Some people might know alerady if they frequent #omnimaga on unitedti.org IRC, but I am currently attempting a TI-81 port of the first Illusiat. I know barely anyone will even be able to play it but I wanted to see how it would turn out. This will be a great challenge, if possible at all. The original game, in its current version, is above 10 KB huge after picture files are generated. Now I must fit it under 2400 bytes. Now I have a big advantage on this though, because on the TI-81, all variables (A-Z and Theta) and matrices ([A]-[C], which can be from 1x1 to 6x6 huge) doesn't take any of that RAM. Also because program files are slot-based the only RAM they take is for their content and you don't even need to give them name at all. They are listed as Prgm0-9 and PrgmA-Z and PrgmTheta, followed by their name. No matter the name also, to recall a sub routine from another program you just need to type the prgm ID from 0 to 9 or from A to Z or Theta, like Prgm9 for example. This allows me to have programs doing stuff like Disp "" and when I need such instruction I just recall the sub-program doing it and because I use it a lot, I still save some bytes doing so. But yeah, I need to optimize as much as possible, meaning this game might use all 37 sub programs slots on the calc. Also another thing is that on the TI-81 there is no Then/Else instructions so for conditions where I need to execute multiple commands it costs me a sub-program too. Another limitation is that there are no While/For/Repeat instruction, meaning I have to use Lbl/Goto for loops. They won't cause memory leaks though, due to the absence of Then/Else/While/For/Repeat instructions.

So far the battle engine is done, except you don't gain experience/levels yet and bosses will not work in its current state. Battles will be all text-based, like back when Illusiat used to be called Labyrinth Of Illusions 1. Unlike the original version, which had no stat menus nor leveling up systems, this version will have them, like in the Illusiat 2004 remake (altough only the stat menus, not the entire menu and no healing ability outside battles).  Title screen is done as well and main menu too. Walking engine is not started yet. This will be the hardest part I think. For now you can access the menu from the main loop though and run into enemies. Dungeons will have ascii maps.

Basically it will be different from the original game, but still be similar in some ways. It will be far from being as good as my other games, and I could even say that it will be worse than the original Illusiat itself, altough less flawed. That's of course if the project proves to be possible at all. Of course if I lack the RAM I could always split the game into two chapters though. Also I need to make sure to finish the game before running out of batteries because the TI-81 has no lithium battery, meaning if you need to change your batteries it causes an automatic memory reset.

If I finish this I will copy the code in a txt file and post it in the download section. For screenshots I will either use my digital camera or I will port the game to the 83+ and do screenies from there.

I am curious how this would turn out It would be funny if I still had RAM left when finished. For sure the install process will NOT be user friendly, as the TI-81 has no link port and user needs to type the PRGMs by hand. Due to lack of space the user will also need to type in the matrices.

Oh and before you suggest lists: no I won't use lists instead of matrices. Because unlike matrices, lists takes RAM space.

yeah i am waiting until map engine works it will be very blurry though because the 81 LCD is shit (very hard to see because the text is gray and the background light gray and no matter how the contrast is set it's still hard to see

This should be a really fun project, I'd love to do something on a limited system like this. Being that it's you, I'm sure you'll suceed. ^_^

Wow, that's alot of progress so far. I'tll be intersting to see how this turns out. I'm personally betting on you having some RAM left over. Lol

Ok finally it took more than 1337 bytes so the name will remain Illusiat 81. Unlike the two previous incarnations of Illusiat 1 this one will not have the 2nd and 3rd boss final spell. Bosses will only use one attack. The game is alerady hard enough anyway and there's not enough space left for magic animations (which would most likely be on graph screen due to the lack of an Output( command and they would suck anyway because you can't turn OFF the axis on the TI-81 it seems ). I added a very short intro sequence and ending sequence though, with your character running away from goons, altough not as many as in the 2003 remake and the final boss appearing. Also in this version there are only two bosses. In the original there were 3, but now the 2nd boss will basically be the final boss and just morph into a super version of himself after losing 6000+ HP (he has around 33000 total HP and good luck beating him if your LV is not maxed out).

The game is finished by now. Now I just need to take pics and copy the code by hand on the computer. It shouldn't take too long for the code since the game is 2225 bytes huge and only uses two 6x6 matrices entered by the user by hand along with the code, but for pictures it's another story. I don't even know if I have batteries left for my digital camera

Nice job! Even though I predicted it, it's still funny that you had RAM left over. Good work cramming tha 10k game into such a small space.

Nice work.
Nothing I could tolerate doing on an 81.
Those are hellish machines... >_<

I'm not surprised. I figured user RAM was just that. System RAM is completley seprate here. ^_^
Kinda neat.