Sigils by Kim Slawson

# Sigils

By Kim Slawson, February – March 2022

*NOMAM* 2022 10-Line BASIC competition entry (EXTREME-256 category)

Requires an Atari 8-bit machine or emulator running TurboBASIC XL (800XL minimum)

The provided disk image contains TurboBASIC XL and automatically runs the game.

## The pitch

It's connect the dots, but more interesting. You form symbols (sigils) as you play. Also, there are gratuitous crashing noises.

## To play 🕹️

Use the joystick to move from dot to dot, drawing a line as you go. The pitch of the sound is (inversely) proportional to the length of the line (like stretching a rubber band). If you get stuck or just want to retry a level, push fire. To get back to the main menu, hit reset (this also applies to the level editor).

## Wait, did you say level editor ⁉️

Yes, Virginia, there is a level editor. When you master all of the included levels, have fun making your own. Draw dots until you're ready to play, then hold down fire for more than a second. The screen will flash, indicating you're now playing your homemade level. If you get stuck or just want to retry your creation, push fire.

## Colophon  🧰

Sigils was developed on a Macbook Pro and tested using Atari800MacX and on my childhood Atari 130XE. Shoutouts to the following AtariAge users: @dmsc for basicParser, @skr for MacTurban, @luckybuck for Sublime Text integration and @mozzwald and @tschak909 for FujiNet /|\ 

## Source code  💻

If you're curious, check out the commented source code below. You may also wish to look at the obfuscated source code (if you dare). Use the source, Luke!

 Readable listing with comments

```basic

REM Sigils REM written for 2022 NOMAM Ten-line BASIC competition REM built with Turban (TURboBAsic Nifty) REM obsfuscated using tbxlparser REM requires Turbo-BASIC XL REM by Kim Slawson REM 2022-02-22 rem OUTLINE: rem set up rem   encode strings rem title rem   get level number rem loop rem   clear rem   play level rem     if level editor rem       build level, start level on hold rem       store level in array rem     elseif normal level rem       draw level (recall from array if user-created) rem       play level, retry level on fire rem       increment level when done rem rerun for setup & menu again poke 580,1:rem ensure that RESET does cold start rather than warm start poke 82,0:rem no margin rem dimension the string for level storage rem dimension the 2D array to remember user-created levels rem dimension the arrays to hold level widths and x,y starting positions dim level$(255),l(16,8),wid(10),x(10),y(10) rem encode levels into string, prepended by substring lengths by level rem size, startx, starty, then bit-encoded columns as chars (8 bits high by size bits wide)  rem lvl: 1      2                    3           4                 5                          6                    7                             8                 9              10 level$=["<8<<<<<\1C\14\1C\08\1C\14\1C\38\1C\3C\38\30\38\2C\7E\7E\20\FF\FF\FF\FE\FE\FE\FC\FC\FC\1C\1C\7F\77\7F\1C\1C\1C\36\3E\1C\1C\04\1C\1C\04\1C\7E\5A\7E\7E\5A\7E\0F\3B\2E\3B\0F\0C\0C\0E\1B\7F\CE\80\FC\FE\FE\7E\78\40\CE\82\FE"] Gr.3:rem mode 3 with text window for titles and instructions poke 710,0:rem black text window rem draw title color 1 for y=0 to 2   for x=0 to 9     plot x*2+11,y*2   next x next y color 0:plot 25,0:plot 25,2 color 2 repeat   rem get title coordinates out of DATA   read x,y   rem negative x coordinate means plot, positive means drawto (plus x offset to center)   if x<0:plot abs(x)+11,y:else:drawto x+11,y:endif   pause 5:rem slow down title sequence until (x=16 and y=4) rem pick a level, or edit your own!  rem rerun on bad input trap #run ? ["  ~{lbar}1~{lbar}Easy ~{lbar}2~{lbar}Glasses ~{lbar}3~{lbar}House ~{lbar}4~{lbar}Four"] ? ["  ~{lbar}5~{lbar}City ~{lbar}6~{lbar}Cross ~{lbar}7~{lbar}Key ~{lbar}8~{lbar}Holes"] ? ["  ~{lbar}9~{lbar}Skull ~{lbar}10~{lbar}Yorgle ~{lbar}0~{lbar}Level editor"] input "Level";level:cls rem read level starting positions into x and y arrays for i=1 to 10:read w,x,y:wid(i)=w:x(i)=x:y(i)=y:next i rem main game loop do rem clear the screen Gr.3:rem mode 3 with text window for titles and instructions poke 710,0:rem black text window poke 752,1:rem get rid of cursor rem did the user pick the level editor? if level=0 and remaining=0     ? ,"Design your own level!"     ? [" ~{lbar}FIRE~{lbar}to plot/erase, hold~{lbar}FIRE~{lbar}to play"] rem set starting point pause 30 x=4:y=4:btime=time:mtime=time:oc=0:rem initialize cursor and times while 2-done-b rem blink the cursor   if time-btime>10:btime=time:b=1-b:color b*2-oc*b:plot x,y:endif REM get joystick position S=STICK(0)     dy=((S=13)-(S=14))*2     dx=((S=7)-(S=11))*2     rem look ahead to next spot     ny=y+dy:nx=x+dx     ny=y+dy*((ny>3) and (ny<19)):nx=x+dx*((nx>3) and (nx<35))     rem synchronize the movement in lockstep with timer     if time-mtime>20 and (dx or dy)     rem redraw original spot and draw next spot         color oc:plot x,y         x=nx:y=ny         locate x,y,oc         color 2:plot x,y         mtime=time     endif     if strig(0)=0       mtime=time:oc=1-oc:remaining=remaining+(oc*2-1):rem reset the move timer, increment the number of dots       repeat:until strig(0)       if time-mtime>60:rem if the user holds fire for more than a second, we're done         done=1         poke 712,180:poke 710,180:pause 10:poke 712,0:poke 710,0:rem flash the screen to confirm user is done       endif     endif wend rem remember position x(0)=x:y(0)=y rem read level into array in case of user reset for x=0 to 15 for y=0 to 7 locate 4+x*2,4+y*2,oc l(x,y)=oc>0 next y next x endif rem draw the level remaining=0:o=0 if level=0 rem recall user-created level from 2D array for x=0 to 15 for y=0 to 7 oc=l(x,y) color oc plot 4+x*2,4+y*2 remaining=remaining+oc:rem increment the number of dots next y next x rem recall position x=x(0):y=y(0)   cls:? [" ~{lbar}FIRE~{lbar}to retry level, ~{lbar}RESET~{lbar}for menu"] else rem offset into level string for current level = size of level for i=0 to level-1   o=o+wid(i) next i rem decode string color 1 wid=wid(level) for y=1 to wid   oc=asc(level$(o+y))   bit=0.5 for x=0 to 7 bit=bit*2 if (oc & bit = bit):plot y*2+18-wid,x*2+3:remaining=remaining+1:endif   next x  next y rem set starting point x=x(level)*2+20-wid:y=y(level)*2+3 endif rem play the level btime=time:mtime=time:original=remaining:rem initialize cursor and times pause 30:rem pause for dramatic effect while remaining>1   if time-btime>60:btime=time:b=1-b:color b*2:plot x,y:endif:rem blink the cursor REM get joystick position S=STICK(0)   dy=((S=13)-(S=14))   dx=((S=7)-(S=11))   rem look ahead to next spot     ny=y+dy:nx=x+dx     n2y=y+dy*2:n2x=x+dx*2     locate nx,ny,c:locate n2x,n2y,c2     rem synchronize the movement in lockstep with timer     if time-mtime>20       if c2=1 and c=0:rem can the player move in this direction?                  Poke 77,0:rem disable attract mode         color 2:plot x,y:plot nx,ny:plot n2x,n2y:rem move to next spot         x=n2x:y=n2y:remaining=remaining-1:mtime=time:rem update position, decrement spots, reset the move timer         rem make some noise! spread sound pitch over 0...255         pitch=255-(255/original)*remaining         sound 0,pitch,10,1       else:rem spoiler: the player cannot move in this direction   rem holy crashing noises batman       if dx or dy:poke 712,6:poke 710,6:pause 5:poke 712,0:poke 710,0:mtime=time:sound 0,pitch,2,8:pause 10:endif       sound      endif   endif   if strig(0)=0:exit:endif:rem pop out of the loop if the player presses the fire button (retry the level) wend sound:rem turn off the sound, just in case rem logic for end of level. restart if all done. if remaining=1   ?:? ,"     Well done!"   for x=0 to 255:poke 709,x:pause 1:next x:rem oo, fancy colors. maybe I should make a tenline light synth, ala llamasoft   if level=0:run:endif:rem if we finished our own user-created level, we're all done, so restart the game   level=(level+1) mod 11:rem increment the level, wrapping around to the level editor (level 0) at the end endif loop:rem end main game loop rem fill out this line with a tribute to HSW ?"All respect to Howard Scott Warshaw, to whom my Yorgle easter egg is dedicated. Good luck to all the 2022 NOMAM entrants!" rem trapped errors go here, restarting the game and redisplaying the menu #run run rem data needs to be at end of line so fill out the last line with it data -2,0,0,0,0,2,2,2,2,4,0,4,-4,0,4,4,-8,0,6,0,6,4,8,4,8,2,-10,0,10,4,-12,0,12,4,14,4,-18,0,16,0,16,2,18,2,18,4,16,4,7,2,2,7,2,2,4,1,4,6,5,5,9,0,0,7,5,3,10,4,3,6,0,1,5,0,0,16,4,2 rem data has level widths and starting x and y pos too (width,x,y for each level)                       starting here|1     2     3     4     5     6     7      8     9     10```

 Obfuscated 10 line listing

```basic

0_=%1+%3:A2=%3+_:Z=%3+A2:A0=%1+Z:A3=255:A1=710:A4=%2+A1:POKE580,%1:POKE82,%0:DIMA$(A3),A(16,8),B(Z),C(Z),D(Z):A$="<atascii-encoded levels>":GR.%3:POKEA1,%0:C.%1:F.A=%0TO%2:F.B=%0TO9 1PL.B*%2+A0,A*%2:N.B:N.A:C.%0:PL.25,%0:PL.25,%2:C.%2:REP.:READB,A:IFB<%0:PL.ABS(B)+A0,A:EL.:DR.B+A0,A:END.:PA.5:U.B=16ANDA=_:T.#A:?"  _1_Easy _2_Glasses _3_House _4_Four":?"  _5_City _6_Cross _7_Key _8_Holes":?"  _9_Skull _10_Yorgle _0_Level editor" 2I."Level";C:CLS:F.D=%1TOZ:READE,B,A:B(D)=E:C(D)=B:D(D)=A:N.D:DO:GR.%3:POKEA1,%0:POKE752,%1:IFC=%0ANDF=%0:?,"Design your own level!":?" _Fire_ to plot/erase, hold _Fire_ to play":PA.30:B=_:A=_:G=TIME:H=TIME:I=%0:W.%2-J-K:IFTIME-G>Z:G=TIME:K=%1-K:C.K*%2-I*K 3PL.B,A:END.:L=STICK(%0):M=((L=13)-(L=14))*%2:N=((L=A2)-(L=A0))*%2:O=A+M:P=B+N:O=(O>%3ANDO<19)*M+A:P=(P>%3ANDP<35)*N+B:IFTIME-H>20AND(N ORM):C.I:PL.B,A:B=P:A=O:LOC.B,A,I:C.%2:PL.B,A:H=TIME:END.:IFSTRIG(%0)=%0:H=TIME:I=%1-I:F=I*%2-%1+F:REP.:U.STRIG(%0) 4IFTIME-H>60:J=%1:POKEA4,180:POKEA1,180:PA.Z:POKEA4,%0:POKEA1,%0:END.:END.:WE.:C(%0)=B:D(%0)=A:F.B=%0TO15:F.A=%0TOA2:LOC.B*%2+_,A*%2+_,I:A(B,A)=I>%0:N.A:N.B:END.:F=%0:Q=%0:IFC=%0:F.B=%0TO15:F.A=%0TOA2:I=A(B,A):C.I:PL.B*%2+_,A*%2+_:F=F+I:N.A:N.B:B=C(%0) 5A=D(%0):CLS:?" _Fire_ to retry level, _Reset_ for menu":EL.:F.D=%0TOC-%1:Q=B(D)+Q:N.D:C.%1:R=B(C):F.A=%1TOR:I=ASC(A$(Q+A)):S=.5:F.B=%0TOA2:S=S*%2:IFI&S=S:PL.A*%2+18-R,B*%2+%3:F=F+%1:END.:N.B:N.A:B=C(C)*%2+20-R:A=D(C)*%2+%3:END.:G=TIME:H=TIME:T=F 6PA.30:W.F>%1:IFTIME-G>60:G=TIME:K=%1-K:C.K*%2:PL.B,A:END.:L=STICK(%0):M=(L=13)-(L=14):N=(L=A2)-(L=A0):O=A+M:P=B+N:U=M*%2+A:V=N*%2+B:LOC.P,O,W:LOC.V,U,X:IFTIME-H>20:IFX=%1ANDW=%0:POKE77,%0:C.%2:PL.B,A:PL.P,O:PL.V,U:B=V:A=U:F=F-%1:H=TIME 7Y=A3-A3/T*F:SO.%0,Y,Z,%1:EL.:IFN ORM:POKEA4,6:POKEA1,6:PA.5:POKEA4,%0:POKEA1,%0:H=TIME:SO.%0,Y,%2,8:PA.Z:END.:SO.:END.:END.:IFSTRIG(%0)=%0:EX.:END.:WE.:SO.:IFF=%1:?:?,"     Well done!":F.B=%0TOA3:POKE709,B:PA.%1:N.B:IFC=%0:RUN:END.:C=(C+%1)MODA0:END.:LOOP 8?"All respect to Howard Scott Warshaw, to whom my Yorgle easter egg is dedicated. Good luck to all the 2022 NOMAM entrants!" 9#A:RUN:D.-2,0,0,0,0,2,2,2,2,4,0,4,-4,0,4,4,-8,0,6,0,6,4,8,4,8,2,-10,0,10,4,-12,0,12,4,14,4,-18,0,16,0,16,2,18,2,18,4,16,4,7,2,2,7,2,2,4,1,4,6,5,5,9,0,0,7,5,3,10,4,3,6,0,1,5,0,0,16,4,2õ```

## Get in touch 📩

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