jimmys@bonnie.ics.uci.edu (Jimmy Shaw) (05/29/91)
In article <1991May29.021614.26966@crash.cts.com> ryanb@pro-charlotte.cts.com (Ryan Baucom) writes: >In-Reply-To: message from georgeb@seer.UUCP > >I have sent a letter to Origin... in fact it was almost a year ago. They >sent me back a formletter which they had apparently prepared for unhappy >Apple users. It gave the usual speech on Origin's commitment to excellence >and all, and it explained that the game was developed on and designed for >IBM, hard-disk-based, 320x200x256 graphics. It would seem that all of >Origin's new releases are designed for this platform, judging by Wing >Commander and other new Origin products. > >ProLine: ryanb@pro-charlotte \_ this fall: rjbaucom@eos.ncsu.edu >UUCP: crash!pro-charlotte!ryanb \_ "I've suffered for my music... >Internet: ryanb@pro-charlotte.cts.com \_ now it's your turn!" >ARPA: crash!pro-charlotte!ryanb@nosc.mil \ -Neil Innes Wow! 320x200x256 graphic mode! Gee whiz, I say we should forget it, guys. There is no way our pitiful GS can do graphics of such high resolution... (Read: with heavy dose of sarcasm). And oh boy, hard disks, what is that?! Is that the 3.5 X 3.5 inch diskettes enclosed in hard plastic? It's the sorry attitude to companies Origin (unfortunately) that really makes me mad... But my gaming dollars just go to someone else... Jimmy Shaw jimmys@ics.uci.edu
lazer@lablues.UUCP (Patrick Delahanty) (06/01/91)
> In article <1991May29.021614.26966@crash.cts.com> ryanb@pro-charlotte.cts.com > >In-Reply-To: message from georgeb@seer.UUCP > > > >I have sent a letter to Origin... in fact it was almost a year ago. They > >sent me back a formletter which they had apparently prepared for unhappy > >Apple users. It gave the usual speech on Origin's commitment to excellence > >and all, and it explained that the game was developed on and designed for > >IBM, hard-disk-based, 320x200x256 graphics. It would seem that all of > >Origin's new releases are designed for this platform, judging by Wing > >Commander and other new Origin products. > > And then Origin goes and makes a Commodore 64 version! NOW are you Apple ][ users mad? I AM! I won't be happy until I see Ultima VI for the Apple II!!! -Lazer (co-sysop L/A Blues 207-777-3465)
geniusman@pro-hindugods.cts.com (Chris Moylan) (06/01/91)
In-Reply-To: message from jimmys@bonnie.ics.uci.edu I agree wholeheartedly with Jimmy's sarcastic comments. It is EXTREMELY easy to port IBM 320x200x256 graphics into GS format and they would look exactly the same, or better because the IBM only has 256 colors in it's palette in that mode (I think). Anyway, 3200 color GS games could also be created, but no software developers want to deal with GS specific graphic systems. Maybe they should comission someone who cares about the GS to make a game GS specific, but that might cost money, so it may never happen. Chris Chris Moylan | ProLine: geniusman@pro-hindugods CoSysop: Hindu Love Gods BBS | Internet: geniusman@pro-hindugods.cts.com 313/644-0481 | UUCP: crash!pro-hindugods!geniusman 300-9600 bps, v.32/v.42/v.42bis | ARPA: crash!pro-hindugods!geniusman@nosc.mil
philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough) (06/02/91)
In article <1991Jun1.083051.24202@clark.edu> geniusman@pro-hindugods.cts.com (Chris Moylan) writes: >In-Reply-To: message from jimmys@bonnie.ics.uci.edu > >I agree wholeheartedly with Jimmy's sarcastic comments. It is EXTREMELY >easy to port IBM 320x200x256 graphics into GS format and they would look >exactly the same, or better because the IBM only has 256 colors in it's >palette in that mode (I think). Not true. > Anyway, 3200 color GS games could also be >created, but no software developers want to deal with GS specific >graphic systems. Maybe they should comission someone who cares about the >GS to make a game GS specific, but that might cost money, so it may never >happen. Why should they produce GS software if it is specific to the GS. Noone buys excellent software that is GS specific. How many copies is Dragon Wars GS up to now? Have they passed the 1000 sales threshold? I've no doubt there are thousands of DWGS users.I hope they are enjoying themselves, as they all proceed to buy 386's and do the same thing there. Philip McDunnough University of Toronto philip@utstat.utoronto.ca [my opinions,...]
taob@micor.ocunix.on.ca (Brian Tao) (06/02/91)
geniusman@pro-hindugods.cts.com (Chris Moylan) writes: > In-Reply-To: message from jimmys@bonnie.ics.uci.edu > > I agree wholeheartedly with Jimmy's sarcastic comments. It is EXTREMELY > easy to port IBM 320x200x256 graphics into GS format and they would look > exactly the same, or better because the IBM only has 256 colors in it's > palette in that mode (I think). Anyway, 3200 color GS games could also be > created, but no software developers want to deal with GS specific Standard VGA graphics will NOT look as nice on a GS, no matter how good the conversion, or how good the programmer. You cannot get 256 unique colours on a scanline on the GS. 256 colours on a screen, yes, but you are still restricted to only 16/line (even in 3200 mode). 3200-colour mode isn't very useful for anything other than static pictures. In every single computer game I've seen, there are always at least a couple of elements on the screen which don't change (like the picture of your character walking around, or monsters you fight). The constantly changing palettes of 3200 graphics makes it extremely difficult (probably impossible) to have these static items displayed properly. BTW, VGA chooses from a palette of 262,144 colours, not just 4096. -- Brian T. Tao *B-) | taob@micor.ocunix.on.ca | "Though this be 2705-1510 Riverside | - or - | madness, yet there Ottawa, ON K1G 4X5 | taob@micor.uucp | is method in 't."
ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com (Eric Mcgillicuddy) (06/02/91)
>And then Origin goes and makes a Commodore 64 version! NOW are you Apple ][ >users mad? I AM! I won't be happy until I see Ultima VI for the Apple >II!!! > >-Lazer (co-sysop L/A Blues 207-777-3465) A large bookstore locallay had been carrying software for every computer still being manufactured. They ahad a vast amount of software for every system, including the Apple II. Around Christmas the Apple II section vanished. ( Not a big loss since most of their software was 50% more than mail order, and I never bought there). Anyhow, last month all the other sections vanished as well. Currently there is just remnants for sale, except for the C64, they are maintaining their stock for this system. A Nintendo store (sells SEGA ad Turbo-16 as well) also sells C64 games. This is for a system that receives even less support from its parent than the Apple II. In fact Commodore has tried to kill the line at least twice in the past, but people keep waanting it restored. The thing is that ONLY games are available in any quantity for the C64. It is a game machine pure and simple. It is priced like a game machine and it is designed like a game machine. (I never could type on its keyboard effectively, but this a personal opinion). I think that you will find that people will buy anything if the price is right. UUCP: bkj386!pnet91!ericmcg INET: ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com
tm@well.sf.ca.us (Toshi Morita) (06/03/91)
geniusman@pro-hindugods.cts.com (Chris Moylan) writes: >I agree wholeheartedly with Jimmy's sarcastic comments. It is EXTREMELY >easy to port IBM 320x200x256 graphics into GS format and they would look >exactly the same, or better because the IBM only has 256 colors in it's >palette in that mode (I think). Anyway, 3200 color GS games could also be >created, but no software developers want to deal with GS specific >graphic systems. Maybe they should comission someone who cares about the >GS to make a game GS specific, but that might cost money, so it may never >happen. I beg to differ on a few points. 1) 320x200x256 graphics (MCGA) uses 15 bits for RGB. There are 256 colors displayable simultaneously from a palette of 32768 available colors. 2) 3200 color GS game? I don't think there would be enough cycles left to run a game on par with "Wing Commander" or "Battle of Britain". Maybe "Little Brickout". :) 3) Most IBM games (maybe more than half) are written in C. How many good C compilers are available for the Apple //gs? tm@well.sf.ca.us
u9050728@cs.uow.edu.au (Shane Kelvin Richards) (06/03/91)
tm@well.sf.ca.us (Toshi Morita) writes: >geniusman@pro-hindugods.cts.com (Chris Moylan) writes: >>I agree wholeheartedly with Jimmy's sarcastic comments. It is EXTREMELY >>easy to port IBM 320x200x256 graphics into GS format and they would look >>exactly the same, or better because the IBM only has 256 colors in it's >>palette in that mode (I think). Anyway, 3200 color GS games could also be >>created, but no software developers want to deal with GS specific >>graphic systems. Maybe they should comission someone who cares about the >>GS to make a game GS specific, but that might cost money, so it may never >>happen. >I beg to differ on a few points. >1) 320x200x256 graphics (MCGA) uses 15 bits for RGB. There are 256 colors >displayable simultaneously from a palette of 32768 available colors. Actually 320x200x256 has a palette range of over 256,000 compared to the GS's 4096. >2) 3200 color GS game? I don't think there would be enough cycles left to >run a >game on par with "Wing Commander" or "Battle of Britain". Maybe "Little >Brickout". :) >3) Most IBM games (maybe more than half) are written in C. How many good C >compilers are available for the Apple //gs? >tm@well.sf.ca.us > > -- +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Shane Richards u9050728@cs.uow.edu.au +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com (Eric Mcgillicuddy) (06/05/91)
>2) 3200 color GS game? I don't think there would be enough cycles left to >run a >game on par with "Wing Commander" or "Battle of Britain". Maybe "Little >Brickout". :) > >tm@well.sf.ca.us Little Brickout is written in Pascal. Their Finest Hour only uses 16 colours in the game itself. Some of the stills have more, but these are not animated and 3200 can easily handle these (anf be even better IMHO). The animation will be difficult at 2.5 MHz but not impossible. If you can get me the source code, I can hand-compile it into 65816 Assembly that will work fast. The important thing is to heavily comment the machine specific stuff and use reasonable variable names. Wing Commander reminds of Elite for some reason, if you ignore the bits between games, er...missions. UUCP: bkj386!pnet91!ericmcg INET: ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com