Technician Ted

[Spider]

20 hours ago, MtM said:

They are things of beauty!

Yes 🙂

I keep thinking somewhere I have the re-release version of Ted (budget not full price, says "Rack It" on that inlay) but I can't find it. Possible I am mistaken! No matter no need more than one 😮 😄

[Spider]

There's been a JSW hardware error 😉

 

[Spider]

On 7/10/2020 at 10:49 PM, MtM said:

I agree entirely with what you say about TT The Megamix, and this is the version I currently have in progress, slightly easier and bigger

and better generally, and in truth I have poked it for infinite time too as it detailed above. I have Costa Capers on the go occasionally too, but as you say, innovative - yes. Good gameplay?

Hmm. Sometimes. I think it might be slightly easier than TT though. But a bit of a hybrid. Still, the Marsden and Cooke team

I think it was they did provide some very high quality software, technically very good, mega loaders (TT The Mega Mix

is just stellar and the first time you ever saw TT was a thing of amazement as I remember.) I think Costa Capers was their

last game sadly.

Was never really able to get anywhere with Costa, I found it too confusing!

[Spider]

Talking of Ted, I made this a while ago...

ChipFactory.tap

 

Please read:

 

Quote

Changes:

1. Game start time changed from 08:30 to 08:00 and ending time changed from 17:00 to 20:00 , giving Ted 3.5 extra hours game time, its still going to be difficult for spare time though.

2. All extra platforms available immediately, usually they appear after a few tasks, for instance the ladder in Reception and the cells in Beaker Store amongst others.

3. A slightly different font was used as its more readable.

 

Tape Structure:

Basic = The text piece listing the changes - 220 bytes

Basic = Setup colours for loading - 69 bytes

Basic = The conventional loader itself - 59 bytes

Code = New(old?) loading screen attributes - 768 bytes

Code = New(old) loading screen pixels - 6144 bytes

Code = Main code mostly un-encoded which allows editing including the original loader data - 41540 bytes

Notes:

I split the Basic because there's so little free memory available and it was easier to have the loading colours set outside the main loader, leaving that as short as sanely possible i.e. just loading in the code blocks. The extra 'info' piece at the very start the first bit of Basic was added just before I uploaded it so if the tape file is separated from the text file (quite likely) its obvious what was done.

The loading screen is the title screen slightly modified to fill the previously red block on the lower left corner with suitable building structures to match the rest of the screen. I just split it into two for fun.

After loading there's a pause for a keypress purposely before the code is executed.
Just press a key here to start the game or press break if you wanted to insert some pokes or edit (!) the code. Then PRINT USR 43621 to start the game.

Regular pokes will work before running the USR. None are added with the exceptions noted above of the extra platforms and the time changes.

If you want to change the font then load 768 bytes at 41317

[MtM]

On 4/10/2022 at 12:26 PM, Spider said:

Talking of Ted, I made this a while ago...

ChipFactory.tap 47.8 kB · 4 downloads

 

Please read:

 

Awesome that Andy! Infinite lives still probably needed though!

[Spider]

51 minutes ago, MtM said:

Awesome that Andy! Infinite lives still probably needed though!

Thank you! 😄  😄

You can add that easily enough, either break when its finished loading at the pause then do:

POKE 44210 , 050

POKE 44258 , 000

Not sure on the effects of an infinite death, might result in a lockup loop because the original game code if it detects more than a couple of identical life losses such as a bad landing skips the screen entry again and just starts back at the "loss of life, make a noise and flash the screen" part.

Fall any height may be helpful

POKE 48050 , 000

Then USR 43621

 

Not sure on font, I did like the original but found it a bit 'not quite' somehow so picked an "easier on the eyes" one

You can edit the game itself if brave enough, I've not really figured it out as its not JSW! 😮 😄 But its worth a mention here I think anyway.

Spoiler

What may be awesome but almost impossible to do (me anyway) and would need a LOT of skill would be to the core/engine from Technician Ted to -build- a JSW game 😉 Have a think about it as the 'feel' would remain of Tech Ted but the game would be JSW aka collecting objects rather than tasks as you moved around, using perhaps the standard JSW mansion layout...