Jump to content
IGNORED

The most used resolution in games


AtariNostalgia

Recommended Posts

23 minutes ago, AtariNostalgia said:

That is unbelievable! Such low resolution for games...

That is a bit misleading. The characters in the 32x24 have 8x8 pixels each, so you end up with 256x192 again. The point is that you cannot freely define every pixel outside of Bitmap mode.

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Basically, in Graphics 1 mode (this here), you have 256 characters to define, but 768 character positions on the screen; this is what I meant by "not every pixel". The Bitmap mode triples the number of characters so that you have one 8x8 character for every location on the 32x24 grid. Also, the Graphics 1 mode only allows for setting a foreground and background color for groups of 8 characters, while the Bitmap mode allows for setting a foreground and background color for each line of every character.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, AtariNostalgia said:

I've noticed when using my Finalgrom that a lot of games are not using 256X192 resolution. What was the most commonly used resolution for games?

I wonder how you have noticed that they are not using 256x192?

The only other hardware resolution is 64x48 in multicolor mode, but that's hardly ever used.

 

Edited by Asmusr
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's strange that Atarisoft's software seems to be on a different class than many TI games. Anyway, I can't understand how they did that, and it's probably too complicated for me ?

I mean look at hang man. I swear I can write a better version in BASIC, at least back in the day. They needed an entire cartridge for that?

Edited by AtariNostalgia
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, AtariNostalgia said:

I mean look at hang man. I swear I can write a better version in BASIC, at least back in the day. They needed an entire cartridge for that?

The point with the cartridges is that they were the "unique selling point" in TI's eyes because they did not plan for floppy disk software in the hands of the "normal customer", so it was either more or less reliable cassettes, or cartridges. They even put BASIC programs into cartridges. And took quite some money for it.

 

We have to conclude that TI obviously had no great ambitions about gaming. Several people here, most notably Rasmus, have proved again and again what would have been possible on the hardware.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



It's strange that Atarisoft's software seems to be on a different class than many TI games. Anyway, I can't understand how they did that, and it's probably too complicated for me [emoji849]
I mean look at hang man. I swear I can write a better version in BASIC, at least back in the day. They needed an entire cartridge for that?


Atarisoft and milton bradley did both.. and some of the other devs at the time making 3rdv party sw ..

There's 4 or 5 "better" basic carts out there I have them in my store
RXB
Sxb
Xb27
Xb28gem
Cortex basic
Xb3

And the xbii from Myarc that requires a Myarc ram card is also out there

With the exception of cortex basic they all try to stay compatible with TI Basic/extended basic...



Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I misread your comment about basic.. hangman was likely written in ti basic

As was many of the original ti carts they could cheaply develop a program in basic and copy the memory to a grom.. then make carts, no other home computer had that at the time and they focused on cart sw not disk or tape..

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/26/2021 at 7:16 AM, mizapf said:

Bitmap mode allows for setting a foreground and background color for each line of every character.

Graphics I: Each one of the 256 definable characters is just an 8*8 pixel grid. Each group of eight characters has one assignable background color and one assignable foreground color for their entire 8*8 character grids. Looks blocky. 

 

Bitmap Mode: Each of the 768 charters is an 8*8 pixel grid. Nothing different in dimensions of the characters — just 3X more. This allows one to fill the 32*24 character screen with a unique character at each location. Another BIG advantage with bitmap mode is definable foreground and background colors for each character’s individual 8-pixel horizontal rows. So each character may have up to 16 colors (counting black and clear) vs just two colors in the commonly used Graphics I mode. 
 

   Shading colors by placing —for example— a lighter red next to a darker red, is what makes bitmap mode graphics appear “smoother,” despite having the exact same pixel density as Graphics Mode I.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/27/2021 at 5:21 AM, mizapf said:

The point with the cartridges is that they were the "unique selling point" in TI's eyes because they did not plan for floppy disk software in the hands of the "normal customer", so it was either more or less reliable cassettes, or cartridges. They even put BASIC programs into cartridges. And took quite some money for it.

 

We have to conclude that TI obviously had no great ambitions about gaming. Several people here, most notably Rasmus, have proved again and again what would have been possible on the hardware.

   When I purchased my 99/4 back in 1980 the cartridge software was absolutely a big selling point. Disk drives were way too expensive (usually more than the computer) and video games made us all comfortable with cartridges. Solid State Software loaded faster than disk based software as well! Writing BASIC programs to cassette was good enough for anyone learning BASIC. We were happy with the console and a cassette deck. 
 

   After owning my 99/4 for about six months I did begin to wish for a disk drive. Retyping listings due to cassette load failures accounts for that. 

 

   Many 99/4 users moved on to another computer brand because TI’s disk offerings were crazy expensive. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, jrhodes said:

There is also the Half-Bitmap mode, used by the game Rock Runner.

http://www.lafortune.eu/rockrunner/index.html

 

rock03.png

It's not /technically/ a different mode, it's just bitmap mode with the masks set differently than the Editor/Assembler manual recommends. The problem is the way TI presented bitmap mode usually glossed over the masking so people didn't know about it.

 

That's why no other 9918A system has "half-bitmap" mode, they already knew you could do that. ;)

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Tursi said:

It's not /technically/ a different mode, it's just bitmap mode with the masks set differently than the Editor/Assembler manual recommends.

Hi @Tursi! Where can we find more info on setting these masks differently? I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about. Looking for examples.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Airshack said:

Hi @Tursi! Where can we find more info on setting these masks differently? I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about. Looking for examples.

This is a good source:

http://www.unige.ch/medecine/nouspikel/ti99/tms9918a.htm#hybrid bitmap

What Thierry doesn't mention is that if you only have one or two pattern tables, sprites 8 and above will be duplicated. My solution for Titanium, Bouncy and Flying Shark was to use one color table and three pattern tables, which meant that the scrolling took almost twice and long as what it could have with only one pattern table. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...