News:

Printed Amstrad Addict magazine announced, check it out here!

Main Menu
avatar_Axelay

New game: Dead on Time

Started by Axelay, 09:27, 27 February 10

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

norecess

Thank you Axelay & others !

I just played the game on a real CPC and really found it nice. It's clean, fast action, and the music/menu/loading screen really fits well together.

This also gave me the need to play once again Star Sabre game too...  ;)

Targhan

>I had the impression that it was a rare format that only CPCDiskXP could handle. And that's what I found silly - if a more standard format could have been used without making much difference to the game.

The format is simple and any copier on CPC can handle it. It may not seem to make a difference, but there is. It allowed Axelay to include a high score table because with an amsdos loader, there are no available library that allow saving amsdos file (my lib can LOAD them only). It was a time saver for him. Now blame the creator of the tool you use (maybe it is still developped ?), because it makes *no* difference between handling 9 or 10 sectors when formatting a disc. Just one number in the code. I thought Linux coders were more insightful than the others :).

Targhan/Arkos.
Targhan/Arkos

Arkos Tracker 2.0.1 now released! - Follow the news on Twitter!
Disark - A cross-platform Z80 disassembler/source converter
FDC Tool 1.1 - Read Amsdos files without the system

Imperial Mahjong
Orion Prime

mr_lou

Quote from: Targhan on 17:34, 28 February 10
Now blame the creator of the tool you use (maybe it is still developped ?), because it makes *no* difference between handling 9 or 10 sectors when formatting a disc. Just one number in the code. I thought Linux coders were more insightful than the others :).

I think LIBDSK is about 8-9 years old or so. I don't think it's maintained anymore. I don't even remember how I got it, but I think I might have compiled some sources myself. So I actually have the c-source for the formatting tool. Are you saying that if I find the place in that source where the 9 sectors are hardcoded, I can change it to 10 and then it works? I don't need to change anything in the actually write-dsk tool? Is it only the formatting we're talking about that makes all the difference?

Targhan

It's not the right place to talk about it, but basically, all you *should* have to do is use 10 sectors, from &c1 to &ca. Reducing the Gap#3 to #24 is a good idea too. I'm only talking about formatting the disc. But writing to such format is no problem, as long as the sectors were created in the right way, it makes no difference how to address them.

I think the guys from the Shinra team, which use Linux a lot and update Caprice, have tools for that. Maybe you could contact them ? (shinra.cpcscene.com)

Trg.Aks
Targhan/Arkos

Arkos Tracker 2.0.1 now released! - Follow the news on Twitter!
Disark - A cross-platform Z80 disassembler/source converter
FDC Tool 1.1 - Read Amsdos files without the system

Imperial Mahjong
Orion Prime

Cholo

Thanks for an awesome game ;D It really is quite addictive and the whole thing (gfx, audio, gameplay) works really well together.

About getting the dsk to real disc/cpc: I dont think that TurboTransfer (cable) or DskDeDumper (Symbos) can handle the disc (but i might be wrong). Anyways, using a tool like Xexor should be able to make a backup of the disc (even cut it in smaller parts if need be) that you can then transfer normally and unextract the backup on the real amstrad again, to get a working disc.
Xexor: http://www.winape.net/downloads.jsp

Anyways CPCE plays the game pretty well too. Looking forward to get the real tape version too.

MacDeath

QuoteArcade mode: 3:58:24 !!  24.497.512 points :)

Beat that you losers.  8)
Picture or it never existed !

mr_lou


Gryzor

Ahhhh damn! I go away for a few days and a new game gets released!

What a shame - WinCPC hangs when I CAT the disk, will try it after work, at home. Can't wait!!!

Btw, how come noone saw it fit to announce it on the wiki's front page? :)

arnoldemu

Quote from: Axelay on 09:27, 27 February 10
Hi all

My latest game, "Dead on Time", is now complete and available!  :)
Paul
really nice game. :)

My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

Gryzor

Any screenshots, guys?

redbox

Really nice game, well done Axelay.

I transferred the DSK image to my 6128 Plus via parallel cable using Turbo Transfer 0.92 and it worked fine.

It's easier to play using the Plus paddle too  :)

MacDeath

@Gryzor :

http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Dead_on_Time


there are pictures and review there :

http://www.psytronik.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80:dot&catid=41:cpc&Itemid=63

Yet as the game is to be officially released and commercialised, I don't think it is a good idea to tell peoples to download it... ;)


I didn't took any of those pictures to put them in the CPCwiki's page yet.

I was busy doing the GX4000 games pages.

And it would be best if someone who actually worked on this project get this page done properly.

Cholo

Quote from: MacDeath on 16:08, 01 March 10
Yet as the game is to be officially released and commercialised, I don't think it is a good idea to tell peoples to download it... ;)
Well, true enough, but the main purpose is really just to spread the game to as many as possible and it really isnt about making money. Putting the game on tape makes it available to even more people. Also people will buy for collection perpose too.

@Axelay & team: would it be ok, if i upload a video of the game to youtube?

DARKGATE

 :o a new game for AMSTRAD  :P i have tried it is great, i have an AMSTRAD CPC 464,  :'( a CDT version is in work?
Do not underestimate the power of AMSTRAD CPC.

Gryzor

Woot! Played it last evening, and it's sweeeeet! Lovely tunes, nice intro screen, great loading screen and quite polished gameplay... I enjoyed it a lot and am going to buy it!

Not sure what you could add to make it more... complete?? It seems a bit simple for now... maybe, like Trash TV, add walls around the playing area, have doors open and close? But then again, it's space, so none of that. Add more stuff to the background? Some super-meanies maybe?

arnoldemu

Quote from: Gryzor on 11:25, 02 March 10
Woot! Played it last evening, and it's sweeeeet! Lovely tunes, nice intro screen, great loading screen and quite polished gameplay... I enjoyed it a lot and am going to buy it!

Not sure what you could add to make it more... complete?? It seems a bit simple for now... maybe, like Trash TV, add walls around the playing area, have doors open and close? But then again, it's space, so none of that. Add more stuff to the background? Some super-meanies maybe?
Adding these things may change the character of the game I believe.

Sometimes keeping the simplicity means the pure gameplay can come through and in this game it does.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

Devilmarkus

Quote from: arnoldemu on 11:46, 02 March 10
Adding these things may change the character of the game I believe.

Sometimes keeping the simplicity means the pure gameplay can come through and in this game it does.

I agree fully with this.

Adding features / modding a game should only be done when it's a really great improvement for a game (like Rick Dangerous for the +)
But there's no gameplay changed or something else different. It's more close to the Amiga version now.

This is, what improves a game.

For Dead On Time I don't see a reason to add/modify things. It's all like it should be. Nothing to say!
Fast, Dirty and Rocks!!!
When you put your ear on a hot stove, you can smell how stupid you are ...

Amstrad CPC games in your webbrowser

JavaCPC Desktop Full Release

ukmarkh

I still think background graphics would have been cool... and a bonus screen or midway boss that featured a Alien mothership or monster pursuing you around the screen would be cool, as you tried to destroy it, maybe bits could fall off it, until nothing but an apple core is left.

Gryzor

Guys, guys, if what you said was true, then we'd all be still playing Pong... or maybe Rainbow Islands with Pong gfx. :D

I never agreed with this POV, which is the one extreme. The other extreme is to give everything to gfx to the detriment of fun, of course.

Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely little game indeed! Tonight I'm gonna play some more because last night I had my arse kicked... but it could be 'richer'. And I don't just mean gfx, but also gameplay elements to keep the interest! Not sure what - I mentioned big meanies, maybe, or maybe upgraded weapons? But I think it's a hair's width from being truly great...

ukmarkh

Its our job to moan... we'd never have got Star Sabre 128k if we didn't.

Gryzor

Heheh true :D Better is the enemy of good!

But, with all seriousness, it's delicate, as it always is. It's no good to just moan - after all, we got a perfectly nice game that could have been a full release back in the day, and it came out of nowhere too! I just love it and, as I said, I'm buying it. So let's just not lose perspective...

arnoldemu

#46
Quote from: Gryzor on 13:10, 02 March 10
Guys, guys, if what you said was true, then we'd all be still playing Pong... or maybe Rainbow Islands with Pong gfx. :D

I never agreed with this POV, which is the one extreme. The other extreme is to give everything to gfx to the detriment of fun, of course.

Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely little game indeed! Tonight I'm gonna play some more because last night I had my arse kicked... but it could be 'richer'. And I don't just mean gfx, but also gameplay elements to keep the interest! Not sure what - I mentioned big meanies, maybe, or maybe upgraded weapons? But I think it's a hair's width from being truly great...

Quote from: Gryzor on 13:10, 02 March 10
Guys, guys, if what you said was true, then we'd all be still playing Pong... or maybe Rainbow Islands with Pong gfx. :D

I never agreed with this POV, which is the one extreme. The other extreme is to give everything to gfx to the detriment of fun, of course.

Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely little game indeed! Tonight I'm gonna play some more because last night I had my arse kicked... but it could be 'richer'. And I don't just mean gfx, but also gameplay elements to keep the interest! Not sure what - I mentioned big meanies, maybe, or maybe upgraded weapons? But I think it's a hair's width from being truly great...
No you misunderstand.

I am not saying make games with poor graphics, or make games with all graphics and no game play.

It really depends on the game design and what axelay wanted to do.

What I was saying was that if you add extra things you are changing the gameplay.

This game is pure and simple:  kill enemies, collect time, keep killing more enemies...
it is a shoot fest.
you kill to collect time in order to keep killing.. nothing more nothing less.

If you added bosses etc, you are changing this, you are perhaps giving the player chance to take a break, or you are changing the style of the killing?

What is wrong with taking a simple idea and leaving it as it is?

There are lots of Japanese shoot em ups, that take a idea and take them to the extreme. e.g. "shooting forever"
I think in this one you have a fixed time and you must make as much damage and make as much score as possible.
when the time runs out, you do the same again but against a bigger enemy. each enemy bigger than before


Star Sabre 128k is merely taking the same game idea, but enhancing the presentation, and giving more of the same but in a great package?

Both games are shooters, but different styles of gameplay.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

Gryzor

Hm, I see your point. It boils down to personal tastes, I guess. Personally I'd like some respite and some more variety indeed, but if it's a conscious choice to leave it as is then so be it.

But, even in that case, you could spice the gfx up :p

arnoldemu

Quote from: Gryzor on 13:28, 02 March 10
Hm, I see your point. It boils down to personal tastes, I guess. Personally I'd like some respite and some more variety indeed, but if it's a conscious choice to leave it as is then so be it.

But, even in that case, you could spice the gfx up :p
Well maybe this is not the shooter for you ;)

Gfx: possibly.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

Gryzor

Quote from: arnoldemu on 13:30, 02 March 10
Well maybe this is not the shooter for you ;)


Orrrrr, maybe by voicing my opinion we could persuade our beloved coder to add another mode, "Gryzor mode: flashy and shiny" :D

Powered by SMFPacks Menu Editor Mod