SEAWITCH SOFTWARE MOD ═════════════════════ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ OVERVIEW OF CHANGES │ │ │ │ [01] SETTABLE FREE PLAY │ │ │ │ [02] SPINNER COUNTER ON BALL IN PLAY DISPLAY │ │ │ │ [03] SETTABLE MAX ONE EXTRA BALL PER BALL IN PLAY │ │ │ │ [04] SETTABLE CONSECUTIVE LOOP AWARD │ │ │ │ [05] SETTABLE CARRY OVER SPINNER LAMPS │ │ │ │ [06] DROP BANK SOLENOID SAVER │ │ │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ [00] SETUP ZIP FILE CONTAINS THREE FILE FORMATS. USE FILES ENDING IN .716 FOR MPU-200 BOARDS JUMPERED AS STOCK FOR 4x2716 EPROMS. USE FILES ENDING IN .732 FOR MPU-200 BOARDS JUMPERED AS 2x2732 EPROMS. USE FILE ENDING IN .512 IN SOCKET U1 ON WEEBLY REPLACEMENT MPU BOARD. SORRY, THERE IS NO ALLTEK ROM AS ALLTEK SYSTEMS DOES NOT SUPPORT CUSTOM PROGRAMMING ON THEIR MPU BOARDS. MAKE SURE YOU CLEAR ALL ADJUSTMENTS PAST 14. ADJUSTMENT 15 IS THE HIGH SPINS PER DATE AND THE SUBSEQUENT ADJUSTMENTS ARE SHIFTED IN MEMORY SO THEY SHOULD BE ZEROED BEFORE GAMEPLAY. THE VERSION # OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE SHOWN IN THE MATCH DISPLAY AT BOOTUP [CURRENTLY 08]. [01] SETTING FREE PLAY MAX CREDITS DIP SWITCHES 18/19 REPURPOSED FOR OTHER USAGE [ITEMS 04/05, BELOW] MAX CREDITS NOW SET VIA AUDIT 19. RANGE FOR CREDITS IS 00-99. SETTING TO 00 ENABLES WILLIAMS STYLE FREE PLAY, WHERE CREDITS DO NOT ACCUMULATE BUT WILL DECREMENT, SHOULD THERE BE CREDITS IN MEMORY WHEN YOU SET MAX CREDITS TO ZERO. WHEN SET TO NON-ZERO, THIS WILL BE THE MAXIMUM CREDITS. SWITCH 5 (PREVIOUSLY NOT USED) WILL CONTROL FREE PLAY. ON = FREE PLAY, CREDITS ACCUMULATE NORMALLY OFF = COIN PLAY ONLY [02] SPINNER COUNTER DURING PLAY ON HITTING THE SPINNER THE BALL IN PLAY DISPLAY WILL COUNT UP THE NUMBER OF SPINS, UP TO 99. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, THE DISPLAY WILL RETURN TO SHOWING THE BALL IN PLAY. THE HIGHEST SPINS WILL BE SAVED IN NVRAM AND SHOWN ON THE PLAYER 4 DISPLAY WHENEVER THE HIGH SCORE TO DATE WOULD BE SHOWN. SHOULD THE # OF SPINS 'TURN OVER' AT 100, THE HIGH SPINS WILL SHOW AS '99'. AUDIT #15 (PREVIOUSLY UNUSED) IS WHERE THE HIGH SPINS ARE STORED, AND CAN BE CLEARED BY NORMAL NVRAM CLEAR PROCEDURES. [03] MAX EXTRA BALLS DIP SWITCH 13 (PREVIOUSLY NOT USED) WILL CONTROL IF MORE THAN ONE EXTRA BALL PER TRUE BALL IN PLAY CAN BE EARNED. IE., IF GAME SET TO 3 BALLS PER GAME, MAXIMUM EXTRA BALLS IS 3. YOU CANNOT WIN MORE THAN ONE EXTRA BALL PER 'REAL' BALL IN PLAY. THIS ENABLES TOURNAMENTS OR CASUAL PLAY TO ALLOW EXTRA BALLS, BUT NOT ALLOW AN EXTREMELY SKILLFUL PLAYER TO STRETCH OUT A GAME BY REPEATEDLY LIGHTING EXTRA BALLS AD NAUSEUM. [04] CONSECUTIVE LOOP AWARD DIP SWITCH 19 (PREVIOUSLY PART OF MAX CREDITS) NOW CONTROLS A CONSECUTIVE LOOP BONUS AWARD. COMPLETING ONE LOOP SCORES AS INDICATED ON PLAYFIELD (INCLUDING 2X LOOP VALUE). MAKING A SECOND LOOP WITHIN A SHORT TIME PERIOD WILL DOUBLE WHATEVER AWARD YOU WERE ENTITLED TO. MAKING FURTHER LOOPS WILL INCREASE THE AWARD UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 5X NORMAL. CONSECUTIVE LOOPS WITH NO LOOP LAMPS LIT SCORES 10, NOT MULTIPLIED. [05] SPINNER LAMP RECALL DIP SWITCH 18 (PREVIOUSLY PART OF MAX CREDITS) NOW CONTROL IF SPINNER LAMPS ARE ON MEMORY. ON = SPINNER LAMPS ONCE LIT RETURN NEXT BALL OFF = SPINNER LAMPS RESET NEXT BALL (STOCK) [06] DROP SOLENOID SAVER AT BALL START, DROP BANKS ONLY RESET IF ANY TARGETS ARE DOWNED. ANY BANKS WITH ALL TARGETS UP ARE NOT PULSED. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, ARRANGED IN INCREASING AMUSEMENT ORDER ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [Q1] CAN YOU SUPPLY ROM CHIPS FOR ME, I WILL PAY YOU. [A1} THE AUTHOR APPOLGIZES AS HE ONLY HAS ENOUGH CHIPS TO SUPPORT HIS DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. EPROMS CAN BE PROVIDED BY VARIOUS BURNING SERVICES IF YOU SEND THEM THE ROM FILES. (MANY HAVE CUSTOM ROMS IN THEIR REPERTAIRE). ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [Q2] I WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS. HOW DO I DO SO? [A2] PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON THE ROMS IS THE BEST WAY TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS. MONETARY OR MATERIAL COMPENSATION IS NOT NEEDED. I ESPECIALLY ENJOY SEEING THE SOFTWARE STREAMED IF I CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE CHAT AS THAT HAS HELPED ME IMMENSELY SEE THINGS THAT I HAVE MISSED WHEN PLAYING/TESTING THE GAME MYSELF. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [Q3] CAN YOU ADD ______ TO ______ ? [A3] POSSIBLY, BUT PROBABLY, NOT. AT THIS POINT ALL OF THE CLASSIC STERN MPU-200 GAMES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DISASSEMBLED AND COMMENTED. SOME OF THE MPU-100 GAMES HAVE ALSO BEEN REVERSE ENGINEERED FOR THE SAME TREATMENT, ALBEIT TO A LESSER EXTENT THAN THE LATER GAMES. DUE TO OTHER MAKERS' SOFTWARE BEING UNDER ACTIVE COPYRIGHT ENFORCEMENT, SADLY I MUST DECLINE TO PURSUE CUSTOM MODIFICATION IN OTHER MARQUES. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [Q4] HOW DO I DO THESE MODIFICATIONS MYSELF? [A4] DOWNLOAD AND READ THE SOURCE CODE FOR EACH OF THE GAMES. IT IS MOSTLY LAID OUT IN THE COMMENTS HOW THINGS WORK. A PROGRAMMING BACKGROUND IN 6800 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE WOULD HELP (OR OTHER ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE). IT SEEMS THAT A BACKGROUND IN OTHER PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES ACTS AS AN IMPEDIMENT RATHER THAN AIDING BASED ON FEEDBACK I HAVE RECEIVED FROM FAR BETTER PROGRAMMERS THAN I IN HIGHER LEVEL LANGUAGES SO YOUR EXPERIENCES WILL VARY. I AM STILL LEARNING TRICKS ON HOW THESE OLD GAMES WERE PROGRAMMED, AND HAVE COME UP WITH SOME OF MY OWN. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [Q5] IT IS WELL-KNOWN THAT MODIFYING PINBALL SOFTWARE CAUSES MACHINES TO CATCH ON FIRE. AREN'T YOU WORRIED THAT YOUR INSURANCE ISN'T UP TO THE TASK? [Q5 RELATED] AMATEUR PROGRAMMERS HAVE NO BUSINESS FOOLING AROUND WITH PINBALL SOFTWARE. [A5] THIS IS A NICE MYTH THAT PROFESSIONAL PINBALL PROGRAMMERS LIKE TO PROMULGATE. ENSURING THAT YOUR MACHINE IS PROPERLY FUSED WILL PREVENT SUCH CONFLAGRATION. REGARDLESS OF THE CAUSE OF THE FLARE UP, THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED AS-IS AND ANY DAMAGE RESULTING FROM THE USAGE OF IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. ADDITIONALLY, EVERYONE IS AN AMATEUR AT SOME POINT AND AS LONG AS YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR MISTEPPES, HOW ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT TO LEARN? FINALLY, NO ONE IS TWISTING YOUR ARM OR OTHER EXTREMITIES AND FORCING YOU TO USE THIS SOFTWARE. IF YOU FEEL AS ABOVE OR SOME OTHER REASON, DON'T USE IT! iF IT CAME IN YOUR MACHINE WHEN YOU BOUGHT IT, CHANGE IT BACK TO STOCK. YOU WILL SLEEP WAY BETTER AT NIGHT KNOWING THAT ROUGE BITS AREN'T HAVING THEIR WAY WITH YOUR CHIPS WHILE YOU ARE RESTING. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [Q6] I DON'T LIKE THE WAY _____ WAS DONE. CHANGE IT TO DO _____. I NEED THIS FOR A PARTY I AM HAVING TOMORROW. [A6] MANY OF THE CHANGES IMPLEMENTED ARE INDEED AT THE SUGGESTION OF AVID OR POTENTIAL ADOPTERS. ONCE IT APPEARS AS IF I AM TO BE ACTING AS YOUR PERSONAL EMPLOYEE, TO BE COMMANDED ABOUT CAPRICIOUSLY, I REGRETFULLY DECLINE TO ENGAGE IN CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS. THE SOURCE CODE WILL EITHER ALREADY BE AVAILABLE OR WILL BE POSTED AT SOME POINT, SO YOU ARE OF COURSE FREE TO DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE AS DETAILED IN [A4]. YOU ARE ALSO JUST AS FREE AS I TO REVERSE ENGINEER THE BINARY CODE FOR YOUR DESIRED RESULTS, SHOULD THE SOURCE NOT YET BE POSTED OR THE DOCUMENTATION NOT TO YOUR LIKING. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [Q7] I USED YOUR SOFTWARE. I LIKE THE CHANGES HOWEVER SOMETHING HAPPENED AND IT'S NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. I AM UNABLE TO TELL YOU WHAT'S WRONG AND WHAT LED TO IT BEING WRONG, BUT IT IS BROKEN AND SHOULD BE FIXED. I CAN'T PROVIDE A VIDEO OF THE ISSUE NOR A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT'S WRONG, SO YOU SHOULD USE A MAGIC TIME-TRAVELING TELESCOPE TO WATCH ALL THE GAMES I'VE PLAYED TO DETERMINE WHAT IS WRONG. [Q7 RELATED] MY MACHINE IS BROKEN. FIX IT. [Q7 RELATED] THE NEW SOFTWARE DOES ______ AND YOU DIDN'T DETAIL THE CHANGE IN THE README. [A7] *SIGH*. YES, BUGS DO OCCUR. SOMETIMES (OFTEN?) INTENTIONAL CHANGES CAN BE SEEN AS A BUG. REPORTING A BUG WITHOUT REPORTING WHAT LED TO IT OR EVEN WHAT THE BUG *IS* IS SINGULARLY UNHELPFUL. ADDITIONALLY, MAKE SURE THAT WHAT IS SEEN AS A BUG IS NOT THE ORIGINAL BEHAVIOR OF THE MACHINE. THIS HAS FOOLED ME AS WELL WHEN WATCHING LIVE STREAMS OF THE SOFTWARE. WHEN IN DOUBT, SWITCH THEM OUT. ALSO ENSURE THAT YOUR HARDWARE IS WORKING PROPERLY. I NO LONGER PROVIDE EFFORTS INTO MODIFYING SOFTWARE TO COMPENSATE FOR OR TO PROVE THAT IT IS YOUR SWITCHES, MECHANISMS OR OTHER PINBALL MACHINERY MALADJUSTED, EVEN IF (OR ESPECIALLY SO) IT "DIDN'T DO IT WITH THE ORIGINAL SOFTWARE". TOO BAD, SO SAD. TO PARAPHRASE AN ENTRY FROM THE NEW PINBALL DICTIONARY AT FUNWITHBONUS.COM, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TILTS BEING TOO TIGHT, SCOTT'S ANSWER IS "IT DOESN'T TILT FOR ME". IT'S NOT A STRETCH TO EXTRAPOLATE THIS TO FIT THE SITUATION HERE. STRETCCCCHED EXXXXTRAPOLATION: AM I SAYING THAT I ALWAYS WRITE 100% BUG FREE CODE? NO, OF COURSE NOT. NO ONE DOES, AND IF THEY CLAIM TO, THEY ARE WRONG. HOWEVER, IN CASES THAT I OWN OR HAVE ACCESS TO THE GAME, REST ASSURED THAT THE SOFTWARE *HAS* BEEN TESTED SUCCESSFULLY *BY ME* PERSONALLY. SOME OF THE BUG REPORTS HAVE IN FACT LED ME TO FURTHER APPRECIATE THE TALENTS OF THE ORIGINAL CREATORS OF THE SOFTWARE IN THE WAYS THEY THOUGHT AND CODED THE MACHINES. SO, TO MAKE A LONG EXTRAPOLATION LONGER, THE ANSWER IS "IT DOESN'T DO THAT FOR ME", BUT IF IT DOES, THANK YOU FOR POINTING IT OUT. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── QUESTIONS/COMMENTS? CONTACT @SLOCHAR ON PINSIDE.COM HAVE A NICE DAY :)