Cosmazoigs - Andrew Caple (Your Computer-March 84-Page 157)

ANDREW CAPLE ZAPS THE EVIL ALIENS.

Cosmazoigs was written on a 16K model one Spectrum though it will run on a 48K
model. The features of the game are:
* Up to 66 independently moving characters on the screen at any one time.
* Full ship control.
* Screen wrap.
* Action sounds.
* Ten personalised high scores.
* On screen scoring.
* Hold key.
* Tunes.

 On loading the program should load a sequencial bytes file automatically,
then attempt to play a well known theme tune. The program only plays this 
once so you need not worry. The last chorus may be omitted by deleting lines
2380 to 2390. The high score table is then initialised.
 Once all the variables have been set the computer enters the main wait rou-
tine. This involves cycling through three different tables. First is the 
points, second is the control keys and finally the high score.
 To start the game hold a key down until the screen clears and you hear a
blip, then release the key. The Speed prompt will then appear which will ac-
cept values from zero to nine.
 The game should now commence, if not recheck the programs Save them, Verify
them and try again.
 The idea was taken from the Asteroids machines though some liberties have 
been taken with the graphics.
 The object of the game is to furiously blast away anything and everything
that dares cross your flightpath.
 Once you have sent all the aliens to taht big asteroid in the sky another
yellow one appears and the game repeats. If it is any consolation all the 
aliens move in the same manner. There was at one stage a homing saucer but I
think you have probably got enough on your plate.
 The ship can be moved in several different ways. Pressing keys 6 and 7 rota-
tes the craft in positive and negative directions respectively. Key 9 thrusts
the ship in the direction that it is pointing and 0 fires the lazer. The magic
panic botton is key 8 which suspends the game until a different key is hit.
 When you collide with any of the aliens you lose a life and the position of
the craft is reset to somewhere in the centre of the screen.
 Remember you have three lives like in most arcade games except for the ulti-
mate in software. If you have a life left the game continues but if you have
not the computer checks all the scores in the high score table. If your score
is greater than or equal to any in the table then your name is requested.
 To input your name just type your name as if you were typing without capital
shift lock. Unfotunately there is no repeat on any of the keys and delete will
not function. When the print position reaches the end of the line it returns
to the existing data. When you are satisfied with what you have typed press
Enter.
 The program now returns to cycling through the points, keys and scores tab-
les.
 Two programs are needed before the game can be played. First is program 1
which is the main control routine. Once entered check the listing then Save it
by typing:
        SAVE "COSMAZOIGS" LINE 1
which should give automatic running, then verify it. Now change tapes and en-
ter program 2 which loads the machine code into its proper location in memory.
The code is read from the data statements in lines 90 to 470.
 A check digit is recorded at the end of the statement to give a rough veri-
fication of the code, but please note mistakes can still slip through this
check undetected.
 Another check that is imposed is an address test which decides whether the
machine code is being Poked into memory about RAMtop. If you type this bit
wrongly you could crash teh loader so Save and Verify this program before run-
ning it. If the program finds any mistakes then check the line that is given
in the error report. Then resave and reverify it.
 Presuming all went to plan you can try running the machine code. To do this
type:
        LET L=USR 30448: BORDER 0
 If that crashes then reload the program, correct it, Save it and Verify it.
You must not take chances when Pokes and USR calls are involved.
 Once you have a working version save the object code after your recording of
program 1. To do this type:
        SAVE "COSMACODE" CODE 30446,2322
 Of course Verify it. Now you have a recorded version of program 1 followed by
a bytes file generated by program 2. When you load the game, program 1 should
automatically Run and load the code.

TYPE: Arcade (Asteroids)


This info file was typed by Michael Bruhn

