Shawn Jefferson
-
Posts
2,047 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Events
Store
Community Map
Posts posted by Shawn Jefferson
-
-
The in-emulator title/name is "Atari 800 Emulator, Version 3.1.0"..
Ahh yes of course. I like its NTSC simulation and keep it around for that exact reason, but the menu sucks. Always requires thought to navigate it as opposed to a plain-jane windows drop down style. None of it is intuitive and just one more thing to have to remember. Just as bad Atari++.
We saw a lot of this crap in the dot-com era and immediately prior to it. A lot of developers seemed fixated on making their own user interfaces for everything. Perhaps in attempt to simplify something that's already simple. From digitizers like "Snappy" to Kai's PowerTools and many other photoshop plugins and more! I'm glad that foolishness is passe'.
About the only thing that makes sense in having its GUI mimic the real-life physical object is mp3 and dvd playback software. Anything else is WTF??
And if you are trying to write code that is cross-platform, and intended to run on Windows, Mac, Linux (x86 and ARM), etc... You sort of have to write your own GUI.
I'm glad it is written that way, since I ported it to my old Nokia n900 easily. Altirra is installed on my windows machine of course.
-
1
-
-
Guess no one has those carts you need (that's my case), or if they do they don't want to part with them. That doesn't seem unexpected really?
-
I still think the gold standard for joysticks, were and still are, the Wico Command Control sticks, either bat-handle or ball, depending on your preference (i prefer the ball-handle ones, just easier to control, but I have both.) These are relatively easy to find used as their were a lot produced in that era.
-
If I assume RAM isn't an issue then something like a version that uses DOS calls could be possible, e.g. run on Spartados command line with the zfile as a parameter from a drive/partition on the CF card in your Incognito.
That was my vision. I have to admit at having a lot of doubt now about whether porting Frotz will be too slow after this discussion and reading the Zeugma blog post.
Then again, I thought porting Moria might be impossible... but spent a lot of hours doing it anyway until it became clear it was possible. -
Yes, you are probably right about the speed issue, and most certainly about code size! Which is why I'm glad you are working on it as well.
I guess we'll see if it's even possible to port Frotz.
That Zeugma looks interesting, but there does appear to be a lot of platform dependent pieces to it, and i see they are using a virtual memory model as well, preloading the data into the REU ram. Most z-machine games are too big for 64k, so that makes sense.
-
I've been looking into the C64 Sherlock Z5 interpreter and due to the well structured way the Infocom team wrote these interpreters (and using my Z3 work as a cross-reference) a first stab at labelling up the code in IDAPro went better than I'd hoped.
Therefore I would say that updating the Atari interpreter with the changed areas is certainly do-able, though there maybe a constraint of needing a 64K machine for playing the Infocom titles, small z5 titles might be able to run with 48K.
That's awesome, and I think a great way to get some games that otherwise weren't on the Atari.
I have taken a look at frotz, and read the z-machine standard documentation front to back, and I may take a stab at trying to port frotz to the Atari. I'd have to implement a virtual memory system though, and probably require extended RAM to do this (I don't want to mess with loading pieces from disk... too many downsides/complications.) I think it may be possible to support all versions of the z-machine version 1-5 (maybe without sound. The interpreter signals to the game what features it can support and vice versa, and not all stories use all the features or need to use them.) Version 6 seems problematic, but it may be possible to a certain degree... unsure of that. There's tons of interactive fiction out there that you could then load up and play that should work, if you have enough extended memory.
I don't believe this will conflict with your efforts... and I'm sure everyone will hate it for requiring extended memory to load the story file anyway!
The regular disclaimers apply: no promises, it may not work, timeline is indeterminate, the virtual memory system may be too slow, etc, etc...Some compromises would have to be taken. Z-machine stack would probably be limited to 1024 instead of 65535 like most interpreters on "big" machines. Unicode printing would be out. Font 3 (character graphics) may be an issue, or at least require some thinking about solutions/kludges (Beyond Zork uses it apparently?)
-
1
-
-
Personally I think that you could probably find around 100 people to contribute towards this, regardless if they are getting cartridge shells or not. I have no need for 80+ cartridge shells and no where to store them, but personally, I'd contribute something to this just to see cartridge cases being made for all the developers here, on some conditions:
1. The community "owns" the cartridge case molds (ie. "we" could order a new batch anytime stocks run out.) I have no idea how this would work logistically, nor how you manage a new order and who could warehouse them.
2. Ideally, someone (AtariAge/Albert? Lotharek?) would stockpile/warehouse the cartridges, or a large number of them and sell them to developers at cost (+handling costs, etc..)
Maybe that wouldn't work, and getting 25 or 50 people who actually want cartridge shells together for a one time purchase is a better idea. Certainly easier I guess. If something could be worked out with cartridge shells, then maybe SIO plugs and/or full SIO cables could be next?
-
"The C64 was very poor quality"? I've never heard that one.
What I meant was build quality. The thing was a flimsy piece of junk with all the aesthetic appeal of a Soviet-era apartment building. Jack Tramiel brought that to Atari with the "XE" series.
I have to admit being somewhat jealous of some game graphics on the C64 (Racing Destruction Set was one we played on the C64 instead of the Atari for instance), and especially jealous of it's long support by software developers.
-
3
-
-
Another way to explain the downfall of Atari - is that it's motto should have been - "Quality Sells" and it is because it did not deliver on this, that consumers went elsewhere for their continued interest in home computers, etc. Going towards the Amiga, and SNES consoles and so on...
In the consumer space, I don't think "quality sells" is actually true, or at least maybe we have different definitions of quality, or there's some nuances there. The C64 was very poor quality, but it was just that step ahead technically, and cheaper, which allowed it to excel (IMO). I think in hindsight, Atari should have been pushing their technology forward as well as cutting cost, where it seems to me at least, that pre-Tramiel Atari didn't do either, and Tramiel Atari only did one of those. Pre-Warner Atari seemed to have it right for the time, but just couldn't keep going without more business acumen on board-they were destined to collapse under their own weight and success.
-
Interestingly, AtariMax did Ultima III and IV on cartridge as well (which I have).... Might try that when I get to III and IV.
Ultima II is also available for Atarimax 8mb flashcart.
-
Please add me to the list, I'll take one.
Thanks!
-
1
-
-
Or just show 40 chars on the 80 char screen,indent 20 chars on each side.
-
Really, there was an interpreted CC65 on the Atari? That's surprising, but then again, I never did use the original cc65 that ran on the Atari, and only the PC cross-assembler/compiler/linker suite.
-
I know you've closed orders for now, but I'd be interested in a couple of boards when/if you do another run, or offer through the AA store.
Looks great!
-
Maybe the LCD resolution is 480x102 (somehow), but as far as I know, there is no way to address the screen other than the 160x102 pixels as a programmer of the device, so the screen is effectively 160x102 only (but it would be great if you could abuse the hardware somehow to go beyond this...)
Resolution is one of the drawbacks of the Lynx, but I guess for a handheld of the time it wasn't that bad.
Developer Docs are here:
https://atariage.com/Lynx/archives/developer_docs/index.html?SystemID=LYNX
-
Testing to see if blocks can be written to the cartridge memory area probably be a check I will not be using to check if the game had been ripped. Probably be better to use that to save information for those longer playing games.
Good to hear, I don't think it's worth the effort to build copy protection. Using the flashcart for saving is great, I've done several conversions with saving, and the latest project I'm working on saves to flash.
I am still not entirely sure why the AtariMax version Tempest Xtreem had issues, most likely it is not a programming fault. I recently went through all the source code and made sure values like $55 and $AA did not get written to the $D5xx area. These value are what causes the memory to be written. I made sure something like $07 was the constant value written to $D500 to $D50F.
It's a pretty specific set of writes you need to do, I'd be surprised if you hit it randomly. From the source of Moria for 8Mb Atarimax (borrowed from source that Steve sent me ages ago:)
cmd_unlock: lda #$AA jsr wr5555 lda #$55 jmp wr2AAA wr5555: sta $d542 sta $b555 rts wr2AAA: sta $d541 sta $aaaa rts
and there's an additional store you need, to erase or program (at least that's my understanding of the Atarimax flashcart.) -
I see little point verifying that a flashcart is real and not emulated.
I think Pete's intention/suggestion was to have code that actually erases the flashcart, so that if a program is "pirated" from the EPROM version to a flashcart, the program would erase the flashcart.
His quote:
Each of those flash cartridges has a way to open up the memory for write, so all someone will need to do is just that so a program is running from the original EPROM or has been ripped onto a flash cartridge. It may destroy the memory on the flash cartridge.
Perhaps he had already implemented such code in Tempest Extreme or one of his other programs? I wouldn't be surprised after some of his comments here on the board, but I don't own any of his software to check myself.
-
Hmmm. I liked the intellivision flashback myself! I didn't notice any glaring problems.
-
The problem with the ATX format is you need expensive equipment to make a disk in that format and there is only one emulator that reads them correctly. I'm sure eventually this will change but for now it's a problem.
Allan
Also, there is a VAPI imaging software (Atarimania guys have it) that only requires a Happy drive to make a ATX disk, so not expensive at all. The things you are talking about are more about complete preservation of the copy protected disk.
-
cc65 is deprecated.it is out.since neither programmed with more.
huh? It's very much NOT deprecated and actively maintained.
-
1
-
-
That would be the game designer's decision (is that you? Sorry, I didn't really follow where this came from exactly), but there is something satisfying about hearing the thing you just shot blow up, even when it's in simulated space.
-
1
-
-
VBXE *is* that drop in, pin compatible replacement, yes.
It's the 80 column upgrade that everyone wished they had BITD, not to mention the other features. In my Atari Moria port, I turned off DMA, since I'm not using any of the built-in Atari's graphics features, as you mention. I think the issue is that it is too good. It gives the Atari features that are too modern for some folks. In my opinion though, it's just another fun addition to the hobby, and it's still an Atari computer in essence. You program for 6502 still. You still have only 64k to work with, without banking.
That said, there are people doing things with it. Maybe not enough, or not the right kind of things to get more people excited about it. FJC has done quite a lot, Rygar, the folks behind SpartaDos 4.4x to name a few.
-
I don't know, seems totally in character to me. He saw an opportunity to deride someone's idea/post and went for it.
-
1
-
-
I had some thoughts about the cartridge shell situation, maybe these ideas are crazy, or have already been tried.
1. Have someone like Albert contact Steve Tucker, and try to convince him that providing his cartridge shell connection would be a very nice thing to do for the Atari community. Maybe Albert could sell them in lots of 10/20/50/100/etc, in his store. Perhaps if someone else were to approach Steve who more represents the community, the results may be better? Of course, if Steve has reasons of his own not to sell the cartridge shells (competitive advantage, although I really don't buy this as a great reason), or perhaps "issues" with some of the people reselling or making copies of the Atarimax stuff (kjmann? others?) this may not fly.
2. The community could bankroll (and thus own) the injections molds to a new cartridge shell. 100 people putting $50 in gets you the $5000, or 250 people putting in $20 each. Of course, I believe that someone trust-worthy would need to "control" the molds and subsequent use, maybe Albert? Maybe someone "elected". Either way, the shells should be able to be used by anyone in the community for any project, possibly with some requirements (see below.)
I also think the for the community to get the maximum benefit, and the return on investment, perhaps other conditions would have to be put on the "license" to use these cartridges.
Off the top of my head these possibilities come to mind:
- ROMs must be released to the community or pay per download options must be provided (perhaps after a set amount of time/units sold.)
- If hardware only designs, maybe the full plans/schematics would have to be released to the public after a certain amount of time and/or units have been sold.
- small mark-up put on each cartridge and profits given back to investors (I don't think this is a great way to do this from a community point of view.)
-
4
-
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Altirra 2.70 released
in Atari 8-Bit Computers
Posted · Edited by Shawn Jefferson
<Duplicate post>