ADFFS 2.86 public beta

[Idge]

I've also fixed a bug in MemAlloc which wasn't reducing screen memory correctly on IOC based machines. Hopefully this will fix Nevryon - I've not checked

I can confirm this now works with the latest build for Nevryon if you are in Mode 28 before starting the game.

[Idge]

An issue seems to have been introduced with Boogie Buggy at some point. It doesnt work on the version of 2.85 I have from 23rd December 2024 or the latest 2.86 beta. It does work on version 2.84. The game loads correctly, however when you select the sweet meadow level, it loads the icons top and bottom, but it just has a black screen in the middle.
I have had this problem previously if the monitor was set to Multiscan, and I had to set the monitor to VGA. If I do this it loads correctly, but the screen is squashed.
With version 2.84 I can have the monitor type set to Multiscan and as long as I set the mode to Mode 15 before starting the game it loads correctly and full screen.
It also breaks the installed version where it had the patched files. It gives an error that I cannot read, but locks the machine up. It works fine in v2.84 and below.
This is all being run on a physical A3010 running risc os 3.11.

[JonAbbott]

The game loads correctly, however when you select the sweet meadow level, it loads the icons top and bottom, but it just has a black screen in the middle.

I couldn't reproduce this, but it does pause for a while before going into the level. I wonder if its doing something like counting Vsyncs? The game is fairly bug-ridden, so it could also be a bug.

With version 2.84 I can have the monitor type set to Multiscan and as long as I set the mode to Mode 15 before starting the game it loads correctly and full screen.

2.84 didn't reduce the screen memory allocation correctly. You shouldn't need to change Mode before running with 2.86 as that issue was fixed.

It also breaks the installed version where it had the patched files. It gives an error that I cannot read, but locks the machine up. It works fine in v2.84 and below.

Try editing !ADFFS.Obey.F1005301 and change the last GO 8000 (about 10 lines up from the end) to GO 12000 and see if that resolves any of the issues.

[Idge]

Try editing !ADFFS.Obey.F1005301 and change the last GO 8000 (about 10 lines up from the end) to GO 12000 and see if that resolves any of the issues.

Changing that line to GO 12000 fixed the issue on the installed version, however if I try boot floppy on the disk image for disk 1, it puts a lot of garbled text on the screen and doesnt load

[JonAbbott]

Changing that line to GO 12000 fixed the issue on the installed version, however if I try boot floppy on the disk image for disk 1, it puts a lot of garbled text on the screen and doesnt load

Thanks for confirming. I'll add a check to the script and call it accordingly.

Just be aware that when running from floppy the game can't be patched, so there's several game breaking bugs. They're mentioned in the script.

[wmd]

Issue found with Zelanites - the Micro Power version, not the PIAS version. When you start the game, stage 1, the enemy sprites flicker and there's slowdown. Only happens on stage 1.

[JonAbbott]

Issue found with Zelanites - the Micro Power version, not the PIAS version. When you start the game, stage 1, the enemy sprites flicker and there's slowdown. Only happens on stage 1.

I've been playing around with that script, whilst trying to get sound working on a RiscPC...try today's Boot scripts, I've reverted it use the patching from the PIAS version.

[wmd]

Still not working. Now the game slows down and all the sprites flicker when you press any of the in game keys.

[wmd]

I distinctly remember making a post about Arcade 3 - when you press all 4 direction keys + fire (Z X / ' RETURN) Mazeyman and Zarkon Invasion the game resets to the title screen. Post seems to have magically disappeared? Anyway, semi-related, I spotted this detail in the !HELP file for Deadline:

Code: Select all

The game exits to the title screen while playing:

  Certain key combinations on some machines
  cause an escape condition to be generated while
  several keys are pressed together. To overcome
  this re-define a different set of keys.

Obviously in Arcade 3, keys are redefinable, so this isn't an option, but I thought the details may be pertinent.

Also, did you change anything relating to Arcade 3 since the last update? My JFD is no longer booting, I get the error: !Boot does not match the expected file.

[JonAbbott]

Still not working. Now the game slows down and all the sprites flicker when you press any of the in game keys.

That's strange as it's now applying exactly the same patch on both releases. I know I was blocking it from altering various chipset registers in the previous version of the script for the original release - I was trying to figure out why sound DMA wasn't working on a RiscPC.

I distinctly remember making a post about Arcade 3 - when you press all 4 direction keys + fire (Z X / ' RETURN) Mazeyman and Zarkon Invasion the game resets to the title screen. Post seems to have magically disappeared?

I received a private email on 19th March saying exactly that, if that was you. My response was it sounded like a hardware issue.

From memory, I think A30x0 suffer that issue. I don't think it occurs on A-series with external keyboards - I might be wrong though, I've yet to test the games on physical.

Also, did you change anything relating to Arcade 3 since the last update? My JFD is no longer booting, I get the error: !Boot does not match the expected file.

You've caught me mid-change, where I'm adjusting the script to cover two versions of the game.