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Post by limitzer0 on Dec 8, 2018 14:14:42 GMT -5
Hello all,
About a year and a half ago I set out to make a port of The Last Starfighter arcade game from the movie. A few weeks in I basically had the Star Trek game with different looking ships. I was not happy with it. I did not understand the limitations of the Vectrex at the time and I stopped working on it.
Getting inspired by all of the amazing games coming out lately I decided to try again. While I still don't have a full understanding of the 6809 or the limitations of the Vectrex I have a much better understanding of what I can actually do. I decided to make something simple to increase my knowledge. 99% of the time I would have just made Pong to learn some of the basics but I decided to do something different this time.
Although I don't normally like sports games I decided to make a simple Home Run Derby game called "Fastball". It turns out it is not as simple as expected but I am making good progress. I am getting close to the point where I will want some feedback on it. I don't personally know anyone in the Vectrex scene to ask to test the game out and I don't really want to distribute the game in its alpha form to everyone. Would a few of you developers be willing to test it out for me?
I don't know what I'm going to do with the game when it is finished but I know I would like to at least put a few on a cart and trade with some developers or other contributors.
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Post by hcmffm on Dec 8, 2018 15:15:52 GMT -5
Good to hear that another Vectrex developer is around. I'm not a developer; nevertheless I could have a look at your game and provide feedback regarding game play, graphics, and sound. Malban is always a good address to ask for advice on your developed code. E.g. he might give you hints on performance, development environment, and more. ...I don't know what I'm going to do with the game when it is finished but I know I would like to at least put a few on a cart and trade with some developers or other contributors. Providing your game as a binary for free download is always an option. Also you might contact Sean Kelly and ask him whether he's interested in putting your game on his SK Multicart. |
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Post by Malban on Dec 8, 2018 15:28:45 GMT -5
Im on a holiday right now - in about 1 1/2 weeks time we can talk about it 😉...
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Post by bob on Dec 9, 2018 8:08:29 GMT -5
Are you aware of the Vectrex32? It makes programming a lot quicker and easier and removes many of the Vectrex's limitations.
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Post by limitzer0 on Dec 9, 2018 14:41:46 GMT -5
hcmffm, at this point I'm looking for more technical feedback but I'll PM you in a week or two with what I have.
Malban, I'll PM you in a few weeks to see if you are up to it.
Bob, I own a Vectrex32. I have not done much with it other than play Tail Gunner. It is impressive for sure. At this point I like the challenge of using the original hardware and I like that it is accessible for everyone. The limitations I speak of have more to do with the amount lines you can draw on the screen at once and not necessarily the processing power. I might give it a shot when I get a few games under my belt though.
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Post by cNp on Dec 10, 2018 6:53:01 GMT -5
Hi, I'd be happy to test out your game and give feedback. I've tested for a few other devs and can be trusted with the binary files  Drop me a PM when you are ready and I'll share my email address... or find it at vectorrepublic.co.uk Cheers, Chris |
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Post by D-Type on Dec 10, 2018 8:16:12 GMT -5
I'll have a look and give you basic feedback, if you're still looking for bodies.
I'm no 6809 guru, but I know a good program when I see and feel one.
I'm trustable with special binaries ;-)
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Post by limitzer0 on Dec 12, 2018 1:13:53 GMT -5
Thanks, I will PM you both as well when it is closer to what I want. I've posted a sample of my latest here: youtu.be/kBA-WKEFWFoWhat do you all recommend for sound and audio? I looked for a pattern tracker to make menu music but could not find anything (That would have been too easy, I know). I'm even having a hard time making "fan" noises like in Blitz. |
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Post by hcmffm on Dec 12, 2018 6:26:56 GMT -5
Thanks, I will PM you both as well when it is closer to what I want. Cool. Wow, graphics and animation of Fastball look pretty cool, already. A bit like Pitcher's Duel. What do you all recommend for sound and audio? I looked for a pattern tracker to make menu music but could not find anything (That would have been too easy, I know). I'm even having a hard time making "fan" noises like in Blitz. Previous posts in this forum, e.g. vectrex sound "programming" or the search keywords "AY Tracker" might help. Malban has created many sound tracks and is a good address, too (Chris is still on holidays). |
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Post by limitzer0 on Dec 12, 2018 16:04:47 GMT -5
Thanks, I'll see what I can do with Arkos Tracker 2 for now.
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Post by gliptitude on Dec 13, 2018 20:36:54 GMT -5
Thanks, I will PM you both as well when it is closer to what I want. I've posted a sample of my latest here: youtu.be/kBA-WKEFWFoWhat do you all recommend for sound and audio? I looked for a pattern tracker to make menu music but could not find anything (That would have been too easy, I know). I'm even having a hard time making "fan" noises like in Blitz. The batter and pitcher graphics are awesome and should be the priority. I think they are what distinguishes your game and you should consider reducing the brightness and thickness of some of the background graphics in order to articulate better visually. The silhouette drawings of the players are just great, realistic (especially by Vectrex standards) but also very expressive. I'd be interested to know more about these animations, how many frames, if you had to tweak much to get to where it is, if there is more room to tweak, etc. In baseball the crack of the bat hitting the ball is one of the most satisfying things and it would be good to simulate this in the game. I don't think that necessarily means it has to be a realistic sound, but maybe just that it is articulate, satisfying and timed correctly. Maybe there are a few slightly different sounds for different types of contact. .. Minimalist sound during pitching sequences, (no music), then something more abstract to commemorate a hit. |
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Post by limitzer0 on Dec 14, 2018 20:47:19 GMT -5
The batter and pitcher graphics are awesome and should be the priority. I think they are what distinguishes your game and you should consider reducing the brightness and thickness of some of the background graphics in order to articulate better visually. The silhouette drawings of the players are just great, realistic (especially by Vectrex standards) but also very expressive. I'd be interested to know more about these animations, how many frames, if you had to tweak much to get to where it is, if there is more room to tweak, etc. In baseball the crack of the bat hitting the ball is one of the most satisfying things and it would be good to simulate this in the game. I don't think that necessarily means it has to be a realistic sound, but maybe just that it is articulate, satisfying and timed correctly. Maybe there are a few slightly different sounds for different types of contact. .. Minimalist sound during pitching sequences, (no music), then something more abstract to commemorate a hit. Thanks! I'm never quite happy with the way the batter looks but I'm at that point where I can't do much better. The batter will have a total of 8 frames. Right now he doesn't have the follow through frames. The pitcher is sort of a place holder right now. I need to clean him up and add more frames. I agree that a satisfying batt noise will add a lot to the game. I've considered recording my own and using samples in the game. I'm still not sure the route I'm going to take. I really have no clue about the audio. I think that is going to take me the longest. |
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Post by Malban on Dec 17, 2018 8:01:45 GMT -5
Im on a holiday right now - in about 1 1/2 weeks time we can talk about it 😉... Im back - if still interested -> PM :-)
Regards Malban
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Post by gauze on Dec 17, 2018 13:19:36 GMT -5
I wouldn't bother with sampled audio, but maybe you are more adventurous than I am.
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Post by limitzer0 on Dec 18, 2018 1:45:26 GMT -5
It will be another week or so before I PM you all. I'm making good progress. I'll probably have a finished game here soon.
I've figured out Arkos Tracker enough to make a 30 second song. I had to bring it down to a 5 second loop in order to save space. I'm trying to keep it under 16kb and that seems challenging with audio. I'm definitely not going to use sampled audio for the batt noise. I'm also going to have to learn how to dynamically create a crowd noise or not have it at all because anything that sounds good on the tracker takes up way too much space.
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