What happened up to now:
I started thinking about how to implement the game. I did a first shot at a game loop and at implementing a “release” control.
I started of with fixed polygon for testing:
The “growing” upon touch and let go does work. But I do not like the current polygon “technique”.
There are a couple of things working in the back of my mind:
- in the original the polygon rotates (ever so slightly)
- the polygon “form” changes upon each “Release”, the polygon can be 5,6,7 or 8 sided
The current implementation uses 3 vectorlists:
- outer polygon, inner polygon and the “grid” in between
- the size (in relation) is fixed, the area growth (and in general) is only realized using a scale factor
Things more to consider:
In the original, once the shield has grown to its maximum (outer) size – it grows inward and eventually filling the complete screen (no idea how I would realize that on a vectrex).
Cycle counting:
Having the experience with Karl Quappe – I am afraid. Cycle counting will probably be neccessary from some stage.
The original has following features:
- high score
- each destroyed object has an own “explosion”
- each destroyed object leaves behind a “score”
- there are MANY objects visible at higher levels
- there is even a starfield with sometimes rotation in the background
- the main “shield” can be become monstrous in size
- sound effects and music
I am sure at some stage I have to compromise. I will probably at first program “all in” and than look at what can be optimized and left out.
Hi Malban,
You say:
>Having the experience with Karl Quappe – I am afraid. Cycle counting will probably be neccessary from some >stage.
I know there is always the challenge of balancing the requirement for high fps vs number of vectors on the screen. But what do you mean exactly?
Exactly that…
At one stage there will be music, large shields, explosions, a starfield and quite a lot of enemies coming all together and all want to be handled.
Since my goal will probably always be to stay in a 50Hz frame, I guess I WILL be forced to do cycle counting again.
I am looking forward to do a simple game, where that won’t be necessary and I can just “write” what comes to my mind.
On the other hand – I really WANT to do my programs to run at 50Hz, if I wasn’t so determined – I could just let it flicker away…