27-28 December 2024:
Drew the graphics with the PLOT8 SuperBASIC routine written for the QL Etch-a-Sketch program, then wrestled extensively with machine code to get them to print on screen (anywhere I want).
Drew the game screen, which involved lots of fannying about with the in-built graphics commands *and* the machine code to drop the sprites on screen in order to get everything perfect. Yes, all this really did take two days.
The machine code is 412 bytes with an extra two to hold the high score.
scrumper_bin is the machine code.
scrumper_asm is the assembler listing.
scrumper_lst is the list file made by Computer One Assembler, with a list of which byte is found where, alongside the assembly language.

29 December 2024:
alpha1:
- Converted most of the Spectrum listing to run on the QL - needed lots of new procedures, most of which involve calling the machine code to print the sprites to the screen, and parameters had to be changed to keep the falling apples and the scrumper on the playing field.
- The game loop is done - not implemented yet are the score, the energy boost, or the endings. There might be time for a title screen and instructions.
- Also, the green stripe of grass and the black background of the scoring area only worked if the QL was set to full speed - at normal speed the BLOCK command didn't execute (maybe because it was drawing across the entire screen?) Opened another couple of windows to do the same thing and fixed it.
alpha2:
- Smoothed out the very flickery graphics (when moving the scrumper spent more time off screen than on it), as well as how to make the scrumper's feet move every time, rather than just whether his position is considered "odd" or "even" (means I have to not use MOD. Bah!)
alpha3:
- Improved collision detection with the falling apple. The scrumper will be "just to the left" or "just to the right" of it (because of the way I've drawn the sprites).
- Drew the energy and apple bars at the side of the screen (a separate procedure from the original screen setup).
- Wrote the end-of-round fanfare (and a routine to get the QL's off-key notes played at the right time - it's even worse that the Spectrum's BEEP!), but can't finish the end-of-round routine as the energy needs to be implemented first.

30 December 2024:
alpha4:
- Added the energy-drop into the move left and right routines. Enlarged the energy and apple bars slightly (so that the accumulating apples are now in enclosed in a red box).
- Completed the routine to detect when 18 apples have been collected, add bonus points for remaining energy, and loop back.
- This is now getting VERY SLOW...!
alpha5:
- Added the routines for dropping an apple, and the angry farmer shooting the errant scrumper at the end of the game - the BANG is adapted from "Big Clive's Supergayrainbow Exploding USB Power Supply Game" from the 2020 CSSCGC.
- Added routine to update the high score (and poke it into the machine code memory). The high score is STILL erased with a RUN, though, as it loads the code again... this will be sorted with the extra loader program.
alpha6:
- Couldn't get the loops to work the "acceptable" way with REPEAT - converted them all the GOTO, which is ABSOLUTELY VERBOTEN in QL programming - but this works, so cry about it.
- Improved the end sequence and added the ubiquitous "Another go?" routine. Which also works a lot better with the GOTO statements. Cry about it even more.
alpha7:
- Saving the high score via the program won't work - have to do it manually. Otherwise this would have been an update here. Kept the "savehisc" and "resethisc" procedures which now save all the machine code with the last two bytes keeping the high score intact.
- Drew the intro screen, with a large title and credits given to the original author. There was supposed to be a load of apples in the crevices in the large letters, but for some reason they only appeared on screen when they weren't aligned with the gaps, so this was abandoned.
beta1:
- Tweaked the scoring. 10 points per remaining energy bar is ridiculous. Now a 10 point bonus and 2 for each energy bar.
- Slight change to the intro screen.
- Looks like we're done! At 17 minutes to midnight... I can enjoy my New Year's Eve now!