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Decompressing QuickPak GS files for a //e [message #372454] Sat, 18 August 2018 10:47 Go to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: Brian J. Bernstein

Hi,

I downloaded some time ago HDV files that include the DOS3.3.LAUNCHER and a whole bunch of 8-bit games. While many of them work, there are a number that seem to have been compressed with the QuikPak GS/TXT utility and thus crash on a //e (presumably because of a 65816 opcode).

Two questions:

1. Is there a HDV collection of all file-based (and converted to file-based perhaps) games that would work on a //e?
2. Is there a way to convert a QuikPak file back to an uncompressed one so it will work on a 65C02?

Thanks!
Re: Decompressing QuickPak GS files for a //e [message #372630 is a reply to message #372454] Mon, 20 August 2018 11:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: frank_o_rama

I've been working on an "ultimate game drive" for a while, having issues with some of the other collection images I've seen. I think the disk image you're referring to comes from "whatistheappleiigs.com", which I also include parts of. Mine also includes folders from the "IntPdos8" image on asimov (from i_am_rob, I believe). I've removed duplicates and games which don't launch because of QuikPak, as well as sorted everything so the "LOADER.SYSTEM" file is first in the directory. I've targeted the //e, but plenty of the "san.inc" games will work on a ][+ (SELECTOR.SYSTEM and BOOT.SYSTEM both require a //e).


http://frankjames.net/downloads/Frank_Game_HD.2mg.zip


Here's an explanation of the folder layout:

/GAMES.SAN.INC - recent ProDOS ports by qkumba. amazing collection.
/GAMES.USOTSUKI - ProDOS ports by usotsuki (removed duplicates already in san.inc)
/PRODOS.BASED - native ProDOS games, including some recent games by posters here
- QUIT.SYSTEM - AKA Bitsy Bye AKA what you see when you start the disk image

- SELECTOR.SYSTEM - Use this to launch games in the "A." folders
/A.BASIC.GAMES - Lemonade stand, etc
/A.BINARY.GAMES - Dung Beetles, etc

- BOOT.SYSTEM - Use this to launch files in the "GAMES.WHAT" folders
/GAMES.WHAT.IIGS - Originally from the "What is the Apple IIgs" drive. re-sorted
/GAMES.WHAT.DSK - Disk based games

/MARIO.BROS - various crack versions of Mario Bros
/UTILITIES - Copy2Plus, Cat Doctor, Diskmaker, etc. Also includes some 140k disk images for some disk-based games if you want to write an actual disk using Diskmaker 8 (I didn't have a CFFA3000 when I set these folders up).



"One" could potentially re-pack the Quickpak games, but honestly, a lot of those that haven't been reworked by qkumba or others aren't that good. I'm all for being a completist, but the cost to benefit ratios for getting those games running might be pretty low unless you could automate it.

f
Re: Decompressing QuickPak GS files for a //e [message #372632 is a reply to message #372630] Mon, 20 August 2018 12:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Steve Nickolas is currently offline  Steve Nickolas
Messages: 2036
Registered: October 2012
Karma: 0
Senior Member
On Mon, 20 Aug 2018, frank_o_rama@hotmail.com wrote:

> I've been working on an "ultimate game drive" for a while, having issues
> with some of the other collection images I've seen. I think the disk
> image you're referring to comes from "whatistheappleiigs.com", which I
> also include parts of. Mine also includes folders from the "IntPdos8"
> image on asimov (from i_am_rob, I believe). I've removed duplicates and
> games which don't launch because of QuikPak, as well as sorted
> everything so the "LOADER.SYSTEM" file is first in the directory. I've
> targeted the //e, but plenty of the "san.inc" games will work on a ][+
> (SELECTOR.SYSTEM and BOOT.SYSTEM both require a //e).

Think he's been moving stuff to work on the ][+ but originally required a
65C02.

I used strictly 6502 code from the beginning.

<snip>

> /GAMES.USOTSUKI - ProDOS ports by usotsuki (removed duplicates already in san.inc)

^^;;;

-uso.
Re: Decompressing QuickPak GS files for a //e [message #372639 is a reply to message #372632] Mon, 20 August 2018 15:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: frank_o_rama

OK didn't realize that was you! Hope you're not too offended I only included the 5 non-duplicates here. If you have them on a single disk image I can see if they all fit (I was removing lots of stuff to pack as much as possible on there). Are you using compression as well?

I'd love to learn how to do these ports, but the games I want to convert are probably a little complicated and probably not a great place to start (Short Circuit, Maniac Mansion). Lots of "4AM" disks still need the ProDOS treatment too (Pollywog). I also have a folder of games originally released on ProDOS that fail on my image (Indiana Jones, Battle Chess). My guess is they're looking for a hard-coded volume name and not finding it, so that might be an easy place for me to start.

Eventually I'd like to scrape the entire asimov games folder and generate a list of "everything" on there. Would be pretty tedious cross checking everything though. Would probably still run into this QuickPak issue on more than a few, as well.

f


On Monday, August 20, 2018 at 9:07:12 AM UTC-7, Steve Nickolas wrote:
>
> Think he's been moving stuff to work on the ][+ but originally required a
> 65C02.
>
> I used strictly 6502 code from the beginning.
>
> <snip>
>
>> /GAMES.USOTSUKI - ProDOS ports by usotsuki (removed duplicates already in san.inc)
>
> ^^;;;
>
> -uso.
Re: Decompressing QuickPak GS files for a //e [message #372654 is a reply to message #372639] Mon, 20 August 2018 18:25 Go to previous message
Steve Nickolas is currently offline  Steve Nickolas
Messages: 2036
Registered: October 2012
Karma: 0
Senior Member
On Mon, 20 Aug 2018, frank_o_rama@hotmail.com wrote:

> OK didn't realize that was you!

That's what the "uso" is short for. XD

> Hope you're not too offended I only included the 5 non-duplicates here.

qkumba's versions are probably better than mine.

> If you have them on a single disk image I can see if they all fit (I was
> removing lots of stuff to pack as much as possible on there).

I generally put them one image per game for organization (and because that
way I can prove they still work on their original media). XD

> Are you using compression as well?

I think Joust uses both Scrunch and Exomizer, but for the most part no.

I do have a few disks full of compressed single-load games though.

> I'd love to learn how to do these ports, but the games I want to convert
> are probably a little complicated and probably not a great place to
> start (Short Circuit, Maniac Mansion). Lots of "4AM" disks still need
> the ProDOS treatment too (Pollywog).

I know what you mean.

> I also have a folder of games originally released on ProDOS that fail on
> my image (Indiana Jones, Battle Chess). My guess is they're looking for
> a hard-coded volume name and not finding it, so that might be an easy
> place for me to start.

Or raw-reading blocks.

> Eventually I'd like to scrape the entire asimov games folder and
> generate a list of "everything" on there. Would be pretty tedious cross
> checking everything though. Would probably still run into this QuickPak
> issue on more than a few, as well.
>
> f

-uso.
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