Well for one, I have the scanned inlay and instructions... I'm sure you'll be wanting them for the archive?
As for the tzx, I took the files that Andrew provided and modified the basic loader (which was microdrive specific) so that it would load from tape (well, tzx, really).
Nothing too complicated. The only 'addition' I made was to add code to make the paper and ink black (as the bottom two screen lines were white), and make it so that the BYTES: Deathpit would appear at the very bottom of the screen so it wouldn't overwrite the picture during loading. Purely aesthetic choices that I'm sure would have been done for the final release had it hit the stores.
Andrew
Thanks for all the effort you've put into this Mr. Rollings! (& co) I think the aesthetic "modifications" are well appreciated, at least over here.
Due to some correspondance I've had recently that's annoyed the hell out of me, I'm not going to be doing any preservation work or tzx vault updates any time soon, hence why the file has been forwarded on.
Steve
By knowing the background information on this subject, I just want to say that it is a real shame that some people (or in this case only one person who we all know) can bring down the efforts of someone that is so devoted to the scene as Steve is. Steve, Andy and a few others are the ones that provide the majority of tape preservation work around here and without them WOS (and TZX Vault) would never grow as much as it does now. Not only does he provide that, without him we would never see new loaders disected (and later converted), we would never have the Tapir utility and we would definetly never be where we are today at WOS.
Real shame is that the man I am talking about is also devoted to the cause, and has valuable input, but for some reasons enjoys in bringing other people efforts down whenever he can.
Steve - please DON'T stop with everything you are doing (even a long break is bad ;-) ) just because of that. We have all been there (I know I have)... just ignore his mails, comments ....
By knowing the background information on this subject, I just want to say that it is a real shame that some people (or in this case only one person who we all know) can bring down the efforts of someone that is so devoted to the scene as Steve is. Steve, Andy and a few others are the ones that provide the majority of tape preservation work around here and without them WOS (and TZX Vault) would never grow as much as it does now. Not only does he provide that, without him we would never see new loaders disected (and later converted), we would never have the Tapir utility and we would definetly never be where we are today at WOS.
Real shame is that the man I am talking about is also devoted to the cause, and has valuable input, but for some reasons enjoys in bringing other people efforts down whenever he can.
Steve - please DON'T stop with everything you are doing (even a long break is bad ;-) ) just because of that. We have all been there (I know I have)... just ignore his mails, comments ....
TC
I am almost interested in hearing who the person in question is ... but I will not press on because there are always reasons as to why people behave one way or the other and it's none of my business.
I just hope everyone involved can work things out and be friends and continue to provide the invaluable help you guys have provided through the years and time to come.
Thanks everyone, your effort is well appreciated!
Skarpo :-)
Well I've been there many times, taken the brunt for my enthusiasm to get involved with all things preservation to be accused of various things. Just have to grow a thick skin. However, it won't stop me from what I like doing and like I said I'll continue in whatever capacity I can. Please don't stop submissions cos I'll process them.
I truly hope Steve reconsiders not to throw away everything because of a persons' action. If he does then the unsaid person wins, don't let them I say !.
Anyway, press on, enjoy Death Pit, Now all I have to do is recover another 18 carts with a certain loader dev on them ;-)
Steve, think about it. Don't leave because only one person embarrased you. Just forget him whoever he is. Your preservation effort is highly appreciated.
Well for one, I have the scanned inlay and instructions... I'm sure you'll be wanting them for the archive?
As for the tzx, I took the files that Andrew provided and modified the basic loader (which was microdrive specific) so that it would load from tape (well, tzx, really).
Nothing too complicated. The only 'addition' I made was to add code to make the paper and ink black (as the bottom two screen lines were white), and make it so that the BYTES: Deathpit would appear at the very bottom of the screen so it wouldn't overwrite the picture during loading. Purely aesthetic choices that I'm sure would have been done for the final release had it hit the stores.
Andrew
Any chance the microdrive images could be uploaded to WOS as well?
There were 16 carts I was able to dump, so may have bad sectors, but the source code for Death Pit was on one of them.
Actually, we'll probably have to update it again, as I've noticed the SCREEN$ in the TZX is missing the bottom, whereas on the cart it has the full screen.
I can upload another TZX I guess ?
DP3 was the code block used for the TZX release however there's also DP2. I was sure the keyboard controls worked okay in a TZX I made a while ago. Ah, it's on my DS so I'll see which block I used. That said I've already made up a TZX using DP2.
I'm going to have a good play at some point. Despite being a lifetime CPC user/fan, I've not even played it! So it's a nice 'new' Speccy game.
Pity you can't make up a limited number of physical copies on tape with printed inlays to help raise some funds for the MIA/STP/SDP project (I keep an eye out over the car boot sales but I've had no luck - Speccy stuff doesn't turn up there as much these days).
That's a good idea. Maybe someone like Cronosoft could produce a limited (numbered?) run with profits going to WoS/TZX Project and/or Clive - if he would allow it to be used of course.
I'm sure a couple of hundred of them would be snapped up by collectors and gamers alike.
It's not ours to sell, that would be up to Clive if he wanted to work something out with Chronosoft etc ?.
Anyway, I've uploaded the correct SCR file to WoS's uploads, so Martijn should be able to swap it out quickly ;-).
The loading screen seems to still get overwritten so I've borrowed some code from the Athena TAP which might have been on I hacked with the guidance of Adam Hodson almost a decade ago ;-) Might not be the one I did, but I did do it once ;-).
BASIC now looks like this in the TZX I have:
1 BORDER NOT PI: PAPER NOT PI: CLEAR VAL "24999": POKE VAL "23739",CODE "o": LOAD ""SCREEN$ : POKE 23659,0: LOAD ""CODE : LET l=USR 58554
2 POKE 23658,8: LET l=USR 59577+USR 25039: GO TO 2
The POKE 23739,o stops the screen from being overwritten.
That's a good idea. Maybe someone like Cronosoft could produce a limited (numbered?) run with profits going to WoS/TZX Project and/or Clive - if he would allow it to be used of course.
I'm sure a couple of hundred of them would be snapped up by collectors and gamers alike.
Based on prior conversations, I don't think that he'd like that idea.
EDIT: Was there any difference between the DP2 and DP3 blocks?
Comments
Thanks for all the effort you've put into this Mr. Rollings! (& co) I think the aesthetic "modifications" are well appreciated, at least over here.
Skarpo
:-)
It needs to have Caps Lock set to ON (Poke 23658,8 ) inserted into the loader, then it works just fine.
By knowing the background information on this subject, I just want to say that it is a real shame that some people (or in this case only one person who we all know) can bring down the efforts of someone that is so devoted to the scene as Steve is. Steve, Andy and a few others are the ones that provide the majority of tape preservation work around here and without them WOS (and TZX Vault) would never grow as much as it does now. Not only does he provide that, without him we would never see new loaders disected (and later converted), we would never have the Tapir utility and we would definetly never be where we are today at WOS.
Real shame is that the man I am talking about is also devoted to the cause, and has valuable input, but for some reasons enjoys in bringing other people efforts down whenever he can.
Steve - please DON'T stop with everything you are doing (even a long break is bad ;-) ) just because of that. We have all been there (I know I have)... just ignore his mails, comments ....
TC
I am almost interested in hearing who the person in question is ... but I will not press on because there are always reasons as to why people behave one way or the other and it's none of my business.
I just hope everyone involved can work things out and be friends and continue to provide the invaluable help you guys have provided through the years and time to come.
Thanks everyone, your effort is well appreciated!
Skarpo
:-)
I truly hope Steve reconsiders not to throw away everything because of a persons' action. If he does then the unsaid person wins, don't let them I say !.
Anyway, press on, enjoy Death Pit, Now all I have to do is recover another 18 carts with a certain loader dev on them ;-)
Cheers
Andy
Good work that man!!!
Andrew
Splendid research! And thanks to Tom-Cat, the available version now has that POKE inserted...
Any chance the microdrive images could be uploaded to WOS as well?
Actually, we'll probably have to update it again, as I've noticed the SCREEN$ in the TZX is missing the bottom, whereas on the cart it has the full screen.
I can upload another TZX I guess ?
DP3 was the code block used for the TZX release however there's also DP2. I was sure the keyboard controls worked okay in a TZX I made a while ago. Ah, it's on my DS so I'll see which block I used. That said I've already made up a TZX using DP2.
I'll get back to yas.
Cheers
Andy
I'm going to have a good play at some point. Despite being a lifetime CPC user/fan, I've not even played it! So it's a nice 'new' Speccy game.
Pity you can't make up a limited number of physical copies on tape with printed inlays to help raise some funds for the MIA/STP/SDP project (I keep an eye out over the car boot sales but I've had no luck - Speccy stuff doesn't turn up there as much these days).
I'm sure a couple of hundred of them would be snapped up by collectors and gamers alike.
Anyway, I've uploaded the correct SCR file to WoS's uploads, so Martijn should be able to swap it out quickly ;-).
The loading screen seems to still get overwritten so I've borrowed some code from the Athena TAP which might have been on I hacked with the guidance of Adam Hodson almost a decade ago ;-) Might not be the one I did, but I did do it once ;-).
BASIC now looks like this in the TZX I have:
1 BORDER NOT PI: PAPER NOT PI: CLEAR VAL "24999": POKE VAL "23739",CODE "o": LOAD ""SCREEN$ : POKE 23659,0: LOAD ""CODE : LET l=USR 58554
2 POKE 23658,8: LET l=USR 59577+USR 25039: GO TO 2
The POKE 23739,o stops the screen from being overwritten.
Shall I upload this TZX ?
Cheers
Andy
Remind me what that bit of BASIC does? BORDER n and PAPER n I'm of course familiar with.
EDIT: It can't be just a way of saying BORDER 0, can it?!
Yes (it saves memory).
Well I never...
Based on prior conversations, I don't think that he'd like that idea.
EDIT: Was there any difference between the DP2 and DP3 blocks?
Andrew
I'll keep checking, sorry got carried away with Trojan ;-), think it's just a demo though, but just realised it at AY music and MDRs work in 128k mode too ;-)
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0012481
Cheers
Andy
Before adding additional material, could we please verify with Clive if he allows doing so?
Yeah... let me know what you manage to extract, and I'll run it by Clive. I know he's anxious to see some of the stuff on there.
Andrew