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#91

C

Games / Re: CPC Formula 1 [WIP]

Last post by cwpab - 09:57, 24 April 24

As a feedback, I'd say that it looks like you can't see s**t with the current camera and speed. Maybe the camera could be moved up a little or the speed reduced?

EDIT: I think it's the peculiar format of the video with margins. I suspect the movement would look normal in a normal video.

#92

L

Games / Re: CPC Formula 1 [WIP]

Last post by luckpro - 09:40, 24 April 24

I invented a steering wheel for the cpc.  It would be connected through the expansion port.  I have not implemented it but the scheme is very simple.  It could be turned with different degrees and the steering wheel and brake would also have different degrees.

It might be interesting to add support for it. even for the mouse interface. Thank you.

Looks great, are there any technical details how this fake mode 7 works in this game?
Line doubling? 32 char wide screen for optimal maths? Byte addressing, not nybble.

Fixed sky area (6 chars), double buffer game area (13 chars), fixed car view area (6 chars), 32 width chars to optimize memory space for double buffer (not strictly for the maths) <---- SyX programmed me the interrupt function to use this configuration. Thanks SyX I owe you a beer .

The game area have 8 chars to draw mode 7 (calc 32 lines and i duplicate it to 64 lines) and 2 chars to background image.

Right now, the game runs at an average of 8/10 frames/sec (if you have to draw walls very close the framerate can drop quite a bit ). But I still have a lot to implement and it may change a little.

To make fake mode 7 (Patent pending )  i have a table with precalculated data of the view (xy displacement of each visible line at that angle) and the game moves the player's position and calculates what color is drawn at that position in a loop.

To make these calculations faster, the game uses a part of the tile map and transforms it into a little bitmap in runtime (1 track pixel, 1 byte) so as not to need to process the nibble or tile information in the loop.

Walls info is in the same tile pixel info. While the loop check the pixel of the floor it can detect the wall and save it to draw at the end. The wall drawing scale wall info pixels in runtime.

If you want more specific information, ask me whatever you want. Thank you.

That is mighty impressive!

I would love to see the actual car you are driving to give it that FZero vibe.
I was also thinking how nice it would be to not make it an F1 game, but a PowerDrift type of game instead so that it would have hills, dips and jumps. I'm guessing that a lot more memory would need to be freed up, so it would probably need to be a mode 1 game?

Thank you sigh, unfortunately the engine is designed so that the ground is flat. It is drawn horizontally to make it faster. To do what you mention i would have to draw vertically and do more calculations, i guess it couldn't be done that quickly (or at least I don't know how to do it). 

The graphics mode doesn't matter too much in memory for this game.

[Question:]

#93

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Interview with Dave Rogers

Last post by asertus - 09:05, 24 April 24

[...] Question: You worked almost exclusively for the Amstrad CPC and the ZX Spectrum. What did you find so attractive in the AY Chip? Were you never tempted to try the C64´s SID?
Rogers: Yes, I was very much aware at the time that the C64 had more powerful sound. The SID chip wasn't just slightly more powerful than the AY, it was MUCH more powerful.
However, I was more interested in the structure of the music than the sound of the chip. So I was quite happy to carry on with the AY.
I have to say that the sound of the SID chip, to my ears, is sometimes irritating and fatiguing, with all those fizzy FM-like harmonics.

It is important he says he focused on Amstrad's speaker and how the sound was in that speaker:

 

I liked everything about it, except for the small speaker. I could have connected bigger speakers, but I didn't, because I wanted to optimize the music for the built in speaker, which is what most people would hear it through. I tried to use frequencies and envelopes that would help overcome it's limitations. 

#94

News & Events / THE SUGARS! - The Amstream Am...

Last post by XeNoMoRPH - 08:22, 24 April 24

[Question:]

#95

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Interview with Dave Rogers

Last post by Herman - 07:44, 24 April 24

Thanks for the reference to this exciting interview with CPC game programmer and musician David "Cybernoid Nebulus" Rogers from April 1, 2024 . I simply have to quote a few highlights:


Question: After some work for the ZX81 you upgraded to the ZX Spectrum, but you barely produced programs for that machine, jumping in 1985 to the Amstrad CPC. What are the reasons behind that? Why did you choose the Amstrad CPC instead of any of the other machines in the market?

Rogers: The C64 just looked dull, with washed-out graphics, and a horrible case.
The Spectrum didn't appeal to me because of its rubbery keyboard and "blocky" colour attribute system. But I did eventually grow to like it, and I still do.
The Amstrad had a beautiful colour palette, a nice keyboard, and the best version of Basic.

Question: How were your first experiences with the Amstrad CPC? What did you find attractive in the machine and what didn't you like at all?

Rogers: I liked everything about it, except for the small speaker. I could have connected bigger speakers, but I didn't, because I wanted to optimize the music for the built in speaker, which is what most people would hear it through. I tried to use frequencies and envelopes that would help overcome its limitations.

[...] Question: You worked almost exclusively for the Amstrad CPC and the ZX Spectrum. What did you find so attractive in the AY Chip? Were you never tempted to try the C64´s SID?

Rogers: Yes, I was very much aware at the time that the C64 had more powerful sound. The SID chip wasn't just slightly more powerful than the AY, it was MUCH more powerful.
However, I was more interested in the structure of the music than the sound of the chip. So I was quite happy to carry on with the AY.
I have to say that the sound of the SID chip, to my ears, is sometimes irritating and fatiguing, with all those fizzy FM-like harmonics.

[...] Question: How important were machines like the Amstrad CPC for your career? Does the CPC still have a place in your heart?

Rogers: Absolutely! I have very fond memories of those years. It was a very interesting era to be involved in. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

Question: Are you aware of the actual retro revival? aren't you tempted to compose a melody for a new game for the Amstrad CPC?

Answer: Yes, it's wonderful to see so much interest in the old computers. I think those years will always be regarded as a unique period in the history of computers and games. [...]

#96

General Discussion - Introductions / Interview with Dave Rogers

Last post by XeNoMoRPH - 06:20, 24 April 24

Hello, family. I have had the opportunity to speak with Dave Rogers, who has made it clear to me that his heart is 100% cepecero. I hope you like what good old Dave has seen fit to tell us.

[ Spanish & English ] -- Author: @Dubliner

https://www.retromaniacmagazine.com/2024/04/fue-una-epoca-muy-interesante-para.html

#97

Emulators / Re: CPCEC a new emulator from ...

Last post by Jean-Marie - 00:43, 24 April 24

Here is the translation of CHIPNSFX player for WinAPE assembler for those who need it.

#98

Programming / Re: triple buffering

Last post by ervin - 00:08, 24 April 24

Thanks Anthony.
It sounds like it might be the most useful idea for me as well.

#99

Amstrad CPC hardware / Zilog Z84C0020PEG in my CPC no...

Last post by McArti0 - 00:01, 24 April 24

Done it.   Zilog Z84C0020PEG in CPC.

Basically it consumes no energy. It is cold. 
According to the documentation, at 4MHz it consumes 20mA or 0.1W.

BASIC works.
keyboard works. 
GOTEK works.
CPM works.
Bomb Jack works.
Sound works

some undocumented instructions Z80 works.
I checked LD A,LY
v%=0:CALL &BFF8,&C912,0,&7DDD,@v%:PRINT v%
246
(LD A,LY : NOP: NOP: LD (DE),A : RET)

Pinball Dream without synchronization and bad noise screen
AY3 only produces noise.

Batman Forever many scenes don't work.
AY3 only produces noise.
The relay to the tape recorder is ticking.

That's all for now.

#100

A

Programming / Re: triple buffering

Last post by Anthony Flack - 22:52, 23 April 24

I'm not aware of any CPC games that use triple buffering, are there? 

I am doing the exact same thing as abalore; I have a front buffer, a back buffer and a clean buffer for restoring the background. I guess we both independently concluded this was fastest.