It has been a good many years since I have touched a C64 but I have a
lot of fond memories of the glory days of home computers. Just curious
if there are any new developments software wise still going on? Is
anyone still programming utilities and demos for the good old C64?

> if there are any new developments software wise still going on? Is
> anyone still programming utilities and demos for the good old C64?

I can't speak for everybody, but I still use my C64 a lot, but mostly for 
learning electronics and I'm currently using it as an advanced 
microcontroller.

However, I have in mind to write a real-time strategy game for it, though.  
I wrote a game for Linux/X a few years ago which was a cross between star-
craft and flash-attack.  I am pretty sure that the C64 could handle it, if 
written in assembly.  I've already begun toying with some code but my other 
projects are keeping me too busy right now.  The only problem with the C64 
would be the lack of RAM, so the map might have to be smaller and the total 
number of units might have to be smaller than what most are used to.  
--DavidM

Hi David,
   Incorporate a 512k Ram expansion into your game. I think most of us here 
own at least one and it would allow u to expand on your game greatly! Just a 
thought.


Leo

-- 
Im looking for Commodore 64/Vic20 Cartridges! Got any? Check out my
tradelist & items for sale at http://www.commodore64.allhell.com
WTD: Pal (European) Vc-20/Vic-20 or Commodore 128(d) Computers.
Please email if you have any to trade.



"David Murray" <spamsucks@stopspam.com> wrote in message 
news:Xns962859C4E8E2Dneverspamnospamcom@151.164.30.44...
>
>> if there are any new developments software wise still going on? Is
>> anyone still programming utilities and demos for the good old C64?
>
> I can't speak for everybody, but I still use my C64 a lot, but mostly for
> learning electronics and I'm currently using it as an advanced
> microcontroller.
>
> However, I have in mind to write a real-time strategy game for it, though.
> I wrote a game for Linux/X a few years ago which was a cross between star-
> craft and flash-attack.  I am pretty sure that the C64 could handle it, if
> written in assembly.  I've already begun toying with some code but my 
> other
> projects are keeping me too busy right now.  The only problem with the C64
> would be the lack of RAM, so the map might have to be smaller and the 
> total
> number of units might have to be smaller than what most are used to.
> --DavidM 

tj_kohler wrote:
> It has been a good many years since I have touched a C64 but I have a
> lot of fond memories of the glory days of home computers. Just curious
> if there are any new developments software wise still going on? Is
> anyone still programming utilities and demos for the good old C64?

There has been a lot of SID related activity recently.  I'm currently
using a 64 in my home music studio*, and I'm about to embark
on building a MIDIbox SID (although, for those who are wont to
flame:  I will keep intact every 64 I pull a SID from for
later re-insertion) very soon.

The newest NIN album is due soon, and there is a recent studio
picture floating around that shows a SIDStation in Trent
Reznors studio, which is kind of exciting to a C= geek and
Nine Inch Nails fan like me.

MIDIbox SID:
http://www.ucapps.de/

Studio picture:
http://www.nin.com/visuals/2-23-05.jpg

(The SIDStation is the small beige box on the desk just
to the right of the large mac monitor.  The microphone
stand mid-frame touches the upper left corner of the
SIDStation in the picture.)

* The current use is via M64 and Prophet64.  I don't
have a Sync-24 to MIDI converter (though I've built
the IF cable for the 64) yet so I can't actually
*use* Prophet-64, but I can play around with it.

--J(K)

Leo wrote:

> Hi David,
>    Incorporate a 512k Ram expansion into your game. I think most of us
>    here
> own at least one and it would allow u to expand on your game greatly! Just
> a thought.
> 
> 
> Leo
> 

I'd love to source a 512k RAM expansion for a Commodore 64 and/or commodore
128. Would anyone happen to know how what would be needed to build/design
one? I'm afraid I don't know much about the REU in the Commodore 128 or
have the beginning of a clue how to "replace" RAM in the 6510 memory map..

I'd be quite happy to design and release a RAM/Flash ROM combined cartridge
design for the Commodore 64/128 if someone here would mind helping me with
the Commodore specific bits.

Thanks!




Adrian

Jason Balicki wrote:

> There has been a lot of SID related activity recently.  I'm currently
> using a 64 in my home music studio*, and I'm about to embark
> on building a MIDIbox SID (although, for those who are wont to
> flame:  I will keep intact every 64 I pull a SID from for
> later re-insertion) very soon.

Pretty picture with the SIDbox. I'm actually doing stuff with some commodore
64/128's (hence the previous post about RAM expansion) and I'd be
interested to know what others are doing with SIDs in music. I'm opting to
leave my SID chips in the Commodores for now, at least until I've built one
of the open design SID/MIDI boxes.

Is anyone else playing with SID stuff and music? I'd really like to hear
from you.

Ah, another question. I'm using Assblaster v3.0 for software development on
my C64/128's (and, I have to say, its very very pretty and useful. I
especially like the syntax checking when editing.) What are people using
currently for writing software on the Commodore?





Adrian

>Ah, another question. I'm using Assblaster v3.0 for
>software development on my C64/128's (and, I have
>to say, its very very pretty and useful. I
>especially like the syntax checking when editing.)
>What are people using currently for writing software
>on the Commodore?

I am using the Turbo Macro Pro assembler with a 512k REU. If I recall
correctly,  these assemblers are very simular, but Assblaster has pull
down menus and minus the REU support?

>Hi David,
>   Incorporate a 512k Ram expansion into your game.
>I think most of us here own at least one and it would
>allow u to expand on your game greatly! Just a
>thought.

    So would there be any problem with a game that would require a RAM
expansion? What I have in mind is a RPG simular to Ultima or Legacy of
the Ancients, and an extra 512k for graphics and data could allow a
very detailed game universe on the C64.

    I could make it for a stock C64 and the make use of expanded RAM if
availible, but I am thinking a game that is designed to assume a
certain amount of expanded memory for fast graphics swapping would have
more possiblities?

tj_kohler wrote:

> I am using the Turbo Macro Pro assembler with a 512k REU. If I recall
> correctly,  these assemblers are very simular, but Assblaster has pull
> down menus and minus the REU support?

the assblaster documentation doesn't mention REU support. The pulldown menus
are useful but only as as 'reminder' what options are available and i'm
finding myself using the shortcut keys more and more.

i'll have a look around for the turbo macro pro assembler and try to run it
under emulation.

i'd still be interested in making a real REU. :)


adrian

>    Incorporate a 512k Ram expansion into your game. I think most of us
>    here 
> own at least one and it would allow u to expand on your game greatly!
> Just a thought.

I don't have a RAM expansion... and since they are still expensive and hard 
to find, I don't have any plans on buying one.  Odd, I've never had one 
before ever.  I do have a C128D, but the RAM is too difficult to access so 
I just don't screw with it.  Probably why other programmers decided not to 
use it.  

Adrian Chadd <usenet@mierda.ucs.uwa.edu.au> writes:

>What are people using currently for writing software on the Commodore?

Actually, most of my new development is cross-assembled with xa under
Mac OS X. My old assembler was Turbo Assembler. Geotrope is being developed
almost completely under a cross-development environment.

	http://www.armory.com/~spectre/cwi/geotrope/

--
      Cameron Kaiser * ckaiser@floodgap.com * posting with a Commodore 128
                personal page: http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/
  ** Computer Workshops: games, productivity software and more for C64/128! **
                  ** http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/cwi/ **

Cameron Kaiser wrote:

>>What are people using currently for writing software on the Commodore?
> 
> 
> Actually, most of my new development is cross-assembled with xa under
> Mac OS X. My old assembler was Turbo Assembler. Geotrope is being developed

What do you use for a DISassembler, if I may ask?

silverdr <silverdr@inet.remove.it.pl> writes:

>>>What are people using currently for writing software on the Commodore?

>>Actually, most of my new development is cross-assembled with xa under
>>Mac OS X. My old assembler was Turbo Assembler. Geotrope is being developed

>What do you use for a DISassembler, if I may ask?

A modified version of Marko Makela's d65. I altered it to spit out object
code that looks like xa text and modified the way it assigns labels by
default. I'll probably put up my modifications for download and hackage soon
if people want to play with it.

--
      Cameron Kaiser * ckaiser@floodgap.com * posting with a Commodore 128
                personal page: http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/
  ** Computer Workshops: games, productivity software and more for C64/128! **
                  ** http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/cwi/ **

Cameron Kaiser wrote:

> silverdr <silverdr@inet.remove.it.pl> writes:
> 
>>>>What are people using currently for writing software on the Commodore?
> 
>>>Actually, most of my new development is cross-assembled with xa under
>>>Mac OS X. My old assembler was Turbo Assembler. Geotrope is being
>>>developed
> 
>>What do you use for a DISassembler, if I may ask?
> 
> A modified version of Marko Makela's d65. I altered it to spit out object
> code that looks like xa text and modified the way it assigns labels by
> default. I'll probably put up my modifications for download and hackage
> soon if people want to play with it.

Please.

Which emulator are you using under macosx? I've tried playing with a few but
I haven't yet had luck supporting everything - vice works fine but I can't
get any sound out of it, frodo works fine but I can't find the keyboard
mapping and some keys just don't seem to be mapped on my ibook.



adrian

>>>>> "AC" == Adrian Chadd <usenet@mierda.ucs.uwa.edu.au> writes:

AC> Which emulator are you using under macosx? I've tried playing with
AC> a few but I haven't yet had luck supporting everything - vice
AC> works fine but I can't get any sound out of it, frodo works fine
AC> but I can't find the keyboard mapping and some keys just don't
AC> seem to be mapped on my ibook.

VICE works with SDL sound for me (but weirds out if you enable warp
mode).

-- 
    ___          .     .  .         .       . +  .         .      o   
  _|___|_   +   .  +     .     +         .  Per Olofsson, arkadspelare
    o-o    .      .     .   o         +          MagerValp@cling.gu.se
     -       +            +    .     http://www.cling.gu.se/~cl3polof/

Adrian Chadd <usenet@mierda.ucs.uwa.edu.au> writes:

>>>>>What are people using currently for writing software on the Commodore?

>>>>Actually, most of my new development is cross-assembled with xa under
>>>>Mac OS X. My old assembler was Turbo Assembler. Geotrope is being
>>>>developed

>>>What do you use for a DISassembler, if I may ask?

>>A modified version of Marko Makela's d65. I altered it to spit out object
>>code that looks like xa text and modified the way it assigns labels by
>>default. I'll probably put up my modifications for download and hackage
>>soon if people want to play with it.

>Please.

I'll need to roll "dxa" into a reasonable archive and put it up, then. It
remains under GPL, just like the original d65 and xa.

>Which emulator are you using under macosx? I've tried playing with a few but
>I haven't yet had luck supporting everything - vice works fine but I can't
>get any sound out of it, frodo works fine but I can't find the keyboard
>mapping and some keys just don't seem to be mapped on my ibook.

I don't like Frodo on the Mac. As Per notes, VICE works fine with SDL,
although I get a lot of sound fragmentation errors which is very annoying.
(On a dual 1.25GHz G4, there shouldn't be a problem getting CPU cycles,
so I don't know why it's freaking out.)

Otherwise, I use Power64 and Power20 mostly. Power64 is still not as
accurate as VICE, particularly w/r/t VIC-II emulation, but it has a very
nice interface, it doesn't rely on X11 (Aqua has spoiled me in this regard)
and it has lots of bells and whistles.

Usually, I do the building in Power64, and then test against VICE to make
sure there are no glitches.

--
      Cameron Kaiser * ckaiser@floodgap.com * posting with a Commodore 128
                personal page: http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/
  ** Computer Workshops: games, productivity software and more for C64/128! **
                  ** http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/cwi/ **

Cameron Kaiser wrote:

>>What do you use for a DISassembler, if I may ask?
> 
> 
> A modified version of Marko Makela's d65.

That's it - after checking out several options I also ended up with 
Marko's d65. And also I found several things that would be nice to 
finish/modify, hopefully before Marko retires "in 40 years or so" ;-)

> I altered it to spit out object
> code that looks like xa text and modified the way it assigns labels by
> default. I'll probably put up my modifications for download and hackage soon
> if people want to play with it.

Please do. May be that the things you did are the same I am missing in 
the original version. I also wanted to either ask Marko about 
possibility of implementing some changes/addtions or dig the sources 
myself, for which I always have little time...

Adrian Chadd wrote:
> Cameron Kaiser wrote:
> 
> 
>>silverdr <silverdr@inet.remove.it.pl> writes:
>>
>>
>>>>>What are people using currently for writing software on the Commodore?
>>
>>>>Actually, most of my new development is cross-assembled with xa under
>>>>Mac OS X. My old assembler was Turbo Assembler. Geotrope is being
>>>>developed
>>
>>>What do you use for a DISassembler, if I may ask?
>>
>>A modified version of Marko Makela's d65. I altered it to spit out object
>>code that looks like xa text and modified the way it assigns labels by
>>default. I'll probably put up my modifications for download and hackage
>>soon if people want to play with it.
> 
> 
> Please.
> 
> Which emulator are you using under macosx? I've tried playing with a few but
> I haven't yet had luck supporting everything - vice works fine but I can't
> get any sound out of it,

You have to compile it with SDL sound support. There were some caveats 
with SDL sound in .14 version AFAIR but later on I had it working fine.


> frodo works fine but I can't find the keyboard
> mapping and some keys just don't seem to be mapped on my ibook.
> 

IMHO Power20/64 is THE emulator under OS X. If you are looking for 
VC-20/C64 emulation only. It doesn't have everything VICE has but fits 
much better in the system's environment and has few nice features, which 
even VICE lacks.

[Please do not mail me a copy of your followup]

Jason Balicki <kodak@n[]ingimportant.net[oth]> spake the secret code
<114j3193pj2mk2f@corp.supernews.com> thusly:

>There has been a lot of SID related activity recently.  I'm currently
>using a 64 in my home music studio*, and I'm about to embark
>on building a MIDIbox SID (although, for those who are wont to
>flame:  I will keep intact every 64 I pull a SID from for
>later re-insertion) very soon.
>
>The newest NIN album is due soon, and there is a recent studio
>picture floating around that shows a SIDStation in Trent
>Reznors studio, which is kind of exciting to a C= geek and
>Nine Inch Nails fan like me.

I'm looking for C=64 musicians, or bands that incorporate C=64 into
their lineup, to perform at Pilgrimage 2005.  Jason, I tried emailing
you directly, but it bounced.  Any C=64 musicians feel free to email
me to discuss details!
-- 
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline"-- code samples, sample chapter, FAQ:
          <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/>
	    Pilgrimage: Utah's annual demoparty
               <http://pilgrimage.scene.org>