Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

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Chr$
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Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by Chr$ »

I've just added some info to the wiki page on the Elaborate Bytes company (originally of Munich - now Switzerland):

https://qlwiki.qlforum.co.uk/doku.php?i ... rate_bytes

I was just trying to add a new page on their Toolkit v4.00 but the wiki seems to be playing up for now.

From 3 old cartridges I was able to recover the full Toolkit v4.00. I've been in touch with the still-existent Elaborate Bytes (now known as elby) and they have given permission for me to share the little suite of programs, which includes a disassembler. Elaborate.zip is a qzip and ElaborateMdv.zip is a windows zip of the .mdv image. The program user-interfaces are in English but the 2 Quill doc files are in German.

I've also asked them if their game Qpede can also be shared - Update: yes it can.

Unfortunately they no longer have any of the source code. Elaborate Bytes retain copyright for all of the their QL software.

(please also share on your site if you see this Dilwyn).
Attachments
Elaborate.zip
(37.32 KiB) Downloaded 233 times
ElaborateMdv.zip
(56.82 KiB) Downloaded 206 times
Last edited by Chr$ on Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by RalfR »

Chr$ wrote:I've just added some info to the wiki page on the Elaborate Bytes company (originally of Munich - now Switzerland)
GET_MSEC and PUT_MSEC seems to be clever :)


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dilwyn
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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by dilwyn »

Thanks Chr$, I've just uploaded them to the Toolkits page on my site http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/tk/index.html


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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by Chr$ »

dilwyn wrote:Thanks Chr$, I've just uploaded them to the Toolkits page on my site http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/tk/index.html
Great. I've clarified: They retain copyright, so not freeware, but they have no issue with it being shared.

Same applies to their game Qpede, in case you have that one. There's a screenshot on the wiki so someone must have it!


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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by dilwyn »

Chr$ wrote:
dilwyn wrote:Thanks Chr$, I've just uploaded them to the Toolkits page on my site http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/tk/index.html
Great. I've clarified: They retain copyright, so not freeware, but they have no issue with it being shared.

Same applies to their game Qpede, in case you have that one. There's a screenshot on the wiki so someone must have it!
OK, have changed the wording re. copyright on the page, as people's idea of 'freeware' is not always the same thing. Some people take it to mean public domain, whereas to me it usually means can be freely distributed to some extent, but the copyright is still with the original publisher or author. So I just worded it like you did to avoid ambiguity.

QPede. First the good news, I have a copy. Second, the bad news, I have two copies and no idea which is the correct version, so I've attached both for someone more into games than me to wade through to check!

Both versions seem to run on QemuLator with JS ROM (only ROM I tried). Couldn't get it to work on QPC2, although TBH I didn't try that hard. Not got a regular BBQL set up to try to see if it runs on a BBQL or not. It has a POKE to the hardware display register in the boot program, if that causes a problem, just replace it with a MODE 8 command (says he, having only spent a few minutes on this at lunchtime!). The boot program loads a screen file to address 131072 at startup, which may prevent running on a hires screen, although it may be possible for it to run with the QPC_QLSCREMU QL screen emulation on QPC2 with luck (not had time to try).

User interface in English, but no instructions (don't really need any, it's easy to use - cursor arrow keys to move you around, and SPACE to fire. Or, if you have a joystick, it will respond to four directions and fire button.

Seems like a neat little action game where you fire at the millipede descending randomly, hiding behind various object, and some insects try to sneak up on you too.

I'll, umm, leave you to play with it for a while - please let me know which of the two versions I should add to my site. If you don't get back to me, I'll know you're addicted to this game... :twisted:
Last edited by dilwyn on Thu Sep 24, 2020 2:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: QPC_QLSCREMU comment added


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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by Chr$ »

dilwyn wrote:
Chr$ wrote:
dilwyn wrote:Thanks Chr$, I've just uploaded them to the Toolkits page on my site http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/tk/index.html
Great. I've clarified: They retain copyright, so not freeware, but they have no issue with it being shared.

Same applies to their game Qpede, in case you have that one. There's a screenshot on the wiki so someone must have it!
OK, have changed the wording re. copyright on the page, as people's idea of 'freeware' is not always the same thing. Some people take it to mean public domain, whereas to me it usually means can be freely distributed to some extent, but the copyright is still with the original publisher or author. So I just worded it like you did to avoid ambiguity.

QPede. First the good news, I have a copy. Second, the bad news, I have two copies and no idea which is the correct version, so I've attached both for someone more into games than me to wade through to check!

Both versions seem to run on QemuLator with JS ROM (only ROM I tried). Couldn't get it to work on QPC2, although TBH I didn't try that hard. Not got a regular BBQL set up to try to see if it runs on a BBQL or not. It has a POKE to the hardware display register in the boot program, if that causes a problem, just replace it with a MODE 8 command (says he, having only spent a few minutes on this at lunchtime!). The boot program loads a screen file to address 131072 at startup, which may prevent running on a hires screen, although it may be possible for it to run with the QPC_QLSCREMU QL screen emulation on QPC2 with luck (not had time to try).

User interface in English, but no instructions (don't really need any, it's easy to use - cursor arrow keys to move you around, and SPACE to fire. Or, if you have a joystick, it will respond to four directions and fire button.

Seems like a neat little action game where you fire at the millipede descending randomly, hiding behind various object, and some insects try to sneak up on you too.

I'll, umm, leave you to play with it for a while - please let me know which of the two versions I should add to my site. If you don't get back to me, I'll know you're addicted to this game... :twisted:
It is actually quite a playable little shoot 'em up. Not sure what the difference is between the 2. I see the file sizes are different and the 2nd one has a separate _logo file but they both look and play the same (in Qemulator). Version 1 has an mdv1_ path within the boot and version 2 has flp1_ so perhaps version 2 is simple a later slightly revised version.


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dilwyn
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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by dilwyn »

Great, thanks. I'll wait a little while to see if anyone else comes up with further information - I see it's been downloaded by a few people already.

May need to add both versions to my site until someone works out which is the best version to use.

As you say, quite a playable little shoot 'em up.

One of the differences seems to be that QPEDE1 goes to the setup screen as it starts, from where you can turn off sound effects and music separately - useful to have the sound effects on and the continuous music off after a while. You can select one or two player modes and easy or difficult modes by moving the red arrow up and down then left/right to select the options, then from there press space or fire to start.


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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by Chr$ »

dilwyn wrote:
One of the differences seems to be that QPEDE1 goes to the setup screen as it starts
I thought that too, but so does the 2nd one (after you press space). Maybe qemulator is too fast and the menu is sometimes quicker than the eye can see if you press space for just long enough. Apart from the mdv1/flp1 path in the boots and the extra _logo file, I really don't think there is much difference at all.


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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by dilwyn »

No, I agree, sometimes they start up with the menu, sometimes not, most probably just too fast as you say.

Tried it with QPC2 again. Even with QPC2 set to QL screen mode at 512x256 on startup it only gets as far as playing music and the startup screen. The game doesn't actually start, but the emulator isn't frozen. While the music continues playing, you can CTRL C to another program if you have one running. Obviously, not to BASIC as the game is started with EXEC_W. Even removing the POKEs doesn't fix things.

More constructively, done a short manual PDF for the game, attached. Contains a couple of screen dumps for people to see what the game looks like.
QPEDE.pdf


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Re: Elaborate Bytes Toolkit v4.00.

Post by Chr$ »

dilwyn wrote: More constructively, done a short manual PDF for the game, attached. Contains a couple of screen dumps for people to see what the game looks like.QPEDE.pdf
That's good.

On the theme of download numbers indicated for attachments in the forum, I believe when a search engine bot crawls a page and has a peek in the zip/pdf that it is also likely to count as a download. Not 100% sure though.


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