.

 

The VDP is tile/sprite based, so your C64 experience may help you here. Just remember that the VDP color selection truly sucks. (The C64 color selection was hand-tuned to have useful colors.)

 

As for what you need to start working with it:

 

documentation

http://www.geocities.com/newcoleco/infoen.html - about as good as it gets, and the coding guide is apparently descended from original Coleco documentation

 

For completeness, here are the docs from The Frob development kit that I was able to photocopy years ago and have since scanned:

http://atari7800.net/files/frob.pdf

http://atari7800.net/files/frob-d.pdf (this is a disassembly of the ROM, but not really a good one)

I've got most of them OCR'ed somewhere, so I really ought to convert them to HTML someday.

 

an assembler

The 2600 homebrew crowd loves DASM, but there doesn't seem to be a predominant assembler for Coleco stuff. I use my own, which goes way back to my college days, 1984 or so, when I wrote an 8080 assembler in PL/I, which was translated to Turbo Pascal and modified for Z80 and 6502, then translated again to C, now with support for the most pouplar (and a few unpopular) 8-bitters:

http://xi6.com/files/asmx-1.7.4.zip

http://xi6.com/files/makerom-1.2.zip - this is to convert the hex output to binary

Note: you will need a C compiler, and this is a command-line utility. That means if you're running Windows, it operates inside a command prompt window! It also means that it works on OS X or Linux with no problems.

 

an emulator

MESS has worked well for me, and I've only found one bug in its emulation: when you set up the video mode, write register 0 after setting up the base registers.

 

an EPROM burner is fine, too

It doesn't hurt to have equipment to run your code on a real machine. The 128-in-1 is a good option if you're allergic to solder, but for the real thing you need circuit boards (the AA store has some), EPROM chips, and an EPROM burner and eraser. I recommend a Needhams or BP Microsystems burner from ebay. (except for the PLD-1128, which doesn't burn EPROMs, or the EMP-10, which MUST be run in DOS or W95/W98) You can desolder and socket old Coleco boards if you don't mind being stuck with using 2764 chips (8K each) or being limited to 24K total.

Edited November 19, 2006 by Bruce Tomlin

[CV Gus]

Now THAT'S a helpful reply! Thanks, I'm checking it out now!

 

Oh, the game is all text, really. Sort of like Zork, only in a maze. So I guess color won't be a problem.

[CV Gus]

My tile set up works like this-

 

8X8 tiles, each a mini-maze, are programmed in (each has 8 numbers, 0-255).

 

There are 12 of these.

 

They are designed so that they can be put together any way you want. They are randomly chosen, then put together.

 

The result is a big maze. You can put in a random block or two as a barrier, and other things, like "rooms-" just spaces which, if you hit them, makes the computer go to a subroutine. Hit character # 4, and it would be "a cavern lit by a weird green light." There are several like this, each one with something different.

 

* You search the cavern.

 

* There is a Mirawran in here!

 

!COMBAT MODE!

 

* It attacks!

 

*It hits!

 

*It does 4 points damage!

 

- You have 18 points left.

 

/ Do You:

 

1) Flee?

2) Fight?

 

Then, you are given choices within those choices.

 

You know, it might be a pretty cool game for the CV. Daniel Bienvenu has a prototype text game, too.

[CV Gus]

Yes- here it is!

 

http://home.comcast.net/~mycoleco/cvss/cvss046.htm

 

The title screen alone would make you want to try it.

[Ikrananka]

Originally posted by Bruce Tomlin

 

I recommend a Needhams or BP Microsystems burner from ebay. (except for the PLD-1128, which doesn't burn EPROMs, or the EMP-10, which MUST be run in DOS or W95/W98)

Bruce, are you sure that the EMP-10 must be run in DOS or W95/W98? The Needhams website (www.needhams.com/software-download.html) indicates that there is a Windows XP driver available?

 

What Needhams model would you recommend for burning ColecoVision EPROMs?

[Bruce Tomlin]

Bruce, are you sure that the EMP-10 must be run in DOS or W95/W98? The Needhams website (www.needhams.com/software-download.html) indicates that there is a Windows XP driver available?

Hey cool, it looks like you're right! I think it wasn't supported when I first started using my EMP-20. But just so you know, you still have to run the SW in full-screen (alt-enter) mode to get access to the port. I've been able to live with it, so it can't be all that bad.

 

So just get whatever you can afford. I actually have three burners that I use now (CP-1128, EMP-20 with all sticks, EMP-31), and each has something that the other two don't have. And an EMP-1 handy if I need to burn when I can't use Winderz.