Darkmere problem

[manossg]

@jotd

Either one (or both) of these would be great, thanks!

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by jotd

I'll create a .adf file and a whdload save file for start of level 2.

nice, i can continue the playtest then

hope that having also a proper gamesave and a test on real hardware would track all the issues out, finally

[jotd]

I'm currently playing on whdload (level 1) with my hopefully working slave. I also hope that the problem lies in the savegames built with wrong whdload slave.

[kremiso]

Level 3 (latest, disk4) reached
no issues so far, so i can say that using original .ipf + emulation + .uss statefiles, all should be ok.

Also, this game runs better using more than 1MB, the transition between screens is surely faster with more RAM

So, about @saimo issue, it could be a randomly real gamesave fault, or i'm wondering a different path in solving the tasks in that second level maybe?
The fact that the game is not properly linear, could lead to a not correct save perhaps?

As i already said, i remember at the time having a lot of problems with gamesaves, but it is also true that was playing with a cracked version...

[dlfrsilver]

Darkmere savegame pb is possibly like the one on obitus. With hard-coded offsets for game variables. So if the wrong memory allocation routine is used, be sure than the save game will be knackered consequently.

[CFou!]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

Darkmere savegame pb is possibly like the one on obitus. With hard-coded offsets for game variables. So if the wrong memory allocation routine is used, be sure than the save game will be knackered consequently.

after verification current official patch use extended memory at 80000.

So there are no problem of absolute adress.

unless the backup has not been created with the slave whdload and at absolute addresses access for example the extended memory at the address $c00000

but i am not verify if save game contain absolutes adresses...

[jotd]

what is certain is that the slave has been configured with not enough memory.

The first crash is because the game tries to clear a memory block of 0 size (and fails because of loop starting at 0 and decreasing...)

[kremiso]

I'll add here two saves, converted in .adf's, to test on real hardware

Level 2 and Level 3 very start
with winuae they works fine, both
maybe they can be added to the savedisks Tosec

[jotd]

thanks for those adfs. I could load them & save back to whdload saves

Can someone test those saves & play with whdload? I didn't get any crashes on level 2.

note: I have added a nice trainer: infinite energy!! I know, it kind of kills the fun... but you don't have to use it.

zoned.

Maybe I could add second button control for space. Other keys?

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by jotd

thanks for those adfs. I could load them & save back to whdload saves

Can someone test those saves & play with whdload? I didn't get any crashes on level 2.

note: I have added a nice trainer: infinite energy!! I know, it kind of kills the fun... but you don't have to use it.

zoned.

Maybe I could add second button control for space. Other keys?

A second button support would be nice !

[saimo]

Originally Posted by jotd

thanks for those adfs. I could load them & save back to whdload saves

Can someone test those saves & play with whdload? I didn't get any crashes on level 2.

Thank you. Maybe this evening I'll give it a go.

note: I have added a nice trainer: infinite energy!! I know, it kind of kills the fun... but you don't have to use it.

The combat system is so dumb and the energy refills are so abundant that one hardly has issues with energy (at least, until and including level 2). This makes me wonder: is level 3 harder in that regard? (Just thinking aloud.)

Maybe I could add second button control for space. Other keys?

This would be nice, indeed.

[jotd]

I added the trainer so I didn't waste too much time playing, but yes, you're right. I died at some point though, getting stuck in a corner and not being able to fight back.

I'll add the second button once the problems are solved. I think I reached the point of your save saimo, maybe not on the way back though. I never had any corrupt sprites or lockups whatever.

I'm settling on that now:

- whdload previous slave didn't allocate enough mem for the game
- old savegames suffer from that.

The only surprising thing is that noone played the whdload version enough to get to the crash except manosgg and you.

[saimo]

Originally Posted by jotd

I added the trainer so I didn't waste too much time playing, but yes, you're right.

Just for clarity, I wasn't criticizing your work (you just added an optional bonus: how could one ever complain about that? ), but rather the game design.

I died at some point though, getting stuck in a corner and not being able to fight back.

Ah, yes, that happened to me a couple of times, too. I had not thought about that when I made my comment.
And here it is mandatory to point out also that originally testing wasn't done properly.

I'll add the second button once the problems are solved. I think I reached the point of your save saimo, maybe not on the way back though. I never had any corrupt sprites or lockups whatever.

Great job!
I'll let you know. I just have to convince myself to restart from level 2 (which isn't as bad as restarting from the very beginning)

I'm settling on that now:

- whdload previous slave didn't allocate enough mem for the game
- old savegames suffer from that.

That's very likely.

The only surprising thing is that noone played the whdload version enough to get to the crash except manosgg and you.

Maybe it "helped" the fact that I play meticulously: there's no place I leave unvisited, no action I don't try (has anyone ever tried to drink the yellow potion in level 1?), no description I don't read, etc.

Also, maybe the game wasn't played by many at all not only because of the genre, but also because on a real Amiga it is way too slow (I played it entirely on A1200 + Bz1230-IV, and the menu speed becomes quickly a pain and also changing location requires a variable but very noticeable amount of time - I dread the thought of playing it on an A500 with just floppies).

[jotd]

Just for clarity, I wasn't criticizing your work (you just added an optional bonus: how could one ever complain about that? ), but rather the game design.

Oh I didn't see that as a criticism! I just put a trainer because I hate mixing playtesting with actual play. When I want to reach a given part to check for a bug, I don't want to have to play properly

I wanted to make a comparison between that game and Cadaver. When Darkmere came out I was like crazy because I thought it would be like Cadaver... but nooooo.

And the loading times are just horrible from floppy; I think that and the constant fights made me give up that game. I like the atmosphere and all but it's pretty much repetitive. Go there, bring item, go back, bring another item... The dialogue part is cool, visiting houses with several stories was cool too. The sound, colors & graphics are very good (Cadaver has only 16 colors, poor sound in comparison, but also has ... Dan Malone and devious puzzles), I still prefer Cadaver by far.

I also think that Darkmere is a Cadaver rip-off by many aspects:

- the scrolls
- the status screen
- the save system
- even the music looks like Cadaver title music at some point...

but it lacks the jumps, the object interaction and piling to reach heights, different ways to do stuff, superb puzzles, lots of levels, unique atmosphere. The Bitmap Brothers genius at its finest.

[saimo]

Just a quick update: nope, this evening I can't try the slave. I've been programming until now and I badly need to sleep


Cadaver: I hope to find a way to get an extra life to try it out...

[jotd]

If you liked exploring in Darkmere, I highly recommend Cadaver & data disk. Drop what you're doing, like now.

Anyway, close to completion now.

- fixed memory allocation (caused fatal issues at level 2)
- self-modifying code properly fixed (no more cache flush)
- more efficient blitterwaits
- selectable trainer
- checks "SaveDisk" at startup (else it's not possible to create it, thus
not possible to save to hard disk)
- access fault properly fixed
- uses only 512k of chip memory, and fast memory for the program (faster)
- stack relocated in fast memory
- added joypad controls, game is now fully controllable with joypad. With pre-set
savegames, it is even possible to play on a CD32 using whdload or cd32load (untested)
- non-empty savegame file with start of levels 2 and 3 provided (thanks kremiso@eab)
- readme reworked
- toggleable save to hard disk or floppy with CUSTOM5=1 and
F9 key. Press F9 to toggle to floppy (red flash), press F9
to toggle back to hard drive (green flash). That allows to load
a saved game from floppy and save it back to hard drive (by losing
one magic or potion, that's true... unless trainer is on) or the
other way round.

that's the list of the new features. I'll release the updates as soon as people will tell me that level 2 can be completed without crashes using the clean savegames from kremiso

[kremiso]

great job @jotd

in meantime, i finally have complete the game, and also for the first time, without the crash issue i had encountered at time (before last fight).
Well, the last level is surely shorter than the previous two, maybe this one can be playtested using a single save, but there could be a couple of points when ie two enemies got you stuck in a wrong attack direction and kill you...

I think each level require 2/3 saves at least
Decent ending also

i can also say that the 'collect everything' method is not good for this one, having a lot of objects in menu slows everything, and can create issues when playing with only 1MB

[jotd]

you mean with my new whdload slave? or from IPF/floppy?

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by jotd

you mean with my new whdload slave? or from IPF/floppy?

emulated .ipf
away from me the idea of restart again
but i'm curious too about results on whdload/real hardware

[jotd]

real hardware is not an issue. It's a memory configuration issue. I have transfered your gamesaves to whdload "savedisk" file btw.