Activision style backgrounds?

[waderain]

Does anyone know a way to achieve the cool sky backgrounds in batari Basic? like the sunset or mountain backgrounds in some Activision games, and are there any examples out there?

 

I've been experimenting with ideas but the end up using a lot of resources and scanline problems.

 

 

[+Gemintronic]

You can use pfheights and pfcolors in the same game. That locks you into the same heights and colors though. You can kinda get around this by using the multi kernel framework since each 4k is technically a separate compiled game.

[+Random Terrain]

Have you seen this:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/282483-betarc-tyre-trax/

[iesposta]

Does anyone know a way to achieve the cool sky backgrounds in batari Basic? like the sunset or mountain backgrounds in some Activision games, and are there any examples out there?

 

I've been experimenting with ideas but the end up using a lot of resources and scanline problems.

 

tyre trax uses the bB DPC+ kernel where Background and Playfield can go down to color changes every other line.

I had to use a special bB 1.0 Kernel by batari for Flappy that allowed Background changes with a Playfield and Multi-Sprite - learn about that in my Flappy thread linked in my signature.

[waderain]

Have you seen this:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/282483-betarc-tyre-trax/

Yeah, the way they did Tyre-Trax is pretty crafty using the background colors and multi sprite combo's but it wouldn't work for what I need because I'm going to be using the sprites for the game play

[waderain]

tyre trax uses the bB DPC+ kernel where Background and Playfield can go down to color changes every other line.

I had to use a special bB 1.0 Kernel by batari for Flappy that allowed Background changes with a Playfield and Multi-Sprite - learn about that in my Flappy thread linked in my signature.

what is the link? I couldn't find it in your profile. Maybe is there a way to do the cool background stuff in Assembly and import it in to bBasic? like the way you can do with minikernels.

[+Muddyfunster]

Yeah, the way they did Tyre-Trax is pretty crafty using the background colors and multi sprite combo's but it wouldn't work for what I need because I'm going to be using the sprites for the game play

 

I'm not using sprites to create the gradient effect on the background, that's purely done via DPC+ and setting a fine resolution for the play-field - see here

 

I use the sprites for scenery elements and gameplay elements, not the gradient background.

[waderain]

 

I'm not using sprites to create the gradient effect on the background, that's purely done via DPC+ and setting a fine resolution for the play-field - see here

 

I use the sprites for scenery elements and gameplay elements, not the gradient background.

Sorry, that's what I meant. It's very well done game and a good use of sprites. Must of took forever to get the timing just right. I'm kind of looking for some kind of background to make my games more interesting and I hate programming in Assembly. I'm wondering if there is a way to make the backgrounds in Assembly and import them in to bBasic.

[+Gemintronic]

I can say iespostas idea can produce nice backgrounds. I did this pet rock thing:

 

Link to his Flappy bird topic

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/222161-flappy-my-1st-released-game/

 

[iesposta]

Sorry, that's what I meant. It's very well done game and a good use of sprites. Must of took forever to get the timing just right. I'm kind of looking for some kind of background to make my games more interesting and I hate programming in Assembly. I'm wondering if there is a way to make the backgrounds in Assembly and import them in to bBasic.

The latest batari Basic can do the original kernel games with 2 players, a multi-sprite kernel, and the DPC+ kernel.

You can do Background color and Playfield color design right in Visual bB which is a front end with tools for making your basic plain text source code, which bB then converts into assembly and compiles.

As I said you can get down to color changes every other Background scan line, and every other Playfield scan line.

The Players (sprites), 10 in bB DPC+ (Player0 real, Player1 used for virtual 9 Player objects) have color changes every scan line.

 

bBs many kernels are canned meaning you dont have to do the hard timing work, but Background and Playfield are 2-line kernels and every other scan line changes is the most you can get, or greater - as in setting the Background and/or Playfield to 1 solid color.

 

Simply put, the above means (and I may not be exact) around 87 color changes that would 2 scan lines high, down to 1 color, no changes.

 

More changes mean more data for Background color, Playfield color, and Playfield design (pixels on or off).

 

There is 4K for Player, Playfield, Background, etc graphic code. My game that has every other scan line Playfield color changes, no Background, allows 2 Playfields, Since that and my Players filled the 4K graphics bank, to add 2 more screens with high res Playfield I had to have the data in my game code Banks and I blank and push each pixel and color into the 4K graphics Bank using pfpixel on, pfpixel off, in a loop that draws the whole game screen. That overcycles, but CRT and LCD tests Ive tested tolerate my abuse and dont jitter, roll, or lose sync.

 

Assembly coding can have kernels that change every scan line of Background and every scanline of Playfield. Just not bB to date.

 

Apologies that iPhone stripped my apostrophies.

Edited December 1, 2018 by iesposta