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Master of Chaos
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 25 |
Fix / improve ancient releases?
Hello .
There are some ouf our releases from 86/87 which eiher containes bugs or are worth to be improved a little bit.
Not that many that there are great differences , but, for example more userfriendly ( level and traiber chioce has to be improved) or fixing the speed of a sound routine.
In fact, they are still as there were programmed in that days, but i am thinking of doing some minor updates befor uploading the stuff.
What do you think, leave the stuff as it was done years ago or better implement some modified code?
greetz
Master of Chaos
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Danzig
Registered: Jun 2002
Posts: 440 |
hands OFF! |
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null
Account closed
Registered: Jun 2006
Posts: 645 |
If you'd change it a bit, ok, but also upload the original stuff, else it's kinda like changing history... |
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Zyron
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 2381 |
Just let it be. |
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Radiant
Registered: Sep 2004
Posts: 639 |
I agree, a release is a release and should be preserved like it was when first released.
Making new releases out of bugfixes of old stuff is fine with me, though, if anyone gives a fuck about my opinion on these matters. :-) |
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A3
Registered: Dec 2005
Posts: 362 |
I agree if you want to fix someting in a release first upload the old version and then do a seperate release for the new version. |
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Tao
Registered: Aug 2002
Posts: 115 |
The only type of fixes I see as acceptable is fixing issues that prevent demos/games from running on certain hardware. Such as people messing with $D030 (fucking things up if you have a C=128), things that crash when you have a cartridge connected, loaders that only work on some drives, invalid assumptions about ROM content, how RAM is initialised, etc.
That is, things that are TOTALLY broken.
Going through old stuff to fix raster timing, sprite flickering, ugly graphics, etc would be history falsification. I want my memories to be real; I don't want to discover that the otherwise perfect Digital Delight suddenly has had the slight flickering in the right sideborder fixed.
I don't want Red Storm to be "re_made [...] with a little help from some harder code and a PC", as Wile Coyote puts it. In fact, I think it would kill the magic of the demo.
Sure, some demos haven't rooted themselves in my memory to the point where I remember and love the flaws just as much as the brilliance, but then again, those demos would probably not suddenly turn great just because they are fixed either... |
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tlr
Registered: Sep 2003
Posts: 1787 |
Quote:The only type of fixes I see as acceptable is fixing issues that prevent demos/games from running on certain hardware. Such as people messing with $D030 (fucking things up if you have a C=128), things that crash when you have a cartridge connected, loaders that only work on some drives, invalid assumptions about ROM content, how RAM is initialised, etc.
That is, things that are TOTALLY broken.
In my opinion it is a _must_ that the original unmodified release is added.
A fixed version must be clearly flagged as fixed, and preferably by whom.
There is no easy way to determine what was intended with the original code. Even though it looks broken on current emulatiors/hardware it might have an intention.
If the original release is manipulated, that intention is lost.
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Mace
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 1799 |
I agree that it should be clear that one is dealing with a fixed version. Also, when publishing the fixed version, also make the original unfixed version available at the same time and place.
That said, I really wouldn't mind if someone felt the need to flicker-fix something or whatever else. Everybody should do as he or she sees fit.
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ChristopherJam
Registered: Aug 2004
Posts: 1408 |
Yup, I think upload as it originally was as a minimum, then add a clearly labled 'fixed' version as a separate entity if you really want. |
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Graham
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 990 |
Don't fix the old stuff. History is as it is, and if you want to release better stuff, just do new releases instead of fixing old stuff. |
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chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11352 |
i agree with tao for the most part...
also keep in mind that there is stuff out there that still doesnt work correctly (or at all) in emulation. i had one crack in my collection labeled as "broken" for quite some time, until someone pointed out that it infact works on the real thing. |
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TDM
Account closed
Registered: Nov 2006
Posts: 44 |
I'll add my 2¢ her too...upload the original *AND* the fixed versions; being certain to clearly label the fixed version as fixed. I also agree that uploading only the fixed and not the origial versions amounts to tampering with history. |
