ade@cs.warwick.ac.uk (Ade Lovett) (10/27/89)
On October 26th 1989, Steve -Raz- Berry (raz@sun.UUCP) wrote: >> There are other problems, like the game knows nothing about expanded >> memory and it assumes you only have one disk drive. I can live with >> these shortcomings, although it would be so trivial for the programmers >> to use expanded memory (IMHO). A bit like Xenon 2 - amazing game, shame about the fact that the Amiga version doesn't cache the levels (like the ST version does) and doesn't cache the bring-and-buy-sale-shop-thingy that you get in the middle and end of level (like the ST version does). In fact, this is one of many games I've noticed over here where the ST version seems much better put together than the Amiga - which is a shame. Mind you, this is probably due to the completely naff way in which the Amy allocates memory for bolt-on goodies like an external disk drive - IMHO it would've been a lot simpler to figure out the maximum configuration for the machine and allocate all the necessary memory for it. For the kind of advantages it gives me, I'd happily sacrifice a bit of memory. Another thing that has puzzled me -- why o why did CBM cripple the machine (well, that's my opinion anyway) by having this distinction between the "standard" 512k memory and extra memory?? I know that with the arrival of Absolutely-Enormous-Agnes all those nice little custom chips will be able to talk to loadsa memory, but why was this ridiculously small limit imposed in the first place?? Anyway, even with the arrival of the new Agnes, it won't make any difference to games writers like myself since I'll still have to cater for all those poor people without the wonderful new chip. A good comparison is the fiasco with ST single-sided drives - although all new STs are being shipped with double-sided drives now, games writers still have to market their games on single sided disks to avoid missing out on a very large number of veteran ST owners. So, I'll finish up with a plea to Commodore - when you start designing the next all-singing all-dancing machine, please don't cripple it with short-sighted design decisions. Once you start shipping such a product, it's too late ... aDe -- +--- Ade Lovett --------+- ade@cs.warwick.ac.uk ------ +44 932 842478 -------+ | Computer Science | INTERNET: ade%cs.warwick.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk | | Warwick University | UUCP : ...!mcvax!ukc!warwick!ade | | Coventry CV4 7AL, UK | BITNET : ade%uk.ac.warwick.cs@ukacrl | +-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------+