pixelpedant

If you want to get really fancy, here is a TI BASIC ESDX movement input routine (i.e., for moving a single-tile character based on input from the ESDX keyboard keys) based on the method I use in Hell's Halls (which I've attempted to disentangle from all the surrounding program logic, since in practice, that program is handling a lot more than motion): 100 CALL KEY(1,K,Z) 110 IF (K>5)+(K=4)+(ABS(K)=1) THEN 100 120 YM=(K=5)-(K<1) 130 XM=(K=2)-(K=3) 140 CALL GCHAR(PY+YM,PX+XM,GC) 150 CALL HCHAR(PY,PX,CT) 160 PY=PY+YM 170 PX=PX+XM 180 CT=GC 190 CALL HCHAR(PY,PX,40+K) So, to summarise, 0,2,3 and 5 (the ESDX direction keys, via CALL KEY Key Unit 1) are valid inputs, as assigned to K, and these values are tested for (or rather, the absence of these values is tested for by exclusion), by the relevant conditional (Line 110), which, in the manner of so many TI BASIC conditionals, uses arithmetic operators as de facto logical operators. If valid input is given, positive or negative adjustments to the X and Y coordinates of the player (PX,PY) are then tested for (Lines 120,130), and assigned to YM and XM (one of which will now equal +1 or -1). Note that we cannot test for K=0, as the 0 returned by CALL KEY is aberrant, and non-equivalent to the constant 0 on the 99/4A (though notably, this bug is absent on the 99/4). Anyway, hence, (K<1). Now we need to know what tile exists in the square the player is trying to move into (a floor tile? a wall tile? An enemy?), and that will be acquired via CALL GCHAR (Line 140). That puts this character into the variable GC for further tests (in practice, a pair of ON GOSUBs which handle 20 or so possible tile values, not shown here). Now that we know what tile we're trying to walk towards let's assume that action is possible or whatever outcome can be handled. So we start by replacing the current player tile (stored in PY and PX) with the character which existed there before the player moved into it (Line 150). This 'current tile' is held in the variable CT at all times. The player coordinates can now be updated with the Y and X modifications implied by the input provided (Lines 160,170). As well, with the player coordinates changed, we can update the current tile value to the new one furnished by CALL GCHAR (Line 180), before overwriting it with the player. Finally, the player character itself can be drawn to the new tile at the new PY/PX coordinates (Line 190). One of the four "directional" representations of the player is selected from the pattern table automatically, as these are located at 40,42,43, and 45. And with the CALL HCHAR command drawing character 40+K, where K is the CALL KEY return value for Key Unit 1, this will equal either 0,2,3 or 5 and hence in sum 40,42,43 or 45.

On the other hand, from the way the Multicolor Mode thread has been the toast of the town recently, I'm getting the feeling that 64x48 might be everybody's New Years Resolution.

Using what emulator? The two options which would seem to suggest themselves being MAME (natively) or Classic99 (via the Steamdeck's WINE equivalent). It's not clear that Emudeck's scripts would actually do anything for you in this context other than install MAME (but without any of the files or configuration steps necessary to TI-99 use). Probably, getting MAME set up for TI-99 use on the Steamdeck will be as hands-on as MAME is anywhere else. And if Classic99 works under the Steamdeck's Windows compatibility layer, that might actually be preferable. You could also just use JS99er.net via a browser.

The new year is almost upon us. What do you want to spend your time on or what do you hope to accomplish in the coming year, where TI-99 and related computers are concerned? For example, for me: - Complete development on Hell's Heart, a sequel to Hell's Halls (also a console BASIC tape game). - Undertake some CC-40 development and get a solid handle on its version of TI BASIC. - Do a longish YouTube video covering the CC-40 in depth.

Ordered some CC-40 stuff from ArcadeShopper which I suppose is a bit of a Christmas gift to myself. Looking forward to doing some CC-40 development, when I get the time. On the flipside, shipped out a couple copies of Hell's Halls in recent times that folks had said they were ordering as a Christmas gift to themself.

Championship Baseball with manual and overlay in good condition for $40 is actually quite reasonable: https://www.ebay.com/itm/255894778765 Though I suppose nearly everyone on earth who has an MBX already has it.

Did a review of all 11 released games, with my personal ranking of the lot:

Jumping the gun a bit holiday-wise. But this is a really nice 1983/1984 "Auld Lang Syne" New Years program in TI BASIC (TIFILES format): AULD-LANG.zip What better way to ring in the New Year?

Most recently, I suppose, Personal Computing with the UCSD p-System Someone asked something about the p-System on one of my YouTube videos which was answered trivially enough, but it got me digging anyway, and revisiting a few of the key texts I had lying around in my p-System directory. But principally, this one.

Fantastic! It's so important for a must-have TI-99 upgrade like this to be available. Don't happen to need one myself at the moment, but I'm delighted on behalf of all the folks I won't have to tell that the F18A is one of the most important TI-99 hardware upgrades, and you (mostly) can't buy it. Though Arcadeshopper and Hans have been able to provide some supply in recent times.

Barrage Black Hole Hustle Jumpy / Q-Maze MASH Championship Baseball (but requires MBX Expansion System) Meteor Belt (MBX game but does not require MBX)

Pretty interesting TI-74 package here. Complete in box Mathematics and Statistics carts (and manuals) and TI-74 itself (with manuals and ROM/RAM cart): https://www.ebay.com/itm/385274537719?hash=item59b426e6f7:g:CY4AAOSwMFdjjVE5 Fairly high price, but a potentially compelling TI-74 starter set.

Yeesh. That is beautiful and wonderful and nuts. MSX developers from forever ago, always showing us how it ought to be done. How dare they.

One other very key piece of the puzzle would be a screen replacement mod. Since the great majority of units have missing pixel rows/columns. With a screen replacement solution, the CC-40 would have everything it needs to be properly enjoyed by as many people as own one.

Likewise. After all, in the same years when a bunch of you were driving to work at the height of the home computer boom, I was driving nowhere (but fast!) on my Tomy Turbo: But seriously, I think those things were rather exciting for about 20 seconds if you were the right age when they released (in 83 apparently). Then it became clear that they don't really *do* much of anything. Pretty exciting for those 20 seconds though.

Yeah, doubtless you've got to strain the sense of the word adjacent pretty far in this context, before you find yourself wandering outside the bounds of the Fetzner Collection.

There are various TI-99/4A-adjacent computers which attract interest here. Geneve, CC-40, Tomy Tutor, TI-74, TI-990, etc. What relative of the TI-99/4A that you haven't seriously delved into yet are you tempted to explore, these days? Either via original hardware, or emulation. Or is the TI-99/4A itself enough for you?

Note as well that in 80 column mode, pixels have an extremely stretched aspect ratio. I discuss my own methods surrounding working with T40XB and T80XB art in my video on developing for T40XB, T80XB, and TMLGA as a component to XB GEM. A key point being that GIMP is able to display pixels at arbitrary aspect ratios on non-square grids. So a grid of 6x8 tiles whose pixels are twice as tall as they are wide can be worked with there. This is quite necessary, since it would not be realistically possible to design graphics for T80XB directly in Magellan, for example. Since what you would need to design is the tiles on the right here, in order to achieve the tiles on the left: So that's how I made the graphics for my "Still TI" voice synth singing demo, for example. In GIMP, with 6x8 tiles and a 1:2 pixel aspect ratio.

Yeah, surely Barrage, for TI-99. Extra value comes via the fact that I feel it plays really nice on the WICO Trackball. Would be my #1 pick for a game on the platform that fully justifies the trackball.

A complete (Europe) Mini Memory with a starting bid of $4GBP might be something someone would have fun with. Keeping in mind, battery will need to be replaced.

It's also worth keeping in mind that the 9918/9918A was designed to work with 16KB of RAM or less. So while video modes which contribute to and expand your options in 4KB and 8KB configurations might seem pointless in hindsight, in principle this was a consideration, even as of the 9918A.

Ever since I saw Spade Carrier for MSX1, I have been with you on that.

Well, no library of relevant subprograms as far as I know, in the way that TML furnishes XB with bitmap mode tools, and T40XB furnishes XB with text mode tools. For what it's worth, UCSD Pascal can switch to multicolor mode on command (with use of the included SET_SCREEN routine). But once invoked, populating the screen image and pattern table as desired is left as an exercise for the user. Nonetheless, VDP reads and writes are supported by TI's UCSD Pascal implementation (i.e., without your own assembly subroutine), so this is doable, in principle, it seems to me. Though pointless for a definition of "pointless" that exceeds even conventional norms of our community.

I believe the Bill Knecht and Sam Moore Jr music demos pictured here are all preserved elsewhere, at least. But here's hoping there's more to be discovered!

Wow. Nice! Still, I think Multicolor's biggest threat on the TI-99 is just that everything it can do, bitmap mode can do better. Which is to say, behave like a true bitmap mode, but at higher resolution (64x192 "fat pixels", instead of 64x48). But this is a beautiful design, to show off a low res look with a palette very similar to that of the TMS9918.