Running Load Runner from VICE command Line - help

[Macguyver]

I'm using Latest version of VICE 3.2 (WinVICE-3.2-x86-r34842)

Need to use a command line due to my setup to run a cartridge ROM of "Load Runner".

I have a number of ROMs, one of which is called "Load Runner.zip" which contains the following 2 files:
Lode Runner-6000.prg
Lode Runner-a000.prg

Having a heck of a time getting this game to run. Would love some pointers. With a number of other cartridges the -cartgeneric command is all I need to run the games. Doesn't work here. The screen briefly flashes like a hard reset, that's it.

I think the issue has something to do with the fact that both files are required to run the game, but how do I attach two files via command line, especially if they are contained in a zip file?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Note that I can get the game to run by using the windows interface by running both files, but I am asking specifically for the command line solution. Thank you!

[Mayhem]

XVIC -cart6 Lode Runner-6000.prg -cartA Lode Runner-A000.prg

You need the argument cartX, where X = 2, 4, 6, A, specifies the memory block to attach it to.

Not sure you can execute loading the game with the files in a zip.

[Macguyver]

Hi Mayhem, big thanks for the help!

I'm using a front end (Launchbox) with VICE, and I didn't have any luck (yet) in getting it to run both files within a zip file. Also I would need more time to sort out how to run two separate ROM files with this front end with the command line instructions you gave. Wasn't straightforward with the short time I spent on it so far.

However, I was not aware of the cartX command, and I was able to find a combined ROM file from a TOSEC collection which was a single file. I have never been able to get these combined CRT files to work, but with cartX and your info below, it works perfectly!

I'm curious, are almost all Vic20 games available in the combined CRT format, as well as multipart?

Boy, I can just imagine how much work must have gone into getting things running smoothly in the Vic20 Gamebase.

[eslapion]

However, I was not aware of the cartX command,

It's the only way to tell XVIC where exactly to load the data for ROM cartridges.

... and I was able to find a combined ROM file from a TOSEC collection which was a single file.

Explosion here. Lode Runner uses BLK3 and BLK5 and these areas are well separated so the very notion of a single file to cover 2 completely separated memory areas seem to involve a complex custom filing system.

Back in the early 80s, you had a few 16k or 24k RAM expansions modded to spontaneously toggle an 8k RAM block between BLK 2 and BLK 5 so with these you could have a single file which would load into BLK 2 and 3 then swap the content of BLK 2 to become visible in BLK5 then reset. It's the only combined version I know of Lode Runner and other 16k game cartridges for the VIC-20.

There is absolutely no such thing in VICE or any versions thereof so AFAIK, this single file version is in a format which comes from Neptune...

I have never been able to get these combined CRT files to work, but with cartX and your info below, it works perfectly!

I'm curious, are almost all Vic20 games available in the combined CRT format, as well as multipart?

AFAIK, there is no such thing as a .CRT format for the VIC-20. It exists only on the C64 because on that machine, you don't simply load data in specific memory areas. C64 carts are more complex than that.

Boy, I can just imagine how much work must have gone into getting things running smoothly in the Vic20 Gamebase.

I've been using VIC-20 cartridge images since 1982 (I was 12 then) and they are incredibly simple to use... when you know what you do.