Baby Pac-Man

[Swami]

 

OK yeah, I figured as much. The only problem is that I stink even on Classic mode, either I need lots more practice or I should be spending my time elsewhere on games where I don't get killed instantly all the time.

It is a lot more difficult because the monsters are a bit smarter and, well, you have no power pills to start with which makes a huge difference, since they are hard earned in this game. The solution is to become better at earning power pills in the pinball portion and then the maze becomes pretty similar in difficulty to the original pac-man.

[+Nathan Strum]

It is a lot more difficult because the monsters are a bit smarter and, well, you have no power pills to start with which makes a huge difference, since they are hard earned in this game. The solution is to become better at earning power pills in the pinball portion and then the maze becomes pretty similar in difficulty to the original pac-man.

 

 

And watch Bob's videos, because he's absolutely owning the mazes.

[+x=usr(1536)]

It is a lot more difficult because the monsters are a bit smarter and, well, you have no power pills to start with which makes a huge difference, since they are hard earned in this game. The solution is to become better at earning power pills in the pinball portion and then the maze becomes pretty similar in difficulty to the original pac-man.

 

The other trick is learning how to lead the ghosts. As Nathan Strum mentioned above, watch Bob's videos to get an idea of how best to do this - but it is a survival skill you'll need to pick up on, especially when you can't escape to the pinball playfield.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

OK yeah, I figured as much. The only problem is that I stink even on Classic mode, either I need lots more practice or I should be spending my time elsewhere on games where I don't get killed instantly all the time.

Classic mode AI and "remember pellets" menu options should make it much more accessible.

 

What more do you need? Drain plug? Infinite lives?

[Swami]

 

OK yeah, I figured as much. The only problem is that I stink even on Classic mode, either I need lots more practice or I should be spending my time elsewhere on games where I don't get killed instantly all the time.

I died so fast when I first started playing this. BTW, as mentioned a while back, a good normal button controller, like on an arcade controller or NES pad, is loads better than trying to play using the painline.

[PacManPlus]

Ok. RC8 attached.

 

Starting work on the manual. (ugh)

BabyPac.A78

BabyPac.BIN

[Gaztee]

Just wanted to say I have purchased a 7800 just so I can buy a copy of this game when its available. My acrade machine has been in storage for the last 3 years as it wont fit in my current house, so the chance to play it again is too tempting. Congrats to all those involved I look forward to opening my wallet when the time comes

[Jinks]

Classic mode AI and "remember pellets" menu options should make it much more accessible.

 

What more do you need? Drain plug? Infinite lives?

About 15 lives. I could do a couple screens then maybe.

Lets put it this way Ms Pac Man I can make the first intermission then maybe 1 board. That is on the easiest level.

I have hours of play throughout the years on these games. The frustration level is crazy. It is down to that some people are bad at pac man that is it.

Some people suck at beat em ups and space shooters and racing games.

I can appreicate any game and play it except rpg games. I would rather play connect four with my cat.

This game baby pac man looks and plays great from what I see.

Question to Bob. Now that the game is pretty much completed what are your thoughts on it? You look like your owning it. Is it all you imagined?

Edited January 25, 2019 by Jinks

[Andromeda Stardust]

Meh. Different strokes for different folks.

 

I used to suck at SHMUPs, but I got loads better with practice (Galaga [Arcade, NES] and Blazing Lazers [TG-16] are two of my all time favs).

 

FPS in general I loathe with a passion.

 

I used to suck at beat em ups (Ninja Gaiden, Turtles, et al). Still do.

 

Platformers, I excell at run-n-jumps (Mario), suck at run-n-guns (Contra, Megaman, et al).

 

Puzzle Games (Tetris), I'm a natural born wizard.

 

Decent at maze chase games, love playing all forms of Pacman.

 

I love pinball sims, hate sports sims, regardless of difficulty.

 

RPGs, depends on story progression, pacing, and amount of grinding necessary to level up. Love Zelda as well.

[PacManPlus]

Ok... so there are two things I want to try to add before I call this 'final'.

 

I will not say what they are, in case I am unable to add them.

 

So, I guess I'm saying, that isn't the final RC... just yet...

[Kurt_Woloch]

Maybe... the correct scoring for the items that are supposed to be only 10 points, not 100? Just guessin'...

 

By the way, thank you for posting RC8!

 

About the dividing-up of the sound channels, I guess it'd be logical that in pinball mode, one channel plays the sound effects, and the other plays the flippers clicking.

 

Another thing that occured to me... I think that on the switch from maze to pinball without the "Pacscalator", there's a pretty long delay before the sound comes up. I think it should start a bit earlier, the delay is definitely a bit shorter in the arcade. And as far as I know, in the arcade that sound plays again if you lose the ball and are supposed to serve it again because you didn't hit anything meaningful, while no sound plays in this case in RC8.

 

Ok... so there are two things I want to try to add before I call this 'final'.

 

I will not say what they are, in case I am unable to add them.

[PacManPlus]

Maybe... the correct scoring for the items that are supposed to be only 10 points, not 100? Just guessin'...

 

By the way, thank you for posting RC8!

 

About the dividing-up of the sound channels, I guess it'd be logical that in pinball mode, one channel plays the sound effects, and the other plays the flippers clicking.

 

Another thing that occured to me... I think that on the switch from maze to pinball without the "Pacscalator", there's a pretty long delay before the sound comes up. I think it should start a bit earlier, the delay is definitely a bit shorter in the arcade. And as far as I know, in the arcade that sound plays again if you lose the ball and are supposed to serve it again because you didn't hit anything meaningful, while no sound plays in this case in RC8.

 

- I've decided that I am not going to revamp the entire scoring process for two items that are 10 points... and one of them (the spinner) changes to be 100 any way. The bumper in this version will be 100 points instead of 10.

- Re: flipper sounds on other channel. I'm doing that now. I put the flipper click on channel 1, along with a 2 or 3 other sounds that I felt should not be cut off. The rest are prioritized on the other channel.

- I have shortened the delay between the maze and the pinball section.

- I have added the 'pinball start' sound for each 'relaunch' of the ball.

 

Thanks, guys

[PacManPlus]

Question for you guys:

 

I'd like to make the dots the right size, but unfortunately I don't have the colors to do that. Right now, they are 'partially' white because it's using the third color which will only show up if paired with another color.

 

If I make the dots the right size, they will either be the color of the outside of the maze or the inside.

How do you feel about this?

 

Here's an example:

 

So it's either the dots elongated and partially white, or the 'correct' size and the maze (inside or outside) color.

 

What say you all?

Thanks,

Bob

[RevEng]

I like the white+color dots in the current version. The color makes them look anti-aliased, so they don't seem as wide as they actually are.

[+sramirez2008]

I like the way the dots look with the maze outside color.

[AtariBrian]

Question for you guys:

 

I'd like to make the dots the right size, but unfortunately I don't have the colors to do that. Right now, they are 'partially' white because it's using the third color which will only show up if paired with another color.

 

If I make the dots the right size, they will either be the color of the outside of the maze or the inside.

How do you feel about this?

 

Here's an example:

0002.png

 

So it's either the dots elongated and partially white, or the 'correct' size and the maze (inside or outside) color.

 

What say you all?

Thanks,

Bob

 

I like the dots in your example photo here .

[Cobra Kai]

The smaller dots shown above make it look higher resolution, which I think looks good.

[+save2600]

I like the white+color dots in the current version. The color makes them look anti-aliased, so they don't seems as wide as they actually are.

Same here. Think I'd really prefer the "whiter" dots. lol

 

Plus... with the 7800's semi-crappy (slightly dim) video output, guessing you'll hardly notice color on the edges when playing on a CRT. Like you said, makes them appear not as wide.

 

My second choice would be the same color as the outside of the maze.

[gorfcadet]

I like the white dots. Just a preference. Sometimes it might make me miss a spot when playing if the colors matched maze.

[TrekMD]

I like the white dots as they are currently as well.

[Trebor]

I like the white+color dots in the current version. The color makes them look anti-aliased, so they don't seems as wide as they actually are.

^^^

 

I never even noticed or thought of the white dots as being wide, figuring the color 'bleed' on the sides was a side effect of the 320 mode due to how the mode is being utilized.

Coloring them the same as a shade of the maze, while not horrible, appears out of place and bland compared to the very nice contrast the white provides.

[PacManPlus]

Ok

 

The dots stay as they were (white with other color)

Thanks, guys.

[+Kaboomer]

Same here. Think I'd really prefer the "whiter" dots. lol

 

Plus... with the 7800's semi-crappy (slightly dim) video output, guessing you'll hardly notice color on the edges when playing on a CRT. Like you said, makes them appear not as wide.

 

My second choice would be the same color as the outside of the maze.

^^ what save2600 says ^^

[Kurt_Woloch]

I've now headed for a high score, and I think I've got one... this was accomplished with the ghosts in Arcade mode, remembering pellets and 5 lives...

 

 

I've noticed something odd by the way... I managed to earn a power pellet and then place the ball in the corresponding hole and ended up in the maze. There I used up the power pellet, but didn't make it back to the open chute. The next life started with both chutes open, and I went down one of the chutes, and the ball was gone and supposed to be served from the bottom, even though I placed it in the hole when I left the pinball part. Somehow it was magically released in between. I managed to reproduce this, and it happened with the upper left power pellet.

 

I just tried the same thing in Visual PinMAME, and there, even though you don't get a Pacscalator when you come back in this case, the ball is still in the hole and kicked out of it when you come back. I think this is a bug in your version.

[Baby Blue Azure]

Speaking of HIGH scores...while the BPM crew has been busy slaving over this game, I've been playing it for what seems like forever. I'd like to personally thank Bob for creating the first billion point capable game! Bonus points to you! This must be some kind of a record! For sure we now know the scoring algo completely functions. But what happens when the game rolls over at 10 Billion points? Stay tuned, you never know what Bob's cooked up!