Barbarian 128k

Devilmarkus · 15:36, 05 November 13

We already tested it on a CPC 6128 today, and also dragon will do a test I think.

But thanks for the offer.

Who could test it on an expanded 464/664 with 128k ram at least?

And also on a CPC 6128 plus...?!?

gerald · 16:01, 05 November 13

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 15:36, 05 November 13
We already tested it on a CPC 6128 today, and also dragon will do a test I think.

But thanks for the offer.

Who could test it on an expanded 464/664 with 128k ram at least?

And also on a CPC 6128 plus...?!?

I can test it on 6128 plus, and 464 with 512k ram extension.

Devilmarkus · 16:32, 05 November 13

Quote from: gerald on 16:01, 05 November 13
I can test it on 6128 plus, and 464 with 512k ram extension.

PM sent

mr_lou I think, also tests it on his homebrew CPC plus, but its good to have 2 plusses in the test.

Info:
The code is final now. Just a few pixel changes are planned here and there.

Devilmarkus · 19:21, 05 November 13

Few impressions: (Got much help from TotO and MacDeath!)

These screens maybe are not the final results yet!

Sykobee (Briggsy) · 19:51, 05 November 13

Those screens are far superior, far better palettes than the original. Good work! Better trees, better ground, better castle, better fighting pit.

Devilmarkus · 21:12, 05 November 13

Good news: The game also works on CPC+

I also patched the loader to run on a CPC 464 (Was a BASIC issue that it didn't start on Gerald's CPC)

Sadly his ram expansion is on an emancipation trip and denied to work...

Good luck, Gerald, fixing your ram expansion!

And thanks for testing...

I hope you can also share some photos here?

Devilmarkus · 21:15, 05 November 13

Btw.: This is, what happens, when the user has a bug: (Joke! Don't take this serious, but also such things happen when testing things)

(no worries, freemac, you just ran the bad file from disk)

Devilmarkus · 21:49, 05 November 13

freemac's test #2:

gerald · 22:01, 05 November 13

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 21:12, 05 November 13
Sadly his ram expansion is on an emancipation trip and denied to work...
Good luck, Gerald, fixing your ram expansion!

Well, I think luck will not be enough

I've re-tested on 6128 with the prototype, and all is OK. With the final PCB, I get crash. My memory test pass on both version. So it looks like a timing issue

.
However, none of them (proto and final) works as expected on 464 (ie base RAM is overwritten). I will have to check the PLD code for 464 support .

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 21:12, 05 November 13
I hope you can also share some photos here?

When 464 works !!!!

Devilmarkus · 22:06, 05 November 13

Do you perhaps have too many extra ROMs installed?
Death Sword 128k consumes RAM up into ROM regions....

gerald · 22:41, 05 November 13

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 22:06, 05 November 13
Do you perhaps have too many extra ROMs installed?
Death Sword 128k consumes RAM up into ROM regions....

good hit, at least for the crash on 6128.
No more crash with the final version when using a blank flash. The proto did not have any.
However, I only had FutureOs ROMs installed.

dragon · 22:44, 05 November 13

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 21:15, 05 November 13
Btw.: This is, what happens, when the user has a bug: (Joke! Don't take this serious, but also such things happen when testing things)

(no worries, freemac, you just ran the bad file from disk)

And I thought it was the floppy ....

Devilmarkus · 22:49, 05 November 13

Proved: Death Sword does not work together with FutureOS...

Just tested it.

Devilmarkus · 22:55, 05 November 13

It also don't work with SymbOS... Just to make it clear

Really: The game has (without any extra roms) perhaps a few 3-6 bytes ram free...

gerald · 08:51, 06 November 13

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 22:55, 05 November 13Really: The game has (without any extra roms) perhaps a few 3-6 bytes ram free...

Could a binary loader do the trick ?

Devilmarkus · 10:34, 06 November 13

When the game is finished, I want to compact it.

I hope that helps then...

Devilmarkus · 10:38, 06 November 13

Here you can see the reason:

[attachimg=1]

As you can see, it already assembles > regular HIMEM (But not too much so that AMSDOS isn't destroyed yet)

Devilmarkus · 12:20, 06 November 13

Managed to get it working with FutureOS ROMs:

I reduced a random routine.

I first used this method I found here in our forum:

Code Select

random:    ;; Let's choose a random level for DEMO mode
        ld        a,(seed)
        ld        b,a
        add        a,a
        add        a,a
        add        a,b
        inc        a
        ld        (seed),a
        ld        a,20   ;; Divide Begins here
        ld        c,a
        ld        a,0
        ld        hl,(seed)
        ld        b,16
        divide:
        add        hl,hl
        rla
        cp        c
        jr        c,end_divide
        sub        c
        inc        l
end_divide:
        djnz        divide

        and        7

        call        &6F8F    ;; Do the original CALL the game wanted
        ret


seed:
        defb        0
        defb        0

Result:
Assembled in 8.205s from &1744 to &A6D4 length is &8F91

I reduced it to a minimum and also optimized some other codes (by moving them into spare places of the main binary):

Code Select

random:    ;; Let's choose a random level for DEMO mode
        ld        a, (seed)
        ld        b, a

        rrca        ;; multiply by 32
        rrca
        rrca
        xor        &1f

        add        a, b
        sbc        a, 255  ;; carry

        ld        (seed), a
        and        &07  ;; we only have 8 opponents in Death Sword

        call        &6F8F    ;; Do the original CALL the game wanted
        ret

Result:
Assembled in 8.324s from &1744 to &A6AF length is &8F6C

mr_lou · 12:52, 06 November 13

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 22:06, 05 November 13
Do you perhaps have too many extra ROMs installed?
Death Sword 128k consumes RAM up into ROM regions....

Define "too many extra ROMs".
Maybe that's why it doesn't work on my CPC+ then.
Bryce says he tested all RAM.
Of course, it's always possible that they broke afterwards, or that they need to be re-seated in the sockets or something.

Other 128k games I've tried works fine.

Devilmarkus · 13:00, 06 November 13

Too many:

2 extra ROMs already made the game crashing...

GOB · 13:55, 06 November 13

I think two joystick for play will be good also

And why don't adapt palette to CPC+ ?

Devilmarkus · 14:47, 06 November 13

1 Joystick is enough, as the game doesnt provide a 2 player game.

No way to change the palette for CPC+ because there really is not enough ram free to do that.

Added anti-poke protection.

The classic POKEs for unlimited lifes or "1 hit only" will not work anymore...

Devilmarkus · 16:39, 06 November 13

Tested the game:

CPC with 11 extra roms: The game starts well.
CPC with 12 extra roms or more: Impossible to play it.

arnoldemu · 18:34, 06 November 13

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 14:47, 06 November 13
1 Joystick is enough, as the game doesnt provide a 2 player game.

Yes it does.

That is "mode 2" I believe.

I am sure there is a mode with 2 player on barbarian.

arnoldemu · 18:39, 06 November 13

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 16:39, 06 November 13
Tested the game:

CPC with 11 extra roms: The game starts well.
CPC with 12 extra roms or more: Impossible to play it.

11.5 roms??

it sometimes works and sometimes not?

News:

Barbarian 128k