Mousetext patching the commonly available "Beyond Zork"

Steve Nickolas

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Jan 16, 2022, 3:40:10 PM1/16/22

to

This is the version with .NIB disk 2, interpreter A, release 49/870917.

Two patches need to be made for this to work, both on the same sector.

00:D:46 (was 08) 28
00:D:70 (was FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF)
AD C0 FB F0 D3 C9 EA F0 DA A9 00 F0 D6

The original code:

0941: ADB3FB LDA $FBB3
0944: C906 CMP #$06 ; //e or later?
0946: F008 BEQ $0950 ; yes, skip
.
.
.
0950: ADC0FB LDA $FBC0 ; 0 on //c, non-zero on other systems
0953: AE8BC0 LDX $C08B
0956: AE8BC0 LDX $C08B
0959: 8D47DD STA $DD47 ; save //c ID byte

I patched the following (096E-09FF is cleared to FF, and not used):

0941: ADB3FB LDA $FBB3
0944: C906 CMP #$06 ; //e or later?
0946: F028 BEQ $0E70 ; yes, skip
.
.
.
0953: AE8BC0 LDX $C08B
0956: AE8BC0 LDX $C08B
0959: 8D47DD STA $DD47 ; save byte
.
.
.
0970: ADC0FB LDA $FBC0 ; 0 on //c
0973: F0D3 BEQ $0948 ; yes, proceed as usual
0975: C9EA CMP #$EA ; original //e?
0977: F0DA BEQ $0953 ; proceed as before
0979: A900 LDA #$00 ; set flag to "//c"
097B: F0D6 BEQ $0953 ; proceed as usual

There's prolly simpler ways to do this.

-uso.

Tempest

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Jan 27, 2022, 10:41:13 AM1/27/22

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So what was the problem you fixed? I remember playing BZ on my Enhanced IIe back when it was new with no problems. Is this a IIc specific bug or something?

Steve Nickolas

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Jan 27, 2022, 11:00:52 PM1/27/22

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By its design, it only shows MouseText on the //c (restricts itself to
ASCII otherwise).

My patch makes it show MouseText on an Enhanced //e or IIgs as well, by
patching the detection routine to treat them as a //c. (Enhancement
patch)

-uso.

Tempest

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Jan 28, 2022, 8:41:51 AM1/28/22

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Awesome! Beyond Zork is my favorite Infocom game, but it never looked (especially the map) as good as the other versions. What tool do you use to go about patching the disk image? Can yo post the patched disk image?

Steve Nickolas

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Jan 28, 2022, 11:51:44 AM1/28/22

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Copy ][+ or a hex editor.

I did upload what I'm pretty sure is the hack: http://6.buric.co/bzork.zip
(bzork1.dsk = unpatched, the same file I got off Asimov; bzork1new.dsk =
patched).

It doesn't seem to help the map, unfortunately.

-uso.

Tempest

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Jan 28, 2022, 12:43:35 PM1/28/22

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> It doesn't seem to help the map, unfortunately.

Oh really? Rats. What does it help with then? Where do the Mousetext characters appear?

Steve Nickolas

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Jan 28, 2022, 5:47:35 PM1/28/22

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On Fri, 28 Jan 2022, Tempest wrote:

>> It doesn't seem to help the map, unfortunately.
>
> Oh really? Rats. What does it help with then? Where do the Mousetext characters appear?
>

I know for example they're used around the description box. Thus the
description box, which is inverted on the //e, has a frame around it on
the //c - or if patched.

Also the arrow key prompt uses the actual arrows.

-uso.

Tempest

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Jan 30, 2022, 12:52:07 PM1/30/22

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Oh I see now. I'm so used to it being inverted that it looks funny now. :) I hope this gets added to the Pitch Dark collection.

I always wondered why the Apple II version couldn't draw a real map. Even the C128 version was able to do it.

Steve Nickolas

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Jan 30, 2022, 5:45:49 PM1/30/22

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The C128 has loadable fonts. To do it on the Apple //e would require
using graphics mode.

I bet the Apple /// could do it though - but I don't understand enough Z3
let alone Beyond Zork's Z5 to be able to do anything in that regard. (I'm
still stuck reverse-engineering the Z3 interpreter M.)

-uso.

I am Rob

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Jan 30, 2022, 10:58:25 PM1/30/22

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> I bet the Apple /// could do it though - but I don't understand enough Z3
> let alone Beyond Zork's Z5 to be able to do anything in that regard. (I'm
> still stuck reverse-engineering the Z3 interpreter M.)

I have quite a bit of the Z3 interpreter commented out since you last posted the link to the source. Personally I want to disassemble the Z6 interpreter from Arthur so I have taken an interest in your reverse-engineering project as I suspect there will be a lot of similarities. If you want to see what I have done, let me know how I can get the source to you.

Steve Nickolas

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Jan 31, 2022, 12:11:02 AM1/31/22

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Just about any method probably works. I don't mask my e-mail, if that
helps.

-uso.

I am Rob

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Jan 31, 2022, 2:49:46 AM1/31/22

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> > If you want to see what I have done, let me know how I
> > can get the source to you.
> Just about any method probably works. I don't mask my e-mail, if that
> helps.

Google disabled the "Reply to Author" button, and I can no longer bring up anyone's email address. Is "buric" your website and do you have a drop box at it?

Steve Nickolas

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Jan 31, 2022, 3:40:40 AM1/31/22

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On Sun, 30 Jan 2022, I am Rob wrote:

Oy. Google always breaking the internet.

It's my website but it doesn't really have much there. My e-mail is
usotsuki at buric dot co. (It's a domain hack, but the pun is in
Japanese.)

-uso.