Rally - WIP

[+SpiceWare]

Looking good

 

 

The only reason this works is because the low nibble of CXM1P always seems to be 1. I have no idea if this is guaranteed to be true on every model of the 2600 but it works fine in Stella and on my six switch with a harmony card. Anyone know why this value is 1 and whether I can count on it being 1?

 

 

From what I've seen the unconnected bits for the TIA read registers will often, but not always, match the the address. CXM1P is at address 1, and only the upper 2 bits are connected, so reading it will return %xx000001 where xx depend on the collisions that occurred between Missile 1 and the Players.

 

Sadly, you cannot count on it. About a year after I finished Medieval Mayhem David Mrozek, the Video Game Critic, contacted me because the lower-right shield was flipped. I tracked it down to an STA REFP1 that was a typo - it should have been an STX REFP1. Register A had last been used for a paddle reading (only bit 7 is connected) and normally ended up with the correct value (in bit 3) for REFP1. But not on David's Atari.

[tschak909]

Eddy, FANTASTIC WORK, SO FAR!

 

-Thom

[xybot67]

This is great, I can't wait to see more. I pumped way too much money into the arcade version back in the day!

[Ed Fries]

Attached is the latest build. Lots of new additions since the last version: title screen, 3 lives, score, rocks, multiple (well 2 so far...) maps, "random" flags, x2 flag, speed increases on later maps, etc. I still need to implement fuel, fuel scoring, random rocks, map 3, "charranging mode", extra life, display lives and fuel, etc... I'm completely out of ram and have to get creative every time I need to store something. I'm almost out of (4k) rom. I have room for one more map and after that things will get difficult...

 

Enjoy and please send feedback.

 

-EdF

Rally 131209.bin

[+Random Terrain]

Since the walls cannot have a dark outline like the arcade version, you might want to make the walls a little darker. It might make it easier on the eyes.

[+TrekMD]

I just tried it. Very nice but I do agree with the comment from RT. Perhaps a darker color for the walls may be better.

[+Nathan Strum]

That's really impressive! Especially in 4k.

[Ed Fries]

Thanks, I love feedback about colors and sprites. If anyone wants to draw me better sprites I will happily take them.

[WildBillTX]

Wow, this got better fast. A VERY NICE JOB Ed.

 

Suggestions: A cloud smoke screen like the arcade version instead of a block.

 

The engine SFX hum gets annoying quickly, On my subwoofer, It sounds like an amplifier with a bad ground.

 

And it would kind of nice to have an level selector switch.

Edited December 10, 2013 by WildBillTX

[Ed Fries]

Wow, this got better fast. A VERY NICE JOB Ed.

 

Suggestions: A cloud smoke screen like the arcade version instead of a block.

 

The engine SFX hum gets annoying quickly, On my subwoofer, It sounds like an amplifier with a bad ground.

 

And it would kind of nice to have an level selector switch.

 

The real game not only has the annoying engine hum but also plays an annoying little song as you drive. I guess I need to decide how much like the original I want to make it. At a minimum I can turn down the volume on the hum.

 

I'd love to make the smoke look better but I haven't figured out a way to do it yet. I'll keep thinking about it.

 

Thanks!

[WildBillTX]

 

The real game not only has the annoying engine hum but also plays an annoying little song as you drive. I guess I need to decide how much like the original I want to make it. At a minimum I can turn down the volume on the hum.

 

I'd love to make the smoke look better but I haven't figured out a way to do it yet. I'll keep thinking about it.

 

Thanks!

 

On the arcade game the engine sound has slightly different pitches when you're driving North-South, East-West and when you make turns. That might keep it from becoming monotonous.

 

Also I saw a opponent car run right through a rock and made it disappear instead of being stopped by it.

[Ed Fries]

 

On the arcade game the engine sound has slightly different pitches when you're driving North-South, East-West and when you make turns. That might keep it from becoming monotonous.

 

Also I saw a opponent car run right through a rock and made it disappear instead of being stopped by it.

 

Hmm, I like that idea of changing the sound based on direction. I'll look into that.

 

I know about the rock bug but keep them coming. Thanks,

 

-EdF

[Crimefighter]

I'm guessing going to 8K to add the other features of the game is out of the question ?

[classiccollector]

Great job Ed, I'm looking forward to the final product.

[Ed Fries]

I'm guessing going to 8K to add the other features of the game is out of the question ?

I think I can get everything that matters it 4K. Certainly all the features I list above. What I probably won't get is a title screen that looks like the original game. Some of the original game music. Map 4 (which is very difficult to get to in the original game). Other tradeoffs have more to do with the atari in general, for example I don't have enough ram to support more than 3 enemy cars.

 

For me the ultimate goal is to create something fun to play that could have shipped in (say) 1978, that captures the spirit of the original game and would have been well reviewed and hopefully would have sold well at that time.

 

Some people like to do DPC+, or use extended RAM, or bankswitching. For me, I can see that this project is possible without that stuff and can be done well in 4K and so that's what I am trying to do.

[+Random Terrain]

For me the ultimate goal is to create something fun to play that could have shipped in (say) 1978, that captures the spirit of the original game and would have been well reviewed and hopefully would have sold well at that time.

 

Translation: "I am a time traveler and I don't want to raise suspicions when I go back to 1978 and sell millions of these carts."

[Ed Fries]

 

Translation: "I am a time traveler and I don't want to raise suspicions when I go back to 1978 and sell millions of these carts."

My secret is out...

[LS_Dracon]

I'm enjoying this game, thanks for sharing.

I see no problem with your game graphics, keep them.

[Ed Fries]

Here's a quick update. It includes darker grass for Mr. Terrain, softer and varying engine noise for Mr. WildBill, and, more importantly, it has Fuel implemented. Now you have to manage your fuel. If you run out (and you will...) your car will slow to a crawl and the enemies will (hopefully...) find and kill you. Flags give you a couple units of fuel and using smoke takes away fuel. As always, any feedback is welcome.

 

-EdF

Rally 131212.bin

[+Random Terrain]

Looking good. Doesn't bother my eyes anymore.

[LS_Dracon]

This interest you?

 

[Ed Fries]

This interest you?

 

Sure! That's better than mine. Can you give it to me in a dasm compatible format? (.byte statements and upside down please) Thanks!

[+Random Terrain]

Sure! That's better than mine. Can you give it to me in a dasm compatible format? (.byte statements and upside down please) Thanks!

 

He has to do that while hanging upside down? I hope he doesn't get a headache.

[Ed Fries]

Now you know why assembly programming is so hard.

[LS_Dracon]

Here is : rallytitle.s

 

Also, I tried to draw the car in diagonal, looks good but it's out of 8x8 pixel boundaries, I'm sending the cropped version, perhaps if you display in 2 or 3 frames only this will not be perceptible.

 

Another suggestion is paint the car with $86 or $88 (brighter than $82), looks better to me.