This, of course, looks great! I can't wait to play this 
KermMartian wrote:
Very impressive progress, as expected! From a z80 programming standpoint, I'm curious how you chose to calculate, store, and render that circle so smoothly and quickly. Good luck on the level design!
Thanks Kerm!
I'm not sure whether I've used the best method for the screen "masking", but I came up with the entire routine out of my own old dusty brain, so I'm happy about that
The circle is 52 pixels in diameter, so as raw data it's stored as a 56x52 image (7 bytes per line x 52 lines = 364 bytes). The current method of drawing it works roughly as follows:
- Based on the player y position on screen, calculates if any full horizontal lines (12 bytes of $FF on gbuf) are required at the top / bottom of the screen.
- For each horizontal line on gbuf that incorporates the actual circle "mask", it generates a 23 byte-long line, which consists of 8 x $FF bytes, followed by the 7 bytes (56 pixels) of correlating data from the circle image data, and followed by a further 8 x $FF bytes. Having this buffer then covers all possibilities of the player x position on screen.
- Based on the player x position on screen, calculates which section of the 23 byte buffer is required, bit shifts that particular portion accordingly, and then applies it to the horizontal line on gbuf by "or"-ing it with each of the 12 bytes.
tifreak8x wrote:
Oh nice, the being enshrouded in darkness could make for some interesting level sets.
Where by "interesting" you of course mean "deadly and frustrating," right? 
Level design can get a little monotonous.. So I quickly put together a second "teaser" program/clip, just for fun and also to show off the new splash screen that will form part of the main menu
Love the title screen.
Love the title screen indeed; I seem to have missed seeing that when you first posted it. As Merth says, any new progress?
Yeah sorry been a bit slack with the updates, but it's still progressing I've finished the layout of all 12 levels, and this week I'll be starting with placing enemies and pick up items. I'll probably post another clip later in the week showing a little of the first level
I've finished the layout of all 12 levels, and this week I'll be starting with placing enemies and pick up items. I'll probably post another clip later in the week showing a little of the first level merthsoft wrote:
How do you make the levels? Do you have a tool for it? I'd be interested in seeing that.
Yeah I just coded a small (on-calc) level editor, nothing too fancy, just for tile placement. Then I take the tile data out of the .83p file and manually write the level header at the start of it, which contains the level size, start/finish positions, etc. and the mission objective text. Finally the levels are compressed together and then they're ready
I can definitely post a clip from the level editor
Sounds pretty cool! Sounds like it would be easier to use a computer tool, though.
Maybe someone awesome with experience in tools and calculator file creating on the computer could help you. Like me.
Maybe someone awesome with experience in tools and calculator file creating on the computer could help you. Like me.
It probably would be easier with a computer tool, but I was too lazy to write one, and it's too late now haha.. But thanks anyway
Here are a couple of new clips. Nothing too fancy The first clip just shows level 1 in the basic on-calc tile editor I made, and the second clip shows a bit of basic gameplay from level 1.
The first clip just shows level 1 in the basic on-calc tile editor I made, and the second clip shows a bit of basic gameplay from level 1.
This I like, a lot, I wish to work a way around its basic or asm so it can be ported to Casio prizm...this is amazing..just wondering here but, did you do anything with the original alien breed series? Or just a fan that made awesome calc games that are just as worthy?
The_Coded wrote:
This I like, a lot, I wish to work a way around its basic or asm so it can be ported to Casio prizm...this is amazing..just wondering here but, did you do anything with the original alien breed series? Or just a fan that made awesome calc games that are just as worthy?
It's coded completely in Z80 assembly. I don't know much about the Prizm, but from what I understand, C is the language of choice?
I wasn't involved with the original Alien Breed series at all. It was developed by an independant software company from the UK, called Team 17. I was only 9 years old when the first Alien Breed came out - it was one of my childhood favourite games (well actually I still play it occasionally!). So yeah, just a big fan of the original series
Team 17 are also releasing an iOS version of Alien Breed, which I believe comes out any day now! I'll definitely be buying it for my iPhone
EDIT: here is a link to the new iOS version that Team 17 are on the verge of releasing:
http://www.team17.com/?page_id=1005
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