Crappy C64 screen resolution

[donnie]

Im pretty sure amiga devs would have loved a low res mode like snes, nes and megadrive had if it meant full screen. I would have given more room for other stuff.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by Zak

You can just use Deluxe Paint to enlarge graphics from 160 to 320 pxels and to me it's like I said no rocket science.

Have you tried that with an actual 'image file' from the C64?

[Megalomaniac]

Originally Posted by donnie

Im pretty sure amiga devs would have loved a low res mode like snes, nes and megadrive had if it meant full screen. I would have given more room for other stuff.

What was the need? The Amiga had enough power to move an entire 320x200 screen, if programmed properly. There are games scrolling in multiple directions, and at 50FPS, and with lots going on at once, and in 32 colours. In most cases you'd have to compromise at least one of those, but would 160x200 be a valid compromise even if it allowed for 32 colours of lots moving in multiple directions at 50FPS? Not that it would actually improve performance given the Amiga's architecture.

The Amstrad comparison is different because the CPC's modes were 320x200 in 4 colours or 160x200 in 16 colours, whereas the Spectrum was 256x192 in (technically) 15 colours (with the 2-colours-in-an-8x8-area-and-they-have-to-either-both-be-BRIGHT-or-neither-be-BRIGHT limitation). In most cases Amstrad fans wanted their full 16-colour scheme used even if it meant a lower resolution. Both Amstrad modes used 16k so there was no performance advantage either way, and no limited-colour-placement-but-faster modes.

[Zak]

Originally Posted by Megalomaniac

What was the need?

The statements made by people already implied that if such screenmode had a multitude of colors more than 32 out of 4096 colors it would even look better than 320x200.

[AestheticDebris]

Originally Posted by Zak

The statements made by people already implied that if such screenmode had a multitude of colors more than 32 out of 4096 colors it would even look better than 320x200.

And it absolutely does. You don't even really have to speculate about it. Compare Navy Seals from the Amstrad Plus (32 colours from 4096, 160*200 pixels) to the Spectrum version (256*192, 15 colours with placement restrictions) or even the C64 (mostly 160*200, 16 colours with placement restrictions).

It's just a no brainer the the Amstrad version looks best overall. You can make various arguments about the playability of different versions, of course.

[Megalomaniac]

Yes, but the Amiga could do 32 colours from 4096 in 320x200 pixels without really breaking sweat. Maybe 64 colours (EHB or perhaps a mode with unrestricted colour choice) in 160x200 would have hypothetically looked better than 320x200 in 32 colours though? And, though I had and loved a Spectrum, fair to say that its 'placement restrictions' were a lot more striking than the C64's in its 160x200.

[donnie]

Originally Posted by Megalomaniac

What was the need? The Amiga had enough power to move an entire 320x200 screen, if programmed properly. There are games scrolling in multiple directions, and at 50FPS, and with lots going on at once, and in 32 colours. In most cases you'd have to compromise at least one of those, but would 160x200 be a valid compromise even if it allowed for 32 colours of lots moving in multiple directions at 50FPS? Not that it would actually improve performance given the Amiga's architecture.

The Amstrad comparison is different because the CPC's modes were 320x200 in 4 colours or 160x200 in 16 colours, whereas the Spectrum was 256x192 in (technically) 15 colours (with the 2-colours-in-an-8x8-area-and-they-have-to-either-both-be-BRIGHT-or-neither-be-BRIGHT limitation). In most cases Amstrad fans wanted their full 16-colour scheme used even if it meant a lower resolution. Both Amstrad modes used 16k so there was no performance advantage either way, and no limited-colour-placement-but-faster modes.

Im no programmer. But im pretty sure most 50fps high end scrolling games are either 16 color(with copper) or dual playfield(with copper). I would say it is much less common with multi directional scrolling games in 32 color or half brite in 50fps.



And its very common for amiga games not to be fullscreen.


Having a full screen lower resolution mode like mega drive does would have great.

[jayminer]

This game reminded me of this thread...