Jump to content
IGNORED

Laser Squad - 64KB & VBXE


xxl

Recommended Posts

36 minutes ago, Gunstar said:

What NES controller are you referring too? Do you mean SNES (which I don't mind) as the only NES controller I know of has only 2 buttons, so a Joy2B+ should work fine, but there is also a reason for the "+" on the end of what was Joy2B; the "+" refers to more than two buttons possible. I did the mod on a Sega Genesis/Megadrive 3 button controller and all three buttons work if the game supports them, like the hacked version of Star Trek Strategic Operations Simulator. Others have modified 6 button Sega controllers, IIRC.

If you inspect the cover image from the "Petscii Robots Part 4 - Atari and X16" you see a SNES controller connected to the Atari with all it's 8 button beauty. So the game can be controlled with my SNACK adapter in the same way that on the C64 is achieved by the user port SNES adapter.
 

40 minutes ago, Gunstar said:

Yes, I have played the game, I purchased the Atari version to support The 8-bit Guy (who I am a subscriber too) even after seeing what it was like in his video. And I DO like this sort of game, but usually I much prefer them when they have smooth scrolling, the Atari version doesn't.

Ok, thanks for your support!

 

41 minutes ago, Gunstar said:

Also, I did watch The 8-bit Guy's videos of Petscii Robots, not just the Atari one, but every single version that he has released a game for and some still being worked on. I know exactly how the programmers decided to do it on every version released.

So you are also aware then about the man power put into e.g. the Apple II port. And that the budget of the Atari port did not allow e.g. a transcription of the C64 soundtrack.

Depending on the low sales of the Apple II version in conjunction with the expenses for all the participants, David was very cautions about investing into the A8 version. It's good that the Atari version reached the brake-even point, allowing (better) support for our platform when it comes to future projects.

 

BTW: You mentioned the special version for the C128. Comparing sales of that machine vs. VBXE it's very unlikely a VBXE version will materialize.

 

Comming back to your initial statement:

On 11/26/2021 at 5:03 PM, Gunstar said:

A great example of how the port of 'Attack of the Petscii Robots" for the Atari 8-bit should have been done

I think the difference between the plain "Laser Squad"-version and the "AotPR"-version isn't that big - and "AotPR" uses even PMG/shades of grey. So it mainly comes down to a missing special VBXE version...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/29/2021 at 4:06 PM, Irgendwer said:

Depending on the low sales of the Apple II version in conjunction with the expenses for all the participants, David was very cautions about investing into the A8 version. It's good that the Atari version reached the brake-even point, allowing (better) support for our platform when it comes to future projects.

 

 

Just curious, did 8-bitguy release sales numbers? I wondered if the A8 version would outsell the Apple II version, or even just how it did overall (probably still going a bit).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Atari8guy said:

Just curious, did 8-bitguy release sales numbers? I wondered if the A8 version would outsell the Apple II version, or even just how it did overall (probably still going a bit).

Not that I'm aware of. You could address this question direct to him. I would also be interested how well the retro platforms perform - but for the recent targets or still in progress ones it's too early... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, xxl said:

we already have a loading picture  ? thanks Jose.

 

 

The number of available scenarios at the start has increased to 12 (originally five).

 

 

Loading_LS.png

Thanks.

Didn't even remembered I did it so have been trying to find the files and how was done.

 

So here's similar to that of the past and the explanation:

It was done so it can be present while loading from disc (or even tape) in a 4colours Bitmap mode so no DLIs and PMGs to add some more colours (using Prior_0):

-> PFs only:

671303569_Loadingscreen_bitmapmode_noDLIs_PFsonly.png.90c8814f6a0bde6af351f25aed76f233.png

-> PMGs only (so is the reason why has a gray BAK borders and not the black that isn't indeed a black but the blue A8 palette colour_9):

1942153390_Loadingscreen_bitmapmode_noDLIs_PMGsonly.png.6c1c77f1b875b09c76e89855ebc854ab.png

 

 

I see it can look in two ways:

-> Similar to that but BAK is a darker luminance (can still be the previous lighter one if you wish):

445129546_Loadingscreen_bitmapmode_noDLIs.png.4b74f3d3731a966fe2e0a0da5ef8811f.png

Loading screen _bitmap mode _no DLIs.g2f

Loading screen _bitmap mode _no DLIs.xex

-> But now the decision is that if we/you want to have the middle guy 2nd clothe colour close to the brown then it can be changed dark gray to a dark pale green A8 paletter colour_E:

1549594523_Loadingscreen_bitmapmode_noDLIs_palegreenBAK.png.e66cb41006d13cd0407561160e74c101.png

Loading screen _bitmap mode _no DLIs _pale green BAK.g2f

Loading screen _bitmap mode _no DLIs _pale green BAK.xex

-> Or also PF2 gray:

686285830_Loadingscreen_bitmapmode_noDLIs_PF2grayandalsoBAK.png.86b33816fe2d11607124a43224bc68d3.png

Loading screen _bitmap mode _no DLIs _PF2 gray and also BAK.g2f

Loading screen _bitmap mode _no DLIs _PF2 gray and also BAK.xex

 

 

Me I'm up tpo the middle one with PF2 brown and dark pale green so that middle guy have two similar clothes colour.

?

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/26/2021 at 11:42 AM, Irgendwer said:

No, not really.

- PMG distribution cannot be guaranteed over the needed range and David doesn't liked the backdrops forming a colored halo in coarse grid, BTW: PMGs are fully in use to spice up the status area and save badly needed chars

- yes, going the bitmap route you could create enough tiles appropriate for artifacting (which I even don't like and only helps NTSC), but this means dropping the 48k Atari800 support

- for the money of a VBXE you could buy a C64 and even get the better music. How much do you would pay for a VBXE version?

- do you really like the character of the Apple II more than the one of the Atari version?

 

While the game play is fully intact and you can even use a SNES controller, I wonder if those who critique the production, actually play or will play the game or just like to boast with a presentation on the Atari, which other platforms can do better anyway...

 

Let me say it vice versa:

"Albert" has very nice and colorful graphics, but due to variance and depth of play I would prefer a round of "Petscii Robots" anytime.

 

or

 

Does it matter, if the falling blocks in Tetris are colored or not?

 

Let's see how the standard version of "Laser Squad" will look like...

Would you care to change your position on any of this now that a colour version that wasn't possible is suddenly available?:roll:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Gunstar said:

Would you care to change your position on any of this now that a colour version that wasn't possible is suddenly available?

Why? Every point is still valid and true. You noticed that I was not only aware of the color version (I mean David also posted a preview in one of his videos), but actually helped to put it on rails.

 

Regarding your initial statement:

On 11/26/2021 at 5:03 PM, Gunstar said:

A great example of how the port of 'Attack of the Petscii Robots" for the Atari 8-bit should have been done (that is NOT in high-res character mode, but high-res bitmap, like the Apple II version, with NTSC artifacting and/or with P/M underlays-so PAL has color too).

and comparing the non-VBXE version of Laser Squad as "great example" I ask myself if you would like to change your position?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, xxl said:

Hurry up so Mariusz doesn't make us wait for the game forever :D

Don't contact him yet but think I showd him that previous screen back on the days he was active on the ports together we others we had in mind.

Neverless I'm finishing it and will be in no more than a day so no problem for sure.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's it for today and will now try find any pixels that need or can be cahnged to better:

377805941_Loadingscreen_bitmapmode_noDLIs_changedcolours.png.b65311782148e32326f87180fdd7368c.png

Loading screen _bitmap mode _no DLIs _changed colours.xex

 

Have a look and post any things you think need to be reworked then I see and say if are or not possible...

Hope to send him the final screen tomorrow,

Thanks.

?

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Irgendwer said:

Why? Every point is still valid and true. You noticed that I was not only aware of the color version (I mean David also posted a preview in one of his videos), but actually helped to put it on rails.

 

Regarding your initial statement:

and comparing the non-VBXE version of Laser Squad as "great example" I ask myself if you would like to change your position?

Why yes, I certainly do, since it had been said (not by you that I recall), I think it was 8-bit Guy in the video of the Atari version actually that the only choice for doing it on the Atari was high-res character or bit-map modes due to screen layout and mapping or some such thing (I'd have to re-watch the video). I certainly am glad to find out that was all falsehoods and somebody did do a color version in med-res graphic modes, as it should have been done in the first place, IMHO. I'm more than happy, as I knew a good color version could be done, and never bought into the high-res requirement but just accepted it! I would have suggested a color version like we now have if I hadn't been given so much dis-information.

Edited by Gunstar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Gunstar said:

I certainly am glad to find out that was all falsehoods and somebody did do a color version in med-res graphic modes, as it should have been done in the first place, IMHO.

I think we now to the root cause why we see things differently.

You can call it taste, call it style, but when coming from a monochrome high-res visualization source (the PET-version), my "first place" is not to create a resolution reduced color version.

That the C64 added (easily) colors to the PET-version is an effect of the C64 system architecture you cannot simply rebuild on the Atari.

This has nothing to do with bitmap or non-bitmap mode (actually the Atari version would loose one color when going bitmap instead of characters), and the way the color version works now (with the three fonts) and finding common symbols for the three tile lines, isn't that predictable nor intuitive.

 

I'm glad you like the color version and I it's a nice addition - nevertheless I prefer the monochrome version due to various reasons (e.g. text characters, side panel, smooth diagonals, overall vintage style).

 

BTW: Here an example what can happen, if a programmer desperately likes to put color into a port (in the first place ? ) :

 

Amaurote A8:

Amaurote atari screenshot

 

Amaurote C64:

Screenshot for Amaurote

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

5 hours ago, Irgendwer said:

I think we now to the root cause why we see things differently.

You can call it taste, call it style, but when coming from a monochrome high-res visualization source (the PET-version), my "first place" is not to create a resolution reduced color version.

That the C64 added (easily) colors to the PET-version is an effect of the C64 system architecture you cannot simply rebuild on the Atari.

This has nothing to do with bitmap or non-bitmap mode (actually the Atari version would loose one color when going bitmap instead of characters), and the way the color version works now (with the three fonts) and finding common symbols for the three tile lines, isn't that predictable nor intuitive.

 

I'm glad you like the color version and I it's a nice addition - nevertheless I prefer the monochrome version due to various reasons (e.g. text characters, side panel, smooth diagonals, overall vintage style).

 

BTW: Here an example what can happen, if a programmer desperately likes to put color into a port (in the first place ? ) :

 

Amaurote A8:

Amaurote atari screenshot

 

Amaurote C64:

Screenshot for Amaurote

I certainly don't mind monochrome high-res games and graphics, and Amaurote is a perfect example, though I do prefer the newer hacked versions that use more memory and speed game play up. The original is far too slow and difficult to control and basically sucks game-play wise because of it (even with the added speed of NTSC machines). I'm pretty sure Amaurote isn't using character mode and character graphics either. But I don't care as much for high-res character graphics, especially on the Atari where you can only have 128 unique ones. By the way, I think Amaurote looks even better on NTSC with color artifacting! (even though it wasn't programmed to take specific advantage)

 

As to Armaurote C64, showing me the way the programmer decided not to use high-res and to do it with color in 160x200 mode and an overhead perspective certainly doesn't mean it couldn't have still had a the isometric view in color. Especially if the "window frame" of the Atari version were removed like they did anyway with the overhead view.

Edited by Gunstar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, xxl said:

This picture has to be displayed when loading from a floppy disk, so you have to take some limitations into account.

Yes that it.

Here's what I just posted so it'll be if approved:

782558059_LASERSQUADLoadingscreen_final.png.caf84e543124e927953b4d57e9f6a427.png

LASER SQUAD Loading screen _final.xex

 

 

It's 4colours in Bitmap mode more the PMGs:

1781584022_LASERSQUADLoadingscreen_final_PFsonly.png.2250d044bb43fa7d2a9f688c36d9c81d.png + 1345680658_LASERSQUADLoadingscreen_final_PMGsonly.png.705a7a0c845d47ea121a18e33f902585.png

?

 

Edited by José Pereira
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, ilmenit said:

While it's close to the original image, lets be honest, both you and Atari can do much better for a title screen ?

Cannot be more like @xxl posted.

To be present while loading must be simply Bitmap mode 4colours and the PMGs to add some more colours (I'm even using Prior_0 to have more) but no DLIs so is what it is.

And to be honest the C64 image that is based on isn't also a good picture loading screen compred to many others around ?.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, José Pereira said:

Is it fine now for (all of) you:

2103555106_Loadingscreen_bitmapmode_noDLIs_changedcolours.png.5318c4afbb489cd41330b1aa2f9563b0.png

Loading screen _bitmap mode _no DLIs _changed colours.xex 12.49 kB · 6 downloads

Will send later if no errors...

?

Hi Jose, while it's quite nice in general, can something be done about blue shadows, please? 

They look a bit like paintjob flowing down off the blue armor ?

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...