[Type_ins] The Valley of adventure: Poster Programs 1

Any discussions related to the creation of new hardware or software for the ZX80 or ZX81
David G
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by David G »

XavSnap wrote: Mon Jan 02, 2023 3:51 amSomething to loot here ?
The asterisks are gold, yes? The O is the player and the X is the exit
David G
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by David G »

XavSnap wrote: Mon Jan 02, 2023 3:51 amY/NAGIOTH
I reckon the slash is used as an apostrophe, i.e. Y'NAGIOTH. Yes, the advertisement has "Y'Nagioth"
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by David G »

GCHarder wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 11:17 pmthe VARS list from the original version published in "Computing Today, May 1982". The link is listed in an earlier post and is still active if you want the full article, it's an interesting read.
Thanks!

I've been going through that Variable list for "The Valley", and it definitely helps understand the development of the program. Most of them are the same in the ZX81 version ("The Valley Of Adventure"). A few are not used, and the ZX81 version uses a bunch of variables as constants, to save memory: O,H,H1,B,K,R for 1,2,3,4,23


I found the previous post: "the original PET listing". Turns out it is the same game, and the BASIC is very similar. The link is https://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/fraser.char ... index.html and it refers to Computing Today April 1982. That web site has further links:
* The Valley bundle which includes a PDF with scans of pages from four issues of Computing Today
* The Valley programme (presumably for the BBC micro?)
* The Valley complete BASIC listing (scans from the magazine article)

It lists the authors as Henry Budget, Peter Freebrey, Peter Green and Ron Harris, who worked for Computing Today magazine. Meanwhile ZX Computing modified it for the ZX81 as "Poster Program #1", and Argus sold cassettes of the game for the Commodore PET, TRS-80, Sharp MZ-80A, ZX81, Atari, Commodore VIC, ZX Spectrum, Dragon, Oric, Apple, BBC A, BBC Model B


Computing Today
  • April 1982 introduces the game: "The Valley article, a "multi-system, modular adventure game. A "real-time adventure with graphics".
Wow. It has the story (2-1/2 pages of game scenario backstory)

The modular coding allows the game to "be tailored" by the user. The "multi-system" is apparently the ability to convert it from the 32K Commodore PET to others. Also includes a full-page advertisement from Computing Today Software for the tape version at 9.95 pounds + 50p postage and packing
pages 51-66. Ad on page 11

  • May 1982 has "converting the program onto the TRS-80 system" including the Variables chart. pages 83-84. Unfortunately the variables for the PET/TRS-80 are different, but most of them match the ZX81 version. It is quite helpful that they explain what the variables are for
  • August 1982 has Valley Variations: "one man's view of the game and its variations" (page 45)
  • April 1983 has Valley Variations: "reader's suggestions for extending the scope of our Valley adventure" (pages 38-41)


The Valley tape instructions from Argus Press Software (1983) has:
* loading instructions
* game movement control for PET, TRS-80 and Sharp MZ-80A, ZX81, Atari, VIC, Spectrum, Dragon, Oric, Apple, BBC A, BBC Model B
* Ground rules for playing
* Fighting
* Seeking
* Rating Classifications
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GCHarder
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by GCHarder »

I've not found any obvious errors except "HWO" should be WHO.

I'd recommend replacing the "/" in names with CHR 2, the NE block pixel, looks better IMO.

Regards;

Greg
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XavSnap
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by XavSnap »

Later release:
- Fight loop debuged.
- Off screen D_file destruction avoid at the right and the left sides.
- Exits from towers woods and swamps.
Have fun.
Attachments
VALLEY.P
(14.55 KiB) Downloaded 66 times
Xavier ...on the Facebook groupe : "Zx81 France"(fr)
David G
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by David G »

XavSnap wrote: Mon Jan 09, 2023 3:34 am Later release

Code: Select all

 537 PRINT AT R,K;G$
matches the Poster Program listing, but results in error 5/537 (No more room on the screen")

R is the constant for 23, which is not valid for a PRINT AT statement. This modification appears to work:

Code: Select all

 537 PRINT AT R-2,K;G$
David G
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by David G »

typo:

Code: Select all

1570 PRINT "A PRECIOUS STONE";
It works ... however, this matches the Poster Program listing. Either way works.

Code: Select all

1570 PRINT "A PRECIOUS STONE.."
Line 1570.png


And this typo in my matching-the-poster BASIC listing. I have updated my previous post:

Code: Select all

1508 POKE M+V,52
52 is the player symbol (CHR 52 'O'). V is the D_FILE. Does the listing have M+V or H+V? The scan was unclear to me. I had H+V
Line 1508.png
M+V -- as Xav has it -- makes more sense
H is used as a constant for 1, M is the current offset into D_FILE; using H (1) will place the player symbol in the top left corner of the screen, while using M will put the player symbol in the current player location.
David G
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by David G »

GCHarder wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 9:30 pmI'd recommend replacing the "/" in names with CHR 2, the NE block pixel, looks better IMO.
Good idea. As an solution to the problem of "ZX81-has-no-apostraphe", I think you are right: CHR$ 2 generally looks better than the slash
using Slash for an apostrophe
using Slash for an apostrophe
using CHR$ 2 for an apostrophe
using CHR$ 2 for an apostrophe
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GCHarder
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by GCHarder »

R-2 uses extra bytes and time might as well use 21.

23 would work if there's a POKE 16418,0 somewhere, I'll have to check.

Line 120 hwo should be who.

I think line 7000 should be 8000 otherwise the slow later in the prog doesn't make sense. The instructions say to RUN
8000 to start the game.

Judicious use of FAST would help the flow of the game, for example....

5008 IF FA THEN FAST

Draw main screen

5295 SLOW

8170 LET FA=H Turn FAST off/on flag.

Regards;

Greg
David G
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Re: A 15.999K Adventure game: The Valley of adventure.

Post by David G »

GCHarder wrote: Wed Jan 11, 2023 12:26 am R-2 uses extra bytes and time might as well use 21.

23 would work if there's a POKE 16418,0 somewhere, I'll have to check.
Ah, I see you are correct:

Code: Select all

250 POKE 16418,0
This is DF_SZ: The number of lines (including one blank line) in the lower part of the screen.

Changing it to zero allows one to PRINT to line 23

The routine at Line 530 that prints the marquee text errors -- unless the POKE line is executed first. That's what I get for testing 530 standalone

So this line 537 should be OK as printed on the poster. It's hard to test from within the game because it only runs at The End

Code: Select all

537 PRINT AT R,K;G$
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