Cross-Platform Tools Vs Authored with

[firelord]

I made these games with cross-platform adventure creation programs .
These program are mentioned in different database fields. Maybe there should be both Authored With or Cross-Platform Tools OR both?


Authored with:DAAD
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... _Dangerous

Cross-Platform Tools:Lantern
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... Cookie_Man

[Einar Saukas]

I made these games with cross-platform adventure creation programs .
These program are mentioned in different database fields. Maybe there should be both Authored With or Cross-Platform Tools OR both?


Authored with:DAAD
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... _Dangerous

Cross-Platform Tools:Lantern
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... Cookie_Man

Lantern doesn't have its own page at SC, since it's not a Spectrum program. Instead it's an "external" PC utility to help create Spectrum programs. Because of this, these programs are simply tagged with "Cross platform tool: Lantern".

DAAD exists as both native Spectrum utility and "external" PC utility (AFAIK). For this reason, DAAD has its own page at SC. All programs authored with DAAD are associated with this page. We don't differentiate if they use the native or the external utility, because it would be impossible to accurately distinguish every case. The important point is that clicking on "Authored with DAAD" will take you to the DAAD page, where you can see detailed information about DAAD and a list of all programs authored with DAAD.

[8BitAG]

DAAD exists as both native Spectrum utility and "external" PC utility (AFAIK).

No. That isn't really correct. DAAD games run under the Spectrum DAAD interpreter. Just as PAWed games run using the Spectrum PAW interpreter. But unlike the PAW there is not a Spectrum-based DAAD utility. DAAD games originally had to be developed on a MS-DOS PC or Atari ST machine.

I actually develop most of my DAAD games using PAWs... or rather I use inPAWs to develop a PAWed game which I then convert to run on the DAAD interpreter as a DAAD game... all on a PC. I guess I have also used Adventuron to develop PAW and DAAD games in the past. So, yeah, it can be hard to tell what actual "utility" has been used to create a game that's outputted to run under PAW or DAAD.

Having the DAAD tag is essential though to ensure the database is actually useful for the type of searches people would want to do... to know what games are running on the DAAD engine. I guess it's a question of exactly what type of tag that is; there seems to be multiple approaches.

[PeterJ]

Just linked to this, the remote link on the DAAD entry seems to point to a non-existent page:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... ctrum/DAAD

https://wiki.caad.club/DAAD

[8BitAG]

Just linked to this, the remote link on the DAAD entry seems to point to a non-existent page:

https://wiki.caad.club/DAAD

I'll get a more suitable link.

Edit: This is probably more suitable for now.
http://8-bit.info/infinite-imaginations-aventuras-ad/

[PeterJ]

Would this link be better?

https://github.com/daad-adventure-writer/daad

Edit. Thanks @8BitAG. Your link seems more appropriate.

[8BitAG]

That page does have the link you posted on it, so it's much of a muchness.

Most people these days will be using Uto's build tools anyway, which are at...
https://ngpaws.com/downloads/DAAD/DAADReady/

[8BitAG]

I see that z-machine games are tagged with a "runs with zxzvm" instead. So I guess that's another approach.
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... trum/ZXZVM

If you were going to be totally consistent then that would be how DAAD games probably should be tagged.

(That would be confusing on the pages where we have both PAWed games and DAADed games combined... but that's another thread...)

[Einar Saukas]

"Runs with" means you generate your "data files" using cross-platform tools, then load these files into a separate native (Spectrum) interpreter to execute it. For instance NedoOS or ZXZVM.

Does DAAD work this way too?

AFAIK Lantern is a cross-platform tool that generates the entire program directly, including embedded routines (there's no separate native interpreter).

[8BitAG]

"Runs with" means you generate your "data files" using cross-platform tools, then load these files into a separate native (Spectrum) interpreter to execute it. For instance NedoOS or ZXZVM.

Does DAAD work this way too?

AFAIK Lantern is a cross-platform tool that generates the entire program directly, including embedded routines (there's no separate native interpreter).

All I can tell you is how writing a game works. On the PAW you created a game & graphics database on your Spectrum itself through a native database editor program; just like you did with the Quill. These databases were then saved onto tape by that native program proceeded by a loader and the PAWs interpreter. The databases were still distinct entities that could be easily loaded back into PAW; unless the author decided to combine these files themselves with the interpreter into a single block of code.

With DAAD you create your game in a text editor by producing a source text file. That verbose text file is then compiled into a more simplified database which can be understood and run on the interpreters that are available for each platform. (There is also a separate graphics database too but most people would just be using a "blank" standard one with just the font; Technically there is a Spectrum-based utility that allows you to manipulate this graphics database... you may decide that the existence of this graphics program is justification enough to leave things are they are. Which I could get behind.)

We use modern tools for putting the game databases, along with the relevant interpreters, onto disks and tapes for each platform. It is intrinsically the same game database for each platform; you just pair it with the appropriate interpreter.

Here's what the game files look like...


This is basically what you produce when you use the PAW. It has the exact same structure where it loads the interpreter first, then the main game database and then the graphics database (again for most games this just tends to be the font).

Many of the modern tools just combine all those files into a single file. For example this is the tape version of that same game...


Make of that what you will. I'm not pushing for DAAD games to be tagged/categorised differently. Just pointing out that writing a game with DAAD maybe doesn't work how you thought it did.