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#1

A

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: 22-page 2013 controversial...

Last post by andycadley - Yesterday at 23:26

I've always found the A8 to be an intriguing system, although it never really made much of an impact in the UK. Some of it's spec seems a bit weird though (only 80 pixels across the screen in 16 colour mode!!!)

I get the impression from atariage that most people who program it do so in BASIC, which also seems a bit unusual, compared to most systems where coders usually gravitate towards assembly languages.

#2

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: 22-page 2013 controversial...

Last post by eto - Yesterday at 22:28

I still have no idea if he is a troll or if he makes fun with "friendly fire" (like he said).

My guess: testing ChatGPT how "well" it can start a typical 80s schoolyard flame war.

#3

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: 22-page 2013 controversial...

Last post by MaV - Yesterday at 22:26

Ah, so now it's "magic" when CPC programmers do it but "uncovering potential" when other systems devs do it?

You mentioned "performed miracles", I substituted "magic" to show you how people conceive how you formulated it.

Really, re-read your first post, and ask yourself why people see a double-standard in the way you formulated it instead of going after the one poster who pointed that out in good faith.

#4

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: 22-page 2013 controversial...

Last post by Prodatron - Yesterday at 22:16

I still have no idea if he is a troll or if he makes fun with "friendly fire" (like he said).

#5

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: 22-page 2013 controversial...

Last post by eto - Yesterday at 22:12

Ah, so now it's "magic" when CPC programmers do it but "uncovering potential" when other systems devs do it? S

Are you trolling for fun or do you really not recognize that it was you who made that comparison?

First you say about the Atari "Atari 8-bit computers were so good that people are still discovering how much they could actually do. "
and 1.5h later this about the CPC: "but let's be honest, needing years of effort just to make it work properly isn't exactly a bragging right."

Just in case you are not trolling: what's the difference? Why is it "discovering greatness" in one case and "needing years to make it work properly" in the other case?

#6

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: 22-page 2013 controversial...

Last post by Prodatron - Yesterday at 22:06

That's it, I so I don't understand why you started this again here.

#7

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: 22-page 2013 controversial...

Last post by overange - Yesterday at 21:14

Oh, it's not a double standard—it's just perspective. The Atari 8-bit was already packed with potential, and people are still uncovering new ways to push it further. The CPC, on the other hand, needed good programmers and to perform miracles just to break free from "Speccy mode."

So the good CPC programmers had to resort to "magic" to make things happen, while the Atari 8-bit scene uncovered new ways to push the system further, as if the potential was only there on the Atari 8-bits. Besides that the CPC never was packed with potential it seems.
It is not a matter of perspective, you're basically calling us idiots except for a few chosen ones.
That is a textbook example of a double-standard.
Besides the Spectrum mode was grounded in the laziness of companies when porting games to the CPC because the CPC had the ability to change the screen to the dimensions of the Spectrum.
You're confusing things that happened in the 80s with tricks uncovered in recent times, whether on the CPC or the Atari.
Sigh. Anyway, the recent (2021?) Atari game Albert from Poland is a wonderful example how bigger sprites can be implemented on the Atari 8-bits, right? (Perhaps there are better recent examples?)
On the other hand, there is a nice little demonstration by French guys to show how sub pixel vertical scrolling is possible on the CPC.
Let's honor both of these cases by acknowledging mankind's ingenuity.

Ah, so now it's "magic" when CPC programmers do it but "uncovering potential" when other systems devs do it? Sounds more like selective wording than a real difference. Both systems had their strengths and limitations, and both benefited from developers pushing the boundaries over time.

The CPC absolutely had potential—it just wasn't always given the chance to shine thanks to lazy ports and rushed development back in the day. That doesn't mean the capability wasn't there; it just means it took longer for people to tap into it properly.
And no, nobody's calling anyone an "idiot"—unless you're suggesting that discovering new tricks on one system is "genius" while doing the same on another is just "desperation." The reality is, clever programmers have been pushing all these machines to their limits, whether it's Albert on the Atari or sub-pixel scrolling on the CPC.

At the end of the day, it's not about one being inherently superior; it's about what people do with them. So yeah, let's acknowledge the ingenuity across the board—without pretending one side had all the magic while the other just stumbled around in the dark.

#8

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: 22-page 2013 controversial...

Last post by MaV - Yesterday at 18:46

Oh, it's not a double standard—it's just perspective. The Atari 8-bit was already packed with potential, and people are still uncovering new ways to push it further. The CPC, on the other hand, needed good programmers and to perform miracles just to break free from "Speccy mode."

So the good CPC programmers had to resort to "magic" to make things happen, while the Atari 8-bit scene uncovered new ways to push the system further, as if the potential was only there on the Atari 8-bits. Besides that the CPC never was packed with potential it seems.
It is not a matter of perspective, you're basically calling us idiots except for a few chosen ones.

That is a textbook example of a double-standard.

Besides the Spectrum mode was grounded in the laziness of companies when porting games to the CPC because the CPC had the ability to change the screen to the dimensions of the Spectrum.
You're confusing things that happened in the 80s with tricks uncovered in recent times, whether on the CPC or the Atari.


Sigh. Anyway, the recent (2021?) Atari game Albert from Poland is a wonderful example how bigger sprites can be implemented on the Atari 8-bits, right? (Perhaps there are better recent examples?)
On the other hand, there is a nice little demonstration by French guys to show how sub pixel vertical scrolling is possible on the CPC.

Let's honor both of these cases by acknowledging mankind's ingenuity.

#9

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Amstrad CPC "Mini"

Last post by RockRiver - Yesterday at 18:44

I read the interesting article in "El Mundo del Spectrum" about how to install ZEsarUX on "TheSpectrum" by RetroGames...
inserting the PCUAE support on NAND flash drive.

I don't have a TheSpectrum, but I did get a TheC64mini to one day transform it into a CPCmini.

But now that the PCWplus (color/sound) boom is happening, it's even more of a hassle.

Now that Zesarux emulates my beloved 8-bit disk systems: +3, PCW, CPC. I'll see how long it takes me to brick the TheC64, treating it like a TheSpectrum, hehe.

I'll let you know...

#10

Games / Re: Master Piece

Last post by Jean-Marie - Yesterday at 18:28

Triumph !