--- Joe Grand <jgrand@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I have a concept that I'll run by everyone
> and see if it is do-able/play-able.
> I think I'm going to have some trouble describing
> it, so if you have questions, feel free to ask :) It
> is a combination-of-sorts between Simon (the
> Milton-Bradley game) and Kaboom!.
> The player will control the hard drive head (i.e.
> can move it left or right between tracks using the
> paddle). The hard drive platter will spin
> clockwise (starting slowly). One sector in each
> cluster (column) will be illuminated. The player
> needs to move the head back and forth and hit the
> button when the lighted sector is under their head
> (essentially "reading"
> the sector).
The idea itself sounds just fine. I'm just not sure
how feasible it is on the Atari.
One thing I've figured out by now is that you really
have to modify your ideas of games and execution when
you work on this thing. To illustrate, allow me to
digress.
With games like Thrust, I started wondering about
translating a game I used to love on my Timex/Sinclair
1000 called "Fortress Of Zorlac". It's like a linear
Star Castles or a horizontal "alien spaceship" level
from Phoenix. You are on the left, an alien is on the
right. The alien is surrounded by a rectangular wall
three layers thick, each rotating in alternating
directions. There are also three tiny cannons on the
front of the fortress firing ahead towards you as the
fortress and alien move from right to left,
introducing the time element. You had to punch holes
in the fortress walls and get a shot in to blow up the
alien.
This game used 16K on the Timex. It has been
mothballed as far as I'm concerned. Even if I develop
to the point where I'm, say, Piero Cavina's equal, the
logistics of manipulating the fortress walls make my
head spin. And that's with them being different
sizes, so they don't have to sync up.
Your "disc drive" idea, which sounds good in theory,
with be a nightmare when you have to actually draw it
on the screen. And that's just manipulating the basic
image, not counting the data bits that will be
spinning on it. If you could make it more linear,
like say the tape drive used on the Colecovision Adam,
maybe you won't drive yourself berzerk. Be careful
you aren't biting off more than you can chew here.
By all means, keep me posted.
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