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Cassette version of TCCOTMV
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=894		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  StuartJ [ Sat Feb 22, 2014 5:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Cassette version of TCCOTMV
hi all,

As you know, TCCOTMV was written on a patched version of The Quill so that the actual game itself, the game database and any saves or loads made during the game itself are on DFS floppy on an actual Electron.

What i would like to do is create a cassette version of the game, which would be simple enough in the original version of The Quill, but i have been scratching my head to figure out a way to get the unpatched original Quill to load my game database from floppy?

and, even if it did load it, would it then ask for a floppy when the player wanted to save or load their progress during the game itself?

Any ideas welcomed!

Stuart ;)
Author:  StuartJ [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cassette version of TCCOTMV
lurkio's post on StarDot wrote:
aerworuld wrote:
i'm asking awkward convert-back-to-cassette Quill related questions if anyone fancies a challenge over on the TCCOTMV Retro Software discussion thread....


Hi, Stuart. Just thought I'd do a quick reply here in case I've got the wrong end of the stick on this, which is more than likely! :oops:

I tested the patched version of The Quill and the tutorial game that I mentioned at the end of this thread:

http://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1281

I first *LOADed the game database file from disc and then switched to tape and *SAVEd it to tape. The unpatched tape version of the Quill was then able to read in the database I'd just saved.

I was also able to save my position to tape from within the Test Adventure mode of the Quill. This was all in Mac BeebEm, btw, not an Electron emulator, and certainly not on an actual physical tape system, so YMMV.

Does that help, or am I barking up the wrong tree? #-o


Ive tried this is and with some variations and i havent had any success - i imaged my floppy disc that contained the Electron game database for Quill as an .ssd onto my PC from the elk and then loaded this into various emulators so that i could save it to tape. This worked but upon loading that tape image into a tape unpatched version of The Quill i just get an "undefined location" error upon testing the game. I also sent the .uef of the database back to the Electron via my UPURS and loaded it into an unpatched tape version of the Quill but the same error appeared.

It is as is if the database file empties itself when i save it to tape?
Author:  loftcat [ Tue Feb 25, 2014 1:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cassette version of TCCOTMV
Hi Stuart
I'm new to the forum but your thread caught my eye... I'm in the early stages of a text adventure using the patched Quill on my Electron and am thinking about the same problem. I wonder if the best approach might be to convert the adventure runtime file from disk to tape, rather than try to save the database/adventure to tape from inside The Quill? I'm not sure if there's a program that easily converts disk to tape binary files, I'm doing a bit of hunting around.

I do like your Missing Victorian game by the way, not had a lot of time to play it yet, but I've converted to a disk file to play on my real Elk!
Author:  StuartJ [ Tue Feb 25, 2014 5:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cassette version of TCCOTMV
loftcat wrote:
Hi Stuart
I'm new to the forum but your thread caught my eye... I'm in the early stages of a text adventure using the patched Quill on my Electron and am thinking about the same problem. I wonder if the best approach might be to convert the adventure runtime file from disk to tape, rather than try to save the database/adventure to tape from inside The Quill? I'm not sure if there's a program that easily converts disk to tape binary files, I'm doing a bit of hunting around.

I do like your Missing Victorian game by the way, not had a lot of time to play it yet, but I've converted to a disk file to play on my real Elk!



Hey Loftcat,

Thank you for the positive feedback; I'm glad you're having fun with the missing Victorians too!

Yes, the tape one is an interesting problem, one you'd never think would come up as we're always trying to go from tape to disc! Your idea is a good one- if there is is a conversion programme that might be the easier way to achieve it.

The Quill is a lot of fun though isn't it? Glad to hear you're working with an actual Elk too; it's the only way! Have you considered a UPURS interface to assist with file transfer between PC and your Elk?

Good luck with the project, are you starting a thread here for it?

Stuart
Author:  loftcat [ Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cassette version of TCCOTMV
I agree The Quill is fun, a nice blend of logic and creativity. I wrote a handful of 'homebrew' adventures at the end of the 80s until the mid 90s, I'm now getting the urge to put something together with it again. It's good to know someone else is already out there doing it so I can get a few tips. It's actually my first toying with the The Quill on the Electron. My only other Electron adventure was a simplistic thing written in Basic (http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/eug/69/a-ulti.html) , the rest I wrote on the Quill on the Amstrad.

As for my real Elk I'm using a goSDC device to run disk images. It works very well although some of the instructions are tricky, and you have to swap the card about from time to time.

I was playing around with disc to tape transfers this evening. I succeeded in saving a binary file to tape using some very well written steps from a vintage radio forum - of all places! (http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/show ... hp?t=76629 thread #7). I haven't tried it with an actual Quill file yet though. I suppose it would only work with the database file, so it can be loaded into the cassette Quill for the adventure to be saved saved out to tape.

In any case, at the end of all that I spotted over at Stardot thread someone has just located a beeb image of the disk version, so I will definitely investigate that! This looks like an ideal solution - load the database file into there and re-save to tape.

Anyway, been so busy messing with files and bytes I've not really done a lot of adventure yet, I think I'll request a page here once I've made a little progress :)
Author:  StuartJ [ Thu Feb 27, 2014 7:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cassette version of TCCOTMV
I think we've got there with the cassette version! Lurkio was able to produce a .uef file of the database using his earlier method so I loaded that into the Unpatched Elk cassette version on an emulator and produced a finalised version of the game in .uef. I know I've cheated a bit using emulators in this final stage but at least the disc version of the game was written all on a real Elk ;)

^loftcat I know just what you mean, whenever I set out to do a particular thing i end up taking the scenic route being distracted by all sorts of other hurdles, but we learn in the process I guess! It's half the fun of it isn't it :) I will check your earlier adventure in EUG out; I reckon Dave M will get plenty of use for his adventure loaders and inlays now :D
Author:  loftcat [ Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cassette version of TCCOTMV
Glad you found a solution to the cassette version. I'm still some way off to deal with formats but it's good to know there's folk out there willing to help :) I've finished all my puzzles on paper, the next step is to start getting something into the Electron!
Author:  StuartJ [ Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cassette version of TCCOTMV
loftcat wrote:
Glad you found a solution to the cassette version. I'm still some way off to deal with formats but it's good to know there's folk out there willing to help :) I've finished all my puzzles on paper, the next step is to start getting something into the Electron!


Definitely, both forums are awesome.

Nice work! It's a real buzz isn't it, when the new ideas are blossoming! Good luck ;)
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