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solidcorp

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Posts posted by solidcorp

  2. Posted

    LMAO, this is just another homebrew, not a Picasso.

     

    To you "it's just another homebrew" to the developer of the game (or most homebrews for that matter) its 100s of hours of their time to make it.

     

    LOL

     

    Hey, Syntaxerror999 is the one who was interested in the distribution rights and authenticity. :)

     

    You could get Howard Scott Warshaw to sign it?

     

    Howard Scott Warshaw and I live about 1900 miles apart making that prohibitive, and that is assuming that he would be willing to sign it. That would be fantastic though, but I don't want to be presumptuous.

     

    If you're going to authenticate it with some markings. ...

     

    Really cool ideas Keatah, although I'm pretty sure any kind of hair under the label will suffice for DNA analysis. :P I could also scratch the ground plane somewhere and put a drop of sodium per-sulfate or ferric chloride etchant on it to create a unique pattern. I really like the analogy of it being a 3D checksum.

     

    Scott.

  3. Posted

    And finally, let's not get ahead of ourselves, I will be hard pressed to ever find one buyer at a fraction of the asking price, let alone ten. :)

    ...even though no serious Atari 2600 collection can be complete without it.

     

    And rich dudes out there consider your popularity if you not only became the guy who bought the most rare and expensive game ever, but ALSO became a hero by releasing the game for all to enjoy!

     

    :roll: Too Gorfy? :roll: Too tacky? :roll:

     

    I thought so.

     

    Just kidding (I've had a few glasses of wine)

     

    Cheers ;)

  4. Posted

    My issue is at $32k it should come with the distribution rights and all copies of the biraries. Basicly it would become the intulectual property of the buyer. THAT would make the price fair. And to say "ask the buyer if its ok to make more later on" is like robbing someone then kicking them in the crotch.

    Several took issue with the $32k itself, now it "should" come with distribution rights? A deal is an agreement between two willing parties. I have described terms that I am comfortable with, If there is something you would like ask for it.

     

    Are you or anyone else interested in the distribution rights? If so, contact me directly. I've promised that if the buyer asks that I release it I will. If not, all bets are off. I'm reasonable and flexible if you or anyone else has a more "creative" idea.

     

    And not to make accuasations... but whats to stop you from telling like 10 people they are buying the "only copy"

     

    No accusation taken, but in defense of my honor consider that I have been making video games for 30 years, professionally for 24 starting at Atari. I've owned two successful video game software development companies, one video production company, and I have been nothing if not honorable. Until now, I've been a rather boring figure in video game history. If you don't believe me (and you shouldn't) look it up or ask people who've worked with me.

     

    But you raise one very real and serious issue: How do we authenticate a one and only true original cartridge?

     

    I offer the following suggestions...

     

    A notarized sealed privately held series of detailed digital photographs along with a certificate of authenticity signed by me could document the original cartridge.

     

    The following features make it unique:

     

    1. The cartridge PCB was hand cut with a Dremel rotary tool.
    2. The PCB had to be altered, additional components were added, and the entire board was hand soldered which leaves unique solder patterns nearly impossible to recreate.
    3. The cartridge case was milled on a machine that I made. There are literally thousands of tool marks and a few slight imperfections that I am aware of that are unique to the cartridge shell.
    4. The first half case came loose in the clamps and was destroyed by the tool, the second was too thick, the third and fourth fit but I hadn't accounted for the size of the EEPROM in the socket. I had run out of time before VGS so I had to hand Dremel some of the interior of the cartridge away leaving irregular "craftsman" tool marks.
    5. The cartridge PCB sat ever so slightly too far back in the first prototype and didn't make contact in the VCS (I was heartbroken). It has to be held forward by two thicknesses of a CD case that were hand cut with shears, they should also be unique and irreplaceable.
    6. I should sign the cartridge somewhere - inside or out.
    7. I should mark (scribe) the cartridge PCB and/or shell with a serial number 00001. (What to you think, more zeroes? too many?)
    8. I should add and document secret markings for authentication only. The documents should be sealed and stored for if and when authentication ever needs to be validated.

    All of these details should be impossible to recreate or at least uneconomical for the price asked.

     

    There is no way I can think of to authenticate a program burned into a particular ROM. I could fill some unused portion of the ROM with a watermark or secret checksum or something but ultimately it can be easily copied.

     

    And finally, let's not get ahead of ourselves, I will be hard pressed to ever find one buyer at a fraction of the asking price, let alone ten. :)

  5. Posted

    If I ever finish Ballblazer, maybe we could just trade and then both release our sources and binairies to the public? :D

     

    hehehe, I loved Ballblazer too (along with Boulderdash) - It took a while staring but I thought that's what your profile pic was.

     

    :D

     

    It's a sort of resolution experiment, which should increase resolution for moving sprites. And making masking big sprites easier because the raster is fixed. I don't know if I'm going to use it in my homebrew, but I'll know soon, I'm working on the sprite-part at the moment.

     

    You can download the latest binairy here

     

    Wow, it not only looks great - spot on as a matter of fact - but it feels great. You nailed the weight, motion and colors, and did a really fantastic job using the playfield bits for the checkerboard. They look remarkably high res - just like they did with the stretched player bits on the original on the Atari 400/800. The antialiased horizontal lines between the checkerboard squares are awesome too. I can't wait to see it when it's done.

     

    How are you planning on doing the rotofoils, ball, and the goal? - the 400/800 had 4 players, missiles (and a ball? I don't think so I forget) and still stretched them - I bet there's a way to do it well though.

    • Like 2

  6. Posted · Edited by solidcorp

     

    I should have been clearer... I'm speaking of driving vertically, but to the right (or left) of the rings, so you can go continuously, without bouncing off the rings. Of course to fire on the rings you need to rotate, fire, "un-rotate", but that's true regardless of whether you're driving straight up or on an angle. Now I wish there was a machine I could find locally, or I had a proper controller for MAME (not that I'd use MAME, of course, because that would be illegal and all that ;) ).

     

    That won't work because you'll run right into the sparks once you've wrapped the screen.

     

    The method in the video "stretches the playfield."

    I'm talking about when the sparks follow you across the edge of the screen. I'll need to try this again, someday, I guess.

     

    Ah, reread the post and I agree, if you just keep wrapping, vertically or horizontally in either the coin op or 2600...

    • If you do keep thrusting without pointing at the shields, it's hard to get shots in on the shields and cannon.
    • If you don't keep thrusting you will decelerate to a stop and the sparks or fuzzball (I don't know what the cannons shot is called) will get you.
    • If you do keep wrapping, eventually the sparks will drift into your path, you can keep shooting them but they don't score, that's just a stalemate at best, people usually try it sooner or later, feel like they are winning but eventually the timing of the sparks allows one of them to clip or broadside you.

  7. Posted

     

    I should have been clearer... I'm speaking of driving vertically, but to the right (or left) of the rings, so you can go continuously, without bouncing off the rings. Of course to fire on the rings you need to rotate, fire, "un-rotate", but that's true regardless of whether you're driving straight up or on an angle. Now I wish there was a machine I could find locally, or I had a proper controller for MAME (not that I'd use MAME, of course, because that would be illegal and all that ;) ).

     

    That won't work because you'll run right into the sparks once you've wrapped the screen.

     

    The method in the video "stretches the playfield."

    I'm talking about when the sparks follow you across the edge of the screen. I'll need to try this again, someday, I guess.

     

    I'm not sure what "stretches the playfield" means, but...

    the sparks stop at the edge of the screen and respawn in the center. I know they could occasionally follow the ship across the edges of the screen in the coin op and they rode shields (or places shields should be) on the rings to get out, but they don't do that on the 2600, that was one of the compromises I had to make. They eventually get faster than the ship now, but I believe can still be outmaneuvered.

     

     

    I could tone it down but ran out of time, bytes, and cycles before VGS. There's compromises in every coin op port to a lesser capable platform. Despite these compromises the game really captures the feel and play of Star Castle, at least for everyone who has played it so far who knows the coin op. It sounds like you know the coin op much better than anyone who has played it so far. I wonder how many you would notice if I didn't outline them here.

  8. Posted

    [ I also announced that I would be willing to sell it as a one of a kind item and if sold I'd be willing to release the source and binaries.

     

    Similar things have been done with unreleased prototypes and extremely rare games, thought the decision to release the binary has usually rested with the purchaser of the 'rare' game. This time things are a bit different since you are the author of the game. I suppose once the original is sold both you and the new owner would have the right to release the rom.

     

    I hope you find a buyer, because I'd love to play your game.

     

    I think that is the kindest sentiment I've heard, thank you very much.

     

    :)

  10. Posted

     

    I should have been clearer... I'm speaking of driving vertically, but to the right (or left) of the rings, so you can go continuously, without bouncing off the rings. Of course to fire on the rings you need to rotate, fire, "un-rotate", but that's true regardless of whether you're driving straight up or on an angle. Now I wish there was a machine I could find locally, or I had a proper controller for MAME (not that I'd use MAME, of course, because that would be illegal and all that ;) ).

     

    That won't work because you'll run right into the sparks once you've wrapped the screen.

     

    The method in the video "stretches the playfield."

     

    I really don't want to disappoint you guys, but the coin op patterns will probably only work because the mechanics are the same. Did the Pacman and Frogger patterns work? IDK

     

    You guys in this forum know better than anyone that there are real limitations, particularly with RAM and timing on the 2600. Just about every byte of code in two banks that isn't graphics or the title screen is called every game frame, which isn't that unusual, but is a real constraint. I did my best to recreate the elements of the coin op as faithfully as possible. I even have the manual and schematics (yes I downloaded them, beat me up). If you have played any of my other ports you will see that reproduction is my focus and I think I do a pretty good job. I hope when you eventually get a chance to play you will think so too.

     

    PS. I'm not sure which video you are looking at, I haven't recorded a new one this year yet. The old ship mechanics, as I said previously, were flawed and tended to straighten out on the horizontal at least.

  12. Posted

    I will say clearly now, if someone ever buys it at that price and wishes to release it, I promise I will.

    And if they don't want the binary released you would sell your one and only cartridge for $32,000 and not even end up with a copy of your own game to play?

     

    It is $32,768, to be exact, $(2^15), $(1<<15), or $32k, but that's besides your point.

     

    That is a very interesting question, I don't know if I would do that. It's really hard. I know it's a lot of money, but... you know, I really don't want to give it up forever. I honestly don't know. I know that figure is really high, but this is why it's there, it's right at the threshold of where I'd give it up, but I really don't know. I don't know if I would even sell whatever rights I have to control the product for that amount... if someone wanted to buy it to put into production for example (I know the economics don't add up, the question is academic).

     

    I clearly couldn't tell my wife I passed it up though.

  14. Posted

    I thought he sounded more like Gorf.

     

    I can't find the Gorf conversation(s) in the Jaguar area - can someone post a link?

     

    He's been banned and all posts deleted. I don't know the entire story... maybe someone else can fill it in. No one may, I am not entirely sure how the mods feel about talking about him.

     

    Oh yea, now I remember asking last year and couldn't find it.

     

    Thanks, I was just curious, it keeps coming up.

  16. Posted · Edited by solidcorp

    Leaving it up to the purchaser of the sole cartridge whether the binary is released in the future (although understandable, I guess) is problematic, tho. What if there is a previously-unknown glitch? This can have less odds of showing up due to such limited exposure. What guarantee would the purchaser have against the programmer starting a production run anyway?

     

    If someone ever comes forward and would like to buy it, I hope they would like to release the source and binaries immediately, and if so I would comply without hesitation. If not, I don't know that I would forever relinquish whatever right I may have to release it, but probably for some period of months or years. Whatever agreement we may come to, I'd be willing to put it into writing.

     

    Personally, I think the real collectors value, whatever it is, is in that first cartridge, the rest of material, while not valueless, once downloadable becomes common without taking away from the value of the item purchased. It is a first and only one of a kind item; regardless of what you or I think its value is, that is indisputable.

     

     

    Note: I said

    they can tell me if they think I should make another physical cartridge ... or if I should release the source and playable binaries

    I never said it was black and white or that I was bound to their word either way, as you point out, it's problematic.

     

    I will say clearly now, if someone ever buys it at that price and wishes to release it, I promise I will.

  18. Posted

    If anyone should pay something even close to those 32k, I will talk to Andrew. Maybe we will only release a single cart of BD then too. At an even higher price of course. Really!

     

    And if that works, we will most likely see only single cart homebrew releases in the future. So no more homebrews for anyone but one!

     

    Well I've got this 32 character text display routine that I wrote because the great Scott Williamson said it would be impossible, it's only a 4k rom and I've already released it, but I'll chuck it on a cartridge with a piezo buzzer and it's got to be worth at least a couple of grand no?

     

    It's nice and I was pretty surprised and impressed when you pulled that off. I wrestled with the timings for a long time, I should have let venetian blinds go earlier, I just prefer the way it looks on a CRT. I don't think I will say anything can't be done in this group again :).

     

    As far as selling it, go for it. Either you'll have it forever and be "that guy" who asked too much and kept it to himself, or you'll get more money than you thought possible. As long as you are happy either way.

  19. Posted

    Re:

    med_gallery_24549_673_70907.jpg

     

    [i'm not using the silver label, it's just here for reference]

     

    What serial number do you guys think I should I put on the label? The original designation for Star Castle (from here and here) was CX2665 but that was used on Yars' Revenge. I'm inclined to use it for historical reasons but I don't want to be disrespectful of Yars' (or my intentions misinterpreted here guys).

     

    Ideas: CX2665,CX2665A ,CX26651, CX2665.1 CX2665SC, CX2665NR, none

     

    Is there a precedent here somewhere?

     

    What do you guys think?

  20. Posted

    I saw that after you announced your selling price that you got absolutely no love rep points wise. Well sir I like to buck the system. I really don't care what price you currently put on the game. I realize that you are one of the former Atari programmers from the old school days. The fact that you put so much effort into this labor of love is awesome. You spent several hundred hours on this game, and I give you a standing ovation for that.

     

    Sides I love being a non conformist. And by golly this thread is so much of an invite to be a non conformist that I just couldn't help myself! :D :cool:

     

    Thanks!

     

    :D

  21. Posted

    Sometimes I feel as though I must be invisible! :|

     

    supercat outlined how a nice version could be done with 30hz flicker a few years ago - http://www.atariage.com/forums/blog/142/entry-5136-star-castle-anyone/ - I think it's quite similar to your implementation?

     

     

    What ever became of the Star Castle demo by John Payson?

    This demo had colored rings and it looked like the animation in the center had a lot of potential.

    The different colors in the rings, to me, are important for quickly assessing how much more you have to blast through.

     

    And there was a version where the whole Fortress + shielding entourage moved around the screen, like the amiga bouncing ball demo, but of course much slower and in different patterns.

     

    I saw your demo after showing Star Castle last year, someone on the forum brought it up.

     

    It's very nice and not easy to do what you've done, great job.

     

     

    Yowza! I didn't even see Supercat's demo before. Thanks for mentioning it :)

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    This particular forum [programming] is really not the venue for any launch announcement, let alone one like this.

    Hmmmmm....questions earlier about purchasing carts with LED's and boards from WIZ, now a referance to a "launch" announcement....not sure what all this means but I am getting interested again...

     

    Bad choice of words, sorry for the confusion.

    No launch, unless you consider a single cartridge a launch.

    • Like 1

  24. Posted

    I just came here to say...

     

    1. Roadblasters and STUN Runner are two of my favorite Lynx games. Excellent work on those! :thumbsup:

     

    2. I would buy a Star Castle cart if it were available and reasonably priced (not $80, I won't do that again). It would go well with all of the other homebrews I've purchased after being able to play the binary.

     

    3. May I suggest starting a tentative list of all persons interested in purchasing a cart? You might then get an idea of what you stand to make off your work.

     

    Thanks a lot.

    • Like 1

  25. Posted

    Solidcorp, speaking of the capacity, I noticed on your image of the cart test that you comment "It is the first working 64k cartridge that I am aware of."

     

    Stella's Stocking was 64k, and Joe Grand has given away the gerbers for his 64k cart design for a while now.

     

    Cool, thanks.

     

    I became aware of other 64k cartridges later. I had only looked at the sizes of released cartridges in a list online somewhere.

     

    A chose 64K not to set any records but because I have a huge stack of the EEPROMS from my SNES/Genesis dev days I think.

    • Like 2
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