Spectrum Computing

PeterJ wrote: ↑Fri Feb 18, 2022 1:18 pm @RMartins,

I'm assuming by the radio silence all is OK. It's really useful to know if things are fixed.

Sorry, I have been busy.

But yes things are OK now. Hasn't failed again.
I said it was working in a previous message.

So I was saving for when it failed again to post something with details.

Maybe just do a search by date, and download away the ones that are freely available.

But the arrow starts as a tipped flame, but, when flying there is no flame or even the thing that holds the flame. An arrow also doesn't turn in mid flight, that is what the feathers in the back are for, stabilization. some (most?) arrows do spin, exactly because they have intentionally curved feat...

PeterJ wrote: ↑Fri Feb 18, 2022 10:05 am ...
As an aside, I've a friend who is now working from home, and if he doesn't move his mouse every 15 minutes a report goes to his manager!
...

LOL

What an old fashioned and dumb way of controlling the work of someone.
So if he is typing, it doesn't count ?

The arrow sequence on the intro is quite simply the best graphics I've ever seen on a ZX Spectrum Technically and artistically, yes. But the arrow starts as a tipped flame, but, when flying there is no flame or even the thing that holds the flame. An arrow also doesn't turn in mid flight, that is w...

You can't plug an actual Kempston Mouse into that. It's for USB or PS2 mice (depending on the socket fitted). That 9-pin connector is for a joystick. In the original form you could plug in an Amiga mouse there, but I don't even know if that feature is still supported. Well, judging by the documenta...

I don't know either what would be the best control keys layout. It's quite OK for me and I understand the reason. I just saw that it wasn't very comfortable for some people. Maybe an option for using more than 5 keys. As for the 3D part, they tried to play it, they could rotate the board etc., but ...

Joefish wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 5:48 pm As far as I know there aren't any modern interfaces that you can plug an actual, original Kempston Mouse into. They all take USB or PS2 mice. And you'd be hard-pressed to get hold of an original Kempston Mouse Interface these days.

There is at least Velesoft K-Mouse.

I mean a physical Kempston Mouse, working with the exact same principles, a simple directional encoder for each axis, to be connected and used with a real ZX Spectrum. I'm not planning on building the interface, since there are several original ones but also modern ones that support it, but it could...

I initially had planned to make each Totem drop, force a rotation in its own direction. But from initial testing, I thought it might generate disorientation, since dropping 3 times in the same direction (same totem), without having one of them unlocked, would make it a lot harder to play, since the ...

I had some tries to the game. I like it - it's not easy to make something "fresh" along the lines of Tetris these days :) I still have to make those 3D cubes appear, though! Yeah, I think the real issue was mentioning Tetris, because people immediately enter a Tetris mode in their mindset...

I played the game with two friends. One of them complained that he had to use a combination of two keys to rotate the cubes. Both of them complained that they are not able to play the 3D part and to see how it works in 3D. OK, thanks for the feedback. But I would ask, what is the alternative soluti...

Just curious, how many of you would be interested in a brand new Kempston Mouse ?

I don't have any to sell.

But I'm considering the possibility of build a batch of these.

So did you complete the demo ?

... However if I try to compile either piece of code on its own, it will be missing symbols from the other piece of code. Just wondering what the best way to do this is? ... I would say that the simpler approach, that works with any assembler that allows for includes and generation of symbols (pasm...

... I actually thought it would be quick and simple, but its more complicated that I first thought. The main thing missing at the moment is that is you hit a blank square then it opens up all blanks on the board, but it needs to only open the ones that are connected. ... Actually, that is not that ...

No takers ?

You can't say that I did not try

The play loop NOT being a multiple of 8T is the most important factor if running in NON-contended memory, since all the other factors (related with contended memory don't apply). Although the memory we are running from is NOT contended, the ULA port is still a source of contention. So if the play lo...

I never listened to such a difference. There must be something wrong with that code or the emulator. Either Interrupts or assuming that the same memory pages are uncontended in every machine or something like that. Can you share the code, for us to take a look ? Did you try that on a Real Spectrum ...

It can also be that the tape was physically stretched by some other player in the past. But without having a sound grab, can't be sure. Ideally, play it on 2 distinct players and save a sample one each, for the same sound section. Then it's easy to compare, if the stretched parts are in the exact sa...

That is barely noticeable, since it only happens in between transitions of contention and non-contention areas of the screen, usually 2 times in a full frame. Oh it's noticeable... ... I never listened to such a difference. There must be something wrong with that code or the emulator. Either Interr...

The wobbly sound, is usually due to the tape not having a constant speed over the read head. It can be due to several things. It most probably are the cassette cylinders where the tape rolls up on, that are grabbing or rubbing on the cassete sides. Some cassettes don't have a nice non grabbing thin ...

Is this being done in BASIC ?

What is the actual goal ?

To enter BASIC text, like we can already do on an emulator ?

... Also, you'll get a little distortion with that method on models which are subject to I/O contention, because the loop will take longer when the ULA is drawing the screen than when drawing the border. That is barely noticeable, since it only happens in between transitions of contention and non-c...