Boulderdash conversion

[HerzAusGold]

Hi,
I'm about to convert all Boulderdash games from Tosec.
There are about 2.241 files in ".d64" format (C64 floppy disk).
I convert the files with letter "A" to "C" .. the other letters are in process.
Result is currently about 10.000 caves or intermissions.
You can find the levels at www.arthurdent.de
Levels should be playable (Amoeba or Slime can be a problem - but the growing grade is configurable)

Some disks contain only one game, some disk contain more games or a menu to select the game.
I convert it all.
But at the moment, I can only convert the levels which have an easy structure.
I'm working on it.. for the other.

If someone want to help please write a PM.

And there are some BoulderDash progs which have more possibilities (like games from Marek Roth - diagonal move, more enemies)
Don't know how to convert.

@Holger:
It's time to make the Boulderdash engine.
and maybe the "GAMEBD" engine - for "BoulderDäsh" game files (from Guido Mersmann)

[Holger]

Looks impressive!

But how to play all those levels in R'n'D? Seems like some additional level file loader is required for all these GAM and CAV and INT files...

@Holger:
It's time to make the Boulderdash engine.

Yes, indeed!

I just thought about this long outstanding TODO just a few days ago! If I only had more time for it.

and maybe the "GAMEBD" engine - for "BoulderDäsh" game files (from Guido Mersmann)

Looks like a simple text file that contains many BD style levels! And from your post, it sounds like you already wrote a loader for it.

[HerzAusGold]

Hi,
Now convert the files with letter "D" to "F" .. the other letters are in process.
"A" to "C" is already done.
Result is currently about 18.000 caves or intermissions.

About the time needed to convert.
Example: Final Boulder II have 50 different games inside -> need 4..5 Minutes for each game (loading Intro, select game, load game, make a dump)
So this 50 games need about 300 Minutes.
Luckily, most only have one game, so conversion is fast.
I'm in the middle of the process.

You can find the game with levels at http://www.arthurdent.de

[HerzAusGold]

Hi,
Now convert the files with letter "A" to "O" .. the other letters are in process.
Result is currently about 25.000 caves or intermissions.
About 800 Dump-Files (from 2016 dumped files) have an other structure which is not supported currently.

Some Readers avail:

BoulderDaeshReader -> for Guido Mersmann "BoulderDäsh" game dump - Source Code is available now.

BoulderDashTosecReader -> read C64 game dump (easy structure) - Source Code is available now

You can find the game with levels at http://www.arthurdent.de
Source Code is available now.
RndTest with all needed File loaders.

[HerzAusGold]

Hi
How I want to convert the caves with other format:
- change cave selection, so each cave is selectable (entry is breakpoint when read from $DC01 - joystick)
- set breakpoint at "cave load done" -> --> $8ADC -> CaveLoad done
- do special dump -> two areas (cave + para) where dumped. Use export.ini
0850..0BC0 => 880 => 40 * 22 Cave
2400..2500 => para + commands (2420)
- write a program which join this two files (header, cave, filler, para)
- write a new level loader which handle the new format

take a look to attached file, here I write done what I find out.

[HerzAusGold]

Hi,
Now convert the files with letter "A" to "Z". This means now the more difficult structure games are the next.
Result is currently about 33.000 caves or intermissions.
About 1000 Dump-Files (from 2640 dumped files) have an other structure which is not supported currently.

Avail .d64 files : 2241
dumped files : 2640 (one disk can have more games)
with easy struct: 1714
result files : 34859 - 1714 = about 33000

Some Readers avail:
BoulderDaeshReader -> for Guido Mersmann "BoulderDäsh" game dump - Source Code is available now.
BoulderDashTosecReader -> read C64 game dump (easy structure) - Source Code is available now

You can find the game with levels at http://www.arthurdent.de
Source Code is available now.
RndTest with all needed File loaders.

[amirnatsheh7]

hey HerzAusGold, can you be creator with R'n'D Plus?
add engine DC3, Supaplex SR, igor the time machine, Ruby Hunter (A.K.A. Sapphire Yours), Heartlight, and DC steam for RND Plus

http://www.bd-fans.com/FanStuff.html
https://github.com/Sipkab/ruby-hunter/t ... pphire/art

[HerzAusGold]

Hi amirnatsheh7,
nice graphic set

I only extract the cave data (only for the boulderdash tosec files). And write loader for it (how far it is possible for me).
Holger can write the engines.
For BD it's mainly the cave delay, amoeba, slime perm .. and maybe the cave time.

[amirnatsheh7]

well can you do engine rnd with repton, DC 3, DC steam, heartlight, Supaplex sr and ruby hunter for rndtest for next day or week?

[filbo]

I see no mention of 'R'n'D Plus' on bd-fans.com/FanStuff.html ... ?

[amirnatsheh7]

I see no mention of 'R'n'D Plus' on bd-fans.com/FanStuff.html ... ?

hhmmmm no

[ncrecc]

well can you do engine rnd with repton, DC 3, DC steam, heartlight, Supaplex sr and ruby hunter for rndtest for next day or week?

that sounds like a tall order; implementing another game into rnd (especially one as different as repton) isn't the kind of thing that gets done in a week. much less 6 games

also, what is supaplex sr? i haven't heard of it

[Holger]

amirnatsheh7:

well can you do engine rnd with repton, DC 3, DC steam, heartlight, Supaplex sr and ruby hunter for rndtest for next day or week?

Would next hour also be fine for you?

ncrecc:

that sounds like a tall order; implementing another game into rnd (especially one as different as repton) isn't the kind of thing that gets done in a week. much less 6 games

That's right. However, I am surprised that Repton could be the one that could be more tricky to add to R'n'D! You may be perfectly right, though, as I have only played KRepton (KDE version) a little bit, and it was long ago...

also, what is supaplex sr? i haven't heard of it

I also had to google that one: https://sr-supaplex.narod.ru/english.htm

[amirnatsheh7]

ok Holger

[HerzAusGold]

Hi,
I upload some reader's (BoulderDashCommonReader) for BoulderDash games with "level" format (means where "level" can changed):
- ArnoDash21 (packed by DeluxePacker)
- AtlantisDash25 (fixed cave 8 )
- AtlantisDash26 (fixed cave 16 )
- BilderDash (not packed - is 1:1)
- BoulderChange (BD64 packed format)
- BoulderDashRocky (BD64 packed format)
- BoulderDash (BD64 packed format)
- BoulderDash01 (BD64 packed format)
- BoulderDash02 (another shorter BD64 packed format, WLC2)

Not playable, because no loader yet.
But with source code.
Use Peter Broadripp's "decodeCave.c" (In memory of Peter, RIP) - I fixed some Bugs.
Do a compare to the real cave data.
And write a reader for BD02 which have a shorter BD64 packed format - with more commands.

In the .zip file there are a "debugging.txt" with assembler code snippets and comments.
And the ".raw" dump files of the cave's.

Here: http://www.arthurdent.de

Have you already played one of the BD games? Or all 33000 caves?