José Pereira

First all around here. First I'd like say a great thank to all your topics. I start doing some things on BASIC on the first years I've got my 800XL. I buy books and evaluate, just a re-start. About ASSEMBLER I had a large Book done by a portuguese school friend that worked on a computer store, but lost it in some of my house movings. I tried and never get into it. Probably today with you/MADS/Internet it would be or not different... The problem is that I think I will not have time for all the things. And I think I'll never get into some decent stage. This is because I've been taking the knowledge to construct this screens. As I said before, They are not freely design and have concrete/restricted orders. They are planned to be used in a game. I have my ideas. You'll probably don't believe because I'm not a programmer, but stop for a minute and think: "Can this guy be right and know what is doing..." The way I planned things the game coding and than each screen loading is totally O.K. The chars for all game things are the same and reserved for all game. The PMs. have concrete places and the same for priorities for all things on screen. The moving Players can be freely on screen in same places and not on others. Using the Missiles as 5th Player you code the collisions for all game screens, even if you think the walkway is freely design. The moving of the Players and their Priorities (have goes on front or behind is all done in the initial code and the same for all game screens). How to found/pick up/use objects and weapons (including a new object/trailer, because if it was the same as C64 you'll all know how to play and simply get will get into the end. And this is will not be fun). I started this talk about Last Ninja and at the begining you're true. I was not capable of doing the screens. I didn't know many things (most of them are simple and the only way to re-construct the screens). O.K., if I'm not a programmer some things could not be right, but probably many of them are... Do you ever wonder that my ideas could work? And if I done the screens and someone appears on the future!... What you think he will do? Start from Zero or talk with me? If you put on your mind that I am not doing the things right, than you'll probably be the ones that prefer to Start from ZERO!... I don't want profits nor being important here or there... I just want to be usefull in something I'm crazing and that take me months to see/study/learn and get to this stage. I don't know if it's better to put here all my project, so that you all can see it and say if I'm right or not!... But if someone around there have this game coding on mind for future, I think you could give me a call!... I will never accept that I'm only doing this just for a G2F slideshow! I can of course start learning programming but then I've lost time to the screens. And from what I saw and not learn on past, I probably never get anywhere... Right now I think it's better doing what I am doing, even if that "kills" me!... What I would like more to see is an A8 version of the LastNinja series. But not an awnfull like BBC/Electron versions. My screens take me hours just to put the most colours as I can to have the most beautifull screen graphics/colours version. Only an A8 lover like me and probably most of you around there can re-design, code,etç,... this or any other A8 games to became masterpieces!... Don't get all this personal thoughts as I don't listen you. I listen, but put in my place I need to do this to feel I can be usefull, I know I can (an in this game in particular). I say once more: "If anyone want to code this game, even from years now ahead, please, please, listen first my ideas (I am not doing this to see my name on a game screen!). I just want to see the things in the best way possible. A great thank to all you and your comments. Greetings, Jose Pereira. (P.S.- Today no new screen, I stopped to think in all this things... Bye now!)

Thanks for yours comments Tezz. Each screen have the nºchars free for soft sprites. About the freely screen designmy idea of Players walking is based on colisions- A pre-calculated collisionwork for all Screens/Levels even if the walkway seems freely designing. Also are the Prorities beetwen the two Players(wich one have priority)- It is thinking that it can work! If someonewants to help, even not to do the code, butsimply to know my plans andgive concrete ideas/solutions, I can freely give him all my plans... Just send me a mail... Greetings to all, José Pereira.

Oh, then why do not allow him to convert all the gfx and then let him hang himself, or? Because it's a metric f**kload of work that is almost certain to be a waste of his time? Because that effort put towards a different project with a coder that needs graphics would result in a released game rather than a series of unused and potentially unworkable still pictures? Because even if a programmer steps up to the plate for Last Ninja, without knowing how they want to do things it's a bit hard to process graphics anyway? i doubt anything we say will stop José and i bloody hate having to be this cynical anyway, but... never mind, i'll leave him to it from now onwards. I m doing what I like, for me it's not a waste of time. I know that some (if not...) of my ideas could work... If anyone wants to share ideas and/or know best of my ideas and take the coding you have the acess to my E-mail here on my Personal Page. I think it's not giving hopes when I post new screens... I like to share with you. I like what I am doing... And all here know my situation (non-programmer) and that I'm only redesigning C64 screens to A8... Bye now, josé Pereira.

Sorry, the member is AtariForce. The site is AtariLegend José Pereira.

Atarimania for me here continues down.. I can only enter in Forums. But I discouver this now. When I was in my LastNinja Thread there was a user called AtariLegend that I've never heard. I decide to see his personal page here on AA and enter on his sites. Almost at begining of the AtariLegend's site, if you click on AtariMania you enter to the HomePage. Hope this help anyone with the same problem as me. Greetings, José Pereira.

What I am trying to say is that if I wait for someone interested in... then, nothing done... If it will only be a Slideshow or not, only time will tell! José Pereira.

Honestly? In a context like this, i'd do nothing. i've been wanting to do another Amiga game (there's a conversion of Reaxion with my graphics already) for ages but don't have any 680x0 knowledge, so rather than sitting down and drawing loads of graphics that may never be used i leave that project on the back burner but keep feelers out to see if anyone coding wants to collaborate at some point - anything i do before that point could well be scrapped if the coder doesn't want to work in the format (or it turns out that it's not viable) that i would have arbitarily decided on. If i were in your boat now, i'd either be looking at teaching myself 6502 to write the code (and starting with a far less complex project rather than diving straight in - it took a very well thought of, established coder to write the C64 version) or finding a coder who is willing to take Last Ninja on before even beginning the graphics conversions. That might sound pessimistic but as part of my "job" i've seen a significant number of projects start with the graphics being drawn and end before a byte of code has been written because of the reasons i listed above and to date i've never seen a game completed that started without a coder onboard. Understand once and for all.: I'm doing this for pleasure. I want to do this... I continue to say that I will not seat and wait for someone interested in coding it... If no one appears, what have I done? Walking on the streets, drink something or perhaps go to a garden waiting,seat and wait that a pigeon throw ... to over my had... O.K. you or anyother don't see this as a possible future game... Don't believe that I can or know what I am doing? O.K. It's your thoughts... I continue with my screens redone. For all that don't believe they could be used in a future game just consider them like all other G2F Last Ninja screens redone! Today I started with, just, this simple one (I'll try not to be disturbed by your opinions): I'll continue, more to come... José Pereira.

Yes, I understand that. If I was a programmer I probably have my personal ones to do and if I have some time (difficult...), I probably try something from others wish list. But if can redone the screens, even in the future, probably someone appear... I continue to say: "IT IS BETTER TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE!". Even if a coder comes into this project, how much time will it take all the screens and to get some basics ideas? I am trying just to start a long way... and try to get as near as the end as I can... Have to comeback to some more redon(ing screens. Greetings, josé Pereira.

Without wanting to sound like a wet blanket (because i know i'll be accused of it anyway but there y'go) you really need a coder onboard at this stage, otherwise the conversions you're doing may well turn out to be useless (or since they're uncompressed, cumbersome) for an actual game. For example... ...considering how the original stores the screens to get each stage into a single load, you might find it is difficult. Hello people. Taken this TMR post I want to say that if I expect miles away someone "knock to my door" I will continue to "seat on my arms and do nothing"... It takes me many of my last months time to get into something that I think it could work. I listen some people talking they intend to do Last Ninja on A8, but what we see? Only screens done with G2F but with no thinking how to translate that into a real playable game. I'm also using G2F, but not like doing them like Loading Screens. That would be what others were doing on the past. My screens are with the PMs. free for other things (Players/Objects) in the places needed. I thinked and thinked and get into something like an Engine (my personal one...), it includes my ideas for all the Players movements/priorities/collisiions and also objects/weapons find/holding/using ( a new story/design) is on my mind. I cannot be a programmer but from what get now I think it have more things right than wrong. It's probably better start translate the screens to what I have in mind than waiting to something want to do the code... On the other way if I am right with my ideas I can prove to myself that I was right: "YES, I CAN!". If no one get the code now, in this year/2010/..., probably sometime my work can be usefull... It's better have something than ZERO. I have to start with... Why expecting! About the screens: Of course they will not be in C64 way. Only 128chars and all game chars redesign (and have 36+36 chars only for Ninja&enemy) it's impossible!... C64 have 256chars and the Players are Hardware Sprites. The game can be done like many today are: Screen by screen LOAD and in Cartridge format (Corina new cartridge can be a good example). As I understand it correctly, if my screens take no more than 8/9/10K all the other things can probably fit into 64K. I'm not upset with you TMR nor anyone who post their thoughts and ideas here. But try to understand my part: "DO SOMETHING OR NOTHING!" What would you do? Greetings, José Pereira.

Anyone wants to take and change some screens colours to see how it will look like? Jose Pereira.

Discouver this right now: I converted this screen (Level4) into 4colours using AIS: last_ninja_Level4(4portas)_bmp(original).bmp PF0-Black PF1-Middle Gray PF2-Brown-later on...) PF3-Dark Gray Backgr.-Light Gray. And when I was on G2F I remember to see how it will look with artifactind, and see what I got, not bad, with some changes, not bad at all (using Atari800winPlus): 1.)- Without artifacting: 2.)- Artifacting: Blue&Brown1: Blue&Brown2: GTIA: CTIA: Jose Pereira.

Hello all. I'm back again. No, not a coder untill now. It's not what I want (if it come on better!...), I want to first redone something like 2/3 of LN1 screens. This is a thing I want to do, I'm mad about this game. I spent the last months gettings almost I need to this one. I'm trying to do things according to what I've been learning. If someone apeears to do the code I'll pass to him all my ideas. If something has to be changed it will not be so difficult as it may seems. I want first to prove to myself that I can get many of the screens into A8 format. All screens are with my ideas how it can be coded (priorities,...). If I get all the screens redone and what I thinked how to do this game worked than I'll be a winner... I finally made it... Hope you uindrestand... Jose Pereira. (P.S.- I redone the Level2_2nd screen, I think it's better now:)

Hello all. The Ninja&Enemy just to show the idea (their frames to be redesign), but here it is, my today, untill now work (Level2_2nd screen): And the respective C64: Hope that you enjoy it... Greetings, José Pereira.

Another thing: On the Level 5 screen the Enemy Energy Bars will be 2Pink colours (PF0/1).

Thanks guys. You're right. José Pereira.

Hello. I think I finally made it. The Master Screen. You can see now "look" on level1: And on Level5: Hope you enjoy. More to come soon (I hope!...). José Pereira. (P.S.- don't give attention to that Black line at the bottom Status Panel, it will be fixed, no problem!)

Hello all, here I am again. Pavros I think I'll go onto this, you're right. Today I will make a new screen with all the elements(Energy Bars) and lines/colours fixed. And I'll post the various screens Backgr. colours on the Status lines for you to see how they look like... Ribags, I think that even if we take off the Last Ninja Logo from the Bottom we can redesign the things, but than we have a Bottom Status area with 160wide and Screenplay with 120 (it's completely impossible to me to redesign the graphics playing area to 160pixels wide, I'm not an graphic artist). And I think it will not look a beauty that way. Large Energy Bar but small wide_space_weaponry_Logo looks IMHO better and "weaponry" centers the screen and it's 12chars wide. A large cell on the center, looks better. And if you think in possible future LN2&3 you'll see that this traditional screen construct/design it's the only/better looking way. That's what I think...) But, Rybags, by the way, can you explain better what you wrote on the first sentence ("DMA...). I always like to know new things. Thanks, José Pereira.

Hello. PMGs. have three sizes:normal,double and quadruple (2,4,8 pixels wide) Because GR.7 and 15 uses pixels wide 2(160 horizontal resolutional)PMGs.on Normal Size it's what you want. Hope this is what you want. Greetings, José Pereira.

Hello again. PeteD I thinked of that and tried that, but your screen gets higher and less horizontal. Not good. I have to redesign the Energy Bars, but you can get this (I'll try to choose better the walkway/floor colours to better fit into the Status lines: Bye now, José Pereira.

Yes, it's Background colour. I wanted to say that A8 register Backgr. colour is used as the screen Backgr. colour (Paper is on ZX Spectrum, O.K., sorry!...). I'm redone someting to show how good or bad, probably good: What I said was the beauty or awnfull of the Backgr. in the Status lines. Here you'll have this Backgr. colour on the status lines (other: Ninja, etç,... can be changed to other colours). Than you'll get PF0-Black and PF3-Dark Gray. What's your opinion? José Pereira.

Just for the photo:

It's me again... Some pictures explain better than 1000 words... 3POSSIBLE SITUATIONS: 1.)- SCREEN WITH NINJA & HOLDING OBJECT: 2.)- SCREEN WITH NINJA, FOUND&HOLDING OBJECT: 3.)- SCREEN WITH NINJA&ENEMY: (No possible HOLDING/FOUND Obbjects here) Greetings, José Pereira.

Hello all. Thanks for your support/comments. Because of this questions, it's by this reasons: Black and PF3 (two colours needed to all the screens, gray in almost all of LN1,2 &3). What left you is the ground floor colour. This one is the colour that change, most of times only Level to Level. Now think of Level6 of LN1, for example, the ground floor it's yellow (inside Inner sanctum). If you use Black to do the paper colour what colours left to you? Yellow and Dark Gray. This two now have to be the Status Lines. And Think of Dark Gray outside line and the center line as yellow. It's not very good looking. On the other way, if this different colours (yellowish-terrain walkway on LN1 Level1, Yellow on Level 6 and Light Grays on most of the Levels) as paper colour are better looking, I think... And with this you can have you Ninja picture on the bottom status area in Black. It does not make sense you're playing man Black and Gray on the picture logo of the C64 version. If you see other versions (16bit ones) they use Gray Blue colours for the Ninja but also on the playing man. Hope this answer to your question. Probably it is a question of my taste. Probably your opinions can count, and most important if someone code this game he would think what's best!... This was my decision as I'm starting the project. Greetings, José Pereira.

By the way, I change some things in the Master Screen last night. I don't have any possibilitie to do any "Level" letters because no space. So I have to comeback to the Enemy Energy Bar. Now I think it's final and definitive: What I said on the previous Post about Backgr./Paper colour : For example Level 1 you'll have this Paper colour: And on Level 4 (The Dungeons) you'll get this: Bye now, José Pereira.

Hello again. O.K. I will reveal part of the solution (almost all!...): - COLOURS: in all of the game:PF0-Black,PF3-Dark Gray, Backgr.- the Paper Colour (the ground-floor) This two (PF0/3) are in all the screens and are the same in all vertical screen size. Diferent Levels have different ground floor colour, so the paper colour changes each Level (Backgr. colour) - OBJECTS - Because of the PF0/3/Backgr. are only the same for all the game, only this ones are used in the right side Status area objects. The other objects colours are from a Player (P2). - BOTTOM STATUS AREA: Continue to use the same PF0/PF3/Backgr. colours but PF1&2 freely line changing. PMs. freely use here. - RIGHT SIDE STATUS AREA: There are only two places to use a Player for the Objects (P2), the Cells of FOUND and HOLDING. Some possibilities: 1.- Screens with Enemy - you cannot use/found an object, than freely use of P2 in Screenplay graphics. 2.- Screens without Enemy - Freely use of an object in any place of the screen - no use of P2 in the "HOLDING" lines and if an Object to found on screen, (and/also) no P2 use in "FOUND" lines. - PF1 for the other ground floor colour (mask the Players for colour enhancements under it). - NINJA&ENEMY- Bodies are PF0-Black. In all screens P0 is always not used for screen graphics. It is for Ninja's weapon (Sword will be white, Staff brown,...). Diferent Enemys will use P1 for clothe or Weapon. If you have an Enemy on screen you cannot use P1. The 5th Player (4Missiles) are for Eyes, hands, and a little trick to obtain collision of Players with the ground and don't enter in areas we don't want to...) - PRIORITIES: I know how to do them, but will not explain right now... RESUME: a.)- SCREENS WITH ENEMY: Bodies PF0-Black(bodies), PF3 as a 5th Player (4Missiles)- Eyes, Hands, collision detection., P0-Ninja's Weapon, P1-Enemy's clothe or weapon. This screens have P2/P3 to use. b.)- SCREENS WITOUT ENEMY: Only Ninja PF0,5th Player and P0 for his Weapon. "FOUND" and/or "HOLDING" Lines use of P2. CHARSET USING: One Charset in each line. Use Chars 000->029 for Playing Area, 36+36 chars for Ninja&Enemy - tested in all the frames I have (including movement/shifting), Right Status area Chars, and leavind 20 for the "FOUND"/"HOLDING" lines what I need according the the nº of objects in each Level/Screen. Hope you understang. Greetings, José Pereira.