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using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines
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Message: 4782
Author: Daniel
Date: 01/05/2005
Subject: File formats and other matters
First of all, thanks to Andrew Broad for his extensive, very helpful
reply on the file formats :-) . I am sorry I didn't write
earlier, but I was extremely busy for a couple of weeks with non-
MM/JSW commitments.
After studying Andrew's reply, I have decided to release "JSW
The 2005 Megamix" in the .tap format only. If it is an elegant
way to release new software, it eliminates confusion over which is
the definitive version and "no half-decent emulator should lack the
ability to at least read TAP files", then a .tap file it will be!
Incidentally, I have decided to set the release date for May 10,
which will be exactly half a year after I released my first JSW
design effort, "Willy's New Mansion" :-) .
I have never used SPECSAISIE yet I should have a look at it
when I start working on a new game so my further questions will
revolve around John Elliott's JSWED.
Andrew says: "So if you're going to release a snapshot, make it a
*perfect* snapshot: one where you press a key to run the game (as in
PAUSE 0: RANDOMIZE USR 33792)".
If I save a game as a .sna file or a .z80 file from JSWED, are these
not perfect snapshots? Okay, they don't make you press a key to
run the game, but I imagine they should have all of the temporary
variables corresponding to the moment you start the game, isn't
that right?
If I am correct in the above assumption, would it also be correct to
say that one can use JSWED to create perfect snapshots and "perfect"
.tap files of JSW/MM games? For example:
- I take a .sna format snapshot of a JSW 48k game in progress and
load it into JSWED. Then I save it as a .sna file again. When loaded
into an emulator, this new file runs from the beginning of the game,
not from the moment when the original snapshot was saved. So I
imagine that in the process all the temporary variables were set to
their "starting point" and JSWED produced a perfect snapshot of the
game. Is this correct?
- I take a .sna or a .z80 snapshot of a JSW game in progress and load
it into JSWED. Then I save it as a .tap file. Have I got a "perfect"
.tap file of the game?
I have noticed that when Phillip Bee officially released "JSW
(again)" (a very enjoyable and interesting game IMO! :-) ) in January
this year (message # 4665), he said: "The game is exactly the same as
the MM/JSW Club (as it was back then) release in December 2000. I
just used JSWED2 to save it as a tap (couldn't even be bothered to
make a nice little tap of my own!)".
Phil, in what way "a nice little tap of your own" would have been
different from the .tap file you produced with JSWED?
On an unrelated note:
- Andrew wrote:
"For example, I discovered Miniclip.com this year - a great source of
free PC games which can be played online or downloaded".
It is a great source, indeed, in my experience. I haven't really
played many of the games offered there, but for a time I was totally
addicted to one called "Bubble Trouble" (that was before I got hooked
on JSW designing :-) ). It is still available at Miniclip.com
(www.miniclip.com/bubbletrouble.htm), but it also has its homepage,
where a new version (called Bubble Struggle) can be downloaded
(http://jagor.srce.hr/~kcvitan1/bubbletrouble/). I am sorry this has
nothing to do with JSW, not even with platform games, I just wanted
to share it because I liked the game so much and spent so much time
playing it (please don't accuse me of improper advertising! :-) ).
- Andrew wrote:
"The four Miniclip games I mentioned above have one thing in common:
you can control the player's non-vertical motion during a jump or
fall - which is sometimes a blessing, sometimes an annoyance. I might
consider patching the JSW-engine to do likewise, once I have the time
to make a proper start on Afrikaan".
Andrew, I think this is an excellent idea! I can imagine Willy moving
forward and backward while falling this would be really cool!
My immediate association with the idea is Dynamite Dan 2 (one of my
favourite non-JSW Spectrum games), where POKE 31622,66 lets you move
left / right while falling, which makes it possible for example to
reach the fourth island while jumping off the top of the third one.
- Alexandra wrote:
"... the JSW128 mass collab (which died probably from too much input.
Ironic :)"
Sendy, what is the current "official" status of JSW128 mass
collaboration? Are you going to one day tidy up the "05/02/01 -
taster release" version found in the "Utility Cubes Mass
Collab" folder of the "Files" section and release it? I think it
would be a great pity if this excellent work of many authors were
totally abandoned at such an advanced stage :-( .
- DrUnKeN mAsTeR wrote:
"My creative juices are flowing like a well basted turkey (...) Maria
on Tour is 64 rooms deep and at the rate I'm churning my rooms out
it'll be finished at the most another month (...) Expect the game
soon, as it's nearing completion as every hour passes".
I look forward to playing it! :-)
- John Elliott wrote:
"Note that the downloadable zipfile on this page (which contains
JSW64 and JSW64:MM) isn't a simple zip of tape files. The user has to
provide copies of JSW, MM and the Spectrum ROM, and it then builds
JSW64 from them. Since this may be a fiddly business, I'd welcome
comments from people who've downloaded the ZIP and experimented with
it".
I have downloaded the ZIP but haven't experimented with it yet.
However, since I like all things simple, my almost automatic question
is: why did you choose to do it this way, John? Was it because of
intellectual property rights and things like that?
- A big hello to everyone else!
Daniel
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