Bone cruncher wanted

[ross]

Originally Posted by Retroplay

Ross, would you consider adding a quit back to Workbench key while you're at it ?
That way no WHDLoad slave would be necessary as it runs flawless from WB in its current state (except F3 & F5 that is) and since no original is available (and probably never will be).

Technically it would be possible, but it would require at least 1MB of generic RAM, in addiction to 512KB chip, to relocate all memory (like WHDLoad does).
Now the game use ALL 512KB chip RAM (yes, your beta copy require 1 MB chip RAM but only because it lack a proper loader, that i'm working on).

Well, i'll think about it, anyway making a Whdload slave would be super simple (game is already completely patched for any system).
I'm also working to make it fully NTSC compatible.

Stay tuned

[ross]

In the end this became an optimization exercise

The original executable was 22024 bytes.
Now, after huge optimization and rewrite, the same code (comprised of the intro screen visualization, bugs corrected, patches and a proper trainer) is <14000 bytes.

Also a new loader, packing and memory system, input handlers and soft sync scrolling are used.
Phew.. maybe a total rewrite would have been faster considering the simplicity of the game

Now works from a bare 512KB machine.

EDIT: however a 020 is recommended, to avoid the possible slowdown when the screen is full of moving objects.

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by ross

In the end this became an optimization exercise

The original executable was 22024 bytes.
Now, after huge optimization and rewrite, the same code (comprised of the intro screen visualization, bugs corrected, patches and a proper trainer) is <14000 bytes.

Also a new loader, packing and memory system, input handlers and soft sync scrolling are used.
Phew.. maybe a total rewrite would have been faster considering the simplicity of the game

Now works from a bare 512KB machine.

[Retroplay]

Stunning work, ross.

Some of the later levels are hard as nails, level 15 I have yet to figure out.
All in-game keys work now (F3, F5, F7), trainer works.
Typing in level number instead of password is an excellent idea.

All I can think of now is perhaps a file version I can copy to hdd and play from there.

[Asman]

@ross
Great job.

[DrBong]

Originally Posted by ross

The original executable was 22024 bytes.
Now, after huge optimization and rewrite, the same code (comprised of the intro screen visualization, bugs corrected, patches and a proper trainer) is <14000 bytes.

Also a new loader, packing and memory system, input handlers and soft sync scrolling are used.
Phew.. maybe a total rewrite would have been faster considering the simplicity of the game

Now works from a bare 512KB machine.

I probably shouldn't be surprised after your reconstruction job on Monkey Business, but superb work once again!

Originally Posted by Retroplay

All I can think of now is perhaps a file version I can copy to hdd and play from there.

Haha, yeh....all we need now is a one-filed version in the great tradition of N.O.M.A.D., Il Scuro or a certain other geezer who shall remain nameless!

[Asman]

Originally Posted by ross

In the end this became an optimization exercise
[..]
EDIT: however a 020 is recommended, to avoid the possible slowdown when the screen is full of moving objects.

Is there no way to speed up some things ? How many bitplanes screen has ?

[ross]

Originally Posted by Asman

Is there no way to speed up some things ? How many bitplanes screen has ?

Hi Asman, it use four bitplanes and no doubt can be further optimized (it use no blitter at all..).
But for now I would say that's okay

[Asman]

Originally Posted by ross

Hi Asman, it use four bitplanes and no doubt can be further optimized (it use no blitter at all..).
But for now I would say that's okay

ok

[ross]

Before accumulating with the non-released..
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=95308

[TjLaZer]

WHDload version would be nice!

[Retroplay]

Dr Bong, I see your original finally arrived.
One more rarity added to your collection.

It just saddens me to see that even the original game suffers from the same graphics errors in-game.

I guess CCS must have done some fixing back in the day.
Until recently, before Ross did the 680x0 über-fixed version, that was the only version with no glitches.

PS. Thanks for the kind words.

[DrBong]

Originally Posted by Retroplay

Dr Bong, I see your original finally arrived.
One more rarity added to your collection.

It just saddens me to see that even the original game suffers from the same graphics errors in-game.

I guess CCS must have done some fixing back in the day.
Until recently, before Ross did the 680x0 über-fixed version, that was the only version with no glitches.

PS. Thanks for the kind words.

Bloody hell! You must've seen my upload to the FTP server before I'd even finished firing off my PM to you about it!! Bummer about the graphical glitches also being present on the original copy I upped, though. We'll have to see what Denis says about the raw dump I ping him in email.

Anyway, for anyone who missed it.....I now have in my possession a very rare original copy of Bone Cruncher. It's one of only two original copies I've seen in almost 20 years on Ebay and the net at large! In the Zone. Enjoy!

Originally Posted by TjLaZer

WHDload version would be nice!

Not a half-bad idea! I'll see if any of the usual suspects I've had the pleasure to supply originals to for the last several years wants to patch this one.