Whats ur thoughts?

[KilrPilr]

Just thinking what might be THE best game out there for 128 mode that really shows off what the 128 was made for (especially above and beyond the capabilities of the c64) ? Have any of you tried those new 128 games being sold on ebay? are they good quality?

[xlar54]

Havent seen the new ebay games, but honestly, I couldnt tell a 128 game from a 64 one.  Few used the VDC that I know of, and so anything else seems no different than 64. (In fact, least common demoninator, they might as well only make them for the 64).  But what do I know anyway... I wasnt really big on gaming back then anyway.  I liked the 128 mainly for the 80 column mode and disk speed.

[OzOne]

Havent seen the new ebay games, but honestly, I couldnt tell a 128 game from a 64 one.  Few used the VDC that I know of, and so anything else seems no different than 64. (In fact, least common demoninator, they might as well only make them for the 64).  But what do I know anyway... I wasnt really big on gaming back then anyway.  I liked the 128 mainly for the 80 column mode and disk speed.

There doesn't seem to be much thought put into the native 128 games by the designers - i agree, pretty much just ports of the 64 games with not much to set them off. There were 80 col games, mainly the infocom text games but they hardly showed off the capabilities of the beast.

Considering that there isn't much difference between the 40 col modes of both machines, game designers would really only be able to take advantage of the extra memory or do something "interesting" with the 80 col side.

Ozzy

[xlar54]

All true.  But the one software package I think that shows off the 128 better than any other would have to be BASIC 8. I would imagine games could be developed with it (slow tho), but the mere fact they were able to do so much with the VDC, extra RAM and more, was really amazing.

I should also mention GEOS 128... Berkley ROCKED. Its just sad that they came into the game so late.

[OzOne]

All true.  But the one software package I think that shows off the 128 better than any other would have to be BASIC 8. I would imagine games could be developed with it (slow tho), but the mere fact they were able to do so much with the VDC, extra RAM and more, was really amazing.

I should also mention GEOS 128... Berkley ROCKED. Its just sad that they came into the game so late.

Haven't played with B8 - I notice it's available for download here, so might just grab it - I'm guessing it works in 2MHz mode on the 80 colum chip ?

Are there any games written with it that show what it's capable of ?

Ozzy

[xlar54]

I dont know if it has any games with the distribution, but I think it does come with Spectrum 128...or else Spectrum 128 was written with it.  Its an 80 column paint program. And I also think there was a front end GUI file manager that was done in B8 that was kind of cool.

[OzOne]

I dont know if it has any games with the distribution, but I think it does come with Spectrum 128...or else Spectrum 128 was written with it.  Its an 80 column paint program. And I also think there was a front end GUI file manager that was done in B8 that was kind of cool.

Downloaded it last night - starting to play with it - this has some promise, sorta like Simons basic was like to the C64.

Ozzy

[RobertB]

I dont know if it has any games with the distribution, but I think it does come with Spectrum 128...or else Spectrum 128 was written with it.  Its an 80 column paint program. And I also think there was a front end GUI file manager that was done in B8 that was kind of cool.

I've had Basic 8 since the 1980's, and I've never found a game for it.  Of course, that doesn't prevent anyone for writing one for it.  Paint 128 was the paint program that came with the Basic 8 release.  Sketchpad 128 and Spectrum 128 were two different yet similar paint programs that were commercially released later.  The Basic 8 desktop, though interesting, was slow and didn't do much (again someone could rewrite it to make it more useful).

CommVEx July 29-30,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[xlar54]

It was slow.... I do remember that.  I dont know much about VDC programming, except that it was much more involved than PEEKing/POKEing in 64 mode.  I did see a TIE fighter 3d demo a loooong time ago though and I remember thinking how cool it was.  Just a simple flyby animation.  But GEOS 128 is capabile of fast VDC, so I would imagine that B8's speed could have been improved.

[enigma]

If you want to get a glimpse what the VDC is capable of, watch Risen from Oblivion (the VDC Part)
http://www.c64.ch/demos/realdetail.php?id=2461

This one runs at 1 MHz in C64 or C128 Mode. If you don't believe it, check the VIC Screen while the demo is running.

[OzOne]

I dont know if it has any games with the distribution, but I think it does come with Spectrum 128...or else Spectrum 128 was written with it.  Its an 80 column paint program. And I also think there was a front end GUI file manager that was done in B8 that was kind of cool.

I've had Basic 8 since the 1980's, and I've never found a game for it.  Of course, that doesn't prevent anyone for writing one for it.  Paint 128 was the paint program that came with the Basic 8 release.  Sketchpad 128 and Spectrum 128 were two different yet similar paint programs that were commercially released later.  The Basic 8 desktop, though interesting, was slow and didn't do much (again someone could rewrite it to make it more useful).

CommVEx July 29-30,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

There are games for Basic 8, I found a file listing of  the Genie archive from years back that lists some but I have no idea if the archive is still around or even if the games are still available.

[Style_CHM]

But GEOS 128 is capabile of fast VDC

There's no such thing as 'fast' VDC access

[Blacklord]

I dont know if it has any games with the distribution, but I think it does come with Spectrum 128...or else Spectrum 128 was written with it.  Its an 80 column paint program. And I also think there was a front end GUI file manager that was done in B8 that was kind of cool.

I've had Basic 8 since the 1980's, and I've never found a game for it.  Of course, that doesn't prevent anyone for writing one for it.  Paint 128 was the paint program that came with the Basic 8 release.  Sketchpad 128 and Spectrum 128 were two different yet similar paint programs that were commercially released later.  The Basic 8 desktop, though interesting, was slow and didn't do much (again someone could rewrite it to make it more useful).

CommVEx July 29-30,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

There are games for Basic 8, I found a file listing of  the Genie archive from years back that lists some but I have no idea if the archive is still around or even if the games are still available.

There are some here in the games section of the downloads.

cheers,

Lance

[enigma]

Not in the manner you think maybe, although there are some techniques to gain more speed (or the other way, to need less cycles). You can use 'main' ram pixel buffering, the DMA-free timeslice, the VDC-RAM for buffers to copy from / to and so on.
Some 3D Wireframe Animation is f.e. no big issue.
Though I guess moving windows with the mouse with content might be a bit too slow.

[Stephane Richard]

well, I happen to find it's still too slow today in Windows (tm)...;-)...then again, I'm a DOS lover in the PC-World not a window lover...heck, if I could chat, browse, email in DOS, I wouldn't have windows on my machine ;-)

[Blacklord]

well, I happen to find it's still too slow today in Windows (tm)...;-)...then again, I'm a DOS lover in the PC-World not a window lover...heck, if I could chat, browse, email in DOS, I wouldn't have windows on my machine ;-)

You can - Arachne - http://home.arachne.cz/

cheers,

Lance

[Stephane Richard]

lol wow I just noticed this post 11 days too late ;-) I think I need more...or less...coffee is what my problem is ;-).

yeah I got that installed ;-)...I use ti sometimes, I guess it would be good if everything was like in windows, but without windows, if that's not clear, consider this, imagine what it would have sounded like at 4 AM when I wake up, count yourself lucky I powsted this at 10:34 AM or so... ;-)...