SPAC (Super Pre-Adjusted Colour) and Universe

[ancalimon]

"The game was notable for its then-unique ability to display 256 colors at once on a standard Amiga 500, instead of just 32, due to its innovative system SPAC (Super Pre-Adjusted Colour)."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe_(1994_video_game)

How did this work?

What stopped programmers from making 256 colour Amiga OCS games? Especially adventure, strategy games?

[TCD]

Here's another thread about the topic that has some explanations in it: https://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=72745

[Megalomaniac]

From Gary Antcliffe's recollections its clear that there are limitations, especially that no more than 16 colours could easily be used for sprites. Is it broadly similar to the way the ST could be coaxed into displaying more than 16 colours at a time?

It only sounds feasible for games without real-time character controls, and even then can probably only produce anywhere near 256 colours on screen at a time if the game is designed around it. Still, those backgrounds are beautiful.

[sokolovic]

16 colors for Sprites seems plenty enough...

[saimon69]

For a lucas-style kind of adventure this is indeed perfect