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cc65: TextAdv/Atari8 port: crt0.s file too big!


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Hi!  I am working on porting a text adventure to the AtariXL.  This text adventure is coded using cc65, and I have text adventure codes based on this designed at c65 additions - Manage /game at SourceForge.net.  The latter are called AdvSkel65 and AdvSkelVic65.  AdvSkelVic65 is for memory-constrained systems such as the Vic20 and unexpanded C16 and supports the Atari800 and its cartridges, while AdvSkel65 is for some 64 and 128k systems such as the AtariXL, and the AtariXL version can use MemXAtari to get 128k RAM.  If you want further info and don't want to download anything to get it, they are listed on Tools - Plus/4 World (powweb.com) under Programming.  The problem I'm having is that the Atari8 version's size is way larger than the other ports.  I just looked at the crt0.s file I'm using, and it is huge.  I'm able to and did disable the calls to initlib and donelib and call _main directly instead of through callmain.  I've also been using AtaSimpleIO instead of cc65's standard and conio libraries for text.  I'm wondering why this is so and what I can do to optimize this figure.

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I gained about 1k by moving code out of the main file and into the Atari8's Low memory via my Cubbyhole optimization technique then gained another .5k by killing the system check but am looking for other ways to optimize the text adventure.  BTW, I'm using AtaDisk65 for drive access.

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Earlier today, at my day program, I extended a Cubbyhole section four times, and on the first two times, the emulator crashed. On the second two times, the emulated machine locked up.  I also found the source of a critical bug in the program a few days ago: a few zeropage variables were defined improperly: they were at first a direct copy-and-paste job from the C64 version, and a few of the variables were defined by equates to unused C64 zeropage variables, and I think it was overwriting a piece of data with another.  I fixed that bug.  I'm still doing well here: now, the main file size is down to 9.70k.  I'm about to upload what I have now.

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1. I'll show you how my game experience looked like:

image.thumb.png.ca02e43497bd1489a1c44097e7587d30.png

image.thumb.png.382992a35faa757e4e42de587b813985.png

and basically the whole attempt to play the game is a fighting to find an usable keyword.

2. There are no descriptions of surroundings at all. "You are home", "you are in Malgon Supplies" etc. therefore the whole game feels like an empty shell.

3. Your SourceForge page is a mess, attach the game to the forum post to make it easier to find for potential players.

4. It's not Facebook here, nobody is really interested in posts like this one 

 

Edited by ilmenit
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ilmenit: I'm sorry for the lack-of-polish.  :(  I tried.  In the first room, try "answer phone."  By "surroundings," do you mean what's in the current room or what happens when you go to a different room?  I attached the files.  I will try to stop updating the people here on my progress with my programs unless I have something new to release.  I thank you for your honest opinion.

smir3_1atari_prv_001.zip smir3atari_prv_001.txt

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30 minutes ago, Harry Potter said:

I'm sorry for the lack-of-polish.  :(  I tried.  In the first room, try "answer phone."

You need to give a better description of where you are, just like @ilmenit said, prime example of the phone, it should

have said "There is a Video-Phone here, it's ringing"

Giving you a better idea of what's required.

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1 hour ago, Harry Potter said:

ilmenit: I'm sorry for the lack-of-polish.  :(  I tried.  In the first room, try "answer phone."  By "surroundings," do you mean what's in the current room or what happens when you go to a different room?  I attached the files.  I will try to stop updating the people here on my progress with my programs unless I have something new to release.  I thank you for your honest opinion.

smir3_1atari_prv_001.zip 12.43 kB · 0 downloads smir3atari_prv_001.txt 2.02 kB · 1 download

If the parser is limited, I'd propose to either create a help (either in-game or text file) with a list of available keywords, or make the game around limited set like "use" instead of multiple options to guess.

By description of surroundings I mean a description of the environment where player is. "you are home" - how the home looks like? Is it big mansion, a tiny cabin or a dirty flat? Compare it vs random example from https://iplayif.com/?story=https%3A%2F%2Fifarchive.org%2Fif-archive%2Fgames%2Ftads%2FGunMute.t3

"Radiation Plains

Rolling dunes stretch in every direction, ending in a distant horizon broken only by a few low, jagged mountains. A small pile of sticks burns here, sending a thin trail of black smoke into the ruddy dawn sky." - it a picturesque description of player surroundings. Even the oldest games like Zork 1 had basic ones:

"West of House

You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door."

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ilmenit: The parser is not actually limited: I just didn't realize that I needed more than just "answer phone" to answer the phone.  Apparently, I forgot to mention this the startup screen, but typing "intro" will give you some instructions on how to interact with the game.  Sorry for not mentioning this.  :(

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