[stella] PCMSG26 (I almost hate my baby... :)

["Piero Cavina" <p.cavina@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ok, 2.5 had to be the last, so here's 2.6... :)

_There_ _is_ _no_ _space_ _for_ _anything_ _anymore_ .
Don't even say that, I've already done a lot of optimization.
I'm saving 10 bytes or so to fix eventual bugs.

 *****************************
 *I can't add any new feature*
 *****************************

What can still be done is some fine-tuning.
I'm starting to hate this project and I really need a vacation from 2600
programming... :) so I'll hear the last comments and it will be released.
But there may be something to do for you... read below!

Gone:
- the remaining bombs count-down after you've killed the boss.
- now the dots that limit the pearls-zone don't blink
- uh, what else...?

News in 2.6:

- background "music"
- one free ship for each 10,000 points! :)
- nicer inset pearls
- new life indicator
- in the higher levels, pearls can mutate into enemies
- in the highest levels, the player may destroy the pearls
- 1 missile clears one line, 2 missiles clear 1 line+another random chosen
line, 3 missiles  wipe out 1 line+2 random ones. Ok, not really what Nick
suggested...
- changed behavior of the red enemies, now they need multiple shots and
change direction when hit
- the way that game variations work is changed (see table)
- you can use Select and Reset while playing
- you can start a new game pushing fire.
- some little bugs fixed

The following table explains how the difficulty level is increased.

V   L  (1) (2) (3)   (4)   (5)  (6)
1-->1   2   2   1   never   2   no
    2   2   2   1   never   2   no
    3   3   2   1   never   2   no
    4   3   2   1   never   2   no
------------------------------------
2-->5   4   4   2    50%    2   no
    6   4   4   2    50%    2   no
    7   5   4   2    50%    2   no
    8   5   4   2    50%    2   no
------------------------------------
3-->9   6   4   3    50%    3   no
   10   6   4   3    50%    3   no
   11   7   4   3    50%    3   no
   12   7   4   3    50%    3   no
------------------------------------
   13   8   8   4   always  3   yes
   14   8   8   4   always  3   yes
   15   8   8   4   always  3   yes
   16   8   8   4   always  3   yes

 V  = game variation
 L  = level

(1) = max. no. of rows with enemies (not counting oysters)
(2) = average no. of hits needed to destroy an oyster
(3) = no. of hits needed to destroy a type 2-3 enemy
(4) = pearls mutate into enemies
(5) = max. no. of enemies in a formation
(6) = player's shots may destroy pearls

And now some work for you... do you like the colors I've choosen for this
game? I don't. So get PCAE 2.0, and color-it-yourself!
Help me to find the best set of colors!
With PCAE 2.0 you can poke values in memory while a game is running. Enter
the debug mode ("D" from F10 menu), run the game ("G"), halt it (esc).
Press "E" and write something like "FE38=45" in the dialog box. This will
put $45 in the memory location $FE38. Press "G" to restart the game.
When you've chosen a color, remember to try it also with the PAL palette
(press F3)...

Here are some useful addresses:

 $1FCF - $1FD3: inset pearls color gradients (and one of the two player's
shots color!)
  Default values: $38, $34, $30, $34, $38
  change the left digit to change the color.

 $1126: player's color.

 $1EB9 + enemy id: enemy color.
 Change the first digit only. The second must always be "D".

Here are the enemy id's:

Uh, now that I'm thinking... I don't have the names for most of the
enemies.
Please help me to find some stupid names!!! :)

id=1, "Blorb"

  XXXX       XXXX  
 XXXXXX     XX  XX      
XXXXXXXX   XX    XX
XXXXXXXX   XX    XX  
XXXXXXXX   XX    XX 
 XXXXXX     XX  XX
  XXXX       XXXX

id=2,3 ???

X      X    X    X  
XX    XX    XXXXXX
XXXXXXXX     XXXX
XXXXXXXX     XXXX  
XXXXXXXX     XXXX 
XX    XX    XXXXXX 
X      X    X    X
            
id 4 and 5 are explosions

id=6 ???

XXXXXXXX   XXXXXXXX
X  X  X      X  X  
X  X  X      X  X  
X  X  X      X  X  
X  X  X      X  X
X  X  X      X  X
XXXXXXXX   XXXXXXXX

id=7 is the "trail" that id=6 leave behind.

id=8 is the pearl

id=9, "Oystron"

X     X       X
 X   X        X
  X X         X
   X       XXXXXXXX
  X X         X
 X   X        X
X     X       X

id=10, "Oysteroid"

  XXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XX XXXX
XXXXXXXX
 XXXXXXX
 XXX  XX
  XXXXX

id=11 ???

 XX        XX
XX        XX
XXXXXXX   XXXXXXX
XX X X X  XXX X X
XXXXXXX   XXXXXXX
XX        XX
 XX        XX

id=13 ???

           XXXXX X
 XXXXX X  XXXXXXX 
XXXXXXX    XXXXX X
 XXXXX X



Ok, that's all folks... 


Ciao,
 P.

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