Plague (Atari 2600)

[MemberAtarian]

I think these will be the final one (box/cart), waiting for a temp for the manual and then I'm gonna do that as well.

[Gibstov]

I have been meaning to try this game since I saw this thread and I tried this game last night.

 

I thought it was pretty hard but I really dig the aesthetic.

Edited February 21, 2018 by Gibstov

[MemberAtarian]

I think the manual is ready to go as well.

[emerson]

This is an excellent concept! I like what you've done with it. It's hard and yet fun. Thank you!

[vcsrocks]

Awesome work!

[MemberAtarian]

Thank you guys.

[4ever2600]

Everything about this from game to box and manual look really cool.

[StanJr]

I'm still getting stuck in the playfield a lot, sometimes my feet, but more often my nose. This makes a lot of the platform jumping much harder than it should be, particularly since you cannot jump if your nose is stuck in the wall. (see pics) Getting past the thing in the wall that shoots at you is unnecessarily difficult.

 

Jumping is much improved since the switch to the button, but some jumps are still virtually impossible (escaping the lower pit after getting the herb on the collapsing bridge, this I cannot do).

 

The collapsing bridge in the dark room is a little cheap. Unless you know it's there, that's pretty much instant death, sometimes several. Even when you know it's there it's not always easy to make that jump.

 

I cannot get past the hand of god dropping blocks. One hit from the block is instant death and the speed of the drops is incredibly fast. If you have to use those blocks to climb up, I'm not sure how to get past this room. Clearly someone earlier in the thread was able to beat the game, but I don't see how they got past this screen.

 

I am also getting a weird image on the title screen (I'm using Stella), that makes the words almost unreadable. Have you been able to test this on actual hardware? Is this just an emulation issue? (see pic)

 

[+stephena]

I am also getting a weird image on the title screen (I'm using Stella), that makes the words almost unreadable. Have you been able to test this on actual hardware? Is this just an emulation issue? (see pic)

 

Looks that way on a real console too. Perhaps not quite as pronounced, but you can also make it look similar in Stella by turning on phosphor mode.

[KevinMos3]

I cannot get past the hand of god dropping blocks. One hit from the block is instant death and the speed of the drops is incredibly fast. If you have to use those blocks to climb up, I'm not sure how to get past this room. Clearly someone earlier in the thread was able to beat the game, but I don't see how they got past this screen.

 

I've not gotten past this screen either. I also wondered if it was just running faster on emulation or something because I was shown a video of how to complete it, but still cannot. They just get too fast long before enough blocks drop to build a way out.

 

...it's almost like it's intended for 50Hz but running at 60Hz, although I'm sure this is not the case. I've played in Stella and on my Flashback HD, but not real hardware yet.

 

Otherwise, awesome game. Just wish I could get past that screen to finish it.

[StanJr]

I have now made 25+ attempts at that screen and haven't even come close to getting up that wall. I'm not a master gamer by any stretch, but I would think I could have made it up once in 25 goes.

[MemberAtarian]

I have now made 25+ attempts at that screen and haven't even come close to getting up that wall. I'm not a master gamer by any stretch, but I would think I could have made it up once in 25 goes.

I tried it this morning, I needed 23 attempts. The hard part is that you have to wait for it to drop 3 blocks in front the wall and you can easily stuck at the wall, while the hand drops a new block. :/

[MemberAtarian]

 

Looks that way on a real console too. Perhaps not quite as pronounced, but you can also make it look similar in Stella by turning on phosphor mode.

The only difference that in Stella, the titlescreens made in Batari Basic flickers. On the real console, it stays still.

 

There is only written: "Fire for continue, reset for restart", nothing important.

[StanJr]

Actually for starting the game those words are very important! Is there any way to polish that up?

 

I'll give your Hand of God screen a few more goes, but we are tipping strongly on the frustrating side instead of the fun side.

[+SpiceWare]

The only difference that in Stella, the titlescreens made in Batari Basic flickers. On the real console, it stays still.

 

They flicker on a CRT display as well, flat panels just make it more obvious than the CRT's phosphors do. Also some people are more susceptible to 30 Hz flicker than others, the flickerblind technique used to create the titlescreen is just barely tolerable for me.

 

Open these in other tabs in your browser then toggle between the tabs to see it in action.

[KevinMos3]

Actually for starting the game those words are very important! Is there any way to polish that up?

 

I think the font style (with serifs) is just very difficult to read with the flicker. A more simple block font would remedy it without detracting from the overall style. It would still fit in well with the logo in my opinion.

 

 

I'll give your Hand of God screen a few more goes, but we are tipping strongly on the frustrating side instead of the fun side.

 

Agree. Awesome game, but that screen is a show stopper for me. I gave it many many tries, but it's just too difficult, to the point that if I were to ever make it past, it would surely be by dumb luck. I don't plan to try again any time soon unless the drop speed is decreased.

[MemberAtarian]

 

I think the font style (with serifs) is just very difficult to read with the flicker. A more simple block font would remedy it without detracting from the overall style. It would still fit in well with the logo in my opinion.

 

 

 

Agree. Awesome game, but that screen is a show stopper for me. I gave it many many tries, but it's just too difficult, to the point that if I were to ever make it past, it would surely be by dumb luck. I don't plan to try again any time soon unless the drop speed is decreased.

Actually this is how the titlescreen looks. It's not an unreadable font, but as you shrink it to 96 and import it to the titlescreen maker, it gets ruined. That's why in Apollyon, there is no additional text on the titlescreen, just the logo, I think any gamer who played Atari could guess Fire or Reset is used for beginning the game.

 

With the falling blocks, belive it or not, that is only "speed 2", so the "ball" adds to his y coordinate by drawning. The first three blocks are dropped by 1. In Apollyon, I felt the same problem as the Facehugger and the Chestbuster moves by 1, the adult Xenomorph seems very slow if it just goes by 1 as well, but 2 is too fast, if you know the right tactic like me, you can kill everyone without dying.

Edited March 31, 2018 by MemberAtarian

[KevinMos3]

Actually this is how the titlescreen looks. It's not an unreadable font, but as you shrink it to 96 and import it to the titlescreen maker, it gets ruined. That's why in Apollyon, there is no additional text on the titlescreen, just the logo, I think any gamer who played Atari could guess Fire or Reset is used for beginning the game.

 

Right, it's mainly the serifs that make it so hard to read at that resolution, especially with the flicker/blind effect. What I was saying is that a more simple font would be easier to read without detracting from the "style" of the game.

Here's a quick example.

The reason I mentioned this wasn't because the font bothered me, but since it was brought up by others, I figured there was an easy solution to make it more readable by everyone... and I was pointing out that there's really no reason "not" to do it. No need to guess at or assume what it says if you don't have to.

 

 

With the falling blocks, belive it or not, that is only "speed 2", so the "ball" adds to his y coordinate by drawning. The first three blocks are dropped by 1. In Apollyon, I felt the same problem as the Facehugger and the Chestbuster moves by 1, the adult Xenomorph seems very slow if it just goes by 1 as well, but 2 is too fast, if you know the right tactic like me, you can kill everyone without dying.

 

Those falling blocks are still a showstopper for me. If it takes even the programmer 23 attempts, it's likely too difficult for the average player. Are there unlimited lives? Every time I've tried, I've kept going on that screen until it restarts me at the beginning of the game, so I thought there were only a certain number of lives.

Challenge is good, which is why I've not complained about any of the other screens I've come across up to that point, but that one is beyond challenging.

 

Please don't take these posts as criticism. It's a great thing when games are developed in the open on the forum, where people can give their feedback and games usually end up better because of it. I think there's a lot of potential in the game and would probably buy a cartridge if a change or two are made, but that one screen will probably keep me from ever playing it again.

Edited April 1, 2018 by KevinMos3

[MemberAtarian]

Done the things you requested.

Now you have 6 blocks before it gets faster. 6 blocks is more then enough.

I really don't like to change codes I had not worked with for a long time, I already finished Apollyon and constantly thinking about Distopia that will be a building centered TBS (turn based strategy) for the VCS.

 

 

Right, it's mainly the serifs that make it so hard to read at that resolution, especially with the flicker/blind effect. What I was saying is that a more simple font would be easier to read without detracting from the "style" of the game.

Here's a quick example.

Plague_Title_Font_Example.png

The reason I mentioned this wasn't because the font bothered me, but since it was brought up by others, I figured there was an easy solution to make it more readable by everyone... and I was pointing out that there's really no reason "not" to do it. No need to guess at or assume what it says if you don't have to.

 

 

 

Those falling blocks are still a showstopper for me. If it takes even the programmer 23 attempts, it's likely too difficult for the average player. Are there unlimited lives? Every time I've tried, I've kept going on that screen until it restarts me at the beginning of the game, so I thought there were only a certain number of lives.

Challenge is good, which is why I've not complained about any of the other screens I've come across up to that point, but that one is beyond challenging.

 

Please don't take these posts as criticism. It's a great thing when games are developed in the open on the forum, where people can give their feedback and games usually end up better because of it. I think there's a lot of potential in the game and would probably buy a cartridge if a change or two are made, but that one screen will probably keep me from ever playing it again.

 

PlagueFinalNTSC 1.02.bas.bin

PlagueFinalPAL50 1.02.bas.bin

PlagueFinalPAL60 1.02.bas.bin

[MemberAtarian]

-Scanline issues fixed.
-God of hand won't kill you at the last pf blocks.

-You can't go through wall at the end of the wall accidentally.

 

PlagueFinalNTSC 1.09.bas.bin

PlagueFinalPAL60 1.09.bas.bin

[Iwantgames:)]

Did this get a cart release yet?

[MemberAtarian]

Did this get a cart release yet?

This one will be released by Al on AA, be patient!

[Iwantgames:)]

Cool. I don't always remember to check so just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed it

[King_Salamon]

This looks really interesting and seeing as it will be available at PRGE is pretty exciting!

 

Is that manual in English and Hungarian by chance?  My father is from Hungary and passed away in 2016.  Would be cool to have that manual as it would be the first English/Hungarian manual I ever had! 

 

 

[jwelsh]

Whatever happened to the release of this game? haven't heard anything about it in a while. Hoping it eventually comes out.