FailSafe (7800) - WIP

[PacManPlus]

Thanks, Allan

 

...although I can't get it to happen for me

 

UPDATE - I changed the way the HSC displays (behind the scenes), it works for me here. Allan, see if you still have the problem. I did this blindly, because I couldn't get the issue you were having to happen to me.

 

Thanks,

Bob

FAILSAFE.zip

[PacManPlus]

I take it nobody else has the earlier mentioned issue with the above bin? Allan - did it work for you?

 

If it works ok, we can consider the bin in the above post to be RC8

[+Allan]

I take it nobody else has the earlier mentioned issue with the above bin? Allan - did it work for you?

 

If it works ok, we can consider the bin in the above post to be RC8

Sorry PMP, I haven't had a chance. I'm going to play it a bit this morning.

 

Allan

[+Allan]

I've been playing with it this morning and it works fine. It only happened the first time I played it so maybe it had something to do with having only one HSC entry. Is there a way to reset one game entry on the HSC on the CC2?

 

Allan

[PacManPlus]

I've been playing with it this morning and it works fine. It only happened the first time I played it so maybe it had something to do with having only one HSC entry. Is there a way to reset one game entry on the HSC on the CC2?

 

Allan

 

Thanks, Allan.

 

Try changing the difficulty switches. That will have the same effect as giving you a pseudo-'clean slate' as the left switch controls the starting lives (3 or 5) and the right switch controls the length of time to guess the code (30 vs 60 seconds). After changing it, it will take effect when the screen 'changes' (i.e. from the title screen to the HSC, or vice-versa).

 

I think what I did may have fixed it.

 

Bob

[+Allan]

I've been playing with it this morning and it works fine. It only happened the first time I played it so maybe it had something to do with having only one HSC entry. Is there a way to reset one game entry on the HSC on the CC2?

 

Allan

 

Thanks, Allan.

 

Try changing the difficulty switches. That will have the same effect as giving you a pseudo-'clean slate' as the left switch controls the starting lives (3 or 5) and the right switch controls the length of time to guess the code (30 vs 60 seconds). After changing it, it will take effect when the screen 'changes' (i.e. from the title screen to the HSC, or vice-versa).

 

I think what I did may have fixed it.

 

Bob

 

Well, I tried it with 3 lives and no problems. Hopefully the bug is gone.

 

P.S. I like your avatar.

 

Allan

[GroovyBee]

Just tested the PAL version and the visual glitches after the status bar and scrolling area have both gone. There are new problems on the title screen :-

 

1) When you select the difficulty the whole screen blacks out for a fraction of a second when you move the stick up and down (tested with Euro D-Pads).

 

2) When you first power the cart image up (using CC2) the title screen is drawn, blanked and drawn again.

 

3) It doesn't cycle between the title screen and displaying the HSC information. This could be a problem with my CC2 tho.

[PacManPlus]

Hey GroovyBee:

 

Actually #1 and #2 I know about (it happens on an NTSC machine as well). The 'frame black-out' happens when I pull the high score from the High Score Cart. It happens when you first turn on the cart, or change the difficulty. I actually have to 'turn off' the screen while it accesses the High Score Cart because the HSC has a different set of DLs and if I don't it will either crash, or act like the fire button is stuck down. (I've tried not switching off the screen and just initializing the ports again and it still happens.)

 

#3 I haven't run into. Anyone else with a HSC have this issue?

 

Thanks,

Bob

[mimo]

tried it on my Dingoo, looks great, will try it on my PAL 7800 asap

[HammR25]

There can be places on level 5 that are impossible to get past without dying once, even in Novice level. I had several places where the enemy was put in a place with a single point of entry with a 90 degree turn and that entry was within their range and their gun was pointed directly at it. If I had bounce shots then I guess I could kill them. Otherwise I'm just toast.

 

Is there a way to get past levels for play testing to re-test stuff? I don't really want to spend 10 minutes getting back to level 5.

Edited January 5, 2010 by HammR25

[PacManPlus]

Are you referring to the enemies that only shoot vertically? There actually is a way to get past them - I do it all the time

 

Approach them on an angle sticking against the wall, continuously firing (please note this only works when *not* in 'Speed Mode'). You will kill them every time.

 

Example:

[Trebor]

I haven't become good enough to make it to the level highlighted above. However, one thought came to me respecting the screen capture. It appears the "walls" are green. Perhaps it would be better to make the walls red (like bricks) to distinguish better what is terrain/grass/forest, and what is a wall. Using the above screen as a reference point, perhaps the 'easiest' solution is to make everything that is currently the color red, green; and everything that is green, the color red for that level.

 

-Trebor

Edited January 5, 2010 by Trebor

[HammR25]

Are you referring to the enemies that only shoot vertically? There actually is a way to get past them - I do it all the time

 

Approach them on an angle sticking against the wall, continuously firing (please note this only works when *not* in 'Speed Mode'). You will kill them every time.

 

Example:

I don't have problems with the one your tank is pointed at but the ones that are deeper like the one I circled I have problems with.

 

If I'm the only one having a problem with it though then obviously there's no reason to change it.

[PacManPlus]

Are you referring to the enemies that only shoot vertically? There actually is a way to get past them - I do it all the time

 

Approach them on an angle sticking against the wall, continuously firing (please note this only works when *not* in 'Speed Mode'). You will kill them every time.

 

Example:

I don't have problems with the one your tank is pointed at but the ones that are deeper like the one I circled I have problems with.

 

If I'm the only one having a problem with it though then obviously there's no reason to change it.

 

 

Hi:

 

You can beat them too. With those enemies only, there is a delay between shots. So, move right up to where their shot *just* misses you, and immediately after the shot passes move around, shoot, and fall back. You will get the hang of it after a while.

 

Ok,

 

Here is RC9 (RC8 was the last one posted)

 

- Dark Green color on level 5 turned to Red for the bricks

- No more blanking out when selecting a level. I had to put a few 'VBlank' waits, and one 'LDA #$00, STA CTLSWA, STA CTLSWB' lines in there for this to happen so the screen wouldn't 'freak out' when calling the HSC for the current high score.

 

I think this one is it.

 

Thanks,

Bob

FAILSAFE.zip

[+Allan]

Thanks Pacmanplus for the update. It's great not having the flash in the title screen.

 

Now for a confession. I finally got to the launch screen in 'Novice'. Yea, I know. I don't get to play much. So my question is how do you change the launch codes? I tried moving the controller up and down. It doesn't seem to work. What am I missing?

 

Allan

[+Allan]

One other thing I have to say.

 

This game is really great. It's got all the important elements that make a great game. Countermeasure on the 5200 is a good game but it always seemed a bit lacking because of the repetitiveness of it after a while. Failsafe definitely eliminates that one flaw with Countermeasure.

 

It would be great if somebody one day programmed Failsafe for the 8-bit/5200. It's that good of a game that it needs to ported to other systems. Maybe somebody could even attempt a simpler 2600 version.

 

Allan

[PacManPlus]

Thanks Pacmanplus for the update. It's great not having the flash in the title screen.

 

Now for a confession. I finally got to the launch screen in 'Novice'. Yea, I know. I don't get to play much. So my question is how do you change the launch codes? I tried moving the controller up and down. It doesn't seem to work. What am I missing?

 

Allan

 

Crap. It is supposed to be moved with the joystick (up and down). I don't remember touching anything in that area I'll check on it late tonight

 

...and thank you kindly for the compliment

 

Bob

[Trebor]

Hey Bob,

 

I do not know if this is intended behavior or not; nonetheless, when the 'freeze' power-up wears off and the enemy continues moving, the direction in which their weapon was previously pointing is not in the same position it was before or even the next position over. Rather, it seems to jump several positions from where it was aiming prior to being frozen.

 

-Trebor

[PacManPlus]

Hi

 

@Trebor: Yes, that is intended

 

Here is the fix that Allan brought up earlier. This bug was actually introduced a while ago - I went through the game, changing BMIs to BCCs where needed as I didn't want a 'negative number' issue, and apparently I changed it in one spot where it shouldn't have been changed.

 

I'm surprised I found this, as at the moment I think I may have the flu (body aches, headache, cough, and slight fever).

 

Anyway, here is RC9.

 

Thanks!

Bob

FAILSAFE.zip

[+Allan]

Thanks PMP,

Hope you feel better soon.

 

Allan

[mimo]

Boy this game really sucks:twisted:

 

 

 

Just kidding, it is my game playing abilities that suck:D. This is really excellent and I see it getting a lot of play time.

Just one small thing, on my PAL system the light green pill boxes could do with more of a contrasting turret, it looks pink to me and in the heat of battle is a little hard to see the direction it is pointing in.(but maybe it is just me)

 

Bring on the Frenzy:twisted:

[+Allan]

Hopefully your not reading this now and resting. But when your better...The new version flashes garbage on the screen on the title screen when moving from Intermediate to novice.

 

Allan

[Shawn]

I dunno where the contest is for the label but here is my humble offering. I can add or change anything to suit your needs if this label is towards what your looking for in the label. This is just a low rez copy, a good one can be made up in a snap.

 

 

[BDW]

This is great stuff, I hope you get better soon!

[PacManPlus]

Hopefully your not reading this now and resting. But when your better...The new version flashes garbage on the screen on the title screen when moving from Intermediate to novice.

 

Allan

 

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone - just starting to feel a little better.

 

As far as the garbage, I guess I didn't get rid of all of it. Well, we're back to the 'turning off the screen while getting the high score'. Apparently it's the only way this will work. At least I was able to get it so the startup screen doesn't initially flash twice.

 

Also, for Preppie!! I changed one of the colors to make it easier to see on the PAL system.

Here is RC10, hopefully the last one.

 

Bob

FAILSAFE.zip