www.retrosoftware.co.uk
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/

I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=909		 Page 1 of 5
Author:  tricky [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 9:53 pm ]
Post subject:  I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
All I have so far are some gfx, a stripped out version of my rally-X prototype, a selection of web-pages bookmarked and some ideas for star and sprite drawing routines.

This time, I might be a little more free and easy with an exact port, but will have to put in some effort as there is already a playable version "Eagle Empire" (unlike Acornsoft's Carousel)

There is just something about arcade games from 1980, it might have something to do with me spending nearly all of 1980 in arcades, or it might be because every game after that had far too much gfx in ROM to do justice to on the BBC B (my first love).
Author:  jbnbeeb [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 9:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Cool! My other half loves playing that on the arcades at the Play Expo shows (and MAME). Apparently when she was a kid they had that game at her local youth club.

What happened to Rally-X?

Are you going to port the gfx from the arcade roms?



tricky wrote:
All I have so far are some gfx, a stripped out version of my rally-X prototype, a selection of web-pages bookmarked and some ideas for star and sprite drawing routines.

This time, I might be a little more free and easy with an exact port, but will have to put in some effort as there is already a playable version "Eagle Empire" (unlike Acornsoft's Carousel)

There is just something about arcade games from 1980, it might have something to do with me spending nearly all of 1980 in arcades, or it might be because every game after that had far too much gfx in ROM to do justice to on the BBC B (my first love).
Author:  tricky [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Rally-X was proving too hard to find old TVs and monitors to play on, plus all the gfx to make the cars turn nicely was taking forever (I didn't like the original animation). I may revisit it and use flying saucers (or something that doesn't need hundreds of frames of animation).

Phoenix was one of my favourite games and although Eagle Empire is better that Carousel, it still doesn't really work for me (and it crashes alot!).

I have started on the gfx and have a first pass at stars :o

I'm going to try to be a bit more rigorous with the dev diary this time, although I spent a couple of hours the other night trying to make a game page for Carnivale and failed, so It will be in this thread until someone makes a page for me - I couldn't do images or the download!

Here is tonights work - first pass at stars, there will be more, but these are "random" and can be draw in blocks of half a character line (1 page) EDIT: swapped for jpg so that it shows up "inline" EDIT: EDIT: still not got the hang of this!
Image

Attachments:
File comment: first pass at "random" stars
02_screenshot_stars.jpg [1.63 KiB]
Not downloaded yet
Author:  tricky [ Wed Jun 11, 2014 11:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Third session of writing Phoenix, I grabbed a few more gfx, added a scroll in for the stars (I must add some more and try and get some better colour in) and some text at the bottom (yes, I know it should be at the top ;-)

EDIT: It took me longer to get this video embeded than to write all the code so far!
EDIT: If you can't see a video above, use this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nq8aIOsFQA&feature=player_embedded
Author:  jbnbeeb [ Thu Jun 12, 2014 10:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Looking good already!
Author:  tricky [ Thu Jun 12, 2014 11:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Tweaked gfx and stars. Added the player ship scrolling on (it didn't do this in the original, but it is better than a frozen ship for a couple of seconds). I have plans to improve the stars for next time.

EDIT: Thanks jbnbeeb.
EDIT: If you can't see a video above, use this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EC5uxWblNE&feature=player_embedded
Author:  DaveM [ Fri Jun 13, 2014 4:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Love Phoenix!

Can't wait to see this progress!

Already looking very promising! :)
Author:  tricky [ Fri Jun 13, 2014 7:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Thanks Dave, I've just noticed that the videos don't show up in Chrome/Win7 at work, but do show in IE/Win7 at work and Chrome/Win7 at home!
Anyone have any ideas (that don't starts a linux/windows firefight)?
I'll add the video links as URLs for now.
Author:  tricky [ Fri Jun 13, 2014 10:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
I've been looking for about 30 years to use a palette trick to make one colour appear as many on screen and eventually I have found the right game. The stars are actually all one colour: red, cyan and blue, it is just partially programming the palette, so doesn't even need a timer (apart from putting it back to red for the players ship). I think the stars look good enough now, so next time I will work on the intro to each level, I might go with the screen of asterisks, but maybe not.
EDIT: Why is it so difficult for me to use this BB!
Image

Attachments:
File comment: red, cyan and blue stars all with one colour
05_better_looking_stars_1_colour.jpg [24.01 KiB]
Not downloaded yet
Author:  JoolsH [ Sat Jun 14, 2014 11:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
That's looking great!
Author:  tricky [ Sat Jun 14, 2014 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Thanks, Carol and Imogen have been out this afternoon, so had a quick play with making the stars scroll on faster for levels that have them and then having your ship arrive as a short break at the start of the level instead of the clear screen using asterisks (maybe that was some king of warp - oh well, I prefer mine ;))

URL incase the video doesn't show for you http://youtu.be/au53r7dloI0
Author:  tricky [ Sat Jun 14, 2014 11:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Had a spare half hour, so added bird spawning and the various formations for all levels, I have a few bugs! I will try to fix those tomorrow and maybe start on the mothership.

URL:http://youtu.be/1wDimQqJvVc
Author:  DavidB [ Sun Jun 15, 2014 12:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
You're making great progress! I wish I was as productive in the odd spare half hour! :D
Author:  tricky [ Sun Jun 15, 2014 8:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
DavidB wrote:
You're making great progress! I wish I was as productive in the odd spare half hour! :D

Before I started, I had made notes which included the spawn positions, so it was only a copy'n'paste, a counter and a loop. Plus I have been programming for 35 years - pretty much nonstop. :)
Author:  tricky [ Sun Jun 15, 2014 12:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Fixed the gfx and some of the formations (turns out my notes were wrong!), still haven't started on the mothership. I will try to add that next, but as it might take a while, I may try adding the players ship to give me a quick win ;)
I had hoped that I might have had more than another half hour this morning, but it turns out that farther's day is for fathers to do stuff with their family, not for them to do what they want, which makes it the same as any other day - As Carol says, I wanted a family; I wouldn't change that for anything though.

URL:http://youtu.be/o7uvbsb7Akg
Author:  DaveM [ Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Video set to private?
Author:  tricky [ Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Dave, not sure what private video means, nor why it would be different as above!

Added player ship movement, having not had any time yesterday, I wanted a "quick win" to make me feel like I am making progress. Mothership next (I may need to skip the stars as the boss level (one of the first ever in the arcades) already has a lot going on and I am writing this to get it done quickly, not to get every last cycle out of the beeb (like I tried with Carnivale).


URL:http://youtu.be/WWJBSr3LIL8
Author:  DavidB [ Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Oh yes, that ship movement takes me back! :D
Author:  tricky [ Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
DavidB wrote:
Oh yes, that ship movement takes me back! :D


Looking at the sprites, it should look something like walking with one leg moving, planting and then the other catching up, but at that speed, it just looks like the "legs" are just flailing about.

It frustrates me, so the original artist must have been very annoyed.
Author:  tricky [ Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I'm starting writing a version of Phoenix for the BBC
Started on the mothership by adding the top half, it must be drawable in sections but just in char rows for now. Sync'd up end of scroll with start of player arrival and alien spawn. I hate to leave it half done, but am having blood pressure issues again!


URL:http://youtu.be/Ccy_w2S-oxI
Page 1 of 5 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/