STE and games, overview

[ParanoidLittleMan]

You people missed one out, i think it was done by a french publisher

game was called steel or high steel, if i recall correctly it was the first game released that used the ste's enhanced capabilities

 

I checked Steel and High Steel with Steem Debugger. None uses STE enhancements.

But it may be interesting to know which was the first. Perhaps Whitewater Madness by Atari ?

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Found another 2 ones: Exterminator - ADMA , Titan (Fox) - ADMA, HWS - but most of cracks around missing STE part.

[dml]

Cisco Heat (ADMA, BLIT, ?EPAL?)

 

The last one probably needs checked/compared, I can't remember for sure...

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Actually, I checked all what I listed. It goes pretty fast with Steem Debugger. At Cisco Heat may be that only some static screens have EPAL - as it is by some ones listed. Then, EPAL may be well visible by (sky) gradients for instance.

Of course, you are welcome to check it yourself. If possible with original.

Edited January 28, 2013 by ParanoidLittleMan

[ataricrypt]

I think this thread deserved a little bump ; ) .. I've found it useful and thanks so much all.

I wish Carlos used the h/w scrolling!! And surely Robocod was a joke? But I didn't realise Ghost Battle used the blitter.. that's why it's ace!

Cheers

Steve

[ParanoidLittleMan]

In meantime I gained some useful experience about horizontal scrolling on ST(E) . For instance, there is many game using similar way as Carlos - when player goes near to left or eight edge of screen, it performs fast, rough scrolling, instead constant scrolling and keeping player in middle of screen. Usual excuse for such way is: ST has no scrolling support in HW (unlike Amiga) , But there is number of such even on Amiga. Truth is that constant smooth scrolling needs some other things too: RAM where map data for locations left and right is prepared to be displayed + mask data (what is used in collision detections for instance) . If level is big, it can not fit in RAM, so you need to process in background during gameplay. Some solved it pretty simple: Giana Sisters creates bitmap for whole level at once, but it's only 6.4 screens.

We can see that number of games using STE HW scrolling is very little. In some cases fine scroll is solved via blitter (Ghos Battle), and I can say that it's pretty good way. For cases, when not whole width is to scroll horizontally blitter is actually much better way.

But, and here comes the real interesting part: good scrolling is possible without blitter, STE HW scroll, but with good programming: Stario games, Terry's Big Adventure . This 2 with full screen width. Much more with little narrowed screen. There is pretty long code in them, only for scrolling.

[calimero]

^

CarVup also have nice scroll on ST

[ataricrypt]

I thought The Untouchables at the first level is pretty darn nice also ^^

[IainGrimm]

Interphase is STe enhanced, runs buttery smooth and there are extra effects on ceiling and floor, it actually runs better than the Amiga version.

 

Platoon & Defender of the Crown don't work on the STe at all, I spoke to PPera about it ages ago asking if anyone had a fix, it only works on earlier TOS machines and not STe.

 

DOTC has been adapted and fixed for the STe now but Platoon has yet to be sorted.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Interphase is STe enhanced, runs buttery smooth and there are extra effects on ceiling and floor, it actually runs better than the Amiga version.

 

Platoon & Defender of the Crown don't work on the STe at all, I spoke to PPera about it ages ago asking if anyone had a fix, it only works on earlier TOS machines and not STe.

 

DOTC has been adapted and fixed for the STe now but Platoon has yet to be sorted.

Yes, Interphase is marked at Atarimania as STE enhanced too. However, and I checked it again with TOS 1.62 and STX img. of org. release - there is no any usage of STE features . So, if you can give more details - which exact version of game, maybe some screenshot about that extra effects. Btw. it is released in 1989, so STE support seems unlikely.

Platoon works fine under TOS 1.06 and 1.62 . Again - give details on what config, what version works not. I did hard disk v. 80%, but had no time to test it little more .

In case of Defender of the Crown - hard disk version has fix for STE. I need to do floppy version with same.

[ataricrypt]

Anarchy, on Atari Mania says STe enhanced also. Plays amazing too on my Atari STe - 50fps?

Hardware scrolling? Or just amazing programming? I'm enjoying it anyhow

Edited September 8, 2015 by ataricrypt

[Christos]

Anarchy is 50fps on all ST's.

[ataricrypt]

So amazing programming then

[Christos]

Yes, but not a really good game. There are very few games that find that little balance between great game and great coding.

[ataricrypt]

Aww mate, I loved this! ....but I know what you mean

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Interphase is STe enhanced, runs buttery smooth and there are extra effects on ceiling and floor, it actually runs better than the Amiga version.

 

Platoon & Defender of the Crown don't work on the STe at all, I spoke to PPera about it ages ago asking if anyone had a fix, it only works on earlier TOS machines and not STe.

 

DOTC has been adapted and fixed for the STe now but Platoon has yet to be sorted.

SInce no reply on my reply: I posted DOTC floppy version fixed for STE: http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/D/defcrown.php

If possible, pls. not disappear, but give arguments for your claims, or say that were wrong. There is already enough confusion with this.

[IainGrimm]

SInce no reply on my reply: I posted DOTC floppy version fixed for STE: http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/D/defcrown.php

If possible, pls. not disappear, but give arguments for your claims, or say that were wrong. There is already enough confusion with this.

 

Right, please don't pull me over non replies, I am a carer for my mother in law who is currently terminally ill with lung cancer, I don't always remember or have time to reply to every response on the internet.

 

Anyhow, the STe version of interphase runs a fair bit faster and smoother, the blocks on the ceiling and floor on the STe are full squares that you fly through, on standard ST I believe the are just hollow square shapes (tested using Steem so may have been error)

 

DOTC I greatly appreciate you sorting a disc version, means I can write it onto a new disc and put it in with my original that crashes

 

Platoon does not work on TOS 1.62, I picked up the Hit Squad re release and it won't load in, you get the load screen but then it bombs. When I spoke to you last you recommended getting Pasti and linked me the American version of the game to run using Steem, you said it was going to be a fair bit or work converting it to run from HD or even fix, it was a while ago though.

 

I do need to update my collection from your site actually, last time I got anything was Game Over so quite a bit to be downloading and putting on SD card.