1

(7 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

Secretum Labyrinth Dark Castles project is still very much alive and ongoing. This game is a challenge for our team to beta test because of its many features and many different screens. This will be the second Secretum Labyrinth game available for the Atari 8-bit. The first game "Secretum Labyrinth:The Legend" is currently available from atarisales.com.
I originally started putting this RPG engine together during the development of Venture. I was hoping to keep our musician onboard because this would be a great opportunity for him to show off his music skills and talents. But he was opposed, Video61 sided with me because Zelda like RPGs were seriously lacking on the Atari 8-bit computers. I just know why the musician was trying to have Lance stop development, and who he was also in communications with at the time. I decided to convert some public domain music myself.
I cannot reveal everything about Dark Castles, I can say it does have more tasks for you to do to solve this game.

2

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

I am in the process of clearing older work-in-progress videos, and only leaving the most current one up on my YouTube channel. Going forward, I will not be posting public WIP videos of games incomplete, and only be discussing matters with people involved with the development. The original intention was to keep interest from our true customers to see what we have coming in the future. Get some feedback, and see what they ask about or make suggestions for features. Some games did benefit from that, like a few have options to play with different controllers, like paddles, trackball, or indy 500 driving. however, along with that, it did incur some bullying or people going out of their way to point out stuff that have zero influence over the game play. Such as the sound going to silence for 1 tv frame during a screen transition because the DMA and NMIs were disabled for the routine won't be interrupted to draw new screens. I know it is about me releasing games with Video61, and not that other AAtari publisher with a forum. There are also security concerns about releasing information too early about games in development. So, I removed many games from my YouTube channel. In the future, my may only see videos only after the game is completed.

3

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

This game will now be called Jungle Jerry. Work in Progress for November 07, 2023. Jerry Looses a life new when contacting a creature, and the game ends when extra lives run out. Some bug corrections. I made several changes were made to the creatures that you need to dodge while playing the game. Some of the frogs no longer hop left and right in front of the ladder, and the monkeys are used instead by the ladders.
I have stepped up my efforts to make games more original, and making re-imagined games more different that were inspired by games on other systems. This was encouraged due to events in recent months. I know that I was someone that pointed out concerns about violating someone else's intellectual properties and sometimes got into arguments.  Ever since KJMANN was separated from Video61, We have been making more original games. This was better for me because I had more freedom to choose what I want to do. I had several games in progress, and in beta testing, and the changes caused some delays. Jungle Jerry was the game I was working on for the Atari 8-bit computer system. Some other games are for the Atari 7800 Prosystem.
Much of this is still a work in progress.

4

(11 odpowiedzi, napisanych Scena - 8bit)

I am sure it can be done. Would need a whole new motherboard, a way to switch between Antic/GTIA and Maria, and the memory chips that work with the Maria chip. But you are doing it on a separate connected circuit like on the ECI port. I would love to see where this goes.

5

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

I am not sure if I can enter hashtags. Subject is pretty straight forward. It is about my work on this "Jungle Quest" game.
Here I prefer threads stay on topic, and not derail, as I had experienced elsewhere with another Atari related site. I would like to continue to work with Atari 8-bit related stuff. I had done open research with fast line drawing, decompressing deflate/inflate files, sprite multiplexing, Fast Basic, and other stuff geared toward improving games.

6

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

To update what is going on with this project, I may be changing some of the creatures that move around inside the game. There have been some concerns about making game ports or clone, and I have been changing some of my other games soon to be released. I know this Jungle Quest is similar to Pitfall, and I know there are a few identical things, like the frogs hopping around. I want to make a 4 way side-scroller platform like game based in the Jungle or Forest, and it has many more creatures than Putfall already.

7

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

New look of main character and showing some different levels. Most of the recent updates involve some bug fixes. I had to stop work last month to work on other games to make them more unique and avoid any potential legal problems.
Jungle Quest was originally designed to be different from those other games, and more changes were made as development evolved. I did not include the vines, swamps, or oil pits. Instead, this game has  moving platforms, spikes, and lava instead. This game has ladders and ropes. There are many more moving animals within the game also.
I received messages that certain people continue to accuse me about sock puppet accounts. Still in use for harassing and misinformation. This is false, and been too tied up with programming to be doing much of anything else.

8

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

Jungle Quest Work in Progress Video for June 11, 2023. I completed setting up the levels I planned to have in the official game. The game may need further tweaking, because some things may be discovered in the wrong location, or something may be impossible to get past.  I reccorded some of the video in PAL mode, and it runs at the same rate of speed, with some minor color changed. I will be doing to be further testing. The game is going to be targeted for 64K to 128K Atari 8-bi computer. It will include several mega levels to be played on the 130XE. It will do  this by combining sections of other levels to make a big level. 
I have been busy with other projects, some of them still Atari related. I plan to continue to support the Atari 8-bit, 5200, and 7800 with new games. I hope things do get patched up with myself and Atari community members, although I know they continue to choose to be difficult. I have not  much time to get involved with anything that people were concerned about before. I do look up what is going in groups and forums, and updates have been slow lately.

9

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

[accidental duplication, deleted]

10

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

Once completed, we will make sure the game works in Pal and NTSC versions. We want to make this available to anyone that has an Atari 8-bit computer.
Here is the latest update:    
This video shows the work I am doing with some of the later levels in the game, moving platforms, jumping between ladders, and different music used in the levels. Current plans is to make a 16 level game and may be extended to 20 or 24 levels. Originally, JungleQuest was suppose to be something similar to Pitfall, but will use 4 way scrolling over a large playfield, and show off this feature of the Atari 8-bit. I started putting this together in response to a Commodore 64 vs Atari 8-bit thread on another forum that was getting heated. So I, started putting something together that I know the Commodore 64 would have difficulties with displayling and playing. The project got side-tracked when Kjmann wanted me to do his BattleSquadran game, then later Tempest and Venture. I am glad I only did two games with him, as he was bossy, and later discovered was a thief. After many years sitting on my hard drive, I started playing around with new stuff I learned, made some changes, and added new features.
[Edit] Youtube link fixed.

11

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

With many of my prior games, I have them check the PAL register, and with NTSC, it adds a delay every 6 frames. That is so, game run about the same speed with both Pal and NTSC versions. Starting with Venture developed back in 2010, one of the decisions about games from that point forward was they will be able to run on both PAL and NTSC at the same speed. There are two processes I used, one was to have a counter, that counts down 5 to 0 with a 6502 DEC instruction. If it trips the 6502 NEG flag with a value 255, it resets to 5 and pauses one frame. The other process is read the low 3 bits of clock, if all 0, delay, created a 1/8th delay on NTSC systems, runs slightly faster on NTSC machines. Since the frame rate on PAL displays is slower, any anomalies caused by multiplexing the player/missile graphics is more unnoticeable on PAL machines. VBIs and DLIs are able to change the registers before the electron beam refreshes points on the screen.

12

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

Work in Progress April 15, 2023 of Jungle Quest. Working on the different levels to make Jungle Quest a multi-level game and have it look different for each level. I am trying some different graphics to see what helps make the game look good. Since I have to do the music myself, I have to look around and try different sounds to see what sounds good. Looking to have a Caribbean or African drum beat. Good thing kicked someone out years ago. Anyone know where there is an archive of RMT instrument files? Have some ways to go before I will be able to send it to my beta testers.

13

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

https://i.ibb.co/bWrZRP0/Jungle-Quest-Font-Change1.jpg
New Image Hosting Technology Assimilated.
Jungle Quest is a game project that evolved over time. Started out as set Mac/65 assembly code compile to ML code subroutines and loaded into a TurboBasic XL running program, and called them. After working on Tempest Xtreme, and other games, I was able to port JungleQuest iover to MADS and make it into an all machine language program for a bank switching cartridge. Another issue was I started with using Atari Envision Font Editor was the only program I had been using for years. It is great to quickly design fancy fonts, but does not have a good Antic 4 vie. For years, it was one of the only good font editor programs until Atari FontMaker came along that lets me results in Antic 4 mode, and now using it to enhance the Jungle Quest font.
Later, I will see what I can do with the font, and make another YouTube video with showing other updates to the game.
I am denying it. The account is not mine or under my control, and not the type of thing I will post. Anyone with a fair understanding of English could had made that post. Irrelevant to subject.
I figured out how to properly link to video. Need to copy what is after the last / https://youtu.be/SZhlHyuNbB4 and copy it to after  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZhlHyuNbB4

14

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

BartoszP napisał/a:
PeteyM5 napisał/a:

Looks like the video being reposted on other forums had provoked some interesting comments, and I would like to start with a general response here....

Links to video do not work.
Why do you make comments here instead on forums where these comments had been posted?

See if the links work now. I cannot go to the other place to post comments. I do not see any videos where "FredMark" posted a comment, mine or FlashJazzCats.

I am giving Jungle Quest work a rest for a few days in favor of finishing up a 7800 game. I am in discussion with Video 61 and my team about changes for the game. How I usually make games is make up some graphics for character sets and data for player/missile graphics. Do the programming, then when the programming is done, I can look to see how much memory is available to see if I can do extra stuff with the graphics, like copy stuff into a RAM character set, do animations, or make objects look different on each level.

15

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

Looks like the video being reposted on other forums had provoked some interesting comments, and I would like to start with a general response here.
When I mark a game as work-in-progress, graphics, sounds, and gameplay are subject to change during progress. Nothing is final. How good stuff looks is a matter of opinion, and I am aware of what other artists do. Graphics may be temporary to stand while other parts of the game are being worked on. It is not unusual, when the majority of the programming is done, for me to edit graphics and sound, to improve the presentation of the game.
I do work in a team now, do some graphics, music, beta testing, etc. As the programmer, I have to look at what fits in memory or works with other elements of the game and make the decision of what to include. If this was about my ego, I would not be making public posts with screenshots and videos before the game is complete. I do like to read about what people like to see with my games.  This game goes back to the beginning when I came onto the Atari scene in 2007. Someone else did have design input years ago that I am phasing out because of problems I had with him later.

16

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

Something I would like feed back on is that how many people still play games on 48K 400/800 OSA/OSB Atari Computers? With this Jungle Quest Game, I did my best to make the games RAM usage restricted to 48K main memory. When I made Tempest Xtreme and Secretum Labyrinth, people did complain that I made these games only playable on 64K RAM machines.
I am keeping things relevant to the game. Video61 does not pay me to make posts, and I only make from the games once they are released. I know I am not the only person discussing software, as I am also aware of posts about "On Escape" and "Laser Squad" on this forum.
I am trying to work with the Atari community in software development, and I have a few projects in mind to improve routines commonly used in games that I am willing to share and work with others on.

17

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

I am working on additional levels for Jungle Quest and it will have 32 levels in total with the current plan. Jungle Quest is going to have two playing modes, one that is available for any Atari 8-bit computer with a 16K scrolling screen. The other mode will be available on Atari computers with extended RAM with a 64K scrolling big screen.
I may need to re-work the music, some of the music tracks are not working as well as I intended. This is a work in progress.
I understand there is still resentment about this game could be a future release from Video61 on cartridge. There are many people discussing their own game projects on here, some cartridge games, some hobby freeware games. The first thread about this game got locked because things became uncivil, and I am not going to discuss people I had prior problems with here.
I do appreciate positive comments and suggestions, as games are still a work in progress. I originally put the game aside when I worked on Tempest and Venture. Now I am more fluent with programming in assembly, I can make this game to what I originally envisioned.

18

(34 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

You may need to copy and paste the link into your web browser in a new tab or window. Having problems posting links here with Google Chrome.
This is a work-in-progress posts for feedback about the game during development. I do read over comments about the game.

First time I visited Jungle Quest since December and did some work on the programming. I added Music and Sound. Corrected several bugs. "Jungle Quest" could be renamed before the final release. Video61 and I have a title in mind, and will be making the announcement when the game is more complete.
Jungle Quest, is a game that I started when I returned to Atari in 2007. I resumed work on the game around August 2022. The game was intended to be similar to Pitfall, but would have new worlds to explore. Use big scrolling screens and take advantage of extended RAM. It will have a jumping system similar to what is seen in other side scrolling action type games. It will have moving platforms. Video61 wanted more elements to make it different from Pitfall because David Crane is someone he knows. I looked at another MS-DOS called "Jill of the Jungle" for inspiration. This will be a colorful and action packed challenging game.
Hopefully I can keep things on track, as many most likely do not know who I worked with in the past. But after being a member of AtariAge for several month back in 2007, someone did contact me about doing other games, and I eventually met Video61. We collaborated on games like Tempest and Venture. After that, it was just myself and Video61 that work on game projects afterward, and believe we got better. I had to learn how to create music myself with Raster Music Tracker.
I am removing old Work in Progress Videos, and only leaving the most current one available.

20

(30 odpowiedzi, napisanych Programowanie - 8 bit)

Conversion to Fast Basic can be tedious. I use LIST to save the program in ATASCII format on an emulator. Use AtariUtil to extract it as text file so it gets converted to standard ASCII. Use a program like PSPAD or MS VSCode on PC, Mac, or Linux OS. That is so I have something I can do find and replace functions. PSPAD also has column selection so to make it easier to remove line numbers.
What you first need to do is find all the GOTOs, Gosubs, IF-THEN [Line number] statements and change to PROC-ENDPROC, Do Loop, Repeat Until, While Wend. You could be doing a lot of copying and pasting.
Once you start converting the program in Fast Basic forum, it actually becomes easier to follow.
A few weeks ago, I copied a few old Compute! Magazine type in games to ASCII. Had not got around to converting them yet. If anyone is interested in assisting me with porting them, I will post them on GITHUB.
I always say if anyone makes new programming languages for Atari and related platforms, it is helpful if we have many public examples. I just about ported every Turbobasic program I had in my posession, and now moving to magazine programs that are already public domain.

21

(30 odpowiedzi, napisanych Programowanie - 8 bit)

With TurboBasic XL and Fast Basic, you can get away with having some REM statements to describe what is going on. Maybe have them outside of areas where program code needs to run as fast as possible. Before or after the main program loop. Plus the compiler excludes all the comments when building a binary anyway.
Something else that made old programs difficult to work with was that many programmers used one or two letter variable names, like I used A and B often to represent the main thing you control in a game, and C and D to represent the hostile thing you had to fight.
Most of the 8-bit machines came with the most Basic of Basic's that had to fit onto a ROM that was soldered to the main board. Atari originally had theirs on an 8k cartridge. Commodore had extensions to their Basic on cartridges. Fast Basic is one great thing that came along. Something I am disappointed about is that 7800 Basic developers are reluctant about making their product support better structured programming. Last time I sent them a message with suggestions to make their product better, it did not go over that well.

22

(188 odpowiedzi, napisanych Bałagan)

Where can I order one of these?

23

(30 odpowiedzi, napisanych Programowanie - 8 bit)

It was a common practice, back in the 1970s to early 1980s, to remove REM statements to save memory and make programs run faster(running in interpreted mode). Many early machines had memories like 2K or 4K. Even the Atari 400/800 with 16K was a huge leap compared to other machines. I had a Vic-20, and when I got the 16K RAM cartridge, it made a huge difference. The program listings I am currently look at are loaded with GOTO #### and GOSUB ####, and to port those to Fast Basic involves me figuring out what is happening at those line numbers to label the functions.

24

(7 odpowiedzi, napisanych Software, Gry - 8bit)

From what I know, Video61, Lance has been selling for Atari since the 1980s. When Atari was active under Warner Communications, then later Jack Tramiel, he was a much larger operation. When Jack sold Atari, Lance acquired a lot of material from Atari. You may need to talk to Lance to get further details. His email is on his website.
I did not get involved with him until Sal contacted me around summer 2007 about porting an Amiga game called Battle Squadron. At the time I was working on various PC games and doing work on Jungle Quest when I had spare time. The Battle Squadron project never panned out and did not hear from Sal until late in 2007 to do an Atari 8-bit version of Tempest.
What other information would you like?

25

(30 odpowiedzi, napisanych Programowanie - 8 bit)

Alright, I will stick with English here. One of the side ongoing projects I am doing is taking old basic programs and porting them to Fast Basic. Add some enhancements if possible. Something I am looking for is an archive of all the old type in programs from computer magazine. So far, I only found just a few that I can copy into a text editor. If anyone has these sources, maybe I can do Fast Basic ports. I can post them up on my github page.
Does anyone know of an archive?