Notices by Colin McMillen (colin_mcmillen@piaille.fr), page 2

Done. Back to level design!
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gimp/+bug/2100703

Level 4 is done ! @santiago you wanted to see real phosphor so here you are 🙂

#retrocomputing #apple2

I implemented time bonus. Each second not used from an allocated 10s per level is now counted as score.
How to keep track of seconds on an Apple II? With the mouse interrupts, which come at 60 or 50Hz depending on the country.
How to know the frequency of the interrupts? Easy, calibrate by counting the number of loops between two mouse interrupts.

Commit: https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/1a4fc760c12f27d3c25bbc26ece4ca3f7aad3f74

#RetroComputing #Apple2

I wanted to make level 5 also today, but the time bonus feature took me more time than I expected and I'm gonna go to bed early!

✅ Here is level 5 !
With it there are two new sprites - the sheet of paper (which gives the player an extra life), and the toast. As you can guess, the toast is fatal.

I'm happy about my toast's ballistics, which are approximated using maths and python. I am very smart.

This level is a little bit hard but can be made easier if one doesn't try to get the extra life. Dying after getting it means one can try again, I like that the player has options.

Commit: https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/0182b212b0ce4f3b169fdd18369c1fa84df68a2f

#RetroComputing #Apple2

I've done level 6 and am a bit happy with it, it's twisted, you have to think fast thanks to downward vents and an inconveniently placed switch, and if you don't you lose access to the extra life! and/or you lose one!

It's also the first level I can commit without touching the core engine, which must mean something's good in it!

Commit: https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/841822c22a0e3abc879c8d023894c32110f3cea9

#RetroComputing #Apple2

The high scores table is done and I didn't post a screenshot yet because I finished it in HGR mode having reimplemented about the all the char ROM before figuring out it would be more practical to just switch to text mode. After that it was late.

#RetroComputing #apple2

I was a bit annoyed that I was on track to only be able to fit nine levels on the floppy. I experimented with cc65's included LZ4 decompressor and it works really well. Now I should be able to put 30 to 40 levels on a single floppy!

Commit: https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/972c56cbfda32fcabaa72437f2b6ff032c871192

#RetroComputing #Apple2 #MARCHintosh

Also I think it's time I officially asked John Calhoun if he's OK with my use of his game's name. https://github.com/softdorothy/GliderPRO/issues/14 (Yes, the original Glider game is now available as GPL v2, since 10 years apparently!)

I've implemented two levels with stairs. (one of them very incomplete). It works quite well. Here's an example with a level that has three exit/entry zones.

Commit (mostly illegible as I renamed one level file): https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/bc971f5af2e900f9886824ef5fa7afc78c55e7d9

#RetroComputing #Apple2 #GameDev #MARCHintosh

Did four more levels, I think I should put out a beta version soon(ish)

Glider for Apple II's first beta release is available at https://www.colino.net/wordpress/glider-for-apple-ii/

I hope you'll enjoy it, and be sure to report issues if you find some!

#RetroComputing #Apple2 #GameDev

We have a lives counter!
When no life remains, reset the game to level 1.

Commit: https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/4309816f825ff189e56ee619e814bf6a0131b60b

#RetroComputing #Apple2

And a score counter.

Each time I grab a clock, it increments by 5. Destroying the balloon earns 15.

Commit: https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/b977fb055c9932a89861504578a066ff3a548c08

#RetroComputing #Apple2

I have added sound! After the #Wozamp project, I couldn't settle on manually tickling $C030, so I've tested a thing.
I can play samples at 8kHz with a precision of 7 bits... As long as they're very very short to fit in memory.

The sound player and samples are generated by C code.

Commit: https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/db409caccc53b2298719ea159d1d5a8d9b36f47d

#RetroComputing #Apple2

"I'm back on my bullshit."

The sound player and a sound sample asm files look like utter shit. But it works.

The sound generator has duty cycle functions that PWM the speaker. It is 4.4kB. The sound clip function jumps to each appropriate level. Each is about 600 bytes for 0.02 seconds. (It would be 24kB for one second of sound).

#RetroComputing #Apple2

A bit more work to use the usual "play each sample twice to heighten the volume and drown the carrier", Glider for Apple II sounds good now, I think?

Commit: https://github.com/colinleroy/a2tools/commit/82b659311486d843f96ab27971b3f0cd49840821

#RetroComputing #Apple2

Of course, with the cursed Apple II colour implementation, it looks like shit on a colour screen.
But to me, the Apple II experience is better with a monochrome screen, and I'm OK with that.

More info about The Curse: https://paleotronic.com/2018/10/03/apple-ii-colour-computer-graphics/

#RetroComputing #Apple2

I think it's time to work a bit on the level design. I find it hard to make things look neat on 280x192 pixels, but I'm quite happy with the result of this one hour session?

#RetroComputing #Apple2

I can barely move 3 sprites of that size in between two mouse interrupts, that's gonna have to be a simple game if I want it to work at 60hz 😄