I do not quite understand what you mean, and probably you did not understand me either, because it is not a nightmare at all, as a matter of fact it is quite simple.
I think that what Manuel is saying is that if you detect a bug in the common code for all stage*.bas, then you have to correct all the stage*.bas and test them all again. That's the "nightmare" of code duplication.
In BASIC you run out of memory too soon, so you have 2 options:
1) Make your game simpler.
2) Make several engines with some variations (different enemies, objects, etc)
You decide what do you prefer 
3) make your program smarter. Use a single engine, which is data driven. The data is the only thing that differs between stages. No duplication (with all its disadvantages) and you have exactly the right flexibility. It takes proper software design, though
3) make your program smarter. Use a single engine, which is data driven. The data is the only thing that differs between stages. No duplication (with all its disadvantages) and you have exactly the right flexibility. It takes proper software design, though
Bravo! no matter what programming language you use, it's always smarter (and better designing) to not replicate code.
Note that this don't necessarialy implicate on an IF-THEN-ELSE nest to handle different stages. using smart coding any routine from clipping to NPC animation could be handled by a single program. (The challenge is to make all the code fit on BASIC's free user memory)
For bosses, it could be logical to load another engine, as it's a completely different kind of game. At least in games like Shrines of Enigma, for instance. I'm just saying you should avoid code duplication
How exactly does code duplication solve out of memory issues?
For bosses, it could be logical to load another engine, as it's a completely different kind of game. At least in games like Shrines of Enigma, for instance. I'm just saying you should avoid code duplication
How exactly does code duplication solve out of memory issues?
I think he loads different basic programs for different levels (or stages or whatever). Then, the main player routine and some other things must be duplicated on these basic programs.
Just guessing...
Nice words Manuel, but the fact is:
It is impossible to include ALL the features of "no name"'s whole game (each boss, each different engine to show triple parallax effect or labernthyc stages in which you have to find keys and open doors, the train stage, the bridge stage... All on a 7,5k basic routine... No matter how smart you are, it is absolutelly impossible.
Why just 7,5K? You mean, after Turbo / Kun basic has eaten it's share, 7.5K is what's left?
The cartridge version of Kun basic (like it originally was?) doesn't eat that much. And you're distributing your games on cartridges. But they are actually disk images converted to roms, right? That's why you can't use cartridge version of Kun basic? I think it should be possible to do that otherwise. It requires some assembly code, but maybe someone could do that for you, so you could continue with the Basic code.
Just thinking...
