This code appears in the following versions (click to see it in the source code):
Code variations between these versions are shown below.
Name: TACTICS (Part 4 of 7) Type: Subroutine Category: Tactics Summary: Apply tactics: Check energy levels, maybe launch escape pod if low Deep dive: Program flow of the tactics routine
This section works out what kind of condition the ship is in. Specifically:
This variation is blank in the Cassette and Electron versions.
Tap on a block to expand it, and tap it again to revert.
* Rarely (2.5% chance) roll the ship by a noticeable amount * If the ship has at least half its energy banks full, jump to part 6 to consider firing the lasers * If the ship is not into the last 1/8th of its energy, jump to part 5 to consider firing a missile
LDA TYPE \ If this is not a missile, skip the following CMP #MSL \ instruction BNE P%+5 JMP TA20 \ This is a missile, so jump down to TA20 to get \ straight into some aggressive manoeuvring
In the enhanced versions, Anacondas can spawn other ships.
This variation is blank in the Cassette and Electron versions.
CMP #ANA \ If this is not an Anaconda, jump down to TN7 to skip BNE TN7 \ the following JSR DORND \ Set A and X to random numbers CMP #200 \ If A < 200 (78% chance), jump down to TN7 to skip the BCC TN7 \ following
In the disc version, Anacondas can only spawn Worms, while in the advanced versions they can also spawn Sidewinders.
This variation is blank in the Cassette and Electron versions.
Tap on a block to expand it, and tap it again to revert.
JSR DORND \ Set A and X to random numbers CMP #250 \ If A < 250 (97.5% chance), jump down to TA7 to skip BCC TA7 \ the following JSR DORND \ Set A and X to random numbers ORA #104 \ Bump A up to at least 104 and store in the roll STA INWK+29 \ counter, to gives the ship a noticeable roll .TA7 LDY #14 \ Set A = the ship's maximum energy / 2 LDA (XX0),Y LSR A CMP INWK+35 \ If the ship's current energy in byte #35 > A, i.e. the BCC TA3 \ ship has at least half of its energy banks charged, \ jump down to TA3 LSR A \ If the ship's current energy in byte #35 > A / 4, i.e. LSR A \ the ship is not into the last 1/8th of its energy, CMP INWK+35 \ jump down to ta3 to consider firing a missile BCC ta3 JSR DORND \ Set A and X to random numbers CMP #230 \ If A < 230 (90% chance), jump down to ta3 to consider BCC ta3 \ firing a missile
The cassette version has Thargoids but no NEWB flags, so we have to manually cater for Thargoids launching Thargons rather than using the same code as escape pods.
This variation is blank in the Disc (flight), 6502 Second Processor, Master and Electron versions.
LDA TYPE \ If this is a Thargoid, jump down to ta3 to consider CMP #THG \ launching a Thargon BEQ ta3
In the enhanced versions, the NEWB flags determine whether or not a ship has an escape pod it can launch when things go south, while in the cassette and Electron versions, every ship has an escape pod fitted.
This variation is blank in the Cassette and Electron versions.
LDX TYPE \ Fetch the ship blueprint's default NEWB flags from the LDA E%-1,X \ table at E%, and if bit 7 is clear (i.e. this ship BPL ta3 \ does not have an escape pod), jump to ta3 to skip the \ spawning of an escape pod
\ By this point, the ship has run out of both energy and
\ luck, so it's time to bail
In the Master version, escape pods that other ships drop do not inherit the parent ship's characteristics (i.e. trader, bounty hunter, hostile, pirate).
This variation is blank in the Cassette, Disc (flight), 6502 Second Processor and Electron versions.
LDA NEWB \ Clear bits 0-3 of the NEWB flags, so the ship is no AND #%11110000 \ longer a trader, a bounty hunter, hostile or a pirate STA NEWB \ and the escape pod we are about to spawn won't inherit \ any of these traits LDY #36 \ Update the NEWB flags in the ship's data block STA (INF),Y
LDA #0 \ Set the AI flag to 0 to disable AI, hostility and STA INWK+32 \ E.C.M., so the ship's a sitting duck JMP SESCP \ Jump to SESCP to spawn an escape pod from the ship, \ returning from the subroutine using a tail call