Hi all
My latest game, "Dead on Time", is now complete and available! :)
You can get the disk image from here:
http://starsabre.bigblog.com.au/index.do (http://starsabre.bigblog.com.au/index.do)
This one is an arena shooter where the goal is to survive as long as possible while destroying enemy waves to get bonus time. Full details can be found in the in-game instructions.
This game works on all models of CPC, but you must leave the disk in the drive for 64k models. You don't need to leave the disk in with more than 64k, but if you do it will save the high scores to disk.
Have fun!
Paul
Fantastic stuff... really enjoyable.
Really a cool game!
A bit too fast for my old fingers, but great!
Question:
Is everything right with highscore list?
I made a score higher than others but have been on place 7?!?
Is it ordered by playtime or by scores?
Cheers,
Markus
I like it, but as Markus said - "too fast for my fingers" ;). I will transfer it to my CPC, then I can play it with a joystick which should work much better :).
Very cool game, once again. I'm really proud to have worked with you, once again !
Targhan/Arkos.
@Octoate/Devilmarkus: Fast paced games such as this one are often unplayable on emulator.
Completely frantic on a real machine! :)
I'm using the q,a,o,p and space... on an emulator and its bloody brilliant. I'm fourth on the leader-board at the moe. I'll try it on a real Plus machine later.
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 11:59, 27 February 10
Question:
Is everything right with highscore list?
I made a score higher than others but have been on place 7?!?
Is it ordered by playtime or by scores?
Yes, the Arcade mode score table is ordered by survival time. The Challenge mode score table is ordered by score. This is to try and reinforce the different "approach" required by the two play modes.
Great game like I said, but are there any plans to do a 128k version... would be great to see pictures of the Earth and similar in the background as you fight it out. And a few upgrades in the weapon system would be great as would a bonus level for surviving after a certain amount of time. It really is so addictive, well done.
Great with a new game!!!
However, I can't get it running on neither my CPC464 or my CPC6128. Tried writing the dsk 3 times, but it just stops with a black screen and red border. The Arnold emulator on Linux won't run it either. Stops with a black screen.
I tried download the dsk again, but same result.
Haven't tried other emulators so far. What's up?
Winape handles it perfectly.
What do you use to transfer the game on a real disk ? It uses a "special" format (not AMSDOS, I mean. 10 sectors per track), but CPCDiskXP must handle it with no problem. I don't know anything about Linux though...
Targhan/Arkos.
Nice work Axelay (as usual i'd say).It is great , with nice technics , graphics and sound.
It runs perfectly on my 6128+.
The concept is well found, c'mon little bonus , i need you to get more time !
Quote from: Targhan on 17:58, 27 February 10
What do you use to transfer the game on a real disk ? It uses a "special" format (not AMSDOS, I mean. 10 sectors per track), but CPCDiskXP must handle it with no problem. I don't know anything about Linux though...
I'm using libdsk for Linux (worked with Starsabre). But I'll borrow the girlfriends Windoze box and try with CPCDiskXP then.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well THAT was early the Game of 2010 was released!
Superb graphics and music and code and gameplay! I love the music, but the option of setting sound-effects only is also great, and saving of highscores just neat. I give Dead on Time 7 out of 5 stars!!!
We watched stunningly, and then my girlfriend said: "... they had no clue how to make games for the CPC back in the 80ies", referring of course to the many games with non-smooth-movement.
Thanks a lot for this great game! I'm addicted already! Dead on Time will be played a lot in this house the next many retro-evenings. :)
Wow, is this the first 2010 game release ?
Tested it briefly.
Not easy to begin with.
But it seems smooth and fast.
Well done.
It feels like some sort of smatch TV.
Yet I believe the gameplay could be improoved by the use of a second fire button.
I used to play Smash TV on SEGA MegaDrive.
And the second button could be used to get a switch side fire.
Would allows to turn the player's sprite 180° for exemple.
Also implementing 2 joysticks for the player would allow the "nunchakus" technique.
one paddle to move, the other to orient your shoots.
Would get the feeling of those sort of special pivoting joysticks used on some arcade machines (Midnight Resistance used it, Forgotten Worlds too).
Also a "warning" stuff that would tell us where enemies waves are gonna come from.
Because when you are on the border of the screen, you often get surprised by a wave.
Yes it's also part of the game, but an optionnal "warning" would be great too.
I wanted to leave a comment in your blog, but the number-code verification is not working :(
Really great the game! I like to play it much.
(Will try it with mouse, when I improved mouse emulation in my emu...)
Did someone try to play it with AMX-mouse? (Or equivalent)
I think this would be fun!
@macdeath : play the game for what it is, not what it could have been on other console... A second button on a CPC joystick ? How many joysticks can handle that ?
The game is always hard with one button, so with two... How many players can't play Renegade because it needs one joy, plus the keyboard ?
Trg.Aks
Quote from: Targhan on 17:58, 27 February 10It uses a "special" format (not AMSDOS, I mean. 10 sectors per track).
Why? It's not as if the game uses more than 178K of disc space. ???
I have downloaded this game and have been playing it this afternoon on an emulator. To quote David Darling, it is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT - full of fast and frantic action!
I would suggest that the high scores be lowered quite a lot, or even set to zero. My best time in the Arcade mode is 1 minute and 55 seconds, and that's only good enough for 6th place! :( It would be particularly good for CPC meetings if the high scores were set to zero - and I can envision this game being played competitively at future CPC meetings!
@Thargan :
No problems, It was just some suggestions of alternate gameplays than needed changes.
mmmh...any basic PLUS paddle do have 2 buttons...but yes they are shitty as hell to play such a game.
Must be better with a Speedking of course. A speedking may even be cruelly needed to burst Highscores... ;D
I'll never understand why the GX4000 pad comes under so much bad press. I think its great, especially with the likes of Star Sabre and especially this game, in my opinion its as good if not better than the Master System pad. The high score table is about right, as is the difficulty... your definitely a man who knows his shooters.
Quote from: Targhan on 23:07, 27 February 10
A second button on a CPC joystick ? How many joysticks can handle that ?
Not many. I think the hold-button-to-stay-in-the-same-direction is great. Makes the game very flexible.
Quote from: Targhan on 17:58, 27 February 10
It uses a "special" format (not AMSDOS, I mean. 10 sectors per track)
Quote from: Nich on 23:29, 27 February 10
Why? It's not as if the game uses more than 178K of disc space. ???
I'm a bit curious about this too. Why is the game using a special format? I realize this format might be clever and such in some connection, but if a more standard format
could be used without making much of a difference, then surely that should be used. It seems a bit silly limiting the DSK-writing to a single OS because it's the only one having the required tools. And WinAPE is far from the only CPC emulator in the world. (And before you quick-jump replying this with a "The other emulators can just do a proper emulation", please note again that I'm saying "if a more standard format
could be used without making much of a difference to the game").
(A sidenote to you tool-developers: This is 2010. No one should code tools just for Windoze anymore).
Arcade mode: 3:58:24 !! 24.497.512 points :)
Beat that you losers. 8)
Although Dead on Time is indeed a challenge, I find it a bit easier than Starsabre. (I really can't get anywhere in Starsabre...). I think the difficulty in Dead on Time is perfect.
Thanks everyone for the positive comments!
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 21:57, 27 February 10
I wanted to leave a comment in your blog, but the number-code verification is not working :(
Sorry about that, but I leave off commenting on the blog as I dont want to be 'maintaining' it, I just use it as a place to make the games available.
Quote from: ukmarkh on 16:22, 27 February 10
Great game like I said, but are there any plans to do a 128k version... would be great to see pictures of the Earth and similar in the background as you fight it out. And a few upgrades in the weapon system would be great as would a bonus level for surviving after a certain amount of time. It really is so addictive, well done.
No plans for a 128k version. I think I'll be drawing a line under this one, as I feel satisfied that this time the end result is a 'complete' game that fits entirely within the confines of a 464. (at least the tape version does, minus the high score saving)
On the subject of the disk format. If it used a standard AMSDOS disk format, it wouldnt have the high score saving. The firmware block is gone, so to 'get back' disk IO I've used Targhan's FDC code, and the special format was part of using that code.
> I'm a bit curious about this too. Why is the game using a special format? I realize this format might be clever and such in some connection, but if a more standard format could be used without making much of a difference, then surely that should be used. It seems a bit silly limiting the DSK-writing to a single OS because it's the only one having the required tools. And WinAPE is far from the only CPC emulator in the world.
I don't understand you. It has nothing to do with Winape. 10 sectors per track is a very common format, and is as easy to use as any other format. It has nothing to do with Windows either. It's about CPC and what it can do. Blame the tools you're using, but I'm pretty sure some others could do the transfer right.
Targhan/Arkos.
Quote from: Targhan on 14:51, 28 February 10
I don't understand you. It has nothing to do with Winape. 10 sectors per track is a very common format, and is as easy to use as any other format. It has nothing to do with Windows either. It's about CPC and what it can do. Blame the tools you're using, but I'm pretty sure some others could do the transfer right.
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.
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... ;)
>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.
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?
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
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.
QuoteArcade mode: 3:58:24 !! 24.497.512 points :)
Beat that you losers. 8)
Picture or it never existed !
4:17.19 now 8)
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? :)
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. :)
Any screenshots, guys?
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 :)
@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.
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?
: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?
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?
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.
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!!!
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.
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...
Its our job to moan... we'd never have got Star Sabre 128k if we didn't.
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...
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.
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
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.
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
A gryzor mode would cause the screen to flick ;)
I want b**bs .... Space-b**bs
Ooh! Now that's a great idea! And instead of spaceships shooting stuff you could have - erm, ahem.
But what was that Cecco's game called, the one where they covered up the nipples for the AA release?
Stormlord or Deliverance...
Quote from: Cholo on 19:33, 01 March 10
@Axelay & team: would it be ok, if i upload a video of the game to youtube?
Sure, go ahead.
Quote from: DARKGATE on 11:03, 02 March 10
: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?
Yes, a CDT is in the works.
On the graphics. It's getting damn late here, so I will just say that I've prioritised speed. If you have lasted in the region of 6-7 minutes you will have seen just how busy the game can get and still not drop the frame rate (though I cant vouch it wont ever, it is really close). If the enemy sprites arent as colourful or well shaded as you might like, it's because of the technique I've used for speed, in a confined space. This has even dictated aspects of the design of the enemy sprites.
Quote from: Axelay on 17:17, 02 March 10
On the graphics. It's getting damn late here, so I will just say that I've prioritised speed. If you have lasted in the region of 6-7 minutes you will have seen just how busy the game can get and still not drop the frame rate (though I cant vouch it wont ever, it is really close). If the enemy sprites arent as colourful or well shaded as you might like, it's because of the technique I've used for speed, in a confined space. This has even dictated aspects of the design of the enemy sprites.
That'll stop the moaners :P
Hello there !
I have just tried this game, and it's really impressive and good !
(and hard :D)
Great work there !
Once again, it shows how the CPC can do shooters with good frame rate, gameplay, music, graphics.
I cannot help asking this question but, it is at 50 hz or 25 hz ?
Anyway, it's smooth and quick with a lot of sprites.
It's so good that i think the others machines should have it (Atari, Amiga...) !
Well done! Great game! Finally a new concept, good idea! However not easy to play in arcade mode - like arcade always is ;-)
I don't think that many improovment may actually be added.
A plus version with the Player sprites as Hardwired perhaps.
And gameplay stuff/mods...like alternate gameplay/controlers configs.
The 2 controllers as one would enable to get the player moving while targeting elsewhere
This may even be achieved with keyboard or joy+keyboard (if the joy has good Plungers...)
or enabling a 2-button mode would ease it a bit..
But of course this wouldn't be exactly the same game, yet alternate controller solutions are always sweet..
Oh, I tried it with AMX mouse enabled on WinApe...
The mouse mode seems to work and it is good, yet not practicle on WinApe...surely better on real CPC..
And yep, the music is sweet and great.
But adding extra graphic stuff wouldn't be that needed, and may slow down the game, and we know this game must remains the fastest as possible.
Yet it is quite fun to see how it is nowaday with internet and a smaller community :
A damn good game is just released, and we bitch to get even more...lol.
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 13:54, 02 March 10
I want b**bs .... Space-b**bs
The front cover almost had space bewbs, just showing a rather attractive female pilot in VR gear but in the end I thought it was a bit too disconnected from the game itself.
You can check out how the cover art came together over at my blog: http://optimisticpainter.wordpress.com/ (http://optimisticpainter.wordpress.com/)
I can only speak for myself, but just take my moaning with a pinch of salt... I bitch if I have to stand in a queue. What Axeley and others are doing on the CPC IMHO is fantastic, and I love his games. In fact the more I play 'Dead on time' the more I appreciate the work that has gone in.
Just want to make a special mention to Targhan, this guy is a genius on the CPC decks.
I was loosley giving a bit of thought to having an XBOX LIVE / PS3 style trophy awards system in this very forum for people whom support and acheive remarkable results on the CPC? A lot of the work sometimes goes unoticed and maybe a gold / silver / bronze system might help.
Quote from: OPtimistic Painter on 02:07, 03 March 10
The front cover almost had space bewbs, just showing a rather attractive female pilot in VR gear but in the end I thought it was a bit too disconnected from the game itself.
You can check out how the cover art came together over at my blog: http://optimisticpainter.wordpress.com/ (http://optimisticpainter.wordpress.com/)
Ahhh yes but there no 'bewbs' in the posts!
Speaking of disconnected covers, whenever did that stop the publishers before? :)
Lovely blog, btw, lots to read there. Thanks for the input -and welcome :)
Something else:
Time :
poke &84A7, mins
poke &84A8, secs
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 11:45, 03 March 10
Something else:
Time :
poke &84A7, mins
poke &84A8, secs
ΗΑΗΑΗΑ! Now, if THAT's not going back in ages I don't know what is...
The issue is not to cheat the hi-score table, though, but cheat the game itself. Energy pokes?
Quote from: Gryzor on 11:46, 03 March 10
ΗΑΗΑΗΑ! Now, if THAT's not going back in ages I don't know what is...
The issue is not to cheat the hi-score table, though, but cheat the game itself. Energy pokes?
There is no energy.
When you collide with enemies, your time decreases.
When you hit a swarm of enemies, your time increases.
That's it ;)
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 11:48, 03 March 10
There is no energy.
When you collide with enemies, your time decreases.
When you hit a swarm of enemies, your time increases.
That's it ;)
Er... of course :D [facepalm]
It's WAY too early to play this game with cheat!!!!!
Beat my 4 minute 17 second 30 million score if you can - without cheat!
I'm not bothered by the 'suggestions' :) Was just trying to add some context. As it stands, anything added means something else lost.
Quote from: Xifos on 19:57, 02 March 10
I cannot help asking this question but, it is at 50 hz or 25 hz ?
50hz
Quote from: Axelay on 12:50, 03 March 10
50hz
Now that's impressive. I bet there's a few self-modifying pieces of code in there :)
Did you use an improved version of fast sprites? I say this because you said the sprites had to be drawn a certain way so I'm assuming this is because you used an optimised sprite printing routine...?
Uploaded my feeble attempt here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZVfcpOaCqQ
Quote from: Gryzor on 11:31, 03 March 10
Ahhh yes but there no 'bewbs' in the posts!
Speaking of disconnected covers, whenever did that stop the publishers before? :)
Lovely blog, btw, lots to read there. Thanks for the input -and welcome :)
My apologies for the lack of bewbs!
Thanks!
I've known Paul (Axelay) since we were kids and it's great to see such positive, and constructive, responses to his game. I know in a small way how much time, effort and thought go into his games.
He's got some pretty deep ideas about games and what they should deliver to the player. He keeps his head down mostly when it comes to public comments, but it'd be worth it to get his take on games and gaming some time.
The mastering of the bullet field and multipliers seems to be the essential part to burst hi-scores.
But the maneuver of the ship is also the most delicate part...it need a good controller device and we are not as sharp as in the past perhaps.
@Cholo : Nice video, it shows well all game's modes and options.
Quote from: redbox on 13:57, 03 March 10
Now that's impressive. I bet there's a few self-modifying pieces of code in there :)
Did you use an improved version of fast sprites? I say this because you said the sprites had to be drawn a certain way so I'm assuming this is because you used an optimised sprite printing routine...?
Not that much self modifying code. Probably very little, I tend to reserve it for last resort out of habit, or ... something. ::)
I guess the sprite code is a variation of what is described in the fast sprites article as 'direct addressing'. I've attached one of the sprites as an example. As for the colour limitations, there are only 5 registers free, which basically limits the colour variation to 2 for areas where the colour differs. In addition, some sprites required preshifted frames for slower horizontal movement, which put additional restrictions on other colours being placed near those areas where the colour can change.
Anyone else played it over the weekend? I hooked a laptop to my big TV and gave it hell :D
Did you beat my record then? 4 minute 40 seconds now. 8)
No.
Yes!
Or... erm, wait, was that in my sleep?
axelay this game is GREAT! The music is superb and the gameplay is excellent. Love it when i find a retro game that keeps me playing like this one.
regarding the music , i thnk the c64 remixers would do this justice with a superb remix
The music is made for the CPC, adding SID sound won't, I think, improve it in any ways, but you might disagree :).
About the music :
- The ingame music is only 2 channels, because there is constant firing and explosions, so I decided to reserve one channel for the SFX. Composing on 2 channels was quite a challenge :).
- But as the SFX uses a lot of "noise", I decided not to use drums in the music (as the noise would have mixed, which the PSG isn't capable of doing properly). An action music with no drums ! Even harder to compose.
- Last but not least, I decided to use hard sound for the shield SFX. Here again, the PSG isn't able to mix hard sounds, so I was forced not to use hard sound in the music.
So as you can see, there were a lot of limitations, but ultimately I think it sounds really good for such raw sounds. This was certainly interesting to do. The main lesson to retain is that SFXs aren't just "things" to be added to the game and music, but must be included carefully, and can have an incidence on the whole gameplay.
I remember playing an early version of the game without music and sfx. I thought it was ok, but I wasn't very fond of it. Once we added the music and the SFX, it became really thrilling and addictive. Both I and Axelay burst our highscore when playing along the whole soundtrack. Funny how music and SFX can improve the gaming experience :).
Trg.Aks
I think I didn't stress it enough: the music is just GREAT! Wish it was longer, but it really is very very nice...
Very interesting! You are right, us mere mortals do not really consider how sound is used in a game, we just think you add sound effects in and thats it!!
I did not mean convert the tune into a SID file (though it would sound a little "warmer" i think), the guys over at Remix64.com who remix SID tunes and Amiga tracks with modern instruments and software would do a superb job with this tune. They either simply recreate the tune on synths, guitar, piano etc or they jazz it up a bit, adding a few improvised bits here and there and often blend it with a song from the 80s. For example one guy did the Rambo loading music blended with New Order's Blue Monday and it works really well.
Quote from: mr_lou on 09:08, 08 March 10
Did you beat my record then? 4 minute 40 seconds now. 8)
Quote from: Gryzor on 09:10, 08 March 10
No.
Shape up. My record is 6:39 now! And the score is 142 million!
Dead on Time is indeed one addictive game. 8)
Quote from: mr_lou on 16:02, 09 March 10
Shape up. My record is 6:39 now! And the score is 142 million!
Dead on Time is indeed one addictive game. 8)
How is it possible ?
My best is 2:03 !
I am too old for this kind of game :/
Nooooooo ! (but i 'am not giving up)
I was wondering if there are much games showing so many sprites at the screen at 50 fps ?
(even if there's no background to save)
Quote from: Xifos on 19:00, 09 March 10
How is it possible ?
My best is 2:03 !
I am too old for this kind of game :/
Nooooooo ! (but i 'am not giving up)
Well, at this point I'm not sure I can do it again either. :)
But I'll surely try. :D
Quote from: Gryzor on 11:11, 09 March 10
I think I didn't stress it enough: the music is just GREAT! Wish it was longer, but it really is very very nice...
I forgot to say this too; you did a great job Targhan and the sound really adds to the game.
My C64 centric friend even mentioned it when I showed him (and you know how prickly those SID fiends are :) ).
Music :
are the SoundFX in synchronized in rythm with the music ?
Yet it is a great tune, sounds quite speedMetal indeed...sweet basses and "tapping/hammer/pullingoff" pseudo guitar solos...sort of.
I should give it a try on my guitar.
Your strategy was good.
"Drum" part is quite useless in a shooter as lots of explosions and fires sounds...it really better to have both sounds FX and music than only on of those.
(french voice of homer simpson)
Youhou !
I did 2:31 !
Damn I must practice...
Quote from: mr_lou on 17:48, 27 February 10
However, I can't get it running on neither my CPC464 or my CPC6128. Tried writing the dsk 3 times, but it just stops with a black screen and red border.
Ok, you beat me to it. Attached is a version of dsktools that can write 10 sectors per track correctly. I will upload this version to the dsktools project page as soon as I find the password. ;)
Quote from: mr_lou on 17:48, 27 February 10
The Arnold emulator on Linux won't run it either. Stops with a black screen.
I tried download the dsk again, but same result.
Hmmm, works for me. Did you try the latest version of Arnold/Linux? I really suggest Arnold TNG currently, as I did not get time to put all these great enhancements into the main version.
http://www.yasara.org/cpc/index.html
Still, it plays better on a real machine. ;D
regards,
nurgle
P.s. with dsktools you might need to write the image twice. The error checks in dsktools are really lousy, so my CPC would only read the disc after writing it a second time.
Just a question : is there a MP3 sound signal version of the game (for 464...) ?
Perhaps with improuved loading speed of course...
Also, this game's music would be great if done with electric guitar wityh a heavy metal sound...
Quote from: nurgle on 00:01, 14 March 10
Attached is a version of dsktools that can write 10 sectors per track correctly.
Thanks a lot! It seems to be a lot different from the version I had. This one has dskread and dskwrite tools. The version I had already contained a dsktrans and dskform (and some other). I had to format the disk using dskform before using dsktrans. But this new version seems to work without formatting, which is great. :)
First write worked fine when testing with Dead on Time.
Quote from: nurgle on 00:01, 14 March 10
Hmmm, works for me. Did you try the latest version of Arnold/Linux? I really suggest Arnold TNG currently, as I did not get time to put all these great enhancements into the main version.
Thanks, I will check it out later. I rarely use an emulator to be honest. I prefer my real CPC464 with 128k :) I'm only using my CPC6128 when stuff don't work on my CPC464.
Guys, my Mac Mini arrives tomorrow, what CPC emulator is best for it???
Quote from: mr_lou on 19:00, 17 March 10
Thanks a lot! It seems to be a lot different from the version I had.
It's not a different version, but a complete different tool. You had libdsk before, my stuff is named dsktools. libdsk is much more flexible, but requires some configuration, special command line options, etc. to make it do what you want. dsktools was intended to be a linux drop-in-replacement for the old DOS cpdread and cpdwrite tools. Most disc format parameters should be choosen automatically. Unfortunately I never got around supporting all those weird copy protection schemes. Also dskread is not very good, as I wrote those tools primarily for me, and my main objective was to get those DSKs from FTP to my real CPC without leaving linux.
Quote from: mr_lou on 19:00, 17 March 10
First write worked fine when testing with Dead on Time.
Thanks for feedback! Have been playing Dead on Time a lot myself lately. Very entertaining, when you need a short break from work and have a CPC at hand.
regards,
nurgle
To get a little ontopic again: This games is simply brilliant. I was a bit sceptical at first, but the more I play it, the more I am hooked. This has not happened with such a simple retro game in a long, long time. :D Thx Paul for coding such a great game! :-*
Quote from: ukmarkh on 21:29, 17 March 10
Guys, my Mac Mini arrives tomorrow, what CPC emulator is best for it???
I also have a Mac mini (old one, core duo 1.6Ghz) since 2006... and very happy owner. :) I did a great thing at the time by upgrading to the max the internal memory (2Gb at the time, which is still OK nowadays for home usage). I also bought 2 external drive fitting below the Mac mini, these drives really worth it (especially since they also provide more USB ports).
Back to the CPC stuff, I ended with WinXP virtualization through VirtualBox, running WinAPE.
Quote from: norecess on 20:03, 18 March 10
I also have a Mac mini (old one, core duo 1.6Ghz) since 2006... and very happy owner. :) I did a great thing at the time by upgrading to the max the internal memory (2Gb at the time, which is still OK nowadays for home usage). I also bought 2 external drive fitting below the Mac mini, these drives really worth it (especially since they also provide more USB ports).
Back to the CPC stuff, I ended with WinXP virtualization through VirtualBox, running WinAPE.
Exactly the same here. Very happy with this little machine, but emulating a CPC is not very funny. Would have to try Flynn´s MacCPC, but I still use OS-X 10.4. So I would have to upgrade the whole shit first...
Where's the competition? It's lonely here at the top of the highscores. 8)
The problem is, that's a bloody good score... i'm getting closer though.
Is there someway to have this game update via an on line leaderboard, especially if playing through emulation.
Quote from: ukmarkh on 11:12, 19 March 10
The problem is, that's a bloody good score... i'm getting closer though.
Is there someway to have this game update via an on line leaderboard, especially if playing through emulation.
This would probably need a new emulator feature? :D
Quote from: mr_lou on 07:32, 19 March 10
Where's the competition? It's lonely here at the top of the highscores. 8)
I won't get near your lowest entry anytime soon. I'm damn proud having achieved 4:23.12 :'(
I probably shouldn't tell you that I just beat my own record with 7 minutes and 35 seconds then? 8)
Quote from: mr_lou on 20:17, 19 March 10
I probably shouldn't tell you that I just beat my own record with 7 minutes and 35 seconds then? 8)
- 1:15 min: played game
- Pressed freeze button
- Drunk a cup of coffee
- after 5:20 min: released freeze button
- Lost after 1:00 min
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: mr_lou on 20:17, 19 March 10
I probably shouldn't tell you that I just beat my own record with 7 minutes and 35 seconds then? 8)
I almost got crazy by achieving 2:54 !
Are you really human ? ;D
Getting closer...
Damn bugs! They're everywhere! :'( Well, I found three at least, two of which could do nasty things to the game if you played it long enough. So I've uploaded a new version to my website:
http://starsabre.bigblog.com.au/index.do (http://starsabre.bigblog.com.au/index.do)
The new zip contains 3 files:
The new game disk
A disk with a basic tool for transferring your high scores from the old disk to the new disk
A tape image for people who only have a CPC464
Things to note:
The score transfer tool "operates" only from the drive it is booted from, so if you run the file from a disk in drive A, the subsequent disks need to be inserted in drive A.
For the tape image, the loading screen is compressed to help it load faster. However, it takes a long time to decompress, possibly just longer than the 3 second gap to the next file. Not a problem if you are using an actual tape, but if you are "injecting" an audio file from a PC or other source, it will possibly be necessary to briefly pause the audio playback while the load screen decompresses.
Nice.... I especially like the high-score transfer tool. Not that I'll be needing it much, but it shows attention to detail... :)
Quote from: Axelay on 09:10, 22 March 10
Damn bugs! They're everywhere! :'( Well, I found three at least, two of which could do nasty things to the game if you played it long enough.
I've beat my time-record a few times, but I'm quite puzzled how I managed to score 142 million points. Is this part of the bug, or is it legit enough?
Quote from: Gryzor on 09:36, 22 March 10
Nice.... I especially like the high-score transfer tool. Not that I'll be needing it much, but it shows attention to detail... :)
Well I figured it would probably annoy
me if I lost my hard won scores because of a bug/patch, so I shouldn't go inflicting it on other people! :)
Quote from: mr_lou on 12:00, 22 March 10
I've beat my time-record a few times, but I'm quite puzzled how I managed to score 142 million points. Is this part of the bug, or is it legit enough?
Sounds quite legit to me. After I added the challenge mode I found that if I tried to play the arcade mode the way I played the challenge mode I could get over 100 million, but I only lasted 3-4 minutes in doing so.
The bugs specifically were:
The game more or less breaking if you survived 10 minutes (and no, I cant really do that!)
Capsules appearing arbitrarily if you played for an extended period while regularly surviving more than four and a half minutes.
The last entry in the challenge high score table not being saved to disk.
HAH!!!!
First go on the new version and I beat my record again. 8)
This is one addictive game. :D
Oh mr lou,
just wanted to post my new record, and you come up with this silly score. Have to play some more I guess. :'(
Anyway, here is my humble attempt.
Btw. Thanks Axelay for the updated version!
The software-sprites in "Dead on Time" moves like hardware-sprites.
Wow!!!
The scrolling of "star sabre" is also really well-done, better than almost all horizontal CPC-shooters I know.
Dear Axelay, I love your games.
How a about a new "vertikal-scrolling-space-shooter", with the best scrolling and animation on the CPC ever?
And with good Targhan-Music of course. (the title-musics of "star-sabre" and "dead on time" are marvellous)
Please do that!
PLEASE!!! :-* :-* :-* :-*
I'd drink to that... and pay for it, too :)
I'd certainly like to try a vertical shooter at some point, but I'm playing with a few ideas and I still don't know what my next project will end up being.
That's a pretty awesome time there mr lou!
Arghhh, turned off my CPC without saving my previous record. :'(
But here is a better one anyway. Still only second in this Thread. :'( :'( :'(
Quote from: Axelay on 09:28, 25 March 10That's a pretty awesome time there mr lou!
Thanks! :)
But what do you call
THIS then? ;D
Quote from: mr_lou on 11:19, 26 March 10
Thanks! :)
But what do you call THIS then? ;D
:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
That's cheating... you're not supposed to use your mutant abilities ;)
Quote from: mr_lou on 11:19, 26 March 10
Thanks! :)
But what do you call THIS then? ;D
@Axeley: In case you do another update I have two requests:
1) Show the time at the end of a game, even when you do not make it to the highscore table
2) Show the version number somewhere (Loading image, Title Screen or Instructions), for lazy people who don't label their discs properly. ;-)
Yay a tape image :) I will finally be able to play on one of my 464s instead of using an emulator.
And work out which of my 4 joysticks work properly.
Are you kidding? I love tape images - just loading them in emulators, no need for the real thing to enjoy them :D
haha, although the advantage of an emulator is that I can choose to use colour although I usually don't because I only have two GT64s which means even in an emulator I still set it to monochrome green most of the time
I remember a friend of mine had a green screen and after playing games for about 4 hours straight I would ride home on my bike with everything in the real world looking a weird interlaced green.
Must have been hell on my eyes, equivalent today of kids ruining their eardrums with iPods ;D
No, that was just the drugs you were taking ;)
Quote from: redbox on 21:15, 31 March 10
I remember a friend of mine had a green screen and after playing games for about 4 hours straight I would ride home on my bike with everything in the real world looking a weird interlaced green.
Must have been hell on my eyes, equivalent today of kids ruining their eardrums with iPods ;D
I remember it being a revelation when I bought a SCART cable and saw THE COLORS, MAN!!!! The yellow on blue!!!There's a whole new world out there!
...but green still holds a very dear place in my heart now...
Quote from: ukmarkh on 23:10, 31 March 10
No, that was just the drugs you were taking ;)
Ha ha! The CPC was like crack to a 10 year old kid though ;)
I'd imagine it would be quite difficult to play Dead on Time on a green screen though! Well, I just gave it a go under emulation and managed 4:19, but collecting random capsules kinda takes away from the game. I keep forgetting there were green screens... but thinking about them now reminds me how a few early games had those green screen options. I wonder if that could have worked in Dead on Time...
I wonder if the green screen was another reason why we had so many speccy ports. They probably thought we'd never notice the lack of colour?
Valid reason, but then again mags always reviewed on colour... there were the occasional ones offering a 'green view', but that was all. And given how much reviews counted towards a game's sales...
Just noticed that Dead on Time is available at BinaryZone/Psytronic on tape:
http://www.binaryzone.org/retrostore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=87_99
(also has Starsabre on disc too).
Darn, more money thrown away... :D
I wish Starsabre on disk was cheaper :(
I was just playing Score Challenge right now, and then suddenly all alien ships stopped coming. I scored 426 million and had about 2½ minutes left. But I couldn't do anything but wait for the time to run out. There were no aliens to shoot at. Is this a bug?
Quote from: mr_lou on 10:05, 04 April 10
I was just playing Score Challenge right now, and then suddenly all alien ships stopped coming. I scored 426 million and had about 2½ minutes left. But I couldn't do anything but wait for the time to run out. There were no aliens to shoot at. Is this a bug?
Yes, sorry :( I've never encountered this one though. I might stick with more linear games in future, this one has been a nightmare for infrequent bugs compared to Star Sabre.
Don't be sorry for a bug in a freeware game.
I was just in doubt for a second, whether there was a limit on how many aliens I was supposed to shoot in Score Challenge.
Bugs are always a nightmare. I know from our own game-projects. ;)
But Dead on Time is my 4th favorite game. Playing it a lot! :)
(My first favorite game was Bubble Bobble, then Duke Nukem 3D Atomic, then Unreal Tournament, and now Dead on Time).
>There were no aliens to shoot at. Is this a bug?
I think is wasn't a bug. You scared all the aliens away with your insane killing spree ! :)
... Or perhaps you simply killed all of them ? :)
Trg.Aks
Quote from: Targhan on 21:02, 05 April 10
I think is wasn't a bug. You scared all the aliens away with your insane killing spree ! :)
You could be on to something there. I
have been playing a lot. Maybe they got really tired of me returning all the time to kill them. Maybe they remember everytime I killed them, just like the Cylon ships do... :o
I can understand that, because I
do kick ass. 8)
No time under 9 minutes. 8)
Where's the competition?
Quote from: mr_lou on 18:05, 06 April 10
No time under 9 minutes. 8)
Where's the competition?
13:25 is insane. I doubt I will ever be able to do so well. :o
Quote from: nurgle on 12:27, 09 April 10
13:25 is insane. I doubt I will ever be able to do so well. :o
Practice nurgle-san. :->
You are insane. I don't believe that. Mad ph0t0shop skillzz
Ouch
Is that time even humanly possible, the highest I can get is just over 6 mins?
Quote from: ukmarkh on 14:43, 16 April 10
Is that time even humanly possible, the highest I can get is just over 6 mins?
Hmm, I wouldn't use Photoshop, but I would use this CPC slow down DIY project from happy computer ;-) On the other hand if LOU is that quick why not. Half a life ago I played games to the end in which I don't reach the end of Level 1 now. Probably depends on the amount of time you can invest. And I did 18 ...................... seconds ;-) (joking)
Just for the record... I've never claimed I'm human.
Quote from: mr_lou on 19:47, 21 April 10
Just for the record... I've never claimed I'm human.
Do you contain a Z80?
I bet he contains a Z80.
A 6502 would be too slow for playing this game... :laugh:
Quote from: robcfg on 22:59, 21 April 10
I bet he contains a Z80.
A 6502 would be too slow for playing this game... :laugh:
Yeah, to move the joystick once would take days instead of milliseconds ;D
There are more than a few Amstrad-Games with a lazy delayed control*.
The control of "Dead On Time" is extremely accurate/precise without any noticeable delays.
The sprites moves fast and super-ultra-smooth. Almost smoother than a dingding in a wet regina.
I would say it feels like an Arcade-Game.
Well done, Axelay.
One point of criticism:
To chase High-Scores is not soooooo exciting in the long run. I miss a real aim (different levels, bosses and so forth).
* I need some English-Help: "Control" or "Controls"? ???
Quote from: Leonie on 19:11, 16 May 10
* I need some English-Help: "Control" or "Controls"? ???
Hi Leonie.
If you are talking about the controls as a whole, you can say "the control is extremely accurate".
In other words, the control you have over the game is extremely accurate.
If you are talking about the controls in a more individual way (i.e. individual controls), you can say "the controls are extremely accurate".
That way you are talking about the controls as separate entities. For example, the up control, the down control etc.
Quote from: Leonie on 19:11, 16 May 10
There are more than a few Amstrad-Games with a lazy delayed control*.
The control of "Dead On Time" is extremely accurate/precise without any noticeable delays.
The control responsiveness is really just a function of frame rate. The lower the frame rate becomes, the more noticeable the delay between input and on screen response becomes. And low frame rates were sadly common.
Quote from: Leonie on 19:11, 16 May 10
Well done, Axelay.
One point of criticism:
To chase High-Scores is not soooooo exciting in the long run. I miss a real aim (different levels, bosses and so forth).
Thank you! On bosses & levels, Dead on Time was simple by both necessity and design. More than half the time I spent on upgrading Star Sabre to 128k was on the bosses, and I wanted a break!
I have just received the latest issue (#77) of Retro Gamer magazine in the post, and they have reviewed Dead on Time and given it an overall score of 93%, which is thoroughly deserved. Congratulations once again to Axelay! ;D
Yep... same here, just read the review. That's a great score, and will definitely help put the lone crusader on the map.
Darn, my issue is STILL not here yet :(
Quote from: ukmarkh on 17:19, 22 May 10
Yep... same here, just read the review. That's a great score, and will definitely help put the lone crusader on the map.
Read it too, showed the article to the wife.
A great review and a great score!
On a side note: I wish that they had highlighted the CPC version of Prince of Persia more ;)
A few screenshots is good, but if they had done a comparison they would have rated it highly.