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Author Topic: [Conversion] Hobbit (Read 11607 times)

Offline geco

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[Conversion] Hobbit
« on: 2017.January.13. 14:41:39 »
Conversion of ZX Spectrum game Hobbit, the program is EXOS compatible, needs at least 128 KB RAM. Music added, it uses 2 character screens and an attribute screen where new pictures are displayed, unfortunately the pictures remained quite big after compression also, this is the reason why only 4-5 could be loaded into the memory in an EP128, if 640KB RAM available then all pictures are loaded into the RAM. I am not satisfied with the pictures, I expected better result.

Controls:
Shift:          "
Tab:            Repeat last command
Erase/Del: Erase one character
Stop:          Erase all
Internal joystick:
up:               North
down:          South
left:              West
right:            East
Function Keys:
F1:               Music on
F2:               Music off
F3:                Speaker on
F4:               Speaker off
F5:                Display graphics
F6:                Do not display Graphics

Loading screen:
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Ingame screen:
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« Last Edit: 2017.January.14. 16:07:55 by geco »

Offline gflorez

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #1 on: 2017.January.13. 15:45:29 »
Thanks!

But I can't make it work on the emulator. It hangs shortly after the loading screen.

Which is the better configuration?

Offline geco

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #2 on: 2017.January.13. 16:23:39 »
If you tried it with floppy config, it does not works, I did not try it with floppy :oops:
I will fix it. Now the best config TAPE with at least 640KB RAM.

Offline geco

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #3 on: 2017.January.13. 20:27:51 »
Problem at floppy config corrected, link updated

Offline gflorez

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #4 on: 2017.January.13. 22:44:30 »
Wonderful!  You have made on record time an extraordinary EP version not comparable to other 8 bit computer versions.

Even it has good music,  colourful screens and rainbow text with better type-font than of the original game!

I have tested the Save and Load commands, and they work, but then I had to execute a Look command to change the actual room picture.

I like your approach, the game text above, and the input zone down the picture, because on the original game there is only an ornament line dividing them, and it is confusing. I also appreciate the use of small letters.

Thank you.
« Last Edit: 2017.January.14. 00:18:13 by gflorez »

Offline jltursan

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #5 on: 2017.January.14. 09:26:42 »
Really impressive!, many thanks for this! :smt023

The graphics are from the original movies?, have you found acceptable ones for all the places? :-)

Also IMHO a minor drawback, the upper rainbow effect makes hard to read the description, maybe with a lighter blue?

Offline geco

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #6 on: 2017.January.14. 09:31:04 »
Wonderful!  You have made on record time an extraordinary EP version not comparable to other 8 bit computer versions.
Thank you, I am happy that you like it :)
Even it has good music,  colourful screens and rainbow text with better type-font than of the original game!
Music is a PT3 Hobbit21, I do not remember the composer :( The font is from C64 version of Iron Lord. Rainbow is mine :D
I have tested the Save and Load commands, and they work, but then I had to execute a Look command to change the actual room picture.
Yes, I did not check it in the original version, but probably works in the same way, and on some place where you were earlier the picture is not shown, only if you type the LOOK command, I did not want to touch it. I removed the printer routines from the game.
I like your approach, the game text above, and the input zone down the picture, because on the original game there is only an ornament line dividing them, and it is confusing. I also appreciate the use of small letters.

Thank you.
I worried that this solution will be frustrating, because there is a big gap between the 2 window. I changed to small letters, because it was much harder reading the text in capital letters with this font. :)

Offline geco

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #7 on: 2017.January.14. 09:38:15 »
Really impressive!, many thanks for this! :smt023
You are welcome :)
The graphics are from the original movies?, have you found acceptable ones for all the places? :-)
Only some of them is from original movies (about 15-20% ), most of them could not be converted to good quality, there are 79 places, and 62 have graphich.
Also IMHO a minor drawback, the upper rainbow effect makes hard to read the description, maybe with a lighter blue?
The problem is that I started from White, there are 2 solutions use more white, and start later the blues, or the last blue will be changed to the previous lighter blue.

Offline geco

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #8 on: 2017.January.14. 13:57:02 »
Upper 2 rows got lighter blue colors for better reading, the link below points to the updated version.

Offline geco

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #9 on: 2017.January.14. 16:10:03 »
Endi found a problem, the game freezed at gate of Mirkwood, because all files contains 5 pictures, except SCE, and SCM, SCM contains 3, it was handled, SCE contains 4 it was not handled.
The problem solved, and link updated.

Offline gflorez

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #10 on: 2017.January.15. 14:12:45 »
I understand your hard work converting the graphics and your disappointment about some of the results on dark light, but..... how if you explain the way to pack the files? maybe an artist can retouch some of them. Or you can release the source graphic files to retouch or change them.


The problem with dark scenes, as I see it, is the lack of differentiation of colour zones. The dithering of colours doesn't work on these pictures like on clear and detailed ones like the hobbit's hall.

But an artist can outline the colours with a lighter line before converting the picture and it can work.

Of course, I'm not a painter....
« Last Edit: 2017.January.15. 14:18:54 by gflorez »

Offline gflorez

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #11 on: 2017.January.15. 20:44:53 »
From the Retrowiki Spanish web, Ron says: Geco, have you ever seen the 128KB Spectrum mod of The Hobbit?

It works on your emulator, and also has bitmap screens borrowed from other Hobbit games, C64, BBC, and DOS:
« Last Edit: 2017.January.15. 20:52:08 by gflorez »

Offline geco

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #12 on: 2017.January.16. 08:39:51 »
I understand your hard work converting the graphics and your disappointment about some of the results on dark light, but..... how if you explain the way to pack the files? maybe an artist can retouch some of them. Or you can release the source graphic files to retouch or change them.
I can send you in mail.

Offline geco

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #13 on: 2017.January.16. 08:40:42 »
From the Retrowiki Spanish web, Ron says: Geco, have you ever seen the 128KB Spectrum mod of The Hobbit?

It works on your emulator, and also has bitmap screens borrowed from other Hobbit games, C64, BBC, and DOS:
Yes, I used it for testing, and check some things in it :)

Offline gflorez

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Re: [Conversion] Hobbit
« Reply #14 on: 2017.January.16. 09:50:19 »
I can send you in mail.


Ok, also Jltursan is planning an MSX conversion of The Hobbit, again with colourful images. He likes very much your selection of graphics.