Spent some time this week optimizing the code a bit more. This has resulted in MOAR BULLETS which makes the game a lot more fun, as I have increased the fire rate for the ship dramatically.
It's also allowed me to add zooming scores that fly up off the explosions as you rack up points, which looks really nice and gives the screen a more action packed feeling. Plus it was very nice to get some new artwork from the sparehead three, who has been understandably busy recently.
More changes
Just wrapping up on another Reboot project, which means its nice to be working on this again!
The final code module required is nearing completion - the high score / name entry / eeprom management screen. With this done, I can finally start assembling a 'feature complete and working' ROM - leaving 'only' bug fixes, level designs and clean up left.
Lots of work ahead, but the end is finally in sight!
Well, you may or may not have heard about the little group of developers I'm a part of called Reboot. Anyway, we've been making some new games recently for the Atari Jaguar.
Last weekend we released a new mini game called "Downfall" - which you can read all about here.
At the same event that this was released (AC11 in France) we also previewed one of the other games we've been working on, called Rebooteroids. You can see a video of this in action here - I plan on continuing to blog the p
Well, It feels like ages since I wrote anything here... so what have we been up to?
Well, we've released HMS Raptor - and I've been cleaning the source code up to get ready to ship with the RAPTOR library.
We've re-worked Kobayashi Maru to v1.1 (FINAL! - even the titlescreen says so!) ready to be sent off to the pressing factory, and then turned into available to buy boxes.
We've converted Rebooteroids from a ROM cased cart format to a CD-ROM application. This means we'll be able to s
1up did a nice roundup of homebrew games here.
Lots of multiplatform hombrew fun, congratulations to everyone on that list! It's an honour for one of our games to be one of the two Jaguar titles mentioned. I would personally have selected Superfly DX over Downfall, but I won't complain!
Today is a good day
Wow, three weeks since I posted anything. What's been going on?
I did start work on the Challenges screen for Rebooteroids, and actually got it working so you could move around it, both with a Jaguar pad and also a rotary controller. And then we got sidetracked. Twice. Or possibly three times.
The first sidetrack resulted in what could be a fun multiplayer game should we ever finish it, and also some rather nice libraries for us to use in the future.
The second sidetrack was a return
Well, another project successfully completed, and a new game engine/api announced. Busy week! Many thanks to u-235 for committing to the RAPTOR project and handling the audio side of things! Collaboration ROCKS, far more gets achieved when people work together instead of dance together
Head over the the Reboot website for more details, and thanks for reading.
Push those buttons!
Just in case people are sitting on the fence over getting one, I would recommend that you source one with at least 72 clicks per spin (ie, Chaos Reigns)
The game will allow you to calibrate to whatever you get, but higher is better.
As for button/rocker - I can't comment. I don't own one of the rocker type controllers, so it's not been tested with it. It looks like it works ok with tempest, but the controls are significantly different for Rebooteroids. You have to hold a button for thru
OK, so real life is still keeping us all busy, but we have managed to almost finish the Raptor example game we mentioned (It just needs some sound effects and a few spot graphics) so that should be around soon.
I took some time this week to look back at the Rebooteroids code, and I'm not at all happy with it. Raptor's object handling was derived from the core code from this game, however this early 'version' of the engine (before it was even an engine) is, compared to the current Raptor bui
Things are still moving forward. This week we've seen some major work done on Rebooteroids for the first time it what feels like ages. Off and on over the last few months I've dabbled with the code, but recently sh3 has been able to spend some time working the graphics and we have had several discussions regarding game play and mechanics which has resulted in a much improved new build. If you are all very, very good you may even get some screenies soon
I know we also said we were taking th
HAPPY DAY: Rebooteroids - Primary coding completed.......
So, is it finished? No. Still awaiting some assets (music, graphics, level data), play-testing and any and all bug-fixes that brings to the surface.
However, this is a major milestone! - CJ
More slow progress. Time is really limited lately, and the time that is available seems to be spent saying things like 'golly gosh darn it's a tad bit brisk this evening. I can't jolly well feel my fingers it is so blummin' chilly and make no mistake!' (Or slightly more colourful versions of the previous sentence....)
[edit] ColoUrful is not a typo, Atari Age!!!! Silly Americans missing letters out of words. [/edit]
Anyway, the bonus pickups now decay away back to regular mode, the bac
I'm finally getting back into doing some more work on Roids, and spent some time today working on some more powerups.
So, today we have the all new Dual Shot, Triple Shot and Rear Shot powerups. I'm also considering a "Death Blossom" powerup which when activated will spin around firing randomly, and then leave your ship powered down, drifting and unable to move or fire for a short period. I need to plan this one out a bit more though, because I don't want to use any extra buttons for the
Played with the code a bit more today, this is currently awaiting testing on real hardware by the testing team
(Yes, that's a 2nd player... that thing we initially promised, then said we removed.... Are there any Jaguar owners out there with a friend, and a second rotary?)
Well, the name of the game has leaked out..... but that is ok!
The final build has just been uploaded to our internal testing share and the play testers are all over it. If you would like to be one of the first people to play our new Jaguar game then I suggest you head over to eJagFest this coming weekend and say a big "Hi!" to sh3 at the Reboot table.
It will, of course, be available to download shortly after the event from our website, however what it actually is is in no way as impo
I haven't updated this in a while... not because we haven't been busy, and not because there's nothing to report, but because, well, I've just not felt like it lately.
Many, many non-Jaguar (or even hobby) related things are happening at this time, both with myself and with the other guys in Reboot, so much so that 'Reboot' is taking a back seat to reality (as it should) and things have slowed down.
But, there is a heartbeat, if you listen closely enough.
We have in the wings....
Well, real-life elbows its way back into things. For the next few months Reboot will be busy doing non-Reboot things, however we will be back. RAPTOR development will be continued by Matmook in the meantime, and hopefully I'll get some time here and there to help out.
See you all on the other side of this short intermission!
CJ.
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