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Onslaught revisited
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=530		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  RichTW [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:29 am ]
Post subject:  Onslaught revisited
With all these exciting new games being worked on at the moment, I decided I'd quite like to actually finish one of my own!

So I figured that my best chance was to work on one I'd already partially written - in this case, Onslaught, something I started to write years ago. There's a disc image of an early version of it in the Stairway to Hell archive, which I tried again the other day and quite enjoyed - so I decided that I'd love it to have a proper, polished release. The idea is to have it finished by Christmas, but - well - we'll see...

More background, information, and a diary of progress, here:
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/wiki/ind ... aughtDiary

Given the cartoony cutey nature of it, Onslaught seems like a totally inappropriate name now. If anyone can think of a more fitting name, send your suggestions on a postcard to, well, here.
Author:  DaveJ [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 5:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
I think you should call it Bass Jumping - it's about jumping off platforms like a base jumper and has deep bass notes!

And maybe you can get free beer if the brewery sponsors it ;)
Author:  TomW [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Looking good! Just remember :

INC does not affect the carry flag.
INC does not affect the carry flag.
INC does not affect the carry flag. ;)
Author:  RichTW [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
TomW wrote:
INC does not affect the carry flag.
INC does not affect the carry flag.
INC does not affect the carry flag. ;)

:oops:

I sat in a corner facing the wall for an hour after you spotted that one. (This was the sound bug I alluded to in the blog - and I had the audacity to blame it on B-Em!!! Sorry Tom...)
Author:  RichTW [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
DaveJ wrote:
I think you should call it Bass Jumping
Actually, that would be a cool name if the music formed an integral part of the gameplay... don't think it really fits this game (any more than Onslaught...) but do share any ideas that come to mind! I never thought thinking of a name could be so hard.
Author:  MartinB [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Only just spotted the Wiki, has it really been there since the end of October? :shock:

The game looks awesome and the diary is a fascinating read packed with useful information for us greenbacks! I'm not sure if it inspires me or makes me want to give up now :lol:

I agree about the name, Onslaught just doesn't fit. Needs to be something really gut wrenchingly story-book and twee...
Quote:
...he must shrink them with his patented Shrink-o-matic ray gun, and then collect the shrunken denizens
...such as Shrinkle Image

;)
Author:  DaveJ [ Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
How about Watkins Godbolt? It sounds like a 1920s cartoon character, and it gets your author credit in larger letters on the cover ;)

The diary of a game is absolutely fascinating - it's really interesting to see the lengths you go to in order to make the code faster when programming in assembler on a Beeb. It's amazing to see it is still possible to attempt new things that weren't done in 10+ years of commercial BBC game development.

I love the emphasis on music in the game too - sound and music were an oversight on far too many BBC games but it makes all the difference.
Author:  MartinW [ Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Is it possible to add an RSS feed to the diary? That would be cool :)
Author:  MartinW [ Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
As for names for the game, I don't have any bright ideas but with the popularity of things like DataCentre's for the Beeb these days it may be worth trying to consider an 8.3 filename.

For instance, I just took it for a test ride and thus renamed the downloaded SSD to "ONSLORT.SSD" so it didn't have a mangled name when I loaded it onto my master!

And, incidentally, very impressive it is too :D

I presume there's many things that you're already aware of as it's a WIP, like the score not resetting in between games? Actually, thats the only thing that springs to mind!
Author:  RichTW [ Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Thanks for all the remarks guys - helps with the motivation, particularly at this stage where I'm just porting the code over routine-by-routine, trying to make sense of what the hell it all does. Kinda boring work, particularly since some of it is going to have to go eventually, like the code which builds the maps from their raw data.

I'll document it all in the diary soon, but - until then - gotta get back to work!

Keep the names suggestions coming! ;)
Author:  RichTW [ Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
@MartinW - yeah, I'd like a reasonably short snappy name. I might default to 'Blurp' if I don't find a better title (after all, it is his name!), and I already have title screen text drawn from my old incarnation of Blurp.

Cheers for the feedback - yep, I'm totally aware of the issue with the score not being reset, but this whole framework is changing now (as I didn't have the source code for these parts anyway).

I'm looking forward to getting stuck into implementing new creatures - I have tons of ideas, which I'm going to keep as a surprise!
Author:  SteveO [ Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Wow Rich, I've some reading to do :)
Author:  RichTW [ Mon Nov 29, 2010 2:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
New diary entry here, complete with new improvised comments section !
Author:  DaveJ [ Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Fantastic! I've already got an idea for the cover art for this one if I'm asked to do it.
Author:  RichTW [ Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Oh yeah! I would of course be honoured to get some DaveJ artwork in the game! :)

(though I've still got to find a name for the damn thing!)
Author:  DaveM [ Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
What's wrong with Martin's suggestion of Shrinkle, eh? ;)

(ok, there's a lot of things wrong with it, but I still think it'd make a neat name for a cutesy platformer!).

Loving the diary updates and, shock horror, I genuinely believe that RTW might actually complete one of his many Beeb projects!!
Author:  RichTW [ Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Hahahaha, well let's see about that ;)

It helps that it's already quite fun to play and I'm not hitting any brick walls yet! Just started to implement the new collision detection, so we'll see how that goes and if it wins me back looaaadsa memory.

I have to admit, the name Shrinkle's grown on me :lol: It's the best suggestion so far, but I'm not gonna commit to anything just yet...
Author:  DaveJ [ Mon Nov 29, 2010 6:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
I think the protagonist looks more like a Dudley myself ;)

Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell was always a hero of mine - no-one can play the saw like him!
Author:  RichTW [ Tue Nov 30, 2010 1:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
Another brief diary entry - some good progress made tonight!

Quote:
Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell was always a hero of mine - no-one can play the saw like him!
Is that him there on bass?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hcZ4s9cvpw
Author:  DaveJ [ Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Onslaught revisited
No, that's the late Denis Cowan. A fantastic bassist - his bass playing on the Bonzos albums Tadpoles and Keynsham is superb.

Vernon was the Bonzo's original bass player. Here he is earlier this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpzKM9UJ57k
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