#CPCRetroDev 2015: Complete Results and Games

[Dubliner]

(even if Helloween come close!)

A german mistaking Halloween with Helloween. That's interesting 

[TFM]

A german mistaking Halloween with Helloween. That's interesting 

Look here:


Keeper of the seven keys Helloween (full) - YouTube

[ervin]

Hi! I see no reason for Ervins RUNCPC not to be nominated in the "Special mention to the Best Technical Achievement:" category. (IMHO he should win there anyway).

Thanks TFM. 
I have to admit that I was hopeful of getting a technical achievement nomination, but it's ok.
My main goal with entering the competition was always to actually *finish* a game; hopefully one that would be enjoyed by other people.
I think I've achieved that, so I'm happy.

As an aside, I'll just mention that the game is actually quite a bit faster (and a lot nicer to look at) than the last version I posted in the RUNCPC thread. I'm really REALLY *REALLY* looking forward to having all of you try the game and let me know what you think.

Perhaps the high difficulty level has worked against the game... but I *did* deliberately choose to make it very difficult.
One thing I am disappointed with though is that the level design isn't very tight. I didn't have much time left to really tweak that aspect of the game. I still think it's very playable and a lot of fun, but I'm sure other developers will understand... things can always be improved. 

Also, some obstacles are harder than others to navigate around/through.
One in particular (the "Z") is a bit unfair. I can make it through that level, but of course I playtested it a heck of a lot. Others may not have the same level of patience with it.
I made the "Z" a bit thinner in an attempt to make it easier to handle, but it's still the hardest obstacle in the game...
 

[ervin]

My personal opinion on the work done by @ervin is that it's incredible in many ways. I've had the opportunity to test it, as I've got to prepare the master for producing the tape, and I really love it. It moves really fast and produces a nice sensation of speed and 3D movement. I'm really happy to see such a great development coming from @ervin and I'm impatient for seeing people's reaction on playing it.

Thanks for your kind words @ronaldo.
Now I know that at least one person likes my game, and that has made me very happy.
 

I am also very impatient to see other's reactions to it... only a few days to go now!
I'm wondering, which obstacle do you think is the most difficult?
As I mentioned just above, I think it's the "Z".

Also, thanks for taking the time to discuss your thoughts on the nomination process.
Much appreciated.
 
 

[||C|-|E||]

I wonder if next year it will be possible to present something that does not run in all the CPCs  . I mean, I love technical achievements and it is great that these games run in all the computers, it is just that some games like the adventure we are making really need a disc drive and 128 KB of RAM, at least with the tools I have available. At the beginning I hoped to be able to make a version without graphics that could run in a 464, but it seems clear now that it is going to be impossible  .

[ronaldo]

Well, @||C|-|E||, we discuss about that every year. We always think of a including other CPC machines, either directly or in different categories. However, the main problem is always there: producing the games on disc is extremely complicated as 3'' discs are hard to find.

I've even though of the possibility of producing our own discs, but it's kind of "utopic" idea today. May be we can think of it again for next year, or there are other alternatives. Without a valid alternative, this is the main problem stopping us. Technical achievements can also be done using a 6128 and splitting into 2 categories is not too difficult .

[AMSDOS]

Oh... I think I used 2000 baud when creating my CDT. 
Please let me know if it causes problems for the tape.

Earlier in the year, I was able to load Jet-Boot Jack at 3968 Baud from CDT using Turbo Load. Alternatively OTLA quickly loads things from Tape, though I think these formats were more reliable when reading it through a Digital Media. Don't know how a Tape Recorder would go.


The idea with Jet-Boot Jack was to use an emulator to write a CSW file for the Tape Image with Turbo Load setting the Speed Write. I was rewriting the Loader to make it Headerless and I even Compressed the files using a Screen Compressor to uncompress the Files as I was loading it in, just to make it load faster!

[mr_lou]

I too thought that there ought to be (maybe just a single year) a 128kb contest, and/or one that allowed multi-loading (disc). But to be honest it's not really something I find crucial.

I'd rather that other game-related accessories were allowed, like something as simple as a Y-cable for connecting 2 joysticks. I mean, come on. It's a game-development contest!
It's not like we're talking some major expensive expansion set. It's just a Y-cable that gives the CPC the same 2 ports as all other machines also have.
You should definitely talk about that for next year's contest in my opinion. I was honestly surprised that it wasn't already "allowed". I would never refer to a Y-cable as an expansion. It's a bloody joystick accessory. 

And it would be nice with more 2-player games. And more multiplayer-games.
Hm... maybe make the contest an actual 2-player game contest some time?
Some variation in the contests shouldn't hurt.

[Singaja]

It's so nice to see the competition grow. Anyway imho the best categories would be simply 64k & 128k.

[villain]

Well, @||C|-|E||, we discuss about that every year. We always think of a including other CPC machines, either directly or in different categories. However, the main problem is always there: producing the games on disc is extremely complicated as 3'' discs are hard to find.

I've even though of the possibility of producing our own discs, but it's kind of "utopic" idea today. May be we can think of it again for next year, or there are other alternatives. Without a valid alternative, this is the main problem stopping us. Technical achievements can also be done using a 6128 and splitting into 2 categories is not too difficult .

If you split it up in different categories you will probably get only a few entries per category. This would mean less competition, I guess... So I like the limitation to one category.
 

[Dubliner]

Look here:


Keeper of the seven keys Helloween (full) - YouTube

I am not only a big fan of Helloween, i also keep contact in real life with some of it's members. And since they are a german band who have sold millions of copies of their albums, i found funny a german mistaking the season "halloween" with the band name "helloween". Anyways, sorry for the offtopic.

[Dubliner]

And it would be nice with more 2-player games. And more multiplayer-games.
Hm... maybe make the contest an actual 2-player game contest some time?
Some variation in the contests shouldn't hurt.

There's no limitation in the rules of CPCRetroDev regarding the number of players of a game. Nobody should be affraid of submiting a multiplayer game to the contest. In this same board you can find at least one example of multiplayer game submited to the contest, even for 4 players.

[||C|-|E||]

Well, @||C|-|E||, we discuss about that every year. We always think of a including other CPC machines, either directly or in different categories. However, the main problem is always there: producing the games on disc is extremely complicated as 3'' discs are hard to find.

I've even though of the possibility of producing our own discs, but it's kind of "utopic" idea today. May be we can think of it again for next year, or there are other alternatives. Without a valid alternative, this is the main problem stopping us. Technical achievements can also be done using a 6128 and splitting into 2 categories is not too difficult .

Your concern about 3" discs is something that keeps me worried as well. For example, our game will require a 6128 with a 3.5" drive to run (720KB). This is not a standard Amstrad anymore, but we really need it if we want to include lots of very detailed graphics (each one is around 8KB). Ideally, you would have the adventure running from a HXC, a GOTEK or something like X-MASS. We will have to consider this if we want to produce a physical release and, at the moment, it is not clear at all which one would be the best format, but probably a 3.5 floppy plus a pen-drive or SD card. I realize that this is less than ideal for a contest because it is not fair to compare games that can be stored on a tape and games that need a big disc and more RAM to run. You could always split and make different categories, like 64KB, 128KB and Amstrads with expansions, but this would reduce the number of games per category as well. It is not easy 

[TotO]

Rules are rules, but a good game is not a story about a big dick. Remember the 16K ROM contest... 
The limitations pushed peoples to do their best an we got amazing entries!!!

I'm sure that is not required to split categories, except for dividing peoples with a same hobby originaly made to unify them! 

By the way, it is more easy to acheive a little game than a big project into the same elapsed time. So, all productions must deserve developpers doing their best. It is not the fact that you use tape, floppy, expansion RAM or anything else that will made your production better... It is just a technical choice to reach a goal.

[TFM]

Yeah, but this 'runs on all CPCs' usually ends up (like in 2014) in the production of a tape for CPC464. Sorry, got no tape on CPC664, CPC6128, 6128Plus (and no, I got no 464Plus either). So why not make it a bit more relaxed. let's say all CPCs and Plus; memory and mass media (3.5" f.e.) just what you like. And of course you can keep it all in one category.


So if a great game runs on a spanish 472 and and on the 464 from tape then it get's extra points for efficiency maybe, a good judge will take this in account. [nb]I already disagree with this years judges, so maybe next year it will be more equalized. But ok, it's a spanish thing, entries for other countries have if harder, starts with the language barrier f.e. [/nb]

[TFM]

If you split it up in different categories you will probably get only a few entries per category. This would mean less competition, I guess... So I like the limitation to one category.

It's definitely a good thing to keep it all in one category (sure, a own category for BASIC stuff makes sense, else it wouldn't be too fair. Where to put BASIC with RSX then anyway?). In that category one could allow the borders to be a bit more far out. Thinking about free choice of tape or disc; 64 KB or 128 KB; 3" or 3.5" 700 KB format. I mean different games need different resources (some need more RAM, some need more disc space and so on). 

[||C|-|E||]

I think that you all have strong points, guys, to be honest if I was the organizer I do not know what I would do. I mean, I think that it is an awesome technical achievement that somebody is able to make a superb game in 16KB, and I also think that it is a great achievement to make a big great production like Orion Prime although it needs one big disk or multiple small disks. Should they compete in the same category? Maybe, I do not know 

 

[TFM]

These are well words for closing a discussion before it gets out of control.


Now I want to play this games!!!!!

[TotO]

Big games like Orion Prime are a false problem, as you can see one every 10 years... 
So, if a new game like it is released, it must won: that all. 

[||C|-|E||]

Sadly, our adventure cannot even approach Orion Prime but it will have around 600KB of graphics... 

[arnoldemu]

Sadly, our adventure cannot even approach Orion Prime but it will have around 600KB of graphics... 

It will still be good

[Arnaud]

Just by curiosity, how many entries are coded with Cpctelera ?

[ronaldo]

Out of 35 entries:

• 3 are coded in BASIC
• 1 in BASIC+ASM
• 2 in ASM
• 1 uses AGD
• 1 uses its own engine (C+ASM)
• 27 use CPCtelera (some of them adding some asm functions, like @ervin's or @mr_lou's)

[EgoTrip]

Not surprised I'm the only one who used AGD.

[TFM]

Out of 35 entries:

• 3 are coded in BASIC
• 1 in BASIC+ASM
• 2 in ASM
• 1 uses AGD
• 1 uses its own engine (C+ASM)
• 27 use CPCtelera (some of them adding some asm functions, like @ervin's or @mr_lou's)

WoW! CPCtelera won the OS wars then!