[Coco] Back to BASIC

Tue Apr 11 11:43:00 EDT 2017

Perhaps you should provide a "Please learn responsibly" screen at the end
of each episode.

On Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 8:24 AM, Steve Strowbridge <ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Make sure you don't binge so hard that you puke ;)
>
> On Apr 11, 2017 10:04 AM, "Alexander Wallace" <
> alexander.o.wallace at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Great stuff!.
> >
> > I’m traveling this week so I’ll let them accumulate for when I get back.
> >
> > Thanks again!
> >
> > > On Apr 11, 2017, at 8:01 AM, Steve Strowbridge <
> ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Chapter 16 has been uploaded, which covers SCREEN and PCLS commands,
> it's
> > > starting to get good!!!
> > >
> > >
> > > Steve Strowbridge, aka
> > > The Original Gamer Stevie Strow
> > > http://ogsteviestrow.com
> > > ogsteviestrow at gmail.com
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sun, Apr 9, 2017 at 11:29 PM, Steve Strowbridge <
> > ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> Thanks Alexander, me too, on the assembly part.
> > >>
> > >> It's turning out the book I grabbed from the archive doesn't seem to
> > cover
> > >> the "standard" BASIC graphics modes, so I'm going to have to probably
> > get
> > >> out my hard copies and do some of that, because I really like the
> > low-res
> > >> set/reset modes of 9 glorious colors.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Steve Strowbridge, aka
> > >> The Original Gamer Stevie Strow
> > >> http://ogsteviestrow.com
> > >> ogsteviestrow at gmail.com
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On Sun, Apr 9, 2017 at 9:28 PM, Alexander Wallace <
> > >> alexander.o.wallace at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> That’s great Steve,
> > >>>
> > >>> I watched up to 13 yesterday so you have a few minutes before needing
> > to
> > >>> make the next one :)
> > >>>
> > >>> JK, Thanks for all you do!
> > >>>
> > >>> Anxious to get to Assembly!
> > >>>
> > >>>> On Apr 9, 2017, at 12:14 PM, Steve Strowbridge <
> > ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>
> > >>> wrote:
> > >>>>
> > >>>> I have just added two more chapters in the BASIC programming
> series..
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Chapter 14, plotting pixels with the PSET command
> > >>>> Chapter 15, creating lines, boxes, and filled boxes with the LINE
> > >>> command.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> My head is about to explode so will take a break before moving on :)
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Steve Strowbridge, aka
> > >>>> The Original Gamer Stevie Strow
> > >>>> http://ogsteviestrow.com
> > >>>> ogsteviestrow at gmail.com
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> On Thu, Apr 6, 2017 at 7:37 PM, John Lochey via Coco <
> > >>> coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > >>>> wrote:
> > >>>>
> > >>>>> Yeah emulation has changed everything!
> > >>>>> Now I can "own" them all, so to speak!
> > >>>>> But right now I'm really enjoying the CoCo2 and the MC10 that I
> have.
> > >>>>> So I'm happy to play with those.  Definitely assembly is in the
> > future
> > >>> for
> > >>>>> me, and is quite exciting!
> > >>>>> I have a CoCo with the SDC unit, but still find emulation awfully
> > >>> handy as
> > >>>>> I go back and forth between home computers and work computers.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Really appreciate this community too, can't possibly say that
> ENOUGH!
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Johnny
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>     From: Steve Strowbridge <ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>
> > >>>>> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > >>>>> Sent: Thursday, April 6, 2017 5:25 PM
> > >>>>> Subject: Re: [Coco] Back to BASIC
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Hey John, nice to hear from other people who look in on Tandy as
> > drool
> > >>>>> worthy, not quite sure I heard it put that way before.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> I always loved my Coco, and was proud of it, but I did drool over
> > some
> > >>> of
> > >>>>> the games that were available on the C-64, Atari 800, etc., as
> those
> > >>>>> machines had much better color, sound, graphics, etc (compared to a
> > >>> CoCo
> > >>>>> 1/2 at least).
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Now, I can at least afford some of the computers I never could have
> > >>> back
> > >>>>> then, so I hope to eventually get my hands on a lot of them and dig
> > in
> > >>> and
> > >>>>> try and create a little.  For the foreseeable near future, though,
> > that
> > >>>>> exploration will remain focused on the CoCo.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> I want to learn Assembly in general, create a CoCo 1/2 project or
> > two,
> > >>> then
> > >>>>> work at some CoCo 3 stuff taking advantage of higher resolutions
> and
> > >>> color,
> > >>>>> hardware scrolling, etc.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> But, if the time permits, and the passion is strong enough, may
> > branch
> > >>> out
> > >>>>> and try and do the same thing on other platforms, but the Coco is
> > >>> always
> > >>>>> top priority.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Steve Strowbridge, aka
> > >>>>> The Original Gamer Stevie Strow
> > >>>>> http://ogsteviestrow.com
> > >>>>> ogsteviestrow at gmail.com
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> On Thu, Apr 6, 2017 at 3:22 PM, John Lochey via Coco <
> > >>> coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>> wrote:
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> Hi all,
> > >>>>>> My BASICS came on the VIC-20.
> > >>>>>> I badly wanted a Commodore 64 or a Color Computer, but for my
> > >>> Commodore
> > >>>>>> friends and I, the Tandy machines were "the other guys".
> > >>>>>> But RS's were everywhere in the Midwest, so the Tandy's were
> always
> > >>> very
> > >>>>>> "drool worthy".
> > >>>>>> My friend and I did some type-ins and some small games and life
> > moved
> > >>> on.
> > >>>>>> Now, I just want to get back to ALL that stuff that I wanted to
> > learn
> > >>>>> then
> > >>>>>> and never did.  Assembly Language still seems super cool to me,
> but
> > >>>>>> definitely filled with "smoke and mirrors and magic" at the
> moment!
> > >>>>>> Funny, I work by day managing a US IT Datacenter for a large
> > chemical
> > >>>>>> corporation, but the only computers I like to play with at home
> are
> > >>>>> retro!
> > >>>>>> :)
> > >>>>>> For the the Retro-World is still wide open!  Lots to learn, lots
> to
> > >>> do.
> > >>>>>> Heck, I'd just like to know as much as some of you have already
> > >>>>> forgotten!
> > >>>>>> ;)
> > >>>>>> Thanks,
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Johnny
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>    From: Steve Strowbridge <ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>
> > >>>>>> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com
> >
> > >>>>>> Sent: Thursday, April 6, 2017 9:24 AM
> > >>>>>> Subject: Re: [Coco] Back to BASIC
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Thank you Alexander for the kind words!
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Seven Chapters!! Wow!! I hope you didn't get bored to sleep and
> end
> > up
> > >>>>>> injuring yourself in the work shop :)
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> BASIC on the CoCo was my entry into computer programming, like
> most
> > >>> kids
> > >>>>> of
> > >>>>>> the day, I'm sure, I followed the very user friendly book,
> actually
> > >>>>>> "learned" the language and was able to apply it and create
> original
> > >>>>>> programs, I rarely "typed in" any programs, I enjoyed the process
> of
> > >>>>> coming
> > >>>>>> up with the ideas, then working out the logistics of making
> > everything
> > >>>>>> work.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> I started on a 16K Standard BASIC, and cut my teeth on that for a
> > >>> year or
> > >>>>>> two, my 2nd CoCo was the 64K white CoCo 1 with Extended Color
> BASIC
> > >>> and I
> > >>>>>> went to town with that, loved doing high res games with PMODE 3
> and
> > 4,
> > >>>>>> using PCOPY and GET/PUT to create sprites, move objects without
> > >>> erasing
> > >>>>> the
> > >>>>>> background, experiment with screen scrolling, etc.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> All the things I saw the pros do in assembly, I tried to mimic in
> > ECB,
> > >>>>> and
> > >>>>>> other than the vast difference in speed, I was able to recreate
> most
> > >>> of
> > >>>>> the
> > >>>>>> tricks.  For whatever reason, it never occurred to me that I could
> > >>> also
> > >>>>>> attempt to learn assembly myself, I was a kid, and I thought that
> > was
> > >>>>> what
> > >>>>>> grown ups did.  I went to college for computer programming, and
> > >>> thought
> > >>>>> it
> > >>>>>> would be taught to me there, I was disappointed that it wasn't,
> they
> > >>> were
> > >>>>>> covering DBase, Fortran, Cobol, and BASIC, and BASIC I already
> knew,
> > >>> and
> > >>>>>> those others, I had no interest in, so I didn't say in college for
> > >>>>>> programming.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> I transitioned from CoCo to the Tandy 1000 in 1986, I got ahold of
> > MS
> > >>>>>> QBasic sometime after that, and enjoyed many years through up to
> the
> > >>> late
> > >>>>>> 90's programming in Quick BASIC on MS-DOS based systems.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Anything I ever made was always a game, I had no interest in
> > anything
> > >>>>>> "serious".
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> My biggest claim to fame, with my own software was a game I made,
> > >>> which
> > >>>>>> actually started as an "I told you so" in College, where I told
> the
> > >>> guy
> > >>>>>> sitting next to me "I can make a space invaders game", and he said
> > "no
> > >>>>> you
> > >>>>>> can't" and before the class was over, I already had the skeleton
> of
> > >>> the
> > >>>>>> game up and running in QBASIC.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> That became a game called "Cosmic Aliens", it was DOS Text based,
> > the
> > >>>>>> smiley faces characters were the aliens, they dropped bombs, there
> > >>> was a
> > >>>>>> text character that looked like a bomb, and your ship was two
> > >>> characters
> > >>>>>> together that looked like a line graphic space ship, you shot
> arrows
> > >>> up
> > >>>>> in
> > >>>>>> the air like Galaga.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> That game grew over time, was circulated through BBS systems, I
> put
> > >>> the
> > >>>>>> usual shareware messages on there, like "if you'd like to support
> > this
> > >>>>>> game, mail a check to..." and at one point and time, the "mail to"
> > >>>>> address
> > >>>>>> what the retail store I worked at in Fort Lauderdale called the
> Byte
> > >>>>> Shop.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Turns out, the game was a favorite of a person in the military,
> and
> > he
> > >>>>> said
> > >>>>>> he and his buddies like the game, I found this out, because he
> came
> > to
> > >>>>>> visit me at the Byte Shop to tell me that.  I was blown away by
> > >>> that.  I
> > >>>>>> grabbed the source code and modified it, and created a custom
> > version
> > >>> for
> > >>>>>> him, and gave him the updated EXE file, he was happy about that.
> I
> > >>>>> think I
> > >>>>>> also got a random product review of that game somebody mailed me,
> > and
> > >>>>> even
> > >>>>>> an offer to buy it by a company in Canada called Ninga software or
> > >>>>>> something like that.  My 15 minutes of game fame were under a very
> > >>> small
> > >>>>>> spotlight, but it was very rewarding to know somebody in the
> > military
> > >>> was
> > >>>>>> able to entertain themselves while at a base with my game.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Another game I made for DOS, which never got circulated was called
> > >>>>> "Garden
> > >>>>>> Worm" and it was a spin on Centipede, where you were the
> Centipede,
> > so
> > >>>>> kind
> > >>>>>> of a hack clone of the various Snake type games, there was food to
> > >>> eat to
> > >>>>>> get larger, there were prizes for points, and there were special
> > items
> > >>>>> that
> > >>>>>> would either make you bigger, smaller, faster, or slower, and
> there
> > >>> was
> > >>>>> an
> > >>>>>> enemy centipede "worm" you had to avoid.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> I wrote a ton of games on the CoCo, my most interesting was a
> Donkey
> > >>> Kong
> > >>>>>> clone based on the rivets level where you jumped over rivets to
> > clear
> > >>> the
> > >>>>>> board, to make this game, I created a level editor, and then it
> > became
> > >>>>> sort
> > >>>>>> of game engine oriented where basically you could create any level
> > >>> with
> > >>>>> any
> > >>>>>> arrangement and number of rivets, and as long as you could get to
> > them
> > >>>>> all,
> > >>>>>> and pop them all, you could clear the level.  You would have to
> > >>> specify
> > >>>>>> where you wanted the animated donkey kong to stand, and how many
> > fire
> > >>>>> balls
> > >>>>>> you wanted and their starting position.  Other than that, the game
> > ran
> > >>>>> with
> > >>>>>> whatever design you could throw at it.  This was all done in the
> low
> > >>> res
> > >>>>>> 64*32*9 color mode, but was quite playable.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> My biggest regret is not having any of my original floppies, I had
> > >>> them
> > >>>>> all
> > >>>>>> until the early 90's even, let somebody borrow my CoCo and my
> floppy
> > >>>>> case,
> > >>>>>> they ended up getting evicted from their apartment, and they were
> > >>> never
> > >>>>>> seen again.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Long answer, to your post, I'm sure, but... What I wanted to do
> with
> > >>> this
> > >>>>>> series, was to re-learn the language, perhaps get some new people
> > >>>>>> interested in simple programming concepts, and at the end of the
> > book,
> > >>>>>> start working on a new, original CoCo game project in BASIC, maybe
> > >>> even a
> > >>>>>> few games.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> That's still the plan, and I also plan on learning assembly,
> which I
> > >>>>> might
> > >>>>>> as well also turn into a series, and then come up with a game at
> the
> > >>> end
> > >>>>> of
> > >>>>>> that, which, hopefully, I'll be able to debut at next year's
> > CoCoFEST!
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> -End of Line
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Steve Strowbridge, aka
> > >>>>>> The Original Gamer Stevie Strow
> > >>>>>> http://ogsteviestrow.com
> > >>>>>> ogsteviestrow at gmail.com
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> On Thu, Apr 6, 2017 at 8:51 AM, Alexander Wallace <
> > >>>>>> alexander.o.wallace at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> I’ve worked as a software developer, mostly client/server and web
> > >>> apps
> > >>>>>>> since 1997, but my memory of CoCo’s Basic and other of it’s
> > languages
> > >>>>> has
> > >>>>>>> pretty much disappeared as I’ve recently found out :)
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> Your videos are a great companion tome while doing something else
> > in
> > >>>>> the
> > >>>>>>> evenings, (metal or wood working or what not), I watched 7
> > yesterday,
> > >>>>> and
> > >>>>>>> really enjoyed it!
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> I truly appreciate what you’re doing there and look forward to
> > seeing
> > >>>>> all
> > >>>>>>> the videos for all the chapters, some for CoCo3 too and assembly
> :)
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> Thanks a lot!
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> On Apr 5, 2017, at 3:30 PM, Steve Strowbridge <
> > >>>>> ogsteviestrow at gmail.com
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> wrote:
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> It's been a long time coming, but I got around to going through
> > and
> > >>>>>>>> recording two new chapters in my programming in BASIC video
> > series,
> > >>>>> so
> > >>>>>>>> chapters 10 and 11 are now available for your viewing
> discomfort.
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> The play list to the entire series is:
> > >>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDfh7JjQaSYA1fP5KwRiO
> > >>> wefFIIF1
> > >>>>>> Alid
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> I started this series aimed at a non-technical, non-coco owner,
> so
> > >>>>> it's
> > >>>>>>>> based on using VCC as the emulator, and using the PDF of the
> CoCo
> > 2
> > >>>>>>>> Extended color BASIC manual from the Color Computer Archive.
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> I had planned last year to finish the book, make a simple game
> in
> > >>>>> BASIC
> > >>>>>>> as
> > >>>>>>>> a project putting all the pieces together, and then move on to
> > >>>>>> assembly,
> > >>>>>>>> and try and learn that.
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> That didn't exactly happen, so going to try and make that happen
> > >>> this
> > >>>>>>> year,
> > >>>>>>>> and have this series done, and some type of assembly project to
> > show
> > >>>>>> off
> > >>>>>>> at
> > >>>>>>>> CoCoFEST 27.
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> Thanks to all who have encouraged me to continue to do these,
> it's
> > >>>>> can
> > >>>>>> be
> > >>>>>>>> quite brutal for me at times :)
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> Steve Strowbridge, aka
> > >>>>>>>> The Original Gamer Stevie Strow
> > >>>>>>>> http://ogsteviestrow.com
> > >>>>>>>> ogsteviestrow at gmail.com
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> --
> > >>>>>>>> Coco mailing list
> > >>>>>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>>>>>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> --
> > >>>>>>> Coco mailing list
> > >>>>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>>>>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> --
> > >>>>>> Coco mailing list
> > >>>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>>>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> --
> > >>>>>> Coco mailing list
> > >>>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>>>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> --
> > >>>>> Coco mailing list
> > >>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> --
> > >>>>> Coco mailing list
> > >>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> --
> > >>>> Coco mailing list
> > >>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> --
> > >>> Coco mailing list
> > >>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > > --
> > > Coco mailing list
> > > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > > https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >
> >
> > --
> > Coco mailing list
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >
>
> --
> Coco mailing list
> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>