Pausing on the Atari 2600 and 7800 with the COLOR/BW switch?

[esplonky]

hmmmmm. I must add this to my next game!

[Schizophretard]

I just tested it with my modified Colecovision Expansion Module. It worked no matter which way I had the switch when turning it on. Is there a way to do the same thing but make it that pushing pause again or flipping the switch again would work as well as the fire button? It is a minor problem but someone might be an idiot, think the game froze, and not even think to try the fire button.

I can try it. It may not work on my first try, though. I'll go and adjust the code right now.

I spent all this time trying to do it, but the only reason why it works is because I activate pause with the COLOR/BW switch or pause button and un-pause with the fire button. Trying to use the same switch brings us back to the need for atari7800=temp1&1 which doesn't work from the SD card.

 

If players in the future with no manual pause the game and can't figure out that they should press the fire button to unpause, I'm sure they'll be able to find help on the Internet. Or if they have a grabby pet monkey in the room, the fire button will get pressed sooner or later

 

It is a minor problem. Your pause is better than flipping the switch or hitting the pause button again.

 

Edit: What did you try because what I was thinking when I was suggesting it was doing what you are doing for pause but adding on that flipping the switch activates the fire button which is unpauses? Not flip switch is unpause but flip switch is fire button is unpause. You get what I mean?

[+Random Terrain]

Edit: What did you try because what I was thinking when I was suggesting it was doing what you are doing for pause but adding on that flipping the switch activates the fire button which is unpauses? Not flip switch is unpause but flip switch is fire button is unpause. You get what I mean?

I can't do anything to the switch while paused or it messes everything up.

[Schizophretard]

Then I guess the idiots that prefer to unpause the hard way are screwed.

[Nukey Shay]

Is there a way to do the same thing but make it that pushing pause again or flipping the switch again would work as well as the fire button? It is a minor problem but someone might be an idiot, think the game froze, and not even think to try the fire button.

Then you are back to trying to detect which platform the user is running the game on...since the switch pops back on the 7800 (i.e. 2 changes) but not the 2600 (i.e. 1 change). And the issue with detection is that it won't work for the Harmony (which alters startup ram memory where the 7800 puts it's BIOS routine).

 

Until Harmony has the means of preserving the bits in question that are tested by my hacked-together detection routine (or anyone elses'), this "any change = pause, fire to continue" method is a pretty simple solution compatable with all platforms

 

Even better, it does it using only 1 bit of storage to hold the current state. Detection requires an additional bit to hold the console type.

[Schizophretard]

Is there a way to do the same thing but make it that pushing pause again or flipping the switch again would work as well as the fire button? It is a minor problem but someone might be an idiot, think the game froze, and not even think to try the fire button.

Then you are back to trying to detect which platform the user is running the game on...since the switch pops back on the 7800 (i.e. 2 changes) but not the 2600 (i.e. 1 change). And the issue with detection is that it won't work for the Harmony (which alters startup ram memory where the 7800 puts it's BIOS routine).

 

Until Harmony has the means of preserving the bits in question that are tested by my hacked-together detection routine (or anyone elses'), this "any change = pause, fire to continue" method is a pretty simple solution compatable with all platforms

 

Even better, it does it using only 1 bit of storage to hold the current state. Detection requires an additional bit to hold the console type.

 

RT has it set up well. If you hit pause on the 7800 it pauses. If you hit pause again it goes back to the game. If you flip the color/bw on the VCS it pauses. If you flip the color/bw on the VCS again it goes back to the game. If you hit the fire button on the right controller it pauses. If you hit the fire button on the left controller it goes back to the game. And it all works perfectly on the Harmony Cart.

[+Random Terrain]

RT has it set up well. If you hit pause on the 7800 it pauses. If you hit pause again it goes back to the game. If you flip the color/bw on the VCS it pauses. If you flip the color/bw on the VCS again it goes back to the game. If you hit the fire button on the right controller it pauses. If you hit the fire button on the left controller it goes back to the game. And it all works perfectly on the Harmony Cart.

 

I think it only un-pauses with the fire button. That's the only way it would work correctly.

[Schizophretard]

RT has it set up well. If you hit pause on the 7800 it pauses. If you hit pause again it goes back to the game. If you flip the color/bw on the VCS it pauses. If you flip the color/bw on the VCS again it goes back to the game. If you hit the fire button on the right controller it pauses. If you hit the fire button on the left controller it goes back to the game. And it all works perfectly on the Harmony Cart.

 

I think it only un-pauses with the fire button. That's the only way it would work correctly.

 

LOL! That shows how often I pause with the color/bw switch and pause button. I always use both joysticks.