Escape Velocity WIP

[ppill]

A quick look at a new game we're ("On IT!") working on. After Chips we wanted to go for something more fast paced. I wanted to do a sci-fi game. Had this idea for a robot trapped in a mine on Mars. Puzzle style game. Was struggling with the game mechanics and saw the playthrough of [ Show youtube player ] for the Mega Drive... and it clicked. The movement made sense in zero gravity so changed the setting to a space station. The robot's called Velocity and trying to escape the ship overtaken by an AI gone rouge. The game play will be similar to Old Tower but will have different levels and enemies plus a new puzzle/dexterity element.

It will work on OCS, 1MB and up.

The tileset as of now. Still not final and many things will change.



Example of a level:


Tech Demo of the engine:
[ Show youtube player ]


Full 32 colors for the foreground, 8 cols for the sides using repeating 32x32px tiles and a 16 color parallax. The play area is 240x448px.

I'm sure sandruzzo (who did the code) will be happy to answer more technical questions.

Tell us what you like, want needs to change and what features would you like to see implemented.

[sandruzzo]

So far, so good! Going after 50hz game.

[Havie]

Full 32 colors for the foreground, 8 cols for the sides using repeating 32x32px tiles and a 16 color parallax. The play area is 240x448px.

This sounds interesting - so this is not a dual playfield but a 32 colour screen? Why only 8 colours at the side - surely you could use all the 32 colours too?

How do you get a 16 colour parallax layer behind the 32 colour screen?

[DamienD]

When I saw the thread title I thought you were porting the MAC game --> Amiga

https://macintoshgarden.org/games/escape-velocity

[ppill]

Originally Posted by Havie

This sounds interesting - so this is not a dual playfield but a 32 colour screen? Why only 8 colours at the side - surely you could use all the 32 colours too?

How do you get a 16 colour parallax layer behind the 32 colour screen?

The parallax sprites share the last 16 colors of the palette. 8 colors to save on DMA cycles I think. I'm out of my depth here but sandruzzo should provide more details.

@DamienD

Someone over at ppa.pl thought that as well Seems like a cool game.

[sandruzzo]

@Havie

So far side wall can use the whole palette, but if I need DMA cicles to runat 50 hz, I hade to cut down there some planes.

[sandruzzo]

@Havie


Parallax layer is made by sprites, and Iìm gonna try to scroll it, by changing only Sprites' copper pointer, and do some changes too into sprites' data. I have to try it

[ppill]

[ Show youtube player ]



The video form a couple of weeks back, a quick tease before I'll post the game play from latest version.

Bottom is a mock up using one of the three tilesets.

[Tsak]

Wow, really nice! I love the looks of it so far!

[sandruzzo]

@Tsak

We're working on enemies system. Levels' obstacles are in place!

[Gzegzolka]

Very nice graphics

[Cherno]

Looks great

[Havie]

Nice one - looking forward to this!

[Predseda]

Reminds me Old Tower on ZX, MSX and C64?

[ppill]

Thanks everyone!

Originally Posted by Predseda

Reminds me Old Tower on ZX, MSX and C64?

Old Tower is mentioned in the first post

[Predseda]

Oh, sorry

I love the background layer.

[quantum8]

Originally Posted by DamienD

When I saw the thread title I thought you were porting the MAC game --> Amiga

https://macintoshgarden.org/games/escape-velocity

Exactly my thoughts too! Spent way too much time on that series.

[xboxown]

I love the game a lot!! Will there be a build in editor with the game??

[sandruzzo]

@xboxown

I think we'll release only the Game

[xboxown]

Originally Posted by sandruzzo

@xboxown

I think we'll release only the Game

I had a huge feeling you would say that....