Remember those halcyon days when you used to cycle excitedly to the local newsagent for the latest copy of your favourite computer magazine, rush home and spend three hours typing in a BASIC listing, fail to save it and then watch as your computer crashed due to an errant semi colon.

It’s Been 28 Years

Well I remember it especially vividly given that yesterday I spent an hour or so typing Yahtzee into my BBC Master.  That’s right, I took one for the team.  Unable to successfully transfer the code I’d worked on whilst waiting for the Master to arrive I opted for the manual option.

Jokes aside it was actually quite a pleasant experience.  The BBC keyboard is very responsive and the screen was actually pretty easy on my eyes (remembers hours playing M.U.D. on a C64 hooked up to a TV and the subsequent migraines.)

Of course editing the code is a tad more laborious on the BBC than with a modern editor but nevertheless I’ve continued to make improvements, mostly aesthetic.  I’ve banished the garish red dice and gone for more subtle black and white in a slightly less in your face graphics mode so everything’s a bit smaller.

Scores At Last

I’ve also numbered the dice so it’s more obvious which ones you’re holding, realigned some of the text and cleared out a few other redundant lines of code.

I’ve also been looking at the possibility of using the Mode 7 – Teletext mode to render the dice.  I found a good resource here that covers Mode 7 and the Sixel graphical elements.  Incidentally Ceefax, the BBC’s text information service, introduced in 1974 was finally retired on the 23rd of October 2012 when the last remaining analogue TV symbol in the UK was switched off in Northern Ireland in favour of digital broadcasts.

Old & New

When running Yahtzee on the actual Beeb rather than the emulator the previously reported issue with the lack of randomness of the dice throws has resolved itself.

Presumably the random number generator is now being correctly seeded and is as random as such computer generated things can be.

I knew it would be a mistake to get involved in any sort of coding project alongside Urbancamo.  He released his flash new code in about 3 seconds flat while I was still trying to work out what my original variables do, and apparently for quite a few of them that’s absolutely nothing.

Still I think I’ve almost completely debugged Yahtzee now (see below), removed all unnecessary code and generally cleaned things up a bit.  I’ve been using Textedit on the Mac and copy and pasting it into BeebEm for testing.  Hopefully this coming week I’ll be able to transfer it over to the Master and run and edit it on a real machine.

I don’t think my approach to coding has changed a great deal since I was fifteen, it’s an interesting approach if nothing else.  Perhaps most importantly it works, although I have the distinct impression that I rely on five lines of code where someone who knew what they were doing would achieve the same result in one.

I’ve written a couple of new procedures, one to sort the dice and one to score the player’s final throw.  The scoring system is currently my own invention, if time permits I shall try to achieve something closer to the original game.

There is currently one fatal and moderately hilarious flaw to the program, specifically that the random number generator generates the same numbers every game.  Therefore whenever you load and run a new game you will always roll the same dice.  Bit of an issue really in a dice rolling game.

I don’t know at this stage whether the bug is in my code or in the way the BBC generates random numbers, the former seems more likely although I can’t for the life of me find it.  Further investigation is clearly required.

Here’s the code as it stands now, you can copy and paste it directly into BeebEm and it should run:-

10 REM YAHTZEE BY RETROCOSM
20 REM RETROCHALLENGE WINTER WARMUP 2013
30 REM DEFINE VARIABLES
40 CONE=0:CTWO=0:CTHREE=0:CFOUR=0
50 P=0:Q=0:SC=0:ST=0:Y=0:C=0
60 JUMP=0:RSCORE=0:SORTED=0
70 DIM Q$(5):DIM A(5):DIM V(5):DIM D(5)
80
90 REM START SCREEN
100 CLS:MODE 7
110 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT
120 PRINTCHR$(141)" àÇYAHTZEE"
130 PRINTCHR$(141)" àÜYAHTZEE"
140 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT
150 PRINT" ÅBy Retrocosm"
160 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT:PRINT
170 PRINT" ÉPRESS ANY KEY"
180 LET B$=GET$:IF B$="" THEN 150
190 CLS
200 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT
210 PRINT"ÉINSTRUCTIONS(Y/N)"
220 PRINT:PRINT
230 INPUT A$
240 IF A$="Y" THEN 2000
250 IF A$<>"N" THEN 190
260 CLS
270 PRINT:PRINT
280 PRINT"ÑPLEASE ENTER YOUR NAME"
290 INPUT NAME$
300 PRINT:PRINT"ÅTHANKYOU"
310 CLS
320 PRINTCHR$(141);" ÖYAHTZEE"
330 PRINTCHR$(141);" ÇYAHTZEE"
340 PRINTCHR$(141);" Å======="
350 PRINTCHR$(141);" É======="
360 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT
370 PRINT"ÅPLAYER ONE IS ";NAME$
380 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT
390 PRINT"ÜPress any key to play"
400 LET B$=GET$:IF B$=""THEN 370
500 CLS:MODE 17:COLOUR 3
510
520 PRINT:PRINT
530 CLS
540 PROCcubes
600 REM Randomise Cubes
610 FOR L=1 TO 5
620 LET Z=INT(RND(1)*6)+1:LET V(L)=Z
630 ON Z GOSUB 1000,1020,1040,1060,1080,1100
640 PRINT
650 NEXT L
660 C=1:REM counter
670 FOR F=1 TO 5
680 PRINT TAB(0,25);"HOLD DIE ";F
690 INPUT A$
700 IF A$="Y" THEN LET A(F)=1
710 IF A$<>"Y" THEN LET A(F)=0
720 NEXT F
730 FOR F=1 TO 5
740 LET Z=INT(RND(1)*6)+1
750 IF A(F)=0 THEN LET V(F)=Z
760 NEXT F
780 CLS
790 FOR F=1 TO 5
800 PRINT
810 ON V(F) GOSUB 1000,1020,1040,1060,1080,1100
820 NEXT F
830 IF C=2 THEN GOTO 860
840 LET C=C+1
850 GOTO 670
860 IF SORTED=1 GOTO 920
870 PRINT TAB(0,25);"Any Key To Sort"
880 INPUT X
890 REM Sort Dice
900 PROCsort
910 IF SORTED=1 GOTO 780
920 PROCreadice
930 PROCscores
940 V=V+1
950 IF V=5 THEN GOTO 2310
960 GOTO 520
1000 PROCone
1010 RETURN
1020 PROCtwo
1030 RETURN
1040 PROCthree
1050 RETURN
1060 PROCfour
1070 RETURN
1080 PROCfive
1090 RETURN
1100 PROCsix
1110 RETURN
2000 REM SHOW INSTRUCTIONS
2010 CLS:MODE 7
2020 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT"ÅYAHTZEE INSTRUCTIONS"
2030 PRINT:PRINT"ÉYahtzee is a simulated dice throwing"
2040 PRINT"Égame for one player."
2050 PRINT"ÉThe player shakes his dice."
2060 PRINT"ÉAfter shaking you may pick up any"
2070 PRINT"Éamount of the dice you wish and shake"
2080 PRINT"Éagain until you are satisfied with"
2090 PRINT"Éyour score.You may do this twice after"
2100 PRINT"Éyour first shake."
2110 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT"ÑPRESS ANY KEY"
2120 LET B$=GET$:IF B$="" THEN 1130
2130 CLS
2140 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT"ÅYAHTZEE SCORING"
2150 PRINT:PRINT"ÉPoints are awarded for getting certain"
2160 PRINT"Éamounts and patterns on the dice."
2170 PRINT"ÉFor example Runs,Sets and Pairs"
2180 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT"ÑPress any key to play"
2190 LET B$=GET$:IF B$="" THEN 2190
2200 GOTO 260
2300 REM PRINT FINAL SCORE
2310 MODE 7:CLS:PRINT"ÅSCORES"
2320 PRINT:PRINT"ÉAfter 5 goes you have a score of ";RSCORE
2330 PROCsound
2340 PRINT:PRINT"ÑPlay Again(Y/N)":PRINT
2350 INPUT Y$
2360 IF Y$="Y" THEN 2390
2370 IF Y$<>"N" THEN 2300
2380 GOTO 2410
2390 RESTORE
2400 RUN
2410 CLS:MODE 7
2420 PRINT:PRINT"ÅGoodbye, thank you for playing."
2430 END
3000 DEFPROCcubes
3100 VDU 23,224,255,255,255,255,255,255,255,255
3200 VDU 23,225,255,255,231,195,195,231,255,255
3300 ENDPROC
4000 DEFPROCsound
4100 SOUND 1,-15,97,10
4200 SOUND 1,-15,105,10
4300 SOUND 1,-15,89,10
4400 SOUND 1,-15,41,10
4500 SOUND 1,-15,69,20
4600 ENDPROC
5000 DEFPROCone
5010 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(224);CHR$(224)
5020 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(225);CHR$(224)
5030 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(224);CHR$(224)
5040 ENDPROC
5050 DEFPROCtwo
5060 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(224)
5070 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(224);CHR$(224)
5080 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5090 ENDPROC
5100 DEFPROCthree
5110 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(224)
5120 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(225);CHR$(224)
5130 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5140 ENDPROC
5150 DEFPROCfour
5160 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5170 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(224);CHR$(224)
5180 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5190 ENDPROC
5200 DEFPROCfive
5210 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5220 PRINTCHR$(224);CHR$(225);CHR$(224)
5230 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5240 ENDPROC
5250 DEFPROCsix
5260 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5270 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5280 PRINTCHR$(225);CHR$(224);CHR$(225)
5290 ENDPROC
6000 DEFPROCsort
6010 FOR PASS=1 TO 5
6020 FOR SORT=1 TO 4
6030 ST=V(SORT+1)
6040 IF V(SORT)<V(SORT+1) THEN ST=V(SORT)
6050 IF V(SORT)<V(SORT+1) THEN V(SORT)=V(SORT+1)
6060 V(SORT+1)=ST
6070 NEXT SORT
6080 NEXT PASS
6090 SORTED=1
6100 ENDPROC
7000 DEFPROCreadice
7010 CONE=0:CTWO=0:CTHREE=0:CFOUR=0
7020 SORTED=0:JUMP=0
7030 FOR I=1 TO 4
7040 IF V(1)=V(I+1) THEN CONE=CONE+1 ELSE JUMP=(I+1)
7050 IF JUMP>0 THEN I=4
7060
7070 NEXT I
7080 K=JUMP:JUMP=0
7090 IF K>4 THEN GOTO 7260
7100 FOR I=K TO 4
7110 IF V(I)=V(I+1) THEN CTWO=CTWO+1 ELSE JUMP=(I+1)
7120 IF JUMP>0 THEN I=4
7130
7140 NEXT I
7150 Q=JUMP:JUMP=0
7160 IF Q>4 THEN GOTO 7260
7170 FOR I=Q TO 4
7180 IF V(I)=V(I+1) THEN CTHREE=CTHREE+1 ELSE JUMP=(I+1)
7190 IF JUMP>0 THEN I=4
7200 NEXT I
7210 T=JUMP:JUMP=0
7220 IF T>4 THEN GOTO 7260
7230 FOR I=T TO 4
7240 IF V(I)=V(I+1) THEN CFOUR=CFOUR+1 ELSE I=4
7250 NEXT I
7260 ENDPROC
8000 DEFPROCscores
8010 PRINT
8020 SC=0:CHK=CONE+CTWO+CTHREE+CFOUR
8030 IF CONE=4 THEN SC=100:PRINT"YAHTZEE"
8040 IF CONE=3 OR CTWO=3 THEN SC=75:PRINT"FOUR OF A KIND!"
8050 IF CONE=2 AND CTWO=1 THEN SC=50:PRINT"FULL HOUSE!"
8060 IF CONE=1 AND CTWO=2 THEN SC=50:PRINT"FULL HOUSE!"
8070 IF CONE=2 AND CTWO=0 THEN SC=40:PRINT"THREE OF A KIND"
8080 IF CTWO=2 AND CONE<1 THEN SC=40:PRINT"THREE OF A KIND"
8090 IF CTHREE=2 THEN SC=40:PRINT"THREE OF A KIND"
8100 IF CONE=1 AND CTWO=1 THEN SC=30:PRINT"TWO PAIRS"
8110 IF CONE=1 AND CTHREE=1 THEN SC=30:PRINT"TWO PAIRS"
8120 IF CTWO=1 AND CTHREE=1 THEN SC=30:PRINT"TWO PAIRS"
8130 IF CHK=1 THEN SC=20:PRINT"ONE PAIR"
8140 IF CHK=0 AND V(1)=6 AND V(5)=2 THEN SC=30:PRINT"HIGH RUN"
8150 IF CHK=0 AND V(1)=5 AND V(5)=1 THEN SC=30:PRINT"LOW RUN"
8160 IF SC=0 PRINT"No Score"
8170 PRINT:PRINT"Score-";SC:PRINT
8180 RSCORE=RSCORE+SC
8190 PRINT"Running Score-";RSCORE
8200 PRINT:PRINT"Any Key To Continue"
8210 LET B$=GET$:IF B$="" THEN 8210
8220 CONE=0:CTWO=0:CTHREE=0:CFOUR=0
8230 ENDPROC