Working on new game for SymbOS (Columns)

[TotO]

The game looks good. What are the chances of porting it to AMSDOS CPC native?

I imagine that doing SymbOS games is to be usable on most Z80 computers w/o need of doing dedicated work.

[Trebmint]

I imagine that doing SymbOS games is to be usable on most Z80 computers w/o need of doing dedicated work.

Yes from a techincal point of view its probably easier to start again than convert the code. Symbos works very differently to Amsdos, plus its written in a Basic specifically for Symbos.
Secondly the benefits of symbos are the reason this exists for the CPC. We've tripled the potential number of coders by making symbos cross platform meaning we will get more software. TBH I've started to look at Symbos as a platform in it own right, so rather than Symbos running on the CPC, MSX etc. The CPC or MSX can run Symbos just like a Dell or HP runs windows.

[MacDeath]

I imagine that doing SymbOS games is to be usable on most Z80 computers w/o need of doing dedicated work.

would just need adapted graphic pack according to the somewhat different video modes available on different machines.


= CPC and Enterprise would be the same : 320x200x4.

= PCW would be in pseudo 3 colours thx to ditherings (the way those Mode1 CPC games were adapted into PCW), CPC coud actually get same display as PCW as it can into Mode2 and big full screen too, but not sure the humongous ScreenRAM then needed wouldn't screw things-up

= MSX2 and superior are rolls royces thx to the 256x192x16 video mode but is basically compatible with the 4 colour mode. As long as the game doesn't need full 320x200 display...

any way to get the CPC to sport a Mode0 192x256x16 display on symbOS ?
Joke appart, it really reminds me old PCs when you could get Hercule, CGA and EGA...

As said, could be great to get the CPC/PLUS version to support PCW-like sized display in both Mode1 and Mode2.
is it 720x256 (Mode2) / 360x256 (mode1) ?

Seems like PCW doesn't really account about pixel ratio, one pixel is still one pixel, which can be good for texts, but bad for graphics...

>> AY soundchip is basically available on all models.
CPC and MSX (and PlayCity soundcard can be supported).
Enterprise's sounchip is basically equivalent yet not "compatible", just need specific drivers I guess
PCW had an AY extension card (as used by headoverheels) yet those are not easy to find theses days (were there some modern reproductions ?).



Off course no way to get a spectrum or MSX1 versions, because the Video modes are far too shitty in my tastes to be suitable for SymbOS...



But yeah, SymbOS is comparable to OS-9 for 6809 CPUs, CP/M or MS-Dos/Windows... such portability is such a benediction for those Z80 based systems.

[Prodatron]

EdoZ didn't use different graphic packs for Columns. In the GUI this is usually not needed.

Columns on CPC mode 1:
[attach=2]

Columns on CPC mode 2 (at least it's still playable  ):
[attach=3]

Columsn on the MSX screen 5:
[attach=4]

32K screen modes on CPC could be only possible in fullscreen mode, otherwise there is no space in the primary 64K bank. The EP will get such an enahnced screenmode in GUI mode somewhen in the future, as this is possible without problems.
MSX1 would be 256x192, 2 colours. The same for the ZX Spectrum (which doesn't work anyway because of the memory banking).
The soundchip ("Dave") of the Enterprise isn't fully compatible to the AY, it can do some things better, for some other stuff it has some limitations, which doesn't allow a 100% AY emulation but at least it is possible somehow to play AY music. For music a "sound daemon" is planned.