On 8/24/05, Lee Fastenau <stella@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > ...how about a program that writes kernels?
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> Can I ask a silly question? Why not learn assembly?
Of course you can. It's not a silly question. To be honest, I know how to
write in assembly. (6502, 6809, x86) At some point, I'll be working on bb
kernels for specific game visuals.
What I don't have is the time it takes to complete projects in assembly
right now. I also lack the skill required to put larger programs together
because my skills are rusty and underdeveloped from lack of use. BB is nice
because I can focus the assembly just where it might be needed and get
something done that others might enjoy, while re-learning the art of things
as I have time to do so.
It seems to me the dynamics of how the TIA & CPU interact are well
understood. Not completely understood, but almost. Given a particular visual
goal, we might know enough now to write a program that can translate that
visual into a 2600 display. The kernel gods here will be able to do it
better of course, but that's not the point. (And my point is coming)
Bb works the same way right now with game logic. Given a particular gameplay
scenario, bb can write assembly language code that works. Of course the
assembly gods here can do it better, but not faster. Well, maybe not faster
--some folks here are really good, but I hope you get my point. --And by
faster I mean in terms of development time, not cycle usage.
Of course any one particular display kernel and gameplay combination
developed with the higher level tools is not going to compare to a
concentrated, low-level effort by a skilled person. However, being able to
realize these things at a higher speed will make new game scenarios
possible, by virtue of the shorter time frame the approach would bring.
Given large rom / ram addressing schemes and these two things together,
games with a greater variety of visuals all appearing in the same game might
be developed in a timeframe similar to the games we see today. Multi-screen
games that present the information to the player in a greater variety of
ways are still somewhat rare on the 2600.
I simply was musing about the possibility of advancing that particular
front, that's all.
In the very near future, we will have progressed one step toward that goal
via multiple Bb kernels being used in the same Bb program. The current 4k
limit will sharply limit that, but not for too long. In any case, I think a
kernel program is as possible as bb was and that it will be interesting in
the same way bb is right now.
> -Lee
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