VICTORY ROAD new screen ENDED.

[DARKGATE]

  I have finished the screen, for me was very hard work, sorry much, but the logo IMAGINE and SNK are absents, i'm aren't able to rebuild (my work repeat is 90% manual) i put here the .SCR, hope wich my work can like at the comunity, i love this game togheter  to IKARI warriors,  if someone can made the game with this screen on .CDT (SPEED WRITE 1 and 0 and also TURBO) and .DSK  i been very happy.
If my work is liked in the next future can made others screens, i' thinking to TANK   or  GUERRILLA WARS but open a topic for this.
Bye at alls.

[Fessor]

Nice... But shouldn't it mean "Pathway"? 

[Neil79]

Nice... But shouldn't it mean "Pathway"? 

I've done that a few times 

[DARKGATE]

Nice... But shouldn't it mean "Pathway"? 

Oh my god!!! Really imperdonable!!!
I go to correct it. 


Correct!!!!!

[alex76gr]

Beautiful picture.
Well done Darkgate and thank you.

[CECPC]

...  if someone can made the game with this screen on .CDT (SPEED WRITE 1 and 0 and also TURBO) and .DSK  i been very happy.

I was showing the original CDT. It is more difficult than normally because the screen in the tape has been reduced. Is smaller than yours and the rest of the screen memory zone is used by some code of the game (or music start, I'm not sure) so I can't remove directly.

If I have time I will see if lower addresses could be used and use overscan technique to complete your screen with data in lower positions (B000-).
I hope that the game don't need firmware routines from this point.

One alternative is to use the screen on load and turn off when the loaded is completed (using compression). This one will work for sure, but it will be less colorful.

[DARKGATE]

I was showing the original CDT. It is more difficult than normally because the screen in the tape has been reduced. Is smaller than yours and the rest of the screen memory zone is used by some code of the game (or music start, I'm not sure) so I can't remove directly.

If I have time I will see if lower addresses could be used and use overscan technique to complete your screen with data in lower positions (B000-).
I hope that the game don't need firmware routines from this point.

One alternative is to use the screen on load and turn off when the loaded is completed (using compression). This one will work for sure, but it will be less colorful.

   I'm sorry, what I did wrong, I had to use other parameters?
The problem is too many colors on the screen?
I do not know anything about programming, I hope we can solve.

[CECPC]

   I'm sorry, what I did wrong, I had to use other parameters?
The problem is too many colors on the screen?
I do not know anything about programming, I hope we can solve.

No, no. The colors and dimensions (with the exception of one pixel, but it could be removed easily) are OK for a normal AMSTRAD GAME.
BUT, the load of VICTORY ROAD don't use the classic mode 1 dimensions (320x200). Your picture use this resolution (well, 640x400 with some extra pixel, but pixels are repeated so it fit in classic 160x200 mode 0). Instead it use reduced dimensions, so the start of the game (the music) and the screen doesn't fit as is. At least without some tricks (that I will try).
As I said, It is always possible to remove the screen before start the music. This way should work for sure.

[CECPC]

Sorry. Repeated.

[DARKGATE]

  Damm, if I understand correctly, the screen has become black for listening to music, really a nuisance. 

[CECPC]

Damm, if I understand correctly, the screen has become black for listening to music, really a nuisance. 

I will try the trick of use B000 zone with overscan. If VR don't use this zone, it could work.

But it requires overscan to don't use only the zone 8000-BFFF. In normal mode, you can only see inside a 16KByte block 0000-3FFF 4000-7FFF 8000-BFFF C000-FFFF. With overscan a 32 kbyte could be used.

I don't see any reference to this zone in the debugging, but perhaps some code use firmware routines. If it does, this won't work.
Cross fingers.

[DARKGATE]

  Use the B000 zone.
   It seems the title of a movie.
 

[CECPC]

I'm on eating time in my job. I have checked fast the data.

The screen uses 32x24 mode 1 chars instead of 40x25
40*25*2=2000 bytes per scanline in normal screen
32*24*2=1536 bytes in VR screen
The other bytes in screen zone has code  .

So, I will try to put the other (2000-1536)*8 (scanlines) = 3712 (E80) BEFORE C000 (so, in other 16 kbyte block)
If I can use B180-C000 or move the data to other place and recover later, I could put AMSTRAD in overscan and put your screen
starting in B180 without override the code inside normal screen zone.

[DARKGATE]

  Don't worry, take all the time, i have waited years for see a good screen for this great game (after ikari), can wait, however thank you.

[CECPC]

Good News. I load the game with WinAPE, put the breakpoint at loading, fill the zone with zeros and the game has started well.
There is hope. 

----  EDITED

Ugggg... A dumb mistake. The overscan zones are not aligned. It will be more difficult.
I will see later

[CECPC]

Ok. After some tries, I think that the zone 4000-7FFF could be be used for the screen. The original data compressed and stored in the C000-FFFF screen zone with the other data. I could call the music, wait for a key, hide the screen, decompress the data restoring 4000-7FFF zone and start the game. Overscan is not needed.

I hope tomorrow i could test this.
At least, a first version.

[DARKGATE]

  ok, hope in good news, i don't understand of programmation, but is possible build  a program for make  in automatic mode the conversion for these works?
Another great idea is make a program where you can choose the type of loader of use for a .CDT , my loader wich i have always preferred "SPEEDLOCK 2 "ex. RAMBO 2, IMPOSSIBLE MISSION, MIKIE) But also ZXSPECTRUM loader (CONTINENTAL CIRCUS, THUNDERBIRDS, ecc..)
Excuse me for my  out topic.

[CECPC]

WIP. Needs compression and alignment, but it seems works.

[DARKGATE]

WIP. Needs compression and alignment, but it seems works.

great!!!
I don' t know how tell, thank you, but want make a lot of questions.
What want you tell with compression and alignment?
This loader is secure for a real cpc 464?
The screen appear to the end of load, can load how the others?
Example: IMPOSSIBLE MISSION, RAMBO 2
A version DSK and .CDT with standard loader version (speed write 1 and 0) can hope of see?
CECPC Thank you again. 

[CECPC]

great!!!
I don' t know how tell, thank you, but want make a lot of questions.
What want you tell with compression and alignment?

Ok. The original tape loads
C000-FFFF (a small and horrible screen of 32x24 mode 1 chars and some music on the zone of the memory that you don't see of the buffer)
And
12C0-A3AB

I needed to render a bigger screen AND play the music. How to make it without reprogramming the code?
Because I couldn't put the screen in C000-FFFF AND the music at the same time, I was testing where I could move the screen and play the music

I checked that, when the music plays, the 4000-7FFF zone could be override by 0's without consecuences.
I this moment, the code of the first place is relocated already. The final position are.
0100-80FF
9300-A39F (the original tape has some bytes more, but are all 0's)
and
C000-FFFF ... Well. Really it uses only the part that is not covered by the 32x24 screen.

I had programmed a code for compress/decompress in C and decompress the same algorithm in CPC.
I have integrated this algorithm in CDTMaster, so I use it to check the compression.

I tested that 4000-80FF where your screen could fit and run the music at the same time, the original data (16384 bytes) compressed, I don't remember the exact value, it occuped less that the 32x24 screen zone.
So I rebuild the load in this form.

First, I load your screen (compressed, to accelerate it) on 8000-A18E and decompress into 4000-7FFF. I tell the CRTC to change the adress of the render screen to the 4000-7FFF.

Later, I load C000-FFFF data. In this zone, I have the original data of the music, but I fill the old 32x24 screen zone with the compressed data of the original 4000-7FFF.
Then, I load the 100-3FFF.
And in last place, I load the 9300-A39F part.
Then I play the music.

When the music ends (you press a key) I move the compressed data of 4000-80FF to this place and start the game.
There is more detail. Problems with the stack position. And this compressed that is not aligned in the screen zone and my decompress routine needs to be aligned so I move the data piece by piece to the 4000-7FFF before and decompress there.

This version has 4 blocks as you can hear. I will see if I could compress all and move to a place where all the data is continuous at the start, without need the 4000-7FFF because is my screen zone and compressed.
First, to make a faster load, and without innecesary pauses.

This loader is secure for a real cpc 464?

Perhaps I forget something, but I think that it should works on real cpc.

Well. It uses 3000 baud, that is too high for some real tapes. But the loader routine could adapt to change in the speed, so the speed could be changed on CDTMaster with little clicks.

The screen appear to the end of load, can load how the others?
Example: IMPOSSIBLE MISSION, RAMBO 2

I'm not sure about your question. Do you ask me about change the loader type or made the same thing (change the screen) on these games?

A version DSK and .CDT with standard loader version (speed write 1 and 0) can hope of see?
CECPC Thank you again. 

Errr.. To make this, I need to move the data to safe places for firmware. So, more changes and more space are needed. I answer this after complete the compression of all the game.

[DARKGATE]

  ehm, great explanation, also if i have understand very little, but why use a loader too fast if you can have problems with a  real tape and on real AMSTRAD?
The loader wich you have used is cool, but if is a bit more slow is good for a real tape, i see wich for the new screen of IKARI WARRIORS was used the same loader, too fast.
Remember when all had problems with the recorders, the right speed reduce the "error"  brrrr terrible memories.
However thank you for your work.
how i change the speed loader with CDT MASTER?

[CECPC]

ehm, great explanation, also if i have understand very little, but why use a loader too fast if you can have problems with a  real tape and on real AMSTRAD?
The loader wich you have used is cool, but if is a bit more slow is good for a real tape, i see wich for the new screen of IKARI WARRIORS was used the same loader, too fast.
Remember when all had problems with the recorders, the right speed reduce the "error"  brrrr terrible memories.
However thank you for your work.

It is my habit I had a CPC with a gorgeous tape that works with this speed easily. I used this speed for my tapes.

how i change the speed loader with CDT MASTER?

Open CDTMaster. Open the CDT

On each "Data Block" (in my beta tape, the last 4 blocks) that you want to change the speed.
Doble-click on the block
A new window appears with a tittle like "11- Turbo Speed Data Block"
The fields "Pilot" (NOT "Pilot Tone"), Sync Bit 0, Sync Bit 1, Bit0, Bit1 reflects the speed of each part. The greater is the value, the slower it is.

In my type of loader, I could use any speed of reference.
For example:

1000 baud -> 1167
1500 baud -> 778
2000 baud -> 583
2500 baud -> 467
3000 baud -> 389

This value, in my loader, should be used for the fields "Sync bit0, Sync bit1, Bit0"
For the fields "Pilot" and "Bit1" you should use the double of this reference value.

So, now, my tape has the last 4 blocks with

Sync bit0 = Sync bit1 = Bit0 = 389
Pilot = Bit1 = 778

If you want to change to speed 1500, for example

Sync bit0 = Sync bit1 = Bit0 = 778
Pilot = Bit1 = 1556

Repeat of each "Turbo Speed Data Block", save the CDT to Windows again and It's done.

This work with my loader. Works exactly with the same format that the firmware functions (CAS READ- CAS WRITE) of Amstrad. Standard routines works with variable speeds too.

But a lot of protected loaders works with fixed timings so you can't change the speed of the tape. And the speed of each field (Sync bit0, bit0 bit1....) could be different.

[CECPC]

I hope I didn't made any mistake. Too much memory movement from one position to another.

The last version (if all is OK)

[CECPC]

And if you want to try on real Amstrad, a slow version at 1000 baud.

[DARKGATE]

    Simply amazing!!! Thank you to CECPC is possible use finally a version on tape and with his istructions, i have release a version .CDT with a speed to 1500 baud, more near to classic loader
   neither too slow nor too fast try it.
Sorry to see the lack of participation of you the forum for this post, and VICTORY ROAD 'underestimated, especially for those who have tried to improve by doing something like we did and CECPC.
Thank you CECPC.