[Malban]

Click images.

Just played around with the story board… those are just “sketches”…

a) a “normal” round with “ships” left

 

 

b) a round where no ship is left -> game over

[Malban]

…

so what’s a SciFi-themed “death”-symbolizm?

[Malban]

You know what is great!

When I don’t play Vectorblade for a few days – for whatever reason.

…

And I come back to do some test or whatever and “force” myself to play it…
I always think… “Gee what a great game”.

Being able to say that about something you programmed yourself is fantastic :-).

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I am still “updating” Vectorblade.

• I did the new “game over” sequence
• I implemented save game feature for Flash ROM AND for VecFever!
  (later caused some problems  until I understood the mechanics)
• I did some of Helmuts suggestions
• I implemented the drunken bonus (well half of it…), the graphics are in and it drops – but nothing happens yet if you collect it 🙂
• I started to implement the “beta tester” scene!
• I will implement at least 3 new achievements (todo with minestorm and perhaps drunken)

If all of that has been implemented I will release a new beta. But I only have 4 days left…

Than I again go up to the baltic sea and start renovating our house there – that mean at least 2-3 weeks no Vectrex at all.
Actually I sort of doubt I will be able to finish the beta.

You can decide:

• do you want a beta by the end of the week – possibly with more or less completely untested “features”
• or do you want to wait till in about 3 weeks – when I can finish everything and at least playtest a bit?

Cheers

 

Chris

 

Click image…

 

 

[Malban]

@Jerome:

If you send me the cartridge back – I can update it to the newest version.
The mailing cost is probably higher than the chip cost – but I haven’t gotten so many of them…

Cheers

Chris

[Malban]

In the hope of nearly finishing Vectorblade and that perhaps the crash bug might be gone… I am programming happily a little bit…

Following “new” things are set (and partially done):

• game over sequence will get some graphics enhancement (partially done)
• the new fighters will stay (done)
• the shop will get some changes (lock and power e.g. will cost much, much more) (done)
• a save game will be done (with high score disabled) (partially done)
• higher difficulties get some more thoughts
  – while in the intro phase the aliens can also directly switch to attack phase (more, the more difficult) (done)
  – I will revisit each boss, and higher difficulties will introduce some changes
  boss 1 already has some attacking drones, (done)
  thoughts for the others:
  – different movement patterns for boss 2
  – different intervals (more than 3) for the shots of the 3rd boss
  – different shot intervals – more/shorter times “seeking” missiles for boss 4
• fixes already implemented:
  fixed: noise button 2 exit on “settings”
  fixed: noise when collecting shot1/2 with immunity enabled
  fixed: lock gives sound even if not buyable (to many)
  changed: promotion above 3 gold star gives now a cash/score bonus (and tells you so – you get a “raise” 🙂 )
  fixed: ignoring perfect bonus – in bonus display collect “bomb” (or dollar) than the display changes to “xx bonus collected)
  fixed: money collect resets vecVox output
• I could NOT verify that VecVox “switches off” at some point – so there nothing changed!

Further thoughts:

I will try to move the complete “flash” communication to bank 0, this will give me about 5kb more in bank 2. This will give me space for 1 or two more “bonus”. I don’t know if you played Warblade… if you did – one of the most iconic bonus drops I have as yet not implemented is “drunken” (which reverses left/right steering for some time).
With the drunken bonus an original Warblade achievment might be introduced: “drunken Minefield”.

I would like to “honor” my dear beta testers a bit more than just a mention in the scrolltext and manual – but I have not found the “right” thing yet.

If you have any ideas for that – or any other “small” stuff that can/might be implemented…
now is the last time for a (smallish) wish list!

Thx

Chris

[Malban]

…

Not to long ago is “relative” – it was introduced with Vectorblade Beta 34 – around 24th of August last year.

…

Yes – most symptoms fit. There was one reported crash in the intro screen of the minestorm event – that does not fit.
But I corrected quite a few bugs in the last months – so “perhaps” this was fixed too.

---

I think (*cough*) I fixed it – but will do some testing before I let it run free again.

I’ll be back…

Chris

[Malban]

Ok.

The thing I found could definitly result in something that looks like a crash. Whether it is “the only” thing – I don’t know.
I still have to fix it though – which might be more complicated than it sounds.

What could happen is an endless loop while removing a player shot. The removal routine looks in the linked list where the object to be  deleted is located – and fixes the pointers on both sides to exclude the element that is to be removed.

In this special case I try to remove an element which is no “active” element – and thus cannot be found -> endless loop.

---

This special case was introduced with some kind of optimization not too long ago. Usually I only test 2 player-shots for collision detection – and that is ok.

But if there are very few “aliens” and very many player shots – this can lead to shots going thru aliens without hurting them. So I changed (optimized) the collision detection to know when there are few aliens (than I also have more time at hand) – and than it tests ALL player-shots with all aliens.

Since I also reuse part of the code – this looks programming wise very … hm … “involved” (confusing) – and at some point it can happen that after a shot “hit” an enemy (and after its removal from the active list) it still can linger in some sort of testShot buffer.

And THAT one (under certain conditions) can be “retested” with an alien – and if it “hits” it will be removed again – and than an endless loop occurs.

I have to clean up that code now – and cleverly devise new plans to insert bugs.

Perhaps I find time tonight… Than there will be another test round… for how many games/levels?
For the last crash to find I played about 1000 levels… How many levels are necessary for me to say there is no crash?

Chris

 

[Malban]

BAM!

Level 474 – CRASH!

Recorded it. I can reproduce it on the Vectrex!

I can reproduce it in VIDE!!!!!!

I’m to tired to look right now – but this might be THE breakthrough (if there are not more crash-causes) – tomorrow we will solve this riddle!

VB_Crash_Flash.bin

If you start this one and press in the “intro” (the BIOS intro of VB) button 3+4 together (but released once after the “pure” BIOS intro) – the cart will continue the game and crash after about 3 seconds!

Chris

[Malban]

I’ll edit the post above with my current results.

@Jerome:

Did you per chance play the “non Vox” version?

That is the one I am playing – did it crash for you? Or am I starting a marathon with a non VecVox version that does not crash…

Cheers

Chris

[Malban]

Not playing very well atm.

5 games till about 40

1 game to about 120

1 game to 150

---

Another two around 40

One over 200

No crash yet. Tonight I’ll play more….

[Malban]

Vectorblade_B52.bin – 14th Mai 2020

As described by my blog post from today. Sorry no VecFever version -> you need a flash for the debugging/saving features!

I tried 4 games – but never got further than level fourty-ish. Not my day for gaming.

So no – I didn’t get the crash captured yet.

If any of you get a crash while playing with this version – pls read out your flash chip directly afterwards (without playing a new game) – and send it to me – it will be 256kB.

Cheers

Chris

[Malban]

@Jerome:

So did you find all secrets?

Read all secret messages?

Ever reached all achievments?

[Malban]

Extending on the idea above. I MIGHT be able to reproduce the crash – if it reproducable at all.

With the amount of spare memory now – I can not only save the game, but also additional data.
The explained saving of the game state is working good – and loading in Vide also works.

Now – if I am able to store TWO bytes each game round (button/X joystick) – I should be able to exactly recreate the bug – if it occurs.

All “savings” are reset each game round – 1 second = 100 byte of data.
60 seconds = 6000 bytes of data – provided I play each level in less than 60 seconds (which is totally doable, except for the “shielded levels”) – I can do a complete save of a level with all neccessary replay data.

If THAN a crash occurs – I can just load the game, and let it replay itself. If it IS reproduceable it MUST happen again.

Bother – I have to work today… So I will only be able to program on that thing tonight. But that might actually be a breakthru.
(and hopefully it IS reproducable)

Chris

 

[Malban]

I love it when a theory works.

I implemented a save state! I can save a game at any time – and reload it. Cool!

Now – the fiddle stuff, to do it in the MNI, and each round… and such…
And than I’ll go play some serious vectorblade till the bug show itself… and I am in it for another round of despair…

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But I tell you what – if we ever find this bug…

Vectorblade will be so polished… it will shine 😉

[Malban]

Thanks for the offer.

For the time being the thing is again “half working” – I can burn, but not read.
Anyway… the one who wants to be a REAL vectrex programmer needs two eprom programmers.

I’ll probably look for another one soon (and send this one in for warrenty)

 

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