Archon 2600

[+johnnywc]

one color change at the beginning of the line, one in the middle

Actually, looks like you only need the color change in the middle.

 

Hmm... since I'm alternating Black/White - White/Black on each scanline, I have to set the color at the beginning of the line and then change it in the middle (2 color changes).

[Goochman]

I would suggest that a 'power square' could be used to indicate the 'color' of the board vs changing the entire background - 2600 concession but gameplay in tact.

[mos6507]

I would suggest that a 'power square' could be used to indicate the 'color' of the board vs changing the entire background - 2600 concession but gameplay in tact.

 

Another idea is to change the color of a scanline or two at the bottom of the squares where the players won't be. When it cycles to full white then you can pop the rest of the block to white. I think that would work okay.

 

By going back to a solid playfield, using Video Chess-like sprites would then look passable. Unfortunately the Video Chess type sprites don't allow you to make very complicated objects.

 

Ultimately the board kernel is simply a hack of Video Chess.

 

I'll try making a mock image over the long weekend.

[Atari-Jess]

I used to play this game back in 89-90 lost many hours on this one!

 

this game would be more than possible on the 2600, its just chess plus

any other two player battle type game.

[+SpiceWare]

one color change at the beginning of the line, one in the middle

Actually, looks like you only need the color change in the middle.

 

Hmm... since I'm alternating Black/White - White/Black on each scanline, I have to set the color at the beginning of the line and then change it in the middle (2 color changes).

Black/White

White/Black

 

The last color of a line is the first color of the next - so you don't need to change it at the start of the next line.

[Robert M]

To simplify things, you might consider using a board like the rough mockup below. Notice that there are only 2 colors on each row of squares.

[+johnnywc]

one color change at the beginning of the line, one in the middle

Actually, looks like you only need the color change in the middle.

 

Hmm... since I'm alternating Black/White - White/Black on each scanline, I have to set the color at the beginning of the line and then change it in the middle (2 color changes).

Black/White

White/Black

 

The last color of a line is the first color of the next - so you don't need to change it at the start of the next line.

 

Good catch!! :wink:

[+johnnywc]

To simplify things, you might consider using a board like the rough mockup below.  Notice that there are only 2 colors on each row of squares.

 

That's a good idea. A solid playfield with no color change in the middle would save many cycles and venetian blind sprites (ala Video Chess) would look much better.

 

Thanks!

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

To simplify things, you might consider using a board like the rough mockup below.  Notice that there are only 2 colors on each row of squares.

 

Wow, this is some very clever layout! I never got past the board design with Archon. It's really the hardest part, as the action scene could pretty much translate 1:1, as seen in Centipede, Combat or my own Gunfight kernel.

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[mos6507]

To simplify things, you might consider using a board like the rough mockup below.  Notice that there are only 2 colors on each row of squares.

 

But how much does the board layout change the gameplay dynamic? I think it does, although perhaps not as much as the layout is important in chess (think how knights, rooks, and bishops move).

[mos6507]

Actually, I forgot that the board is 9 across, not 8.

 

I should have re-read the older thread.

 

No, I don't think you can do a 1:1 port of Archon. The sprites wouldn't allow it. Only if you used an 8-block wide board.

 

I think you could do an archon-like game, but you'd have to start from scratch and find a new board configuration and rule-set that "works" as well as Archon does, which would be a lot of work.

[Robert M]

To elborate on my earlier idea. You can extend the idea to 9x9 and carve out areas to make it look more like the original Archon board turned 90 degrees.

[Zach]

INteresting thread, and nice work, johnnywc! If no one figures out a good way to draw nine sprites, a "mini-archon" could be cool. Compare to the 6x6 chessboard designed by computer scientists in 1956. (The pic is just a quick mockup.)

[Zach]

By the way,

 

how does Video Chess display 8 pieces on one line? I know about the venetian blinds trick - but are missiles used along with the player graphics? Does it flicker? This could be a good example to work off of.

 

Eckhard disassembled the video chess kernel at one point. Should be in the Stella archives. As I recall, it's pure player sprites and no flicker. (And surprisingly the board is only 7/8 playfield; the eighth column is the ball.)

[Goochman]

If someone were to tackle this I think an Archon light would be prefectly acceptable - though not to the degree Mr. Do was compromised

[Godzilla]

could adavies tile engine be of some help with this? id imagine u could draw the tiles with the pieces on them and simply swap the image from 'with piece' to without piece to move pieces...

[+Random Terrain]

Anyone ever tried to port this game or to create a game similar to Archon ?

135785[/snapback]

You could try making it yourself:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showforum=65

 

You might fail, but it would be fun trying.

[supercat]

I don't see why not.. You'd have a board just like in Video Chess.. Then a battle scene with 2 players just like many a game (e.g. Gunfight).  Heck, anything's possible... maybe a little scaled down (or a lot scaled down), but possible.

135799[/snapback]

 

A two-player version of Archon might be doable if one were suitably creative. I forget whether the original board is 7x7 or 9x9. I would guess that the colored squares should be done as a striped pattern that's a mixture of light and dark, so that the playfield would only need two colors. Venetian Blinds for the players would be a bit ugly, but could be mitigated using the technique David Crane used in his Basic Programming kernel (WR did BP as a whole, but DC supplied the kernel).

[supercat]

The big obstacle is game board with its 3 colors per line, and up to 9 different sprites per line.

799568[/snapback]

 

What about using venetian blinds on the in-between-color squares to make them be solid black, 1/4 white, 1/2 white, 1/4 black, or solid white? For the pieces, use David Crane's text kernel (as seen in Warren Robinett's Basic Programming)

[kisrael]

If you liked Archon be sure to check out Archon Ultra. I picked up my copy a few years ago when bargain bins were all the rage -- by now I'm sure it's made it to all the big Abandonware sites. If I remember correctly my original came on two floppy disks, so it can't be that big of a download.

 

Basically, Archon Ultra is just a VGA reworking of the original. It looks nicer, sounds nicer, and supports online play (if by online you mean dialup and/or null modem connections, hah).

I was underwhelmed by Archon Ultra back in the 90s...though part of that was trying to play with those clunky flight controllers that were all the rage back then. But the complexity (2 attacks per character, more complex boards) lacked the grace of the original, and I remember it feeling sluggish.

 

Surprisingly, the truest spiritual successor (by the same people even!) to Archon Archon 2 is "The Unholy War" on the original PlayStation. It switches to a hex based battle view, and is more like what I think Archon 2 is in terms of building up points and "buying" characters.

 

Of course, the same people also made most of the Star Control series, which has some of the same elements of putting characters of different abilities into one on one combat.

[pinball22]

I've played Unholy War a lot, and I agree that it's probably the best successor game that has come out.

Unfortunately, the balance just isn't as good... some of the pieces are significantly overpowered, I think.

[NE146]

You guys ever try out Wrath Unleashed for the ps2/Xbox? Very Archon-ish as well..

 

 

[supercat]

If one has enough RAM, an Archon kernel would be feasible using the techniques here. Contrast isn't great, but it should be playable.

 

The player 1 difficulty switch selects whether to use 'flicker blinds' mode (a la Basic Programming) or straight venetian blinds. The character shapes are not set up for the latter, but you can see how they look anyway.

arc.bin

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

If one has enough RAM, an Archon kernel would be feasible using the techniques here.  Contrast isn't great, but it should be playable.

 

Uihjah... can't wait to come home and try that! After three stunning demos in a row, I'm really thrilled now to see with what solution you came up for an Archon board!

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Zach]

If one has enough RAM, an Archon kernel would be feasible using the techniques here.  Contrast isn't great, but it should be playable.

 

The player 1 difficulty switch selects whether to use 'flicker blinds' mode (a la Basic Programming) or straight venetian blinds.  The character shapes are not set up for the latter, but you can see how they look anyway.

938683[/snapback]

Nice job. I just tried it on a Krok Cart, and on my TV the flickering yellow characters look good. The blue ones are faint, especially on a light square. I wonder if you could improve this with a change of color?