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Post by TrekMD on Feb 9, 2013 23:46:02 GMT -5
Tell you what, you succeed at this, and I'll get boxes made like Warrior to complete it! That sounds awesome! |
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Post by gliptitude on Feb 10, 2013 0:32:43 GMT -5
Tell you what, you succeed at this, and I'll get boxes made like Warrior to complete it! Ok. Happy to have your support! Let's see what I am able to do first though. I figure a lot of our customers already bought the game, so I am hoping that those people can buy the overlay too (without having to buy the game again). But we can work that out later. Naturally your opinions on how it should be distributed will be of paramount importance at that time. ... Right now I am preparing a presentation to the printer, in advance of having a final design for him. I will be telling him that the minimum run is 50 copies and that the maximum is 150. |
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Post by darrin9999 on Feb 10, 2013 0:45:46 GMT -5
Tell you what, you succeed at this, and I'll get boxes made like Warrior to complete it! That would be awesome! I`m in for the overlay and a box. if they both get done!! ;D |
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Post by fury on Feb 10, 2013 2:02:42 GMT -5
No glip, nobody has to buy the game again to get the overlay or the box. I really thought that you were planning to sell the overlays yourself, and I would sell the boxes to people who might want them (there are some people who will get the overlay, and not want the box). That way people can decide for themselves. I don't know. Maybe not the best way to do it, but certainly the least complicated. Either way, I want it to be very clear to everyone reading this: THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL YOU HAVE TO BUY THE GAME AGAIN TO GET THE BOX AND/OR OVERLAY!  |
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Post by ledzep on Feb 11, 2013 20:53:45 GMT -5
Tell you what, you succeed at this, and I'll get boxes made like Warrior to complete it! Damn you, making spend more of my money?!? Hahaaha, looking forward to it, actually. |
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Post by matthewdfisher on Feb 14, 2013 14:27:54 GMT -5
I'm certainly in for one, if this gets done, probably a box too. I'm certainly not trying to put down anybody's hard work, but why not use the original arcade overlay as a guide? www.ionpool.net/arcade/cine/ww_overlay.jpgPerhaps this was used as a starting point and rejected for some reason (they both have cityscapes in them, after all). I admit that I didn't read the entire thread closely. Just wondering, not criticizing at all! |
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Post by gliptitude on Feb 14, 2013 19:02:47 GMT -5
I'm certainly in for one, if this gets done, probably a box too. I'm certainly not trying to put down anybody's hard work, but why not use the original arcade overlay as a guide? Thank you for your input. I DO take your opinion into consideration (the design is not finalized yet.) There's a couple issues with "the original arcade overlay", but mainly it's a matter of taste. ... I really don't like those colors! This game is distinguished among vector games for its animation (the tripods especially) and it seems a great shame to me to render those in YELLOW. ... I'm not an expert on this RARE arcade game, but it was supposedly originally programmed for a color vector display, (and eventually I think it WAS released this way). There is a video on youtube of such a color vector rendition of War of the Worlds, which looks great and is not yellow/red: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBzPo38iQ7oSo maybe the authenticity of the "original overlay" may be questioned. ... Maybe the "original overlay" was really and oversight, and the design of it may be seen as a compromising one. ... To whatever extent I take into consideration the possibility of emulating the arcade version, I can pretty much swear to you: I am not going to make a red and yellow overlay. There's some other issues that I would specify, but I don't want this post to become so long that no one reads it. If there seems to be interest I will try to engage people in more detail. matthewdfisher, if you are passionate about this subject, or if you think you have some substantial input, I do not mind corresponding with you directly. PM me if you like. |
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Post by gliptitude on Feb 14, 2013 19:09:36 GMT -5
Anyone else can PM me on this subject also. Or post here, whatever.
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Post by TrekMD on Feb 14, 2013 19:29:01 GMT -5
Anyone else can PM me on this subject also. Or post here, whatever. Thanks for making the effort to create this overlay, Glip. To me, that's what matters. |
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Post by gliptitude on Feb 14, 2013 20:06:41 GMT -5
Thanks for making the effort to create this overlay, Glip. To me, that's what matters. Yeah, the production aspects are huge (that is what distinguishes "my overlay" from the others) and I am anxious to get into that. I'm more committed to seeing this through than I am to satisfying every single desire people have for this game. (I hope to implement what I learn from this project into OTHER overlay projects.) The design is still in progress, but I think even a successful manufacture of my current design would be a considerable success, and a nice enhancement of the game. That being said, I definitely DO want for the final design to be satisfying to everyone. So the input is important to me. |
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Post by matthewdfisher on Feb 15, 2013 7:00:57 GMT -5
I'm certainly in for one, if this gets done, probably a box too. I'm certainly not trying to put down anybody's hard work, but why not use the original arcade overlay as a guide? Thank you for your input. I DO take your opinion into consideration (the design is not finalized yet.) matthewdfisher, if you are passionate about this subject, or if you think you have some substantial input, I do not mind corresponding with you directly. PM me if you like. I should have been more clear. That's what I get for shooting off quick posts when I should be working! I have always thought the original overlay looked terrible and I much prefer yours. I suppose the idea behind the original was to make it seem that the tripods were towering over the city, but the colors are indeed awful. I'm not lucky enough to have ever seen one in real life, but it makes the tripods look a sickly green in pictures on the Internet. (Maybe the game is supposed to happen after the aliens are sick...). I was simply curious, that's all! In any event, my opinion, for what it's worth, is that I love your version and wouldn't have you change a thing. Thank you and keep up the good work! Not to hijack the thread, but I'm lucky enough to be able to play the color version on a real vector monitor on my ZVG multivector setup, and it looks fantastic. The b/w version does seem to have the feel of an afterthought. |
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Post by VectorX on Feb 15, 2013 10:06:46 GMT -5
I should have been more clear. That's what I get for shooting off quick posts when I should be working! Tsk, tsk ;D Not to hijack the thread, but I'm lucky enough to be able to play the color version on a real vector monitor on my ZVG multivector setup, and it looks fantastic. Wow, that's great! |
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Post by celtroniclabs on Feb 15, 2013 22:33:55 GMT -5
WAR OF THE WORLDS by Cinematronics
After reading this thread, I think a little clarification is in order on both the origins of the WOTW game and its overlay.
The idea for WOTW originated after Rob Patton and Tim Skelly went to a theater to see the movie “Alien” in 1979. They thought maybe they should make a game having something to do with aliens or martians. Their idea was to have some sort of Martians on legs and you had to shoot the legs out from underneath them. In addition, to have the game prominently utilize the scaling capability of the Vectorbeam hardware.
This idea of shooting legs out from under Martians went well with the H.G. Wells Tripod martians. So that is how the name was chosen. Tim Skelly suggested that they check to make sure they could legally use the name “War of the Worlds”, but Jim Pierce apparently could care less whether they could or not and just had them use it without checking into it.
WOTW was originally programmed as a black-and-white vector game in 1979.. It play-tested poorly at that year’s AMOA show. As a result, the game was shelved and it was not put into production. Most likely this 1979, black-and-white, version of the game had no color overlay at all. Star Castle was the first Cinematronics game to get a multi-color overlay and Star Castle was programmed after WOTW.
Two years later, in 81, it was decided to play-test WOTW again, but this time, with an actual color vector monitor like Boxing Bugs had. Supposedly only 2 color WOTW cabinets were ever built.. As it did the first time, the game play-tested poorly at the AMOA show..
After this, at some time in 82, it was decided to make the game available as a conversion kit for Star Castle machines. Since Star Castle was a black-and-white machine, with a color overlay, the WOTW conversion kit also came with a color overlay..
WOTW was NEVER put into production, period. Only approximately 10 to 12 BW test cabinets were built, and 2 color test cabinets. At least those are the approximate figures that have been repeated for years now..
That leaves the following question, when was the overlay created? Most likely, the overlay was created sometime in late 81 or early 82. Which came first, the overlay or the color version of the game program? Sounds like which came first, the chicken or the egg....? Probably, only someone who worked for Cinematronics at that time period, would know the answer to the first and maybe second question..
Fact summary of Cinematronics WOTW:
1) Originally created, as a black-and-white game in 79, for the BW patented Vectorbeam monitor.
2) Inspired by the movie “Alien”, HG Wells’ story of the same name and Space Invaders.
3) Play tested poorly as both a BW and color vector game. Therefore, NEVER put into production. The Vectorbeam hardware was just not powerful enough to draw enough tripods on the screen, simultaneously, to make the game challenging and interesting enough for most players back in the day. There are only ever two tripods on the screen at any given time. The player’s “ship” at the bottom had quite a few vector lines in itself.
4) Original overlay colors were RED, YELLOW, RED. MAME has them as RED, YELLOW, PINK. The MAME pink color was probably due to the bottom portion of the overlay (the copy specifically referenced for MAME) having changed its color from red to pink over the years. Star Castle overlays have also displayed the red to pink color shift with age.
5) In the color version of the game, the tripods are indeed GREEN.
6) WOTW eventually used recycled Star Castle sound effects. Its sound board was simply a modified Star Castle sound board. What sort of sound effects were used for the original BW test cabinets in 79 are unknown..
7) When you see photos or videos of so-called “dedicated” WOTW cabinets on the internet, they most likely are Star Castle cabinets that has been converted to WOTW by someone.. Using either an original conversion kit, or reproduction graphics.
8) A real, dedicated test cabinet WOTW is the rarest of all Cinematronics fully playable and “finished” vector games.
9) Primarily programmed by Rob Patton, with Tim Skelly creating the tripod walk animation and supervising the project.
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Post by TrekMD on Feb 15, 2013 23:15:32 GMT -5
Wow, thanks for that post celtroniclabs! Lots of interesting info.
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Post by gliptitude on Feb 15, 2013 23:32:15 GMT -5
I'd like to further reiterate to everyone that I AM THE PERSON TO DIRECT YOUR OPINIONS ON THIS OVERLAY PROJECT TO. Please do not message Fury about this. He does not wish to be involved in the design process. As most of you know, he is spread pretty thin right now. This overlay is NOT a new project for him, and NOT something he has time to deal with. It is just something that I am making that he agreed to sponsor. He is also not taking any "pre-orders" at this time. He did forward to me one comment that he got from numerous people, which was to "make the border color more like the original". This seemed like a strange criticism to me, but I have decided to test it out anyway (black border instead of red). Other ideas people have may be posted in this thread, (I will be checking this thread for updates daily). Or you may PM me on this site, or AtariAge. (I use the same username there.) Or you may email me directly: (my username)@gmail.com Not to hijack the thread, but I'm lucky enough to be able to play the color version on a real vector monitor on my ZVG multivector setup, and it looks fantastic. The b/w version does seem to have the feel of an afterthought. That sounds like a sweet setup! |
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