Oy! Just thought I let you know I'm working on a
couple of new Miner Willy games for the Speccy. I will
do a conversion of "The Peril's of Willy" (That old
VIC-20 game with 33 levels (Still using the Mathew
Smith-engine, just heavily modified)).+ A game featuring the
extra screens from the Dragon/Oric 1/BBC/ETC.-versions
of Manic Miner. Work has begun, and should be
completed during the next few
months...<br><a href=http://members.xoom.com/erix1/mm/mm.htm
target=new>http://members.xoom.com/erix1/mm/mm.htm</a>
This is the second time i've typed this posting.
first time I was disturbed, and I dont remember
submitting it. Apologies in advance if I did and I'm on
twice.<br>Anyway, down to business again. I've just got round to
having my first real go on Willy's afterlife. Here's my
opinion.<br>The screens are (in my opinion) nicely designed. I'm
not sure if this Adban's first JSW game but his rooms
are even more impressive if it is. <br>I think the
falling without dying feature shows that this is not just
another JSW game with the screens redesigned and nothing
else. Not that I'd moan about any of the JSW redesigns,
but I always think it's nice to have features not
found in the original.<br>The theme of the game (ie the
afterlife), and the graphics in general remind be of the
rooms "The Chapel" and "Entrance to Hades" from the
original JSW. Wether the author was influenced by the
screens I couldn't say. It might even be that I'm the
only person who links these rooms with this game. I
don't know, but I just get reminded of them, every time
I play it.<br>I actually did a naughty and played
the game before I read the documentation. I couldnt
wait, but after i did read it the game made more
sense.<br>I'm glad to see the bit about willy getting
resurrected. Sounds sad, but I reckon Willy deserves a bit of
luck. Even becoming rich backfired on him. Poor bloke.
Anyway, to get back to the point I thought the storylines
was fairly good. <br>To finish off I'd just like to
say that I'd love to see a Manic Miner game by Adban,
but I believe he's fairly busy at the moment, so
it'll be a while before we see any follow ups if indeed
we do see any follow ups at all. I hope we
do.<br>Anyway, these are my opinions after playing the game
after a short while. I'll probably post again when I
get a bit further. Sorry this post is a bit long, I
tend to get carried away.<br> <br> Jon.<br>P.S I wrote
this out the second time at nearly 1:00 am so i
apologise if any of it doesnt make sense.
Abdan, as with Andrew's LOTR, I love a challenge
!<br>WA has a great feel, and fall from heights feature
adds a new dimension. I keep forgetting about it, then
realise it's the only way out! Love the new
sprites/guards as well.
Yes Andrew, 160(ish) rooms will be the final
count. I agree that whilst 256 sounds immense, it would
probably prove to be too vast and maybe a bit difficult!
As I was away on a course last week, I spent the
'hotel evenings' tinkering with the sprites.
Unfortunately, my dodgy old Win3.1 laptop cannot support a
jsw128 emulator, only the dos designer. So I couldn't
test them. :-(<br>For the time being, I'll stick to
the 128k games, as I find John Elliot's designer much
easier to use than any 48k ones I have. (I await your
48k designer final release with much
eagerness!)<br>As I'm slightly more Graphics oriented than
programmer, my efforts tend to be more exploring based, and
more emphesis on the 'look' than the quirky features
yourself and others can exploit. I must learn more...
Lord of the Flies - the more I think about it,
the more I like the idea. We'll see...<br>The
Chronicles of Narnia Experience could be superb. Get on it
!!<br>I'm still battling away with Lord of the Rings, and I
refuse to be beaten ! I WILL FINISH IT !!
Thanks for your comments about the screenshots,
Andrew.<br>Now, I cannot wait for some playing comments, or
comments about screens not in the Screenshots section.
:)<br><br>Go ahead, try "Willy's Afterlife"!
> Ok, here you have some screenshots of
"Willy's<br>> Afterlife". They are in the Photos
section.<br><br>Here are my comments (I haven't had time to play the
game yet - I've just looked at the screenshots and
read the documentation):-<br><br>"Forcas' Study": I
like the big graphic! Screen layout looks nice,
too.<br><br>"The Morgue": A very Geoff-Eddyish screen
layout.<br><br>"Forest of Suicides": Great atmosphere. Reminds me of
"Treebeard" in JSW:LOTR, and also has a faint We
Pretty/Goodnite Luddite-ish feel to it (which only I could
appreciate). And the colours seem to have come out better than
they could on a Spectrum! ;-)<br><br>"Malebolge":
Manic Miner 5 has a room called "El Malebolge". I
always wondered what a Malebolge was; now, it's
explained in the documentation for Willy's Afterlife!
:-)<br><br>"Hel": I don't really get this room, just looking at the
screenshot (especially that white effort that looks like a
king firing a ray-gun or something! ;-) ). The screen
layout looks impossible, and the items again seem to
have come out with more colours at once than is
possible on a Spectrum! ;-)<br><br>My general comment is
that Willy's Afterlife appears to be a game with a
great atmosphere - a 'concept game', as it were, rather
than just a collection of rooms. I'm looking forward
to playing it tremendously!<br><br>--<br>Andrew
Broad<br>broada@...<br><a href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/</a>
> My forthcoming JSW128k game is nearly
done<br>> now. Just for you lot I've put some
sample<br>> screenshots on the 'Photos' page. I'll add a
few<br>> more when I have time.<br><br>I've had a look at
the screenshots, and although I can't comment in
detail, I think there are some very good screen layouts
there, which make it visually attractive and, I expect,
fun to play (although the proof of the pudding is in
the eating).<br><br>> The game has about 160
'rooms' and should be <br>> released sometime in
March.<br><br>Do you mean the final version will have 160 rooms,
or will it have 256? I personally think 256 is too
much, as I like to complete a JSW game in one sitting -
preferably not a four-hour marathon! ;-) I'm generally going
to stick to writing 64-room 48K JSW games myself,
although Party Willy will have a JSW128 version with 128
rooms.<br><br>--<br>Andrew
Broad<br>broada@...<br><a href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/</a>
> Loved these two, though I'm still finding
the<br>> hard version v.hard !!<br>> How about Lord of
the Flies ?<br><br>Well, it's your idea - why don't
you turn it into reality! :-)<br><br>> Could this
see a whole series of Willy book<br>> adaptations
???<br><br>Yes indeed. Just last night, I thought about doing
JSW games for the seven Chronicles of Narnia (classic
novels by C.S. Lewis which I loved as a child, and, I
must confess, still do now). It's an inspiring
thought, especially for The Magician's Nephew (my
favourite), although I wouldn't start the project for a few
years because I've got enough on my plate at the
moment.<br><br>--<br>Andrew
Broad<br>broada@...<br><a href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/</a>
You can now safely download "Willy's Afterlife".<br>I'm 99% sure there are no
more bugs or impassable rooms.<br><br>Feel free to drop your coments on the game
at any time.
Sorry, folks, there's still a bug in the version
Andrew Broad just posted today (a second time).<br>If
you enter room 26, "The Soul Op", you won't be able
to exit.<br>I have mailed Andrew a corrected file
("Willy's Afterlife" 1.4") and I hope I won't find any more
bugs. If you find any, please mail them to me.
I'm sorry, but it seems that there's a bug in the
version of "Willy's Afterlife" available at Andrew
Broad's site... I have just sent him (at 16:00 GMT Feb
the 16th) the debugged file. So please wait until he
will upload the correct version.
Ok, folks, "Willy's Afterlife" is finished.
Andrew has been very nice, and has promised to host it
at:
<a
href=http://http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/download/<afterlife>.\
zip
target=new>http://http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/download/<afterlif\
e>.zip</a><br><br>I'm e-mailing him the ZIP file tonight, and I hope
the game will be available just right tonight or
tomorrow: the ZIP file includes a SNA file, a ZXS file (for
the ZX32 emulator) and a TXT file with info about the
game.<br><br>So step into "Willy's Afterlife", enjoy it, and
please, drop some lines on the club with your opinions,
critics, etc....
Oh God in Heavens!<br><br>Ok, I will finish
"Willy's Afterlife" tonight, and release it tomorrow in
ZXS / SNA file format. Then, I will go to learn back
BASIC programming, and try to understand your
instructions (I'm afraid that ZX32 doesn't let you save
whatever is a binary file).<br><br>Anyhow, I hope you will
enjoy this game even if it's not in TAP format...<br>:)
My forthcoming JSW128k game is nearly done now.
Just for you lot I've put some sample screenshots on
the 'Photos' page. I'll add a few more when I have
time. The game has about 160 'rooms' and should be
released sometime in March.<br>Let me know what you
think... - Gary.
I don't use a PC for Spectrum emulation, but I'll tell you my own unorthodox and
extremely effective solution to this problem - other people could probably
suggest
alternatives.<br><br>1. I would save the last 32768 bytes of the SNA file (i.e.
addresses 32768-65535) as a
raw binary file.<br><br>2. I would reset the emulated Spectrum, type CLEAR
32767, and save
an SNA file at that point.<br><br>3. I would replace the last 32768 bytes of the
SNA file
from Step 2 with the 32768-byte binary file from Step 1. This would give me the
JSW game as
an SNA file saved from BASIC, ready to play by typing RANDOMIZE USR 33792 or
whatever.<br><br>Obviously a header program could be written at Step 2 before
saving the SNA file, as I did for
Manic Miner 4. I actually created the original SNA file for MM4 using the above
method,
except that I developed it on a real Spectrum rather than an emulator, and typed
in the
32768-byte binary file rather than saving it from an existing SNA file. Lee
Tonks subsequently
converted MM4 into a TAP file for me, which is a more desirable format for
releasing games than
an SNA file.<br><br>I have written a Java program called SPECSAISIE which I use
to
manipulate SNA and TAP files, although some of the functionality is probably
replicated by the PC
Spectrum emulators.<br><br>SPECSAISIE enables me to convert TAP files to raw
binaries (by
stripping off the headers), and to 'sew' raw binaries onto existing TAP files -
for example, you
could sew an SCR file (a raw 6912-byte representation of a screenshot) onto a
SCREEN$ file
in a TAP file, as I did for the We Pretty loading screen.<br><br>SPECSAISIE
doesn't
currently support saving raw binaries from SNA files and sewing raw binaries
onto SNA files, but
it wouldn't be very difficult to adapt it to do so.<br><br>SPECSAISIE will also
be able
to create TAP files from SNA files, but unfortunately that hasn't been
implemented yet
because it's very difficult and I'm very busy. But I think some PC Spectrum
emulators would
let you save TAP files, although it might be necessary to 'purify' the SNA file
using the
three-step method above. Then again, JetSet Edit should allow you to save a TAP
file on a good
enough emulator (my emulator, MacSpectacle, doesn't let you save TAP
files).<br><br>If anyone
really wants SPECSAISIE as it stands, I will consider releasing it, even in its
current
incomplete state.<br><br>--<br>Andrew
Broad<br>broada@...<br><a href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/download/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/download/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/download/specsaisie.html
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/download/specsaisie.html</a>
Hello there, folks. It's Adban here.<br><br>Ok,
"Willy's Afterlife" is almost finished. But it's stored as
the data in Paul Rhodes "JSW Editor". I can start the
game (using the "9" option"), and then save
immediately a SNA file using the ZX32 emulator, but that's a
bit unsubtle. Besides the fact I would like to add a
nice loading screen I'm making with Leonardo, also
emulated on my ZX32.<br><br>How can I solve this problem,
and add the screen to the data? Please dowload the
Paul Rhodes emulator or ask me if you don't understand
my question, because I'm really lost.
"Willy's Afterlife" is on the way.<br>I have
finished the 48th room, the game melody and the intro
melody. Up to now, all the graphics are original, and I
haven't took anything from Mathew's graphic work. I hope
you will enjoy this game as much as I'm enjoying
creating it.
Hello all members. I'm Adban, and I just want to
say that, even if I'm not as far as computer literate
as some of you (I have checked most of your work,
I'm afraid), I'm working in my first own JSW game,
using the ZX32 emulator and Paul Rhodes' "Jet Set Willy
Editor". It's called "Willy's Afterlife", and I will post
more information as it progresses.
I tried Manic Miner - 2000 on MacSpectacle on Saturday, and it worked. It's a
128K Z80
file which SPCONV couldn't convert, but fortunately it did work on MacSpectacle,
and I was
even able to save a 48K SNA file! :-)<br><br>I completed MM-2000 pretty easily.
It has some
nice room ideas, although the execution is lacking in that the graphics aren't
redefined
enough from the original MM, and it's nothing out of the ordinary - no quirky
features, for
example. I like the obvious tribute to Chuckie Egg that is "The Hen-House" -
Chuckie Egg was
the inspiration for a certain part of We Pretty as you may have noticed! :-) I
also like
"The Mush-Room".<br><br>I have just updated my List of MM/JSW Games, making
MM-2000
available for downloading. I have also updated it in other ways - it now
mentions Gary Pearce's
forthcoming JSW128 game Willy Comes Home, and has a bit more information about
Matthew Smith
(Willy Meets The Taxman/The Megatree).<br><br>All I know about the author of
Manic Miner -
2000 is that the portal in the final room says "by: FELL". If someone could give
me the
original newsgroup posting (including full headers), or any other information
about the game
and its author, I would greatly appreciate it.<br><br>I also appeal to those
with access
to alt.binaries.comp.sinclair to keep me posted about any more MM/JSW
developments that
arise there.<br><br>--<br>Andrew
Broad<br>broada@...<br><a href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/list.html
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/list.html</a>
Loved these two, though I'm still finding the hard version v.hard !!<br>How
about Lord of the Flies ?<br>Could this see a whole series of Willy book
adaptations ???<br>-Gary.
Thanks to everyone who sent me this!<br><br>I may well either put Manic Miner
2000 on
my website, or send it to World Of Spectrum, when I've checked it out properly
(i.e.
tried to play it on my emulator, which I might not get a chance to do until the
weekend).<br><br>Who is the author? Could someone please forward the message,
including headers, so that we
can see all the available information? I couldn't find it on Deja.com, which
doesn't
appear to carry alt.binaries.comp.sinclair either :-(<br><br>The binary appears
to be a 128K
Z80 file, which SPCONV couldn't convert to SNA (which I tried to do in order to
check it
out using my SPECSAISIE program), and might not be good for MacSpectacle either
:-(<br><br>So could someone please email me the binary as preferably a TAP file,
or failing that a
48K SNA file, or even a 48K Z80 file? (preferably not a Z80 v3 file -
MacSpectacle doesn't
support those :-( ).<br><br>--<br>Andrew
Broad<br>broada@...<br><a href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/willy/</a><br><a
href=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/download/
target=new>http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~broada/spectrum/download/</a>
Yes, it's a Spectrum game. I'll email it to you, Andrew, but it would be good if
you could put it on your website, for everyone else.<br>-- <br>Stuart Brady
Works in DOS (DJGPP) now. Uses Allegro for
graphics, and MIDAS (in either DOS or Linux) for sound. All
horizontal robots are finished, and several vertical robots
are working.<br><br>BTW, is anybody actually
interested in this? I could post an alpha to ABCS, but it
probably isn't worth it at this stage.<br><br>--
<br>Stuart Brady
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