84751 8-JAN 12:04 Games & Graphics
Shanghai for Level 2
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: ALL
I recently downloaded Shawn (EARTHER) Driscoll’s Shanghai for Level 2. Shawn
did an excellent job working within the confines of BASIC09 and illustrates
well the capabilities of his BASIC09 tools package, GUIB. Of course, it
goes without saying that it is slow in response and action. I had heard
that the OSK basic on my MM/1a was pretty much compatable at the source
level so I was wondering how fast it would run on my OSK system. I also have
a copy of Kevin Darling’s bgfx which is pretty much compatable with gfx2.
So, I go an edit the source to:
1) change all gfx2 calls to bfgx calls.
2) changed the window type codes in the DWSet and the GPLoad calls
from type 8 to type 3.
3) Haven’t changed these yet, but I suppose I will need to add second
and third params to the Palette calls there are.
4) Made the same changes in the guib.b09 program. It loads with no err
ors
and packs just fine.
I am getting an error 102 though when I try to load the Shanghai.b09 and the
stopping point is accessing the return value from a SYSCALL. If I hadn’t taken
the
Basic manual out of my OSK manual set (you know typical it is for MW to have
more documentation than will fit in the binders they give you, right?) to
make some room (I hardly EVER mess with basic), I probably could look this
up for myself, but I have missplaced where I put the manual I extracted.
The program DIMs a variable regs to the datatype registers OK. But after a
SYSCALL to determine the PID, how do I reference the returned value in
Register D0? The CoCo3 version got it from regs.a, but there is no a register
on a 68K MPU. It comes back in the D0 register. I tried changing the
variable regs.a to regs.d0 but that gives me an 020 error during the
program load.
Can anyone help? If so, with Shawn’s permission, I will upload the OSK
source for this nice game.
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
84758 8-JAN 15:53 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84751)
From: RANDYKWILSON To: COLORSYSTEMS
Zack,
OSK basic SysCall requires a different stack frame than 6809, of course.
Type r=d0,d1,d2,d3,d4,d5,d6,d7,a0,a1,a2,a3,a4:INTEGER
Dim regs:r
…..
Run Syscall($0C,regs)
id=LAND(regs.d0,$FF)
Also, if you’re only using syscall to get the id, Kevin covered this for you:
RUn BGFX(“ID”,id)
The other thing you’ll have to watch for is data type. GFX2 took a lot of
BYTE type variables. BGFX takes almost all INTEGER type. Also, mixing byte
and integer data in a complex data type can cause problems. The type byte’s
must travel in pairs (any even number), or you’ll get bus fault errors when
trying to access the later integers.
Scream if it keeps fighting you. I did quite a bit of this sort of thing back
when the mm/1 first came out.
Randy
84805 9-JAN 21:31 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84751)
From: BRUCEGERST To: COLORSYSTEMS
Why not just spend the LOW LOW price of $15 for TILES (see the VERY simple demo
version 0.1 ) in the database. It’s the best shanghai/mahjongg I’ve seen!
84814 10-JAN 03:35 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84751)
From: EARTHER To: COLORSYSTEMS
Zack,
I just uploaded version 1.2 of Shanghai OS-9 (it will be a few days
before made available). This final version is faster when doing graphic
re-draws and during the Dragon building process. It takes about 5
seconds to generate a solveable Dragon instead of 3 minutes (now that
some probability factors were fine-tuned). Also, the lag between the
time a tile is clicked and it becomes high-lighted was reduced
drastically (because the mouse is travelling across a 2D array instead
of travelling through a 3D array, which bogged down the computer a bit).
Anyway… Go ahead and make a version of the game for whatever
computer you want. The reason why I give out source code is so that
others can get ideas from it and create new things for OS-9. I want
nothing more than to see new programs for OS-9 and I feel that source
code is one way to help out. If I had made Shanghai shareware and
charged money for it, not only would I never see any money, I wouldn’t
be helping anyone wanting to give it their best shot at programming a
game for OS-9. Source code is the key to more programs, I think.
Also, I program in Basic09 because more people have it instead
of C compilers. I admit that Shanghai 1.0 & 1.1 were slow (some brute
force was used to get the games going and Christmas time was a few
weeks away and I was hurting for play-testers). Version 1.2 is just
as fast as any other game like it. I still play your Pyramid Solitaire
game that you wrote in C way back when (it too is addictive).
My next project is to write a game aid for GURPS or TRAVELLER and
then I will find another game that I like that still has not been
written for OS-9. What that game might be? I don’t know yet.
Shawn Driscoll
84828 10-JAN 23:57 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84814)
From: REVWCP To: EARTHER
I am angry. I am very angry at Earther (Shawn Driscoll). Since He uploaded
Shanghai, I have not gotten anything accomplished since I am too busy playing
it. All kidding aside, Shanw, this is excellant work on your part. I am
extremely impressed. I will stack your program against anything that Tandy
ever did and there would be no comparison. This is dynamite programming.
Thank you for taking the time to write it and upload it.
With all best wishes,
Brother Jeremy, CSJW
OS9 User’s Group Treasurer
84932 15-JAN 21:17 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84814)
From: WTHOMPSON To: EARTHER
How about a Missle Command type game for OS-9? Its one of my all time
favcvorites.
Thanks,
Wayne
84766 8-JAN 23:21 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84758)
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: RANDYKWILSON
Thanks for the info!!
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
84812 9-JAN 23:09 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84805)
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: BRUCEGERST
> Why not just spend the LOW LOW price of $15 for TILES (see the VERY
> simple demo
> version 0.1 ) in the database. It’s the best shanghai/mahjongg I’ve
> seen!
The point of my exercise was not merely to obtain a playable Mah Jongg
game for my MM/1a, it was to see if I could port a BASI09 game to
OSK Basic and to see then how much faster it ran on the MM/1a as
opposed to the CoCo3.
I do have the Tiles demo program and do eventually get a check in the
mail for the real thing!
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
84813 9-JAN 23:18 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84812)
From: RANDYKWILSON To: COLORSYSTEMS
Zack,
The B09 code I ported was an arcade style graphics game. I had to add lots
of sleep code to keep the game slow enough to be playable. This program did
minor animation with sequenced get/put buffers. Without sleep calls, you
didn’t get to see the animation, as KWin processed the whole put buffer
sequence faster than a single screen refresh (60hz).
Randy
84829 11-JAN 01:49 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84828)
From: EARTHER To: REVWCP
I know what you mean, Brother Jeremy. Right now I’m sitting through my
5th game of Shanghai that I can’t finish, but the computer can. While
I was eating, sleeping, breathing, and coding Shanghai, people thought
I had fallen off the edge of the earth. Glad you like the game.
Shawn Driscoll
84836 11-JAN 19:41 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84828)
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: REVWCP
I concur! I spend practically zippo time on my CoCo3 anymore, since I
got my MM/1 and other toys. But I took the time to download and install
Shawn’s Shanghai program on my Mom’s CoCo. I was very impressed at what
he did with BASIC09.
I started to port it to OSK Basic, but I realized I had to port guib.b09
over first, and I couldn’t find my OSK Basic documentation, I put that
project on the back burner.
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
84844 11-JAN 22:35 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84829)
From: REVWCP To: EARTHER
I downloaded the latest edition after I left you the message last night. It
is certainly faster. Again thank you for excellant work.
With all best wishes,
Brother Jeremy, CSJW
OS9 User Group Treasurer
84845 11-JAN 22:37 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84836)
From: REVWCP To: COLORSYSTEMS
I don’t have an MM/1 but I agree that a port of Guib over to OSK would be
a good idea.
With all best wishes,
Brother Jeremy, CSJW
OS9 User Group Treasurer
84871 13-JAN 19:43 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84836)
From: JOELHEGBERG To: COLORSYSTEMS
Zack,
> Shawn’s Shanghai program on my Mom’s CoCo. I was very impressed at what
Wow, so your mom inherited your CoCo3, too?
My mom still uses it
daily, so it stay up and running on another desk next to my MM/1.
— Joel Mathew Hegberg.
Delphi : JOELHEGBERG
GEnie : j.hegberg
Internet : JoelHegberg [at] delphi [dot] com
84899 14-JAN 23:57 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84871)
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: JOELHEGBERG
> > Shawn’s Shanghai program on my Mom’s CoCo. I was very impressed at
My mom still uses it
> Wow, so your mom inherited your CoCo3, too?
> daily, so it stay up and running on another desk next to my MM/1.
Actually, my Mom didn’t inherit my CoCo, while it hasn’t been turned on
in months, I still maintain possession of my main system, which has two
hard drives.
Mom has her OWN CoCo!! She uses it (with a program I wrote) to keep up
with her checking account. And she used to love the rompack version of
Shanghai, until I got a Windows version …
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
84944 16-JAN 01:46 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84932)
From: EARTHER To: WTHOMPSON
“How about a Missle Command type game for OS-9?”
You read my mind. I’ve played the Microsoft Arcade games on 486
machines and wished OS-9 had them.
84947 16-JAN 11:55 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84944)
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: EARTHER (NR)
> “How about a Missle Command type game for OS-9?”
>
> You read my mind. I’ve played the Microsoft Arcade games on 486
> machines and wished OS-9 had them.
>
You know, someone else mentioned Missile Command a few weeks/months ago right
here and Mark Griffith (I think it was Mark, sorry Mark if it wasn’t!) said
in effect, “Why port 15 year old arcade games to our current computer
systems? Bring us something FRESH, something NEW.”
In a way, I kind of agree with Mark, as porting over old games seems a lot
like re-runs on TV. But in another way, I’d kindof like to see this myself,
as I was quite a Missile Commander on the original Atari home video game
machines. Dazzeled my friends by racking up impressive scores. Most didn’t
seem to mind having to wait for so long before it was their turn, as I could
take as long as a half an hour or more at a single game!!
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
84952 16-JAN 13:58 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84944)
From: WTHOMPSON To: EARTHER (NR)
I just played on a friend’s 486 too and I was wishing for it too!
84949 16-JAN 12:46 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84947)
From: DSRTFOX To: ALL
Anyone remeber playing Bjork’s BASH? Well, Northern Xposure has an OS-9
game now that is nearly identical, only better! They sent me a copy for review,
and I’ve never got anything up and runnning from OS-9 so easy! You can also
edit the levels with a text editor to make your own levels. For those
unfamiliar with BASH, you have
probably seen “Arkanoid”… similar. The game is colorful and smooth when
running alone (no background processes). Alan DeKok wrote it. He says that
graphics smotthness will be better if you use “VRN”, available from the
database here. The game is $25, an
d full source code is available for $30. The source is over 150K with 10K docs,
and includes the sprite library he developed. So programmers may want to pick
that up also! Contact Northern Xposure, 7 Greenboro Cres, Ottawa, ON K1T 1W6,
CANADA. I don’t norm
ally “expose” one of my reviews like this, but there are very few OS-9 graphic
games to go around!
84951 16-JAN 13:33 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84947)
From: BOISY To: COLORSYSTEMS (NR)
So you had an Atari 2600 system eh Zack? I had one as a kid, and boy,
I loved it. Recently I acquired one just for nostalgia. The cartridges
are real cheap nowadays. And yes, I have Missle Command.
84955 16-JAN 14:05 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84947)
From: WTHOMPSON To: COLORSYSTEMS (NR)
Why port 15 year old games to our current system? Because it is a classic
And while we may not always like
game, enjoyed by many. It must make SOME sense to port it to a current
computer system, Micrsoft did it.
what they put out, they seem to be doing alright.
Thanks,
Wayne
84965 17-JAN 14:52 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84947)
From: CBJ To: COLORSYSTEMS
I know what you mean about missle commander Zack. I had a marathon session of
a little over 4 hours before my hands were too cramped to continue. Boy do I
wish I has a decent joystick back then. I wouldn’t mind seein some of the
better older games ported over but would also like to see new games as well. I
like adventure games…I haven’t seen too many of them for OS-9 (any flavor).
Seems to me there is an automatic opening for new games right there. If you
have ever played starflight then you can see how OS-9 could really help a good
graphics based adventure game be more playable. Bot do I wish we had enough of
a user base to attract companies like Electronic Arts to port some of their
games over.
Carl
84958 16-JAN 18:34 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84951)
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: BOISY
> So you had an Atari 2600 system eh Zack? I had one as a kid, and boy,
> I loved it. Recently I acquired one just for nostalgia. The cartridges
> are real cheap nowadays. And yes, I have Missle Command.
To be honest, I never owned a 2600 myself. I had several friends who did
when they were at their heyday. One was where I got all my Missile Command
playing time.
We are showing our age, here, Boisy. You as a kid and me as an old timer. My
first experiance with video games was at the beer halls at the beach when
I was 23-24, timeframe was 74-75, when PONG hit the scene with a smash. It
was immensely popular with a certain set of beer hall gamers. In those
days it was hard to compete against pinball machines, and the previous
newcomer during that time, the foosball tables. But PONG endured, and I got
right good at it. Another one I liked (can’t remember the name) was a game
which started out with a screen of dots which were equally distributed
on the screen. You had a “ball” which was the same size as the dots which
once it came up from the bottom would bounce around the top and sides and
any dot it ran over was erased. Going down the bottom of the screen lost
the ball. You got two or three balls per game. Object was to clear off the
screen of dots. Oh yes, you had a paddle at the bottom of the screen to
bounce the ball back up with.
I got my first video game late in 1976, a Breakout game I got from Sears.
I think it was made by Atari.
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
84959 16-JAN 18:35 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84955)
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: WTHOMPSON (NR)
I agree with you to some extent. You should address your comment to Mark.
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
84962 17-JAN 02:18 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84958)
From: REVWCP To: COLORSYSTEMS
Zack,
I remember I was working for Lafayette Radio in New York while going to college.
I remember when Pong came out, 4 variations, tennis, handball, and I can’t
remember the others, after all it was twenty(20) years ago. I know what you
mean about being an oldtimer. I remember calling a software vendor that
had advertised in Rainbow. Their business hours were 3:30 pm – 8:300 pm.
I thought that it was strange, but perhaps it was to allow for time zones.
Anyway I got what I thought was a woman on the phone. As we talked, for
some time, I was very impressed with the persons programming knowledge.
Finally, out of curiosity, I asked “Why those business hours.” “Well”,
came the reply, “I get home from school at 3:15 and I have to get ready for
bed at 8:30″. How old are you, I asked. “I just turned thirteen.” And
of course I remember the morning I was talking to Microcom Software and
the programmer helping me had to cut the call short, the school bus was
coming. Gosh Zack, I’m getting old. Thanks for triggering some memories,
maybe I need a 2 meg upgrade……
With all best wishes,
Brother Jeremy, CSJW
OS9 User’s Group Treasurer
84967 17-JAN 19:48 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84965)
From: DSRTFOX To: CBJ
Read msg 84949 if you want an arcade game for OS-9!
84990 18-JAN 20:46 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84965)
From: DAVGEORGE To: CBJ (NR)
Yes, I like adventure games also. But I am a die hard text adventurer.
I just can’t get used to these graphical adventures. I just downloaded
the Infocom interpreter and tried out the Infocom adventures that I have
for MS-DOS. So far they all work!!! All I had to do was copy the data
files from MS-DOS to OS-9.
85005 19-JAN 03:23 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84952)
From: EARTHER To: WTHOMPSON (NR)
My brother, Kevin, is writing a Doctor Mario game for OS-9 Level II. It
looks impressive so far. That’s the game where you throw pills into a
bottle to get rid of viruses inside.
85026 19-JAN 22:32 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84990)
From: PAGAN To: DAVGEORGE
>Yes, I like adventure games also. But I am a die hard text adventurer. I
>just can’t get used to these graphical adventures.
I can relate to that. Maybe it’s because of all those years I spent running
RPG’s but I still believe that a well written text adventure (with some
graphics) provides more excitement than the pure graphics games. The
excercise of the brain is actually good for you! Sort of like reading a
good book with a chance to be part of the story.
Too bad that our culture has become obsessed with graphics and video enter-
tainment. Somehow, without the element of imagination, computer adventure
games just aren’t as much fun anymore.
Stephen (PAGAN)
85062 21-JAN 02:06 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 85026)
From: LARRYOLSON To: PAGAN
I also agree with that.
Where is the next MARK DATA PRODUCTS ?
Games like Calixto Island, Black Sanctum, Sea Quest, Shenanigans.
85145 23-JAN 23:42 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 85026)
From: THETAURUS To: PAGAN
>>…I still believe that a well written text adventure (with
some graphics) provides more excitement than the pure graphics games.
I can agree with that. Nothing against graphics games and such,
but I still like those old ‘Pyramid’ like games, or Interbank
Incident. It is like the book-to-Movie thing. People always seem to
like the book better. Why? Maybe because the imagination finally get’s
let out of it’s cage and is able to create it’s own seen,rather than
just taking whatever is laid out to you, like telivision. A book is
more ‘interactive’ I guess and open to interpretation. The text games
are similar in the interactive way, and they get you much more
involved.
See Ya
>Chris<
85094 22-JAN 11:34 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 84962)
From: TOMFANN To: REVWCP
Isn’t it amazing what these young kids can do? I am just beginning to learn
my way around OS9, and I’m 42. I’ll show you how times have changed…
When I was in eighth grade, I got a book out of the library that showed how to
build a computer. It used a telephone dial to enter the data. I added up the
prices of all the tubes, capacitors, etc. in the Lafayette catalog I had, and
it came to over $100! I didn’t have $100 so it never got built. I paid $129
for my first computer, a CoCo 3, that had probably hundreds of times more
power (and convenience!) than that home-made job would have!!!
..Tom Fann
85102 22-JAN 15:59 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 85094)
From: COLORSYSTEMS To: TOMFANN (NR)
> prices of all the tubes, capacitors, etc. in the Lafayette catalog I had,
Ahh, the old “Lafayette catalog”. We ARE showing our ages, now!!
My annual copy got so dogearred from making wish list after wish list, each
new year’s copy was welcome!!
————————————
Zack C Sessions
ColorSystems
“I am Homer of Borg, prepare to be assimi … OOOOHHH, DOUGHNUTS!”
85112 22-JAN 23:29 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 85102)
From: WA2EGP To: COLORSYSTEMS
The salepeople in my local Lafayette used to run in the back when I came in
the store. Eventhough in high school at the time, I knew the catalog better
than they did. Before it went belly up, I used to play “not stock item”/”out
of stock” with them. Used to buy out certain parts and they’d never restock.
85162 24-JAN 19:17 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 85145)
From: MIKE_GUZZI To: THETAURUS (NR)
some of the best games i like to play are the older ones like asteriods,
space invaders, missile command (favorite!) and so forth, graphics aren’t the
best but oh my does it challenge the trigger finger! to this day I still play
polaris on the coco. id love to see an os9 version. wouldn’t be hard since it
only uses simple line graphics and simple sounds
85166 24-JAN 20:03 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 85145)
From: RICKADAMS To: THETAURUS (NR)
I love text adventure games! I still have a few Infocom games I have not
yet solved. It took me three or so years to completely solve the classic
“Colossal Caves” adventure.
85214 26-JAN 18:59 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 85162)
From: THETAURUS To: MIKE_GUZZI
Actually it’s been a while since I’ve really sat back to enjoy. Even
I wish I had the money to buy . Of course . It NEVER ENDS!! :-/
some of them games, but I have to admit I love to play ‘em when I can.
I can’t count the hours I spent as a little kid playing Dungeons of
Daggorath and how it felt when I finally smoked that wizard
if I did have to cheat, I earned it.
the whole Sundog line of games. That is one of my goals in the
future
all that comes after I have money saved up AFTER giving my truck the
complete fixup
See Ya
>Chris<
85215 26-JAN 18:59 Games & Graphics
RE: Shanghai for Level 2 (Re: Msg 85166)
From: d watch your friends play it.
But, if you didn’t care about logging online and playing it on Delphi,
you could run it in local mode yourself, and it’d act just like your
usual text adventure game.
I later rewrote it into a text adventure game that runs on the Mac and
uploaded it to the Mac SIG recently.