Pacman - the Amiga conversion from the arcade game - Page 5

jotd · 20 August 2021, 00:02

Today I tried to upload a video to YT and as expected, it's damn simple

[ Show youtube player ]

implemented all 4 ghosts A.I but ATM only tested Blinky. Others remain in the pen.

Various speeds also work, and tunnels too (missing sprite clipping though). You can't eat the ghosts, and ghosts can't eat you. Also no sound.

But otherwise pretty cool. For example notice when Blinky chases pacman at some point the ghost doesn't follow pacman, just because it's not allowed to go up just above the pen.

some tables copied from https://github.com/shaunlebron/pacman
and of course stuff taken from the absolute bible https://pacman.holenet.info

DaveInFL · 20 August 2021, 14:55

Super bon travaille

brett71 · 20 August 2021, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by jotd

But otherwise pretty cool. For example notice when Blinky chases pacman at some point the ghost doesn't follow pacman, just because it's not allowed to go up just above the pen.

Just curious, but is this behavior an explicit rule in the code that the ghosts aren't allowed to go up those two tunnels just above the pen or is it a by-product of the A.I.?

rothers · 20 August 2021, 15:24

The game logic is absolutely wild for the time. I wonder how much of that was just accidental?

jotd · 20 August 2021, 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by brett71

Just curious, but is this behavior an explicit rule in the code that the ghosts aren't allowed to go up those two tunnels just above the pen or is it a by-product of the A.I.?

I don't know. It's just a fact. I didn't analyse the disassembly. I'd say that it's intentional so the game isn't too hard.

There's a bug in pink ghost behaviour that is documented, but what you're refering to isn't noted as a bug.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rothers

The game logic is absolutely wild for the time. I wonder how much of that was just accidental?

There's the "up" direction bug for pink & cyan ghost (targeted tile is not the one wanted because of a parasite left offset that is added). But the rest is pretty well balanced, to be easy at first, then implacable.

Soon a new video with pinky in action

I've zoned a new version because there's a sprite bug I need investigated (I hope it's a winuae problem

)

jotd · 21 August 2021, 21:34

New WIP, Now most of the game mechanics are implemented. Lots of bugs too

[ Show youtube player ]

manossg · 21 August 2021, 21:40

Wow, this is amazing progress!

Rotareneg · 22 August 2021, 00:52

Nice!

lmimmfn · 22 August 2021, 01:02

Looks fantastic, well done, cant wait for the final version.

alkis · 22 August 2021, 02:19

Well done!

btp · 22 August 2021, 17:35

Great job so far! Congratulations!

Havie · 22 August 2021, 22:28

Looking excellent and ghost patterns seem spot on which is the most important thing. And in such a short time - amazing!

jotd · 23 August 2021, 11:09

Well I found a good balance between genericity and specific coding. I coded a game in C++ before for the amiga and it's really too cumbersome, plus I wasn't using the latest g++ 10 (Bartman) and I suspect it's not optimized enough for A500.I mean I love C++ to code games on PC with SDL, but for hardware banging assembly is way easier.

And the rework for Supercars 2 AGA taught me a lot. Shaun Southern way of developping is ace. Only one big main .s file, no complex shit. Plain and simple. Awesome.

Of course sometimes the bug (move.w instead of move.b, move.l #value instead of move.l value) can be nasty but I use to debug the code live using winuae. No symbols: no problem

because my code is 99% the same as the source. I have the source displayed and I follow the raw disassembly. Lots of practice debugging games with whdload

Performance-wise, I only used one multiply instruction, for the random generator (provided by meynaf a long time ago). Rest is multiply tables.

Plus the python scripts allowed to generate graphics easily from fixed palette + png. And all ghosts behaviour & tables were described in the pacman dossier. Helped a lot.

Plus the holidays that offered me more time to code in the evenings

ATM I'm a bit tired with the remaining bugs. I'm going to add features first (sound, intro/menu screens)...

vulture · 26 August 2021, 12:50

that's excellent progress jotd!

malko · 26 August 2021, 17:19

Nice progress

By the way : On the video, it seems to me that yoir Amiga port is a bit faster than the arcade. No ?

Retro1234 · 26 August 2021, 18:45

jotd · 27 August 2021, 15:24

it should be 100% the same. I have to create 2 videos (arcade/amiga) and compare them frame by frame at least for the first minute.

malko · 27 August 2021, 16:12

^ That's cool

jotd · 29 August 2021, 00:47

new progress

[ Show youtube player ]

I have also zoned a version of the current pacman executable. Pretty good now with all the sounds and bugfixes and all.

mcgeezer · 29 August 2021, 00:57

That is looking excellent, certainly looking arcade perfect.

No going back to C now, Assembler has you.

Geezer

23 August 2021, 11:09	#93
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,162	Well I found a good balance between genericity and specific coding. I coded a game in C++ before for the amiga and it's really too cumbersome, plus I wasn't using the latest g++ 10 (Bartman) and I suspect it's not optimized enough for A500.I mean I love C++ to code games on PC with SDL, but for hardware banging assembly is way easier. And the rework for Supercars 2 AGA taught me a lot. Shaun Southern way of developping is ace. Only one big main .s file, no complex shit. Plain and simple. Awesome. Of course sometimes the bug (move.w instead of move.b, move.l #value instead of move.l value) can be nasty but I use to debug the code live using winuae. No symbols: no problem because my code is 99% the same as the source. I have the source displayed and I follow the raw disassembly. Lots of practice debugging games with whdload Performance-wise, I only used one multiply instruction, for the random generator (provided by meynaf a long time ago). Rest is multiply tables. Plus the python scripts allowed to generate graphics easily from fixed palette + png. And all ghosts behaviour & tables were described in the pacman dossier. Helped a lot. Plus the holidays that offered me more time to code in the evenings ATM I'm a bit tired with the remaining bugs. I'm going to add features first (sound, intro/menu screens)... Last edited by jotd; 23 August 2021 at 11:15.

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20 August 2021, 00:02	#81
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,162	Today I tried to upload a video to YT and as expected, it's damn simple [ Show youtube player ] implemented all 4 ghosts A.I but ATM only tested Blinky. Others remain in the pen. Various speeds also work, and tunnels too (missing sprite clipping though). You can't eat the ghosts, and ghosts can't eat you. Also no sound. But otherwise pretty cool. For example notice when Blinky chases pacman at some point the ghost doesn't follow pacman, just because it's not allowed to go up just above the pen. some tables copied from https://github.com/shaunlebron/pacman and of course stuff taken from the absolute bible https://pacman.holenet.info

20 August 2021, 14:55	#82
DaveInFL Registered User Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Florida Posts: 48	Super bon travaille

20 August 2021, 15:24	#84
rothers Registered User Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: UK Posts: 487	The game logic is absolutely wild for the time. I wonder how much of that was just accidental?

21 August 2021, 21:34	#86
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,162	New WIP, Now most of the game mechanics are implemented. Lots of bugs too [ Show youtube player ]

21 August 2021, 21:40	#87
manossg Registered User Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Greece Posts: 992	Wow, this is amazing progress!

22 August 2021, 00:52	#88
Rotareneg Registered User Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Kansas, USA Posts: 324	Nice!

22 August 2021, 01:02	#89
lmimmfn Registered User Join Date: May 2018 Location: Ireland Posts: 672	Looks fantastic, well done, cant wait for the final version.

22 August 2021, 02:19	#90
alkis Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Athens/Greece Age: 53 Posts: 719	Well done!

22 August 2021, 17:35	#91
btp Registered User Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Greece Posts: 134	Great job so far! Congratulations!

22 August 2021, 22:28	#92
Havie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: UK Posts: 1,893	Looking excellent and ghost patterns seem spot on which is the most important thing. And in such a short time - amazing!

26 August 2021, 12:50	#94
vulture Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Athens , Greece Posts: 1,840	that's excellent progress jotd!

26 August 2021, 17:19	#95
malko Ex nihilo nihil Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: CH Posts: 4,856	Nice progress By the way : On the video, it seems to me that yoir Amiga port is a bit faster than the arcade. No ?

26 August 2021, 18:45	#96
Retro1234 Phone Homer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 5150 Posts: 5,773

27 August 2021, 15:24	#97
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,162	it should be 100% the same. I have to create 2 videos (arcade/amiga) and compare them frame by frame at least for the first minute.

27 August 2021, 16:12	#98
malko Ex nihilo nihil Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: CH Posts: 4,856	^ That's cool

29 August 2021, 00:47	#99
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,162	new progress [ Show youtube player ] I have also zoned a version of the current pacman executable. Pretty good now with all the sounds and bugfixes and all.

29 August 2021, 00:57	#100
mcgeezer Registered User Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Sunderland, England Posts: 2,702	That is looking excellent, certainly looking arcade perfect. No going back to C now, Assembler has you. Geezer

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