blue angel 69 (cartridge edition)

[dragon]

Question: How many Plus features must a cartridge or a game for Plus use to be worth it?

it't depend of the game. The amstrad have games visually perfect that not need plus features as batman for expample(probably ocean think the same in the 90). But other as prehistorik 2 the change is evident with plus features.

Many games need plus features as contra(scroll), but not need colours. Others as indiana jones and the last crusade needs colours(i hate the black and white ) but  not need scroll.

Your answer is, you need the plus features  necesary so the game in question makes you feel you don't need more. And you not need more, because you feel that your machine can not do it better.

Can be all features, 1 feature, or 0 features.I't depend of the game, thats all. .

[remax]

You're still in that kind of stupid debate?
...


Wear a game on CPC + without adapting it is simply unnecessary. In this case as the launch dsk we have the same thing ...
What's funny is to see that we will make new extensions for CPC while already nobody wants to piss to use most of the cpc + ...
We transfer stupidly old games on a CPC + without any adaptation . Result you just get the same thing ... Or is the interest? I still wonder.


Cartridge Fluff or Stryker in the crypt of trojan (is it exist ?) version is much smarter because at least we have contributed ...


Goggle translate, sorry if it's not really good...

He meant that the real name of the Plus is "Amstrad 6128 Plus". There is no CPC in it as Amstrad lost the right to use this acronym in court.

[TotO]

I'm really bored to read peoples saids what others have to do... 
Good luck for your greats projects arnoldemu! 

[arnoldemu]

To be a worthwhile plus game you must officially... Use more than 1 shade of grey. Scroll 1 pixel side to side. Use 1 hardware sprite


Joking!

I laughed out loud when I read that.

[CraigsBar]

I laughed out loud when I read that.

and is @arnoldemu now gonna be the first person to code a cartridge game featuring a 2 pixel hardware sprite coloured in 2 ever so slightly different shades of grey on a black background that jiggles left and right by 1 pixel at a time.

[steve]

Considering the cost of making a cartridge, the one feature that must be used is the 512KB rom space, if a program can run from tape or disk it is not worth the expense of a cartridge unless you want to run it on the GX4000.

[GOB]

But, is the author of blue angel can't sent the source code to make a real CPC+ adaptation ?
Don't you think it will be better than just a direct convertion to cardtridge ?

[arnoldemu]

But, is the author of blue angel can't sent the source code to make a real CPC+ adaptation ?
Don't you think it will be better than just a direct convertion to cardtridge ?

Feel free!

Source code to standard CPC version here:
My Games

Source code to  cart version one. This also has the plus palette in here and a version that didn't build correctly, don't know why. If it had I would have posted it here so you can see the plus palette! :
http://www.cpctech.org.uk/Blue_Angel_69_Cart.zip

If you compare directories you can see the changes I made.
CART is defined for cartridge version.

This version should use the plus palette and attempts to detect if it's running on plus, or on the PlayCity prototype cartridge. The plan was to support both.  Sorry no playcity features used because with this code I didn't get that far with my experiments. If you want to access plus features inside the game you will need a plus library for sdcc.
You can probably use the one from my website in the downloads section and link it in, but be careful you don't run out of ram

all cpc gfx are in the gfx folder.

copy tools directory to c:\tools.
run make.bat.
Make sure z88dk is installed to default directory I think.


feel free to add plus features. My bmp2cpc tool can convert bmp images to plus sprites.

file0 is initialised first. It sets up the hardware. it then calls file_a700 and executes this.

You will see from the code how my filesystem works and how I adapted it to work for blue angel 69.

If anyone does add to it, please keep my name in there. You can add yours in there should be space on the main menu to show it.

[arnoldemu]

Considering the cost of making a cartridge, the one feature that must be used is the 512KB rom space, if a program can run from tape or disk it is not worth the expense of a cartridge unless you want to run it on the GX4000.

This is nice but it does take time to fill that space. Here I talk about extra levels, extra graphics, AI for characters etc.

My aim is to fill a 512KB rom one day.

[TFM]

Hi Arnoldemu! That's awesome work Sir! 

[Gryzor]

I think that releasing a game on cartridge format without changing it at all is not that interesting; but, bashing such a transfer instead of offering constructive critique is definitely useless.

[arnoldemu]

I think that releasing a game on cartridge format without changing it at all is not that interesting; but, bashing such a transfer instead of offering constructive critique is definitely useless.

But I did change it. My original intention was to use plus palette but I didn't finish it and it wasn't fun to change an old game. It does work on gx4000 and it is technically a new cartridge game.
It is a direct disk to cartridge transfer but it was not intended to be a major recode for plus. That didn't interest me for this game. What it does show is a cartridge game adapted for gx4000 using my cartridge filesystem with manual like the original and label too. Almost a full package.
It is a step towards my next cartridge game. Next will be smaller but it will use more plus features and some plasticity support too.

I look forward to the next cartridge release who will be next? Is anyone brave?

All the comments including negative do not stop me because I like to do what I want.

In the end it is a polished game but not using plus features.

[arnoldemu]

Considering the cost of making a cartridge, the one feature that must be used is the 512KB rom space, if a program can run from tape or disk it is not worth the expense of a cartridge unless you want to run it on the GX4000.

Saying it must use all the Rom and it must use all plus features and it must use extra ram and it must run from Rom  etc, what you are doing is putting people off from releasing any cartridge game? If they don't follow all the rules they will be flamed? Where does the learning and experience come from to make these big special games come from?

I can count the number of active cpc game coders and designers on my hands. 

My advice for others, do as you want and if you can make more use of features as you learn. 

I have thick skin.

[arnoldemu]

I think if we all talked about it face to face we would laugh about some things and drink plenty 

[mr_lou]

Generally I just feel that a cartridge game should stand out, if only just a little bit, but preferably a lot.
A direct disc to cartridge conversion isn't much fun to me.

But that's just my opinion, generally speaking, and is in no way intended for bashing anyone.
I know that comments like that are often misinterpreted. But I hope arnoldemu sees it for what it is.

Definitely agree that one should always just do what he feels like. 
I'm making progress on my Blu-ray Disc Java project, that probably no one in the world will appreciate, but I'm having fun. 

[steve]

Saying it must use all the Rom and it must use all plus features and it must use extra ram and it must run from Rom  etc, what you are doing is putting people off from releasing any cartridge game? If they don't follow all the rules they will be flamed?

I did not say that at all, all I was saying was that the game should use all the rom space, if a game is small enough to run from disk then it is not worth the expense of a cartridge.

I seem to remember some anger that software publishers were taking games that sold on disk for a tenner and selling them for £25 on cartridge, I would not want people to be disappointed with new cartridges.

[Trebmint]

I did not say that at all, all I was saying was that the game should use all the rom space, if a game is small enough to run from disk then it is not worth the expense of a cartridge.

I seem to remember some anger that software publishers were taking games that sold on disk for a tenner and selling them for £25 on cartridge, I would not want people to be disappointed with new cartridges.

That was back in the day when commercial software was still being made. I think now days somebody could simulate a steaming dog poo, and if it had a hardware sprites for the steam people would want it on cartridge.

[arnoldemu]

That was back in the day when commercial software was still being made. I think now days somebody could simulate a steaming dog poo, and if it had a hardware sprites for the steam people would want it on cartridge.

I like that idea Lol

I understand what people are saying.
Personally I don't have the time to make enough to fill 512k of cartridge at least not with one game. I could do it with a compilation of existing games but I also don't have time to patch them all for plus features.

I want the same as others, more games on Cpc, more games on plus using plus features and more cartridge games.

Perhaps a programmable cart would allow people to swap and change games as they wish, one cost, but they can then copy on games as they wish including smaller games and direct disk to cart if they want?

So how do we make these things we want a reality?

[arnoldemu]

I did not say that at all, all I was saying was that the game should use all the rom space, if a game is small enough to run from disk then it is not worth the expense of a cartridge.

I seem to remember some anger that software publishers were taking games that sold on disk for a tenner and selling them for £25 on cartridge, I would not want people to be disappointed with new cartridges.

No you didn't say that, sorry I didn't mean to direct it at you. It was a statement based on all the comments everyone made concerning cartridges and plus games. I really meant it as  a question to all.

You are correct this cartridge game I made is not worth the cost of a 512k cart. Can we make smaller capacity and cheaper ones?

[Trebmint]

Its always a tricky thing upgrading a game from the CPC to the Plus. Many people are just so used to the original that any changes just don't seem correct. Many think the Plus should be able to upgrade a game beyond recognition, without realizing that a game designed for software sprites is often an impossible match for hardware sprites.
I found this when I upgraded as i saw it Sorcery for the Plus, it just seemed everyone had a better idea of how it should be done... in fact I gave up since it seemed a lot of work to not please people. I came to the conclusion that a new game that people couldn't compare to the original was the best bet.


But as with anything if you're paying £25 or whatever for a cartridge its really up to the user if he or she thinks the content is worthy of the price. many would think simply the benefit of having their favorite cpc loading instantly is enough, but some need smooth scrolling, more colours, and sprites to justify it. There's no right or wrong

[CraigsBar]

Well I now have an 'Official' Blueangel69 cart.


The donor was a Pro Tennis Tour cart, After removing the 27c1001 and soldering in LK4 it was a simple matter of programming one of my blank 27c2001 chips with the image in the first few posts of this thread.


Attached are the first 2 photos - Top and Bottom of the cart PCB. WHen I get some more colour ink for the Photosmart printer here I'll do a propper label, for the moment I have the plain white cart and Laserprinted manual.


Will upload finished pics just as soon as I have a working colour printer again LOL


Craig

[mr_lou]

I found this when I upgraded as i saw it Sorcery for the Plus, it just seemed everyone had a better idea of how it should be done...

There'll always be feedback you don't agree with.
And it's a tricky task to weigh what feedback you should consider and what feedback you should dismiss.

Generally, it should be about doing what you feel like doing. Not doing the game for the community, but rather for yourself.

Then, when it's done, you'll see whether you listened to the right feedback or not. 

When I was creating IndieGameMusic.com, I got a lot of different feedback too. I think I managed to dismiss the feedback that should be dismissed, and listen to the feedback that deserved attention.
But I've also tried dismissing the wrong feedback with other projects.

What I've learned so far: If "quite a few" people gives you the same feedback, then you should probably look into it. Otherwise, stay on your own course. 

[Gryzor]

Poor Pro Tennis Tour...

[CraigsBar]

Poor Pro Tennis Tour...

my original pro tennis tour is safe in its box. I bought 5 random carts from trade in post to use as donors for just this sort of thing. Blueangel 69 has been the first to get used.

[CraigsBar]

As promised... Ink arrived in the mail today, and the end result after a good polishing of the de-labelled cart shell is as shown below.


I hope you like it @arnoldemu