     Tetra Quest        for Atari ST

Adapted for hard disk run, TT, Falcon .


Used tools, SW :  STX image analyser (by me),
STX to ST converter (by me), HxD - hex and file
editor (freeware) . Steem Debugger (main tool).
Modded Steem Debugger for finding stackframe
related problems. PaintShopPro for cover scan
conversion to TGA, Photochrome for converting
to PCS, own simple SW to depacking it to PCH.
Devpac 3 assembler. Total Commander. Drive
Imager for writing onto CF, SD cards and hard
disks. Video Dub for capturing and processing
video from oldies > YouTube . 
Some Html editors for WEB pages.

This was a lot of troubles and time spent.
Starting with game's weird floppy format,
then dead joystick on TT, Falcon - because
of lame code, and finally realasing that
STX image (DL-ed at Atarimania) has cor-
rupted last 7 tracks (+ passwords work not).
So, there was a lot to fix. I managed somehow 
to get pictures from pyrate version to replace
bad tracks. 
So, it now works well, only password entering
for direct level access works not. Don't know
what is the reason. Anyway,you can play this
fine - there is trainer opt.


Exit to Desktop and gamestate save options.
Later is in development state in case of
HAGA version.

Extra files in archive (not belong to game self): 

HAGA - new development, cmpatible with
all decent hard disk drivers,  1GB Falcon
partitions and/or lot of RAM
occupied at game launch.
HAGA is function library, for now with 12
functions, what is enough even for gamestate
saving.  Use RUNME.TOS for starting game.
- exits to Desktop. Before it may want to
save gamestate:  press / - it saves
in aprox. 2 seconds and continues game.
GSAU.TOS - autosave flag .

Save format is TOS executable. Additional
500 bytes spent is worth of easy usage:
just doubleclick savefile, and you are in
2 seconds back in game, at pos. where you
saved state.
Only 500 bytes ? Yes, because we use library
calls.


Little more about HAGA:
Abbrev. from 'HArddisk Gaming Atari' .
Goal is to support all common tasks
needed by for hard disk run adapted
old Atari ST games (made usually for
work only from floppies).
Additional funcions are exit to Desktop
and gamestate saving/restoring, called
snapshots too. Adding/viewing comments
in snapshots. Autosave.

One way of disk accessing by HAGA is
RAM area swap, what results in high com-
patibility (with all decent hard disk drivers).
Speed problems are resolved by:
Using PMMU instead SW swap on TT and Falcon.
Direct writing to destination whenever it is
possible - so code splits loadings by need.
Smart MFP timer and interrupt handling
by switch to TOS and back to game - no
timer Data read (the slow part) at all, 
for instance . 


PP, Febr. 24  2012.

