Re: [stella] Starmaster disassembled

Subject: Re: [stella] Starmaster disassembled
From: cybergoth@xxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 11:13:54 +0200 (CEST)
Mornin'!

Von: Glenn Saunders <cybpunks@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Manuel Polik wrote:
> >>
> The ultra-hard part of doing Star Fire is, that it has to compete
> with Starmaster, which unfortunately is - just perfect!
> <<

> It's good, but I don't think Starmaster is perfect 
> if you compare it to the original Star Raiders.

I meant 'perfect' more in a sense of realizing such a game within
the VCSs abilities/limitations and compared to its competitors
Star Voyager, Star Raiders and Star Wars.

With *original* you're refering to the arcade I assume?
I think comparing to this is a bit unfair.

As for the following comments I give - I wanted to do some
similar discussion before starting the Star Fire project again next
year, i.e. Take all 4 'Star-' games of the VCS and analyze all the
good, bad & ugly stuff of them and find ways to improve on this
type of game in general, just like some guys did here recently
with 'E.T'. Though it's coming a bit early now for my purpose,
I of course welcome any of your or other peoples suggestions
and write all usable content of it down in my 'Star Fire' papers. :-)


> There are some features of Star Raiders which no 2600 space sim has yet 
> implemented.  These are:
 
> 1) variable speed thrust (Star Fire also has this, via analog control, and 
> also reverse, which Star Raiders doesn't have).

I think that's hard to achieve with the available VCS controlers.
Do you have an idea of realising this? I think it wouldn't work
to well, if one would mix a joystick and a paddle to do this.

> 2) aft view

Do you mean switching the view completely or doing a permant 
rearview mirror?

> 3) Long-range scanner

This I've planned definitely for Star Fire. I think a way better 
scanner than the one of 'Defender' is doable. 
I think the one from Battlezone was quite acceptable...
 
> Also, Starmaster only presents one enemy at a time.  Star Raiders can have 
> two or I think even three enemies attacking at once.

More than one enemy is a definitive must for Star Fire, too. Since it does
completely without any strategic/map part, one has to present a 
furious action firework here, to get any adrenalin going :-)
 
> 2600 Star Raiders gets the main action display down well enough, 

Uhm... it's flickering, or?

<grumble>
Why - Oh Why - is flicker accepted everywhere in the classic 
games, but not in mine...
</grumble>


> it's just 
> that the whole galactic map with just one starbase and one group of enemies
> is ultra-lame.  It takes all the strategy out of the game.  That's probably
> a byproduct of a lack of RAM.  With more ROM and RAM, most of the other 
> features could probably creep back in.

Hm... I must admit, that I've never thought about doing such a big
project before. In fact, I'm not too certain about what a bigger ROM size
would gain for the gameplay. Wouldn't for example the
'main action display' have to run completely in 4K anyways?

Greetings,
     Manuel



-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mehr Geld? Die günstigsten Konditionen?
http://www.nexgo.de/c/pub/redir.php/yo1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


-
Archives (includes files) at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/archives/
Unsub & more at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/

Current Thread