[#045]

i'm on a super long vacation due to COVID-19, but i'm alive and well. i haven't worked in 3 months and the only thing i have to show for it is a Street Fighter II Arcade1Up machine that i modded which now includes 39 systems and almost 18K roms. it's been in my garage since probably February but it finally made it to my gameroom two days ago. 

my poor kindergarten graduate did not get to sing silly songs or walk across a stage to celebrate her accomplishment, and my younger daughter is becoming the definitive version of "terrible twos".

i've come to realize that all these projects and goals i've wanted to do, like record a new album or learn how to program a game in a new language just won't happen, and COVID-19 has proved to me that time isn't the issue; it's lack of motivation.

i do want to mention one thing before i forget... several years ago i coded a Qbasic game called Ghostchamber. not once have i been able to beat the game. you move a character in four directions. there are nine statues placed randomly on the screen, and nine ghosts also placed randomly. the ghosts move at random until you move a statue, then they all take a step towards your location. naturally if they touch you, game over. the goal is to push all the statues into each other so there's only 1 showing....

 a few nights ago i realized something about the way it was coded, which made me shift my strategy. when statues are occupying the same space, the ghosts get an extra move when in pursuit mode, so if you have successfully pushed four statues together, they are going to move four spaces toward you at one time the next time you move any statue.

...i was five moves away from finally winning but i got killed. it was the closest i ever got. by pushing the statues in the same vicinity before pushing any on top of each other, it gives you a chance (i think?) at winning.

i also need to figure out how to condense the code because as-is, i can't compile it to a standalone executable because i get an error. something about a string too long, i don't remember.

since Retropie has DOSBox, I can run Qbasic on my modded Street Fighter II arcade. using a keyboard, i had a wonderful time with GORILLA.BAS lol

i don't know what else to say here, and i don't think i even have regulars who read my blog, so this entry is much longer than it needs to be, peace out.