Work In Progress

I have made good progress on the new game, or should I say, the new framework. I have re-written the parser to allow multiple nouns (get, take, collect etc), shortened the code needed to actually run the game and hopefully built a solid framework on which I can simply build my games.

With the complete framework, the file runs in at 6k, that includes the introduction and first location. That is a lot smaller than the previous one, and now all I have to do is add locations, objects, interactions and messages.

My old BASIC game (called Vamp) has been re-worked into a mystery rather than a horror based game and so will have a different name (yet to be decided). The locations remain pretty much the same, as do about 60% of the puzzles. I have added new objects and puzzles as well as re-writing all of the location descriptions.

I have just the last puzzle and end game to work out before I can begin adding it to the base code.

Read more »

What Next?

With my previous adventure complete I recently clambered into my dusty attic to locate my old folder containing all of my old notes and maps for my 80’s adventures. Sure enough there it was, still as I had left it – crammed full of detailed maps and drawings.

Armed with that I narrowed down the next game for conversion and loaded up the TAP file to take a look at the locations and objects. The game is pretty basic, in all senses of the word, with some atrocious spelling! However, as with the test project, A Broken Friend, I will need to go through everything and re-write it.

The locations need a good tidy up, the plot needs padding out, additional puzzles adding and a new map generated. The game will not be a 100% copy of the original, more a game based on the same concepts. Long gone are the days of locations described as “You are on a path.”!

I will also have to re-write large parts of the code to put into practice the things discovered during the last game. Whole chunks will need to be re-organised to make things quicker code-wise, easier to play and use less space. A challenge indeed!

Read more »

A Broken Friend

Fleg was a young scamp, always getting into scrapes and having adventures, but his most favourite thing was to play on his Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

His mother had bought it for him at Christmas, a few months ago, and he spent all of his spare hours blasting aliens, solving puzzles, jumping on platforms and generally having a grand old time.

Now it was broken and he needed to get it fixed so he could return to some good old classic gaming.

A Broken Friend is an adventure game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

Download the game.

Read more »

Posted in: A Broken Friend - Spectrum

Progress Update

Work on the new game is going really well and I have progressed quite far into this test project. All of the locations are complete, all of the puzzles and objects are complete and the game is fully playable.

The LOAD/SAVE functionality is also working – something I am relieved at as it was the major stumbling block to getting the game out.

I now have to fully play-test it, checking the spelling, puzzles and interaction before finally going through the game and adding things to the parser that helps the player when required. I was leaving this to the last in case I ran out of room, but at the moment I am ok.

I did have to change the compiler settings to stop the game generating OUT OF MEMORY errors, giving it an extra 4k to play with, which I will use to improve the parser.

Then I just have to think of a loading screen!

Read more »

Possible New Game

Back in the 80’s I wrote a lot of adventure games, none of them written in a form that would allow publication. Mostly they were in BASIC, a few of them used graphics using a non-standard method to hold four sets of UDGs in memory and flip between them, some were just downright too rude (like the one based on Derek and Clive!).

When I began recently to make games with AGD, I have always looked out for ways to re-produce my old games in a professional manner. I stayed clear of utilities like the Quill or PAW, instead wanting more freedom.

I looked briefly at BASIC compilers, but they fell short, especially when using the non-standard graphics, GOSUB and GOTO plus other oddities. Another major stumbling block was the LOAD/SAVE of game data.

I have for a few months, been looking at Boriel’s Compiler, and liking what it does. As a test project I have taken one of my old text adventures and attempted to re-create it in fully compiled, 42 character machine code.

So far things are going well despite early problems with GOSUB and GOTO, but I just had to re-think how things work in this environment. I also needed to work out how many locations I could squeeze in, as well as all the interaction, parser and object manipulation.

As things stand I have nearly all locations in, most of the object and puzzles, most of the interaction (with just the last and most complex puzzle/interaction to do) and most of the parser. It is 90% playable, up to the point of the final locations and puzzle.

My plan is to finish the game and then look at how I can make LOAD/SAVE work. I think, looking at Boriel’s documentation, it can be done easily by building an array of values and then saving as data. If this works then I will release the game and look at the rest of my old adventures with a new enthusiasm.

Read more »

Android Shoot Out Update

After a week of playing with the emulators on the Asus Transformer tablet, I have decided to update my previous PDF on the Spectrum emulators available for this format. The main reason for this was that I omitted to test multi-directional games that required more than just left, right and fire. Because of these extra directions and the controls schemes required, I felt my previous feature did not fully cover all aspects of the emulators.

It initially came to light when I wanted to play my own game, Space Disposal, on my tablet. Once loaded into Xpectroid I noticed the difficulty in controlling the game in landscape mode because of the layout of the virtual buttons. That is when I realised I hadn't mentioned this type of control in the feature.

So, after another few days of testing, I have released an updated version ready to download and also view online.

View Online Here

Download original report
Updated report Nov 2011
Updated report Feb 2012

Read more »