Text idea..

[yuppicide]

I've never used the multisprite kernel before. RT's page says this:

 

"The player0 sprite works much how it did in the standard kernel. Player1-player5 sprites are 'virtual' sprites, and are displayed by repositioning the 2600's second hardware sprite several times during the visible screen."

 

-- Does that mean the sprites are just copies of the first one? IE: All the same Space Invader? Or can they all be different? I did read about vertical separation to get rid of flicker.

 

I had an idea for something. The only thing the kernel needs to do is randomize a number and based on that display the appropriate text on the screen. Nothing else aside from a simple title screen. So, this isn't really a game.

 

What I am trying to figure out is a way to do this. Here was my idea:

 

Here's a screen shot of my idea. The screen would be able to display 6 characters of text at a time using the multisprite kernel.

 

In my screen shot you will see I've drawn a playfield border on each side. The text comes in from the right and disappears to the left. In the middle would be no playfield, and that's where the text can be seen. In the screen shot above once the T disappears on the left, the G would show up on the right.

 

I was thinking somehow these could be stored in data statements and based on that it would know what letter to read next. It would have definitions stored for every all the characters in the alphabet and a few more. In the above screen shot T is player0, E is player1, etc, on up to N which is player5. Then once T goes off the screen it needs to know that the G will be player0. Thus, we've just printed "TESTING" and scrolled it across the screen.

 

The text would scroll in, until it's done with it's sentence or paragraph of text. It will then pause a bit, and start the same text over again. Maybe pressing up and down on joystick will change scroll speed. Pressing fire will make new random text come out.

 

Is this a good idea to go about things or should I be trying a different method? Ideally I'd prefer more text to be on a screen.

[Gateway]

.. In the multisprite kernel I have been working on some horizontally - scrolling text for my bB game though I am looking to add it as inline assembly. Still trying to wrap my brain around reading asm and how to make it work "in game". I guess I am slow, because it has taken me the last 2 months, a little bit everyday, but I am getting close to posting a demo.. my plan is to replace the score with scrolling text..

 

.. but if one of the 2600 gurus here knows a better way than thru adding asm, I am interested to see.

[jrok]

I've never used the multisprite kernel before. RT's page says this:

 

"The player0 sprite works much how it did in the standard kernel. Player1-player5 sprites are 'virtual' sprites, and are displayed by repositioning the 2600's second hardware sprite several times during the visible screen."

 

-- Does that mean the sprites are just copies of the first one?

 

Nope. Each virtual sprite can have it's own shape, color and size/number. You define them like you would player0 or player1. The word "copy" just means that the player 1 hardware sprite is being reused.

 

 

I had an idea for something. The only thing the kernel needs to do is randomize a number and based on that display the appropriate text on the screen. Nothing else aside from a simple title screen. So, this isn't really a game.

 

What I am trying to figure out is a way to do this. Here was my idea:

 

Here's a screen shot of my idea. The screen would be able to display 6 characters of text at a time using the multisprite kernel.

 

In my screen shot you will see I've drawn a playfield border on each side. The text comes in from the right and disappears to the left. In the middle would be no playfield, and that's where the text can be seen. In the screen shot above once the T disappears on the left, the G would show up on the right.

 

I don't see your screen shot, but if you are talking horizontal text, the thing to keep in mind is that you aren't going to get five virtual sprites on the same line with the multisprite kernel. You can get two on one line with flicker that isn't too bad. I suppose you can manually flicker player0 on alternating frames, then put both player0's on the same line with the two virtual player 1's, to achieve a decent-looking four letters on a line.

 

I was thinking somehow these could be stored in data statements and based on that it would know what letter to read next. It would have definitions stored for every all the characters in the alphabet and a few more. In the above screen shot T is player0, E is player1, etc, on up to N which is player5. Then once T goes off the screen it needs to know that the G will be player0. Thus, we've just printed "TESTING" and scrolled it across the screen.

 

The text would scroll in, until it's done with it's sentence or paragraph of text. It will then pause a bit, and start the same text over again. Maybe pressing up and down on joystick will change scroll speed. Pressing fire will make new random text come out.

 

Is this a good idea to go about things or should I be trying a different method? Ideally I'd prefer more text to be on a screen.

 

It would be easier to visualize what you are after with a mock-up. I don't see any barrier to storing the alphabet as data statements, though.

Edited August 10, 2009 by jrok

[yuppicide]

Sorry. I forgot to include the screen shot. I was at work and somebody was coming lol.

 

Here's my idea:

 

 

Yes I read about flicker. I thought I could stagger them a little bit so they're not exactly on the same line.

 

So, in that screen shot TESTING.. or let's say TESTING 1 2 3 is going to scroll across the screen.. the T goes off the left and the G comes in and it's now considered player0, the E goes off the left and the 1 comes in and is player1, etc.

 

Originally my idea was the make this into a crappy marquee program. I call it "Marquee Mark and The Funky Bunch". Variables would have included color choices, speed, and a few different ways the text could move across the screen.. like it could just move straight across, or it could bounce up and down, etc.

 

But my new purpose would be just to display a paragraph of text. I want it to randomly display blocks of text.

[+Random Terrain]

batari has been kind of promising text for a while. Maybe he'll be able to get to it some time in 2010.

[yuppicide]

Someone else had an idea for text also in bB, but there's other priorities before that.