Dino Update

[Captain Cozmos]

Here is just a bit of news who are not following the progress in my profile.

Reworked the walking and ladder routines to not rely on VRAM returning values and sprite offsets.

Now that I have that out of the way I have to get jumping more precise which falls into graphics and size.

 

So, I am now reworking level graphics because the floors are about 2x Tim's size but I also have to fit in the upper graphics and lower messaging.

Then I have to fit boulders and eggs, eggs being 3x deep max.

Then I have to think about the differences of the Apple version's graphics capabilities vs Colecovision 8x8 tiles, bleeding and color limitations per line.

 

So this is the new bottom messaging layout.

 

 

Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a descent looking boulder!

 

I am trying to get a new Tech Demo out by Monday but no guarantees.

 

There is a plan to get at least a one level Demo out within reason but as far as the full game we will see how that goes because this being a polished AAA game I am sure everyone would like a real cartridge with label, instructions, Box for their collection.  This is not on my mind right now, just finishing the game is the priority.

 

CC
 

[Captain Cozmos]

The Evolution of a classic.

 

Finished the static portion of things.
Meaning, I have all the base levels of where the floors will permanently be as far as distances between each other, eggs, boulders.

 

The completed game each of the 10 levels will be procedural generated maps but the spacing will remain the same.

So now I am working on some art at the top.

The completed game the spider mound changes positions as well as the sun and moon (not currently shown).
Being as I am updating the game, I would like to have an animated sky within reason.

Edited September 11, 2022 by Captain Cozmos

[Captain Cozmos]

OK, done for tonight

Making a mountain range look organic in 8 bit is not as easy as you think.

[zyzzle]

Looking great, thanks very much for the update; this is going to be fantastic. Couple of suggestions, intended in the most optimistic spirit:

1. Boulders look *great*. Very organic

2. Make tiles of the dirt in levels a bit more organic, if possible. Looks a little too repetitve

3. Give Tim a little more room on the top level. I noticed it's a bit shorter than the others (only about 3/4 as high), and the top mountain scene is slightly too large / takes a lot of screen real-estate (but, it looks *great*!). This might be a limitation of CV in that it needs to be a multiple of x4 lines?

 

Thank you for taking on this project, and I just love the progress you're making.

[Captain Cozmos]

The ledges are temporary in order to get the mechanics correct.
I think I will make them like my other version with hanging moss.
But when I updated everything to put the above artwork I took everything into consideration of double the height of Tim +2 pixels.
 

The other factor is that I want to make the best version released graphically and any other improvements which means better landscapes that may be animated in the end.

We will see because I want to use every bit of the 32k rom space.

Honestly, do you want a clone that you can get from TOSEC or do you want something new for 2022/2023?

Here is another thought....
Why were there no transporters in the Colecovision version of Miner 2049er?
Or a whole new maze in pitfall 2 after you complete the first one on the 5200 version?

Let me give you something new instead of a one to one port.  Or at least I will try.

 

You are correct though in that the Apple 2 version which is 256x192 uses the top 24 pixels where as mine is currently using 40 so I might tighten up by 8 but again, we will see.  I worked 9 hours on that landscape.

Edited September 11, 2022 by Captain Cozmos

[zyzzle]

If my memory is correct, the Apple II version is 280x192 pixels.

 

It's up to you how you make Dino Eggs. Whatever you come up with will be appreciated and wonderful! The original spirit of the game, in my opinion, should be maintained. It's not the goal to make an exact, carbon-copy clone. The little extra flourishes would be neat. However, I wouldn't stray too far from the original game play, which was such a fun experience for many of us almost 40 years ago. It's what we remember.

[retroillucid]

22 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said:

 

Making a mountain range look organic in 8 bit is not as easy as you think.

 

Hope it helps!

[Captain Cozmos]

2 hours ago, zyzzle said:

If my memory is correct, the Apple II version is 280x192 pixels.

 

It's up to you how you make Dino Eggs. Whatever you come up with will be appreciated and wonderful! The original spirit of the game, in my opinion, should be maintained. It's not the goal to make an exact, carbon-copy clone. The little extra flourishes would be neat. However, I wouldn't stray too far from the original game play, which was such a fun experience for many of us almost 40 years ago. It's what we remember.

I'll see what I can do, Tim was 17 pixels tall and not a sprite so I won't hold that against him.
Despite the original being programed in 40 column mode and shape tables I worked some magic to get the message center at the bottom to fit everything inside the rectangles.  Everything else does not matter in the long run.
 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Captain Cozmos

[Captain Cozmos]

Status update on my page

[Captain Cozmos]

 

I started programing the Colecovision ADAM back in 1984.  Amateur work at best before I went on to the Amiga series.

I just found a bug in my code from all of these years in my animation table that would randomly glitch.  Fixed after almost 40 years.

I had to resize the screen in order to fit everything but I am still determined to make this game a "COLECOVISION" game and not Apple 2.

I have updated Tim's graphics and Animation plus the backgrounds.  The upper portion will have to be limited but I will do my best.

The other upper graphic was too large as some of you have pointed out.

 

As I mentioned on my page.  Until I receive a written agreement from the original author giving me permission to create this game I am not going to go past Tim's mechanics demo.

I would hate to work 6 or so months on this and not have the ability to do as I please with it.  Mr. Schroeder will receive credit for the original game and if this sells, unless he turns it down, he will receive some type of compensation but again, without something in writing I do not want to take a the chance of him pulling the plug after so much hard work.

 

So, with that.

I have a few more bugs and the upper graphic.

Jumping works.  Even from ladder.

falling through holes works.

can not walk through ground patterns.

Almost there but not quite.

 

CC

 

 

 

[imstarryeyed]

@Captain Cozmos

 

Have you reached out to David Schroeder yet about Dino Eggs?  I remember him on this forum when he was announcing Dino Eggs Rebirth on Steam.  I posted in that thread.  He seemed like a super nice guy and I would not be surprised if he was cool with your awesome project.   I hope your project comes to fruition, as it is looking like an amazing game that will fill a much needed hole in Coleco!

 

 

 

[Captain Cozmos]

3 hours ago, imstarryeyed said:

@Captain Cozmos

 

Have you reached out to David Schroeder yet about Dino Eggs?  I remember him on this forum when he was announcing Dino Eggs Rebirth on Steam.  I posted in that thread.  He seemed like a super nice guy and I would not be surprised if he was cool with your awesome project.   I hope your project comes to fruition, as it is looking like an amazing game that will fill a much needed hole in Coleco!

 

 

 

I have been in email contact with him.  He sent me a couple pages of code and data.

 

We are on good terms but we also live in reality.

Now I am at the point where all the code I have written on the Colecovision is looking and acting like the original Dino Eggs which he created almost 40 years back.

I am no expert on copywrite, abandonware or any of those matters and it is only common sense to not spend a tremendous amount of work on something without a signed document giving you permission.

 

Besides, the guy has been cool to me and answered my emails, Dino Eggs is his creation so who am I to screw with something that belongs to him.

 

But it's all good, I emailed him and I'll update the community what's what.

 

CC

[imstarryeyed]

Thank you for the update, I found David to be a real nice fellow and it was a pleasure communicating with him during this Dino Eggs Rebirth launch.  Thank you for keeping us in the loop and let me know if I can be of any service to your project.

 

 

[Captain Cozmos]

Still working on this but have run into a snag on distribution.
Yes, I have reached out to several players in the field.  Being as only one is on AA and others will get your post deleted.

So, if I distribute the game myself I am wondering how I can keep it cost effective without taking a huge financial loss.
I have enough pcb's, cartridge shells and chips for around 100 units but that does not include the box's, labels and goodies.

 

[imstarryeyed]

Would a pre-order work for you?  That way you can offset the high initial cost of the units.  I would not mind getting a preorder in, it seems to be they others sell here I think.

 

I think Leo Brophy here on AA creates and sells his own games (Tank Mission, Mr Turtle, Boot Hill) and also uses a Etsy store to sell his products when he has a few made up to be sold. He might be a good person to ask about how he manages to keep selling his games without financially killing him?

 

I am glad you are considering moving forward with your project!  I am looking forward to seeing how your next update may be.

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by imstarryeyed

[Captain Cozmos]

Thanks.

No pre orders, no go fund me.

I am actively working on this but at the same time I will not take a dime until it is ready.  Then again it may end up vaporware.
I am however finding that I may distribute this myself.  I do not need to bore you with the politics but maybe it is for the best.

 

I prioritized this and passed Diablo to Jim Walters a couple of months ago.  From what I understand Mr. Walters is a Master Coleco ADAM programmer that created all of this great software in the 90's for the ADAM.

You can find a working Diablo rom, with a few bugs, I compiled somewhere in one of these threads for proof of concept.

 

In a Face Book post, before I gave it to him through NIAD, he claimed that he was just about done with his version so I would contact NIAD or Mr. Walters about the status.
If anything his Diablo should hold you guys until I am done with DE.

I live in Florida so the hurricane set me back a bit for cleanup, insurance claims, repairs and all of that but I am slowly getting back to schedule.
You waited 35 years+ for this, a while longer will not sting that much.

 

CC

[NIAD]

12 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said:

Thanks.

No pre orders, no go fund me.

I am actively working on this but at the same time I will not take a dime until it is ready.  Then again it may end up vaporware.
I am however finding that I may distribute this myself.  I do not need to bore you with the politics but maybe it is for the best.

Good Luck with the completion and figuring out production and distribution.

12 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said:

I prioritized this and passed Diablo to Jim Walters a couple of months ago.  From what I understand Mr. Walters is a Master Coleco ADAM programmer that created all of this great software in the 90's for the ADAM.

You can find a working Diablo rom, with a few bugs, I compiled somewhere in one of these threads for proof of concept.

 

In a Face Book post, before I gave it to him through NIAD, he claimed that he was just about done with his version so I would contact NIAD or Mr. Walters about the status.
If anything his Diablo should hold you guys until I am done with DE.

Well, Jim Walters did first post about his port of Diablo on June 9th, which was well over a month before you did on July 21st. Without searching further, I think I even posted about Jim W's progress here on AtariAge. While no one can claim the conversion rights to someone else's program/game/code, it is best in a small community to try to all work together so as not to duplicate work.

 

 

[Captain Cozmos]

28 minutes ago, NIAD said:

Good Luck with the completion and figuring out production and distribution.

Well, Jim Walters did first post about his port of Diablo on June 9th, which was well over a month before you did on July 21st. Without searching further, I think I even posted about Jim W's progress here on AtariAge. While no one can claim the conversion rights to someone else's program/game/code, it is best in a small community to try to all work together so as not to duplicate work.

 

 

And your point is?
A) At present whomever can release Diablo, I make no claims to it.
B) I seem to be the only one who actually released a working rom rather than rumors.  This basically took two days of rewriting some code and then recompiling.
C) Good luck to Mr. Walter's.  He can release it, sell it, do whatever he want's with it.

 

You seem to go to great lengths to prove something Mr. NIAD, pictures cut and paste and all, yet I'm not sure what it is.  But again, all yours/Walters or the man on the moon.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Captain Cozmos

[Captain Cozmos]

After a few weeks off which included a hurricane.  Here is an update to the Dino Eggs tech Demo.
No doubt there are a few bugs like jumping into a hole does not register.

I rewrote several routines and basically the entire graphics in order to fit as much on screen as the original.
I decided to redo the graphics at top.

There are more variables that I can shake a stick at all in prep for random screens, holes, ladder positions and changing graphics in the final game.

I rewrote the ladder routine which led to a new bug in the jumping off ladders which I am too tired to work on tonight.

Ladders are easily able to go up and down.

More animations, more colors, more rocks.

 

please leave feedback so I can improve this as much as possible.

 

 

Dino Eggs v14.rom

Edited October 12, 2022 by Captain Cozmos

[NIAD]

7 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said:

And your point is?
A) At present whomever can release Diablo, I make no claims to it.
B) I seem to be the only one who actually released a working rom rather than rumors.  This basically took two days of rewriting some code and then recompiling.
C) Good luck to Mr. Walter's.  He can release it, sell it, do whatever he want's with it.

 

You seem to go to great lengths to prove something Mr. NIAD, pictures cut and paste and all, yet I'm not sure what it is.  But again, all yours/Walters or the man on the moon.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

 

Words have meaning and your words came across as very condescending towards Jim Walters even if that is not how you meant them when you typed them.

 

Then you go on to say that “I gave it to him”. You can’t give away something that doesn’t belong to you in the first place and not to be a hypocrite, it doesn’t belong to Jim Walters either. Jim W. may finish it or he may not, so if you feel like finishing it, be my guest.

 

Pictures are worth a thousand words.

[Captain Cozmos]

3 minutes ago, NIAD said:

Words have meaning and your words came across as very condescending towards Jim Walters even if that is not how you meant them when you typed them.

 

Then you go on to say that “I gave it to him”. You can’t give away something that doesn’t belong to you in the first place and not to be a hypocrite, it doesn’t belong to Jim Walters either. Jim W. may finish it or he may not, so if you feel like finishing it, be my guest.

 

Pictures are worth a thousand words.

I have no clue nor care about Mr. Walters, he is not a relative and we have never spoke.
Please take your gripes to PM.
I created this thread for the Dino Eggs game updates and distribution.

Edited October 12, 2022 by Captain Cozmos

[Captain Cozmos]

Dino Update v15

Tightened up the code, reduced the size of the rom
adjusted the width of the ladders.

More stuff under the hood.

 

Don't worry, the next one will have the newly introduced ladder jump bug and landing in a gap while jumping fixes instead of these maintenance releases.

Do you like his Green Helmet or do you prefer something more sheik?

I was thinking of giving Tim some Antennae or a yellow streak up the front like Fallout.

I put in some pause routines to slow things down until I add more objects to the game in order to take up cycles.
What is your opinion on the speed compared to the original vs European standards if you run it in pal.

 

Dino Eggs v15.rom

Edited October 12, 2022 by Captain Cozmos

[Captain Cozmos]

; TODO:  IN ORDER OF PRIORITY

; PUSHING UP CENTER TIM AT TOP OF LADDER
; PUSHING DOWN AT BOTTOM OF LADDER CENTERS TIM AS WELL AS PUSH TIM DOWN 2 PIXELS
; ADJUST LADDER JUMP
; ADJUST JUMP LANDING IN HOLE
; ADD SOUND

; FINISH GRAPHICS UPDATES, TOP GRAPHIC, RANDOM GRASS, RANDOM SPIDER MOUND SPAWN
; ADJUST JUMP FROM LADDER ANIMATION

 

 

Please add to this at your leisure

[zyzzle]

23 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said:

Do you like his Green Helmet or do you prefer something more sheik?

I was thinking of giving Tim some Antennae or a yellow streak up the front like Fallout.

I put in some pause routines to slow things down until I add more objects to the game in order to take up cycles.
What is your opinion on the speed compared to the original vs European standards if you run it in pal.

 

Dino Eggs v15.rom 5.32 kB · 10 downloads

Looking excellent! I like the green helmet, gives Tim a little style, others may prefer white, though. Didn't the original have him with antennae, or was that Rockford in Balderdash?? The look of the levels is now very organic, and I think the top level has been fixed to more accurately give that level a bit more room. As to speed, I like a fast Tim vs. a slow Tim for obvious reasons (game would be a little harder with the increased level of speed of spiders, dinos, snakes, but also "easier" to move around levels, too. If you want to "compromise" climbing ladders fast while Tim moves at "normal" speed would be OK. 

 

As it stands now, the speed is a bit faster than the original Apple 2 version. But, I was at NTSC land, in USA, so was used to 60fps vs 50 fps of PAL in Europe.

 

Have you thought about how you're going to implement the "Dino Mom" attacks routine yet? I think D. Schroeder has said that the "randomness" / entropy of that organic attack pattern scales of Dino Mom's skin, etc was ingeniously generated from that Apple IIs stack counter data!

 

I am most grateful that you're treating this as an A-level release and that Mr Scroeder is OK with it, as his fabulous game will live on 40 years after creation. That's pretty immortal, he should be proud!

 

As to the physical distribution of the game, I have not idea, but I can hope that you'll also offer a ROM-only edition and / or download as well! Physically distributing the game, producing packaging, PCBs, glossy documentation, et al will probably be a great effort.

[imstarryeyed]

Tried out the new version, looking good.  Like zyzzle said, Tim's speed appears to be a little too fast and his jump arc seems off but I like the flow very much.

 

The ladders seem to work well as far as getting on and off now, that is great.

 

I am looking forward to your next version.

 

This one other than the jumping from a ladder bug, seems pretty stable.