Red Baron Flight Simulator and Tris

[+Ksarul]

I've never seen Miniwriter I in a cartridge--I've only seen that one on Cassette or Disk for the Mini Memory. Mini Writer II came as a standard or a "+" version, with the "+" adding a parallel printer port to the front of the cartridge. I have both versions. The same went for the Mini Writer III (and sometimes the label didn't match the contents, as I have seen the "+" variant label on cartridges without the parallel port). These were followed by Wordwriter, Wordwriter Extra, and Beyond Wordwriter. Others in the series were planned, but never actually executed, so far as I've been able to determine. I have all of the ones that I've identified here. Console Calc (with the name later changes to TI Planner) also came in a standard and a "+" variant (for both Console Calc and TI Planner), with the "+" variant adding the parallel printer port. I have all four varieties.

[+Ksarul]

Acadiel, what were the CRU bank switching strings that were being used in the cartridge you did convert? That knowledge will help the rest of us if a conversion attempt is made on the other files. . .

[+acadiel]

Acadiel, what were the CRU bank switching strings that were being used in the cartridge you did convert? That knowledge will help the rest of us if a conversion attempt is made on the other files. . .

 

 

You'd probably have to do a diff on them. Tursi is the one that did the work to adapt it

[Tursi]

I did TI Workshop, but it was straight forward because it did all the paging in a single function. I just had to replace that function. I was able to use Classic99 once I understood the CRU scheme to trap the paging and verify the result.

 

I looked at a second one and its CRU scheme was different, and I didn't look at it for very long.

[+arcadeshopper]

Anyone ever convert red baron from cru?

 

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[x24b]

On the SPADXIII game, is there a printout of the Assembly Source, or XB Code?

 

I would LOVE to study it!

[Airshack]

I also have the cart, but no way to dump it.

Pretty sure Sparkdrummer has one of those GRAM Kracker thingamabobs. Edited August 1, 2017 by Airshack

[Airshack]

On the SPADXIII game, is there a printout of the Assembly Source, or XB Code?

 

I would LOVE to study it!

Same here! Ditto!

[PeteE]

Anyone ever convert red baron from cru?

 

I'll give it a shot, if no one else is already on it.

[+arcadeshopper]

I have a gk also but it's already dumped for mame.

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RedBaron.rpk

Edited August 2, 2017 by arcadeshopper

[PeteE]

Here's the RedBaron cartridge ROM converted from pagedcru to 378, renamed as redbaron8.bin. Finding and patching the bank switch function wasn't too bad... the hard part was realizing there were also strange writes to ROM address >7xxx that were causing unintended bank switches. I put the disassembled a99 files and made notes on the patching process in the zip file in case anyone is interested.

 

Does anyone have a manual scan? I want to know how to fly. EDIT: I think the SPAD XIII manual is the one.

redbaron8.bin

RedBaron_dis.zip

Edited August 3, 2017 by PeteE

[Omega-TI]

Is there a manual in PDF format for this program I can link to in the FR99/FG99 thread?

 

I printed the one you put in your modified post, but I'm having issues getting it to print out correctly.

Edited August 3, 2017 by --- Ω ---

[x24b]

I'll repost my questions here from the Assembly Language thread...

Years ago I tried to disassemble SpadXIII and found it had copy protection.

Does anyone know all of the tricks they used to copy protect it?

I never was able to open the file to see the disassembled program.

With the FinalGROM 99 we will be able to run larger and more involved programs, and coupled with the F18A video capabilities we should be able to create actual simulator type programs.

The programs created may be simple wire-frame affairs, but can be an order of magnitude more sophisticated than SpadXIII.

Flight simulators are not trivial, but even with the limitations of the original hardware SpadXIII was a wonderful product.

It had most of what a flight simulator needs (stripped to the bare minimum).

I'd LOVE to see an updated, sophisticated SpadXIII, or even Flight Simulator equivalent to the green-screen wire-frame Apple version.

Do we know the Author?

Is he/she still around and coding?

Would they release the source so some of us could take a whack at it, or at least study it?

[Keatah]

You must mean A2-FS1, and Bruce Artwick from SubLogic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Artwick

 

I don't know of the source code ever having been released, yet.

The A2-3D2 3-D package used to render the in-game graphics may have had its source published with the package..? Just the rendering engine, not the simulation.

 

But Microsoft purchased the Flight Simulator name, and BAO, and just recently sold it to Lockheed Martin. LM now develops Flight Simulator under the brand name of Prepar3d. So those are some names if anyone is so inclined to track things down.

 

---

 

I wonder if the 99/4a architecture is powerful enough to play Flight Simulator?

 

Edited August 4, 2017 by Keatah

[senior_falcon]

Years ago I tried to disassemble SpadXIII and found it had copy protection.

Does anyone know all of the tricks they used to copy protect it?

I never was able to open the file to see the disassembled program.

TI Gameshelf has a version that is unprotected and you should be able to disassemble that. There is about 32K of program to wade through, so you'll be up a few nights trying to figure it out!

[x24b]

You must mean A2-FS1, and Bruce Artwick from SubLogic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Artwick

 

I don't know of the source code ever having been released, yet.

The A2-3D2 3-D package used to render the in-game graphics may have had its source published with the package..? Just the rendering engine, not the simulation.

 

But Microsoft purchased the Flight Simulator name, and BAO, and just recently sold it to Lockheed Martin. LM now develops Flight Simulator under the brand name of Prepar3d. So those are some names if anyone is so inclined to track things down.

 

---

 

I wonder if the 99/4a architecture is powerful enough to play Flight Simulator?

 

Yes! Bruce Artwick is the man! I've installed Prepar3D on 4 computers so far. All of them have 6 monitors! 2 of them are at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

 

So, I'm hoping the TI has just enough power to host a small world flight simulation. A great touchstone is SPAD XIII, which is also known as Red Baron?

 

4A flyer and another, can't think of the name, were good attempts with basic 4A hardware. But, SPAD XIII was the real thing, just stripped down due to the hardware limitations.

 

If I were to approach a new flight simulator for the 4A I'd use everything I could short of breaking mainstream specs. Mainstream now, to me, is a TI 99/4A with 32k, F18A VGA and the FinalGROM 99 for expanded storage. Expanded storage allows larger and/or more detailed maps. I'm a private pilot, who can't afford to be one full time, so I'd like a flight simulator that incorporates a few of the most important instruments, good physics in a Cessna 172 or Piper Cub.

 

I have no idea if it's possible, but that is my dream and the reason for dusting my 4A off and getting involved with programming again.

 

Thanks for posting.

[x24b]

TI Gameshelf has a version that is unprotected and you should be able to disassemble that. There is about 32K of program to wade through, so you'll be up a few nights trying to figure it out!

 

You good Sir, have handed me the keys to unlocking a 30 year old dream of mine.

 

I will follow up on this and happily trudge through every bit and byte of that program.

 

But, you overestimate my abilities.

 

A few days is what it will take for me to get the software loaded and running, much less disassembled, read, studied and comprehend. I have not programmed in any real way for decades. It might be a year or more to really understand it. But what a happy year that will be!!!

 

Thank you!

[+acadiel]

Here's the RedBaron cartridge ROM converted from pagedcru to 378, renamed as redbaron8.bin. Finding and patching the bank switch function wasn't too bad... the hard part was realizing there were also strange writes to ROM address >7xxx that were causing unintended bank switches. I put the disassembled a99 files and made notes on the patching process in the zip file in case anyone is interested.

 

Does anyone have a manual scan? I want to know how to fly. EDIT: I think the SPAD XIII manual is the one.

 

 

I will see if I have a manual.

 

Is there any way you can do the other CRU conversions I posted earlier in the thread? Awesome job!

[PeteE]

 

 

I will see if I have a manual.

 

Is there any way you can do the other CRU conversions I posted earlier in the thread? Awesome job!

No need to look for a manual, it appears the Spad XIII manual is the same. (But if you could do a scan in higher quality, that one is a little rough)

 

StarGazer is already converted, and Tursi did TI Workshop; so that leaves Beyond Wordwriter and Desktop Publisher. I will attempt those two.

[+acadiel]

No need to look for a manual, it appears the Spad XIII manual is the same. (But if you could do a scan in higher quality, that one is a little rough)

 

StarGazer is already converted, and Tursi did TI Workshop; so that leaves Beyond Wordwriter and Desktop Publisher. I will attempt those two.

Thanks! You rock.

 

Actually, the Stargazer variant in that file was a menu'd version that would let you select SG 1, 2, or 3. It used CRU bankswitching. To my knowledge, the menu'd version hasn't been converted.

 

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[PeteE]

 

I actually have the dump of Red Baron. It was one of those CRU bank switched carts that we still need to adapt to the 378/379 method.

 

I also have a few more DataBiotics CRU bank switched ones that need fixed: Desktop Publisher, Beyond Word Writer, and StarGazer 1-3 (Combo cart).

 

Attached a zip for someone who feels like debugging and changing the bank switching around.

Any chance that Desktop Publisher is 64k? The CRU writes I'm seeing would only make sense if there were 8 banks instead of 4. R12 is set to >0800 and R1 is set to one of >0002, >0008, >0020, >0080, >0200, >0800, >2000, >8000, and loaded using LDCR R1,0. Would it be possible to dump it again?

[+acadiel]

Any chance that Desktop Publisher is 64k? The CRU writes I'm seeing would only make sense if there were 8 banks instead of 4. R12 is set to >0800 and R1 is set to one of >0002, >0008, >0020, >0080, >0200, >0800, >2000, >8000, and loaded using LDCR R1,0. Would it be possible to dump it again?

I can, but it's a 27256, so not sure how it's addressing 64K. Strange.

 

I'll double check it again when I get a chance.

 

 

 

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[PeteE]

I can, but it's a 27256, so not sure how it's addressing 64K. Strange.

 

I'll double check it again when I get a chance.

Thanks. It's possible the CRU bits are combined logically to map to 4 banks. Knowing what was in each bank for the upper 4 CRU values would be helpful in converting the ROM. I guess there's not that many combinations, I could just try some until it works.

[+acadiel]

Yep, it's 32K.

 

[+Ksarul]

Look at the three links above the ROM chip. I suspect that they were to select for 16K, 32K, or 64K ROM chips, as the PAL was capable of controlling all three sizes. I wonder if the writes to select the unused banks were there as a form of copy protection?