Re: LZ: Usgard

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Re: LZ: Usgard

Adam Geitgey wrote:
>
> Libraries don't really save much space at all, especially since most
> people won't reuse the same libraries.  Look at any two zshell games -
> how much of the code is common between two programs?  Maybe a few
> bytes?  

Ehh... the spritlib will probably be used by most games, and definately
displib also. Winlib is very good to use when displaying any information,
the auther etc. For example, in ZShell you would have to update the position
on the cursor for every row and call a D_ZT_STR (or you could make a repeat loop).
Using winlib you could just load the registers with their proper values
(upper left corner + size of window) and store the data like:

.db "This game was made by",LF
.db XTAB,6,"Jimmy Mardell",LF,LF
.db "Press [ENTER] to continue"

That will save memory + looking a lot nicer.

>And no one is really gonna want to use someone else's window
> drawing routines..  

Why should they not!? You think they would write their own routines?

And if games doesn't use libraries, you don't need them. Only relocation
will most likely save those lost 3-4k.

> > relocation), you could have more games on the calc at the same time, and
> > you would have cooler games. I intend to develop lots of stuff for Usgard
> 
> I still don't understand how having a much larger shell (ATLEAST 4k as
> compared to ~1k of oshell) will let you fit MORE games on the
> calculator.  There is just not much stuff to put into a library that
> could be reused.  The only common thing would be maybe putpixel or
> something and you would want that to be right in the program so you
> could maximize speed.

As I said, relocation will make up the 4k (and there are only 2k to make
up if you don't even have the libraries). Sure, if you want the game to
be very fast, you shouldn't use libraries then. But most of the times the
library calls are made when speed is NOT necessary, for example display text,
displaying numbers, uncompressing stuff.

> Plus in my project, it won't work with usgard because the game needs
> every since k it can get because it is an indepth rpg with many maps and
> lots of text, etc.  Usgard as you say has minimum 19k free - 3.5k for
> grayscale = 15.5k = not acceptable.  Oshell leaves ~27k - 3.5k = 23.5k =
> much much better.  That is -= 8k =- difference...  I don't see how
> usgard's libraries with save 8k of space on the average user's
> calculator.  That is enought for a map layout of 256 x 256 in my game!
> Plenty of space for almost ALL the maps!

Hey... Andi must have messed up with the backup, because there should be 23k
free. Grayscale takes 1k, not 3.5k... and if you make one huge game
which doesn't use libraries, and will require the whole mem on the calc,
there is no need for the libraries. Then the difference is only 2k, and you
still have a lot new calls + interrupt support.

-- 
Jimmy Mårdell                   "Searching for shelter
mailto:mja@algonet.se            My brain is on ice
http://www.algonet.se/~mja       I'm scared of my own thoughts
IRC: Yarin                       I can hear them cry" /Leather Strip
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