Taipan with graphics.

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Shaun_B
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Taipan with graphics.

Post by Shaun_B »

The classic trading game Taipan is currently in progress from here -> http://cymonsgames.com/taipan/

The difference is the use of the bitmap screen rather than PETSCII so basically decent artists are needed if anyone wants to volunteer. Also I guess that the SID chip could be utilised somehow as it's there ;-)

Regards,

Shaun.


BASIC Programming - making the mistakes so that you don't have to.
Circles and Squares.
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dudz
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Re: Taipan with graphics.

Post by dudz »

do we really need yet another port of that boring dice rolling game? *shrug*
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Shaun_B
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Re: Taipan with graphics.

Post by Shaun_B »

If you don't like the idea then why even bother responding?

Regards,

Shaun.
BASIC Programming - making the mistakes so that you don't have to.
Circles and Squares.
Nothing I post here will stand up in a court of law.
metalfoot
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Re: Taipan with graphics.

Post by metalfoot »

Hi-res or bitmap? I'm not familiar enough with the original to help here, but sounds like a fun ideaa.
satpro

Re: Taipan with graphics.

Post by satpro »

dudz wrote:do we really need yet another port of that boring dice rolling game? *shrug*
You again?!? Oh, *shrug*... what does that even mean -- "shrug", and who do you think you are anyway -- Groepaz Jr.? At least he is helpful, and has the skill, experience, and knowledge for the rest of us to live with that kind of behavior. You just sound grumpy. This is two threads now this week (that I know of) which you have intruded on, adding nothing but negativity, and causing a change in the flow of the conversation. Let me tell you -- nobody has to take this thread-killer crap from you. The rest of us are trying to do something good (and fun) here, and if all you want to do is pop in for angry, boring, smartass remarks, then we can do better without you. This place was just fine... until it wasn't. So get on board or get lost. I, for one, have had enough, and if things don't change, my sole mission will become watching your ass and elbows -- as you leave.

And for your information, Taipan is considered THE classic turn-based text trading game of all-time, the mother of them all, but apparently you don't know that. Dice rolling game? Sure... dice. Yeah, you have the right game -- Yahtzee. Add uninformed to grumpy and intrusive.

You will decide which way this goes.

******

Okay, sorry for that everybody -- what Shaun was trying to say is that we're working on a C64 port of Taipan. The first version we want to get working is an all-ML conversion of a 'C' coded true-to-the-original remake for the PC. I should have the "basic" shell finished soon (got a lot done today -- it's not a huge program, only 2700 lines in C), and we can go from there. The graphics are by definition text graphics, as the game is from 1979 (and was originally coded in BASIC), but that doesn't mean we can't throw in our own ideas and make a really cool, updated, expanded version to complement the original. Shaun and I have discussed some cool things we can do, including coding for the SuperCPU, hires text and graphics, lots of sounds, animated fight scenes, sprites, the mouse, more items to trade, a larger world, technical advances with the passage of time, multi-player via Internet (that could mean someone gets to be the pirates! :) ) -- maybe even some land action -- all of this (and more) is up for consideration. Taipan is a very addictive game.

For those unfamiliar with the game, Shaun included a link to the (mostly) faithful console version for the PC, along with source. This is the version we are converting (along with a few aspects of the original Apple/TRS-80 BASIC versions). Download it, play it, and take a look at the source. I'm 50 and grew up with this thing. It was literally the first program we cut our teeth on in 1980 when our high school got its very first batch of computers -- ye olde TRS-80s!. A couple of years later (at the university) many of us moved up to the Apple II version of Taipan. The original game had a bug that allowed you to over-pay your debt to Brother Wu and collect his high interest rate forever in reverse (a bug... or a cheat, depending how you view it). We will of course include the "bug" as an option in all of our versions.

There is currently a c64 port over on csdb (see attachments below) that was written for the bounty program in 2011. I have played it, and it is a bit buggy (the author admits it still needs to be finished), but hey, it's Taipan! As far as I know the csdb version must be written in compiled BASIC. It has a SYS address but draws slowly. Of note is the title screen by STE'86 (Steve Day). An excellent effort for sure. UPDATE: Steve kindly gave us permission to use his artwork.

So, we're asking for contributions in the form of graphics (ships, animation, etc.) sounds (explosions, sea sounds, pirates yelling, etc.), and ideas. Since this will be an open effort, all contributions are guaranteed a credit in the game. We can definitely make this the best C64 Taipan port ever.
Last edited by satpro on Fri Jun 27, 2014 8:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Shaun_B
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Re: Taipan with graphics.

Post by Shaun_B »

It's all bitmapped for the C64. Log into the IRC chat when you can to discuss it :-)

Regards,

Shaun.
BASIC Programming - making the mistakes so that you don't have to.
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dudz
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Re: Taipan with graphics.

Post by dudz »

If you don't like the idea then why even bother responding?
its just a question, maybe you want to improve on the existing port? you probably know the one that was done using the original basic code a while ago?
and yes, no matter how you put it, the game depends 99% on randomness, there is very little tactics involved - hence basically dice rolling.
Prime

Re: Taipan with graphics.

Post by Prime »

Good luck with this guys I'm intrigued how it will develop implementing the ideas Bert has mentioned will definitely add more appeal to a classic.
satpro

Re: Taipan Splash Screen Video/Color Data

Post by satpro »

Here are the video/color files for the Taipan splash screen from Steve Day (STE'86). Both files are in straight binary format and do not have load addresses as the first two bytes. In our version we have them embedded directly in the executable, and the data is transferred up to $A000/$8400 during initialization. The SuperCPU does this in the blink of an eye.

Coupled with our 64-column text, things are starting to take shape! :D

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Re: Taipan Splash Screen Video/Color Data

Post by jrubin »

satpro wrote:Here are the video/color files for the Taipan splash screen from Steve Day (STE'86). Both files are in straight binary format and do not have load addresses as the first two bytes. In our version we have them embedded directly in the executable, and the data is transferred up to $A000/$8400 during initialization. The SuperCPU does this in the blink of an eye.

Coupled with our 64-column text, things are starting to take shape! :D

Image

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