Updatable programs

[Andrew]

I think this would be a great idea, an updatable program. It would be the game engine (assuming most of the levels have the same setup), with 1 or 2 subprograms to define levels and other stuff. If the author thinks of something new he can send out new subprograms without disrupting anything and without replacing every single file. (I'm a big fan of 1 file per program, but I understand that some subroutines are necessary, just start em with Z!). I may impliment this with saving kitty, when I release the first few levels (its gonna be a puzzle game...go figure), with one engine to determine movement and what happens when what is encountered, and levels and enemies in 1 or 2 subprograms.

Saving kitty will be a remake of Jemmer, where you have bombs to blow up walls and such to get to gems to advance. It was on an 82, and I made the fatal error of having all the level tests onto one program. If you stepped on a switch, it had to test if you were on level 1-6, and your exact position, and if certain things were set, what would happen. Bad stuff!

I think this would be a useful idea. Lets bring kitty home!

[Chris]

that would be pretty sweet, i did something kinda similar with space wars, i made an upgrade, where if for some VERY strange reason, you needed more than 5 files, u could get a yet-to-be released upgrade that gave u 20 files (it make a lot more sense back then than it does not) the only problem was, that after i wrote the upgrade, i found out that there wasn't enough memory for 20 files, (and would u believe that i got about 5 emails asking for the upgrade too)

[Jbirk]

It is sometimes easier to write multiple sub routines, because they seem to be easier to ortanize in the basic programs.  I think TI should have made a call commad for basic.

[Andrew]

Actually, for me, subs are harder! Heres an example:
Kitty is a strategy game where you have to get gems, stored as G. After the move test to see if your over a gem, and G is 0, it runs program ZCAT to go to the next level. But when it does that, ZCAT returns in the middle of the program! And I use for loops with A so your position changes. So I have to goto the begennign of the program and now I have maybe 2 unfinished end statements and I dont know where to get rid of them, its confusing!

[[e-mail]]

lol

Yes, it is!  I didn't understand a word you said!  

No, no, the updateable program thing is cool.  I've been trying to do something similar with my role-playing engine, and now I'm bummed that I wasn't making major head-way with some shocking and brilliant new idea!

THANKS A LOT ANDREW#@$^*(%   [glow=red,2,300] [/glow]

j/k  ;D

Perhaps something that would be good if no one has thought of it yet, allowing your program to be switch back and forth between upgrades.  So say, you could do an expansion or sequel (an RPG, for example coz it comes to mind first) and be able to use the same engine, but switch between the actual storylines.

(If I'm off, it's f'ing 12am, okay?)  

[Jbirk]

Yeah, and I am also to tired to understand him.

[kink dissapointed]

Wow...

U guys stink at coming up with new ideas.

There hasn't been a single one put up since I left.

[Chris]

well here's one i came up with a while ago, since we're on the topic of subroutines and all....

this is what i call "the end subroutine" what you do is, you have your basic routine, and then at the beginning, you have lbl XX (or whatever you want it labeled as) then at the end you have an End statement, now to call the subroutine, do

0->X
is>(X,2
If X=1
Goto (label of the subroutine)
End

since you're using labels your program will run fastest if you put your subroutines at the beginning of your program and then have the main engine after them

now, what this does is, when X is equal to 1 in that loop, it'll call the subroutine, and then when the subroutine hits the End statement at the end of the subroutine, it thinks it's the end of the Is>( loop, so it goes back to the is command, then is increases X to 2, hte subroutine isn't called, and then it hits the End after the Is and the loop closes, surprisingly fast, small, and simple, it also allows you to have subroutines in your program as opposed to external subroutines so now you can make it easier to archive/unarchive your program

btw, you can't do delvar X, instead of 0->X because the is command won't create X with 0 as the value like other commands will, so you have ot put 0 in there manually