Wizard of Wor 2: The Arena

[roryjr]

I am trying to find time to make AtariVox speech strings for Wizard of Wor.

I am sure Nukey is trying to find time to put all the maze data and speech in one rom file.

Things like this just take time, usually more time than you would think they should.

 

 

Oh, I understand. I learned quickly many years ago on my 130XE that quite often fixing one thing cause multiple other problems that had to be addressed.

[CDS Games]

So, would all the dungeons fit in 32k? If so, is there anyone who would be willing to do it? Anyone? Please. I'd certainly buy it. I loved the original 2600 game and with all the dungeons, this should be a top seller. Anyone that would buy it, chime in.

 

All the dungeons will fit in the current 8k version that Nukey did. He left room for them--there are (if I remember right, I haven't checked in a while) a bunch of duplicate dungeons, some of which just have to be swapped out for the latest dungeons I added (post #67 and maybe some previous posts). Any graphics hacker (even me) could do that.<P>

 

Even so, the code needs a tweak or two as well. Right now the dungeons don't play in exactly the correct arcade order--the Worlord screens appear too early if I remember right. If the rolling has to be fixed that's another issue.

 

Is there really that much interest in a cart?

[roryjr]

 

 

Is there really that much interest in a cart?

 

As I said earlier, I understand the work that goes into programming. I love this game and would jump to pay for a cart release to reward you guys for the work that you do. I prefer playing on the actual hardware through the Harmony cart and I think others without and without Harmony would definitely pay for the WoW cart.

[CDS Games]

I am trying to find time to make AtariVox speech strings for Wizard of Wor.

I am sure Nukey is trying to find time to put all the maze data and speech in one rom file.

Things like this just take time, usually more time than you would think they should.

 

Thanks iesposta, and my apologies as I was remiss in not mentioning the speech strings you were working on as well.

 

I believe the dungeon data space is all in there already, so what is more likely is that Nukey is waiting for me or someone else to get off our duffs and add the data. It's admittedly a slog...I had to force myself to finish coding all the arcade dungeons as is, and then I got distracted with shiny objects in Donkey Kong.

 

The graphics have been improved as well...Nukey doubled the resolution. It's just no one volunteered to do new graphics for the enemies, and I haven't had time.

[Nukey Shay]

Currently "peak season" at work...so I have time to:

 

Wake up before going there.

Shower and eat before going to bed.

 

...and that's about it.

 

The test versions posted are exactly that. Binaries to check if everything is playing nice. That's part of the reason that the dungeons are not limited to low level and high level groups...it just picks one at random each time (only the Pit and Arena are exceptions here).

 

Space is still available awaiting more VOX strings. It's kind of pointless to only have one phrase...the gunshot effect was enough to verify that it was working. I'm sure that once more phrases are added, additional edits will be necessary. So this is far from being a final build.

 

Report of screen rolls/jitters on real hardware. Impossible for me to see this first-hand...and equally impossible for me to correct without more details of when/how it happens during the game (or if it is related to a specific hardware setup). Any chance of posting a video clip of it?

 

But either way, it could be a couple of months before I can work on it again.

[BrianC]

It happens to me on a Sears light sixer (which plays problem games like Robot Tank with no issues). I'm not sure if I can pinpoint it, but I think the rolls usually happen when there is a lot happening on screen. Rolls were mentioned in previous posts in this topic as well, and have been around since the first 8k build. Omegamatrix made posts about the v-sync earlier in this thread.

 

Edit: I took a video and it seems to happen when I fire at a wall at certain times.

 

Edited July 9, 2013 by BrianC

[+Omegamatrix]

BrianC, can you please post the rom that you are playing in the video? I'll try to take a look sometime over the next few days sometime, and see if I can find it.

[BrianC]

Here is the latest version with a revised worrior.

 

WoW8k-gfx.bin

 

This is the one I played in the video.

[+Omegamatrix]

This is the one I played in the video.

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Too many cycles are occasionally being chewed up in overscan. Most of the time it is only a few cycles, which leads to 1 extra scanline. Other times the timer has overflowed, and since the timer is being checked with BNE you have to wait several scanlines before 0 comes up, and even then you still have to go through VSYNC. I have already seen it shoot to as high as 285 lines for one frame.

 

 

This is a hidden roll in Stella since it takes place in overscan. You would definitely see it roll in Stella if it took place during vblank as the screen would drop down. On a real TV too many lines in overscan will likely cause a roll, but it won't show up in Stella.

 

 

Two things to do in Stella that helps:

- use ALT-L to see scanline counts. This value will giggle if a frame is higher or lower than usual.

- use a "breakif _scan>#262" to detect frames going over 262 scanlines. You can also detect frames that have too few scanlines by using a double condition of a pc check and the scanline number check.

 

 

 

Finally, on the frames shooting way up in scanlines, I don't think it will be enough to simply stick something in VSYNC. It was 4 or 5 scanlines short already before hitting VSYNC. Likely a cycle hogging routine will have to be unwound, or moving stuff into the next frame. I'm not sure if there are cycles left in VBLANK too move stuff in there either.

[+SpiceWare]

Something that might help is to change the overscan timer so the game uses 264 scanlines. Stella's Stocking uses 264 scanlines due to supercat's music driver needing the scanline count to be evenly divisible by 4.

[iesposta]

I have some more Speech Strings. I have 15.

Thing is there are over 70 sentences in the arcade game.

AtariVox can sound so much like the arcade speech, it would be a shame not to get this in for the one player game.

I can make the codes for all the sentences, but unless I hear them in the game, I can only guess at the pitch.

 

Any guess on what you will do with the data?

Compression?

Sentence fragments? Meaning, reused bits like "ha ha ha ha" and "the Wizard of Wor" are in sentences over and over.

As in you could say: 5. My worlings are very very hungry. then 3b. Ha ha ha ha!

The Wizard of Wor Vox Data.txt

[Nukey Shay]

Some 600+ bytes for your current strings (not counting the wizard laugh portion for ones that use it...which can be done with a flag in the string #). But available romspace is a non-issue when dealing with bankswitched games. Cost difference between 8k and 16k eproms? Who cares? Plus an additional bank would simplify animation and some other things...so there would be an additional 4k block to use for speech.

[iesposta]

...so there would be an additional 4k block to use for speech.

That helps. A whole bank. I just hope the play routine isn't making it go over cycle.

The common endings are "ha ha ha ha" and "the Wizard of Wor."

I figured out I can listen to the words in MAME's sound zip file for WOW so I can get the pitch correct. There are samples for about 143 words and a couple of sentences.

Off to make them...

[Nukey Shay]

No...the VOX driver handles up to a full bank on it's own. And it's performed after VSYNC in this proggy (the current problem lies before VSYNC). I'm guessing that the invisibility check loop is getting bugged somehow. If you recall, that loop was causing problems when it was done during VSYNC (even though the original game had no problems with it there). I guess I should have paid more attention instead of just moving the thing

[iesposta]

Is there really that much interest in a cart?

I have Miniature Golf HD which accousticguitar and Nukey Shay made: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/143211-fs-2600-hack-miniature-golf-hd/#entry1738520

So if that can sell on cartridge, an improved Wizard of Wor with many mazes and one player speech? Hell yeah!

I still only have done about 1/3 of the speech entered.

Nukey, when does your "peak season" at work end???

[Nukey Shay]

When the temperature drops out of summer range.

[CDS Games]

Finally was able to work on this some more. Here's a new version with all the enemy graphics enhanced.

 

WoW8k(fullgfx).bin

 

 

[Nukey Shay]

testing

WoW8k(fullgfx).bin

[iesposta]

testing

Great! I was just an hour ago playing WOW in MAME!

[+Darrin9999]

Nice! Thanks!

[+Omegamatrix]

Would you be able to drop in a left joystick hack?

[iesposta]

I played it on my 7800, and it says 2600 mode. It is broken because it doesn't switch to 7800 mode.

I joke.

Also played on my Sunnyvale Light Sixer. CRT TV.

No screen rolling.

AtariVox only has firing sound, which gets backed up if you string a lot of shots together, Your shooting is done, but the buffer is still playing out shot sounds. Maybe send a silence command? It could still talk AND fire, just dropping the fire sound when taunting (speaking).

I will get to more speech strings. This game will show off the AtariVox+ nicely!

In the future I would like to buy "Wizard of Wor, complete" on cartridge to add to my AtariVox collection.

[iesposta]

Would you be able to drop in a left joystick hack?

Already there.

Just SELECT until only the blue player is there.

[Nukey Shay]

AtariVox only has firing sound, which gets backed up if you string a lot of shots together, Your shooting is done, but the buffer is still playing out shot sounds. Maybe send a silence command? It could still talk AND fire, just dropping the fire sound when taunting (speaking).

 

The shooting sound is only there to confirm that VOX is working. This sound will not be present once the speech strings are added (and there will be a minimum delay period between taunts, so the thing isn't constantly jabbering). Fixing the screen roll and updating the gfx were the only things touched here.

[+save2600]

Is there really that much interest in a cart?

Absolutely! This is turning into one of the more exciting and anticipated hacks ever. Great job guys! Really looking forward to an improved Wizard of Wor Arcade.