Tower Toppler almost ready!

[Beetle]

Thanx alot, Fandal!

 

Again, great work! And that you were able to fix the known bugs is ... eh, superb! (can't finde the right vocable...)

What do you think, are you able to do a file-version of Midimaze? I dream of a version with altered network-code,

 

As all network modes of Midimaze are based of hardware connected to the SIO-Port of the Atari, it would be great to

have a SIO2PC or Lantronix-USD10 mode added or exchanged with one of the modem-modes. Even a 2-player-mode

with a crossover-Siocable would rock.

 

It's lame to play with dumb drones or get askicked by unfair good ones. Playing with real people would make the game

really cool.

 

Imagine to connect real machines over the internet like it is possible for Telnet'ed BBS.

Wohoo! That would rock.

 

Greetings,

Beetle

[Schmutzpuppe]

Good work.

It's a nice game even if I hate those artefacting stuff.

[_Fandal_]

Thanx alot, Fandal!

 

Again, great work! And that you were able to fix the known bugs is ... eh, superb! (can't finde the right vocable...)

What do you think, are you able to do a file-version of Midimaze? I dream of a version with altered network-code,

 

As all network modes of Midimaze are based of hardware connected to the SIO-Port of the Atari, it would be great to

have a SIO2PC or Lantronix-USD10 mode added or exchanged with one of the modem-modes. Even a 2-player-mode

with a crossover-Siocable would rock.

 

It's lame to play with dumb drones or get askicked by unfair good ones. Playing with real people would make the game

really cool.

 

Imagine to connect real machines over the internet like it is possible for Telnet'ed BBS.

Wohoo! That would rock.

 

Greetings,

Beetle

 

Well, it's interesting idea. File version of MidiMaze with modern network support.

I think it's prossible but MidiMaze is 128 kB cart so file version would require 256 kB of expanded memory...

I'm going to discuss it with Raster and Bob!k of C.P.U. as it would be big project and I'm total lamer in HW.

 

F.

[Fröhn]

Good work.

It's a nice game even if I hate those artefacting stuff.

Why artefacting anyway? You still have only 4 colors and cannot even choose freely which ones you want to have. Plus: it only works on NTSC.

[Gunstar]

Artifacting is just a side-effect that was somtimes used to add limited color in what is really just a B/W or monochrome mode. The point in using the mode was for the high resolution, which is the same as the resolutions (or at least comparible) used in the Amiga, ST and 7800 versions of the game. Just think of 8-bit Nebula/TT as a B/W high res game and if you want to see the fake colors, fine, if not either play it on a PAL set-up or turn down the color on NTSC TV's. I use a Commodore 1084S monitor, with the 8-bit hooked up in chroma/lumina(S-video) mode, and there is a button on the back of the monitor that effectively turns the artifacting on and off, so I can enjoy the game either way with the sharpest possible picture for the 8-bit.

 

There are several English/European titles that were done in graphics 8 (or similiar) high res mode on the 8-bit that were only ever intended to be B/W games, but if you play them on an NTSC Atari they too have artifacted coloring, which sometimes looks good and sometimes doesn't. The colors besides B/W are dependant on your particular TV/monitor and the tint settings too (NTSC), but are generally either seen as purple&green or redish/blueish colors. But they do look like old-school PC EGA graphics that also used B/W and purple&green colors in graphics.

 

Personally, I think this was a bad choice on the part of the programmer, and he should have chosen to go in a lower resolution and use color, including DLI's and other FX and the game would have looked much closer to the Amiga/ST/7800/C64 versions. But it is still TT/Nebulas, and still a fun game, and being in B/W mode makes it unique and quaint, IMHO. I would think that a resourceful prorammer/hacker, if they really wanted, and if source code exists, or it's decompiled, that the resolution could be changed and full color displays added. Or at least DLI's added into the monochrome mode tastefully, like for the sky and water and some PM overlays on sprites. For example, our hero Nebulas could still be made green and with DLI'ed PM overlays for shaded color on eyeballs and other enemy sprites.

Edited October 15, 2006 by Gunstar

[Fröhn]

The point in using the mode was for the high resolution, which is the same as the resolutions (or at least comparible) used in the Amiga, ST and 7800 versions of the game.

You forgot C64

[Kr0tki]

Actually, the C64 verson used low-res for the playfield.

[MEtalGuy66]

Wow.. Thats a DAMN DECENT version...

 

compares quite favorably with the AMIGA version, all things considered..

[Gunstar]

The point in using the mode was for the high resolution, which is the same as the resolutions (or at least comparible) used in the Amiga, ST and 7800 versions of the game.

You forgot C64

 

No, I didn't. I was including only the versions I have played.

[Gunstar]

Actually, the C64 verson used low-res for the playfield.

 

That I didn't know. But if it does use a lower res, that just strengthens the point that a lower res, color 8-bit version could have been done, and even more colorfully than the C64 version, if DLI's where used with skies and water similiar to the Amiga and ST versions. this type of vertical scroller is perfect for DLI colored play fields.

 

Anyway, I've been playing this 8-bit version and I do have to say that it is sluggish compared to the ST version (I've played the Amiga version, but don't own it), but it plays almost identically to the 7800 version, as one would expect since the same programmer did both. It even looks identical except for the huge drop in color. After playing for a while, I even started to like the artifact coloring rather than playing in B/W and of course the bonus levels have more color and mixed resolutions with the fantastic parallax scrolling. Also, on the bonus levels, the game is as quick as the ST version, where as the 7800 version is still much more sluggish. But I first came to love Tower Toppler/Nebulas on the 7800, so the speed seemed right then since I had never tried another version until a couple years ago. Overall I like the 8-bit version just as much as the others, it's down right frustratingly fun and addictive no matter what system I've played it on.

 

Going back to earlier when the discussion was over why one would want to use artifact coloring, since only "4" unchangable colors could be used; I have a high-res 8-bit paint program that actually creates a rainbow of colors by using different fill patterns, so it is possible to make it even more colorful (on NTSC 8-bits). Some NTSC programmers really learned to make the most of NTSC artifacting and actually turned what disbelievers consider a bad side effect into a very good side effect on Atari 8-bits. Some very cool colors can be acheived by combining patterns of artifacting color with DLI's and create even more false colors. Remember that high-res "monchrome" NTSC 8-bit modes have a choice of 128 color pallette to choose two shades of the same color from, and when this is combined with DLIs and the artifacting effect wonderous things happen on the screen. The paint program I have has a pattern editor that allows you to do just this. I'll look for that program and get the name and maybe post the image or leave a link to it.

Edited October 19, 2006 by Gunstar

[dely]

Gunstar, nice avatar

[Fröhn]

Actually, the C64 verson used low-res for the playfield.

The A8 version uses lores for the tower too due to the way the rotation is done.

[_Fandal_]

Hi all!

 

In the attachment you can find source code of my file version with my comments in Czech language Source code is designed for use with MADS.

 

And here's the list of cheats I found in original cart dump:

 

CTRL+number = level teleport

SELECT (pause) -> CTRL+SELECT+ENTER -> SELECT = teleport to the top of tower (don't use on elevators!)

 

F.

tt.zip

[Wrathchild]

Hi,

 

Is the music too fast under PAL due to it being a US release?

Is the table at L_8614_0A a note-length, e.g. increments of 6

for an NTSC machine = 1/10 sec, so could be change to

$05,$0A,$0F etc for PAL?

 

I notice too a dodgy way they install/leave the vbi:

jsr $C272 ;A05F 20 5C E4 ; nahozeni VBI

and

jmp $C28A ;BF8D 4C 62 E4 ; zmena - odskok z VBI

So this could crash under some O/S's?

 

Regards,

Mark

[_Fandal_]

Hi,

 

Is the music too fast under PAL due to it being a US release?

Is the table at L_8614_0A a note-length, e.g. increments of 6

for an NTSC machine = 1/10 sec, so could be change to

$05,$0A,$0F etc for PAL?

 

 

I tried to run it on PAL/NTSC and I don't think music is faster under PAL. Or am I wrong?

 

 

I notice too a dodgy way they install/leave the vbi:

jsr $C272 ;A05F 20 5C E4 ; nahozeni VBI

and

jmp $C28A ;BF8D 4C 62 E4 ; zmena - odskok z VBI

So this could crash under some O/S's?

 

Regards,

Mark

 

I had to change it to JSR $C272 as I'm using memory under OS (8kB in area $D800-$F800). And my file version is designed for 130XE so routine for setting VBI should be always right there (I hope).

 

F.

[Wrathchild]

I tried to run it on PAL/NTSC and I don't think music is faster under PAL. Or am I wrong?

Probably me then, thinking about it I find it fast in relation to the C64 tune

 

I had to change it to JSR $C272 as I'm using memory under OS

That would explain it - thanks

[drac030]

I had to change it to JSR $C272 as I'm using memory under OS (8kB in area $D800-$F800). And my file version is designed for 130XE so routine for setting VBI should be always right there (I hope).

 

Why to "hope" if there's a legal entry at $E45C?