Stupid Technical Questions

Shatterhand · 03 October 2001, 06:15

We all know what is parallax scroll, is when the screen is divided in layers, and each layer scrolls at a different speed, to make a 3D feeling and to make we all go like "Oh, he pushed the machine to its limits"

I do know Parallax scroll isn't that easy to be achieved (Just look at ECS games, there aren't many games with it, and the ones who have it, has just 2 or 3 layers).

Now, if the the scrolling part of the screen (the layers) were just a small part of the screen, and most of the screen didn't scroll (Take a look at the attached pic to have an idea of what I am talking about), would still be hard to do it? (My guess is not, as it's easier to scroll just a small bit of the screen, but I am no programmer, and I want to be sure about it.)

Again, the Atari ST is known for not being able to do proper horizontal scroll. If just a small part of the screen scrolled, would the Atari ST handle it better ?

Attachment Removed

birdy-scc · 03 October 2001, 08:32

It very much depended on the amount of graphics scrolled as you said,shand, but there were a number of demos on the ST which utilised full-screen scrolling (i.e. without any borders, and four layers)

And some of the Thallion games were perfect, even though sideways scrolling was never going to be easy. The worst case ever was Giana Sisters, that could EASILY have been done with layers.

The quality demo guys on the ST , like The Care Bears and The Union, ripped more out of a bare 68000 setup than most could ever do. But not all, before anyone starts bleating!

The stuff they did could never be emulated. I remember the code to make full screen graphics, and it was the most intricate design you could imagine. If anyone remembers seeing sprites in the border of a C64 game then it was similar, but only in idea.

that's it.

Amiga1992 · 03 October 2001, 20:12

Giana Sisters, IIRC, has two layers in both the C64 and Amiga versions. Check the clouds in the outside levels, they scroll at a different speed.

Prolly you were talking about the ST port? I had no clue tehre was an ST port

birdy-scc · 03 October 2001, 22:23

There wasn't any scrolling on the ST that I remember, the screen merely flipped!

I remember loading it once, and never again.

Shatterhand · 05 October 2001, 05:33

Ok, I got it, thanx for the explanation

03 October 2001, 06:15	#1
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	Stupid Technical Questions We all know what is parallax scroll, is when the screen is divided in layers, and each layer scrolls at a different speed, to make a 3D feeling and to make we all go like "Oh, he pushed the machine to its limits" I do know Parallax scroll isn't that easy to be achieved (Just look at ECS games, there aren't many games with it, and the ones who have it, has just 2 or 3 layers). Now, if the the scrolling part of the screen (the layers) were just a small part of the screen, and most of the screen didn't scroll (Take a look at the attached pic to have an idea of what I am talking about), would still be hard to do it? (My guess is not, as it's easier to scroll just a small bit of the screen, but I am no programmer, and I want to be sure about it.) Again, the Atari ST is known for not being able to do proper horizontal scroll. If just a small part of the screen scrolled, would the Atari ST handle it better ? Attachment Removed Last edited by Ian; 29 December 2001 at 19:47.

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03 October 2001, 08:32	#2
birdy-scc Banned Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Glasgow Posts: 231	It very much depended on the amount of graphics scrolled as you said,shand, but there were a number of demos on the ST which utilised full-screen scrolling (i.e. without any borders, and four layers) And some of the Thallion games were perfect, even though sideways scrolling was never going to be easy. The worst case ever was Giana Sisters, that could EASILY have been done with layers. The quality demo guys on the ST , like The Care Bears and The Union, ripped more out of a bare 68000 setup than most could ever do. But not all, before anyone starts bleating! The stuff they did could never be emulated. I remember the code to make full screen graphics, and it was the most intricate design you could imagine. If anyone remembers seeing sprites in the border of a C64 game then it was similar, but only in idea. that's it.

03 October 2001, 20:12	#3
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,658	Giana Sisters, IIRC, has two layers in both the C64 and Amiga versions. Check the clouds in the outside levels, they scroll at a different speed. Prolly you were talking about the ST port? I had no clue tehre was an ST port

03 October 2001, 22:23	#4
birdy-scc Banned Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Glasgow Posts: 231	There wasn't any scrolling on the ST that I remember, the screen merely flipped! I remember loading it once, and never again.

05 October 2001, 05:33	#5
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	Ok, I got it, thanx for the explanation

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