MM and JSW patched versions...

[Mysterion]

Hey, dudes.  I've just found this place and thought you might like to have my patched versions of MM and JSW to stick in your download area.

 

This site would seem to be the best place for them... :)

 

 

M

[Mysterion]

That's them uploaded.  I didn't notice that I could just stick them up myself, haha!

 

They run quite a bit faster, especially in 128k mode so possibly some of you will find them interesting to play around with. B)

 

 

M

[jetsetdanny]

Hello, Mysterion!

 

Welcome to the forum, and thank you for uploading your Turbo versions of "JSW" and "MM". They are great stuff, they run really fast! :)

 

I have just:

 

1. approved both files - they are now visible to all users (they weren't before, I believe - you can't quite 'stick them up yourself' without proper privileges);

 

2. moved the topic you created to the 'JSW' section - I believe this is a much more appropriate place for it than Chat.

 

I will add info about your versions on JSW Central when I next update the site.

 

A couple of questions:

 

Are your versions based on Mark Woodmass's  solution of speeding up the frame rate by replacing the slow LDIR instructions with a stack method to copy the screen data to the Spectrum's video RAM?

 

Will it be OK to credit you as 'Scott Jensen (Mysterion)' on JSW Central?

 

Will you be releasing any info about the technical side of your files (how you achieved the speeding up of the games), especially if your method is different from Mark Woodmass's?

 

Once again, welcome and thanks for your valuable contribution! :)

[Spider]

Welcome! :)

 

Thank you for the submissions.

 

Danny is correct in that although everyone is welcome to 'submit' files, we must approve them before they become 'public/visible' , this is simply a precaution against both broken submissions, or perhaps something unrelated being submitted (a Windows executable that is malicious etc) or perhaps a denied file. :)

 

Files when 'approved' automatically create a 'support topic' for themselves so there's always a place to discuss anything particular to the submission itself too. This is the small grey/black button on the right hand side of the file description area.

[Mysterion]

A couple of questions:

 

Are your versions based on Mark Woodmass's  solution of speeding up the frame rate by replacing the slow LDIR instructions with a stack method to copy the screen data to the Spectrum's video RAM?

 

 

I wasn't actually aware of the other version, but, yes.  It works in more or less the same way  In 48k mode it uses the POP-PUSH method, which I guess you are familiar with and in 128k mode, it programmatically generates a humungous unrolled section using POP and LD (xxxxx),HL instructions in the 128's unused banks of RAM for a touch extra speed.

 

Then I patched out the old LDIR parts with a bank switch and CALL to my routine.  The only other thing I did was to set the music to off, by default.  Partly because I find it intensely annoying, but it also slows the game down a fair bit.... B)

 

Will it be OK to credit you as 'Scott Jensen (Mysterion)' on JSW Central?

 

 

 

Sure, dude.  :)

 

That's really all there is to it, anything else you want to know?

 

 

M

 

 

edit: I forgot to mention, there is also an excellent version of MM for Atari 8 bit that should definitely be up here.  It's possibly the best 8 bit version of the game***

 

 

*** apart from the turbo version on the mighty 128 Speccy, of course... :P

Edited March 29, 2018 by Mysterion

[jetsetdanny]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it !:)

[Spider]

I find your versions much improved over the previous 'fast' versions available, can't remember offhand how that was done I think it involved much code sitting in what was the 'empty' room area at the top of the memory that contained the transfer code.

[Mysterion]

Is that the large unused chunk sitting at 37708?

 

I did wonder what that might be for.  It seems like a large area of memory just to leave stuffed with garbage for no reason.  Especially when it could be put to much better use.

 

 

M

Edited April 11, 2018 by Mysterion

[IRF]

37708 = #934C

 

That's the large area of unused code in Manic Miner (soon to be put to better use in a forthcoming remix...), whereas I think Andy was referring to the unused region of JSW at #FD00 (64768)?

[Spider]

Yes the 64768 section. :)