[comp.sys.amiga.programmer] Hardware Idiots ?

sschaem@starnet.uucp (Stephan Schaem) (05/29/91)

 Well, I want to see Shadow of the beast multitask using OS calls...
 Technicly possible! but you wont run at the same frame rate.
 And how cares about OS routines for the copper if you have your view!
 Dont get me wrong, I use UCoplist on intuition screen.(Just in case
 people get the wrong idea......)
 The ONLY reason you want to use system call is for not touching the
 hardware, so mixing both hardware/software call is just wierd.
 (Dont forget its game programing, not multitasking aplication
 programing: for the readers).

 Shadow can multitask without using the OS, well, just whats actually
 needed.When I say multitasking its 'outiside' the intuition display...
 Time will tell if somebody is willing to do something like that.

							Stephan.

brett@visix.com (Brett Bourbin) (05/30/91)

In article <1991May29.115806.3841@starnet.uucp>, sschaem@starnet.uucp (Stephan Schaem) writes:
> 
>  Well, I want to see Shadow of the beast multitask using OS calls...
>  Technicly possible! but you wont run at the same frame rate.

No, that is true. You will loose some of your 60 FPS, but you WILL have
a OS friendly application, be it a game.

>  And how cares about OS routines for the copper if you have your view!

Hold on there; you use OS routines to be friendly, no matter if you created
your display with the graphics call OpenScreen() or by creating a View
and all the necessary parts, again, all with legal OS graphics calls.

>  Dont get me wrong, I use UCoplist on intuition screen.(Just in case
>  people get the wrong idea......)

So why not use that same UCopList for your View? I don't see your point.

>  The ONLY reason you want to use system call is for not touching the
>  hardware, so mixing both hardware/software call is just wierd.

Why is that? The reason you (or at least I) create a View is so you can
specify advanced features (multiple ViewPorts in a display, double-buffering,
etc.). Now, if I wish to add a custom Copper list to this View, I shouldn't
use the OS?

Now I will admit that bypassing the OS calls and creating my display with
a full custom Copper list would be much easier to do, but I am not looking
for the easy way out. I want my programs to work with all sorts of displays.
If a new graphics card comes out or a new display mode, if there were new
items added to the routines that create the display Copper list, I would
not be able to make use of them, because I would have written my own
absolute Copper list.

>  (Dont forget its game programing, not multitasking aplication
>  programing: for the readers).

Messages like this really make me laugh. Its like it is taboo for a game
developer to use the OS. It takes away from the mystique. I guess it is
something like the 11th Commandment. 8^)

>  Shadow can multitask without using the OS, well, just whats actually
>  needed.When I say multitasking its 'outiside' the intuition display...

Well, I don't really want to start up this thread again, but, when I write
games on any machine, I want to take advantage of that machine. That includes
the OS. If the person who is interacting with my game has a hard drive; allow
them to use it; if they have extra memory, utilize it; if they have an
ethernet card, even better -- now they can use my game in their local area
network. I don't punish uses for having an expanded machine.

If I do not use the OS, I can not possibly support all these existing (and
non-existing) hardware options without writing tons of drivers.

>  Time will tell if somebody is willing to do something like that.

I believe you are right, time will tell. I still think that most of the games
on the Amiga will be written for the lowest common hardware (512K A500), but
there will be some that will work even better on expanded machines and give
you more options. I know of at least one developer working on such a game. 8^)

> 							Stephan.

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