Genesis8 - Remake of Slap Fight (Alcon) by Abalore W.I.P.

[cpcitor]

- Extra RAM to make the game compatible with 64KB machines
- 3 extra AY audio channels
- Autoboot
- Instant load
- Continuous levels

The cartridge has been designed and built by TotO

From this I take the game can run on a stock CPC6128, off a floppy disk, with simpler music, "regular" load time (for a stock CPC), pause between levels (to load next level). 

Right?  If so, it's all the more impressive and worth many extra bonus points!

[TotO]

The specs have changed and a 64K RAM CPC is enough since November 2019.

Any stock CPC can run the game through its expansion port.
Stock 464 can't load floppy, stock 664/6128 can't load tape.

[cpcitor]

The specs have changed and a 64K RAM CPC is enough since November 2019.

Any stock CPC can run the game through its expansion port.
Stock 464 can't load floppy, stock 664/6128 can't load tape.

I'd be thrilled to download even a demo, write it on a floppy and run that on one of my CPCs.

[TotO]

I'd be thrilled to download even a demo, write it on a floppy and run that on one of my CPCs.

May be a demo around the first stage will be possible. Let see what abalore think possible.

[abalore]

The project started as a disc, 128KB only, multiload game. I even sent DSK to several people for testing.
But then it started to grow and I had to make a decision:
1. To keep the disc and the 128KB requirement, and apply severe constrains to the graphics quality.
2. To move the game to a cartridge, making the graphics even better, making the game compatible with 64KB machines and getting rid of multiload.

What tipped the scales was the possibility of adding a secondary AY chip to the cartridge for simultaneous in-game music and sound effects.
Would I say the game is compatible with stock machines? Well, stock machines did support ROM boards, and later models had a cartridge slot. In fact, a disc/128KB version would be compatible with only 2 out of 5 stock models.

The game can be put into a Plus cartridge and played (with no extra sound channels). So we can say it's at least compatible with stock 464+ and 6128+, without discussion.
I think a wide range of users will be able to play the game, even not getting the cartridge, if they have a X-MEM, M4, Dandanator or C4CPC. They can play also in emulators, I managed to run the game even in a FPGA Amstrad and MAME.
All that said, I also understand the point of the super purists that would like a game in the format it would have been back in the day. All I can say about that is this is not my last game, I'll probably make a tape/64kb game at some point.
Greetings,Abalore

[Sykobee (Briggsy)]

I think for physical games these days, the cartridge is the way to go, it allows you to fit far more graphics in, and also access it all very simply (e.g., i'd like to use enemy X from level Y here again, no need to duplicate the graphics on multiload) with a little work. If you want a lot of graphics, tunes, large levels, and to keep as much RAM free for mutable game data (double buffer, state, etc) then it's a no brainer.


The modern C64 cartridge games (512KB I think these days) are looking great, but that's because they have all that storage for all the graphics.


Is there a C4CPC variant for M4? I have one for my GX4000 and it's a great bit of hardware.

[sigh]

I always feel torn in regards to cartridge when I'm designing game ideas for the Amstrad.


I own a stock 464(with Datel Electronics 64kb memory expansion) and also a 6128 PLUS (with disk drive not working - think the belt may need changing), but my ideas end up having to fit on a 128kb instead of 64kb due to the amount of artwork/animations I produce and the sort of games I'm interested in designing. If I were to take any of my games that are graphically finished and was asked to instead put it onto cartridge - I would automatically want to use all the PLUS features such as the extra colours, hardware sprites/scrolling and the ability to exploit digitized voices to its optimum. I would want it to be a full on PLUS experience for the user- something that would not be easily reproduced on a stock CPC, to the extent that a PLUS could.


However - restrictions can be good as it keeps your game ideas tight and a bit more realistic in terms of getting it finished and avoiding too much feature creep.

[GUNHED]

The project started as a disc, 128KB only, multiload game. I even sent DSK to several people for testing.
But then it started to grow and I had to make a decision:
1. To keep the disc and the 128KB requirement, and apply severe constrains to the graphics quality.
2. To move the game to a cartridge, making the graphics even better, making the game compatible with 64KB machines and getting rid of multiload.

3. Have a disc version for 3.5" (Vortex format has 704 KB) and produce for 576 KB RAM.


Why? Everybody has a 3.5" disc drive today - or an HxC floppy emulator. 512 KB RAM expansions are common (X-MEM, SF2, SF3, Revaldhinos RAM expansion, Jareks 4 MB, Dobbertin, dk'tronics and and and). So 576 KB RAM is the new standard. Let use it. 
As second AY soundchip you can use the PlayCity from Tot0, it sold quite well. 

[roudoudou]

3. Have a disc version for 3.5" (Vortex format has 704 KB) and produce for 576 KB RAM.

rom switching is very different from ram switching
a conventionnal double buffering may not work (if this is what abalore do)

[GUNHED]

rom switching is very different from ram switching
a conventionnal double buffering may not work (if this is what abalore do)

Right, but he had a disc version before. So this could be a 2nd version for non-Plus users. (CPCs ROM banking is also very different to Plus-ROM banking).

[abalore]

Hello!
If any user owns a M4 board or a X-MEM board and would like to help testing the game, here is a beta test version.
The installer is a two-sided DSK that uploads the game to the ROM slots from 11 to 31 plus another one in the range 1 - 10 to emulate the cartridge, so you need to have these slots free.

This beta version has all the game features excepting in-game music (it requires the 6 audio channel game cartridge), and it go back to the main menu after the first boss.

The purpose of this beta release is to test the game for bugs, so if you install it please try to get and use all the weapons and ship upgrades. To help on that ,there is a cheat in the game, the left SHIFT key makes the power-up selection rotate.
Installation tips:
- M4 users can (and probably must) run the installer from the M4 itself, but they'll need a way of switching disk sides, most easy way is the "CD ON CPC" button on the web interface.
- M4 installation requires the very last M4 firmware that fixes a certain bug in the ROM flashing command, please ask Duke for it since I don't know if that specific version has been publicly released.- X-MEM installation requires the X-MEM firmware to be in a slot in the board, I tried with FW3.15- Even if you don't have a M4 or X-MEM board you can install and run the game in an emulator with X-MEM support, like Retro Virtual Machine.
Thanks,Abalore

[XeNoMoRPH]

[abalore]

I never saw such a long play without picking the speed powerup

[robcfg]

Can't it be played from the dsk image directly on the M4?

[abalore]

Can't it be played from the dsk image directly on the M4?

You need to "install" it into the ROM slots, because it's not a disc game, but a cartridge one. In return, it works on 64kb machines too.

[robcfg]

I see. Cannot the rom files be uploaded via the web interface?

[abalore]

I see. Cannot the rom files be uploaded via the web interface?

Yes, they could. You can even upload them to other ROM boards not supported by the installer.

[robcfg]

Would you be so kind as of providing the roms in a zip file so I can upload them to my M4?


I cannot update to the latest firmware because it seems that my board triggers the NMI continuously and keeps resetting.

[abalore]

Would you be so kind as of providing the roms in a zip file so I can upload them to my M4?


I cannot update to the latest firmware because it seems that my board triggers the NMI continuously and keeps resetting.

Sure

[robcfg]

Thanks!


I uploaded the rsx rom to slot 10 and the rest to slots 11 to 31, but when I try to |ALCON, it resets the machine.


Maybe I did something wrong or is there something I forgot?

[abalore]

Thanks!


I uploaded the rsx rom to slot 10 and the rest to slots 11 to 31, but when I try to |ALCON, it resets the machine.


Maybe I did something wrong or is there something I forgot?

Can you post a shot of your ROM panel? Or even better, the output of the |M4HELP command

[breiztiger]

rom 11 is larger than 16ko

[robcfg]

It turns out that I had the "Only 16 slots" set on the ROMs page, so after disabling it and uploading the roms again, I find out that it starts, but as @breiztiger said, rom 11 is not uploaded because it's larger than 16KB (16958 bytes!) and the game hangs upon start playing.


@Duke , it would be nice to get an indication if something fails, as it can get quite confusing.

[abalore]

Don't worry about that ROM size because it is unused code in this beta, but maybe I sent a WIP rom set, please try this new one.

[abalore]

But the best, in my opinion, is to ask Duke for the 2.0.6b1 firmware and install using the installer