> How many cycles does it take to move a pointer to different shape data?
More than zero. :)
> If it isn't many, do you think it's theoretically possible to optimize the
> kernel to free up those cycles, perhaps if SC RAM is used as a bitmap
> instead?
Um. If SC RAM is used to store the "bitmap" of the invader formation...
you get some cycles (less calculating needs to be done during kernel
display), but I couldn't tell ya how many. Probably enough to
do a real explosion... though you'd need to rework the entire storage and
display of the invaders.
> > acting as an explosion. Maybe one or two more bytes for random number
> > generation, if there isn't one already.
There is a random number generator already, though it uses 4 bytes of RAM.
> The problem with the missile is that it results in one big ugly box, which
> isn't much more appealing than the invader just disappearing.
If you could get the missile to match the shape and position of the
invader it just hit, you could make the invader appear to fade out rather
than explode, which might work.
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