| Posted By
Luca
on 2003-01-08
 |  "Converting" proposal for coders
"Tracksuit Manager" by Goliath Games is a strategic soccer game on C64. It shows no graphics and no sound, but its gameplay is great!
As you can see, it should be really easy to convert on Plus/4...thus, I'm launching this idea to the coders here.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2003-01-08
| Re: "Converting" proposal for coders
Download link?
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Posted By
Luca
on 2003-01-08
| ...and so on
I want to remember that many easy-convertable C64 games are around.
Starting from the most easy to convert:
- written in basic
- text only
- text/graphic adventures
- text/graphics/music
- single-sprite (like, e.g., the arrow in an interactive menu: Tass Times in Tone Town)
- 3D engines
- sprites
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Posted By
bubis
on 2003-01-09
| 3D engines
Hmmm, once I had a Driller port but I can't see it in the database!
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Posted By
bubis
on 2003-01-09
| Re: Driller
No, sorry, I've found it.
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Posted By
Gaia
on 2003-01-09
| Converting
I always fancied the idea of converting from C=64 but never really got to the point actually doing it... 
My first applicant would however be the C=64 version of Manic Miner, considering ours is 16kb only. AFAIK it also does not contain any sprites. BUT! How to begin??? Seeing the many folks who actually converted programs from C=64 one might first ask them what the best way is to convert a game? And I refer to detailed instructions on how to do it, what tools to use, etc. Common simulation code layers would also be cool (SID->TED routine, single sprite routine, etc.)
As we are in the PC area crossplatform tools would no doubt be the best and most efficient. So the steps to follow would look something like (all steps on PC of course):
1. unpack game code (if single file)
2. use a decent disassembler that can recognise object code properly, etc.
3. fix eventual mistakes (self-modifying code comes to mind...)
4. do the actual conversion with mapping c64 I/O registers to plus/4 ones
5. recompile it, this time for the plus/4
Looks simple, eh?  Now, the question is: what tools/programs one should use? And that's the real difficulty here, I guess... Any ideas?
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Posted By
MIK
on 2003-01-09
 | Attila
Manic Miner is a nice idea, but the C16 version is better on game play because of the poor crash detection on C64..
So to have the best you would need to do a Spectrum to Plus4 version of Manic Miner 
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2003-01-09
| Re: Converting
It's such a coincidence that Luca brought this up, I have been messing around with converting programs too. I haven't successfully managed yet, though For programs, I use VICE (X64.EXE) to run/save the games. I have my own disassembler, which works pretty well. It was released once, but then my old homepage went down. I should re-release it again. One thing that I've been wanting to add to it is the C64 comments. (E.g. any refernce to C64 registers would be commented.) The disassembler produces Plus4IDE ready code, so it can be compiled, etc.
What I found though was that I know nothing about the 64. When I look at Plus/4 code, it's like reading plain English (or Hungarian ), it's like second nature. I can rip apart anything quickly, especially with the new crossplatform tools. But on the 64... I constantly have to look up registers, and I still don't even fully understand what the heck is going on with that memory map (but definitely learned to appreciate how simple the Plus/4's memory map is).
It's a good thing we're talking about this. Anyway about TM: I got as far as taking off the intro/compression. It seems to start at $D9D, so placing a breakpoint there should stop and we can save the memory. (Why couldn't VICE use "B" for breakpoint? Got used to using "B" in YAPE, and now I have to type "BREAK".) However, when I saved it, and tried to load it back, it doesn't work...
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Posted By
TMR
on 2003-01-14
 | Csabo's comments
Believe me, it's just as weird going from the C64 to the Plus/4! =-)
i started looking at the possibility of doing the odd Plus/4 game or demo/dentro about a year back and, although i have a few test routines blocked out (a horizontally scrolling dodge-the-background game which i've vaguely planned to evolve into a full shoot-em-up) trying to get used to how the Plus/4 handles RAM compared to the C64 is more than a little weird!
i did think about trying to port a few C64 games, but my "field" is shoot-em-ups so trying to get a game with shedloads of hardware sprites into a machine without 'em is a bit difficult... =-)
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Posted By
Luca
on 2003-01-14
| XeO3
Hey TMR!
Did you see our XeO3 project?
It results ambitious, but if Mike will wake up, a first demo shoud be ready soon!
Read the characteristics and tell me what d'ya think about!
Here's the ::link::
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Posted By
TMR
on 2003-01-14
| Don't be daft!
Of course i've seen it Luca, i saw the site quite a while ago (anything up to a year, possibly more) and i've been sitting there waiting for a site update for an age too (hint, hiint =-)
My game (presently nicknamed "Panic Hardware") isn't as ambitious as far as the sprites go, but i've got scrolling, a player ship and fair bit of colour on the screen so far at full framerate. i've half considered releasing a "Dex" style game (except playable) as a quick release and then stepping the engine up to do something more complex but i'm not sure. i also toyed with something like "Carnage" or "Harder than Kryptonite" with more objects and colour and did a few trials of that too but nothing i was happy with...
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Posted By
Luca
on 2003-01-14
| BWAAAAHAHAHAAAAH!
Why d'ya called me "daft"?
Ok, if you'll get up to work again on these stuff, feel free to contact me as an additional pair of hands and eyes.
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Posted By
TMR
on 2003-01-14
| Because...
It's one of the biggest Plus/4 projects going and one (as an SEU fan) i'm interested in, how could i not have heard of it?! =-)
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