Kroll & Prumni Sci-fi Wargame

[+Vorticon]

I am happy to finally release Kroll & Prumni, a Sci-fi themed wargame based on the 1979 boardgame of the same name (http://zargosl.free.fr/kroll-UK.html). 

This is a large project written in XB with assembly language support, spanning 3 separate programs, written over the course of a year. It is slow-going tactical game of planetary colonization and space warfare, so definitely not an arcade-style game. You have been warned

This game requires a TIPI with a USB mouse because most of the UI is mouse-based, along with 32K RAM and a DSDD drive, although the latter will likely not be needed since the game files can be dropped into a TIPI folder for much faster access. Any flavor of XB can be used, but I would recommend Senior Falcon's XB GEM 2.8 because it has a lightning fast assembly loader which will speed up initial game load times. 

Also the game is fully playable using the Classic 99 emulator which now supports the TIPI mouse.

 

The game is completely freeware. I made 5 physical signed copies of the game (all already spoken for I'm afraid) and will not be making more, but feel free to make your own as you please.

 

 

That was a fun project

Kroll & Prumni Manual Combined.pdf

 

KROLL.dsk

[Switch1995]

Congratulations on the release!  Looking forward to checking it out.  

[+FarmerPotato]

This is my favorite genre. Thank you for your year-long creative effort!
 

I’ve got to try out the Tipi mouse stuff…

[Rick Thornquist]

Wow, looks awesome. So looking forward to trying it!

 

- Rick

[+eebuckeye]

Very nice!  The manual looks incredible too!

[+Vorticon]

7 hours ago, FarmerPotato said:

This is my favorite genre. Thank you for your year-long creative effort!
 

I’ve got to try out the Tipi mouse stuff…

Thanks! The bulk of the effort was debugging and fine-tuning the AI. Hopefully it will provide a decent challenge. The TIPI mouse is really easy to use with XB thanks to Matt's driver, and it opens up a lot of interesting UI possibilities for games and utilities.

I'm working with Senior Falcon to try and compile the beast in order to reduce the computer cogitation time, but we're hitting a few technical snags with the assembly support routines. Harry still thinks its feasible. We'll see.

[+Vorticon]

It looks like a DSSD disk is not large enough to hold the game AND a save file. I never checked this previously as all my testing was done either in a TIPI folder or in a FIAD in Classic 99. 

I've updated the disk image to a DSDD disk for those of you who want to run this from disk either as a DOAD in Classic 99 or on real hardware. For the latter, it makes little sense to use a real floppy since a TIPI is required for the game and space in a TIPI folder is not an issue.

Sorry about that oversight!

[8_is_enuff]

I had the privilege of seeing the game today at the big 40th in Chicago today. The game looks great and I cannot wait to try it. 

 

Also, the game development discussion was fascinating. I didn't realize that an IDE exists that allows powerful structured elements, elements that are translated into good 'ol Extended BASIC. 

 

Really nice work. 

[+OLD CS1]

This is a really cool looking game.  Looking forward to playing.

 

The DSDD works for me as I will not be using a TIPI.  But, I could install it on my SCSI drive, yeah?

[+Vorticon]

40 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

This is a really cool looking game.  Looking forward to playing.

 

The DSDD works for me as I will not be using a TIPI.  But, I could install it on my SCSI drive, yeah?

Thanks! The game expects DSK1. Can you configure a folder on the SCSI as DSK1?

[+OLD CS1]

1 hour ago, Vorticon said:

Thanks! The game expects DSK1. Can you configure a folder on the SCSI as DSK1?

Sadly, no.  The WHT-SCSI DSR appears to have never implemented the DSK emulation.  I can set it on my Myarc 512k RAM, though.  I am just as happy running on a real floppy

[+jedimatt42]

4 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

The DSDD works for me as I will not be using a TIPI.  But, I could install it on my SCSI drive, yeah?

Needs the TIPI mouse from what I heard.

[+OLD CS1]

14 minutes ago, jedimatt42 said:

Needs the TIPI mouse from what I heard.

Ah, I swear I saw that was optional.  I can still play it in Classic99.

[+Vorticon]

Yes the mouse is required. 

[+arcadeshopper]

21 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

Ah, I swear I saw that was optional.  I can still play it in Classic99.

classic99 implements the tipi mouse

 

[+Vorticon]

Quick update: thanks to Senior Falcon's dogged determination to compile this complex program, there is now a beta compiled version which will speed up all aspects of the game signicantly. It's not however quite ready for release yet as there are still numerous details to address, but it's getting there! 

Senior Falcon has put together instructions on how to compile large mixed XB/assembly projects which will be released once everything is finalized. Frankly, if something like K&P can be compiled, then the sky is the limit as far as XB compilation is concerned.

Let's tip our collective hat to Senior Falcon 🙂

 

[Switch1995]

Tip of the hat, indeed!  

[+arcadeshopper]

2 hours ago, Vorticon said:

Quick update: thanks to Senior Falcon's dogged determination to compile this complex program, there is now a beta compiled version which will speed up all aspects of the game signicantly. It's not however quite ready for release yet as there are still numerous details to address, but it's getting there! 

Senior Falcon has put together instructions on how to compile large mixed XB/assembly projects which will be released once everything is finalized. Frankly, if something like K&P can be compiled, then the sky is the limit as far as XB compilation is concerned.

Let's tip our collective hat to Senior Falcon 🙂

 

 

[Elia Spallanzani fdt]

It would be useful to have the computer play against itself, for a turn or several turns.

[InfernalKeith]

Earmarking some hours this weekend to check this out.  Thank you for sharing such an ambitious project with us!  Your work is impressive and inspirational.

[MikeV]

Finally got it working on Classic. For anyone else who might be wondering how, read the "What's New" text file that comes with Classic. I did not know it was TIPI enabled.

 

The game itself is impressive. Very nice screen scrolling, great graphics and quite wonderful to be able to use a mouse again with the TI. The game play is quite challenging. (Not just "shoot em up", you have options.) Quite professionally done. If you have not done so already, you should check it out!

[+Vorticon]

I found a serious bug during my last game session related to a rare edge-case which leads to a complete computer crash requiring a reboot. Attached is the fixed disk image which also includes a minor AI tweak. Sorry about that but I think I've rooted out all bugs at this point. 

 

As for compiling this project, we've run into a major snag related to the size of the AI module. After significant thought, getting this to potentially work would require a major re-factoring of the module with all the complications this entails given the complexity of the program and the time commitment required, so I've decided to keep the game as is. It is perfectly playable in overdrive mode in Classic 99, albeit a little touchy with the mouse controls, for those who would like a speedier experience. I would like to thank Senior Falcon for all the effort he put into trying to get this to work, and we have learned a lot through the process. I definitely will keep those learnings in mind when designing my next project.

 

As a final thought, the AI has kicked my ass with my last game, pulling last minute moves that I had neither anticipated nor programmed specifically which allowed it to snatch a decisive win from what I thought was a comfortable win for me. "How about a nice game of chess?"... 😁

KROLL.dsk