Wizard of Wor 2: The Arena

[iesposta]

Nope. Past couple of months were very busy with family and friends.

 

I've been thinking about hashing out a new bus-stuffing format, like we did to make DPC+, then rebooting Draconian to use it. It'll let me use the ball to draw shots, in order to reduce flicker on something that's critical for the player to see, while still using the ball to draw the parallax starfield. It'd also let the ships diagonal shots actually be diagonal (by using using HMOVEs to shift the missile/ball object). In the current kernel only the player objects can be HMOVE shifted.

Yes, do this! ^^

(Forget I said anything. )

[CDS Games]

New graphics and sounds. Overhauled the up-down sprites to make the drop in resolution less noticeable, and I also gave the worrior's gun some flanges.

Also changed the shooting tone to be closer to the arcade. AUDC0 now at a swishy 0F instead of a straight tone 04, with a sweep up in pitch instead of down. Really, it should be a sweep up then back down, but that would take extra tinkering. Also changed the Worluk/Wizard sound...that one I don't like much and will probably change, so ideas welcome.

 

WizardofWorArcade21915.bin

I seem to have broken the dungeon transition sounds in the process though.

[iesposta]

I'm getting real close to be able to finish all the speech strings for the AtariVox+. For real this time!

 

I'm looking into putting AtariVox+ into my Dr. Who Berzerk Hack, so it will be set up and I can get to finishing the speech list.

I really, really want this game finished and on cartridge, as has always been great fun to play, and this update just adds to it so much more.

[roryjr]

Yea!! I have been rewarded for resisting the urge to bump this topic. Ieposta, will you still leave the software speech in Dr. Who for those who don't have Atarivox?

[CDS Games]

I'm getting real close to be able to finish all the speech strings for the AtariVox+. For real this time!

 

Nice! That's good news.

 

Meanwhile I am noticing all these little things that need changing, like the Wizard in the arcade is blue.

 

Nukey, do you have time to crank out some new sound code?

* AUDF0 needs to DEC then INC on each shot.

* The "siren" sound on worrior death should gradually go higher as it cycles

* the Worluk and the Wizard sounds should be separate

* the Wizard has a sort of machine-gun sound

* anything else?

 

Here's a clip with the Wizard, he comes in just after 1:45:

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2015 by CDS Games

[CDS Games]

Oh and I'll see if I can get some exact AUDC and AUDF parameters to work with.

[CDS Games]

Hmm.... harder than I thought. But here's what I got:

 

Worrior shooting: AUDC0 0F; AUDF1 decrement 10 -> 0 then INC 0 -> 10

Worrior dying: AUDC0 01; AUDF0 decrement 11 > 5

Worluk sound: AUDC1 0F; AUDF1 decrement 15 -> 3 then INC 3 -> 15

Wizard sound AUDC1 08; AUDF1 decrement 2-8?

[iesposta]

8 more AtariVox speech string completed.

Only 32 left to go!

 

(There are 71 sentences in my list.)

[David Alexander]

awesome, I hope this comes out on a cart

[iesposta]

Yea!! I have been rewarded for resisting the urge to bump this topic. Ieposta, will you still leave the software speech in Dr. Who for those who don't have Atarivox?

Yes, the software speech will stay in Dr. Who Berzerk hack in addition to AtariVox+ speech. Omegamatrix even made it stable 262 lines when speaking so displays won't lose sync, blank, or roll!

 

Still adding speech strings to Wizard of Wor.

Sorry it is so slow.

Each phrase takes a while. I could just get it speaking the words the arcade game uses, but I think making it sound close to the way the arcade says words is important. So I listen to the .wav word sounds from MAME, and then make the Vox pronounce the word as strangely as the arcade does, repeat word by word.

[roryjr]

Yes, the software speech will stay in Dr. Who Berzerk hack in addition to AtariVox+ speech. Omegamatrix even made it stable 262 lines when speaking so displays won't lose sync, blank, or roll!

 

Still adding speech strings to Wizard of Wor.

Sorry it is so slow.

Each phrase takes a while. I could just get it speaking the words the arcade game uses, but I think making it sound close to the way the arcade says words is important. So I listen to the .wav word sounds from MAME, and then make the Vox pronounce the word as strangely as the arcade does, repeat word by word.

 

 

Cool. I have an atarivox, but I know everyone doesn't. I hope the numbers will increase now that it is available in the AtariAge store.

[CDS Games]

Each phrase takes a while. I could just get it speaking the words the arcade game uses, but I think making it sound close to the way the arcade says words is important. So I listen to the .wav word sounds from MAME, and then make the Vox pronounce the word as strangely as the arcade does, repeat word by word.

 

Attention to detail like that makes a difference! That's what's nice about developing on this site: we can take our time and get something right rather than have to rush a product to market the way they did in Atari's heyday. Just watched Atari:Game Over last night with the Mrs. and was talking about how it was obvious back then that games were just getting cruddy and didn't have any of the artistry of the early releases.

 

On finalizing the graphics & sound for this---I think I'll go back to the original Wizard/Worluk sound (it works better than anything I've been able to come up with.) But I'm torn about the Wizard color....he's blue in the arcade, and this is nothing if not an arcade port. But a white wizard still seems like a case where the home port works better than the original. Anyone have strong opinions on it?

[David Alexander]

Looking forward to the completion of this game.

[Albert]

I continue to amass CBS carts..

 

 

..Al

[David Alexander]

I continue to amass CBS carts..

 

cbs_carts.jpg

 

..Al

 

Awesome!!!

[CDS Games]

Very nice!!

[Arenafoot]

I continue to amass CBS carts..

 

cbs_carts.jpg

 

..Al

is the artwork done for this one too? will it match the other CBS labels???

[Albert]

is the artwork done for this one too? will it match the other CBS labels???

CDS posted some concepts earlier in the thread here, but beyond that no artwork has been done. I'd likely go with a CBS-style label.

 

..Al

[MSd7342]

THis is very awesome...I really want this to be finished

[keilbaca]

Same, I really love this game

[Albert]

I have more than enough CBS carts now for an initial release of this hack.

[David Alexander]

I have more than enough CBS carts now for an initial release of this hack.

 

Awesome! Money standing By.

[CDS Games]

Woo hoo! Great news Al. I got an extra to send your way as well.

 

Meanwhile, we're seeing if we can get this wrapped up.

[Albert]

Woo hoo! Great news Al. I got an extra to send your way as well.

 

Meanwhile, we're seeing if we can get this wrapped up.

Awesome! I need to work on getting boards made that will fit in the CBS carts. Those boards are the smallest I've seen of any third-party boards.

 

..Al

[iesposta]

Usually a busy time for Nukey who will finish the AtariVox+ logic.