A.R.T.I. [Done]

[tkarner]

Anyone else getting crashes with the 2a build? I'm playing on a Dragonfly and it keeps crashing seemingly randomly. Screen just goes solid yellow. I wish I could provide more info but it just crashes at different parts of the game. Sometimes it happens a couple levels in, sometimes later. Only made it as far as Egypt once. Didn't have this issue with the previous demo.

[Kroll]

Just a moment ago I played a little, but with me it happened completely different, I never once got a yellow screen on the first 7 levels, I seem to have reached Egypt, but I could no longer start the game because I got the whole orange screen and the game crashed. I have an A7800 PAL with DragonFly.

[+Muddyfunster]

Thanks for the feeedback,

 

Not sure why you are getting the crashes, something I need to look into. 

 

This rom was tested a lot on Dragonfly (and 7800GD) and I didn't get the crashes you are seeing.

 

One thing I would add is that this is an NTSC ROM. It will work on PAL but it's optimised for PAL in any way (yet).

[Trebor]

7 hours ago, tkarner said:

Anyone else getting crashes with the 2a build? I'm playing on a Dragonfly and it keeps crashing seemingly randomly. Screen just goes solid yellow. I wish I could provide more info but it just crashes at different parts of the game. Sometimes it happens a couple levels in, sometimes later. Only made it as far as Egypt once. Didn't have this issue with the previous demo.

3 hours ago, Kroll said:

Just a moment ago I played a little, but with me it happened completely different, I never once got a yellow screen on the first 7 levels, I seem to have reached Egypt, but I could no longer start the game because I got the whole orange screen and the game crashed. I have an A7800 PAL with DragonFly.

Is the latest firmware for DragonFly installed?

[Kroll]

I have 1.09 firmware installed on my DF. I managed to reach Egypt 3 times the 1st and 3rd time the game crashed (see post above) the second time I started playing the first level in Egypt but I died. So it is also some random thing.

[+Muddyfunster]

@Kroll thanks, I'll take a look at this later this afternoon. Seems Egypt is having some issues.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

@Muddyfunster I've played through this demo several times and haven't had any lock up issues although I did notice one very minor thing and one other thing that I do think is a bit important.

 

The minor issue is that at least on the Egypt level screens that are dark, when you use the TNT and the flicker effect is taking place, that there is some graphical glitching that occurs. This is especially seen on the spike walls near the top of them.

 

The more important issue, is that you when you complete the demo, you are taken back to the main menu screen. What about the score or the ability to enter your name in the high score section? Seems this only comes up when you loose all of your lives prior to completing the demo. So the demo and I would assume the game eventually, should take you back to the high score screen to enter in your initials once complete.

 

BTW I've been playing the demo on my 7800GD thus far through s-video output on my main 7800 that also has a Kiloparsec BIOS installed. My 7800 has the bodge deglitch cap from the factory added off pin 25 of the 6502. I've never removed it or disabled it since I've not encountered any issues with games I've played on this console.

 

 

[+Muddyfunster]

10 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

The more important issue, is that you when you complete the demo, you are taken back to the main menu screen. What about the score or the ability to enter your name in the high score section? Seems this only comes up when you loose all of your lives prior to completing the demo. So the demo and I would assume the game eventually, should take you back to the high score screen to enter in your initials once complete.

The final game will of course give the player the opportunity record a highscore if they complete it. (....if....).

 

I can make a quick adjustment for the demo to allow a score to be added if you get to the end.

 

15 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

The minor issue is that at least on the Egypt level screens that are dark, when you use the TNT and the flicker effect is taking place, that there is some graphical glitching that occurs. This is especially seen on the spike walls near the top of them.

If you can grab a screenshot of this, it would be super helpful.

 

 

 

[+bhall408]

21 hours ago, Dan Iacovelli said:

Argon still has the December version up,

Whenever @Muddyfunster is ready/OK with it, we could either replace the older version with the new one, or have a 2nd entry for the new one.

 

[+Muddyfunster]

Updated Public Demo 2b.

 

Allows saving a highscore after completing the demo. around 47,000 would be considered a good score

 

@bhall408 @raz0red Happy for you guys to add this to JS7800 + ARGON 👍

 

I'll keep investigating the crashes but so far I'm unable to replicate. (always the way!).

 

 

 

 

[+Muddyfunster]

Replaces 2b.

 

[+bhall408]

1 hour ago, Muddyfunster said:

@bhall408 @raz0red Happy for you guys to add this to JS7800 + ARGON 👍

 

We'll get it added.

 

Are you expecting a 2d version imminently?

 

[Kroll]

@Muddyfunster Two time I was played on version 2b and now 2 time 2c and in total I reached Egypt 4 times, not once did I get the same error as before, so far my score is I die at level 9 and score about 40 thousand :). But most importantly the game did not crash, further tests in progress

[+Muddyfunster]

11 minutes ago, Kroll said:

@Muddyfunster Two time I was played on version 2b and now 2 time 2c and in total I reached Egypt 4 times, not once did I get the same error as before, so far my score is I die at level 9 and score about 40 thousand :). But most importantly the game did not crash, further tests in progress

Great stuff

 

Please keep me posted and thanks for the feedback. It's always appreciated.

[+Muddyfunster]

39 minutes ago, bhall408 said:

We'll get it added.

 

Are you expecting a 2d version imminently?

 

God help me if I ever release version 3d.

[Kroll]

@Muddyfunster I have just finished level 9 and Demo nr 2 I played a few more times once it happened to me that after going to Egypt maybe I pressed Fire too fast on the board between levels 8 and 9, but it could be just a coincidence that the orange screen appeared and the game crashed.

[John Stamos Mullet]

On 8/5/2023 at 11:25 AM, Muddyfunster said:

A new demo of A.R.T.I. is available !

 

• ROM is 256k and will not work on a standard Concerto (sorry Concerto folks)

 

 

 

ARTI_Public_Demo2a.a78 256.13 kB · 46 downloads

Edited August 6, 2023 by John Stamos Mullet

[John Stamos Mullet]

2 hours ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

That is to say, until whichever comes first, CEM #1 or if I break down and order a GD7800. 

[Trebor]

8 hours ago, Muddyfunster said:

God help me if I ever release version 3d.

If glasses were supplied, all would be forgiven.

 

[tkarner]

Just tried 2c. Still crashing randomly with the yellow screen of death. Playing on NTSC 7800 with Dragonfly. Not sure how to check/update Dragonfly firmware. A link with instructions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Trebor]

20 hours ago, tkarner said:

Just tried 2c. Still crashing randomly with the yellow screen of death. Playing on NTSC 7800 with Dragonfly. Not sure how to check/update Dragonfly firmware. A link with instructions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Latest firmware is available to download here.

 

To update to the above firmware, ensure to leverage the latest software update download, including an update to the CPLD portion here.

 

Directions per included Readme file in the software update download:

 

To update the CPLD in DragonFly, you can use:
1.) of the Altera Max Plus II v10.2 software. It works only with the Byte Blaster programmer for the parallel port.

2.) Quartus v13 sp1. It works with both the Byte Blaster programmer (LPT port) and the USB Blaster programmer.

The advantage of the Byte Blaster programmer is that it is very simple to build, it is only one 74LS244 chip, LPT socket and several wires.

-------------------------------------

To update the program for AVR, save the "dragon.bin" file to the root directory of the SD card, insert the card into the
cartridge slot and turn on its power. The work of the bootloader will be signaled by an appropriate message.
After a successful update, please delete dragon.bin from your SD card.

-------------------------------------

ATTENTION!
***Do not update AVR to v1.09 if you will not update CPLD.***
***In the first step, update AVR to v1.09, only then you can update CPLD.***

 

Additional items and helpful links:

Link to the Altera Max Plus II program: https://megawrzuta.pl/download/88d9fdc523fa7c121df93442c5f27399.html

 

Quartus II can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/software-kit/711920/intel-quartus-ii-subscription-edition-design-software-version-13-0sp1-for-windows.html

Quartus can also be downloaded for Linux.

You do not need to download everything, as I remember correctly, all you need is the main program (Intel® Quartus® II Software (includes Nios® II EDS)) and the addition to the Max7000 series (Intel® MAX® II, Intel® MAX® V, Intel® MAX® 3000, Intel® MAX® 7000 Device Support).

 

USB Blaster (CPLD/FPGA Programmer) can be acquired here.

[Flashback]

It works fine with my (updated) Dragonfly + PAL Console

[raz0red]

My apologies for the delay,

A.R.T.I. Demo 2C is now available via JS7800 along with global high score support:

A.R.T.I. Demo 2C

Thanks a lot for such a great game!
Chris.
 

[tkarner]

So the yellow screen of death I mentioned earlier is most likely not a problem with the game because I just got the same crash with another homebrew (Block'Em Sock'Em). Time to update the Drangonfly...

[+Pac-Lander]

Played Demo 2c through to the end on BupSystem without any crashes or glitches. 

Looks/sounds/plays fantastic. 🤘