Total Eclipse

[Alastair]

Having decided to give Total Eclipse a proper go (only twenty-five years after I, or my dad, bought the thing!) I have discovered that the universe in my version does not match with that described in the July 1987 and March 1988 issues of Dragon User, specifically the planets with repair centres do not tally. It is more than likely that the March 1988 advice is based on a different version of the game (I have found a 1.1 version on the internet that seems to match), but the map in the July 1987 issue states that it is for version 1.3 which is the same as mine. The upshot of the paucity of repair centres in my version is that progress is painfully slow as you waste a lot of time (and thus money) travelling to and from a distant repair centre.

So does anyone have a version 1.3, or later, of Total Eclipse that matches the map in Dragon User? Or is there a Total Eclipse universe editor that will allow me to compare the universes from v1.1 and v1.3, and then create a new universe for v1.3 with the repair station locations of v1.1?

Please note that I uploaded the version of the Total Eclipse that appears on this site. So if we can obtain a version of the game that is less frustrating than my version then everyone downloading the game from here will benefit.

[admin]

This states v1.1 - have not had time to test... looks like it contains both universes one after the other..

Directory of ECLIPSE.CAS
Found 4 files
FileName ID ASCII Gap Load Exec Len
ECLIPSE 02:Machine code 00:Binary 00:Ungapped 0100 0302 7EFB
ECLIPSE 02:Machine code 00:Binary 00:Ungapped 0600 3672 79FB
ECLIPSE 02:Machine code 00:Binary 00:Ungapped 3600 4676 4800
ECLIPSE 02:Machine code 00:Binary 00:Ungapped 6A06 6A0D 13FA

Let me know and I'll add it to the library and ensure we have both 1.3 and 1.1 available.

[Alastair]

This states v1.1 - have not had time to test... looks like it contains both universes one after the other..

Directory of ECLIPSE.CAS
Found 4 files
FileName ID ASCII Gap Load Exec Len
ECLIPSE 02:Machine code 00:Binary 00:Ungapped 0100 0302 7EFB
ECLIPSE 02:Machine code 00:Binary 00:Ungapped 0600 3672 79FB
ECLIPSE 02:Machine code 00:Binary 00:Ungapped 3600 4676 4800
ECLIPSE 02:Machine code 00:Binary 00:Ungapped 6A06 6A0D 13FA

Let me know and I'll add it to the library and ensure we have both 1.3 and 1.1 available.

This is identical to the one I found on the internet, and yes it is v1.1. It does not contain Universe 2, as far as I can work out the first part is the loader, the second is the main program, the third contains some map data (perhaps that which is common to both universes), and the fourth is Universe 1.

(I have tried combining the various parts of v1.1 and v1.3, some crash and some offer no improvement. An interesting combination is the first two parts from v1.3, the third part of v1.1, and v1.3 Universe 1: this gives the repair centres noted in Dragon User, but also has the side effect of certain planets selling some commodities at a lower price than they buy those commodities, which makes things a little too easy.)

[admin]

I have a few copies of the tape, so will dig out my tape player and see which versions they are.

[admin]

1st tape I have tried is a White Cover - v1.1 and is exactly the same as the v1.1 already dumped - There is no 2nd universe on either side of the tape.

Maybe the 2nd universe is only in v1.3?

[Alastair]

1st tape I have tried is a White Cover - v1.1 and is exactly the same as the v1.1 already dumped - There is no 2nd universe on either side of the tape.

Maybe the 2nd universe is only in v1.3?

I do not know when Universe 2 was introduced, but the problems I refer to in my first post relate to Universe 1.