tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post2039923462163145811..comments2024-03-28T15:25:30.216-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Game 411: The Amulet (1983)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-32527502797113209242022-11-18T08:02:04.350-05:002022-11-18T08:02:04.350-05:00"Scylfdun" (Castle) sounds a bit like a ..."Scylfdun" (Castle) sounds a bit like a sdrawkcab version of a known streaming service (founded much later obviously).Buscanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-57096769862818337162022-02-24T11:50:47.729-05:002022-02-24T11:50:47.729-05:00Yeah, that does raise some questions about when th...Yeah, that does raise some questions about when the game was actually released. The manual keeps the 1983 copyright. It feels like a 1983 game but perhaps it took 4 years to find any kind of publisher.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-13786584670207634572022-02-23T02:15:10.061-05:002022-02-23T02:15:10.061-05:00The game is suupossed to be a 1983 game. But the b...The game is suupossed to be a 1983 game. But the box that you find in the website of the museum of computer adventure games is a 1987 release. That is strange. They released it after 4 years andnin the title screen is still written 1983.kostas markakishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15015895617138531180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-40584168676172394672021-05-02T22:16:39.044-04:002021-05-02T22:16:39.044-04:00Jason Dyer's disk seems to have worked, althou...Jason Dyer's disk seems to have worked, although I would now almost judge the game unplayable for other reasons. Sorry to put you through the trouble, Ahab.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-32653233476744209332021-05-01T13:39:38.486-04:002021-05-01T13:39:38.486-04:00It probably WAS meant to be a mountain range.
But ...It probably WAS meant to be a mountain range.<br />But then it has been repurposed...minandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14447689252911339858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-13257011461830334082021-05-01T09:26:50.902-04:002021-05-01T09:26:50.902-04:00Yeah regardless of the legal aspect, intellectuall...Yeah regardless of the legal aspect, intellectually it is plagiarism as it's just taking someone else's work and releasing it as a product without adding any ideas of your own to the mix. It certainly doesn't qualify as an original work! If he had expanded the base, then yes, but this? JarlFrankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08139422412722665286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-83272023307907344482021-05-01T05:40:42.711-04:002021-05-01T05:40:42.711-04:00I would say that regardless of the legality, not m...I would say that regardless of the legality, not mentioning that it's a type-in written by someone else is a failure to give credit where its due, and reflects poorly on a person.Tristan Gallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16769219573533545742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-5053568292614425542021-05-01T04:29:41.436-04:002021-05-01T04:29:41.436-04:00Software and copyright is a very complex subject -...Software and copyright is a very complex subject - especially in 1985, with a program written in the UK, reworked in Canada and published in the U.S.. Legally, I don't think the case is quite that clear. <br /><br />Certain things are not subject to copyright - namely, algorithms (hence software _patents_ exist in some countries) and game mechanics. Is a program that is simple enough to be typed in a creative work covered by copyright? For a software engineer that's a clear no, legally it's at least questionable.<br /><br />If you wanted to make a legal argument, the ingame text would probably be your best bet.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07270991090065636515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-53859461048160351632021-05-01T01:30:11.091-04:002021-05-01T01:30:11.091-04:00@Dungy: the one I usually use, trs80gp, has been r...@Dungy: the one I usually use, trs80gp, has been receiving continuous updates, including one last month.Jason Dyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292199216981320170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-3590890472913990212021-04-30T22:40:29.894-04:002021-04-30T22:40:29.894-04:00Well, heck... this thread is making me a bit nervo...Well, heck... this thread is making me a bit nervous. I'm laying the groundwork to (re)launch my own blog on level editors and game creation systems within the next year, and I think there are a few TSR-80-exclusive games in the early part of <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13sbBo2PYeBkvsGQ3r-1Yo_PnH9YPyOuxKoTduv_lBFY" rel="nofollow">my list</a>... and now this is giving me some apprehension about how hard a time I might have emulating them. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, though I think I'll make a note of this thread in case any of the advice here turns out to be helpful.Jalen Wandererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00973042209003357278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-35423944667895594432021-04-30T21:21:40.491-04:002021-04-30T21:21:40.491-04:00IANAL, but I'm pretty sure from a legal standp...IANAL, but I'm pretty sure from a legal standpoint this would unquestionably constitute plagiarism. Even if the original program was presented with the intent for people to modify it to learn programming for their own personal use, that doesn't give anyone blanket permission to do what they want with it. It's still copyrighted material, and taking it and selling as your own work without compensating or even crediting the original author is a violation of that copyright.<br /><br />It's not really surprising that they got away with it, though. This seems to be obscure enough that it's unlikely the creators of The Valley ever heard of it (especially since it was published on a different continent), and even if they did there almost certainly wasn't enough to be gained by a lawsuit to make it worth the legal costs.Jalen Wandererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00973042209003357278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-54643743260701990982021-04-30T19:14:16.651-04:002021-04-30T19:14:16.651-04:00I sent Chet my files. They're definitely iden...I sent Chet my files. They're definitely identical.Dungyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12199751859534712567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-81105147370967493952021-04-30T19:08:51.895-04:002021-04-30T19:08:51.895-04:00The state of TRS-80 software preservation sounds a...The state of TRS-80 software preservation sounds a lot like the way things used to be on the DOS side, when most games were distributed as pre-installed directories instead of floppy disk images. Great for popping into DOSBox, but awful for anyone looking to document install-time config options or follow along with manuals. We can only hope that someone will be able to come forward and make proper copies of the actual disks someday.<br /><br />Dungy, do you suppose it might be a firmware issue? Back when I was dabbling in Japanese PC emulation, I had one instance where two files had the same name but were apparently different revisions.Kearudanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-87940163402680213112021-04-30T18:55:06.407-04:002021-04-30T18:55:06.407-04:00Yeah. TRS-80 emulation is such a niche thing comp...Yeah. TRS-80 emulation is such a niche thing compared to C64, Atari, and Apple II. The best emulator available hasn't been updated since 2016, and there is absolutely no consistency in distribution. I've monkeyed through getting most games working, though. The infuriating part, is I can't even figure out what Chet is doing different than me. Our configuration and files seem identical, but mine works.<br /><br />Between 1978 and about 1982, the TRS-80 was considered a pretty legitimate computer. I've discovered a number of early RPGs (To Chet's chagrin), that were basically forgotten. Dungyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12199751859534712567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-20518569983827003072021-04-30T18:50:06.943-04:002021-04-30T18:50:06.943-04:00@JarlFrank
Yeah, I agree with you. I somehow miss...@JarlFrank<br /><br />Yeah, I agree with you. I somehow missed the Publisher blurb before the article started. Must have read this one too early in the morning.Raifieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08478524519453417677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-53280058022506893662021-04-30T17:59:59.678-04:002021-04-30T17:59:59.678-04:00TRS-80 games are really inconsistent and I think a...TRS-80 games are really inconsistent and I think a big part of the problem is how they're distributed. Apple II games come on bootable DSK and WOZ files, but TRS-80 games are often just distributed as loose BASIC files. That's great if you have a way of getting them onto a floppy disk and know how to make a real TRS-80 read them, but not so great if you just want to play the games on an emulator.<br /><br />The manual for Reign of the Red Dragon on MOCAGH says you can just boot the disk in drive 0 and start playing, but that won't work if you just have BASIC files on a floppy disk. The boot code isn't there any more. The dmk file I used from the above link isn't an authentic copy, but rather it's a disk image containing the BASIC files plus the TRS-80 equivalent of autoexec.bat configured to load them for you.<br /><br />I could be completely wrong about everything I just said. When it comes to TRS-80 emulation I'm basically a monkey who figured out how to make fire and is doing my best to explain how it works.Ahabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04131989140638867919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-27948249999476975582021-04-30T17:44:16.631-04:002021-04-30T17:44:16.631-04:00I think I've got a low-fuss solution. It won&#...I think I've got a low-fuss solution. It won't help you understand how anything on TRS-80 works, but it should help you get the game running without needing to screw with system disks.<br /><br />First, get SDLTRS. You'll also need "model3.rom" which you can get here:<br />http://drop.caus909.net/roukxwel/0003APL7/trs80/<br /><br />Just drop model3.rom into the same folder as SDLTRS.<br /><br />Get "Reign of the Red Dragon" here:<br />https://willus.com/trs80/<br /><br />Download the Autorun dmk file.<br /><br />Run SDLTRS. Press F7 to enter the emulator menu.<br /><br />Go to "Floppy Disk Management" and mount the dmk file to drive 0. Esc out to the main menu.<br /><br />Go to "TRS80 Model Selection" and pick TRS-80 Model III. Esc out to the main menu and press Esc again.<br /><br />It should reboot to this prompt:<br />TRS-80 Model III Disk Basic<br />38,202 Free Bytes<br /><br />Wait about 30 seconds and the game should autoload.Ahabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04131989140638867919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-81774059451288122652021-04-30T16:42:01.020-04:002021-04-30T16:42:01.020-04:00I've had to hack *so many* weird TRS-80 games ...I've had to hack *so many* weird TRS-80 games and I still get oddities sometimes. This one I was able to pull off, though, sent an single disk auto-boot to our host.Jason Dyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292199216981320170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-72940985553815763262021-04-30T16:41:05.223-04:002021-04-30T16:41:05.223-04:00Yeah I've made that a lot, too, but that's...Yeah I've made that a lot, too, but that's not the issue here. I have no idea what I'm doing with the TRS-80. I don't know why sometimes I can autostart the disk and other times I need to load a boot disk first. I don't know why CAT sometimes works to show me the directory and sometimes doesn't.<br /><br />DIR gives me only the files in Drive 0. Should it give me both?CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-15657529779195390272021-04-30T16:38:13.437-04:002021-04-30T16:38:13.437-04:00It is indeed. I meant, it's not the (first tha...It is indeed. I meant, it's not the (first that I've covered); there were several for 1987. But is the first (that I've covered). Since it's just from Toronto, though, and had a U.S. publisher, and is a copy of a U.K. game, I wouldn't nominate it for "National Game" just yet.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-10476260699807797362021-04-30T15:43:24.822-04:002021-04-30T15:43:24.822-04:00Copying a learning exercise that explicitly allows...Copying a learning exercise that explicitly allows you to modify it and redistribute it is still plagiarism if you don't add your own ideas to it before packaging it up as a full program and selling it, imo. JarlFrankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08139422412722665286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-24463532973986158962021-04-30T14:45:38.313-04:002021-04-30T14:45:38.313-04:00I remember at least one Canadian Ultima clone bein...I remember at least one Canadian Ultima clone being covered. This might be the earliest, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-37396435721120518762021-04-30T14:00:44.026-04:002021-04-30T14:00:44.026-04:00TRS-80 emulation is a scary place. To this day I&#...TRS-80 emulation is a scary place. To this day I'm still not completely sure how you're "supposed" to do it, and I've played 17 of them for my blog. A lot of them were bespoke solutions, like the Dunjonquest series.<br /><br />When you have the system disk in drive 0, the game disk in drive 1, and boot, what happens if you type "DIR"? Do you see your file there?<br /><br />Also, a mistake I've made far too often is typing the filename with the Windows/Unix conventional "." instead of a "/". E.g. BASIC RUN "SQ.BAS" instead of BASIC RUN "SQ/BAS".Ahabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04131989140638867919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-62412231872651321442021-04-30T13:52:13.678-04:002021-04-30T13:52:13.678-04:00Personally, I feel like even if the guy had to ada...Personally, I feel like even if the guy had to adapt it, he still had access to the source code which would make that considerably easier. I also just feel like it's scummy in general to take something meant for learning programming, changing a few names, and then going and selling it as a full game, even if it doesn't end up rising to the level of plagerism. Twibathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11872080022551062309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-69988007727679832562021-04-30T12:01:51.906-04:002021-04-30T12:01:51.906-04:00The lack of originality notwithstanding, is this t...The lack of originality notwithstanding, is this the first Canadian-developed game covered on the blog? I do not recall having seen anything else. Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526120228467162158noreply@blogger.com