+Random Terrain Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 (edited) I knew that some nice person would eventually make something like Batari BASIC, but I thought it would take longer. It's a cool surprise to have something so soon. I only use Batari BASIC with attendo's IDE and as he adds more things to it over time like a search function and a pfpixel editor that is very similar to his sprite editor, it will be even more fun to use. What I would like to know is why there aren't more people posting in this forum. If you are as happy about the existence of Batari BASIC as I am, how about posting a quick message here? Are you happy about having a chance to make something for the Atari 2600? Even if it might be simple, you're still making something that will work on an Atari 2600. That's something to get happy about (if you're not an Atari 2600 programmer already). Edited August 5, 2005 by Random Terrain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I'm excited about it. I just doubt I can make the time to do anything with it. I've always been a fan of BASIC, and it's pretty much the only thing I'll program in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I am probably not as happy as non-assembler programmers, but I am not against is also. IMO every little bit helps (except some unnecessay "elitist" allegations). Maybe I will even use it myself for some rapid-prototyping of some game ideas, if there will be some more and flexible kernels available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djmips Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Definately happy! The more the merrier. I'm also planning on using bbasic to implement a game that would have taken me a little longer to get off the ground if I was going pure assembler. The great thing about bbasic is that it's geared for it's target and is evolving. A lot of us have so little spare time to devote to this hobby, so it's great to have something that can save time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsuinnc Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I'm thrilled that it's here. I hope it continues to (quickly) evolve with more kernals etc. I have not been able to do anything substantial with it (which may be my own lack of imagination) but I have had a hell of a lot fun playing around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 The great thing about bbasic is that it's geared for it's target and is evolving. Actually the evolving aspect is a mixed blessing; there's some stuff I want to do, documentation-wise and "need fixed point math"-wise that I'm holding out on 'til I see what's coming down the pike from those mad typin' fingers of Batari. But I think my enthusiasm for bB is evident in my work to do a webpage (which is in need of updating right now, but hey), talking with the AA higherups to get its own forum, and making stuff like NECG Drumma and also some teaching little things, like the music engine and the little thingy that can fly 16 directions. Re: this forum...my advice is not to sweat it too much, when it seems like it's not getting the traffic/focus it deserves. Even though it's very accesible, it remains a geekly pursuit, the language is still young anyway, and a from-scratch bB project doesn't even have the built-in name recognition that most hacks do. Maybe bB will surge in popularity, maybe it will just remain the interest of a small group of coders. Either way, trying to mother hen the board won't help. 3 cheers for Batari! I remember when the first 0.1 came out, and it had a very rigid parser, and the line numbers which I knew were probably arbitrary, and I thought "hmmm, maybe I could write my own AtariScript language and take care of some of that, now that he's shown me the plausibility of it" but the fact is bB has already put so much work into it, and it's getting better and better, and bB is smart in so many ways that I'd have trouble duplicating, that for me to do anything like it A. probably would never stack up to bB and B. if it did would just split people's energy anyway. I just hope we can give bB enough enthusiasm feedback to get him to keep plugging away at it, after a while the kind of work he's doing can be a grind, and hearing that people really appreciate it can help urge him to keep making progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEBRO Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I think Batari is a good thing even though I haven't used it myself or played with it. I could also possibly help in the 7800 arena. I haven't looked at Batari so this is just a theory. Since the 7800 and 2600 both use the 6502 family of processors and they share some of the same registers, it may help to jump start 7800 development too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybergoth Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Hi there! ... Wow, you managed to type more than 10 lines of text without mentioning JP/FP Haha... Ok, on the subject: Not sure if I'm happy, but it doesn't hurt either. People seem to have fun with it, so it's definitely a good thing to exist Greetings, Manuel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Wow, you managed to type more than 10 lines of text without mentioning JP/FP Did I already mention that the name "FlapPing" was MY original(!) idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Wow, am I that bad? Maybe I have an inferiority complex, since JP/FP was low on the complexity meter and bB games are approaching it... It would be interesting to use the search engine to do a ratio of JP/non-JP mentioning posts, especially in this forum...all kidding aside, doing a game "the hard way" has I think helped me add to the bB discussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potatohead Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Wow, am I that bad? Not a problem for me at least. When something takes that much effort to complete, it's natural to talk about it. Maybe I have an inferiority complex, since JP/FP was low on the complexity meter and bB games are approaching it... Hehe, wait until folks understand kernels better It would be interesting to use the search engine to do a ratio of JP/non-JP mentioning posts, especially in this forum...all kidding aside, doing a game "the hard way" has I think helped me add to the bB discussions. Yep. Lots of good stuff to be learned yet. Am I happy? Yeah. I like the language --always have. Basic is just fun because it makes sense and has very few syntax issues. Having a basic that runs fast like this one is just a hoot. Brings back A800 memories, only with less overall pain to get stuff running good. Best moment for me so far, programming wise, was the realization that I could easily program mind-numbing action with little hassle. If I can get a paddle read for ooze, look out! It will be insanely fast and furious! Never had that ability before. Well, not true. C / asm are capable, but not in such a short timeframe. Having the kids play the game I wrote, for a couple hours, was great fun too. I'm looking forward to what other people create. The games we have so far have been fun and interesting. Another rev or two and some attention should yield some great stuff to play and tinker with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
128bytes Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I'm very happy and looking forward to playing with it. Good idea for a topic, RT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambler172 Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Hi i like Batari Basic too,but unfortunately i cannot program in Basic very good. It would be great,if someone could write a manual for Batari Basic,which is easy to understand for beginners. greetings Gambler172 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uosipa llamxew Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I think that Batari Basic is an excellent idea. Although I haven't taken the time to write anything myself, I'm loving all the new games and demos that keep popping up. I'm now optimistic that should I ever decide to try my hand at a VCS game, the option is there to start more simply and learn the more difficult stuff as I go. Often there are interesting game ideas posted on these boards, but programmers have their hands full with their own projects; these ideas are discarded and forgotten. I think that Batari Basic will prove that a good idea can go a long way when a person has a means to put it into action. It really has been a good year for the Atari homebrew scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted August 3, 2005 Author Share Posted August 3, 2005 It would be great,if someone could write a manual for Batari Basic,which is easy to understand for beginners. 903783[/snapback] I don't have a manual, but I do have something that might be kind of helpful. I had to take a few days off from working on it, but I'm back working on my own personal HTML help file so I can understand it better. I have rearranged the order of things and added a lot more links on the page so that I can find things better. If It's OK with batari and others, I could upload it to my web site and let you look at it when I'm done in case it might help. Don't get your hopes too high though, it's made to help my brain understand it better, so it may not help you at all. Often there are interesting game ideas posted on these boards, but programmers have their hands full with their own projects; these ideas are discarded and forgotten. I think that Batari Basic will prove that a good idea can go a long way when a person has a means to put it into action.903792[/snapback] Yeah, now people can try out their own ideas. That's more fun anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uosipa llamxew Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 If It's OK with batari and others, I could upload it to my web site and let you look at it when I'm done in case it might help. Don't get your hopes too high though, it's made to help my brain understand it better, so it may not help you at all. I can't speak for batari (or anyone else), but I'm interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjsonique Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Yes, I'm definitely very happy that Batari BASIC has come out. I've already plotted out the gameplay for a very (I mean VERY) simple RPGish game (main map screenshot below), but I'm waiting on the multi-sprite kernel and the next version of bB to come out before I dive in for good, but even the little I've done has been quite fun to create. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tork110 Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Seeing how I can check off Atari 2600 from the list of systems I want to make a game for (Colecovision, NES, etc.) I'll have to say yes. Plus, I was able to make the game I wanted to make when I was reading the tutorial by Andrew Davie. Too bad I've fallen so behind on my second game. Gotta put the GameCube down and get back to that gravity algorithm I need to make. I had to scrap an earlier game I had in mind, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Am I happy that there's a BASIC compiler for the 2600? If you'll pardon my French, HELL yes! I haven't been this excited about programming since I tried my first BASIC compiler, Quick BASIC 4.5. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s0c7 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEBRO Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 One small suggestion...how about changing the name to StellaBASIC or BASICStella? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I'm also happy to see Batari BASIC hit the scene, as it considerably lowers the (rather high) barrier of entry to develop new Atari 2600 games. While some of these games may not be the caliber we've come to expect from homebrew authors developing games purely in assembly, some people will probably use Batari BASIC as a stepping stone to learning Assembly. And I'm sure many enjoyable games will be created with Batari BASIC, games we might never otherwise have seen on the 2600. And it's also good for quick prototyping of ideas. Hell, I may do this myself. I look forward to watching how Batari BASIC evolves and hope to enjoy many games that are either created entirely with it, or started with it. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 stellaBASIC isn't a bad name, though batari Basic has some force behind it, and emerged from the grassroots, kind of as a way of thanking Batari for his work on it. Batari himself gave approval to the change from his original "2600 BASIC". I think stellaBASIC is somewhat of a better name, partially because an Infotari lawyer might think that "Batari" was just a cheap scheme to justify using the trademark Atari but slapping an alliterative B in front of it. (As far as I know the lawyers wouldn't be aware of Atari's use of "Stella".) On the other hand, to newbies stellaBASIC doesn't suggest 2600 programming the way "Batari" does, and somewhat less newbies might be confused why there's a "stella list" that doesn't have much to do with the BASIC language. Overall I'd leave it up to the language creator. At this point, anything that makes him happy and more likely to keep chugging at developing the language is all right by me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potatohead Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I'm for batari basic personally. The name is catchy and it really is his basic, complete with it's own growing syntax and rules, etc... Keep StellaBasic in reserve if the lawyers come calling, IMHO (That's a good name too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Leave it as Batari BASIC. The man deserves credit for his great work on this compiler. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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