RetroBytes Portal
Programming => Manic Miner the Lost Levels => Topic started by: flash on October 21, 2009, 09:44:03 pm
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Please post any major bugs (or trivial) here.
I was finding it hard to trace them all in the main topic. It may help to keep them seperate. (Suggestions, chat, etc are great in main topic)
Thanks..
(hopefully this will remain pretty empty, unless the pixies are telling stories again)
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bugs on the xmas level.... I have removed most of the graphics to black to keep this one secret, so you only se the problem snow platform......
Please Note this level is completable as it are, it more visual bugs.
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bugs on the xmas level.... I have removed most of the graphics to black to keep this one secret, so you only se the problem snow platform......
Please Note this level is completable as it are, it more visual bugs.
Ok, thanks. That is now fixed.
Also, 'Jump for joy' level should now work perfect! ;)
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comic mirco bug:
when you dying example on the Air Lock level, when the screen have been "faded out", you sometimes see a little white line in the middle screen, some times on the right place. But it only do when it totally blaced and begin to fade in again. This was after used a cheat mode.
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I knocked up a little demo to help locate the visual stuttering when changing music in the music selection screen.
What this demo proves is it's not caused by the zlib decompression routine.
What I would try next is to remove all graphic animations (such as the sprite and text) to see if the stutter dissappears.
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Thanks mate, I will have a fiddle with this later at work.
Hopefully it is something SILLY somewhere, somehow?
Oh joy!
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According to the fact that it takes a different amount of time to decompress and load different songs and that causes different flicker effect on the screens, I'd suggest that the flickering is related to the fact that the screen raster is in an on-screen position when you change the contents. I guess you should wait for a VBlank after the "XM decompression & load" stage, so that the screens content doesn't change between VBlanks. That's my humble idea, of course. :)
There's also some problem with the ending text animation in MMWW. Can't understand what's happening there, looks like the text is changing 'twice' ???
YF level switch is perfect now :) Thanks! :)
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It should look like that in MMWW completion, but I did mess up a little and it missed a few tiles :) - sorted!
Thanks for the ideas for tracking the flicker down. I am trapping vblank, so still a bit confused.. I will have another play tonight or perhaps tomorrow.
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I found
most all secrets levels (1 missing, only trying to find hidden spot in radio picture level). Some is easy found, some toke some time, but all is well hided and nice placed. so No problems :-D
Minor Bug:
in the goonies level: you can jump to the top left wall and "hide" :-D.
Minor Bug (mine one):
And there is some problem in my very last tune (hero.xm) which I need to fix tomorrow. Not possible to fix that, but its do are really minor issue throuch.
Change option:
"Game Over" is not the right word when you have completed WW and the whole game, so its should been "the end" or "congratulations".
Change option:
On the very last screen, "we..." could been changed to something say of eventuelly bonus level if they are missed and some levels still can been unlocked.
Xmas level is perfect.
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in the goonies level: you can jump to the top left wall and "hide" :-D.
Well spotted - sorted!
"Game Over" is not the right word when you have completed WW and the whole game, so its should been "the end" or "congratulations".
I have changed it to 'The End'
On the very last screen, "we..." could been changed to something say of eventuelly bonus level if they are missed and some levels still can been unlocked.
Not really sure what you mean?
Xmas level is perfect.
Hurrah!! :) :)
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(I removed a post which is not need, but I do still guess some tips about missing hidden levels should been told to the use in some way when both game modes is completed).
Bug:
Cosmic Man is still impossible, due too much random fireballs and I allways got toasted by fireball near the evil placed exit.
Fireballs should NOT shoot that random, and you should have a change to memory them in some way if you want to keep the layout, but them them use some pattern.
Bug?
In "Where's the hyperspace button?": 3-4 times I could not jump on the circle formed platform after jumped on it from the start point. It does not happens each time and not sure why. When it happens he would just walk right, falling and then die. Not sure it by design or a bug.
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The fireballs are not random mate.. They follow a strict 16 y pos sequence (as does meteor storm)
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In "Where's the hyperspace button?": 3-4 times I could not jump on the circle formed platform after jumped on it from the start point. It does not happens each time and not sure why. When it happens he would just walk right, falling and then die. Not sure it by design or a bug.
I will have a look at that, but it is a conveyor on both sides and hopefully replicated the same.
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The fireballs are not random mate.. They follow a strict 16 y pos sequence (as does meteor storm)
- Year!!! The standard time should been 1:05 for the time I got if you want to keep as it are.... It took a bit longer time, due I wont been toasted by the same fireball once more ;D. There is just one problem fireball yet, its that one fired at 44 secs (the third one), which is something pain and bad timed (shoot too early, or late mightbeen).
- Even on the blagger level, it happens some times I could not jump at all on the convolve. I still not sure when and why. So it might been a general bug?
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halt.xm was intended only play once on the halt screen and should not loop (unlike all other songs, including both other end screens), but that is really up to you if you still want this looping.
On the Jukebox Section it should of course loop.
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I did not know what you meant about the 'Halt screen', this you mean the pause menu? If so, there is no way to stop the main music and then resume it.
It works really nice on the Bonus Completion screens though. What do you think? Did you want to make it longer for that?
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Gave it another run today, I found those things:
- explosions sfx are missing when you remove walls in 'Space Shuttle' MMLL level
- a mummy is walking on nothing in the 'new' mummy level (3rd in MMLL, I think)... or was it supposed to be like that?
Then I think there should be a number in the upper left corner of the lower screen telling you which level number you're playing (maybe something like 'x of 20' on LL and 'x of 10' on WW... or just the number alone)
Now my DS is charging, going to check more later :)
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The mummy is meant to walk on nothing, it is silly, but this is how it is in the original level.
I still have a few samples to add, the explosion being one of the - thanks for reminding me though ;)
I have a free night tonight and intend to get the last samples done, so if anyone is around, then there may be some final beta's flapping about.
Also, saving is hopefully going to be implemented.
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did you fixed the DS card problem using the file system or such (even I known you want to avoid that), but file system could been good for the music tunes?
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I still have a few samples to add, the explosion being one of the - thanks for reminding me though ;)
I believe the other one is when you find the hidden bonus, right? ;)
BTW I'm also curious about that problem with the DSTT card... did you try what I suggested on gbadev forum? And, finally, did you decide to do not implement any animations based on music in the tune selection screen? Curiosity again...
See ya later ;D
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Yeah, bonus level sfx is one of them..
I never did get the data to read ok for the audio screen, and then I thought, even if I did, what would i do so not do kill that nice picture? so, I left it for now at least? Who knows...
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even without that it works likes fine due the awesome picture. So its no really needed feature.
I did not know what you meant about the 'Halt screen', this you mean the pause menu? If so, there is no way to stop the main music and then resume it.
It works really nice on the Bonus Completion screens though. What do you think? Did you want to make it longer for that?
It the correct screen you used. It was used to been a short (Somewhere a jingle). I call it halt screen because there was a sign that stood halt on it. So its Bonus Completion screen you call it. So tune used correct in the lastet demo.
There is no stop feature in XM67Play, You can just stop it after some time. But if you cant stop it, that ok for me then I send you a new tune with abit longe pause (I do that anyway).
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All these is NONE annoyring at all and no need to really fix them:
- Save should do when faded out, due there is a little lag when you do save when level completed (its none annoyring issue).
- Cheat mode for level skip and unlimited lives should change.
- vblank line (even when you just die and tune countinue to play).
- Jukebox Flicker still on select tunes.
Major bug:
- Tune 2 is now played, regaardless which tune you select in the jukebox section (only happens now I think?).
This is with the newest demo.
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Thanks,
Jukebox is sorted again (though i cannot stop that flicker)
The cheat mode will be changed before release.
The game is saved at the begining of each level, but I will look into that lag?
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There is no stop feature in XM67Play, You can just stop it after some time. But if you cant stop it, that ok for me then I send you a new tune with abit longe pause (I do that anyway).
There's STOP, there's no PAUSE, you mean. ;) libXM7, you mean ;)
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no it was XM4583474573473476457473475play i meant.... I came to write 6 intead of 7, but when I edited I trought I have stroke the 6 number out :-D, but I did italic it instead :-D.
Stop is all fine, pause is not needed on that halt song, but I do have the silent gap abit longer and sent that to Flash.
I have not noticed the lag before the lastest beta, but its none annorying as I told here.
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[...] when I edited I trought I have stroke the 6 number out :-D, but I did italic it instead :-D.
And how could I have known that? ;) (btw, really, they're not using XM7Play in MM, they're using libXM7... I also believe they've never seen XM7Play at all, they don't need it ;) )
Can I use the tune you made for the 1st MMLL level as a ringtone for my cellphone? ;D Have you got an mp3 to share? :-* ;)
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Sverx,
Been going through this flicker problem.
Have noticed (try yourself) it does it everytime music is init. Check when you skip levels. This thing has taken 4 hours off my life today.
I have tried stopping vblank - this kills the fades and spotlight effects. Remember - we init music per level and also on completion, gameover, etc - so the flicker is on all of them (if the fade is removed it is visible).
So,
I then uncompressed all xm's so that I could test if it really was the uncompress function causing the problem - NOPE!
I then stopped the,
ldr r0, =Module @ Pointer to module data
ldr r1, =ZLibBuffer
bl XM7_LoadXM @ Load module
call and the flicker went away..
I then put it back and stopped the (important),
ldr r0, =REG_IPC_SYNC
ldr r1, =IPC_SEND_SYNC(0)
strh r1, [r0]and the flicker was still gone! (along with all music LOL)
But, this shows that loadXM perhaps is not the issue and it lies somewhere in the IPC_SYNC? I really am at a loss and HK is not about to help this poor boy!
So, what next? as I am loave to release with this flicker and I cannot even think of a way to hide it in audio options?
Any ideas?
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Don' worry,
Headkaze rode by on a white horse, hair flowing in the wind, and with a flick of his wrist - sorted it!! :)
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great job to harm that little big bug, even it was not really annoyring. Im was not very much home. Do you still release tomorrow, or do you one final test tonight? I hate with that take long time. Have tried that my self and its not funny.
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There will be a final test later tonight and hopefully a release tomorrow night,
All going well!! GOD!!
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::-D. Why changed the mummy in Level 3? I really liked he walking into the air, and I diddent wrote about it because I was aware that was like in original and that it.... He could do something diffecent when he was in air, so he look like he flying? Elsewice the level do works as it should.
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Because it looked a little odd to me, also, moving him to the bottom makes it look like he is walking on the sand imho? Also, the head is best suited to floating!
Oh, Horace has been changed to make it a good 'race' level and also to make it much closer to the original.
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Good that the flicker bug was sorted out :) When you or HK got a spare minute, would somebody please explain me what was? Thanks :)
btw... is Horace supposed to walk safely on those red flowers? In my beta he doesn't die walking on them... :-X
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Because it looked a little odd to me, also, moving him to the bottom makes it look like he is walking on the sand imho? Also, the head is best suited to floating!
Oh, Horace has been changed to make it a good 'race' level and also to make it much closer to the original.
its a bit too easy now, but even with fast and easy, its even fun to cap milli secs of this level. I do want if I could die on plants like all other levels, but if it was not in original it might been better to remove them? I got it first time on 11.398 and could still beat it ;D.
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In the Psion game, the flowers were just decoration, and in keeping with the intention of replication, I decided that perhaps it was best that way in this version. It has the nice effect that the level is more 'fun' than frustrating, and also great for a speed-run level.
Ok, not too sure what HK did at the mo, but it goes something like this....
interruptHandlerVBlank:
stmfd sp!, {r0-r9, lr}
ldr r1, =XM7_MODULE_IPC
ldr r0, [r1]
mov r2, #0
cmp r0, #0
strgt r2, [r1]
blgt XM7_PlayModule
ldr r1, =XM7_MODULE_IPC
ldr r0, [r1]
mov r2, #0
cmp r0, #XM7_STOP
streq r2, [r1]
bleq XM7_StopModule
ldmfd sp!, {r0-r9, pc}
added to arm7
so that the music is updated via interupt rather than using the
ldr r0, =REG_IPC_SYNC
ldr r1, =IPC_SEND_SYNC(0)
strh r1, [r0]
that was used before. The ipc was causing the problem somehow? And only HK knows why! that is because he is God!! LOL
Why this caused such trouble, I have no idea! but... It works perfect now using interupts to handle the music commands.
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Okay I know why using the IPC interrupt caused a flicker. It seems that the IPC interrupt must occur during VBlank and when the zlib decompression takes longer than vblank triggering the IPC interrupt will cause the screen to flicker.
Here is another solution I just tried and works on hardware as well. So we can actually move the code out of the vblank back into the IPC interrupt.
ldr r0, =XM7_MODULE_IPC @ Location in IPC for XM7 control
ldr r1, =Module @ Send module data location
str r1, [r0]
bl swiWaitForVBlank @ Wait for vblank to make sure IPC interrupt occurs during vblank
ldr r0, =REG_IPC_SYNC
ldr r1, =IPC_SEND_SYNC(0)
strh r1, [r0]
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in the bonus completion screen, its seen the telephone used purple as the transperancy color when it rotate? (again is a none annoyring and you need to look after before you notice it).
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Lobo is on the case and as we speak, he may be listening, so Shh...
HIDE!!
LOL
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I should been critic as you wrote in a email :-D, I just noticed the purple border around the phone. I guess is a transperancy issue? I have seen that problem my self when alpha is not used but used a color as transperancy in blitzmax as well.
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You be as critical as you want mate... :)
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Yep, it's been fixed. It's a common problem when rotating stuff in PS and alike when anti aliasing adds values of magenta to the edges while smoothing them out. Probably the worst and the most hated thing to fix but not impossible.
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I had a shelf on the wall that i rotated 90 degrees, and everything fell off and broke..
That was much worse!
Well, A little worse.. Sadly one of the items was a tin of Magenta paint... :)
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Rotate the car like that on the wet highway and everything goes magenta instantly.
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why do you use Magenta color as the transperancy color? its comon problem when you rotate things, due the color can been changed due antialasing (which mightbeen should been disabled if possible and does not look ugly?)
I would elsewise nice to see that bug.
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LOL
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some bugs is fun to watch :-D. Priopenty these color bugs I have seen in blitzmax ;D.
Godnight I hope to see last beta early tomorrow.
Good codning :-D
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The beta is emailed mate :)
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why do you use Magenta color as the transperancy color? its comon problem when you rotate things, due the color can been changed due antialasing (which mightbeen should been disabled if possible and does not look ugly?)
I would elsewise nice to see that bug.
Using magenta in games is like using the green screen in movies, you will hardly, if ever, find magenta in nature in pure 255,0,255 (or lime green). To me it makes no sense using black 0,0,0 or white 255,255,255 for transparency in games whatsoever because chances of me using both Black and White are close to 100% per each game where magenta (even if I would draw a clown) would be used about...say 0% of the time.
That's the reason, basically. :D
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Also, forgot, it's not a problem with transparency, it's the problem where games that need to be sharp and DO NOT use alpha such as in hi-res png embedded are being treated with rotate in Pshop without switching to 8bit mode first. In 16bit and up it will result in ugly AA thus adding the values of 'purple' to the edges.
To do it proper, regardless of whether you use magenta or any other color is to use the pixel based program to start with. Even better is not to rotate the image via tool but simply draw it!
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What about if the game was,
"Magenta Mark and the case of the Missing Magenta Magnets in the Mysterious Magenta world" ?
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haha.
I think found a another (can have connection to the another one I found earler):
"Hall of the mountain Kong" is now impossible, due you can NOT jump after jumped on the convolver. I guess its the same bug like in "where's the hyperspace button" as well the blagger level. So I guess it happens when he turn on a convolver and then jump is impossible. So big change is the bug allways fixed?
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What about if the game was,
"Magenta Mark and the case of the Missing Magenta Magnets in the Mysterious Magenta world" ?
Then you're fucked. :D
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LOL LOL!!
You said fucked!! Bad mouth LOL
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I did? Bad, bad website, filtering my words!! :'(
Ok, if not fukd, then you should kill the producer of that game, with your fingernails.
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you could try f u c k e d! that works!
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haha.
I think found a another (can have connection to the another one I found earler):
"Hall of the mountain Kong" is now impossible, due you can NOT jump after jumped on the convolver. I guess its the same bug like in "where's the hyperspace button" as well the blagger level. So I guess it happens when he turn on a convolver and then jump is impossible. So big change is the bug allways fixed?
Hall Of The Mountain Kong works fine, I just did it right now on the latest beta (tonight's) and it's exactly the same as always.
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have not tested on the lastet beta yet, but it was just a regular bug (not on the level), due problem with convolver, but thanks you did tested before me. It was first noticed in the other level and thinking it was the same bug (also this was not level based, but just more a general one that just got fixed). The level is really easy elsewise normal.
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There has to be something there?
I will have another look just in case?
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In the Psion game, the flowers were just decoration, and in keeping with the intention of replication, I decided that perhaps it was best that way in this version. It has the nice effect that the level is more 'fun' than frustrating, and also great for a speed-run level.
I see, didn't know that before :)
HK: so you just added a swiWaitforVBlank before pushing IPC values, after the decoding and loading of XM. That was also my idea, even if I wasn't sure it would really work ;)
You guys are crazy the way you use this forum, let me tell ya ;)
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SF,
You were using 'B' to jump weren't you :)
I had forgot to add 'B' as a jump button for the conveyor code..
Well spotted!!! ('A' still worked though :) )
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lol, yes that caused the problem. was not aware it was only the b button. a button did works fine.
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HK: so you just added a swiWaitforVBlank before pushing IPC values, after the decoding and loading of XM. That was also my idea, even if I wasn't sure it would really work ;)
I was also thinking the same thing but it wasn't until Flash tracked down the actual lines of code causing the stutter that we could figure out where to place the swiWaitForVBlank. Before then we tried it in different places without effect. Flash also said this method didn't actually fix it for him which is really strange, I tried it twice and it worked both times for me. Right now though it's using the VBlank interrupt on ARM7 to read the IPC values instead of the IPC interrupt method which also seems to fix it.
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Right now though it's using the VBlank interrupt on ARM7 to read the IPC values instead of the IPC interrupt method which also seems to fix it.
mmm... it shouldn't have anything to do with ARM7 code imho... ???
You decode the .gz, then you load the .XM and then it's time to push the start command in the IPC. On ARM7 side it should be almost the same if that will be received at next VBlank or by using an interrupt... on ARM9 side it's only that at this point your screens are probably (well, surely!) already drawing the frame so all you need to do is to 'sync' on the next VBlank.
It's easy for me to speak, I'm not writing code at all, right? ;) ;D lol :D
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I did mess about for quite a while. I put loads of delays in the code (game code) that made a refresh longer than a vblank hoping to see the flicker... All i got was a slow game and slow unresponsive screens.
I cannot understand why there is this flicker and I cannot understand quantum physics either. All i could find out is that the ipc caused it regardless..
But, what really matters - it is fixed and I am a happy bunny again!!
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sverx: Changing from using an IPC interrupt to using a VBlank to read values from IPC memory does need a change on the ARM7 side. There are two method's I've implemented for communicating with the ARM7 from ARM9. And these two methods are when data is read from IPC.
1. Method 1 is using an IPC interrupt on ARM7 to read IPC values. You trigger this from ARM9 by doing the following:
ldr r0, =REG_IPC_SYNC
ldr r1, =IPC_SEND_SYNC(0)
strh r1, [r0]
We use this method because it's instantaneously triggered on the ARM7 side so that samples that need to be played quickly can do so. There are still issues using this method with sounds not triggering so then I implemented 16 IPC channels in IPC memory so that multiple sounds can be set to trigger at the same time.
2. Method 2 is using a VBlank interrupt on ARM7 to read IPC values. This means IPC memory is only checked every VBlank cycle so if two sounds are set in IPC before the VBlank interrupt is reached the first sound will not trigger. This is more problematic but does not have the problem of the IPC interrupt causing stuttering if not called within a VBlank.
The interesting thing is that libnds never used an IPC interrupt before they implemented FIFO; they used a VBlank interrupt. Not sure why but it's not a reliable way for sounds that need triggering often (like in a game). Also they had 16 channels for IPC sound triggers but only ever used the first one. It's been necessary for me to implement 16 so that certain sounds that have to trigger don't get overwritten by others.
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That was what I was going to say!
::)
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I cannot understand quantum physics either.
mmm... never heard this before. Is it a TV show? ;D
Changing from using an IPC interrupt to using a VBlank to read values from IPC memory does need a change on the ARM7 side.
Yeah, it was my sentence that wasn't clear, sorry... I meant that screen flicker has nothing to do with what's get executed on ARM7. And now we're all happy bunnies you found a solution :) :) :)
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One of the most painful things in coding for the DS in asm has been audio. I'm really glad Flash didn't want to use streaming music for this game because it was a nightmare for Warhawk and still to this day has issues with stuttering on some cards. Maybe one day we will re-release Warhawk using xm's for music instead or perhaps there is a audio streaming library that deals with lagging properly.
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tested all bonus levels, and I did not found issues. The Joy for Jump (if spelled correctly, you known which one its is) Level is the harderst level for me, but all times is still beatable and completable.
For the facts in the complection screen, can they not been saved, so you dosent need to see same fact again, and then just countinue, just like the gameover screen?
For the Warhawk, it does only happens sometimes and not allways on my AceCard II (which means its not a filefragmants problem I think). Not sure why. Look like a buffer to small error bug or such? I have not tried the FAT version of it...
I guess the XM version of the music might take about 4-500kb in 8 bit and POTT music is allways wav.
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Maybe one day we will re-release Warhawk using xm's for music instead [...]
Why not? Just ask SF ;) Oh, here he comes :)
I guess the XM version of the music might take about 4-500kb in 8 bit and POTT music is allways wav
I guess having both XMs and streaming wavs won't be a good idea. Better replace all streaming instead. Well, let's talk about that again after both MM and TDG release ;)
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I just tested the FAT. Its does the same thing, but the stuffer do first start from level 2 and the same tune play fine in level 1. So its somewhere a "buffer underruns" issue (which happens in FL-Studio when I use to much cpu). Like 2 tunes is played same time or such, so the old tune did not release correctly or such.
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For the facts in the complection screen, can they not been saved, so you dosent need to see same fact again, and then just countinue, just like the gameover screen?
They are saved. There are 34 of them and it remembers the current on in the save data. So, it will take 34 completions before you have seen them all.
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They are saved. There are 34 of them and it remembers the current on in the save data. So, it will take 34 completions before you have seen them all.
Do I understand this right: "one bonus level is opened each time you go through the game, so you have to complete the full game 34 times to see all of them"?
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Glad you woke up! LOL
No, there are 20 bonus levels hidden in 20 of the 50 levels - you have to find the 'special' place that activates them. You will know if a level has a secret by the wax seal shown on the bottom screen.
You know me by now - it is nice to have some hidden stuff - even if 20 levels is a bit excessive LOL
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most of them is really easy to been found, but few of them can been a bit hard to find them. But its fun and nice idea.
I only did some hard time to very few them in very few levels, but I have found them all :). I did also missed 2, which was well hidden too :-D.
I also think Sokurah need to get his bike game finished I wrote music for too and the october is soon end. Now there is also a Left 4 Dead 2 demo soon ready.
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I just want to say,
If anyone finds a major bug now - II will go looby loo...
and
If anyone keeps quite about a bug - I will go looby loo...
We are close...
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No, there are 20 bonus levels hidden in 20 of the 50 levels - you have to find the 'special' place that activates them.
So you have 400 bonus levels? (20*20)? ;)
...nahh, just messin' with ya. I get it - much more fun than what I understood. :)
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no,
"much more fun than what you failed to understand"
If Rev.Stu was here, he would strike you over the head with a blackboard rubber.. LOL
So, have you seen the bonus levels in the demos sent to you? if not.. You may have some fun there
I will send you the Horace DS demo tomorrow!! :)
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It would not have been too hard to have 200+levels, what took the space is the music. This is perhaps more important than tons of levels.. (I would love to do a version with TONS of levels - I may do one day, well.. I have the engine for it!)
Perhaps the next one can have 400 LOL
I have emailed RobF to try and get news for the release - not heard anything as yet though :(
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I also think Sokurah need to get his bike game finished I wrote music for too and the october is soon end. Now there is also a Left 4 Dead 2 demo soon ready.
Yeah, yeah, I'm working on it. And I'm close but I've fooked something up tonight and online scores don't work anymore. I've been sitting with it for a few hours now and I just can't figure it out. Strange thing - it's not the actual online code that's the problem - it's the menu code that wraps around it but I haven't touched the damn thing. It's probably something dead simple but I can't for the life of me figure it out. Arrgh!!!!
So, have you seen the bonus levels in the demos sent to you? if not.. You may have some fun there
I will send you the Horace DS demo tomorrow!! :)
I am SO SO SO sorry. I've been completely obsessed with getting my own damn game to work as it should and it's taken up most of the computer time I've had.
I doubt I'll make my deadline though - I may have to go over by a few days....or a week.
I'm looking forward to the Horace demo. When I have it I'll probably feel sad as hell, but that's another matter. ;)
I have emailed RobF to try and get news for the release - not heard anything as yet though :(
Don't worry. He's always busy and rarely replies immidiately AND he's been in Leeds all monday so he probably didn't have any time today. Don't worry - he'll get around to it and I don't doubt he'll make a nice news post.
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LoLy. Excellent stuff Flash for posting the MMLL release in general news where noone can reply. :o
Anyhoo, I'll do it here then~
Great job everyone, you can rest now as deserved (until Monday, of course).
And Happy Birthday Stu, the planets have aligned well and you will likely remember this day for a while (well, at least until Monday, of course). I wish I was 21 again! :-X
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Stu wishes he was 21 again,
New should be posted in news? or not - who knows!!
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Congrats on the release everyone! Now I just have to finish TDG err.. haven't touched it for a few weeks now! ??? I still plan for a XMas release though! Didn't make the "finish something month" oh well ::)
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Well, now that MM is done, everyone into the spammobile!! We're off to one way ride to TDG topics!! :)
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So, In the words of Lobo,
"Is it ready yet?"
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PS..
Hello me ol' China - bkenobi!!!
Nice to see you logging in - at last!
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So, In the words of Lobo,
"Is it ready yet?"
Those are not my words...and don't call me Kenobi nor Shirley and no, I posted 300+ times and you still didn't pay attention...tsktsk. :P
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So,
When?
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Tomorrow. ;)
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I just want to say,
If anyone finds a major bug now - II will go looby loo...
and
If anyone keeps quite about a bug - I will go looby loo...
We are close...
Yeah, English is really a funny language ;) I've already read this sentence more than once but I really don't get it.
My question now is: should I still write here if I find a bug? BTW I'll be testing the release version from this evening on.
p.s. Congratulations to you all :)
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Oh, I just meant - I would be cross if there were still bugs!!
Feel free to post them!
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Ok. But the bug wasn't in the release version so I'll check this first and speak then :)
See ya guys :)
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Two minor bugs spotted in the Eddie's Forest level of the released version.
First: there's an empty (black) tile behind the apple in the lower right corner of the screen. Second: the second branch on the left (from top) of the tree is longer than what it appears, so it looks like Willy is walking on air when going at the end of it...
I'll be going on playing from this evening... well, at least I learnt how to play this game, finally! :D
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I gonna think that empty tile was by design rather than a bug, due the apple?
And lucky you normally not jump on that second branch, so that bug is really minor and not effect gameplay at all.
A another little really minor "bug" spotted is on the gameover screen (the screen after Willy got splatted), where there is few black pixels on the top.... But that is soo minor as can get.
Now the game is released these bugs found is soo minor it does NOT effect the gameplay or enjoy of the game at all!
That it :-D
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And lucky you normally not jump on that second branch, so that bug is really minor and not effect gameplay at all.
Who ever said I'm a normal player? :D
... btw I do believe even all this minor glitches should be corrected so that when (if) a serious bug would require a new release, these little fixes gets in the final too :)
Of course I enjoy the game enough as it is now :) ... is it possible to have a copy of the double-decker used in the game over screen? SF, did you notice we're sharing and advertising panel there? :D :D (it was so funny to see it, really! :) Thanks!!! )
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Ok, the apple was fixed earlier (Stu got there first :) )
The branch is fixed.
There are a couple of other things being done, one is to add a seal to the title screen so that you can see when a level still has a hidden bonus.
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hey! yes nice double-decker, did not notice it first time I saw that one. Its many funny objects on that screen too. Only missing is a TV :-D, but can live without that.
I have seen one object started on toe bottom screen (did not reset), and then Willy ran into then and sudddent the object dissappered so it could fall down. I do only see that one once from about 50-60 gameover screens. So again very minor.
You might need to notice for eventuelly very last release the save games might been lost and none of the bugs fixed here would effect gameplay itself.
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A great piece of Lobo art..
It should really say "Headsoft" rather than "HK soft", I don't think there was enough room though?
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Thanks to 256 tile limit that bus is exactly that much so headsoft couldn't fit, you can't even read 'infectuous' or retrobytes properly due to that.
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you can't even read 'infectuous' or retrobytes properly due to that.
I could using witchcraft!
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I could too..but I'm in 'the know'. :D
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Well... I have magical glasses.. So there! :P
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You mean like..old people glasses? Or Harry Potter like DorkVision(tm)?
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'Old people' glasses, with bits of hair caught in the hinges and a dried up ring of tears on the lens from when them nasty men cut the Gas off when the bill was not paid.
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Hehe...like these?
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Almost, but in Tortoise shell and with a dried ring of salt on the lower part of the lens, but pretty close.
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Dried ring of salt!! Now that brings memories....err, from the future! :D
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:D
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Well... I have magical glasses.. So there! :P
I have lots of magic glasses too.
...but sometimes the magic also comes in cans or bottles. :D
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Does your canned or glass magic have these letters on perchance?
H E I N E K E and N?
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Does your canned or glass magic have these letters on perchance?
H E I N E K E and N?
Hmm, the one I had today ended on an N, but it began with S A I G O so I'd say no. :p
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Hmm..the 'one' I had a few days ago started with 'BUD' but it didn't make me any 'Weiser'. :P
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That took ages for you!! LOL
Droll!! ;D
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Yep, just figured to be funny for a change :-\ .
hehehe.....
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Oh, good DSTT problem is fixed... and MMLL patched too :)
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:'(
downloaded version 1.02 (not seen the firt ones...), EFS, then FAT : neither works on my M3 Real !!!!!
Quite surprising as I played (and am still playing EFS version of Warhawk.)
What have I forgot to do ?!?
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You need to grab the latest firmware version, I can state that it works on m3.
In the download page, it has a link for the latest DSTT firmware, this also has firmware for all cards.
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Neither FAT or EFS worked on my firmware.
Same thing on latest official firmware, either the one I took on the m3 official page or the one I took on the link you talked about.
With all three of those firmwares, Warhawk, other homebrews and commercial games work just fine.
I'm stuck then !
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All I can think of is that the filesize has slipped fractionally over the maximum that the m3 supports.
We have had this with a couple of cards, but firmware updates have sorted that out. So, at the moment, apart from emulation, there is no answer. Sorry!
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I can wait (this is no shmup ! ;)), but you said :
the filesize has slipped fractionally over the maximum that the m3 supports
you probably mean "under" 'cause the game is written to be 24Mb on the menu of my card, whereas the least I have apart from it is "Game & Watch collection 2" which is 64Mb and which works fine.
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Sorry,
I mean the executable area of the file. This is the area that is loaded and executed when the rom 'fires up!'. This may have a limit that is exceded. With MMLL the executable size is the same as the filesize. With Warhawk, the executable size is around 2.6m of the entire file size.
I think this is where the problem lies and wonder if moving the music out of executable would fix it?
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you could do that, and I think it even works, it could been that as alternative version for problem cards?
There is a lots of music on the game, so it could safe 1-1.5mb? But I did heard the newest firmware got fixed it?
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It works fine on my m3 though? Different firwares appear to have differing executable limits. Firmare can fix this. my M3 is the M3 DS Real, but there are several other cards with the M3 label.
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Mine is also a M3 real, what's your firmware ?
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The info screen gives me v4.3h X version? If that means anything?
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???
4.3h is not the last firmware for M3 (seems to be 4.5 now)
found a link ( http://down.gbalpha.com/GBalpha/Softwares/G6&M3DS-R_E47.zip (http://down.gbalpha.com/GBalpha/Softwares/G6&M3DS-R_E47.zip) )to a 4.3h X version, same as yours, but I'm still stuck on the "DLDI compatible" screen... :'(
everything else works just fine as usual, my sd card is clean and far from full : I just don't know ! (and I'm giving up for today : it's getting on my nerves !)
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("never give up" !)
It works fine via DSOrganize !
But now I gotta go and I can't play before tomorrow, life's awful...
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Really strange mate..
Well... Main thing is that you have got it working. Why the hell the same card and firmware works here and not with you? MAD!
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Something it strange even with same card (if it not a fake one, which can been diffecent)....
Mightbeen issues like this can been wrote in the readme how to do get this game working when required?
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I'm going to do a release soon and move the music outside the card. Not sure if I should bother keeping it compressed now though or just decompress directly from the file system?
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it not harm to still have it compressed to save filesize on memory card. The delay is so little no one notice it.
How much music compressed is it?
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I agree..
Compressed is fine unless it all takes so long that it kills the fades? But, perhaps now that EFS is there, this would be an advantage?
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Okay v1.03 released with music loading from the external file system. We now have a 2.12 MB .nds for the FAT version.. It loads fine, no noticable delay or anything :)
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hi. just registered to say i was experiencing the same issues with my m3 real as the other poster was having. tried it with the newly released FAT version, and loads great now.
looking forward to trying what seems to be a fine peace of homebrew. thank!
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Okay v1.03 released with music loading from the external file system. We now have a 2.12 MB .nds for the FAT version.. It loads fine, no noticable delay or anything :)
Oh! You just gave everyone a chance to use MMLL as an XM player ;)
(a question... was there a bug in the 19th level of the 1.00 release? I'm stuck there... don't tell me I've got to upgrade to latest version and start from 1st level again ?!?!?! ... ??? ??? ??? ???)
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No, there is not a bug, just bloody hard.
The hard bit is timing the jump over the tank on the bottom left platform.
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I guess the FAT versions still only needed v1.02, since not all cards did have problems? This due all now have easy access to the 8 bit version now. This could catch the people to heard the songs in a normal player instead in the jukebox section. But this time this do NOT bother me, now the game is released.
Howover I do guess its time to release 16 bit versions very soon, but would been rather fun to unlock songs in the jukebox section anyway. :)
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The requests I have were all for Mp3's
Can these not be made from the 16bit xm's?
People prefer that as they can use then as ringtones, play them in media players, and portable devices.
Also, they can contain album artwork and composer details and track numbers.
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They take to much traffic, since they use about 10 times harddrive size than its should. I wont waster harddrive space due that, even I could do that (in 192kb mp3). I do that later time.
Howover I doing prefere a 16 bit sound track of most files anyway, so they are NO secrets, but this is just so people unlock them in the jukebox section instead just that them (I do guess most would do complete the game first).
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I am quite happy to host them.
I really would like the mp3's please.
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V1.03 (EFS) works fine now on my M3 DS Real, with the latest firmware, no need of DSOrganize.
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The requests I have were all for Mp3's
Can these not be made from the 16bit xm's?
Using MilkyTracker you can do Wav files from XMs, then you can convert them to mp3 the quality you prefer. So I think people might find interesting to have a chance to download hi-quality XMs (those that were larger and added virtually nothing to the game because of NDS sound features) and convert them using the re-sampler/settings they prefer (bicubic/bilinear interpolation, volume ramping, etc...)
Beside that, well, I also agree we should provide kind of 'basic' mp3 files too... say 192 KHz stereo, done with linear interpolation (FT2 style) and volume ramping of course. Just like I did for my cellphone ;D
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I am quite excited about having the music as an mp3 album.. I will be puting it on the Archos and iPhone :)
Some of them tunes are fantastic, personal fave is the highscore and airlock tunes.
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Some of them tunes are fantastic, personal fave is the highscore and airlock tunes.
I was going to ask for a survey about which levels were the favorites (in MMLL and in MMWW) but I think we should also ask about which tune is the most loved... maybe it's also a good idea to get some more feedback from fellow players :) We could also randomly assign some prizes to voters... e.g. a signed picture of Willy himself :D
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I was going to ask for a survey about which levels were the favorites (in MMLL and in MMWW) but I think we should also ask about which tune is the most loved... maybe it's also a good idea to get some more feedback from fellow players :) We could also randomly assign some prizes to voters... e.g. a signed picture of Willy himself :D
A signed picture of whose Willy?
:D
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A signed picture of whose Willy?
:D
AHAHAH ;)
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Hello everyone!
First of all, congratulations! You made a great work!
Unfortunately, I am unable to play the game on my Nintendo DSi. I have R4i card and tried it with the EFS and FAT version of the game, but none of them seems to work:
In the lower screen, appears lots of text lines and the last one says:
23 23 23Fatal error: Large file size!! (Limit 2MBvtp)
And my NDSi freezes.
:(
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This is the only card that the game fail with. Have you tried different firmware?
For some VERY strange reason, the r4i card imposes a limit of just 2megs on the size of a DS homebrew title. MMLL is 2.3megs and excedes that.
This can only be a fault with the current firmware and does not lie with MMLL itself. It may be worth a post in an r4i based forum to see if there is a solution (custom firmware) to this problem?
Have you tried the firmware page linked on our download site (as headsoft)?
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I've tried with the last firmware, downloaded from de official page and from the one you talk about, but the size limit still appears.
I don't know if there's an official r4i.cn forum but I searched on Google and there are some messages of people asking for the same, but no answer.
Maybe if I contact with r4i directly....
What a pity! :(
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I am sorry mate.. But there is nothing I can really do to make it run as it would be near impossible to get the game under 2megs :(
Hopefully there is a firmware solution forthcoming, or failing that, there is alway pc emulation in the mean time?
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Man, that's totally weird that card manufacturers who sorted out these things with previous DS/Lite batches are either imposing this limit or still didn't get around of fixing it? I mean, it's not like they didn't do it before so what's the problem? Is there anything so specific in DSi that I didn't know about which would make this limit probable?
Really doubt it but someone might know what I do not.
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There were some r4i cards that were r4 card modded? could that be why?
Also, it is not a DSi issue as the Acekard2i works perfect?
Puzzling!
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Figures. Yeah, it's probably a hack job then. :-\
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the DS have 4mb RAM, what do the card use 1.5-2MB or such for?
Even Warhawk might not been runned on that card?
I dont hope its a fake one?
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AFAIK The original R4 team stopped manufacturing cards before making an SDHC or DSi compatible card so I believe these are hacked R4 cards. We can only suggest to get an Acekard2i instead. Limiting a 4MB machine to 2MB is probably caused by a "hack" to enable these features being software rather than hardware and requiring more memory.
I guess all the graphics could me moved to the external file system and loaded dynamically like we did with Warhawk. Anyway that is an option ???
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I dont think moving the graphics will save enough? Samples could work though but would be too much effort.
Is it really worth the work?
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It would be more useful for future examples such as this to actually pester the team behind these cards to DO IT PROPERLY, instead of giving them thumbs up by making your game work around their laziness.
Manic Miner and/or Warhawk are not the only homebrew games that doesn't work on that card and in the future there might be even more games that won't work. So, instead of everyone fixing the game for particular card, it's up to the card makers to fix their bloody hacks before they advertise themselves as the best on the market.
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Unfortunately, I am unable to play the game on my Nintendo DSi.
Did you try running DSOrganize and run the game from there?
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Completed all levels except one of the bonus level - The Rocky Outcrop.
Seems like such an easy level - I can get all keys and can make the arrow flash for exit,
but for the life of me I can not get past the double sized bug by the exit - he doesnt move
enough out of the way to jump behind him from the bottom and there is no other way past either from jumping on
top of him or hitting him face on, so unless somebody tells me otherwise, I think I have found a bug :'(
So close.......
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The level is possible and I completed all levels while testing and got some times to it so flash could add.
The bug was for me no problems at all, but its a really tight jump over that bug and remember you need to jump while it moving a little big back, but not sure, since it some time ago I played that level. I trying the level again, so I can give some tips (if not other do the right way or you got it).
EDIT: Just tested the level, and the double size bug was a no problems to just jump over it at all. You need to close of it without touch it and run after jump. But the level works here.
Elsewise I hope you have enjoy the game :-D
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yay thanks spacefractal - you were right. :D
Never even considered you could actully jump over it due to its size - knowing how difficult it is to jump over single size
characters sometimes i would never have thought to be able to jump over a double size character. ::)
Have now completed all levels....phew....
Well done headsoft for another truly fantastic conversion.
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completed all levels.... Well done..
Have you unlocked all the 20 bonus levels as well?
If so, would be nice to know your times on the bonus levels.
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(this should really be in the normal MMLL topic rather than Bug Reports - cause there is not one :) )
anyway,
chack http://www.worldofstuart.co.uk/ and the MMLL highscore thread... Scary!
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Posted my scores but looks like I'll have to do better to beat you guys!
Close on the mummy daddy one though, on .5 of a second in our score! :-[
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Posted my scores but looks like I'll have to do better to beat you guys!
Close on the mummy daddy one though, on .5 of a second in our score! :-[
There is really quite a bit of competition over scores and times LOL... Some of them amaze me!
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chack http://www.worldofstuart.co.uk/ and the MMLL highscore thread... Scary!
Holy cow, that's awesome! ???
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I've reached Willywood! And I have a bug to report...
In the second stage, I pressed the switch and then jumped on the conveyor belt. I jumped the furry creature (I wish I were a better man to understand all the references here) but I died on the... Gremlins cocoon? at the end of the belt. But then my corpse touched the "secret spot" and the game refused to restart: I didn't resurrect and I couldn't call the menu. I had to turn off the DS.
P.S. the Casablanca stage was genius :)
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Hmmm...
Well spotted, though not sure why it would cause a problem when that area is touched (in death)... I will look into it!
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on M3 card EFS or FAT version has no in-game music
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Found one bug, in Bright Light, Bright Light, the game froze when Willy died
on the ground floor conveyor belt (can't recall where the jump was from).
Not worth fixing really, added character (feature not bug), only happened
once and rebooting takes almost no time.
Seems to have already been reported by Setzer the Gambler.
Playing on an R4 Pro.
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That is (should) be fixed in v1.06 of the game.
(he says LOL)
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Ok ...MMLL (Efs version) worked finally with M3Real if I use HomebrewMenu loader from devkitpro tools section
with in-game music!
http://devkitpro.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/devkitpro/trunk/projects/nds/HomebrewMenu/ (http://devkitpro.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/devkitpro/trunk/projects/nds/HomebrewMenu/)
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Not really a bug but a secret platform in Christmas, if you take Snoopy from where he starts to the very right of the screen, just before he rolls around to the other side and slides on the ice, jump straight up there, you will find an invisible platform.
Though it might be part of the solution, but still stuck on that one. :-[
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Two this time.
In 'The End of the World' a ghost Willy (but not transparent) appears in the lower-right of the screen, between the last longish platform and the set of narrow ones near the goal. He is not on a platform, faces left, doesn't seem to do anything but distracts a little. Disappears before the level's complete, when you get the last key I think (not sure but was gone when I got back to the goal). Think I also saw this getting through the first time.
Hitting the wrong buttons after hitting start on the main scream seems to make the game freeze. Might be only for bonus levels, first time I saw it was the first time I tried 'turbo' then started Christmas, again today when going for a decent time (11.484) on Horace, so no particular connection with 'turbo'. The timer stays up but doesn't run, music continues, the game part of the screen is black.
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Bugger,
Tried for ages and I cannot replicate either of them... I really wanna see Ghost Willy!! :)
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Yes, it was rather uncanny, was going for the score table, so it was after the first two. Don't know if he was there at the start of the level, concentrating (another nice challenging level) so only noticed him after jumping in that direction. Did seem to disappear with the gate being opened, but it might have been before that. No trouble for game play anyway, except the brief surprise until you see he's not moving and not on a platform. Have only seen it once for certain, but seem to recall it appearing once when I was getting through that level the first time, and must have been through the level over twenty times before getting it once, so ghost Willy is not common.
The other one does require a reboot, only seen it twice so far, and does seem connected with button twitching before the level starts, and to starting bonus levels.
Did you find or know about the Christmas platform?
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I had not noticed the platform in the Christmas level.. hehe.. I will perhaps leave that in as it is like a little secret. Well, why not?
As to the other 2 bugs?
Have no idea how a Willy can be left on the screen at the start of the level? All sprites are turned off and all data is zero? That is really strange. I did have a little bug prior that left some enemies on the screen when starting the game. This was because I was not clearing the data used in the title screen demo's, something that is now done when the game starts, which is why it puzzles - perhaps it is a REAL ghost.
I still cannot replicate the crash when starting a game no matter how many buttons I hammer? This 'could' be card related, though I doubt it?
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its could been some issues or malfaction of the card used, so it dont do correctly and then hard to fix? Does this appear on the emulator?
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To flash: The invisible platform, why not indeed, nice little oddity.
After logging off last time I tried to replicate the End of the World one at least twenty times myself, including repeating from level 1 a few times, didn't see it again, but did find one thing that might be related, there is a phantom (invisible) platform where Willy will die instead of falling to the bottom of screen before dying, seems to be in the same place as the base of the ghost (only definitely spotted once). Also can't say Ghost Willy was there at the start, I was concentrating on top left of the level, only saw him after jumping over the central skull.
After spotting that place (invisible platform), even it isn't always there, but it has a higher frequency than the ghost Willy (managed to hit the invisible platform twice while trying to replicate the ghost).
The freeze thing only happened twice in however many times (probably a few hundred) I've launched special levels, does seem related to hitting buttons while it comes up, but doesn't really matter because the player loses nothing (reboot, restart). Tried to replicate that too, but didn't, still, like I say, got it twice.
To spacefractal: I always use the real system for DS games. :D
Can't see how conditions would be affected by the card when the card just acts as ROM, guess both are just rare conditions. Had RAM expansion card plugged in to slot 2, but can't see how that would affect anything, should be no access.
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The two sightings of phantom Willy that I'm sure of were after entering 'End of the World' after finishing the first two levels in sequence, paid more attention when he appeared today, was there from the start of the level until completion. It doesn't disrupt play (except distraction the first time) and doesn't move. Also certainly doesn't happen very often. There is definitely a phantom platform in the same area just below the right part of the same platform and extending further to the right, Willy will sometimes go splat there when falling instead of reaching the bottom of the screen. The platform is also only intermittently there. Not a big deal, clearly not common, but rather cool. Just wish someone else could corroborate it.
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Can you try this for me?
Ps. I have no idea where this phantom platform is? I have fallen everywhere and cannot find it.
Can you show me on the image here?
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Did a quick sketch over the png file, ghost Willy is in a different pose
but facing left and in that area, magenta line is roughly where ghost Willy is
standing and where I've seen live Willy go splat a few times.
The test file is bigger than the one I've been running (1.05 vs. 1.06?),
but I've downloaded it, will see if it shows up again (tried twice just now, first
three levels once through with each version, ghost Willy didn't show up, but did
manage to hit a phantom platform once, although the position seemed to be a
fully erased part of the collapsing platform below). :)
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Did find phantom Willy and the no-platform splats in three or four more tries on the old version (1.05 I think), phantom Willy was at the same level as in the PNG but on the other side (just to the lower left, not right) of the same solid platform. Neither phantom Willy nor phantom platform effects (always when live Willy would drop off the bottom of the screen anyway) appeared in over ten more tries on 1.06. Shame really, enjoyed seeing the anomalous Willy. :P
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Phew! Hopefully that has cracked it!
(yeah - it was quite fun though)
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Indeed it seems to have, but did you ever actually spot phantom Willy on the earlier version?
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NO sadly
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:'(