Just Get 9 has just been published!

[cpcitor]

Brilliant game @cpcitor , Really loving playing this. I made it up to T once! now I get either 9 or J fairy frequently and once or twice U.
One small BUG however is that sometimes the popup panels that occur when you get a new number do not get removed until the tiles under them are redrawn. This does not occur all the time, but when it does it can lead to part  of the message remaining it looks a little untidy.

https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzg1MTkzNDMucG5n/original/%2B5BJ2Q.png

Aha! Thanks a lot for @CraigsBar for your comment.

I'm glad you like this game.

You got a T? Wow, I never got that far! I'm genuinely impressed.

Thank you for mentioning that bug. I had such bugs in the past and ironed them out. Thanks especially for posting a screenshot. This is invaluable to make a search for a fix more efficient. I have just reproduced it and will make a fix when time permits.

PS: I don't recognize the style of the screenshot. What emulator is it?

[CraigsBar]

Brilliant game @cpcitor , Really loving playing this. I made it up to T once! now I get either 9 or J fairy frequently and once or twice U.
One small BUG however is that sometimes the popup panels that occur when you get a new number do not get removed until the tiles under them are redrawn. This does not occur all the time, but when it does it can lead to part  of the message remaining it looks a little untidy.

https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzg1MTkzNDMucG5n/original/%2B5BJ2Q.png

Aha! Thanks a lot for @CraigsBar for your comment.

I'm glad you like this game.

You got a T? Wow, I never got that far! I'm genuinely impressed.

Thank you for mentioning that bug. I had such bugs in the past and ironed them out. Thanks especially for posting a screenshot. This is invaluable to make a search for a fix more efficient. I have just reproduced it and will make a fix when time permits.

PS: I don't recognize the style of the screenshot. What emulator is it?

Brilliant, thanks. I got T once and once only on the first release. I've been playing the P2 version on my gx4000 (128k)  and the bug is present there too. The emulator from which I grabbed the screenshot is RetroVM pre release beta.

[CraigsBar]

working my way back up to 'S' and 'T' again!

[cpcitor]

Brilliant game @cpcitor , Really loving playing this. I made it up to T once! now I get either 9 or J fairy frequently and once or twice U.
One small BUG however is that sometimes the popup panels that occur when you get a new number do not get removed until the tiles under them are redrawn. This does not occur all the time, but when it does it can lead to part  of the message remaining it looks a little untidy.

https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzg1MTkzNDMucG5n/original/%2B5BJ2Q.png

Thank you again for mentioning that bug. I found some time today to check, and I had noticed that bug and fixed it in January, but not yet released.  I'll prepare a minor fix release (will be name "patch 3").  I'll quote you in the README.md with thanks for notifying (unless you prefer not).

[BZHGames]

I love this game. Congratulations CPCITOR  
I reach level 10. Are there many who do more?

I don't know if I can put the link on my site for those who would like to play.
https://bzhgames.xyz/?CPCGAME=CPC_Just%20Get%209
If it bothers, let me know and I'll delete it.

[cpcitor]

I love this game. Congratulations CPCITOR 
I reach level 10. Are there many who do more?

There are more, but each one (roughly, on average) double the number of tiles needed to reach it.
I got J a number of times, U a few times, looks like some got to S.

I don't know if I can put the link on my site for those who would like to play.
https://bzhgames.xyz/?CPCGAME=CPC_Just%20Get%209
If it bothers, let me know and I'll delete it.

This is fine. I see this is patch 2 release. I'll soon publish another "patch 3" and wish you update when it happens. See my next post just below.

[cpcitor]

Hi all,

I'll soon publish a newer patch (patch 3) that fixes a minor display glitch that happen in specific circumstances, and that improves compatibility with GX-4000 by mapping the "P" key to the same as "Esc" (not that I supply a CPR version, but it should be compatible with https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Nocart ).

Thanks to @CraigsBar for feedback and test.

[cpcitor]

Hi everyone.

Working on other prods, still enjoying a game of https://cpcitor.itch.io/just-get-9 from time to time.

I've not forgotten the "patch 3" that I announced ... a long time ago (in a galaxy far away) to fix the small glitch mentioned by https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/games/just-get-9-has-just-been-published!/50/#msg215551 .

Anyway I'd like to come back to an early feedback:

Still loving this game. But one small thought. The "Bounce" of the screen sends my LCD screen and OSSC into confusion as it loses the sync meaning I cannot really play it on real hardware unless i drag a CM14/CTM644 out (Or a 14" Nicam TV) and this is a chore. Is there any chance of a re-release with an option to disable the bounce so it is more friendly with modern displays that only have digital inputs?

Hi @CraigsBar, thanks again for your tests.

Indeed, when a lot of tiles disappear at once, as many newer tiles fall from the sky. They crash heavily when hitting the ground and the game adjusts CRT registers to move the screen vertically then progressively back to normal position. Technically, this momentarily advances the vsync signal and relies on the monitor sync circuitry to adjust screen position.

This old technique is well known. A number of games and demos have been using this. One notable game example is in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_Europe https://www.cpcgamereviews.com/t/5/#theatre_europe when the war ends very badly in a series of nuclear explosions.

Analog video tolerates deviations from strict timing, but modern hardware sometimes prefers to show a black screen for 1-2 seconds (until the signal "settled") probably to hide what they think is a "messy" signal. Especially when the display receives video via HDMI from an adapter device.

@CraigsBar you mention "confusion".  I imagine a black screen for 1-2 seconds every time a shake happens can be somehow annoying, but not too much of a real trouble for a game that is not time sensitive.

Question: Is it exactly this? Something different?

Question to everyone: has anyone experienced a similar effect on their CPC gaming setup? (Or anything else, report welcome.)

I have been thinking about options to fix this. There are alternatives, but they have a cost:

* Replace screen shaking with vertical hard scrolling (with CRTC registers 12 & 13). Drawback: it's not the same as the historic way our good old CTM or GT screen shake, which is part of nostalgia/fun. Also, hard scrolling 8 pixels is easy and cheap. But in current game, when many many tiles crash on the floor, the offset can be bigger than 8 pixels. Cheap options would be limit rolling to 8 pixels, or possibly rolling more, which would show its bottom at the top for a blink. I'm reluctant to limiting the experience for users of fully real hardware because of finicky modern screens.
* Do this, but only if user selects a new option. Pro: original experience preserved. Con: another option would be ugly and confusing for users, have to carefully pick up to 28 chars to make it clear.
* Make a special build for that. But at distribution, download and run time, the secondary build would be skipped. All users would use the normal build in practice.
* Add a "video test" screen. Pro: room to explain, lets use see a shake and is effect, with option on and off. Con: heavy.

None of these 4 option feel totally satisfying to me.

Here are some labels considered for option 2.

Code Select Expand

012345678901234567890123456789
* Video problems? Enable this.
* Gladden fussy video setups
* LCD compat (strict timings)
* Make fussy LCD screens happy
* Finicky screens support
* Strict video timings
* Maximum video compatibility

Feedback welcome, including comments like "yes, do it", "no, for reason X and Y".

[roudoudou]

You can change vbl positon AND keep 50hz 
Tips: change also overall screen size to enforce 50hz between each vbl

[cpcitor]

You can change vbl positon AND keep 50hz 
Tips: change also overall screen size to enforce 50hz between each vbl

@roudoudou yes, you're right!

TL;DR: this needs a two-step process.


To move the screen Y (can be positive or negative) towards the bottom

* frame i: increase total screen height (R4) by Y, keep vertical sync (R7) as is

Result: time between vsync (during this frame draw) is kept the same, but next screen will start later by Y*8 lines.

* frame i+1: set total screen height (R4) back to normal (usually 38) and reduce vertical sync position (R7) by Y.

Rationale: CRTC has started to draw this frame later/below, so reducing R7 by the same amount exactly keeps the standard time between vsync.

* on subsequent frames: nothing more to do. Each screen starts at the new time/pos and vsync interval is standard-conformant.



I'll test that on one two real CPCs and real Amstrad CRT screens, to check how the effect renders, and compare with the "basic" one-step method. Based on comparing how it feels visually, I may choose this option.

Thanks again @roudoudou .

[cpcitor]

Hi everyone!

Long time no news.   Actually, when Real Life (TM) permits, I work on a new game. If I can complete and release it some day, it should be great.

Anyway, thanks to player feedback (thanks @roudoudou @eto @logiker Didier , Just Get 9 has already had 2 revisions:

* "Patch 1" minor readability improvements
* "Patch 2" ability to abort a game, "achievement" shown on screen (highest tile, the at which it was reached) and other less visible improvements.

I'm preparing a (probably final) patch 3. Considering:

* When displaying achievements, also show total play time not only time to reach highest tile.
* Some players reported a black screen on bounce when using some fussy analog-to-digital video converters and/or picky LCD screens. Just Get 9 will bounce the screen while maintaining strict PAL timings at all times.
* Mapping the "P" key to the same as "Esc" (for compatibility with GX 4000).
* Fix some very minor text display and sound issues at some times.

Please submit any of your bug reports or (simple) improvement ideas.

I was wondering whether some different detail would be appropriate, like some graphical change on the title screen or the background tile, maybe seasonal at the risk of eventually becoming passé, or if I should stick to the pristine, eternal Just Get 9, with the few remaining details ironed out.

Thanks in advance for any idea!

[cpcitor]

I'm preparing a (probably final) patch 3. Considering:

* When displaying achievements, also show total play time not only time to reach highest tile.
* Some players reported a black screen on bounce when using some fussy analog-to-digital video converters and/or picky LCD screens. Just Get 9 will bounce the screen while maintaining strict PAL timings at all times.
* Mapping the "P" key to the same as "Esc" (for compatibility with GX 4000).
* Fix some very minor text display and sound issues at some times.

Anyone for a private test of the patch 3 before I release it?

Screenshots below.

[Brundij]

Please submit any of your bug reports or (simple) improvement ideas.

I was wondering whether some different detail would be appropriate, like some graphical change on the title screen or the background tile, maybe seasonal at the risk of eventually becoming passé, or if I should stick to the pristine, eternal Just Get 9, with the few remaining details ironed out.

Thanks in advance for any idea!

If anything I'd say a bit of more music change. Because the tune that sounds until you reach 5 if you already have some skill will soon change and then it's the same tune until the end of the game. At least I reached A or B sometimes and still is the same tune.

Also I don't know if you're aware, but cdt version crashes. At least in RVM in a CPC 464 the title doesn't even appear and in a 6128 crashes when the game starts. Both in an endless loop.

[cpcitor]

Thank you @Brundij for your feedback.

If anything I'd say a bit of more music change. Because the tune that sounds until you reach 5 if you already have some skill will soon change and then it's the same tune until the end of the game. At least I reached A or B sometimes and still is the same tune.

You might have noticed that the second music loops differently depending on the current "freedom of play". If you are in a difficult position with very few options to play, it loops on the most "dramatic" part, then after you get past the narrow path, it get to a calmer portion of the music. (In lower skill level, difficult positions are also accompanied with border color change or even hint texts.)

Regarding to the switch between first and second music, I had a similar impression although no one ever mentioned it to me. As a result, I happened to have make some adjustment to this a few days ago, to be released with patch 3: the second music would start a little later, and the threshold depends less on the current skill level. I am considering switching back to first music based on some state of the game yet unsure what criterion to choose.

Also I don't know if you're aware, but cdt version crashes. At least in RVM in a CPC 464 the title doesn't even appear and in a 6128 crashes when the game starts. Both in an endless loop.

Ah, that's interesting. Thanks for reporting. I've been using the cdt version in development and on real CPCs (464 and 6128) and they worked. Thanks for the details, I can test that in RVM. If I can't reproduce, I'll ask you to mention the exact version of RVM and parameters, or perhaps send me in PM the cdt that crashes.

[cpcitor]

Also I don't know if you're aware, but cdt version crashes. At least in RVM in a CPC 464 the title doesn't even appear and in a 6128 crashes when the game starts. Both in an endless loop.

I have downloaded from https://cpcitor.itch.io/just-get-9 the latest public zip which is patch 2.

I have run it in RVM on:

* Original (UK) CPC464, playing CDT at 2000 bauds, game starts and run normally.
* French CPC6128, playing CDT at 2000 bauds, game starts and run normally.
* Spanish CPC464, playing CDT at 1000 bauds, game starts and run normally.

So I cannot observe the crash. The cause might be in some extra ROM which initialization eats up some bytes of RAM or causes some other type of incompatibility. Once downloaded, the game decompresses to RAM and take a lot of the 64k of the CPC.

Please:

* tell me the exact version of RVM used
* send me in PM the cdt that crashes
* and the full configuration of the emulated CPC (even better, the rvm config file while crash happens)

[Brundij]

Well I tried again and now it works. I'm using the files included in the zip file on Itch.io.
Not sure what could have caused that crash in two different emulated machines. Specially when I don't add anything to them, they're vanilla CPC's, no memory expansions or addons of any kind.
Anyways better this way. Sorry for the inconvenience.

About the music, yeah I was thinking in something like that, and I didn't know it takes more time to switch music in harder difficulties but still the second tune is the one that is heard the most in the end. But well, anything you do will only improve an already great game.

[eto]

"Patch 2" ability to abort a game, "achievement" shown on screen (highest tile, the at which it was reached) and other less visible improvements.

regarding the achievements: currently they only disappear after the next move, but that can already be distracting as it's not always easy to see what's behind the text.

so... just played it again for a few rounds and a new personal best: 5:20 'til I got to 9. still love the game :-) (also my kids love it)

[cpcitor]

regarding the achievements: currently they only disappear after the next move, but that can already be distracting as it's not always easy to see what's behind the text.

I've considered removing them after... after what? Some time? I guess no. One keypress? Risks losing information. A few keypresses? Something else?

Currently, you can press ESC to bring up the menu and ESC again to redraw the grid.
Thanks for bringing the issue to my attention. I'll try to think about it.

so... just played it again for a few rounds and a new personal best: 5:20 'til I got to 9. still love the game :-) (also my kids love it)

Hey, 5:20 is quite good IIRC. From memory, my score is similar.

[eto]

A few keypresses?

A few keypresses sounds good. I'll try the ESC idea... maybe that's also good enough.

I'll give it a try...