Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!gatech!akgua!mcnc!rti-sel!sas!toebes From: toebes@sas.UUCP (John Toebes) Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga Subject: Re: Obscure bug in Marble Madness Message-ID: <156@sas.UUCP> Date: Sun, 24-Aug-86 12:46:34 EDT Article-I.D.: sas.156 Posted: Sun Aug 24 12:46:34 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 25-Aug-86 20:09:53 EDT References: <892@jasper.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC Lines: 54 Summary: There are *MANY* problems with Marble Maddness In article <892@jasper.UUCP>, jeff@jasper.UUCP (Jeff Kelley) writes: > To begin with, let me say MM is a great game, with terrific graphics. > Larry Reed really did a great job. If only they had spent some time to get the graphics and the scrolling right I might agree with you. The scrolling is jumpy in many places (often resulting in pushing you off the edge (I have been standing still when it scrolled and without touching the mouse, fell off). They also didn't check all the screens (extra miscolored dot in lower left corner of Ice on beginners wave. Missing block of color on the goal in the intermediate wave) > > Now for the bug. Near the end of the third course, a section of the > pathway has waves rolling along it. If, instead of "going with the flow", > you turn into the place where the waves are forming, are travelling fast, > and time it just right, you'll jump the gap just beyond where the waves > form, land on an earlier section of path, and bounce to your death. > Then the game stops, except for a continuous hum from the speaker. > > If you do a -Amiga-Amiga, it comes up with a Guru Meditation > message citing software failure and #00000003.000353A8. > (Incidentally, why does this happen? I thought -A-A would put it > back in the state it's in just after it's been kickstarted.) > > I've managed to do it 3 times. The timing has to be just right, > so it takes me about 20 attempts before I manage to jump the gap, > but then it crashes every time. You can also crash it the same way from the Practice wave. Make the second jump to the left, move to where you are on the last path toward the goal, pause at the edge and then move backward - BOOM, nice fireworks and sound. > Jeff Kelley ...!ihnp4!alberta!jeff (until Then there is the most serious bug of all - the mouse movement. If you move the mouse or trackball too fast in a given direction, you will find yourself running *VERY QUICKLY* in the *OPPOSITE* direction. To see this, all you have to do is go to the startup screen and move quickly to the right with the mouse. You will see the cursor end up on the left hand side of the screen. No it is not a problem of picking up the mouse, it also occurs with a trackball that looks like a joystick (trackball 1). Then we have the problems of sprites changing colors. In two player mode, you and your partner can swap colors for short periods of time - but only when you are near each other (and when it is most critical not to swap colors) I realize this may be a sprite (or vsprite) problem, but I simply think it was not carefully checked out. There are other problems with the game, but these are the most pressinng. From the lack of finishing on the game, it is obvious that they rushed it out the door just to get the money. I would hope that they plan to finish it and make the updates available - but then again this is Electronic Arts - what do they care about us.... -John Toebes -- John A. Toebes, VIII usenet:..mcnc!rti-sel!sas!toebes USnail: 235 Trillingham Ln, Cary NC 27511 BBS:(919)471-6436