Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!vsi1!zorch!sega0!mykes From: mykes@sega0.SF-Bay.ORG (Mike Schwartz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer Subject: Re: Lemmings - a tutorial Part IV Message-ID: Date: 26 Mar 91 05:09:28 GMT References: <23787@well.sf.ca.us> <1991Mar25.050519.29068@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> Organization: Amiga makes it possible Lines: 67 In article <1991Mar25.050519.29068@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) writes: > Well, I don't care much for multitasking while playing a game, but there >is NO excuse for not making a version of a game that can be HD installable. >There is NO excuse for not working on 68010,68020,68030, etc. There is >NO excuse for not working when a user has extra ram, or a different >system configuration (e.g. Amiga 3000). > There is only ONE excuse for making a game trash the current state of >the system, and that is if you want to make it run for 512k ram A500's and >need the extra 80k or so. > > Any sane programmer can make a game that >1) is HD installable I am bummed that I can't install my Genesis or Nintendo carts on my hard disk... >2) not copy protected I am bummed that I can't make backup copies of my Genesis or Nintendo carts... >3) saves the state of the OS and restores it when the game is exited Gee, there is no OS on a Genesis or Nintendo machine... >4) works on any hardware configuration The point I am trying to make that games are games and productivity software is productivity software. > > I don't care how many excuses euro-hack programmers can give, it IS >possible to bang on the hardware and save the state of the OS for >restoration. It takes about 30 lines of assembly code to do. Processor >detection is easy. Timing is easy, just steal a CIA register and use >it instead of CPU delay loops. Running the blitter concurrently with a >timed CPU loop is easy, just use the blitter interupt and run the code in chip >ram. (note, need to detect the A3000's 32bit chip access and supply >a seperate routine) > ALL of the games that I have written that take over the machine work on ALL Amigas. The same can not be said for any of Electronic Arts' games which don't. You don't need to know what processor you are on. All you need to do is to use the CIA timers, the vertical beam position register, and VBlank to do your timing. You should also test your software on a 68030. My games are developed using a 68030 machine and are debugged on a 500. > I'm not trying to insult anyone, but I'm sick and tired of >games not working with the Fat Agnus chip, fast ram, v1.3 of the OS >(yes I have some games that GURU 1.3, but work in 1.2), and screw >up the internal clock. With a little care, a game can be written to run on >a 512k Amiga 500 with 1.3, and a 32bit A3000 with 2.0. > > For those non-believers, check out 'Heart of the Dragon'. > For those non-believers, check out Arctic Fox and Starglider or Starglider II. Which is the better game? >-- >/~\_______________________________________________________________________/~\ >|n| rjc@albert.ai.mit.edu Amiga, the computer for the creative mind. |n| >|~| .-. .-. |~| >|_|________________________________| |_| |________________________________|_| -- ******************************************************* * Assembler Language separates the men from the boys. * *******************************************************