Venus: The Flytrap WHDLoad Pack

README

 THIS PACKAGE COMES WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR
 IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO USE, RESULTS AND
 PERFORMANCE OF THE PACKAGE IS ASSUMED BY YOU AND IF THE PACKAGE SHOULD PROVE
 TO BE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING,
 REPAIR OR OTHER REMEDIATION.
 UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, CAN THE AUTHOR BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE
 CAUSED IN ANY USUAL, SPECIAL, OR ACCIDENTAL WAY, ALSO IF THE OWNER OR A THIRD
 PARTY HAS BEEN POINTED AT SUCH POSSIBILITIES OF DAMAGE.

 This install applies to "Venus The Flytrap" © 1990 Gremlin.

 Requirements:
 -------------
 This install requires WHDLoad and RawDIC to be in the path.
 These programs can be found in the WHDLoad package.
 To install from a different drive than DF0: select installation mode Expert.

 The installed game requires 0.5 MB ChipMem (+1.1 MB OtherMem for preload).
 It can be quit by pressing F10 (key can be changed with Tooltype "QuitKey=").



 Features:
 ---------
 - Full load from HD (real files!)
 - 2 versions supported (original, Chart Attack re-release without intro)
 - Protection removed (MFM, track check, Action Replay check)
 - Access faults fixed (a lot of work!)
 - Wrong DDF/DIW STRT/STOP in copperlists fixed (x108)
 - Bplcon0 color bit fixes (x75)
 - Write to read only custom/CIA registers fixed (x3)
 - Interrupts fixed
 - Self-modifying code fixed
 - CPU dependent delays fixed
 - Timing fixed
 - High-score load/save
 - Trainer options added (CUSTOM1, see below)
 - Blitter waits added (x29, 68010+ only)
 - Blitter wait patches can be forced on 68000 machines with CUSTOM2
 - Intro can be skipped with CUSTOM3
 - Decrunchers relocated to fast memory (Fungus, modified Pack-Ice)
 - Keyboard routines fixed
 - Option to use fire 2 instead of joystick up (CUSTOM4)
 - 2 NewIcons (created by me)
 - Source code included as usual
 - Quit option that works on 68000 machines (default key is 'F10')

 Finally, after a long time and a lot of work, this one is finished!
 Someone over at the a1k.org board contacted me back in 2011 and asked
 for his version of the game to be supported. I had to create an imager
 without actually having access to the disks, it was a lot of guess work
 and the person requesting the update not being really knowledgeable of the
 Amiga but ALWAYS complaining and demanding didn't help either, it sure
 wasn't the nicest experience!
 Anyway, got the imager working after a while and started to create
 the new patch. And that turned out to be a lot of work as there were quite
 a few problems to fix!

 Many people reported a "black screen" problem, this was caused
 by buggy copperlists, in almost all copperlists the DDFSTRT/STOP
 and DIWSTRT/STOP values were illegal! It looks like the coder used
 a buggy macro to calculate these values. I have fixed all copperlists
 so the game works properly on all Amigas now.

 Lots of blitter waits had to be added too, these are only applied
 on 68010+ machines, to force the blitter wait patches on 68000 machines
 use the CUSTOM2 tooltype.
 
 Then there were access faults which took me MANY MANY hours to fix!
 One access fault happened in the bonus level, the reason was a wrong
 byte write to a table used for the sprite multiplexer, this was not
 easy to find! And it wasn't properly fixed in the old patch!
 The other access faults happened in the "normal" levels and weren't easy
 to fix either, I didn't find the real reason for these faults but came
 up with a good enough workaround after many hours of testing each level.
 It was no fun at all but the game works fine now without any faults!

 There also were the usual CPU dependent delay loops and quite a bit of
 self-modifying code. I have fixed these problems too of course.

 Despite all the mentioned problems the game code actually isn't that
 bad though!

 I have added a lot of trainer options but I'd recommend playing the
 game without any trainers as it will be too boring otherwise. But
 you can decide for yourself. The trainer options can be enabled with
 CUSTOM1 and are self-explanatory except for the in-game keys, if
 enabled you can use the following keys:

 N - skips current level (not in bonus level)
 W - skips current world (not in bonus level)
 A - refill ammo
 E - toggle unlimited energy
 X - show end
 F - toggle flying ability. The fly is now able to fly, paradox, isn't it? :)
 S - show secret rooms. The entrance to the secret rooms is now visible.
 
 
 If you use the unlimited energy option you can't die in the bonus level and
 have to play the complete level, if that bores you, you should turn off
 the option with the 'E' key during the bonus level and enabled it again
 after the bonus level has ended.
 I also had to deal with a nice problem regarding the unlimited lives option,
 it worked fine but as soon as the end-sequence was shown it caused bugs.
 Once I noticed and fixed this I checked all available trained versions that
 were released back in the day, NONE of them has a correctly working
 unlimited lives option. :)

 I have also added high-score load/save, high-score saving will be disabled
 if any of the trainer options has been used! For a nice easter egg enter
 "ACIEEEEED" as name. :)


 If you want to skip all intro/credits screens you can use CUSTOM3, the game
 will start immediately then.

 
 Creating this patch really was a lot of work, I hope you appreciate it!
 As the game is now using real files you will have to re-install!
 There might be some minor sound problems on very fast machines, I know
 about these so please don't report them. I may fix them in a later version
 of this patch.

 Supported are 2 versions, the original release with the intro (2 NDOS disks)
 and the Chart Attack compilation version without intro (disk 1 DOS, disk
 2 NDOS). The Chart Attack version was crunched with what looks like a
 slightly modified Pack-Ice version (changed ID and some minor modifications
 in the decruncher), the original release version was crunched with
 the Fungus the Bogeyman cruncher which in fact is just another optimised
 ByteKiller version, the decruncher is very fast!


 Enjoy the game from HD. Good graphics which still look nice about
 a quarter century later, nice music, many levels but one problem:
 lack of variation! The game is getting boring after while. Still not
 too bad though.
 I don't think I'll ever play it again. For obvious reasons. :)

 Sting, 05-Mar-2015



 Greetings to all in Scarab and Scoopex, the WHDLoad team, PMC,
 Musashi5150, Skan, Slummy, Loaderror, Frequent, Wayne Kerr, Mr.Spiv,
 Alpha One, CFou!, Paradroid, Audiomonster, Bonefish, Vention,
 Slammer and all the other usual suspects. :)

 Special greetings to all Golf MK1 fans worldwide and all classic
 car owners/drivers. :)

 Extra greetings to the usual suspects on #amigascne, see you all at
 Revision 2015! :)



 History:
 --------

 version 1.3 (13.12.2022) done by StingRay:
 - crash on 68000 machines fixed (happened if CUSTOM2 was not used,
   issue #5628)
 - fire button 2 can be used instead of joystick up (CUSTOM4), joystick
   up will be disabled if used (issue #5832)

 version 1.2 (05.03.2015) done by StingRay:
 - patch redone
 - RawDIC imager
 - uses real files
 - black screen problems fixed
 - access faults fixed
 - blitter waits are only installed on 68010+ machines
 - uses WHDLoad v17+ features
 - interrupts fixed
 - trainers added
 - new install script
 - source code included

 version 1.1 (06.10.2007) done by JOTD
 - fixed the "TRAP #0" bug which forced NOVBRMOVE to be used
 - QUITKEY is now configurable
 - source code included
 - added icons
 - added documentation
 - reworked install script & package

 version 1.0 (1998) done by Harry
 - initial release
 - Lots of dbf-delays replaced.
 - Lots of blitwaits inserted.
 - Ingameprotection removed.
 - The pre-level-screen wasnt displayed at all.



 Contact:
 --------
 If you have problems with this installation please try and get a newer
 version of this package from the WHDLoad WWW-Page. If that doesn't help try
 some Tooltypes like NOCACHE, NOAUTOVEC, EXPCHIP, NOMMU, PAL or NTSC. If
 that also fails, please inform the author via the Bug-Report-Form which
 can be accessed on the WHDLoad WWW-Page.

 For the full WHDLoad package, other installs and updates refer to:
	http://www.whdload.de/
 or	aminet:dev/misc/whdload#?
 and	aminet:game/patch/