_Fandal_ Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Hi all! I'm really proud to release boosted version of Mean18 golf. We have spent six months with optimizing original code and I think that the result is pretty impressive. Main drawing procedure is now running on +200% speed and the game is finally playable now... Credits: * code optimalization - Bob!k/C.P.U. & Fandal * RMT title tune - PG * optimized music player - Raster. Enjoy! F. Mean18.zip 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Amazing!!!!!! This is so cool. Really nice work guys. Wow, six months of works. Thank You so much. Is there any way to get this work on a cart for those of us who know how to solder? Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Was it just as simple as optimizing the code or did you have to change things around? I always wondered how Atari thought they were going to release this one with its absurdly slow draw rates. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochman Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 This is awesome - it is also very life like as you can see how I get screwed on this put just like on a real course How is this not in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Is there a way to convert this into Atarimax flash cart? Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochman Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Thanks for the update Fandal - was nice playing Pebble Beach again - finally got my Birdy on the last hole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heaven/TQA Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Jesus.... I don't want to play the original one if this is the speedy version... as it is from Accolade and done in 1986... was it done right atfer Leadboard Golf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) Jesus.... I don't want to play the original one if this is the speedy version... I found the speed of the original was absolutely abysmal.Pretty surprising because I thought a lot of the Atari prototypes for the XEGS (including Commando, Xenophobe and MIDI Maze) were quite good. Love the Euro title tune, too! Edited May 20, 2009 by DracIsBack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 The screen took 18 seconds to draw in the prototype. I timed it. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allas Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 The screen took 18 seconds to draw in the prototype. I timed it. Tempest Great! Interesting example of a dramatic increase of performance on original assembler programming. Fandal, could you give some interesting details on your analysis,... for example why the original code render so slow the field? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puppetmark Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 WOW! Thanks again for a job well done! Simply Amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Guys - again, simply amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Fandal_ Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Was it just as simple as optimizing the code or did you have to change things around? I always wondered how Atari thought they were going to release this one with its absurdly slow draw rates. Tempest A lot of optimalizations have been done on ML instructions level as well as on algorithm level. Fortunatelly original code didn't use RAM under OS so we were able to put some additional code and precalculated tables there. The screen took 18 seconds to draw in the prototype. I timed it. Tempest Great! Interesting example of a dramatic increase of performance on original assembler programming. Fandal, could you give some interesting details on your analysis,... for example why the original code render so slow the field? I would say that Mean18 was just unfinished prototype. Raycasting procedures were pretty unoptimized, there's only one course available, the game has no ending (there is just jump to coldstart address) and there're some strange sounds in the title screen. Overall, the game was playable but it was just some beta version. F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+therealbountybob Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Just played a hole on the emulator; nice work for the 2nd new game of 2009!? Is there a way to transfer .CAR (or .ROM for that matter) files down to a 1050 disk to play on a real Atari, or, do I need to wait for an executable/file version Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CharlieChaplin Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Well, hopefully we can buy this speedup version of Mean 18 on cartridge soon - at Video 61 or elsewhere... Maybe you can contact him Frantisek and ask Lance if he will release your version on cart ?!? greetings, Andreas Koch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tezz Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 (edited) Fantastic work again Fandal! I think it's great to see existing games enhanced and improved like this. Six months hard work.. it goes well to illustrate just how much dedication it takes to see something like this through. Edited May 21, 2009 by Tezz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Fandal_ Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 (edited) Just played a hole on the emulator; nice work for the 2nd new game of 2009!? Is there a way to transfer .CAR (or .ROM for that matter) files down to a 1050 disk to play on a real Atari, or, do I need to wait for an executable/file version Well, file version is possible (for 256 kB machines). May be I'll convert the game into file version in the future but right now I'm pretty flooded with another A8 projects... Try to contact Lance of Video61 if you want to play the game on real HW. May be he could produce some carts with boosted version... F. Edited May 21, 2009 by _Fandal_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Was it just as simple as optimizing the code or did you have to change things around? I always wondered how Atari thought they were going to release this one with its absurdly slow draw rates. Tempest A lot of optimalizations have been done on ML instructions level as well as on algorithm level. Fortunatelly original code didn't use RAM under OS so we were able to put some additional code and precalculated tables there. The screen took 18 seconds to draw in the prototype. I timed it. Tempest Great! Interesting example of a dramatic increase of performance on original assembler programming. Fandal, could you give some interesting details on your analysis,... for example why the original code render so slow the field? I would say that Mean18 was just unfinished prototype. Raycasting procedures were pretty unoptimized, there's only one course available, the game has no ending (there is just jump to coldstart address) and there're some strange sounds in the title screen. Overall, the game was playable but it was just some beta version. F. Yeah I would think that as well, but I did see a whole batch of archival EPROMs for this title once (John Hardie had it). Either he had a different version or they were going to release it like this. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Hi all! I'm really proud to release boosted version of Mean18 golf. We have spent six months with optimizing original code and I think that the result is pretty impressive. Main drawing procedure is now running on +200% speed and the game is finally playable now... Credits: * code optimalization - Bob!k/C.P.U. & Fandal * RMT title tune - PG * optimized music player - Raster. Enjoy! F. I'm normally not an emulator user (Atari800winplus 4.7 Beta) , but using either PAL or NTSC (100% speed) settings, with XL/XE OS, and 128K memory, M18 doesn't seem to function correctly. Perhaps something I'm doing incorrectly, but the game either goes to the "enter initiials" and locks up, or goes all the way the first (demo?) hole. I tried it keyboard only and also with a Logitech joypad. Any suggestions? Thanks, Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atariksi Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Thanks for the update Fandal - was nice playing Pebble Beach again - finally got my Birdy on the last hole! That snapshot shows multicolored text in 320*200 mode without relying on artifacting-- a rarity among atari games. I've played this game on Amiga. Perhaps, if someone wants to give spec for .CAR, I can try to upload via MPDOS to real Atari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+therealbountybob Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Just played a hole on the emulator; nice work for the 2nd new game of 2009!? Is there a way to transfer .CAR (or .ROM for that matter) files down to a 1050 disk to play on a real Atari, or, do I need to wait for an executable/file version Well, file version is possible (for 256 kB machines). May be I'll convert the game into file version in the future but right now I'm pretty flooded with another A8 projects... Try to contact Lance of Video61 if you want to play the game on real HW. May be he could produce some carts with boosted version... F. I've only got a stock 130XE / 128K, never mind Great work though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Most of these games would make good MAXFLASH conversions then everyone could enjoy them! Just played a hole on the emulator; nice work for the 2nd new game of 2009!? Is there a way to transfer .CAR (or .ROM for that matter) files down to a 1050 disk to play on a real Atari, or, do I need to wait for an executable/file version Well, file version is possible (for 256 kB machines). May be I'll convert the game into file version in the future but right now I'm pretty flooded with another A8 projects... Try to contact Lance of Video61 if you want to play the game on real HW. May be he could produce some carts with boosted version... F. I've only got a stock 130XE / 128K, never mind Great work though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+David_P Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Next step: get the 7.16Mhz '816 out to the world, and we'll see another 4x speed increase... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fres Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Most of these games would make good MAXFLASH conversions then everyone could enjoy them! Is this possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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