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#1
Quote from: Jean-Marie on Today at 12:51The problem stems from writing the new file on the disc, as Daren used some intricated code to uncompress the Data. But hopefully, I'll find a solution. I just need to have a serious look at the decoding routine.
Because I already spent some time on this: Can you describe a situation where it does not work?
As far as I remember, there is one access to tile 0 that cleans it after loading, for whatever reason.
Also some other tiles are used to transport other data (e.g. font data) and are reused afterwards for animation purposes.
What is also important for decoding is not the process itself, but where the compressed data is placed beforde decompression starts. Because you applied several changes, this position will be different from before. Until now I did not find the code location where this position is stored. It surely needs to be altered.
#2
...and it also looks great (pixel-style)!
So many applications in the meanwhile for SymbOS. Have you thought about something like an "appstore" as a download-application for SymbOS?
So many applications in the meanwhile for SymbOS. Have you thought about something like an "appstore" as a download-application for SymbOS?
#3
Another cool demo to watch on real hardware on a sunny day and chill.
#4
Quote from: Prodatron on 16:15, 22 February 25Meanwhile in a secret lab at TMTLogic:"SE Play" by TMTLogic is now available in the SymbOS.org download area:
http://www.symbos.org/appinfo.htm?00078
You cannot view this attachment.
It's a multi-purpose music application. Depening on the available hardware (SE-One, SF3, RSF3, RSF3 Lite) it can play FM radio, web radio, MP3 and sample files and MP3 playlists.
You can also use it as a MIDI synthesizer, and play music on your CPC keyboard (or clicking the keys in the GUI).
For this is it using the General MIDI instruments, which are included in the SF3, RSF3 and RSF3 lite. I am currently not sure, if they were already available in the old SE-One cards as well.
#5
Quote from: GUNHED on Today at 11:46You can't switch ROMs during data transfer.Are you speaking about sending data packages to the M4Board via OUT?
As for reading you are using the ROM as a memory mapped input buffer, so you can't switch this away anyway during one transfer.
After having a quick look at the M4Info.txt I don't find the information, that the ROM has to be visible during data write as well. Hm, but it seems, that Duke mentioned it in the past (nearly 10 years ago?), at least my drivers are activating the M4 ROM even when sending data to the M4 via I/O.
#6
Your "shuffled" data is working nicely as it is, I was able to adapt the code displaying the waterfall and the exhaust flames without too much overheads (Thanks again BTW!).
For the spikes, I had to append a "clean" copy of the original tiles (non-shuffled) at the end of the level file, indeed, as it was too complicated & lengthy to modify the original code to make it work with the shuffled tiles.
The problem stems from writing the new file on the disc, as Daren used some intricated code to uncompress the Data. But hopefully, I'll find a solution. I just need to have a serious look at the decoding routine.
For the spikes, I had to append a "clean" copy of the original tiles (non-shuffled) at the end of the level file, indeed, as it was too complicated & lengthy to modify the original code to make it work with the shuffled tiles.
The problem stems from writing the new file on the disc, as Daren used some intricated code to uncompress the Data. But hopefully, I'll find a solution. I just need to have a serious look at the decoding routine.
#7
Quote from: Jean-Marie on Today at 09:17I've managed to have the first level written on disc. It includes Axelay's optimized routines, with corrections for the animated tiles.I don't have time to look into this at all, so apologies if these suggestions are unworkable or have already been considered, but would it be possible to leave the level data as is and just have an assembly routine in memory that reformats the tile data after loading? Or if there is no spare memory for that to be permanently in memory, or there are additional things you have needed to add to make it work, like for the animated tiles, could that simply be appended to the existing level data file, so then you only perhaps need add an extra call to some temporary code added to the data load that sorts things out after the original level data load has done it's 'usual' process?
I had it working by removing the compression process altogether. The drawback is that each level files will be 26 Kb :/
I worked out a small Visual Basic macro to compress data with the RLE algorithm; it's working nicely but but there are still some problems during the decompression conspicuously. I'll try to investigate further.
#8
Important Update!
There's now an important update for the FutureOS ROM M (previously known as the M4 XROM).
Hotkeys have been added. The same ones also work on the FutureOS desktop.
But the most important thing is that it now always works with every card and every directory. There have been rare problems with some M4 cards so far. The M4 has a bug: You can't switch ROMs during data transfer. Who would have thought that? But the M4 is a "black box" for us programmers. Banking works most of the time, but in 1% of cases, it doesn't.
The new ROM works around this and is even faster!
Enclosed is the disc. Please write the new M4 ROM over the old one using ROManager 2.50. And everything will be fine!
There's now an important update for the FutureOS ROM M (previously known as the M4 XROM).
Hotkeys have been added. The same ones also work on the FutureOS desktop.
But the most important thing is that it now always works with every card and every directory. There have been rare problems with some M4 cards so far. The M4 has a bug: You can't switch ROMs during data transfer. Who would have thought that? But the M4 is a "black box" for us programmers. Banking works most of the time, but in 1% of cases, it doesn't.
The new ROM works around this and is even faster!
Enclosed is the disc. Please write the new M4 ROM over the old one using ROManager 2.50. And everything will be fine!
#9
Quote from: robcfg on Today at 08:01Heh! We played Lysistrata in High School, fun times!Lysistrata is a prime example... I'm doing a seminar right now and am bored to death so I started thinking about the whole thing, so I asked ChatGTP for a more complete list (hit Expand):
QuoteHere's a complete but concise list of why Aristophanes would likely be considered offensive or "cancellable" by today's standards—especially in the context of modern social norms, sensitivities, and platforms like social media:
---
🔞 1. Sexually Explicit Content
Constant phallic imagery and sexual jokes (e.g., The Clouds, Lysistrata)
Overt discussions of erections, masturbation, and orgies
Casual references to sexual coercion or dominance
🧠 Logic Check: What was satirical for Athenian theater would now trip content filters and spark debate on public decency.
---
🧍�♂️🧍�♀️ 2. Misogyny and Gender Stereotypes
Women as manipulative, simple-minded, or sex-obsessed (Ecclesiazusae, Lysistrata)
Lysistrata's premise is that women can't resist sex long enough to impact politics
Ridicule of gender roles and fluidity in ways that mock rather than affirm
🎭 Framework (Double Diamond): While Aristophanes explores female agency, the framing often reinforces rather than subverts patriarchal norms.
---
🧑�❤️�💋�🧑 3. Homophobia or Problematic Portrayals of Same-Sex Desire
Mockery of effeminate men or passive homosexual roles (The Clouds, Thesmophoriazusae)
Queer-coded characters treated as comic buffoons or moral degenerates
📚 Academic Insight (Sedgwick, 1990): Such portrayals rely on stigmatizing sexual variance as deviance.
---
✝️🕊� 4. Religious Irreverence
Satirizing traditional gods and religious rituals (e.g., The Birds, The Frogs)
Accusations of atheism in The Clouds' mockery of Zeus
Profaning sacred spaces and beliefs
👀 Real-World Anecdote: Socrates was executed partially for impiety; Aristophanes mocking him in The Clouds arguably fueled public hostility.
---
⚔️ 5. Nationalism and Ethnic Mockery
Mocking foreign customs, dialects, and dress (e.g., Persians, Spartans, Scythians)
Ethnic slurs or xenophobic caricatures used for comic relief
🌍 Modern View: Today's audiences are more attuned to colonial and racial subtexts.
---
🏛� 6. Political Smearing and Defamation
Relentlessly mocking public figures (Cleon, Socrates, Euripides) by name
Using plays as political hit pieces
Encouraging ridicule-based populism
⚖️ Debate Mode: Free speech vs. targeted humiliation—modern defamation laws and cancel culture would clash with his style.
---
🧒 7. Inappropriate Treatment of Children or Youth
Jokes about child sexuality or young boys in sexual contexts
Pedagogical satire that veers into pedophilic innuendo
🚨 Red Flag: These lines would trigger serious backlash or bans today.
---
📢 8. Anti-Democratic Undercurrents
Mocking the Athenian mob, juries, and democracy itself
Portraying the masses as ignorant, manipulable, or lazy
🧠 Framework Injection: From a civic perspective (Deliberative Democracy model), this challenges the legitimacy of collective rule.
---
✳️ Summary: Why Aristophanes Would Be "Cancelled" Today
Sexual explicitness + innuendo → NSFW + flagged for obscenity
Misogyny + gender jokes → "Problematic" feminist backlash
Ethnic & LGBTQ mockery → "Bigoted" by modern diversity norms
Religious satire → Accusations of cultural disrespect
Public smears → Violates norms of civility and cancel resistance
Pedo-adjacent jokes → Flat-out unacceptable
---
💡 Final Note: Aristophanes used comedy as criticism, not endorsement—but satire doesn't always translate well across time. As Gibson (2022) argues, contextual literacy is vital when judging historical voices—but that nuance is often lost in cancellation d
iscourse.
#10
Having worked in the video game industry and commented/validated marketing assets for about 25 years, I'd say that this cover does the job but IMHO the globe is too big and hides too much the cars between the red one. Also the girl has not the same scale as the main red car which is a bit troubling. I would have focused more on cars than on the girl.
Anyway this is a good piece of marketing artwork nevertheless, lightyears away from most materials from average homebrew. We're approaching professional quality here, in my opinion.
Anyway this is a good piece of marketing artwork nevertheless, lightyears away from most materials from average homebrew. We're approaching professional quality here, in my opinion.