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Posted By

MIRKOSOFT
on 2014-05-05
05:27:19
 Commodore Basic 7.0 for Plus/4

Hi!

I found old thread at Landover BBS about Basic 7.0 for Plus/4...
I was surprised, I'm 128'er and really can be interesant to see how it works...

I found only Octasoft Basic 7.0 - is it only one or exist real CBM Basic 7.0?
For example I wanted to see how Plus/4 works with sprites and first general incompatibility with command SPRITE - so Octasoft is only version like Simons' Basic for 64'er?

Miro

Posted By

George
on 2014-05-05
10:41:41
 Re: Commodore Basic 7.0 for Plus/4

As far as i know, are Sprites in Octasoft not implemented. But i am not sure. I did some general research on that topic.

None of the many existing tools for BASIC, that i tried so far, could not convince me so far.
Too much flickering or too slow. "Games Creator" is not bad.

Posted By

Csabo
on 2014-05-05
12:00:48
 Re: Commodore Basic 7.0 for Plus/4

To answer your question Miro, Octasoft BASIC V7.0 is the only thing we have, there's no "real" CBM BASIC 7.0 for the Plus/4. I'm not sure what Simon's BASIC is like, so I can't compare. But briefly, it's a cartridge, so the extra BASIC commands don't take up any memory. It does add sprite handling, but it can't change the fact that all we have is the TED, so they are soft-sprites, using a custom character set.

George, sprites are implemented. Here's how you can quickly test: put the CRT file into ROM C3 Low. Press F2 to start. Type this little program:
0 sprsav"12345678",1
1 refresh
2 sprite4,1
3 movspr4,x,y
4 x=x+1and127:y=y+1and127
5 project:goto3

The first line "defines" the sprite, so it will be some random stuff, but it's necessary to do that so we can see something. It works, but it does flicker occasionally.

Posted By

George
on 2014-05-05
15:01:50
 Re: Commodore Basic 7.0 for Plus/4

Thanks for the info.

Maybe it was Pascal for the plus/4 which did not had Sprites implemented.

Posted By

MIRKOSOFT
on 2014-05-05
15:50:51
 Re: Commodore Basic 7.0 for Plus/4

OK, so thread at Landover BBS was about this Basic.

I'm not fan of VIC-IIe or any version of VIC chip - best chip I mean is VDC...
VDC contains not sprites too, it's not big problem like 64'ers refering... and I know that TED has no sprites too...
In my eyes VIC chip makes for C128 only troubles - 2MHz mode, low resolution - it has only few advantages: fast RAM access, scanline IRQ and sprites - bu sprites are not big advantage.
When I look at resolution: 160×200 4 colors in cell 4×8 vs 640×400 16 colors in cell 8×8...

and resolution can go up - my own used 800×544, only one disatvantage of VDC is that color modes can be max. 640 pixels wide...

I'm very big fan of TED FLI mode - 320×200 121 colors is great!
Yes, for example VDC allows 640×512 136 colors - but compare VDC vs VIC and VDC vs TED is big difference... TED is great chip...
I'm only sad that Commodore did for bussines more than for computer advantages:
- fate of 264 Series - incompatible to C64, so why to do anything more
- fate of C128 - only for C64 compatibility are here always VIC limits, and 64 mode was reason why were programmed not many 128 native apps...
Always is better compatibility and then are computer advantages - bussiness is bussiness.

Miro



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