Malban
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Followup on the VIA thing:
http://vide.malban.de/1st-of-june-faulty-via-vs-incHi,
I got your VIA today – and I am still trying to figure it out.
Until I have more to say, I’ll keep quiet – for now.The Major Havoc part is the one part that is not finished in any way. It will either feature some levels at the end of
the minestorm where you can “collect” something good – or completely vanish from the game, if time and space runs out…
Don’t worry about that just now.The Queen. Yea, you can certainly get to her and not be able to kill her.
But honestly – it doesn’t need a great shot, mostly persistence.You CAN kill her with a one shot, some medium rate and some medium amount of bullets.
You must get shots thru the protectors, only shots that it the Queen itself count. She can also only be hit between her mandibles…If I happen to come to her with a one shot (for whatever reason) – yes it takes a bit of time…
I have to test the colision detection again in Minestorn than. But you are right, the vectorlists and the printing is done all BIOS. And since the size is “random” (pure random) – there are sizes where gaps happen. That is Vectrex – here goes my perfectionism….
Just came home from a long trip (being a holiday today…)
Thanks for your tests Peer!
I think we can be certain of 2 things:
a) The non working of 100% bankswitching is VIA related
b) It can be remedied by inserting a (at least for that vectrex) good VIAMy impression from what Thomas theory is, that it seems the PB6 voltage level is not
always stable enough to be recognized as ON/OFF.As a not to electronic guy, I would be interested in:
– is there a simple circuit that I could insert on my pcb, that would
make the PB6 voltage level more stable (from the cartridges point of view)So that the address line (as which the PB6 signal is used) works always 100% as intended?
Anyone care to way in?
Malban
Peer:
Whenever you test the VIA, tell us.Maybe that problem does occur more often than we think.
Look at http://atariage.com/forums/topic/285765-vectrex-sd-cart/page-5 at the bottom the topic from “mooshue” and following…Vectorblade_Beta11.bin – 28th Mai 2019
– bug fix in demo mode
– highscore edit “nearly” done, actually the edit is done, the viewer must be finalized. Calibration for Highscore not correct. In highscore edit butten 4 “shoots” the next letter, button 3 accepts the current letter without shooting.
– bugfix: scoopy secret jingle was played more than once
– brightness of desktop again slightly changed
– demo mode, armor and scoopies can not be collected (otherwise a “death” would be possible)known “features”:
– achievements scroll to fast
– calibration overall must be revamped and applied
– some sounds are still missing
– highscore must be finalized
– bomb is buyable after “simple” secret, should be buyable only be “the other” secretDon’t mess with me – young Padawan: http://vide.malban.de/in-via-we-trust
Sorry, I certainly didn’t want to put pressure on you. You’ve done a hell of a job testing!
Take all the time you need!
All is documented on the “beta page”. Yes all are saved to flash…
Thank you!
if you keep pressing buttons like pause and fire after the boss is defeated, you get some sounds and misplaced gfx occurring
Yesterday I looked at that, and could not reproduce that (beta 10).
Is it always the case – or only sometimes?Did you per chance test some more of the achievments (if they come at the right place?)
Or Secrects? (to easy, to difficult, not much sense…)Next step on my side is to finish all the highscore stuff, do the last missing sounds – and if I still have some memory left, I will try to get MH running…
New VIA is packed and will be on its way to Pforzheim tomorrow.
It’s a brand new one – but I put it in one of my Vectrex and tested Vectorblade with it – here it works…
Actually for me that is enough input.
I don’t think you have to do the new wiring for the VecFever – you can if you want of course… but it will bring not any more information.
It defenitly is the bankswitching with PB6.I have not heard of other vectrex with this problem before (neither with other cards nor with Vectorblade).
That does not make it a certainly that there are not some vectrex that are more prone to “weak” voltage levels on PB6 than others – but it must be very seldom the case, otherwise we would have heard of it before.If you ever get around to get one of Kristof Tuts cards (VectorPilot or VectorPatrol) these would make the test final – since they are two of the few other bankswitched cards out there. Kristof also had a large group of beta testers and as far as I know no complaints about “weak” PB6.
Sooo… from my point of view you have a slightly damaged Vectrex. If you are willing to, you can exchange the VIA (I also have a couple of spare ones if you need one). I do not with certainty know that a new/other via would remedy the situation – but my first guess would be “yes”.
Thanks for all the testing. I feel slightly relieved, although I’m sorry for the vectrex – but if that is all that is wrong with it – do not be to harsh with it, it’s a brave old machine and its doing its very best!
Yet another possible “test”.
I placed the Vectorblade alpha 5 in the folder.
If you load that with the VecFever and it crashes that would confirm some difficulties with PB6.(it is “only” 64k, so even a normal vecfever can play it…)
I don’t know any vectrex, where VIA is not in sockets:
If you are careful, and have the right tooling, all you need is open the vectrex, rip it out, stuck it in… 🙂
As always – you should be carefull of high voltage – near the tube – don’t touch anything there.
If you are not comfortable in doing so – that is 100% ok – you don’t need to be a hero!!!
—
—
And the “crash” seemed to be where the bankswitch using PB6 is placed.
(But the other crashes before in the switch from titel -> desktop, were not…)Gz!
I had much on my plate this weekend… didn’t do much Vectorblade.
And my actual “development” spirit is sinking while we don’t know what Peer weird Vectrex is about.
Normal findings would only be “difficulty” settings – otherwise there should be no other things than on easy.
Super impossible is slightly different again – but I am quite confident, that nobody will ever play that :-).
