Help with debugging some Basic classics
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:26 am
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)]
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)]