Time to Design -- engine is ready, boulders are ready...

[Thomas Jentzsch]

The only homebrew C&D I've heard about was Futurama.

That was a hack, like Revenge of the Apes, which got sued by Fox too.

[salstadt]

But really, why would anyone want to regurgitate gameplay? It's familiar but I got interested in Ataridev because of the promise of making games that hadn't been done yet. Ports and revisions and hacks do little more than satiate our nostalgia. Wouldn't you guys rather see completely new, original titles with gameplay previously untried on the system?

 

- Adam

[moderntimes99]

What are the chances that First Star would allow the use of the Boulder Dash name and idea for say a fee of 1-2 USD per cartridge sold? Has anyone asked?

 

Best regards,

Moderntimes99

[Thomas Jentzsch]

But really, why would anyone want to regurgitate gameplay? It's familiar but I got interested in Ataridev because of the promise of making games that hadn't been done yet. Ports and revisions and hacks do little more than satiate our nostalgia. Wouldn't you guys rather see completely new, original titles with gameplay previously untried on the system?

It's probably because we homebrewers like the challenge to proove that we can port games from superior platforms to"good old Atari".

[salstadt]

By the way, I'd be happy to supply art (if you need any) for any game concept, not just mine. Just to clarify.

 

- Adam

[Nukey Shay]

But really, why would anyone want to regurgitate gameplay? It's familiar but I got interested in Ataridev because of the promise of making games that hadn't been done yet. Ports and revisions and hacks do little more than satiate our nostalgia. Wouldn't you guys rather see completely new, original titles with gameplay previously untried on the system?

It's probably because we homebrewers like the challenge to proove that we can port games from superior platforms to"good old Atari".

 

...and that hackers sometimes have an urge to try to improve upon what has been homebrewed.

 

Seriously, this is like asking why people climb a mountian that has already been climbed by others countless times. It's the challenge (or should I say obsession?) to see if it can be done. I'm just not crazy enough yet to find my own path to climb up

[+Andrew Davie]

I've had one hell of a time getting this to this stage. The MPG (2MB) shows a short bit of the demo in action, and the image shows a screenshot. As you can see, I have a fully-scrolling multi-colour playfield, character-like graphics capability *and* two independant sprites per scanline being updated. The columns of 'men' are just to show that I can update sprites over the whole playfield -- the shapes can be anything I want. There are a few glitches here and there; normal for work-in-progress.

Cheers

A

 

http://www.atari2600.org/notbd22jan.mpg

[Albert]

The only homebrew C&D I've heard about was Futurama.

That was a hack, like Revenge of the Apes, which got sued by Fox too.

Just for clarification, a Cease & Desist (C&D) letter is not the same as being sued. It is a threat that legal action will be taken if you do not abide by the demands of the letter, but that's it.

 

..Al

[Gregory DG]

What about Not Chip's Challenge?

[Nefarious]

Good luck with all that.

[TheWriteDude]

I agree with going with a wholly original game concept. Let's come up with something that's both new and quite cool looking. Otherwise, it's a waste of Thomas' time to do a rehash of a classic game but on the 2600.

 

Think back to when you were a little kid and dreamed of making games for the Atari. Well, now's your chance to help Thomas with this. Coming up with old or remake ideas is just lazy!

 

[TheWriteDude]

Hey I just got to thinking:

 

Why not expand upon the idea of the cart label contest that AtariAge holds and have a game design contest!

 

Thomas would pick the best entry -- the one that would be the most technically possible for him to develop into a working game.

 

You have to submit a simple write-up and design document, which could include a mock-up of sample game screens.

 

The entries must be based upon the technical capabilities (and limitation) that Thomas would spell out for us.

 

What do you guys think?

[Nukey Shay]

Didn't you mean Andrew?

Thomas probably has plenty of projects on the backburner already.

[Godzilla]

oooer, im on it.

 

something quick and easy would be a sword of fargoal variant...

 

I shall return with munificence :-) (I hope,)

[CrazyChris]

The game engine, and graphics look great!

 

I never like the gameplay in boulder dash so its good

that your going to come up with a different concept.

 

Chris

[Curt Vendel]

That's incredible Andrew... I hadn't even read through the thread and clicked on the video and was like "Wow, thats 2600 Boulderdash!" Great work!

 

 

 

Curt

[Godzilla]

Hookay! Here we go.

 

Please do not steal my stuff :-) If you use it, consult me. There is more

to these designs than I have time to detail here.

 

1) Flud

 

I'd like to see this one giving a percentage to Tsunami Aid.

 

You play as either a rescue worker in the copter, or as the water itself.

As the rescue worker, you attempt to place dams to help slow the water

and rescue as many people as you can. Environmental hazards such as

cars sliding and trees falling make your work difficult. Looters appear in

later levels and attempt to get to the victims before you. The people do

not drown instantly and you have time to rescue them. There are

As the water, obviously, you try to claim as many victims as you can and

cover as much of the land as you can, fighting against the rescue workers.

This could also be two player :-)

 

I bet we might even be able to get 'ol Peter Gabriel to give Paul Slocrum

the rights to 2600-ize 'Here comes the flood' for in-game music (what with it being a benefit cart and all.)

 

I'd really love to see a classic gaming benefit project...

 

2) Influence

 

You have a tiny alien locked in the center of the screen, and you are trying

to grow your influence over the energy around you (as are other aliens,) you can only start to influence an area if you have part of it's color in your area already (the gradients,) The screen moves/scrolls around you, and also scales in and out (VERY rudimentarily,) as you influence grows and more is needed to be seen. This can be accomplished simply by changing what is drawn in the tiles. In the furthest extent, the players character would be a single pixel, for example and the one tile full of gradient may be represententing what was one four or eight tiles (depending on the scale of course,). You can personally travel to areas that have been taken and reclaim them, but not if another alien is there. You can also stun the other aliens temporarily by planting invisible stun mines (be careful they will get you too if you forget where they are!) You earn extra stun mines based on gaining X number of squares of influence (X based on level/difficulty/etc.)

 

3) Sqworm

 

The mother sqworm has lost her babies! She is the last of her kind! She must save her species. She travels quickly through the empty government underground installation. She can slowly dig through the dirt, but not the metal. She can throw her stickystring tounge and grab enemies to defeat them by bashing them against the walls (metal kills them faster than bashing them into dirt.) The screen scrolls in all directions, and there are traps, roaming enemies in the halls, and hidden power ups (long string, strong bashing, faster movement/slower digging, faster movement/slower digging,) and hidden enemies/traps in the dirt you dig (also in later levels, your offspring start buried,)

 

4) Maussollos

 

(The title is from King Maussollos for whom the modern Mausoleum is named.)

 

You build a temple to inter your body in, placing treasure hopefully in such a way as to draw potential future looters into your death traps. Score is based on how many years and how many treasures your tomb survives with over the years. As you build your temple, you deplete the resources of your people and use up your beginning allotment of slaves. A second scene has your king in the center of the screen hearding slaves and resources somewhat like a really simplified version of (2) above once a year. After X amount of years, your tomb is done, and then you watch to see how it does as the looters come (all time is very accelerated :-) ) Difficulty affects how many years of resource rathering you have and how many years looters attempt to plunder your tomb.

 

 

 

So, there you have 'em. :-) What do you think of that?

 

Enclosed super simple mock ups (These mock ups DO NOT have correct tile sizes, or correct pixel sizes, or anything. No attempt at making everything 2600 accurate yet.)

 

AD: I can supply all artwork and all design elements for these games.

 

Also, I assume you don't have to fill each tile with graphics (making it a big cube only?) I'm sure you can have a 'tile' element that has partial black to help make smoother, more organic shapes? (see sqworm2 for a really bad graphical representation for what I'm talking about,)

 

If anyone else likes these and wants to do something with them, contact me.

[+Andrew Davie]

Here's an engine update for CC2 and KK owners.

This version has two scroll modes. Switch the left difficulty switch either

way then power-up. One position starts up a single-view scroll, the other starts up a split-screen scroll with vertical divider and independant left/right scrolling windows. Move the player sprites around with the joysticks.

I wish that Z26 would give us an update to support this so everyone could see it!

Cheers

A

notbd28jan2005.zip

[Rob Mitchell]

Here's an engine update for CC2 and KK owners.

 

What bank switch mode?

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[+Andrew Davie]

Here's an engine update for CC2 and KK owners.

 

What bank switch mode?

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

 

3E

[Godzilla]

well, no comments on my designs? anyone? I really spent a lot of time on them...

[+Nathan Strum]

well, no comments on my designs? anyone? I really spent a lot of time on them...

 

Well, and this isn't meant to be a criticism of your work, but personally, I can't get interested in game designs that aren't actually being programmed. They're just concepts, and good or bad, that's all they are.

 

Have you considered learning Director/Shockwave for making games? From a game development standpoint, it's pretty straightforward to learn (admittedly, my experience with it is somewhat limited). It won't get you a 2600 cart with your game on it, but you can at least show that your game ideas will work.

[Atari-Jess]

Something new, random-ish and with ninjas.

 

I'll think of something along those lines later.

[Goochman]

O'Reillys Mine type game might be fun - check on those copyrights

 

Something I started long ago on my Atari 8bit but never finished (damn basic bug caused my save game to fail losing everything ) - It was going to be a ship/pirate game.

 

I was going to have a 6x6 grid of screens on the Atari (was a scroller back then ) - Each screen had an island that could be etnered - what happene don the island I had not fully fleshed out - However, the basic goal was a treasure hunting game. On the water there were going to be other pirate ships with canon fire to fight. I also had a 'storm cloud' to add some variety to the enemies.

 

After writing an Ultima type game in a similar form this was going to be my bast design - The storm cloud had yellow lightening (char mode artifacting) and looked great - anyhow, all was lost

 

thats my $0.02

[Godzilla]

well, no comments on my designs? anyone? I really spent a lot of time on them...

 

Well, and this isn't meant to be a criticism of your work, but personally, I can't get interested in game designs that aren't actually being programmed. They're just concepts, and good or bad, that's all they are.

 

Have you considered learning Director/Shockwave for making games? From a game development standpoint, it's pretty straightforward to learn (admittedly, my experience with it is somewhat limited). It won't get you a 2600 cart with your game on it, but you can at least show that your game ideas will work.

 

... * sigh * ...

 

Mayhaps it may benefit you, good sir, to read ADavies original message

in this thread, (I will quote you an essential bit below,) in it you will see Adavie asked for design ideas for him to use with his engine... So I tried to come up with some original ideas that

would work in a tile-type engine with only a few on screen sprites... Some other people have mentioned very basic ideas in here and I actually tried to come up with something a little more concrete.

 

So I'm looking for suggestions/ideas as to what games would be ideally suited to this engine. It can't be "Boulder Dash with nuggets instead of diamonds"! Has to be a different game altogether, using the capabilities that this video is showing my engine using. The player character can be a sprite, by the way -- haven't finished developing that capability yet.

Time for a game design competition, anyone? Best design gets credit and a free copy