[WIP] Moon Patrol conversion

[jotd]

Originally Posted by acidbottle

When you paused the project I had anticipated this to be on hold for months, now your back in the groove already!

Is this gonna be ready by next Tuesday then

In all serious, another great port to look forward to, utter classic of a game.

since it's already "next tuesday", a small status report for this conversion

- first section of the game is playable, with ufo ships, bombs cratering the ground, rocks
- colors are messed up but I'm going to redo the layout fully anyway, finally going to dual playfield with color tricks & sprite multiplexing, hoping to make it!!
- there are still a couple of issues that make the game unplayable through the end (like slopes not working), but overall advancing towards success, after a brief period of discouragement.

It really looks not so great so ATM no video, but game feels 100% right!

[TCD]

Looking forward to the next video and thank you for the update

[acidbottle]

Thanks for the update, sounds like a tonne of progress in such a short timeframe,.

Really need to start utilising sprite multiplexing in some projects here as well, really efficient and useful trick to do.

Only trouble is you raise your own bar with all these successful ports No pressure, previous track record says you'll nail this pretty quick though!

[Cimmerian]

Thank you for update,looking forward to this.

[Bren McGuire]

does this mean a chance to have updated graphics? all your conversions are brilliant but i keep hoping they can be updated with Amiga-level graphics

Originally Posted by jotd

- colors are messed up but I'm going to redo the layout fully anyway, finally going to dual playfield with color tricks & sprite multiplexing, hoping to make it!!

[jotd]

No, I have to maintain 50 fps which makes great playability, so I can't use a lot of colors. Hardware sprites are useful in such conversions because they usually share the same constraints as the arcade machine sprites (3 colors+transparent, 16 bit wide)

I'm using original graphics, so the only thing that could be done would be to change colors to add some, which would require AGA at this point, as I need dual playfield for that game (because of the double parallax).

Maybe someone technically better could do better... As always, the game designers didn't create the game with the amiga in mind, but with the irem M52 board in mind...

I think I'm going to ask no9 to do the music, and in that department, better instruments wouldn't hurt. But TBH those games wouldn't gain much with updated graphics. Those are old 8 bit games with poor background, and schematic graphics. It's not Shinobi or other 16-bit looking game. I've seem Squamble and Moon patrol remakes on Amiga and I can't say I was impressed...

[Cimmerian]

I really enjoy the look of older classic games,they have a charm to them.

[Cimmerian]

Originally Posted by Bren McGuire

does this mean a chance to have updated graphics? all your conversions are brilliant but i keep hoping they can be updated with Amiga-level graphics

Jotd does have a github with sources available.

[Bren McGuire]

and you think everyone knows how to code??

Originally Posted by Cimmerian

Jotd does have a github with sources available.

jotd i understand what you mean maybe someone can make nicer graphics with the same limitations? Moon Patrol looks particularly grim nowadays I always hated that the "buggy" looked like a weird mouse or something

[saimon69]

Originally Posted by Bren McGuire

and you think everyone knows how to code??

jotd i understand what you mean maybe someone can make nicer graphics with the same limitations? Moon Patrol looks particularly grim nowadays I always hated that the "buggy" looked like a weird mouse or something

[insert an ad-hominem of your choice here]

[TjLaZer]

Originally Posted by Bren McGuire

and you think everyone knows how to code??

Looks like you also need to grab some books and learn! Lets go.

[jotd]

Originally Posted by Bren McGuire

jotd i understand what you mean maybe someone can make nicer graphics with the same limitations? Moon Patrol looks particularly grim nowadays I always hated that the "buggy" looked like a weird mouse or something

Problem is replacing the graphics isn't simple as the colors are limited, shared, which fixed them more or less...


Here are my notes on a future rewrite of the graphics engine as it's currently unable to display things properly.

dual playfield
* lower layer:
- black/blue/green: 0
- blue mountain, then change 2 colors for rocks
(recolor rock in those blue colors artficially): 1-2
- green mountain, dark green or yellow (mountain/city) 3-4
- orange (ground) reuse 3
- brown (ground holes) reuse 4
- white/yellow/dark red: 5-6-7 bomb explosions
but pri problem vs jeep sprite, can be a non-problem
depending on the position of the green moutain!
- reuse colors for volcanoes close to ground
- change point color letters properly (below holes)

* upper playfield
- 8: wasted (transparent)
- 9-10-11: blue/yellow/red for ships
- 12: purple (bomb)
- 13: white (hole bomb)
- 9-10... rear missile is alone, reuse ship colors?
- 14: red (explosions)
- 15: green (in explosions)

I could put some 8-color earth bob just above the mountains since I have 8 spare colors in that area, and the graphics could be reworked but with the same set of colors... And I want to preserve the look of the game. Why not enhancing, but changing, no.

[jotd]

I have some good news: game logic is now almost 100% OK (small detail to fix, nothing serious), now graphics need complete rework as announced.

[Cimmerian]

That's great news Jotd,thanks for update.

[lmimmfn]

Originally Posted by jotd

Problem is replacing the graphics isn't simple as the colors are limited, shared, which fixed them more or less...


Here are my notes on a future rewrite of the graphics engine as it's currently unable to display things properly.

I could put some 8-color earth bob just above the mountains since I have 8 spare colors in that area, and the graphics could be reworked but with the same set of colors... And I want to preserve the look of the game. Why not enhancing, but changing, no.

Arcade perfect or near as would be best with maybe a menu option for any enhancements?
Of all the ports you released this one would look amazing with copper list for the sky and background hills.
Fantastic job so far, can't wait to play the finished version!!

[str0m]

Yep as arcade perfect as possible would be great. Bren can go to coding school and make his own modernisations if he likes

[Cris1997XX]

Originally Posted by str0m

Yep as arcade perfect as possible would be great. Bren can go to coding school and make his own modernisations if he likes

Nah, he's too busy complaining and asking others to do his job instead

[VladR]

Originally Posted by Cris1997XX

Nah, he's too busy complaining and asking others to do his job instead

Shush now ! That's a full-time job

[Cimmerian]

Sorry gentlemen but I'm excited for this game,how it goes Jotd?

[Cimmerian]

You ok with me porting to Genesis or Jaguar Jotd?I'm one of the programmers on https://datacrystal.tcrf.net/wiki/Ca...es_by_platform

I really love Amiga but haven't had time to program for it,I hope this year