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Post by VectorX on Apr 23, 2013 9:25:11 GMT -5
Thanks for playing it...I hope you liked it.  Yep, although it's long and tough though! Sometimes I get an idea of something I could code when I (eventually) get around to playing around with the Vectrex, but it's kinda hard to make plans when I don't really have an idea of how much you can push the system - linewise, I mean. Are there any rules of thumb? Only vague thing I know is that if there's too many vectors onscreen at once then you get slowdown. More technically-minded people like vectrexmad could elaborate further than that once they get on here though, luckily. That sounds pretty much like Nebulous: Atari 7800 Tower Toppler! |
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Post by gliptitude on Apr 23, 2013 10:36:55 GMT -5
Sometimes I get an idea of something I could code when I (eventually) get around to playing around with the Vectrex, but it's kinda hard to make plans when I don't really have an idea of how much you can push the system - linewise, I mean. Are there any rules of thumb? I do not know any "rules of thumb" but I know that the issue is a bit more complicated than just the volume of lines. ... GETTING VECTOR OBJECTS TO DISPLAY AND MOVE PROPERLY, WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT FLICKER OR DISTORTION, IS A CENTRAL ISSUE TO EVERY VECTREX PROGRAMMING PROJECT. Here is a detailed account of how VFROGGER was tweaked and optimized in order to display properly: vectrexmuseum.com/share/coder/DIS/CHRIS/VFROGGER/SOURCE/PROGGER.TXTI'm not sure if this would be helpful or interesting to you, but you can see a thread here where a guy was trying to figure out how to get his Vectrex programs to display properly: atariage.com/forums/topic/204131-ideas-on-how-to-improvecomplete-a-couple-of-old-vectrex-games-i-started/(You can probably ignore my own verbose posts in that thread). If you go to download that guys VTWIST game, you can see that it displays perfectly on a Vectrex emulator. But when played on a Vectrex, it is not nearly as smooth or straight. ... I assume you are already aware of the two well known Vectrex programming tutorials by Tumber and Solomon. ... I have zero programming experience BTW. ... That sounds pretty much like Nebulous: Hey that's exactly it! Certainly not my idea then. That's a really cool looking game. I do think that could be really cool for Vectrex. |
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Post by gliptitude on May 28, 2013 0:34:00 GMT -5
I'd love to see a revision of Fortress of Narzod.
It would be cool to modify and add to the game, changing and enhancing some of the graphics. But just improving the existing gameplay would be a worthwhile project in my opinon.
We have discussed before on some other thread the collision detection problems with this game. The game manual specifies that enemies take more shots to kill when they are further away. Someone (sj?) suggested that this was just something they made up to justify the flaws in the program, and I'm inclined to agree with this. At any rate it is incredibly annoying to shoot at enemies and not know whether they will die or not. ... Either the enemies should die on the first shot every time, with accuracy, or there should be some kind of (audio) acknowledgment of a hit to justify (accurately) the multiple hit system.
This game really ought to be preserved as best possible in my opinion. ... I have just attempted to compile a list of all vector graphics video games and when I review that list, Narzod stands out as an original and a very substantial concept. The 3D perspective view is demonstrated very succinctly in this game. (The most similar vector game I can find is Barrier, which is a pretty crappy game by most accounts.) Moving forwards and backwards in relation to the "camera", (taking advantage of the vector graphics zooming capabilities) is NOT a common capability among the other (handful of) perspective view vector games, (War of the Worlds, Battlezone, Dark Tower). It is really cool to have PLAYER CONTROLLED ZOOMING in a vector game.
There are also some clever manipulations of the perspective system in this game. If your ship is shooting "straight" in this environment, the projectile should move (at an angle) towards the "vanishing point". But in Narzod your bullets move straight up, (as in a 2D shooter). This would look very strange if the playing field was completely open. But with the bending walls (which the bullets bounce off off) it is difficult to notice this conflict. Shooting straight up in 2D feels natural and gives the player very intuitive control, even though it is inconsistent with the 3D environment.
Bottom line: the game is fun, original and visually appealing, BUT NOT AS FUN AS IT SHOULD BE.
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Post by sj on May 28, 2013 5:33:20 GMT -5
Someone (sj?) suggested that this was just something they made up to justify the flaws in the program You've got a good memory!  |
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Post by gliptitude on May 28, 2013 10:23:29 GMT -5
Ha ha. I thought about searching to find out for sure, but decided that was too much work. Glad I got it right.
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Post by hcmffm on May 30, 2013 15:13:12 GMT -5
... We have discussed before on some other thread the collision detection problems with this game. The game manual specifies that enemies take more shots to kill when they are further away. Someone (sj?) suggested that this was just something they made up to justify the flaws in the program, and I'm inclined to agree with this. At any rate it is incredibly annoying to shoot at enemies and not know whether they will die or not. ... Either the enemies should die on the first shot every time, with accuracy, or there should be some kind of (audio) acknowledgment of a hit to justify (accurately) the multiple hit system. ... During the "Game of the month April" contest, Darrin and I played Narzod quite a bit. From what I've seen, collission detection has little flaws and has little/no influence on the game play. The real challenge for the player are the incoming birds which shoot. Also, I think that in Narzod it's rather a problem of the random number generator and not the collission detection: Often, enemies are displayed bright and when you shoot at them once, they are displayed less bright. A second shot kills them. My assumption is that it's just two enemies moving exactly behind each other. |
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Post by 50tbrd on Aug 6, 2013 14:49:53 GMT -5
There's a lot of chatter in this thread but there are some cool games mentioned. I believe in games that stand the test of time. They were good back then AND they're still good now. Not to mention, that you have to play to the strengths of the system. Shooter are the Vectrex's strength.
Tac Scan would definitely make a great game.
Black Widow is a heck of a game.
1945, where's the vertical shooter love?
Gorf was crazy insane!
And I'd have to agree with Solar Fox and Reactor.
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Post by VectorX on Aug 6, 2013 14:52:43 GMT -5
1945, where's the vertical shooter love? I can't really recall that one. Twin Cobra I can though, I played that every time I went to a local Kroger to do my grocery shopping, as well as play it at another game room. Glad you found the thread though, btw Just wish I could remember what game I was going to add last week that I've since forgotten though! |
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Post by 50tbrd on Aug 6, 2013 15:26:00 GMT -5
Strikers 1945 was part of Capcom's 19XX line. For me, that's what I recall but for some it's 1942. The thing I like most about it though is the upgrades to you your weapons.
I haven't played Debris Revisited, but I had high hopes for the original release of Debris. Unfortunately, its just a little too slow a game for my taste.
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Post by 50tbrd on Aug 6, 2013 15:31:19 GMT -5
I'd settle for a Twin Cobra clone. Its a very similar concept.
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Post by Mayhem on Aug 6, 2013 17:53:20 GMT -5
If the Vic20 got a version of Tac-Scan (albeit unreleased) then I hope the Vectrex could do it too...
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Post by sokurah on Aug 6, 2013 18:33:42 GMT -5
Never thought of that before, but it's an ace idea - it probably wouldn't be too hard to do on the Vectrex. |
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Post by VectorX on Aug 15, 2013 15:25:44 GMT -5
Can't believe I never thought of this one until just yesterday or something... It seems like Escape from the MindMaster for the Atari 2600 wouldn't be too hard to do on here, since the Vectrex can handle 3-D. Just do that and add the mini-games to it (since none of them require color or anything), along with possibly adding a vectorized Atari 2600-like screen for utilizing virtual difficulty switches and you're all set Just change the damn sound of the alien stalkers on there though! |
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Post by gauze on Aug 15, 2013 17:53:07 GMT -5
Tunnel Runner would be easier to do but yeah that 3-D type game would be a good vectrex prospect.
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Post by VectorX on Aug 15, 2013 19:05:25 GMT -5
Holy crap...Tunnel Runner!! Excellent that you know about that one |
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