How man bitplances for a game

sparhawk · 18 January 2020, 20:00

When I create a screen on PAL with 5 Bitmaps, it means that already 400kb of Chipmem are gone (320x256x5). Is this a realistic/usefull setup, or do games usually create smaller screens because of memory constraint. Considering that you also need some Chipmem for sounds, sprites, diskbuffers, etc. isn't this a bit tight with 512KB in total?
How do games usually deal with this? Only 4 bitplanes with only 16 colors, smaller sctreen?

DanScott · 18 January 2020, 20:09

320 pixels wide = 40 bytes per plane...

so memory usage is 40 * 256 *5 = 51200 bytes

sparhawk · 18 January 2020, 20:19

Ahh! That's of course quite a difference.

Totally forgot that there is not one Byte per Pixel.

Tigerskunk · 19 January 2020, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparhawk

Ahh! That's of course quite a difference.

Totally forgot that there is not one Byte per Pixel.

You chunky Mofo...

(btw, if you use 5 planes, check out if you have enough DMA time left for whatever you wanna build...

)

sparhawk · 19 January 2020, 15:11

I wanted to do a port of Choplifter. i figured that the game mechanics is rather simple, so it might be a good project to learn the basics, and develop all the functions that I need, like loading graphics, sounds etc..
I guess an experienced developer can probably write that game in two or three weeks at most.

For me it's more a matter of months (or more), as I never did any graphics, and also have to learn how to do my own music.

I don't even know if I really need 5 bitplanes or not. I still do a lof experimenting at the moment.

DanScott · 19 January 2020, 15:19

We actually acquired the official Choplifter license at Core Design in around 1991/1992, but the project got shelved at some point.

sparhawk · 19 January 2020, 16:25

Some cool games as I can see.

I doubt that I will manage to create something up to those standards, but I'll try my best.

commodorejohn · 19 January 2020, 17:17

Sounds fun

malko · 19 January 2020, 18:15

"I hold your thumbs" and look forward to seeing here the progress of your project

(I did enjoy Choplifter in arcade hall BitD).

sparhawk · 19 January 2020, 18:28

I was thinking of creating a project thread, once it is so far along, that I can actually show something, and it becomes clearer that I actually will do it.

I have created enough projects where I lost interest in between, so I don't want to make to much noise and just create vapour.

In the meantime, the functions I write or find in various sources I collect here: https://github.com/skeetor/amiga-utils

Quote:

Originally Posted by malko

(I did enjoy Choplifter in arcade hall BitD).

I didn't even know that this was an arcade. I just knew the C64 version. Guess I have to check this out and see how it looks. Phew! That raises the bar quite a lot I guess.

18 January 2020, 20:00	#1
sparhawk Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Essen/Germany Age: 55 Posts: 463	How man bitplances for a game When I create a screen on PAL with 5 Bitmaps, it means that already 400kb of Chipmem are gone (320x256x5). Is this a realistic/usefull setup, or do games usually create smaller screens because of memory constraint. Considering that you also need some Chipmem for sounds, sprites, diskbuffers, etc. isn't this a bit tight with 512KB in total? How do games usually deal with this? Only 4 bitplanes with only 16 colors, smaller sctreen?

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18 January 2020, 20:09	#2
DanScott Lemon. / Core Design Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Tier 5 Posts: 1,211	320 pixels wide = 40 bytes per plane... so memory usage is 40 * 256 *5 = 51200 bytes

18 January 2020, 20:19	#3
sparhawk Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Essen/Germany Age: 55 Posts: 463	Ahh! That's of course quite a difference. Totally forgot that there is not one Byte per Pixel.

19 January 2020, 15:11	#5
sparhawk Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Essen/Germany Age: 55 Posts: 463	I wanted to do a port of Choplifter. i figured that the game mechanics is rather simple, so it might be a good project to learn the basics, and develop all the functions that I need, like loading graphics, sounds etc.. I guess an experienced developer can probably write that game in two or three weeks at most. For me it's more a matter of months (or more), as I never did any graphics, and also have to learn how to do my own music. I don't even know if I really need 5 bitplanes or not. I still do a lof experimenting at the moment.

19 January 2020, 15:19	#6
DanScott Lemon. / Core Design Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Tier 5 Posts: 1,211	We actually acquired the official Choplifter license at Core Design in around 1991/1992, but the project got shelved at some point.

19 January 2020, 16:25	#7
sparhawk Registered User Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Essen/Germany Age: 55 Posts: 463	Some cool games as I can see. I doubt that I will manage to create something up to those standards, but I'll try my best.

19 January 2020, 17:17	#8
commodorejohn Shameless recidivist Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Duluth, Minnesota (USA) Age: 38 Posts: 260	Sounds fun

19 January 2020, 18:15	#9
malko Ex nihilo nihil Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: CH Posts: 4,856	"I hold your thumbs" and look forward to seeing here the progress of your project (I did enjoy Choplifter in arcade hall BitD).

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