Any news?
They added this Tweet at the start of the year, not sure if its related. I'm not on twitter so cant read the comments.
https://twitter.com/BATMAN_GROUP/status/1477080972088782851?s=20&t=CZSHlp1dpu_dUpBgBBk53w (https://twitter.com/BATMAN_GROUP/status/1477080972088782851?s=20&t=CZSHlp1dpu_dUpBgBBk53w)
Quote from: Anubis6175 on 10:31, 30 January 22
They added this Tweet at the start of the year, not sure if its related. I'm not on twitter so cant read the comments.
They say nothing in the comments.
and eats popcorn... :D
*thread split*
We already know of Vespertino and the tweet is very obscure, so my guess is that it hints at something altogether different.
Of course, I have no evidence whatsoever.
@norecess (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=2409) the "natives" (and that includes myself) are getting restless - any word? :)
+1
I feel like playing a good racer these days, to the point of hooking up my Dreamcast and the Suzuki collection...
Regarding the recent controversy on the name of this game, I want to add, that my personal reception of the name is, that I find it very inspiring, and definitely more inspiring than any other racing game name that I currently know of.
To be honest: most racing game names are very dull, may be to make it 100 percent clear that the intention of the game is to race, or perhaps because it is assumed that their clientele are of a rather plain mind.
Just my 2 cents to help a little to insist on the name.
I thought the game was about a nice sunday afternoon drive through the country, 10mph under the speed limit, annoying all the drivers behind you who can't get past due to a combination of double white lines, curves, and oncoming traffic. You lose points for every car you let overtake, you gain points for rage crashes behind you.
Brilliant! I love that idea! :D
Also the soundtrack will have Sunny Afternoon by the Kinks (simply by association), followed by Waterloo Sunset with a sun setting in the background (of course!)
The final screen will show a car dump full of rage crashes with a banknote as counter for the final score + the proprietor of said car dump jumps for joy to the height of the score.
I hope Rhino is in the mood for some last-minute changes to Vespertino. ;)
@Rhino "You might want to stockpile some groceries this year, a massive bat-quake will soon rock the retro scene. Stay tuned! (https://twitter.com/BATMAN_GROUP/status/1477080972088782851?cxt=HHwWhsC53a7U0v8oAAAA)"Did stockpiled some stuff as Putin wants to nuke everything in order for this codeporn never to get a released.So dear Rhino speed up as the final countdown has started.
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1531356944518238210
What Marco Antonio actually says is that Vespertino will be on hold because of OTHER projects they need to finish, then they'll continue with the game. So, nothing to see here.
https://youtu.be/aKnX5wci404?t=39
Or "we are currently trying to develop the hardware figure a way to fit demoscene-oriented effects to games that require more than a single sprite on screen and some basic AI". ;D :P
It has already been 3 years since the first and last news.
It would be nice if some time in the future we would see a release.
But seeing that tweet I'm not optimistic anymore.
But the good part of it is: there is something else coming - that's why they are pausing Vespertino development to concentrate on this :-)
I can imagine that nobody has missed that two years gone with the covid.
So, the delay can be "excused" for any games that were in development prior to this.
There's no indication that whatever is coming will be a CPC release. They did ZX Spectrum and Amiga stuff as well.
https://demozoo.org/groups/18871/
Yes, as they said "the project for Amstrad CPC" I guess the other project is for another system.
Too bad, I would actually like *any* news about the actual progress.. assuming anything has been done since the last update.
Anyway, nobody has to justify about what they do on the spare time and when/how it will be released or not on any systems.
Plus, they delivered Pinball Dreams which was awesome beyond any expectation, so I'm in no rush to get Vespertino.
Let them do it right.
Quite right. I mean, "ahhh too bad", but "thanks anyhow, I'll gladly wait for it".
Vapourtino :laugh:
Heh, I like the word play, but Batman Group does not joke with their work ;)
Quote from: robcfg on 19:57, 01 June 22Heh, I like the word play, but Batman Group does not joke with their work ;)
Ah I know, but after 3 years of inactivity, the jokes write themselves so it'll all depend on who has a sense of humour and who doesn't! ;) :D
There's not really any incentive for them to do any info releases at this time - the only reason to do so is to raise the profile of the project, and seeing as people are already eagerly (desperately?) waiting for it that job is already done...
On the other hand a released screenshot that is poorly received will kill the current interest. (because it doesn't look as good as originally implied / doesn't show enough progress etc)... I have a hunch that the reason the video showing in game gameplay was so short was because those few seconds were the entire recording before something glitched out
That aside, and I cannot comment on the CRTC technical wizardry being used by the original demo, The harder your push the technical limits, the more problems you have crop up, and the harder they are to solve - and of course at some point 'solving them' becomes simply impossible, either because the memory/cpu or graphics physically do not allow it - or your time/ability run out before you get it working.
I don't envy the Batman Group for taking on a project like that, from what little I understand of how it works technically it looks like a nightmare, and something I couldn't get working stably in a lifetime.
Quote from: TotO on 16:24, 01 June 22nobody has to justify about what they do on the spare time
And nobody asked about justification, no? I think it's perfectly fine to bemoan when there has been no news about some project that is highly anticipated by a lot of people. And this regret does not need no validation of others.
Quote from: Gryzor on 16:58, 01 June 22Quite right. I mean, "ahhh too bad", but "thanks anyhow, I'll gladly wait for it".
Are these quotes from the
"How to handle stuff they do it their spare time" 101 and can I have a link, please? It seems there is a right way to react to news given fully voluntarily regarding projects that were publicly announced fully voluntarily, so I would really love to learn how to do it the right way, because I would not want to be pushing them so hard that they'll lose all motivation to continue working, which seems to be a lingering danger.
Well, I'd say this is an effect of the over-exposure some developers are choosing to get into. I couldnt say if this is always because some people are so eager to share their enthusiasm or they are just seeking attention, but nonetheless going so open with projects so early in their development process creates expectations and critique.
And since the world is 'unfortunately' also inhabited by people who have the capacity to first understand and then assess what you do, they 'might' not be overly-enthusiastic. Perhaps even more so in cases where the material used to create enthusiasm is videos containing a few seconds of actual CPC screen footage and the bigger chunk is stock post-production video effects, visuals and sounds that have nothing to do with the CPC.
Unfortunately, critique (even if justified/constructive) is rarely received well by people; and then there's all the talk of 'ruining motivations' which I personally find funny. I mean, if you only seek to be praised for something you do, don't go showing it off to the world; share it only with your mum. Or just be casual, ignore what you don't like and stick to places and with people that don't rock your boat (we've seen that too).
What I am saying here is not aimed at Batman Group or their racing-game project specifically, but it is a general opinion I have for the current 'social-media-ish' approach in CPC game development. Which I am sharing. :P
I don't know what you want to tell us,
@rexbeng.
If I'd desperately sought praise from my mum, I'd be a multi-millionaire by now and had 10-15 children. My wife would be hand-picked by her, and she'd have been under scrutiny for at least one year, before she'd been given green light for marriage.
Quote from: MaV on 11:04, 02 June 22I don't know what you want to tell us, @rexbeng.
If I'd desperately sought praise from my mum, I'd be a multi-millionaire by now and had 10-15 children. My wife would be hand-picked by her, and she'd have been under scrutiny for at least one year, before she'd been given green light for marriage.
:o And all that with Austria being neutral? OMG imagine things being otherwise!
Η μητέρα μου είναι από τα Βαλκάνια, φίλε. :P But not Greek.
Hahaha by now I've lost the plot :D
Quote from: MaV on 11:25, 02 June 22Η μητέρα μου είναι από τα Βαλκάνια, φίλε. :P But not Greek.
So things ARE otherwise! :laugh:
@Gryzor: Well, to sum the thread up, one thing is for certain ... Rhino will never post in the "I feel safe here" thread.
Quote from: Gryzor on 11:26, 02 June 22Hahaha by now I've lost the plot :D
Well, if I were to come to a conclusion: "in the case you are a CPC games developer from Southern Europe (Mav specifically mentioned the Balkans but from experience I say things are pretty much the same around the tub) it's better to keep development info to yourself because you cant handle the whole spectrum of public opinions". :P ;D
All we can do is sit and wait.
Quote from: Axel on 14:15, 17 June 22All we can do is sit and wait.
drink something and play another CPC game
Lots to choose from! Now I've got an urge for some Wec!
I suggest this one to wait :)
https://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=17853
Quote from: gurneyh on 21:05, 17 June 22I suggest this one to wait :)
https://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=17853
Oh I forgot about this, thanks!
Wec Le Mans is a great one. And the titelmusic is just gorgeous. :-*
Not to forget CHASE HQ, which is excellent on the Amstrad.
Or Crazy Cars!
A bit out of topic, but had anyone played the Dreamcast Le Mans 24 hours? Loved that one...
Quote from: GUNHED on 15:32, 19 June 22Or Crazy Cars!
Crazy Cars 2 is better. Back in the days I found the digitized titelmusic amazing as hell! The CPC can do "real music". Wow!
Or Buggy Boy! Such a jolly game.
Oh I thought I was the only one who liked Buggy Boy, nobody talks about it anymore!
Quote from: Gryzor on 16:11, 20 June 22Oh I thought I was the only one who liked Buggy Boy, nobody talks about it anymore!
You are not alone, friend. I love Buggy Boy :)
As a cyclist 'Carmageddon' gave me immense pleasure in the late nineties.
From Wikipedia:
"Gameplay
In Carmageddon, the player races a vehicle against a number of other computer controlled competitors in various settings, including city, mine and industrial areas. The player has a certain amount of time to complete each race, but more time may be gained by collecting bonuses, damaging the competitors' cars, or by running over pedestrians. Unusually for a racing game, checkpoints do not extend the time limit.
Races are completed by either completing the course as one would a normal racing game, "wasting" (wrecking) all other race cars, or killing all pedestrians on the level."
I remember playing Carmageddon, probably on my Cyrix 6x86. Though fun, I remember being a bit confused by the gameplay (if that's possible, dunno)...
He He, I didn't play to win I played to inflict the maximum amount of casualties :o (sometimes the same thing).
It was quite chaotic from the start, wasn't it?
Funny I can't actually remember the start but it was certainly motorized mayhem very quickly.
Yes, we're talking about the same thing😂
Burnout 3 was an absolutely fantastic game. The slow-mo crashes, the soundtrack and the intense racing was really well designed.
Also had some good times with Motorstorm 2(Pacific Rift).
Ridge Racer on the PSP. Damned Pacman...
But we are here to talk about 8 bit games ;)
Anyway from the video Vespertino seems to have taken inspiration from Lotus on Amiga.
So if you've never done this you should play Lotus on the Amiga.
The ST version was quite good, too.
As for what we are talking about... Since there's no news we're just passing time 🙂
I'll probably clean the thread up once there's something to get us back on track.
Quote from: DanyPPC on 06:48, 21 June 22Anyway from the video Vespertino seems to have taken inspiration from Lotus on Amiga. So if you've never done this you should play Lotus on the Amiga.
The menu and in-game interface is more inspirated by OutRun 2.
Well, I can wait. You know how projects and motivation or busy life are. I am more vapour, still working on that Wolfenstein and RPG game I promised (well, I didn't :)
Quote from: Devlin on 20.6.2022, 17:15:08: You are not alone, friend. I love Buggy Boy
Buggy Boy was great. And for me it was the first racing game with tunnels to drive through. :o
Quote from: DanyPPC on 06:48, 21 June 22But we are here to talk about 8 bit games ;)
Anyway from the video Vespertino seems to have taken inspiration from Lotus on Amiga.
So if you've never done this you should play Lotus on the Amiga.
Okay, but to see, hear and play such an high quality racing game on the good old Amstrad would be a very special trip.
I still hope for it.
We all do.
Quote from: Axel on 11:37, 22 June 22Okay, but to see, hear and play such an high quality racing game on the good old Amstrad would be a very special trip.
I still hope for it.
I think Batman Group will release Vespertino when it will be ready, they have been a reliable group ever since they released the first demo of Pinball Dreams. So when they will have something concrete they will show it to the Amstrad scene.
Talking about the game I will think that it will need an M4 board or it will be released as a CPR file because it will need a lot of pre-calculated graphics that you can access quickly, and only a cartridge format can guarantee it.
It's my opinion, Amstrad CPC doesn't have the ability to process that graphics in real time, it's only an 8bit computer.
When we first saw Batman demo on youtube, many said that it was a scam.
Well, as an Amigan I knew who Rhino was, my fav demo of all time is Batman Vuelve.
The same happened with PDreams and here it is.
We will wait, the game will appear someday.
Quote from: Axel on 11:27, 22 June 22I love Buggy Boy
and Live and let die!!!
Oh yes that was an excellent demo, though I think the Amstrad one was more impressive technically.
https://youtu.be/D3COba64xL4
Haha Love and Let Die, also enjoyed that a lot!!
Quote from: DanyPPC on 16:52, 22 June 22It's my opinion, Amstrad CPC doesn't have the ability to process that graphics in real time, it's only an 8bit computer.
Are you talking about the ingame-graphics or the car-animations in the menu?
Both, but for ingame graphics I'm refering to the group of redefined tiles (characters) that representing the flow of the road.
I think these have to stay in memory to have a sustained framerate, so a cartridge is needed.
But it's only my opinion.
We're all free to have opinions. But lots of demos and games prove you wrong. It depends only on coding skills. :)
Quote from: DanyPPC on 16:43, 24 June 22Both, but for ingame graphics I'm refering to the group of redefined tiles (characters) that representing the flow of the road.
I think these have to stay in memory to have a sustained framerate, so a cartridge is needed.
But it's only my opinion.
For the intro, you are probably right, it is of course precalculation. Roudoudou imitated it very well in a stream.
For the game itself, even the technique used is not yet well defined. OK, we use scanlines, but nobody knows how to do that at the moment. except Batman group :)
Batman Group told us 2019, we will see a slimmed down version for the CPC without catridge. And I am pretty sure, "slimmed down" refers mainly to the menu-graphics.
Quote from: VincentGR on 18:58, 22 June 22When we first saw Batman demo on youtube, many said that it was a scam.
Well, as an Amigan I knew who Rhino was, my fav demo of all time is Batman Vuelve.
The same happened with PDreams and here it is.
We will wait, the game will appear someday.
Quote from: Axel on 11:27, 22 June 22I love Buggy Boy
and Live and let die!!!
I don't think it's a scam, the preview is probably from a CPC plus spec for a start and if you look at how Chase HQ draws in checked/dithered simulated raster bars for the stripes on the road drawing routine there is quite a lot of wasted CPU time in Chase HQ that could have been used to run the game engine faster. As it is the roadside objects and framerate for a stock 464 is very impressive.
Would be nice if somebody altered Chase HQ game engine and used actual rasters if possible for stock CPC, assuming that's possible to do. I'm sure the Batman Group could sort that out in next to no time if they wanted to but I guess copyright issues (Taito and Ocean) would be discouraging for anybody given all the hoo-hah Super Mario C64 got.
The only 8bit homebrew projects that would ever interest me personally are improvements to Rescue on Fractalus (or true conversion to Amiga not that slap-dash bonus in Masterblazer on ST/Amiga) or 2.5D racing games that make your jaw drop on CPC464, C64 (nothing going on there) or Atari 800 (nothing going on there).
So pretty much the only thing I care about in the entire 8bit homebrew scene is this game....if it even runs on my 464 via a tape image when it surfaces. Can't afford to get anymore stuff, I am retired and I own almost everything that ever outputted a PAL video signal (and an NTSC PC-Engine....it's the law for arcade game lovers!!)
Quote from: MadcommodoreThe only 8bit homebrew projects that would ever interest me personally are improvements to Rescue on Fractalus (or true conversion to Amiga not that slap-dash bonus in Masterblazer on ST/Amiga) or 2.5D racing games that make your jaw drop on CPC464, C64 (nothing going on there) or Atari 800 (nothing going on there).
So pretty much the only thing I care about in the entire 8bit homebrew scene is this game....if it even runs on my 464 via a tape image when it surfaces. Can't afford to get anymore stuff, I am retired and I own almost everything that ever outputted a PAL video signal (and an NTSC PC-Engine....it's the law for arcade game lovers!!)
Rescue on Fractalus sits on my shelf and is AFAIR very well done, besides of the technical work I like the sense of humor in this game.
What is it, that you find could be improved?
PS: Sorry for being off-topic
Vespertino - CPC - running the menu at 50 fps and ingame at 25 fps
https://files.fm/u/n6j94qwxx#/view/bm7qj3xys
Can't wait. .
Quote from: Gryzor on 13:17, 16 November 22Can't wait. .
Hate to break it to you T, but that's exactly what you've been doing for the past 3 and a half years! ;)
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 13:26, 16 November 22Quote from: Gryzor on 13:17, 16 November 22Can't wait. .
Hate to break it to you T, but that's exactly what you've been doing for the past 3 and a half years! ;)
Semantics 😁
Quote from: XeNoMoRPH on 13:08, 16 November 22Vespertino - CPC - running the menu at 50 fps and ingame at 25 fps
https://files.fm/u/n6j94qwxx#/view/bm7qj3xys
woohooo lifesign!
this video show us the reason why this project was soooo delayed
it's because of that damn slow winape assembling :P
That show what we have seen into the teaser, except you don't know how to accelerate. ;D
Quote from: TotO on 14:51, 16 November 22That show what we have seen into the teaser, except you don't know how to accelerate. ;D
yeah BUT they also annonce something for the end of the year. It's coming 8)
Quote from: roudoudou on 14:57, 16 November 22yeah BUT they also annonce something for the end of the year. It's coming 8)
I have not listened. The end of the building process? :)
Quote from: XeNoMoRPH on 13:08, 16 November 22Vespertino - CPC - running the menu at 50 fps and ingame at 25 fps
https://files.fm/u/n6j94qwxx#/view/bm7qj3xys
Hi, we had to shoot that video yesterday to disprove a hoax that was going around about the project being fake and the teaser being a fake edit. That's why we only show the same as in the teaser but from the development environment.
Please don't take that video as an update of the game.
I still drooled.
Quote from: Rhino on 15:31, 16 November 22Quote from: XeNoMoRPH on 13:08, 16 November 22Vespertino - CPC - running the menu at 50 fps and ingame at 25 fps
https://files.fm/u/n6j94qwxx#/view/bm7qj3xys
Hi, we had to shoot that video yesterday to disprove a hoax that was going around about the project being fake and the teaser being a fake edit. That's why we only show the same as in the teaser but from the development environment.
Please don't take that video as an update of the game.
Any other update maybe? :-X ;D
Quote from: Rhino on 15:31, 16 November 22Quote from: XeNoMoRPH on 13:08, 16 November 22Vespertino - CPC - running the menu at 50 fps and ingame at 25 fps
https://files.fm/u/n6j94qwxx#/view/bm7qj3xys
Hi, we had to shoot that video yesterday to disprove a hoax that was going around about the project being fake and the teaser being a fake edit. That's why we only show the same as in the teaser but from the development environment.
Please don't take that video as an update of the game.
You dont have to prove anything. Everything you have given us up to this day, is your reputation.
^^^what he said. I mean, even if it never comes out there's no need to discredit the effort... Not with that pedigree!
Some kind of people do that to have news video to watch, nothing more.
Next, they will claim that is always the same as 3 years ago, so it is not a real game, to have more content.
At some point I had read comments at a C64 forum where, given how long it has been with no further update, people doubted the Vespertino footage shown in that old video was running on the actual hardware. I am guessing the new video showing already seen footage running on the emulator is Rhino's way to answer to such comments with proof that it is real. And this video is probably aiming at other 8bit scenes mostly, because I find it hard to believe that anyone in the CPC scene did dismiss the video as being fake. To be fair though, however masterful, the footage demos an engine for a racing game; not an actual racing game. Making a game engine is one thing; creating a game with it is several things after.
Well, two times bg was accused for faking.
Two nails in C64's coffin.
Time to bury that toaster for good ;D
Quote from: rexbeng on 21:44, 16 November 22At some point I had read comments at a C64 forum where, given how long it has been with no further update, people doubted the Vespertino footage shown in that old video was running on the actual hardware. I am guessing the new video showing already seen footage running on the emulator is Rhino's way to answer to such comments with proof that it is real.
And still certain C64 fanboys are claiming it's fake (including the one who started all the dumb comments which led to Batman Group releasing that video). I got caught in an argument with them on Xyphoe's video's comment's section
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6X0NtKA488
Let me get the popcorn... Thanks for the link!
Quote from: Rhino on 15:31, 16 November 22Quote from: XeNoMoRPH on 13:08, 16 November 22Vespertino - CPC - running the menu at 50 fps and ingame at 25 fps
https://files.fm/u/n6j94qwxx#/view/bm7qj3xys
Hi, we had to shoot that video yesterday to disprove a hoax that was going around about the project being fake and the teaser being a fake edit. That's why we only show the same as in the teaser but from the development environment.
Please don't take that video as an update of the game.
there is nothing you can do against trollz
except...
posting an intro with road FX and huge rotating BG logo in the top screen :o
The drama is funny for a while, sure. But it quickly becomes ridiculous by both sides considering they fight over a thing that the developers (see the need to come out and) say is no way pointing at further development; all the more so at a possible release.
I really admire Rhino's work and fancy the demomaker attitude that was pervasive throughout the BF demo... but I am not so keen about the later 'socialmedia-ish' approach where you do a lot of talking, make claims and a lot of showing off without having much to show in the end. Surely this isn't targeted towards demomakers/developers, because they would take all that with a grain of salt. To me it feels as if wanting to gather at the same time a 'random crowd of supporters' as well as a 'random group of haters' and have them argue over... nothing.
If I was to make a wild guess, I'd say Rhino owns assets in a company that makes popcorn. :P
Unpopular opinion, and honestly, anticipating backlash and do not care but...
... playing devils advocate, we first saw videos of this in Mid 2019. And then absolutely nothing, nothing at all.
You can understand skepticism as a result of this. It's on par with the big Street Fighter debacle back in it's heyday, in fact this has gone even longer.
I completely understand that there's no pressure or obligation from anyone at BG to rush this out, and when you look at Pinball Dreams, it was so worth the wait.
But months turn into a year...
... a year turns into three and a half years. People are none the wiser.
Cynicism is going to set in, and in some cases people *may* lose interest. I'm not saying that is the case, I'm genuinely not. But its been a long wait for something where very little in term of updates has been provided to the general public...
... and that is a feast for trolls, at the end of the day.
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 11:49, 17 November 22But months turn into a year...
... a year turns into three and a half years. People are none the wiser.
Maybe people have already forgotten the 2 hard years of covid and the priority of real life over leisures...
I don't think it's anything like the Street Fighter 'debacle'. That was announced but never shown any actual evidence of being made. Plus it was a well known IP that had been receiving ports on many systems. And by actual paid developers in an actual company. Vespertino has been shown in footage which is what got people excited (cos unlike Street Fighter, it's not a big huge well known property). Batman Group are a small group of hobbyist developers who don't get paid to work on a project. They've also proven their expertise with Amstrad CPC hardware with Pinball Dreams and the Batman Forever Demo. They're not a bunch of unknowns who burst onto the scene with huge promises. They've got the evidence to back up their skills.
'Losing interest' is one thing. Openly attacking the developers and calling it fake and making personal insults towards people who call out that behaviour is bullying and harassment and absolutely not ok. That troll 'Dany' has been tweeting constantly for the past day or so attacking Batman Group and a user called psxdev, even been posting a photo of them without their consent (which actually breaks Twitter rules as of December '21 which states that with private individuals, as opposed to public figures, a photo without consent is against the rules) and saying he smells and could use a shower. All because Dany appears to be a C64 fanboy who got upset about the part of the old trailer video saying it was time to prove the CPC was the best 8-bit computer. That's all it is. That's where his whole hate campaign has started against Batman Group. And he's proven to be the kind of idiot that we thought we'd all left behind in the late 80s with all that 8-bit fanboy crap. Other C64 fan and Youtuber OldStyleGaming also called it fake on Xyphoe's video above and when I asked him for a couple of simple answers to things so I could understand what he was saying he got super defensive, claimed I was trying to goad people in the comments and deflected at every possible way rather than simply answering why he thought a screen capture of the game was any more credible than a phone recording of the screen. I would have thought the screen capture would still be easy to fake, perhaps easier. And I asked him about the timestamp where he said this 'pulsate' happens that he claimed was some sort of evidence of it likely being faked. I asked him again and again which exact moment of that video he meant but he was dismissive, patronising and insulting.
Batman Group have done nothing wrong here. They're the target of harassment and defamation primarily by 'Dany'. They have nothing to prove. The trolls and disbelievers are the ones who need to show any evidence of fakery or they should just shut the hell up and show some damn respect.
With all due respect to BG, all this noise about not much does not shock me and even seems normal to me. I'm even surprised that it didn't happen sooner.
*Warning* I'm not talking about big haters that insult.
Those have no interest.
Honestly Rhino! What could you expect after 3 years of a teaser that ends with "Coming ***SOON***". And I emphasize the word "soon".
Maybe this teaser shouldn't have come out or came out too "soon" :D.
In short, the whole retro scene has been waiting (too) long for this proof that you, BG/Rhino are advancing in the teaser "A Racing Simulator that will crown the CPC as the best 8-Bit platform".
OK... now what after all this time?
No wonder that after having filled the head of superlatives with technical baths of which certain unknown for the CPC of people ask to see or that they wonder if all that is true.
I think that at some point you have to assume what you claim, especially after such a long time. Even by small touches (GGP knew how to do it).
Maybe BG will (finally!) do it before the end of the year as he announced?
BG lit a fire 3 years ago, unleashing passions and even jealousies (C64). It is up to him to contain the flame without it turning into a gigantic forest fire.
The BG, in the mastery of the CPC, have nothing to prove, but if he feels uncomfortable with criticism it is also up to him to prove the opposite but in a more singly way than a video made with a low-end smartphone. What a difference in communication between the teaser and the last video!...
And if in the end Vespertino never came out, that would in no way taint the power of BG in view of what has already been produced on CPC.
To conclude the BGs:
After more than 3 years, now is the time for a big update, isn't it? ;)
... Or maybe it isn't?
I mean, it's a hobbyist project of love. Does it look incredible? You bet. Am I looking forward to seeing it? Duh.
So assume it doesn't come out. SO. FUCKING. WHAT. It's their right to prioritize stuff in their lives and afford the relevant attention and effort. Heck, I've been meaning to migrate the forum to a new platform for several years now. I thought I had some time so I did my research, prepared to switch servers, set up the OS, set up docker, almost had it ready and then... Baby Gryzor was born. So sue me.
One thing is calling it vaporware, another (and totally inappropriate) calling it fake.
It's weird to me that people are screaming fake when, as great as it looks, it looks absolutely feasible to achieve. The car selection screen is probably delta animations using cartridge space and the game screen is just a very well optimized road drawing routine and likely making liberal use of well-timed palette changes. It's not taking up a huge amount of the screen, so 25Hz is very feasible - it's not like there aren't already decent games of this style from back in the day on the same hardware... The most impressive thing to my eyes is the smooth scaling of the track side objects; I expect they're pre-calculated to some extent (perhaps calculated over several frames and stored in ram?), but that's really well done...
Yes the roadside objects do look pre-scaled, and appear to be drawn unmasked, which is a very good idea if you're after raw speed. The lack of masking on the sprites is barely noticeable at the speed they fly past anyway.
REALLY looking forward to this game. I hope it sees the light of day one day, but I totally understand if it doesn't reach the finish line (see what I did there?).
In the few that everyone could see both on the teaser and on the last video, there are a lot of impressive things and never seen before in a racing simulation: Overscan game, extremely smooth animation, ... and certainly a lot of things we don't imagine... The BGs have already shown their power. Who could have imagined that Pinball Dreams would come out one day on CPC, especially Old!
Proof that these guys are capable of anything.
Whether Vespertino comes out or not one day will never take away from the immense respect I have for them, and that, long before the announcement of this racing simulator.
Respect BG - Continue to have fun and to do what u want... and hope to see you again... soon ;)
What we see in this video is amazing 8) :-*
As myself an owner of a big project too, I can only go in the sense of Rhino. Creating an ambitous game takes time and dedication, with the other life constraints on the side. Keep in mind we can't spend 8 hours/a day on such a hobby project. Personally, I'm SUPER GLAD they released a glimpse of what were their future project 3 years ago, no matter the time it has to take to complete it.
I concur with NoRecess : it's simply top notch quality what we could see in the original trailer and now on this new video. I just can't wait to see for real this running on my Amstrad and see how limits can be broken, so many years after the CPC glorious time.
And imagine a remake or hommage to Chase HQ with such an engine. Blow my mind ...
Quote from: OneVision on 14:21, 17 November 22And imagine a remake or hommage to Chase HQ with such an engine. Blow my mind ...
SCI Chase HQ II on Plus will drop to 1$. :laugh:
Quote from: TotO on 12:32, 17 November 22Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 11:49, 17 November 22But months turn into a year...
... a year turns into three and a half years. People are none the wiser.
Maybe people have already forgotten the 2 hard years of covid and the priority of real life over leisures...
Still leaving a year and a half of radio silence, so the point still stands.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not justifying the accusations of it being fake, we all know what BG are capable of and know better. I'm merely saying that when a big bombshell of an announcement is made showing mind blowing video from a machine from 1984 and then nothing for three years, you're going to get sceptics.
Quote from: NiNxPe on 12:42, 17 November 22I think that at some point you have to assume what you claim, especially after such a long time. Even by small touches (GGP knew how to do it).
Maybe BG will (finally!) do it before the end of the year as he announced?
BG lit a fire 3 years ago, unleashing passions and even jealousies (C64). It is up to him to contain the flame without it turning into a gigantic forest fire.
The BG, in the mastery of the CPC, have nothing to prove, but if he feels uncomfortable with criticism it is also up to him to prove the opposite but in a more singly way than a video made with a low-end smartphone. What a difference in communication between the teaser and the last video!...
And if in the end Vespertino never came out, that would in no way taint the power of BG in view of what has already been produced on CPC.
To conclude the BGs:
After more than 3 years, now is the time for a big update, isn't it? ;)
This guy gets it...
A lot of factors that affect dev time are out of the dev's control. However the timing of announcements/previews/trailers etc. is fully within the dev's control. That is maybe where the issue lies, when is appropriate?
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 14:37, 17 November 22Still leaving a year and a half of radio silence, so the point still stands.
Well... Plain 2 years don't mean that goes better next. In fact, they have not to give news if they don't want.
We finally reached a point of understanding with Dany, he deleted the videos where he claimed the game was fake and we deleted the tweet with the denial, so everything is in peace now.
I'm really glad this drama has a happy ending and not having to waste any more time on this.
Thank you all for the support!
Quote from: TotO on 14:50, 17 November 22Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 14:37, 17 November 22Still leaving a year and a half of radio silence, so the point still stands.
Well... Plain 2 years don't mean that goes better next. In fact, they have not to give news if they don't want.
I never said they did.
But when you put out a video with the intent of generating interest and then post nothing about it for 2-3 years, people *will* ask questions about it and the longer it goes on, validity will be questioned.
People are curious by nature, that's how it works.
Quote from: dthrone on 14:45, 17 November 22A lot of factors that affect dev time are out of the dev's control. However the timing of announcements/previews/trailers etc. is fully within the dev's control. That is maybe where the issue lies, when is appropriate?
My point exactly. :)
Close case
Quote from: dthrone on 14:45, 17 November 22A lot of factors that affect dev time are out of the dev's control. However the timing of announcements/previews/trailers etc. is fully within the dev's control. That is maybe where the issue lies, when is appropriate?
But that wasn't the issue. The troll that started all the fuss was seemingly upset about the old trailer containing a brag that Batman Group were to show the CPC as the best 8-bit computer (and had an issue with the hashtag #AmstradSupremacy) and that upset the troll so much he went on a whole tirade and attacked other people.
Quote from: Rhino on 15:32, 17 November 22We finally reached a point of understanding with Dany, he deleted the videos where he claimed the game was fake and we deleted the tweet with the denial, so everything is in peace now.
I'm really glad this drama has a happy ending and not having to waste any more time on this.
Thank you all for the support!
That's good. Though his rule-breaking tweets attacking psxdev who was defending Batman Group are still up and have not been deleted.
But yeah I'm done talking about it too. :) Have a good day. :D
Ok, now that all's set: WHEN? 😁
Easy... When finished! ;D
Didn't see that coming
I am a C64 user (even a fanboy,if you will), but I do appreciate all the wonderful stuff people are making on other machines too. I enjoyed fantastic 3D stuff recently done on ZX, I enjoyed watching demos on 8bit Atari that are released on every Silly Venture, I enjoyed Pinbal Dreams on CPC and I am sure I will enjoy this game when it comes out.
Yes, there are trolls and people will scream "fake" when they do not understand what can be done on a platform, but I am sure those are a minority (albeit sometimes a vocal one) and I see no sense in addressing them specifically, or being upset about it. Just ignore them and do your stuff at your own pace...
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1634188685695504384?
Awesome. :)
I wonder if this will be the first racing game on the CPC that I truly enjoy :-)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">¡¡¡Amigos, seguimos avanzando en el proyecto Vespertino!!! @amstrad (https://twitter.com/amstrad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @amigawave @jdjuanje (https://twitter.com/jdjuanje?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @AmstradPower (https://twitter.com/AmstradPower?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @AmstradEterno (https://twitter.com/AmstradEterno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @amstradesp (https://twitter.com/amstradesp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) pic.twitter.com/dz3fgELXSm (https://t.co/dz3fgELXSm)</p>— Batman Group (@BATMAN_GROUP) March 12, 2023 (https://twitter.com/BATMAN_GROUP/status/1634871842589782017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Quote from: FruityFrank on 12:16, 12 March 23<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">¡¡¡Amigos, seguimos avanzando en el proyecto Vespertino!!! @amstrad (https://twitter.com/amstrad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @amigawave @jdjuanje (https://twitter.com/jdjuanje?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @AmstradPower (https://twitter.com/AmstradPower?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @AmstradEterno (https://twitter.com/AmstradEterno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @amstradesp (https://twitter.com/amstradesp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) pic.twitter.com/dz3fgELXSm (https://t.co/dz3fgELXSm)</p>— Batman Group (@BATMAN_GROUP) March 12, 2023 (https://twitter.com/BATMAN_GROUP/status/1634871842589782017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Yeeesssss will be awesome
I'm really curious to see how it looks when moving and scaling opponent cars on the road. This is the where other CPC racers tend to get a little janky. I'd love to see if it can be done better.
Actually the 8 bit's of the computer isn't what makes it slow-ish. It's a combination of factors - you can get very fast 8 bit CPUs, just they came out a lot later than the CPC - if the CPC was a dominant platform (as is the case in my fantasy), then the Z80 and derivative CPUs may have been in later CPC models instead of Intel CPUs in Windows PCs. I could imagine a 16Mhz Z80 version, then eventually a 50Mhz eZ80, then 150Mhz eZ80 etc. There are architectural challenges here then there are those wierdo's who think it's ok to progress other platforms by adding faster CPUs etc, but not the CPC - they want to stay back in 1984 even though a modern expansion with faster bits, can still have the charm of a CPC and backward compatability. Now imagine a CP Link on a JustCPC4 atx - yes, this is now possible - but imagine Symbos running on the CPLink - perhaps on a connected Argon Light (which we should be able to do right now from a Hardware point of view), Symbos could support HD graphics over HDMI just as a start - if Prodatron were able to make Symbos run on the eZ80 that is... (@Prodatron hint ;) ) Imagine typing GoCPC or clicking an icon on Symbos which switches over to the slower Z80 bit to play standard CPC games that don't know about the eZ80... and (which is not currently there) automatically passes through the current RGB signal somewhere.
Almost all possible now with current hardware. Just the software isn't there yet. Also it could be possible to not use an Agon Light, but a Raspberry Pi which the CP Link already works with - and perhaps run Linux to compile to Z80... now, it even could be possible to modify CP Link to have a 2nd one so you could have both a Raspberry Pi and eZ80, but who knows if anyone wants that than just me - I did talk to someone here about the possiblity of making an 8 x CP Link card - which in theory should be also possible, make a really cool super CPC cluster.
Quote from: Anthony Flack on 22:17, 17 March 23I'm really curious to see how it looks when moving and scaling opponent cars on the road. This is the where other CPC racers tend to get a little janky. I'd love to see if it can be done better.
They make a big deal in the trailer of it being 25fps so I reckon there won't be any circumstances when they let that drop. The road looks to scroll at 12 scanlines / 2 frames which I thought would looky jumpy but it actually looks super smooth!
I'm hoping that I'll be able to select a Ferrari Testarossa and an F40 ;-)
It would be cool if they allowed for loading of additional or replacement cars.
Quote from: zhulien on 17:44, 23 March 23but imagine Symbos running on the [...] Raspberry Pi
Did you have a spy on our CPC meeting last weekend? :D We made some progress [sorry for beeing Off-Topic]
Quote from: Prodatron on 08:55, 24 March 23Quote from: zhulien on 17:44, 23 March 23but imagine Symbos running on the [...] Raspberry Pi
Did you have a spy on our CPC meeting last weekend? :D We made some progress [sorry for beeing Off-Topic]
Lol, no
That does not sound very believable, though ..
https://twitter.com/m_antonio_del_c/status/1649381510384943105
Pretty atmospheric.
Quote from: XeNoMoRPH on 15:07, 21 April 23https://twitter.com/m_antonio_del_c/status/1649381510384943105
looks great!! cpc colors ftw!
I wonder if it will have a two-player mode?
Split-screen multiplayer I think would be unrealistic to hope for (half the framerate?), but via system link could be fun.
Quote from: Anthony Flack on 04:59, 24 April 23Split-screen multiplayer I think would be unrealistic to hope for (half the framerate?), but via system link could be fun.
or via the internet? I guess that could be possible using something like the M4 or USIFAC.
A link mode up to 4 players should create THE new retro-meeting masterpiece. Actually in France the classic multiplayer game is Medieval Mayhem on Atari 7800 in 4 players mode.
A link mode of 4 CPC's? Yeah, don't think I'd ever get to use that. Or 2. :)
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1698286256755486887
This is lovely!
looks awesome!
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1704549261612929453
sooo stoked seeing progress. Will it be ready for xmas? :)
Really nicely made assets there!
Time to buy as many CPCs as possible as the price will go through the roof, once this is released.
https://www.ebay.de/itm/235212808858
I wonder how much memory it takes to store all of them in different sizes for realtime scaling.
I guess they won't be scaled on the fly?
Quote from: Prodatron on 22:00, 21 September 23I wonder how much memory it takes to store all of them in different sizes for realtime scaling.
I guess they won't be scaled on the fly?
maybe 2 ROM banks, piece of cake :P
Quote from: FruityFrank on 09:01, 21 September 23sooo stoked seeing progress. Will it be ready for xmas? :)
There´s actually a possible hint hidden in those graphics. Posadas refers to Posadas Party, a well known spanish demoescene party. So MAYBE Posadas 2024 means that they will introduce the game at next year´s edition.
That looks very leet.
https://twitter.com/BATMAN_GROUP/status/1724419943494525204
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1725092488346513906
It's ok, us Pacific nations are used to being left off of world maps... we like to think of ourselves as the world's secret hidden stage.
Is the size of Australia a sanction or something? ;D
Quote from: Anthony Flack on 00:21, 17 November 23It's ok, us Pacific nations are used to being left off of world maps... we like to think of ourselves as the world's secret hidden stage.
Like those crazies from China who think New Zealand is in the West.
Go far enough west, and you will get there. Eventually.
https://twitter.com/BATMAN_GROUP/status/1746782696011964858
Ohhh an update!
very nice to see progress!! ;D
It's really nice pictures. :)
I ask google about picture of Batman Group and it found.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4262/34355528944_8224e464a1_b.jpg)
So, which one is Rhino? ;)
Ah, the Holy Grail !!!
Quote from: ZorrO on 09:12, 15 January 24So, which one is Rhino?
Definitely the one in the middle.
Very nice, though currently the screen seems to be a mockup with the irregular fonts.
Quote from: Prodatron on 11:46, 15 January 24Very nice, though currently the screen seems to be a mockup with the irregular fonts.
Noticed that too, they look like AI-generated fonts as they are😁
But I guess if it's consistent (which it is) maybe it's the font they use.
I just guess that you don't see a CPC screenshot but prepared graphics on a PC, which is fine of course, that's how you design and develop stuff today, I do it in the same way very often.
If they would be captured from a CPC the text-output routine would use same bitmaps and spacing for same chars, not different ones like the "N" or the "Y".
What you all seem to forget: Look at the insane increase of pricing! Some parts are even 10x more expensive now. So, no regular tax-payer can any longer afford a turbo loader.
Even tires are now unpayable expansive. Well, I go back to that Fiat 500 racing game meanwhile... ;) :)
Turbo is overrated anyway. Hope BG will add a Rimac Nevera ;D
Ok, so a garage with upgrades and you also have to manage your fuel it seems.
After checking the gameplay, I can tell that the horizon graphics with infinite draw distance are made with the 2nd VDP2 CPU chip, which is almost fried.
I know because I've eaten many fried chips in my time.
OMG yet more fake mockup! I would click on the X link to take a closer look at the pics, but my hand is shaking, plus I prefer to wait until the community makes a video review of them and also explain what it is we are looking at and how all that would crown the CPC the king of 8bits and stuff! ;D
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1747250174294941747
Quote from: XeNoMoRPH on 19:19, 16 January 24https://twiiter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1747250174294941747
Not found?
Weird, copying and pasting worked for me... But clicking on it didn't!
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1747250174294941747
And now it works on my post?
Sorry , :(
Quote from: rexbeng on 14:48, 16 January 24OMG yet more fake mockup! I would click on the X link to take a closer look at the pics, but my hand is shaking, plus I prefer to wait until the community makes a video review of them and also explain what it is we are looking at and how all that would crown the CPC the king of 8bits and stuff! ;D
People are always most excited about games that haven't been released yet. Once it comes out they'll be over it in a week and start wondering what Bitplane Technomantes have been up to lately.
As for me, since Vespertino is an original design I'm curious if BG can come up with the goods. Bold claims were made, for sure.
Quote from: Anthony Flack on 05:48, 19 January 24Quote from: rexbeng on 14:48, 16 January 24OMG yet more fake mockup! I would click on the X link to take a closer look at the pics, but my hand is shaking, plus I prefer to wait until the community makes a video review of them and also explain what it is we are looking at and how all that would crown the CPC the king of 8bits and stuff! ;D
People are always most excited about games that haven't been released yet. Once it comes out they'll be over it in a week and start wondering what Bitplane Technomantes have been up to lately.
As for me, since Vespertino is an original design I'm curious if BG can come up with the goods. Bold claims were made, for sure.
This game could last more than the 10 minutes curiosity (unseen frame rate for that kind of game, car evolution to let you progress to harder levels...)
I bet the overall lifetime will be greater than pinball dream
Hey, sure! Building hype is part of the culture after all! But then, so are responses to hype. :D
We generally try to avoid people wondering about Bitplane Technomantes so as to not have to troll our own selves. :-X
It will soon be 5 years since this was announced, but I'm hopeful for an actual release. I just hope this is not another Indiana Jones and the Seven Cities of Gold ( https://raidersofthesevencities.com/about-us.html ) or Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth ( https://www.jumpdashroll.com/article/indiana-jones-and-the-fountain-of-youth-a-game-thirty-two-years-in-the-making and https://www.facebook.com/fountain.of.youth.game/posts/4982748751756768 (https://www.facebook.com/fountain.of.youth.game/posts/4982748751756768) ).
Oh, had forgotten about the Fountain. What a pity.
It's not fair to keep pushing on devs for more or timelines, BG have said that they paused this for around 2 years and delivered the fantastic Batman demo in the meantime.
Better having the odd teaser than nothing.
Give the guys some breathing room, it'll come.
Yeah, I'm just grateful that it's still under development. Five years isn't long these days....
Not when you're only doing it as a hobby. People are wondering about my project now too, and although it's also nearly finished I've not done much more than add the high score tables over the last two months. Plus, the all-important final polish always takes a fair bit of time and you don't want to rush that. All the content in Vespertino is going to need to be tested and tweaked and that will determine whether the game is actually any good or not.
I've never criticised BG for the time it's taken them, or even been particularly surprised. Making a game for the CPC is, in a way, just as big an undertaking as making a game for a modern system. If you really want to make something that will hold people's attention for several hours, it takes more than just impressive graphics and coding.
I am ALWAYS wondering about Bitplane Technomantes.
I also think it's pretty funny how hard BG throw down, in that old-school demoscene way. They've boasted that they're going to deliver a perfect 10. Good for them! So now they have to.
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1760665324251451554
Audio Copper, Pro Cher gII, Labia Gallera, Ferria eFSO,
Ferria Ti Rossa, Doggy Charlie, have no idea, Mozart FX.
Quote from: ZorrO on 20:17, 22 February 24Audio Copper, Pro Cher gII, Labia Gallera, Ferria eFSO,
Ferria Ti Rossa, Doggy Charlie, have no idea, Mozart FX.
Chevrolet Camaro
Still wonder how they are stored in memory. Each car seem to be up to 48x48 pixels mode0 which is 1,1KB. As they are rotating in the demo video (8 frames? 16 frames?) and you have 8 cars, this would be 72 or 144KB just for selecting one out of the 8 cars, but maybe there is some compression as well. And if they are only loading one car, then about 9KB (or 18K) would be fine.
Very exciting project :)
Don't forget that they have a huge amount of ROM space to play with, so my money is on them all being compiled sprites, only redrawing the changed pixels.
https://twitter.com/BATMAN_GROUP/status/1770684942977990912
A Bat-Car to rule em all? :D
I wonder if the anchor is included ;D
I wonder if the game is included ;D
hello
do you know the hardware requeriments?
128K :)
My understanding was that it would be a cartridge/rom game with a cut down disk version also available.
https://twitter.com/M_Antonio_del_C/status/1781022123999277205
Quality content 😁
Hell, yeah! 8)
As a New Zealanders I still hope New Zealand suddenly appears in Vespertino
As a New Zealander I'm used to that; I just wonder when Vespertino will appear.