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Post by christophertumber on Jul 23, 2014 18:02:07 GMT -5
SHOOT.BIN (4.21 KB) This uses dual-joystick (thumbstick) controls as discussed in the Vec Wars thread. Use two controllers rotated 90 degrees vertically. Left joystick moves, right fires. Use buttons 1 and 2 on the right controller to calibrate playfield if needed (same as Specter). If you move up, the playfield will scroll. 4-way scroll or auto-scroll is possible but not implemented. The playfield display is a modified version of the one used in Specter though with considerable abstraction and much more overhead to allow for the flexibility of arbitrary playfields that are scrollable and much larger. So it's capable of drawing somewhat complex, if not totally flexible (grid/square based like Specter) playfields fairly quickly. Needs a lot of optimization on the new code. And clipping at top and bottom sucks. Interestingly, I picked up an MB Vectrex (I believe all my other Vectrex are GCE) off Craigslist a couple weeks ago. It does not align the grid vectors at all. Or Specter's either. And my calibration routine doesn't really help - I think it would need independent vertical and horizontal calibration. So now even happier with the purchase as it's a good test machine. Cliff notes: Scrolling playfield, draws somewhat complex playfield relatively quickly though a bit rigid in design. Has a ton of potential applications as playfield/background for a variety of games. Scrolling arena shooter (Gauntlet, Alien Syndrome), scrolling shooters where playfield is a component(Gradius, Salamander, R-Type), Roguelikes and action-RPGs (Zelda), scrolling platform games, etc.   
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Post by 50tbrd on Jul 23, 2014 18:19:33 GMT -5
This is an interesting departure for you. Can't wait to see where you go because you've named a lot of games that I'd like to see something similar to on the Vectrex.
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Post by christophertumber on Jul 25, 2014 21:15:39 GMT -5
SHOOT.BIN (28 KB) Because there just aren't enough tank games... (Sometimes MESS doesn't draw some of the playfield lines. Not sure why and it doesn't seem to be an issue on a real machine). 
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Post by VectorX on Jul 25, 2014 22:25:41 GMT -5
Because there just aren't enough tank games... Because there AREN'T enough on the Vectrex! Someone said on the long gone Vectrex forums that a game they'd like to see would be Armor Attack II, where the city was really big and it scrolled around. Maybe it could be something like that, unless you have something else in mind  |
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Post by sj on Jul 26, 2014 3:00:47 GMT -5
Is the tank game to end all tank games - Battlezone - do-able?
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Post by VectorX on Jul 26, 2014 7:28:56 GMT -5
It is, but you'd really have to know what you're doing. KidQuaalude's working on a clone:
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Post by sj on Jul 26, 2014 8:27:14 GMT -5
Ah yes. I think that (or the prospect of), has been discussed on here before. Your comment about 'really know what you're doing' really highlights the programming skills the guys had back in the day. Think of Web Wars/Warp, Narzod, and maybe to a lesser extent Starhawk and look at the amount of stuff going on. I personally can't think of any modern games (with the possible exception of Protector) that come close.
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Post by christophertumber on Jul 27, 2014 8:41:49 GMT -5
Someone said on the long gone Vectrex forums that a game they'd like to see would be Armor Attack II, where the city was really big and it scrolled around. Maybe it could be something like that, unless you have something else in mind Heh. I was initially thinking anti-Armor Attack. Where you're the tanks and helicopters (my tank is very similar to the enemy tanks in AA). But I have a bunch of unrelated "ship" designs so it probably won't hold that theme very tightly. After Specter I was planning on doing a bullet hell game. I'm not sure if this will be that - I'm spending a lot of cycles on the playfield. So we'll see. |
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Post by christophertumber on Jul 27, 2014 9:04:32 GMT -5
Is the tank game to end all tank games - Battlezone - do-able? For some definition of "do-able", sure. Hell, the Atari 2600 had a Battlezone clone. There are two approaches: A pseudo 3D engine, that doesn't do real 3D calculations it fakes it (mostly with pre-calculated vector sets). This has the advantage of being fast but isn't completely accurate. It's also problematic with vectors because edge clipping is an issue (not a problem with sprites). This is the approach I took with UTG and clipping was the stopping point there. I think I've since figured out how to handle clipping but it's probably almost as complicated as a true 3D engine which eliminates much of the advantage of this approach. The other approach is a true 3D engine. This seems to be KidQuaalude's take. A "simple" 3D engine is challenging but but not exceptionally so - It's well documented and high school level math. But building one that will run fast enough on a system like the Vectrex is. Realistically, I think something similar to the original versions of Elite should be possible. The Commodore 64 is a 6510 running at 1.023 Mhz while the Vectrex is a 6809 at 1.5 Mhz. The 6809 is a better CPU (a multiplication operation in particular is a pretty big get for this as is the DP pointer) running faster, but the Commodore 64 has a lot more available RAM plus video RAM. So IMO they're pretty comparable though obviously very different. If I stick around long enough, I have some.. unconventional.. ideas on how to implement a 3D engine on a Vectrex. But it's not something I wanted to touch on my first or second project back as it is likely to be very difficult, frustrating and long. With a not insignificant possibility of being a dead end. So not an ideal project to ease myself back in. |
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Post by sj on Jul 27, 2014 15:07:58 GMT -5
Well Chris, I'm afraid you're just going to have to stick around then.
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Post by vectrexmad on Jul 27, 2014 20:19:06 GMT -5
Is the tank game to end all tank games - Battlezone - do-able? For some definition of "do-able", sure. Hell, the Atari 2600 had a Battlezone clone. ... If I stick around long enough, I have some.. unconventional.. ideas on how to implement a 3D engine on a Vectrex. But it's not something I wanted to touch on my first or second project back as it is likely to be very difficult, frustrating and long. With a not insignificant possibility of being a dead end. So not an ideal project to ease myself back in. ... You mean like KokoVec's(unreleased) combined HW & SW approach where you plug in a cart with on-board microprocessor which takes care of the maths behind the Vector graphics? |
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Post by christophertumber on Jul 27, 2014 23:40:30 GMT -5
You mean like KokoVec's(unreleased) combined HW & SW approach where you plug in a cart with on-board microprocessor which takes care of the maths behind the Vector graphics? Nah, I'm actually not a big fan of hardware assists. Part of why I haven't really gone back to the Atari 2600 scene is because it seems to have become so dominated by using the Harmony cart's ARM processor and turning the Atari 2600 into a video card. I mean, I realize this is a pretty esoteric distinction where most players/collectors don't seem to care either way and similar to Bob Dylan picking up an electric guitar. It's also quite possible I'm yelling at clouds. But, meh. It's also somewhat contradictory because I completely embraced the VecLink, but I guess I justified it because it's such simple hardware it completely could have been contemporaneous if they'd thought of thirty years ago (or if there had been a market). Didn't feel like "cheating" anyway. Shrug. |
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Post by binarystar on Jul 28, 2014 4:27:22 GMT -5
Btw, that Battlezone clone is by Jim Watt (Marblemad), not myself. The video was filmed over at my place and so wound up on my youtube channel.
Your tank game looks good Chris (as does Spectre). I look forward to their release.
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Post by christophertumber on Jul 28, 2014 15:30:01 GMT -5
Btw, that Battlezone clone is by Jim Watt (Marblemad), not myself. The video was filmed over at my place and so wound up on my youtube channel. Sorry Jim! I'm gonna need a ledger to keep track of all you n00bs Your tank game looks good Chris (as does Spectre). I look forward to their release. Thanks! Speaking of which, how's Death Chase coming? This didn't make in to the photo in the collection brag thread, but you might appreciate:  (Advertising flyer for the arcade machine) |
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Post by VectorX on Jul 28, 2014 16:07:40 GMT -5
Wow, yours?
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