Help with debugging some Basic classics

Games for Spectrum, C64, Amstrad, Amiga, Apple ][ and the rest of the 8-bit and 16-bit platforms. Pleas for help, puzzles, bug reports etc.

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jgerrie
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Help with debugging some Basic classics

#1 Post by jgerrie »

Dear Classic IF gamers,

My hobby is Basic programming on an obscure 8-bit computer--the TRS-80 MC-10 (a little failed brother of the more famous Color Computer or Coco). Over the past years I have ported a great many classic adventures to the MC-10's Micro Color Basic from other systems (TRS-80 Model 1/3, Spectrum, Atari, etc).

I'm wondering if some of you might be able to help me with a bit of a quandary. My main interest is programming and expanding the software base of my neglected little machine. But I'm not so good (nor intensely interested frankly) in playing IF games. Where walkthoughs have existed, I have been able to use them to complete the games I have ported. Where they have not, I have simply had to hope that my coding conversion efforts have been successful and that no obscure bugs remain or have been introduced by me. In the course of porting some of these games I (and others of our small Yahoo group) have found bugs that could have severely (if not completely) threatened the winability of the game (too many to recall in detail). I've also slashed vast fields of poor spelling grammar and the occasional logical inconsistency of movement or plot. I have marked below with an asterix the files I believe I have been able to test using walkthroughs, but those that do not have asterix have not been fully tested. So if you are a person looking for a challenge and enjoy playing classic early 8-bit home computer games (under 20K) please consider trying one of the list that does not have an asterix (or any of the other should they happen to be of interest). The .C10 filenames can all be found in the very nice emulator package provided for our small community (the Yahoo group is called "the MC10 Color Computer Club") by emucompboy. I have included a link to my page where a copy of the emulator in a Zip can be obtained. After running the VMC10.exe (Virtual MC-10) just type CLOAD and hit ENTER and then from the files directory navigate to the JimG folder from the "play cassette" menu option and select the .C10 file from the list below.

The Virtual MC-10 (Emulator) with all the files:
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/jimgerrie/VMC10_073D.zip

My software pages:
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/jimgerrie/jgames.html
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/jimgerrie/jsoft.html

Link to IFDB listings for all of the games below:
http://ifdb.tads.org/search?searchfor=t ... by=&pg=all

Some might be quite rare (i'm not sure). I'm particularly curious in seeing DRWHO and ICEWAR solved. I can guarantee a quick response if you discover any bugs that prevent completion. Just leave messages here or email me at jimgerrie@ns.sympatico.ca
Thanks for any help you can provide.

Lumpies of Lotis IV by John and Jeff Klein (LUMPIES.C10) *
Adventureland by Scott Adams (ADVENT1.C10) *
Aftermath of the Asimovian Disaster by Andrew Nelson (ASIMOV.C10) *
Castle Bally by Paul Panks (BALLY.C10)
The Cavern of the Morlocks/La Caverne des Morlocks by François Coulon (MORLOCKS.C10) *
CIA Adventure by Hugh Lampert (CIA.C10) *
The Demon's Eye by John Dueck (DEMON.C10) *
Devil's Caverns by C. W. Engel (DEVIL.C10)
The Devils Triangle by Abacus Software (DEV-TRI.C10)
Diamond by R.P. Willert (DIAMOND.C10)
Doctor Who by James Smith (DRWHO1.C10)
Dog Star Adventure by Lance Micklus (DOGSTAR.C10) *
Dracula's Castle by Felix Software (DRACULA.C10)
Dungeons and Dragons by Peter Trefonas (DND.C10) *
Escape from S.S.A.D.B. by David Meny (SSADB.C10) *
Escape from the Dungeon of the Gods by Ray Sato (ESCAPE.C10) *
Example Adventure by McGraw-Hill (GOLDSHEL.C10)
Gargoyle Castle by Kit Domenico (GARGOYLE.C10) *
Gost Ship by Philip Courie (GOSTSHIP.C10)
Haunted House by Darren Deloach and Tim Koonce (HAUNT.C10) *
The High Mountains by Paul Braithwaite (MOUNTAIN.C10) *
The House of Seven Gables by Greg Hassett (GABLES.C10) *
Ice World War by Kit Domenico (ICEWAR.C10)
Killer Mansion by T&D Software (MANSION.C10) *
King Tut's Tomb by Greg Hassett (KINGTUT.C10) *
Lost Dutchman's Gold by Bob Liddil and Teri Li (DUTCHMAN.C10) *
Madhouse by Anonymous (MADHOUSE.C10)
The Melarkin by Paul Panks (MELARKIN.C10)
Neptune's Caverns by Steve Rodgers, Marcus Milton (NEPTUNE.C10) *
Operation Sabotage by Ray Sato (SABOTAGE.C10) *
Pharaoh's Curse (CURSE.C10)
Quest by Roger Chaffee (QUEST.C10)
Sorcellerie/Sorcery by Rafi Deryeghiyan (SORCERY.C10) *
Sorcerer's Castle Adventure by Greg Hassett (SORCAST.C10)
Moon Survival by Anonymous (SURVIVE.C10)
The Tablets of Hippocrates by S. Fawkes (TOH.C10) *
Teeny Tiny Text Adventure by Tim Ekdom (TXTADV.C10) *
Treasure Dungeon 2 by David E. White (TREASURE.C10)
The Treasure of Elgon by Keith Hawthorn (ELGON.C10) *
Treasures of Barsoom by Microdeal (BARSOOM.C10)
Uncle Tays' House Adventure by inexorabletash (UNCLETAY.C10) *
The Werewolf Howls at Dawn by Michael A. Rose and Ken Rose (WEREWOLF.C10) *

[* - see Jim's post below (Alastair)]
Last edited by jgerrie on Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:33 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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jgerrie
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Re: Help with debugging some Basic classics

#2 Post by jgerrie »

Missed asterixing the tail end of the list somehow:
jgerrie wrote: Operation Sabotage by Ray Sato (SABOTAGE.C10)*
Pharaoh's Curse (CURSE.C10)
Quest by Roger Chaffee (QUEST.C10)
Sorcellerie/Sorcery by Rafi Deryeghiyan (SORCERY.C10) *
Sorcerer's Castle Adventure by Greg Hassett (CASTLE.C10)
Moon Survival by Anonymous (SURVIVE.C10)
The Tablets of Hippocrates by S. Fawkes (TOH.C10) *
Teeny Tiny Text Adventure by Tim Ekdom (TXTADV.C10) *
Treasure Dungeon 2 by David E. White (TREASURE.C10)
The Treasure of Elgon by Keith Hawthorn (ELGON.C10)
Treasures of Barsoom by Microdeal (BARSOOM.C10)
Uncle Tays' House Adventure by inexorabletash (UNCLETAY.C10) *
The Werewolf Howls at Dawn by Michael A. Rose and Ken Rose (WEREWOLF.C10) *
Alastair
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Re: Help with debugging some Basic classics

#3 Post by Alastair »

Jim,
I've edited your post to reflect the information in your second posting - I hope you don't mind.
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jgerrie
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Re: Help with debugging some Basic classics

#4 Post by jgerrie »

I don't mind. Thank you very much.
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Gunness
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Re: Help with debugging some Basic classics

#5 Post by Gunness »

Sounds interesting. I was going to add some of these games to our database, anyway, so I might as well give some of them a spin.
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jgerrie
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Re: Help with debugging some Basic classics

#6 Post by jgerrie »

Just added "Chateau Gaillard" to the list of ports. However, I was able to solve this one. A map (walkthrough) can be found here:
http://jimgerrie.blogspot.ca/2014/04/ti ... llard.html

I should also mention, if there are Basic games that anyone knows of, that don't quite work right, but they would like to see fixed so that they can be played, please let me know, and I will see about getting it up and running (on the Virtual MC-10 of course). Or obscure listings of basic code that just don't have any native platform to run on anymore, but that people would like to try out, I'll port it to Micro Color Basic and get it running...
Juan
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Re: Help with debugging some Basic classics

#7 Post by Juan »

jgerrie wrote:Just added "Chateau Gaillard" to the list of ports. However, I was able to solve this one. A map (walkthrough) can be found here:
http://jimgerrie.blogspot.ca/2014/04/ti ... llard.html

I should also mention, if there are Basic games that anyone knows of, that don't quite work right, but they would like to see fixed so that they can be played, please let me know, and I will see about getting it up and running (on the Virtual MC-10 of course). Or obscure listings of basic code that just don't have any native platform to run on anymore, but that people would like to try out, I'll port it to Micro Color Basic and get it running...
Do you think you could fix this Conan game for the Tatung Einstein?

http://solutionarchive.com/game/id%2C5101/Conan.html

Has a fatal bug that makes the game crash.
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jgerrie
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Re: Help with debugging some Basic classics

#8 Post by jgerrie »

Sure, but where and how can I get the source code? I can't get the Einstein emulator up and running under Mess. Even if I could, I'd have to figure out how to get the basic out to an ASCII file. Any ideas?
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Re: Help with debugging some Basic classics

#9 Post by jgerrie »

Well, I still can't get the Einstein to run under Mess. I suspect something in the latest distros have broken the binary for the Einstein and lots of other machines. There are lots of posts from other people in similar shakes. However, I have put my hand on some DSK utilities that will allow me to get files off virtual disks. Perhaps someone who has an Einstein working under an older version of the Mess could load the program and save it again in ASCII format to a .DSK. If the Basic is like MS Basic SAVE"filename",A
might work. Or perhaps LISTP the and capture the printer output to a file...
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