8-bit Software Disc Magazine (c) Duncan Webster 1991 Issue 14 (July 1991) PROGRAMMERS RETURN PROGRAM: Liverpool Manager User 42K: Good graphics to start with and clear and easy instructions. I dislike having to press a key each time a goal is scored - better to continue the game automatically after a set period of time. Team ratings for Liverpool are just a little biased? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM: Devil's Island User 2GJ: I love adventures and I think that this could just be a winner. I have made a slow start, but I hope to complete this soon. Keep 'em coming! User ???: The graphics weren't too good in this game at all, but that is probably because I have a Master 128. I didn't get very far in this game, I still do not know how to relight the lamp when it has gone out and I often get put into prison for killing people. What has Bumwipe got to do with it anyway? I must point out though that a lot of work has gone into the text adventure, but how did the jungle get under the cottage and what about adding a background story to the game which loads up before you play the game? Even better what about a Master conversion? User 238: When I eventually got this program to work I got a bad impression straight away. I missed the first few lines of text by the screen scrolling too quickly and some replies were greeted by funny squiggles on the screen. An all in all adventure in getting it working but the few bugs spoil it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM: Complete Address Book User 2GJ: I thought it looked good, but it is seriously bugged (?). The options to search for names and addresses require the user to ALTER strings, not just locate them. I cannot discover how to aviod this, so I will not be using this until a correcting patch comes along. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM: Chuckie Egg Extra Screens User ???: Makes the game much easier and longer with the extra lives and levels, but how was it done? I hope to see more quality efforts like this in the future. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM: Envelope Creator User 1K1: This is brilliant - no more painstakingly copying whole lines of envelopes just to change one number .. Well done! User Y80: Could have made this more visually helpful by using the CLS command a little more. This program needs a good tidy, which I would be happy to do with the authors permission. User 8CT: A Bit messy but the preset noises include a very good selection. User 81R: Nice program, it's a little bit awkward in places and I would like some way of displaying the envelope graphically, and altering the graph using the cursor keys. User 0E7: Preset envelopes have a cluttered appearance, a more open display would benefit - If you create a sound and you decide to go back to the main menu the sound carries until the buffer is emptied thus slowing the display of the menu. Could the sound be stopped when the menu is selcted? - On selection of an envelope and key 2 in the main menu is depressed why does the menu screen distort? Shouldn't it be cleared altogether? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM: Motor Program User Y80: Of no real use to me as I do not own a car, but nevertheless it may be useful to someone who has, and who needs to get results from the calculations the program performs. If Steve is a newcomer to programming which I feel he may be, then it was good of him to have a go at writing a program even if it may not be used by many. A few comments follow .... 1. You do not need 2 separate programs : START and MOTOR - you can put the coding from START within a PROCEDURE in the main MOTOR program. 2. The method you have employed to file handle is OK, but errors will occur such as Can't Extend etc. 3. Line 1330 should contain *DELETE instead of setting function keys to *WIPE 2 files. I also recommend that you store information within memory (ie. a DIM array) rather than constantly writing to disc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM: BASDUMP User ???: This is an example of simple but clever programming which leads to very impressive and very good results. I have tested the BASDUMP utility with several BASIC programs using the ACP Advanced Battery Backed Sideways RAM as well as spare SWR bank in my Master and every time it works perfectly. By the way, I have never supposed that it is possible to write bytes directly to ABR, ommitting the 'legal' subroutine advised in the ABR manual. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM: ROM to DISC User 238: This is a very good utility. No problems encountered when using on the Master 128, even the SWR can be saved back to disc. (A slight hint for master 128 owners of Repton 3). I beleove a word of warning should be given with this ROM as it is very powerful and in the wrong hands could be used illegaly. User 8CT: A very useful utility but it is a problem if all the ROMs won't fit on one disc. Perhaps a prompt to insert a blank disc could be added when the first disc is full. Apart from that great!! User 4RR: For someone who has SWR facilities this is a very useful utility. Admittedly there have been some simalar programs on the market and even some utility ROMs have this facility, but this is the first time I have come across a utility to dump ALL fitted ROMs to disc automatically. You may wonder what purpose it could be used for. I personally like the opportunity to LOAD a utility ROM (which normally resides in slot 4) into my SWR slot (14). When doing certain debugging routines I have a clash with simalar * calls and the ROM in the higher level always takes precedence. This way my TOOLKIT ROM (No.4) reloaded into SWR (No.14) can have the priority when I want those certain utilities. This is prime example where ALL ROM manufacturers should provide a prefix letter to *Calls to avoid call clashes. To recap it is a very good program which not only acts as a personal safety backup for ones fitted ROMs, but once RUN, can be used in my above example and I don't think that this could be deemed as breaching copyright. User 81R: Nice idea, how about including an option to save the ROMs because I don't need to keep a disc backup of my DFS and other service ROMs. Also it is just a waste of time trying to copy INTER-WORD, you can't do it because it is a hybrid ROM. (whatever that means). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM: Directory Rename Utility User 2GJ: Superb! Just what I have needed for a LONG time. Just one minor niggle - why no option to change all files on one fell swoop, bo matter which directory your're in? A Wild card such as * could be used to gather them all. User 4RR: A very good, well presented and easy to use program, not to mention how very useful. It came at about just the right time as I have been wanting to replace an old style menu system on all my games discs. This necessitated changing certain files from a "+" directory to an "A", and other mass changes to a "$" directory. This wonderful utility made it so much quicker and easy. Simple to use. A Winner - thanks! User C83: This program is very handy but it would be better if you could select the files to be renamed. Well set out and very colourful. SORRY but that is really all I can manage to publish this month to avoid sacrificing other areas of the magazine. If you would like advance comments then please do not hesitate to phone.