First game with a non standard loader ?

[spider]

A two part question really.

What was the first game (or any tape file, does not have to be a game) that had something other than a regular loader with a header and codeblock ?

Secondly what was the first game/tape that used something other than the standard loader ? Perhaps a higher speed, different border colour etc.

I'm aware of Speedlock in 1984 I think but there must of been something earlier.


For the first part of the question, I think Horace/Skiing may (just) qualify for this as although it appears normal, its not:

Basic 1 which is just a LOAD (basic)

Basic 2 which ignoring the variables and nonsense is a CLEAR / LOAD (screen) / LOAD (code) and a USR 24576

Problem is there are actually two pieces of code both with loading header info at 24576. The first one which is executed by the USR does the following:

Load the header at 24576 (of blank bytes) + load the code at 23760 then jump to 24462

Code: Select all

  LD IX,0
  LD DE,16
  XOR A
  SCF
  CALL ld_bytes
  LD IX,23760
  LD DE,694
  LD A,255
  SCF
  CALL ld_bytes
  JP 24432

^ I -think- that counts as "not normal" as in its doing more than using Basic to load it. I see why because its so low in memory for the second piece.

[Ast A. Moore]

Well, a lot of earlier titles required that you type LOAD "" CODE, rather than just LOAD "". I covered it a few years back.

Does that count?

[spider]

Well, a lot of earlier titles required that you type LOAD "" CODE, rather than just LOAD "". I covered it a few years back.

Does that count?

No not really

But I appreciate your reply. I may of badly worded the topic so it is my fault, I'm sorry.

I'd count that as a standard loader. Indeed when I got Urban Upstart 'back then' as such that was the first game I'd got that had a LOAD CODE to start with, yeah a vague attempt to protect the basic. Come to think of it, that was how I found out how to do that trick itself.

What I suppose I meant to the first part of the question was something that loaded other than using a standard Basic LOAD command perhaps. Horace being the initial example. To be honest I don't think there's going to be much earlier than that.

The second part was about anything that used anything else non standard, by this I mean perhaps they just copied the ROM code into higher memory and used it maybe with just removing the 'check for break' , either with or without colour or speed changes.

Although unrelated I've never really been sure why you can interrupt a load with space/break but not during save on the header, unsure if it was an oversight or purposely done. Same as it checks for space rather than a forceful "break" , imo it should of checked for caps+space aka 'break' not just space but that's something for another topic!

[Journeyman]

For the first part of the question, I think Horace/Skiing may (just) qualify for this as although it appears normal, its not:

Basic 1 which is just a LOAD (basic)

Basic 2 which ignoring the variables and nonsense is a CLEAR / LOAD (screen) / LOAD (code) and a USR 24576

Problem is there are actually two pieces of code both with loading header info at 24576. The first one which is executed by the USR does the following:

Load the header at 24576 (of blank bytes) + load the code at 23760 then jump to 24462

Code: Select all

  LD IX,0
  LD DE,16
  XOR A
  SCF
  CALL ld_bytes
  LD IX,23760
  LD DE,694
  LD A,255
  SCF
  CALL ld_bytes
  JP 24432

^ I -think- that counts as "not normal" as in its doing more than using Basic to load it. I see why because its so low in memory for the second piece.

I was intrigued to discover the Horace Goes Skiing loader when I wanted to transfer the program to a (vDriveZX) Microdrive cartridge - it certainly wasn't the way it looked, and I needed to Multiface it instead of just transferring the code blocks. Is this the first ever example of copy protection?

[spider]

I was intrigued to discover the Horace Goes Skiing loader when I wanted to transfer the program to a (vDriveZX) Microdrive cartridge - it certainly wasn't the way it looked, and I needed to Multiface it instead of just transferring the code blocks. Is this the first ever example of copy protection?

Its not really copy protection as such (as I see it) as it is loaded to a different address as the one in the header. It could be I suppose but I view it as "its so low in memory it needs to be loaded outside of Basic"