laserman'88 is now here

[+Random Terrain]

yes I know maybe I will work that in the cart version as well.

you also have to remember it's my first game with bB and I just used to it.

Just wanted to make sure you get it as good as possible if you want to have a cart version. Ever since Yars' Revenge, many players expect a game to restart with the fire button. It's kind of like using the joystick as a remote control, so you don't have to get up and press the Reset Switch every time you die.

[Dan Iacovelli]

yes I know maybe I will work that in the cart version as well.

you also have to remember it's my first game with bB and I just used to it.

Just wanted to make sure you get it as good as possible if you want to have a cart version. Ever since Yars' Revenge, many players expect a game to restart with the fire button. It's kind of like using the joystick as a remote control, so you don't have to get up and press the Reset Switch every time you die.

if thats the only problem you have with the game I will try to work on it.

(I know the sound is annoying, kind of like the sound in the phoenix game or Air sea battle(at least it's not like surround) but thats an easy fix by using the switch)

the missile/bombs thing is a programing bug because of the way of the sprites are.

[+Propane13]

mean santa didn't have the fire button used as reset.

So, somebody should slap the programmer. You can't use other people's bad examples as an excuse. You're using batari Basic. It's easy to have a game restart with the fire button and the Reset Switch.

 

Hey, that would be me.

 

Didn't realize this was an issue, since the games are fairly long.

Nobody complained about this on the user trials we did; this is the first I heard this to be a problem.

 

For those who played the game, is this a big deal? If so, I apologize.

 

-John

[Dan Iacovelli]

mean santa didn't have the fire button used as reset.

So, somebody should slap the programmer. You can't use other people's bad examples as an excuse. You're using batari Basic. It's easy to have a game restart with the fire button and the Reset Switch.

 

Hey, that would be me.

 

Didn't realize this was an issue, since the games are fairly long.

Nobody complained about this on the user trials we did; this is the first I heard this to be a problem.

 

For those who played the game, is this a big deal? If so, I apologize.

 

-John

I didn't find it a big deal as RT stated.

the only prob I did have it was to select the level first before pressing reset to start

but thats just me.

in reguards to my game: you only start at one level and work your way up.

so no game select is needed plus the game begins as soon as you start.

that might change though I'm going to work on a title screen for it.

[+Random Terrain]

For those who played the game, is this a big deal? If so, I apologize.

Just don't do it again and we'll let you get by without a slap this time. But seriously, any game made after Yars' Revenge should restart with the fire button and the Reset switch. It's more than a courtesy, it's expected. Not everyone sits on the floor a foot away from the Atari. And not everyone plays emulated games with the keyboard. Some of us use a controller.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Random Terrain

[RevEng]

RT, even if you're playing in an emulator, fire-to-reset is more convenient in most cases; if you're playing with a keyboard or stelladapter, you need to take your hands off the relevant controls to hit the reset key.

 

Fire-to-reset can make or break the difference between "one more play", which easily turns into "ten more plays".

 

That said, it's just a convenience feature, and more than half the library doesn't do it, so there's no need to apologize for not implementing it in Mean Santa, John.

[GroovyBee]

Reset and fire behaviour is defined in the original 2600 software standards document :-

 

http://www.atarimuseum.com/ahs_archives/archives/pdf/videogames/2600/2600_Standards.pdf

[+Random Terrain]

That said, it's just a convenience feature, and more than half the library doesn't do it, so there's no need to apologize for not implementing it in Mean Santa, John.

Please see below:

 

Reset and fire behaviour is defined in the original 2600 software standards document :-

 

http://www.atarimuseum.com/ahs_archives/archives/pdf/videogames/2600/2600_Standards.pdf

Thanks for posting that. Here's the part about restarting:

 

A GAME OVER message should be displayed at the end of each

player's game telling which player is out of the game. When all

games in progress are over, the game freezes on the screen and

the fire button is disabled for 2 seconds while the GAME OVER

message is displayed. After the 2 second freeze, if the player

presses the fire button, the game restarts at the same difficulty

level and with the same number of players as was previously

selected. If this action is not taken, after 20-30 seconds the

game automatically goes to the TITLE PAGE and IDLE SEQUENCE.

 

So it was more than a convenience to Atari in 1987.

 

If you make a mistake and forget to allow the player to use the fire button to restart, that's one thing, but let's not use other games that don't use the fire button to restart as an excuse. It doesn't waste that much space in your code. No excuses, no arguments, just do it.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Random Terrain

[RevEng]

I agree that the ideal is to implement fire-for-reset, as there is a minuscule cost in doing so and it's convenient, and I had already read the doc that GroovyBee posted a while back.

 

But I still maintain that there's no need to apologize for not implementing it in a homebrew. Make feature requests for it fine. But anybody that feels a homebrew author needs to apologize for not including "feature X" needs their head examined.

Edited January 10, 2010 by RevEng

[Dan Iacovelli]

can you take this to a new topic instead of hijacking mine.

and I do understand the convenience for the fire-reset and will look into it when the cart release is done.

[+Random Terrain]

But I still maintain that there's no need to apologize for not implementing it in a homebrew. Make feature requests for it fine. But anybody that feels a homebrew author needs to apologize for not including "feature X" needs their head examined.

Nobody was asking for an apology. If a homebrewer feels bad for not including a fire button reset and wants to apologize to the community, let him if it will make him feel better.

[+Random Terrain]

Can you take this to a new topic instead of hijacking mine?

Well, it can't really be considered a hijack since you are the one who brought up Mean Santa as an excuse for not using the fire button to reset:

 

mean santa didn't have the fire button used as reset.

 

We're done talking about it anyway, so the 'hijack' is over.

[Dan Iacovelli]

Can you take this to a new topic instead of hijacking mine?

Well, it can't really be considered a hijack since you are the one who brought up Mean Santa as an excuse for not using the fire button to reset:

 

mean santa didn't have the fire button used as reset.

 

We're done talking about it anyway, so the 'hijack' is over.

yes I did mention it once, but somebody kept on talking about and hence the the hijack was started.

and I did state I would take that in to consideration when finishing the cart,but somebody

didn't stop and it continued (at least till now)

[+Random Terrain]

yes I did mention it once, but somebody kept on talking about and hence the the hijack was started.

and I did state I would take that in to consideration when finishing the cart,but somebody

didn't stop and it continued (at least till now)

Someone kept talking about it because someone was having a conversation with other someones. That happens in threads. It also happens in threads I have created and I don't whine about it because there's nothing to whine about. People aren't robots who stick to one narrow subject. They go off into little related cul-de-sacs for a short time, then things get back on track.

 

It's nice that you know to use the fire button and the Reset Switch now. Just remember that threads you create aren't just about you. The information posted in your thread can help other people too.

 

Now back to your game. Are you going to create a YouTube video showing the gameplay?

[Dan Iacovelli]

usually if you post something off topic: you mention it is off topic.

I did already do you tube of it

this was before all bugs were out and before I finished the bin back in october.

it was done via a tv tuner card connected to the 2600 (the game was loaded via supercharger as well)

[Dan Iacovelli]

Also the time to bring up the problems with game would be when I was posting stages of the game.

then I would have fixed it before I got the bin release done. just saying.

[+Random Terrain]

Also the time to bring up the problems with game would be when I was posting stages of the game.

then I would have fixed it before I got the bin release done. just saying.

I've been busy doing other things, then had the time when you posted recently. Thought you might want to get it as perfect as possible before putting it on a cart.

[Dan Iacovelli]

by popular request:

fire to reset has been added to the game

(as mentioned in post it was an easy fix,I actually made it reset switch or fire for reset)

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/103808-laserman88-is-now-here/page__view__findpost__p__1871283

[Dan Iacovelli]

I'm bumping this for a good reason:

as I'm writing this I am working out some details for the bonus level for the cart release.

I know the mothership end screen has been done to death in many video games (phoenix for example and prob a couple others)

was thinking of do that,but I was thinking of doing something completely different from that like something like outlaw face to face with the main alien(or Dr.X

hinting to a possible third game in the works).

I would like to hear what the public wants to see in the bonus level.

[Dan Iacovelli]

I'm experimenting with sound music editor in vb it quite cool and I am working on changing the sound of the bombs falling.

any other changes to game before I add the bonus end level. please let me know. (I'm also planning adding a title screen will be hard since this is a multiprite kernel and I'm only allowed to do mirrored playfields.)

Edited April 24, 2010 by Dan Iacovelli

[Dan Iacovelli]

a couple new items are going be added to the finished cart version

1. a title screen which very hard to do using mirrored playflield (what it is basically 8 laserman figure 8 (and you see the laser blaser and lives on the bottom)

2. extra life will be added when you reach a certain score.

will be working on the bonus level and sound later on.

[Dan Iacovelli]

game is close to being finished for cart release (if you not the list please see the laserman waiting list post to find how to get on)

also the bin version will be updated as well.

what will be different you ask:

1. due to many request I have went the way of phoenix by using a difficulty switch to turn off the bomb drop sound

2. extra lives will be added when you hit a certain scores and levels

3. title screen and new finish game screen added.

(bonus level is only added to cart version)

when the bin version is done and cleaned up I will repost it.

[Dan Iacovelli]

game is close to being finished for cart release (if you not the list please see the laserman waiting list post to find how to get on)

also the bin version will be updated as well.

what will be different you ask:

1. due to many request I have went the way of phoenix by using a difficulty switch to turn off the bomb drop sound

2. extra lives will be added when you hit a certain scores and levels

3. title screen and new finish game screen added.

(bonus level is only added to cart version)

when the bin version is done and cleaned up I will repost it.

so far everything working but my problem right now is the bonus life

I had it working where you hit a certain points but then you don't loose any lives unless

you pass the point.

so I'm thinking of dropping the bonus life (it's only a 5+ level game anyways not that you need extra lives anyways)

don't forget to sign up to be on the list by june 20th.

[Dan Iacovelli]

tomorrow is your final chance to sign up to be on the list for laserman carts, after that no more request will be taken

the old bin that posted here will also be removed and be replaced with new better version with some improvements

(ie way to turn off the falling bombs sound in the game using the b diff switch, some addition sound effects and

collision detection fixed)

[KevinMos3]

I was unable to play the latest bin posted here. I mean, I tried, but couldn't get anywhere with it. So, on my 24k (max) dialup, I downloaded the youtube video to check it out and see what I was doing wrong. That video is about how I played. I would definitely suggest doing something to make the game easier.

 

Update: After previously being able to only score about 100 pts, I just scored 1,160 pts. (I wanted to try one more time before I posted a complaint about the difficulty). Once I get to about 50 pts, the playfield gets smaller, but after that it stayed the same until I died at 1,160. When do you get to another level?