Spore - bug after level 11

edited January 2017 in Games
During my work on database with marks (ratings) for all Speccy games, I've just found that in game Spore (Mastertronics) after completed level 11, game cannot setup next level so player advances to next-next level (only with loss of 1 energy point). When you reach (and 'pass') level 40, game says: "You've completed all levels".

Also, "smart bomb" doesn't work (from level 1), it should be activated with pressing "Space" but nothing happens.

I've tried both TAP and TZX versions.

Can anyone look into code, and try to bug-fix it?

P.S. Spore, yep, that meansI'm finishing letter "S" :) there is 2720 games in database already, soon to start work on "T".
Post edited by Alex_Lux on

Comments

  • Unfortunately, you won't see more levels. The first sector is stored from $8CB0 and the 11th sector data must be started at $99C9 but the memory is empty from this point filled by 0. Looks like an unfinished game, there are only 10 complete levels.

    Next time I will check the smart-bomb problems.

    Pgyuri
  • Pgyuri wrote: »
    Unfortunately, you won't see more levels. The first sector is stored from $8CB0 and the 11th sector data must be started at $99C9 but the memory is empty from this point filled by 0. Looks like an unfinished game, there are only 10 complete levels.

    However OP mentioned a problem after completing level 11!

    Are there 10 or 11 working levels in this game?
    Creator of ZXDB, BIFROST/NIRVANA, ZX7/RCS, etc. I don't frequent this forum anymore, please look for me elsewhere.
  • Every level I took "WELL DONE! YOU MAY PROCEED TO SECTOR xx" message.

    After finishing the last complete level, the "WELL DONE! YOU MAY PROCEED TO SECTOR 11" message appeared, what was nothing (not empty, filled by wall) and then happened what Alex_Lux wrote, stepped level after level to 40th.
  • edited January 2017
    Well then, unfinished game... maybe for 1.99 it was acceptable ;) plus level designer module seems to work fine. If I manage to find some 'free time', I'd look C64 version, maybe it's complete.
    Pgyuri,
    thanks for info and your effort!
    Post edited by Alex_Lux on
  • Pgyuri wrote: »
    Every level I took "WELL DONE! YOU MAY PROCEED TO SECTOR xx" message.

    After finishing the last complete level, the "WELL DONE! YOU MAY PROCEED TO SECTOR 11" message appeared, what was nothing (not empty, filled by wall) and then happened what Alex_Lux wrote, stepped level after level to 40th.

    Thanks for the clarification! I will add a "known bugs" note about this game in ZXDB.

    I suppose it's possible to edit levels 11 to 40, then play everything normally? If so, them leaving dummy levels isn't so bad...
    Creator of ZXDB, BIFROST/NIRVANA, ZX7/RCS, etc. I don't frequent this forum anymore, please look for me elsewhere.
  • Alex_Lux wrote: »
    If I manage to find some 'free time', I'd look C64 version, maybe it's complete.

    Please let us know!
    Creator of ZXDB, BIFROST/NIRVANA, ZX7/RCS, etc. I don't frequent this forum anymore, please look for me elsewhere.
  • Levels are easy to code but must plan. Unfortunately the built-in editor stored different mode the sector than the normal sectors (they are compressed but only on easy way). If anybody make the levels, just can put into the code and work fine.

    smartbomb = pills

    So checking the code, this is absolutely unfinished part. The game scans the keys but 2 keys has no checking routine. One of is the key 'A' (maybe abadon game) and the second is the 'SPACE' (should activate pills as is written in the inlay text).

    First I thought there is no pills activate. To see the deep code, found pills mode could be work if activated with some special POKEs but the handle routine is bugged. It is longer (and many POKEs) to make working.

    Will make as soon as possible.

    This game is absolutely unfinished. For example the interrupt routine check the Caps Shift key but not handling (just a NOP and NOP) maybe for PAUSE mode. In the menu the game is starting only pressing by 0 key but checking and dropping the SPACE key status.

    Hmmmm.....was not fair in ....

    Pgyuri
  • Pgyuri wrote: »
    Levels are easy to code but must plan. Unfortunately the built-in editor stored different mode the sector than the normal sectors (they are compressed but only on easy way). If anybody make the levels, just can put into the code and work fine.

    If the editor cannot be used to directly replace the missing levels without some hacking, then these missing levels are pointless and it would be better to eliminate them. Preferably changing the game to finish after level 10 instead of 40.

    Unless Alex finds the missing levels in the C64 version and someone can port them...
    Creator of ZXDB, BIFROST/NIRVANA, ZX7/RCS, etc. I don't frequent this forum anymore, please look for me elsewhere.
  • End after last good sector:
    $CE53, $11
    
    Pills:
    The correction is complex due to many bugs. If anybody interested in, see Multiface (or emulator) repearing:
    $CDF9, $27
    $CDFD, $00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00
    $CE1D, $00
    $D103, $90,$8C
    $8C90, $DD,$CB,$2A,$7E,$C2,$EE,$E0,
           $DD,$CB,$20,$76,$CA,$EE,$E0, 
           $DD,$BE,$2F,$CA,$EE,$E0,             
           $DD,$CB,$2A,$FE,$C3,$EE,$E0
    
    Then after collecting any pill, the SPACE can activate one and good to see how the spores run away.
  • .....
    Unless Alex finds the missing levels in the C64 version and someone can port them...
    Heh, heh... it seems that Speccy owners, again, got the best...

    on Youtube you can watch C16 version completed, you'll find out that levels are same, but there is only 10 levels and game end with (correct) message - You have completed all... blah, blah.

    C64 version seems to have more 'bugs', there is hack with option of unlimited energy, I try to use it, and... after level 8 game started to behave as Speccy-bug i.e. to advance levels after 1 second display (always showing last played layout, i.e. level 8 in my case). OK, I try WITHOUT energy cheat... now after level 6 same happened :) :O just to mention I used same emu, same controls and same file.
    Finally I tried another emulator and same (advance/skip level-'bug') happened after 5 or 6 or 7 level, I just gave up, not noticing which one.

    So there is only hope that CPC version is maybe finished. I don't have CPC emu, and don't even know is there at all a copy of Spore, so it's a task for someone else. For me, this case is closed. Game status = unfinished.
  • Thank you!
    Creator of ZXDB, BIFROST/NIRVANA, ZX7/RCS, etc. I don't frequent this forum anymore, please look for me elsewhere.
  • I just uploaded a new version of ZXDB containing a complete description of these bugs and Pgyuri's fixes.

    The Spectrum Computing site doesn't display the "known errors" information about games yet, but hopefully soon...
    Creator of ZXDB, BIFROST/NIRVANA, ZX7/RCS, etc. I don't frequent this forum anymore, please look for me elsewhere.
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