Subject: Re: [stella] Skeleton - complete From: "Eric Ball" <eball@xxxxxxxxxx> Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 10:46:01 -0400 |
Hi Manuel! > Well, on the one hand I don't see how this approach would *add* in any way to the gaming experience of the PAL player (I live on planet PAL, too BTW :-)), on the other hand, I'd say that it'd probably look even worse on PAL screens, since adding those 20% would change the aspect-ratio as well, which might result in an odd looking screen anyway. That is, if you don't grow the PAL skeletons 20% as well. Oh, the Skeletons will also be 20% taller (with some minor graphics changes). With everything being 20% taller, it will mean that the PAL version will look nearly identical to the NTSC version. >Another thing on the minus side is, that you always say "Can't do this/that, because of the PAL version", so in any way, I'd rather sacrifice the big-screen for maybe 10% of your targeted customers and invest the gained ROM into features that really *add* to the gameplay. An interesting point. There are three things which are preventing me from adding features: 1. The kernel (as I described in gory detail earlier) is very time constrained. (Aand I haven't figured out a way to do what the kernel does in a more time or space efficient manner.) This means that I really can't add much, if anything, to the screen itself. 2. I have very nearly filled the entire 4K ROM, even with the NTSC version. I have maybe 1 or 1 1/2 pages at the most if I re-arrange the NTSC version like I am for the PAL version. (Fitting chunks of code in the "data" area between lookup tables.) As I discovered when adding the title & ending screens, a hundred bytes can be used up very easily. 3. Time in general. I have only so much time to work on Skeleton, and I would like to very soon get to a point where it can be released as a cartridge. Just like in commercial game development, at some point you have to lock down the feature set. Mentally, I've set that point as shortly after I get the PAL version working. Then I can see what features will fit and roll them back into the NTSC version. Now, if someone would like to re-use my kernel and develop a 3-D RPG for the 2600 I am all for it. ("3-D Adventure, using the Skeleton 3-D engine") Because that seems to be what some of the enhancement requests are. Then again, maybe I'll finish off the current version of Skeleton & start working on Skeleton 2004.... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archives (includes files) at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/archives/ Unsub & more at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/
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