When you look at the loading for Rambo how did the programmers manage to hide the loading bars at each side of the screen? I've seen this on quite a few games but never figured it out?
When you look at the loading for Rambo how did the programmers manage to hide the loading bars at each side of the screen? I've seen this on quite a few games but never figured it out?
It's a surprisingly easy effect! The Spectrum's regular loading routines contain code that flashes the border, so it's just a case of leaving this out if you're writing a custom loader (whether it's one you're writing from scratch or just a copy of the Spectrum's own loading routines that has had it removed).
It's a surprisingly easy effect! The Spectrum's regular loading routines contain code that flashes the border, so it's just a case of leaving this out if you're writing a custom loader (whether it's one you're writing from scratch or just a copy of the Spectrum's own loading routines that has had it removed).
Or even easier still - leave the flash code in, but just change both colours to black.
I'd like to add this one is really nasty f*'ng trick,
load it in realtime and stop the tape during the action... you'll see the UNSTOPABLE loading routine!!! :lol:
really nasty, programers must have had fun getting this silly idea to fool the folks
Well done spotting this one. I thouhjt those yellow loading stripes were demonstrating a peculiar bandwith type effect.
Or even easier still - leave the flash code in, but just change both colours to black.
At the risk of being picky, StuBruise is closer to the mark.
The ROM load/save routine for both leader and colour, only defines one colour (red for leader, blue for data) and the second colour is inferred from a "CPL" (complement) instruction.
This has the effect of XORing the colours so if the primary colour was Black, Blue, Red, Magenta ... or White the the 2nd stripe colour is already defined (as White, Yellow, Cyan, Green ... or Black respectively).
Which do you think was the best loading on a game?
I also liked games which used multiple loading screens to make things more interesting. Nonterraqueous (2 good loading screens) and Action Biker spring to mind. Any others of note?
I also liked games which used multiple loading screens to make things more interesting. Nonterraqueous (2 good loading screens) and Action Biker spring to mind. Any others of note?
Triaxos, although it's just a standard Speedlock 3 (I think) loader, the way the second screen draws itself it very impressive. :)
Then there's Quazatron which uses multiple loading screens to tell you the plot of the game.
Anyone remember the excellent Gauntlet clone: Into the Eagle's Nest? That one had a black screen for a long while before it started loading in the picture diagonally from the top corner of the screen. This fooled me several times into thinking it had crashed and was refusing to load.
Anyone remember the excellent Gauntlet clone: Into the Eagle's Nest? That one had a black screen for a long while before it started loading in the picture diagonally from the top corner of the screen. This fooled me several times into thinking it had crashed and was refusing to load.
cheeky bast.
Nice little game. As you say very gauntlet like. Funny how the whole of the Ground Level Map fits onto my (modern) PC screen!
Heavy on the Magick had a nifty loader, which displayed in-game pics one after the other.
I liked Bombjack's multi-colour loader too although it's fairly common. It was the first one I ever saw though and was suitably impressed!
First time I saw Bobby Bearing, with the Count down timer, and the loading screen being displayed, clockwise. Or Bleepload gave me a WTF factor first time I heard it.
Now, if the author would post a wav/tzx that can be actually loaded into spectrum instead of a youtube video that can be easily faked (picture loaded into memory before and then faking loading it while music playing) then I would believe it.
Well, it shouldn't be that difficult to interleave tune like this with actual bits here and there, and read just those bits and ignore the rest...
It shouldn't be, no... the speed of loading seems quite slower than normal 1500 baud too. But - even if so, one should be able to hear the bits of data coming in, and atleast the change when it loads the attributes. I am staying skeptical until something more solid than a video comes up :)
I had some fun with this today, seems like delay encoding with variable duty wave seems to do the trick quite fine, even without use of any bit randomization. Here you can find the result, Jet-Story screen encoded as a Jet-Story tune, including the sources used to create it all. Not the simplest tune for the task, as it spans several octaves, but at least it tests the scheme well...
I do not have time to write the loader now, though, but the low duty and heavy duty waves should be easy to distinguish, especially as the mid duty wave can be used for computing the DC bias offset. If anyone has enough spare time at their hands to give it a try, be my guests.
OK, I have updated the Jet-Story example with an actual loader. You'll find PZX, CSW and WAV in the archive, as well as all the relevant sources for both the encoding scripts and the loader.
Enjoy.
Patrik
P.S. Oh, and remember to disable flashloading in the emulators so you can actually hear the tune :)
Comments
It's a surprisingly easy effect! The Spectrum's regular loading routines contain code that flashes the border, so it's just a case of leaving this out if you're writing a custom loader (whether it's one you're writing from scratch or just a copy of the Spectrum's own loading routines that has had it removed).
Or even easier still - leave the flash code in, but just change both colours to black.
Well done spotting this one. I thouhjt those yellow loading stripes were demonstrating a peculiar bandwith type effect.
At the risk of being picky, StuBruise is closer to the mark.
The ROM load/save routine for both leader and colour, only defines one colour (red for leader, blue for data) and the second colour is inferred from a "CPL" (complement) instruction.
This has the effect of XORing the colours so if the primary colour was Black, Blue, Red, Magenta ... or White the the 2nd stripe colour is already defined (as White, Yellow, Cyan, Green ... or Black respectively).
I also liked games which used multiple loading screens to make things more interesting. Nonterraqueous (2 good loading screens) and Action Biker spring to mind. Any others of note?
Then there's Quazatron which uses multiple loading screens to tell you the plot of the game.
Necros.
cheeky bast.
Nice little game. As you say very gauntlet like. Funny how the whole of the Ground Level Map fits onto my (modern) PC screen!
I liked Bombjack's multi-colour loader too although it's fairly common. It was the first one I ever saw though and was suitably impressed!
Bytes:Chuntey - Spectrum tech blog.
First time I saw Bobby Bearing, with the Count down timer, and the loading screen being displayed, clockwise. Or Bleepload gave me a WTF factor first time I heard it.
It shouldn't be, no... the speed of loading seems quite slower than normal 1500 baud too. But - even if so, one should be able to hear the bits of data coming in, and atleast the change when it loads the attributes. I am staying skeptical until something more solid than a video comes up :)
OK, another funny thing I might entertain myself with when I get bored of all the other stuff... :)
Should be entirely possible to make a tune using exactly the same method though.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mark.woodmass/rubbish.csw
It was still interesting, though :)
I do not have time to write the loader now, though, but the low duty and heavy duty waves should be easy to distinguish, especially as the mid duty wave can be used for computing the DC bias offset. If anyone has enough spare time at their hands to give it a try, be my guests.
Patrik
The covertape version of Deviants had a fantastic little minigame which advertised Joe Blade 3.
I also seem to remember that Olli + Lissa had some type of interesting loading too.
My overall fave is the US Gold loading sequences, wihere the loading screens loaded up bit my bit, and had a little counter onscreen too.
Star Firebirds was one of the first I'd seen which had a "timer", counting how much of the program (in K's) there was to go.
That's hilarious Woody :)
Enjoy.
Patrik
P.S. Oh, and remember to disable flashloading in the emulators so you can actually hear the tune :)