What is your preference for the DPC+ version of ChipOff?

[+Random Terrain]

As It Is Now

For my first try at a DPC+ version of ChipOff that I haven't posted yet, I used missile0 as the left side wall, player0 as the right side wall, and missile1 to cover up the small gap above the player0 right side wall. I also used player1 as the paddle and the ball as the ball.

 

As it is right now, the paddle doesn't flicker when the ball comes near, but the paddle would flicker when I add bonus items and they get low enough for the paddle to touch them. Since I am using the ball as the ball, the block destruction effect had to be removed until I can do something with a sprite.

 

 

How It Could Be

If I use missile1 as the right side wall instead of player0, I could use player0 as the paddle, then the paddle would never flicker. Since the paddle wouldn't flicker, I could use a virtual sprite as the ball and have the block destruction effect again (exactly the way it is in the standard kernel version).

 

The only problem is that the colors of any bonus items would contaminate the right side wall (missile1). If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the example below:

 

enam_2013y_09m_20d_1524t.bas.bin

 

Move the guy up and down the screen and notice the color contamination of the bar on the right side. You'd see a similar kind of thing in the DPC+ version of ChipOff if I use missile1 as the wall on the right side when a bonus item drops. Would that be too distracting?

 

 

Thanks.

[+Random Terrain]

It's a tie right now. Anyone have any opinions that might sway the vote?

[+iesposta]

Could you cover the contamination with the ball? (In how it could be.)

 

Edit: I actually voted against flicker (gasp!)

[+Random Terrain]

Could you cover the contamination with the ball? (In how it could be.)

 

Edit: I actually voted against flicker (gasp!)

 

The ball takes on the color of the playfield, so it would have its own contamination. My hope is that I can use the ball to do the block destruction effect because that's what I do in the other version. It's a cheap and easy effect. All I have to do is move it down the playfield and it takes on the hidden colors of the playfield (it goes from light blue, down to dark blue, to black, then it's removed it from the screen).

[+Random Terrain]

Non-flickering paddle is winning so far. I'll try it this way and see how people like it.

[+Random Terrain]

I have some good news. Now there will be a paddle that doesn't flicker and a side wall that doesn't show the color of bonus items.

I kept trying to think how I could use the ball as a bonus item and have a destruction effect at the same time. I finally figured out that I could do a simple shrinking animation with a virtual sprite at the spot where a block is knocked out (using the color of the side walls). It looks pretty good. Now I just have to figure out what the bonus items will do.

Here are some possibilities:

• A red falling un-bonus item could be dangerous. If the paddle touches it, you would lose a ball.
• A green falling bonus item could give you points.
• A yellow falling bonus item could . . . I don't know yet.
• A blue falling bonus item could . . . I don't know yet.

[+RevEng]

Good progress! Here are some ideas for effects. Most of these aren't original, but hopefully it helps to get them listed out...

 

_BAD_

more blocks appear, one by one

the paddle moves up the screen for a time

controls reverse

paddle speeds up and/or has a lot of inertia

ball speed varies randomly

small paddle

 

_GOOD_

the paddle becomes a bunch of vertically stacked paddles

ball continues through the blocks

ball can be caught, and then released at will

multi-ball (use the stack to switch variables on alternate frames)

the paddle can shoot

the paddle can wrap around from left border to right border, and visa versa

[+Random Terrain]

I could also try to use my idea from over 10 years ago:

 

gamediscovery.com/ideas/archive/Video-Game-46.asp