Genesis8 - Edge grinder, a new multi-platform shoot them up game

[NewsBot]

Edge grinder, a new multi-platform shoot them up game
24 June 2011, 8:38 pm

Edge grinder, a new multi-platform shoot them up game

Source: Genesis8 Amstrad Page

[fano]

This is a great news , i am impatient to see the result 

[TFM]

Better to make a CPC specific game, with CPC specific colors, gfx etc... Then the c64 guys will cordially invited to make a conversation to the c64.

[Axelay]

Probably worth mentioning that Edge Grinder isn't a 'full game' as such.  It contains one long level, about three and a half minutes, and it's quite simple, being based around the C64's 8 hardware sprites and nothing else, so the enemies don't shoot, for example.


I'm using this project to get the CRTC R3 hardware pixel scrolling into a playable game with minimal work from me.  With all the graphics and map data provided it has taken only about a month or so from starting to get it to the point where it mostly just needs the wave data.  By putting the technique in a playable game I'm hoping more people will give it a try on real hardware than with the example code I released previously, so I can get a better idea of the proportion of monitors it works well on, and not so well.


The source will be made available too, so perhaps it will be of use to others, regardless of R3 scrolling's merits.

[Gryzor]

A mini-game, then. What's not to like?

[TMR]

Better to make a CPC specific game, with CPC specific colors, gfx etc... Then the c64 guys will cordially invited to make a conversation to the c64.

Edge Grinder may have started life on the C64 but, along with Paul's CPC version, there are also Atari 8-bit, Sega Master System and tentative Atari 7800 conversions under way and noises being made about other platforms too. It isn't just about C64/Amstrad, for the programmers taking part it's interesting to see how these things translate and perhaps try out previously unused techniques without having to pick up a larger project.

If you want to go ahead and make a CPC-specific game for the folks at Format War to have a go at converting that'd be great, the more the merrier! You'll have to rein yourself in a little because we've all agreed to keep things relatively simple for now [1] but absolutely yes, get something started and announce it in the appropriate part of the  FWar forums and if people there find it interesting they might have a go at converting it! =-)

A mini-game, then. What's not to like?

That's making it sound a little smaller than it actually is! =-) Generally speaking the one level is about the length of three stages from a coin-op and when i get the wave data finished it should hopefully offer a decent challenge in that distance.

[1] Edge Grinder on the C64 only uses about 40% of the CPU power on average, it doesn't push the hardware technically in the slightest.

[Phi2x]

.

[AMSDOS]

A mini-game, then. What's not to like?

I'm so jealous just with the graphics!!    Though I presume it's got all the regular playing conditions, power-ups like a regular shoot-em-up has?

[CPCLER]

@TMR, PM time 

Edge Grinder may have started life on the C64 but, along with Paul's CPC version, there are also Atari 8-bit, Sega Master System and tentative Atari 7800 conversions under way and noises being made about other platforms too. It isn't just about C64/Amstrad, for the programmers taking part it's interesting to see how these things translate and perhaps try out previously unused techniques without having to pick up a larger project.

If you want to go ahead and make a CPC-specific game for the folks at Format War to have a go at converting that'd be great, the more the merrier! You'll have to rein yourself in a little because we've all agreed to keep things relatively simple for now [1] but absolutely yes, get something started and announce it in the appropriate part of the  FWar forums and if people there find it interesting they might have a go at converting it! =-)


That's making it sound a little smaller than it actually is! =-) Generally speaking the one level is about the length of three stages from a coin-op and when i get the wave data finished it should hopefully offer a decent challenge in that distance.

[1] Edge Grinder on the C64 only uses about 40% of the CPU power on average, it doesn't push the hardware technically in the slightest.

[einoeL]

I'm using this project to get the CRTC R3 hardware pixel scrolling into a playable game with minimal work from me.

Is the "CRTC R3 Hardware Pixel Scrolling" a new kind of "scrolling-technology" for the Amstrad?

[fano]

Is the "CRTC R3 Hardware Pixel Scrolling" a new kind of "scrolling-technology" for the Amstrad?

Not , it has already been used in some CPC games but never on a so nice way 
I saw the preview at the reset and i must say i have been very impressed , amazing work Axelay !
I am impatient to see the final result , just a shame it will be so short.
I think we'll debate about R3 usage after the source release.

[TFM]

Is the "CRTC R3 Hardware Pixel Scrolling" a new kind of "scrolling-technology" for the Amstrad?

That means you write &85 or &86 in Register 3 of the CRTC, so you can scroll one Mode 2 character horizontally, I use that for example for our Giana Sisters Clone.

The sense of using R3 is that the scrolling in X becomes as half as quick and you have more cpu time to do other things.

Technically its pretty simple. You can just try it in BASIC, out &bc03,&03:out bc,&bd85,&85 and out &bc03,&03:out bc,&bd86,&86. That shows you how to shift the screen for just one Mode 2 character. (The CRTC adress register allows you only two Mode 2 characters at once, so R3 makes it more smooth).

[redbox]

Technically its pretty simple. You can just try it in BASIC, out &bc03,&03:out bc,&bd85,&85 and out &bc03,&03:out bc,&bd86,&86. That shows you how to shift the screen for just one Mode 2 character. (The CRTC adress register allows you only two Mode 2 characters at once, so R3 makes it more smooth).

As with everything TFM and scrolling, the devil is in the detail.

Yes, R3 in theory is simple to do.  The b*tch is to get it to work with all monitors, modulators, TVs, your granny's 1950s black and white radio-scope etc..... no?

[fano]

Yes, R3 in theory is simple to do.  The b*tch is to get it to work with all monitors, modulators, TVs, your granny's 1950s black and white radio-scope etc..... no?

Yes ,this is one of the problems encountered with R3 scrolling else we would have the perfect solution for byte scrolling.

[TFM]

Yes ,this is one of the problems encountered with R3 scrolling else we would have the perfect solution for byte scrolling.

Hmm, what exactly makes the problems? (I had no probs with three different CPC, not green, nor color, but didn't check MP2 or RGB-TV).

[AMSDOS]

Hmm, what exactly makes the problems? (I had no probs with three different CPC, not green, nor color, but didn't check MP2 or RGB-TV).

This relates to the type of 6845 CTRC Controller that's in the CPC/+.

[TFM]

It runs on CPC Plus and on CPC old generation with CRTC0 and 1 (not sure about 2, hadn't tested it), and with green and color monitors

[arnoldemu]

Hmm, what exactly makes the problems? (I had no probs with three different CPC, not green, nor color, but didn't check MP2 or RGB-TV).

R3 controls vertical and horizontal sync widths.

With this scrolling effect you are changing the hsync width between 6 and 5. CPC monitors adjust to the hsync width by moving half a CRTC char (1 byte). CPC monitors have no problems with it.

But MP2 modulators can end up showing a black and white image.

[MaV]

With this scrolling effect you are changing the hsync width between 6 and 5. CPC monitors adjust to the hsync width by moving half a CRTC char (1 byte). CPC monitors have no problems with it.

Did Amstrad change the monitor intentionally for this or is it just luck that it turned out this way?

[Sykobee (Briggsy)]

Possibly a side effect of the CPC monitor using RGB? I don't think it synced on green, so maybe there was a different sync signal that wasn't affected by R3 - I can see the CPC RGB output had its own sync signal. I guess the MP2 didn't use that sync signal, and thus things went funny? I wouldn't worry too much about MP2s in this day and age - just give a green screen option :-)


Anyway, is anyone taking up the Edge Grinder challenge?

[arnoldemu]

Possibly a side effect of the CPC monitor using RGB? I don't think it synced on green, so maybe there was a different sync signal that wasn't affected by R3 - I can see the CPC RGB output had its own sync signal. I guess the MP2 didn't use that sync signal, and thus things went funny? I wouldn't worry too much about MP2s in this day and age - just give a green screen option :-)


Anyway, is anyone taking up the Edge Grinder challenge?

Yes it could be that the composite r,g,b and sync signal from the mp2 looses some information.
The components within the monitor are "standard", I don't think Amstrad did anything specific.

Edge Grinder: Axelay is. So you know it will be good.

[AMSDOS]

I remember back in the early 90s AA reviewed an alternative Modulator which could be used instead of a MP1 or MP2 modulator and I have just found the review of it which was in Issue 88 back in January 1993. It's called Videomaster which Campursoft made unfortunately AA didn't really detail the sorts of video plugs this thing had though, they do say it has a PAL output to video (Scart,BNC or Phono), and apart from that AA were highly appreciative of this device in terms of the quality being superior to a MP2 and the other add-on features it could do which you could do on a MP2. It's only real setback was a little power supply to power the unit - which isn't much of a problem (unless your short a tenner!)