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TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Posted by Nick on 18 October 1999, 23:34 GMT

TCPA, purveyor of fine calculator software for the past, uh, some amount of time, has released yet more exciting programs this week.

Laser Mayhem v1.1 has been released for the 83 and 83 Plus under - surprise surprise - Ion. This game, as shown in the screenshot, is an elaborate puzzle game involving a myriad(!) of tricks and surprises.

Solytare v2.11, ported to the 83 by TCPA, is an assembly-coded solitaire game. It is not available for the 83 Plus due to Ahmed's decision that it only be made for the 83, according to the readme.

Block Dude v1.0 is the exciting puzzle game recently made for the 83 and 83 Plus. It is ported to the 82 and 86. In this game, you have to assemble blocks in a way such that you reach an exit door.

Thanks to TCPA for all their great contributions to the TI community so far, and let's hope they keep coming out with such high-quality in the programs in the future.

 


The comments below are written by ticalc.org visitors. Their views are not necessarily those of ticalc.org, and ticalc.org takes no responsibility for their content.


Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
DWedit  Account Info
(Web Page)

I think to stop porting games to the 83+ is stupid, even though I don't have the calc. It's just a bunch a lamers. It's the lamers that are responsible for this. When a previously absent sect becomes exposed to something new (ion), you always get a bunch of newbies who don't know better.

Also, wasn't solytare available before on the TI83?

     19 October 1999, 01:59 GMT

Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

Solytare v2.11 for the TI-83 (SOS) has been out since July 29, 1998. A long time. :) Nothing new, just Nick thought it was newsworthy. Not sure why.

     19 October 1999, 02:02 GMT

Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Jonah Cohen  Account Info
(Web Page)

Well, I doubt he would've made a whole article about solytare being ported, but it's worth throwing it in there among all the other progs TCPA has released.

     19 October 1999, 03:07 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

Perhaps - but all the other programs TCPA "released" were also ports. :)

     19 October 1999, 03:45 GMT


Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Nick Disabato  Account Info
(Web Page)

This is a version for Ion, as you can see in the link.
And it was only 1/3 of a news article ;P

--BlueCalx

     19 October 1999, 04:23 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

Right, they changed a few lines of code and recomplied it. Big deal. :)

Plus, the whole article was about ports.

If someone converted Meister Mind from PhatOS to Rigel, would you post a news item about it? Probably not.

     19 October 1999, 04:28 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Nick Disabato  Account Info
(Web Page)

Ion is slightly more important than both PhatOS and Rigel combined, though :)

--BlueCalx

     19 October 1999, 04:35 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

In your opinion maybe.

     19 October 1999, 05:25 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
ticalc_chris Account Info
(Web Page)

Let's be fair -- the TI-85 is several years old, whereas the TI-83/83 Plus are relatively new calculators and certainly sell more units today. The 85 already has 2 dominant shells, ZShell and Usgard, where Ion is one of the primary shells for the 83/83+. If you just want to look at programs, Rigel and PhatOS each have roughly half the games Ion has. Not to mention Ion is cross-calculator, which is pretty unique and important in itself. As a programming platform, it's fair to say Ion is much more relevant than two aging shells for an aging calculator.

So yes, that's certainly Nick's opinion, but I think you're just giving him a hard time. Pretty clearly it's not a great exaggeration. But since you seem to indicate you're of another opinion, I'm definitely open to any supporting arguments you might have.

Chris

     19 October 1999, 05:45 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

Be fair about this - TCPA didn't release anything "new". Just ports of old programs. And some weren't even true ports, just converting from one shell to the other on the same platform. I'm not saying thats a bad thing, but it doesn't justify a huge news item.

     19 October 1999, 06:14 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
ticalc_chris Account Info
(Web Page)

That has nothing to do with the past 3 comments in this thread! That's something different.

Chris

     19 October 1999, 07:12 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

Wow, you are very observant Chris.

     19 October 1999, 07:17 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
ticalc_chris Account Info
(Web Page)

I bring this up since you sidestepped my invitation for you to prove you were doing something other than just giving Nick a hard time. The invitation still stands, but you don't seem to have anything to add.

Chris

     19 October 1999, 21:46 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Kaxman  Account Info

Ever notice how Chris always has to have the last word in a given thread containing an argument between him and Brian?

     21 October 1999, 18:50 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

Well basically, you don't need to post a news item everytime a new TI-83(+) Ion port comes out. There are going to be A LOT of these routine ports coming out in the next couple months. And when was the last time you posted something about the TI-85 or TI-86? I can't even remember...

     21 October 1999, 20:15 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Patrick Davidson  Account Info
(Web Page)

I would like to point out that ZShell, Usgard, PhatOS, and Rigel programs are really "cross-platform" since most of them will run on a TI-86 with YAS, Rascall, or AShellE.

Also, even though there may be fewer new purchases of the TI-85 than other calculators, the TI-85 still has many users because of the people who have had them for a long time. And since the TI-85 is still useful (and costs less than newer calculators) I think there are probably also plenty of people who buy them today.

     21 October 1999, 04:44 GMT


Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
DWedit  Account Info
(Web Page)

I also wanted to add that if the real programmers stop porting, maybe *Hays* will learn enough ASM to sign their name on and port to ION. Fat chance, but it's still possible.

     19 October 1999, 02:03 GMT

Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

That's quite possible, since converting from SOS to Ion is _not_ that hard, AFAIK.

     19 October 1999, 02:05 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Killer2  Account Info
(Web Page)

And you tried to do that when? Hmm... if it's not _that_ hard (as you claim) then why haven't we seen some ports comming from you?

-Miles Raymond

     20 October 1999, 05:17 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

Its not hard, relatively speaking. A lot easier than lets say porting from the 85 to the 83.

     21 October 1999, 04:20 GMT

Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

I also wanted to add, that even if someone else ported Sam's or Ahmed's games to the TI-83 Plus, Sam or Ahmed could request that ticalc.org not post that game.

I believe the way the announcement was worded on TCPA's site, that Sam and Ahmed aren't only just not porting the games, they aren't allowing others to port them as well. If I'm wrong about that, someone please correct me.

However, in the last few months ticalc.org hasn't really been consistant in respecting the author's wishes, so I don't know what would happen.

     19 October 1999, 02:21 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Etec Account Info
(Web Page)

I'm sure they won't mind if you say that you, the porter should be consulted for any problems and not the first programers. Espicialy if you say that it is their risk to take to run it on their calculator.

Anyway if I ported the games I would probly upload the port to my site.

     19 October 1999, 02:35 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Bryan Rabeler  Account Info
(Web Page)

Of course, but many programmers request that people don't re-release their source code in any way without first getting permission from them first. You should (and need) to respect the wishes of the programmer.

     19 October 1999, 03:48 GMT


Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
Nick Disabato  Account Info
(Web Page)

Shhhhh... you'll provoke them.
:)

--BlueCalx

     19 October 1999, 05:20 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
DWedit  Account Info
(Web Page)

You mean 'him'?

     19 October 1999, 20:26 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: TCPA and Block Dude, Laser Mayhem, Solytare
DWedit  Account Info
(Web Page)

Don't you mean 'him'?

     19 October 1999, 20:26 GMT

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