MyPhear (3D Puzzle Game Prototype)

[phoboz]

 

I started creating something like Minecraft on a spherical surface.

Let's see what it becomes in the future?

[+Stephen]

Not sure why - but that sort of reminds me of tetris blocks.  Is it dropping to 30fps with basically a blank screen due to double buffering?

[phoboz]

20 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Is it dropping to 30fps with basically a blank screen due to double buffering?

It probably tuns at 25 fps on average, but there is always something on the screen (e.g. no blank screens).

The procedurally generated mesh can probably be optimized to make it run faster, but it feels as smooth as any Jaguar game at 25 fps.

 

25 fps is half the refresh rate on a PAL system in progressive scan. In interlace mode PAL systems update the screen at 25 fps, so it's the same update frequency as a PAL TV broadcasting signal.

 

For this kind of game the framerate isn't so critical, it only affects how fast the sphere rotates.

 

The original Phear prototype does not run any faster than this.

Edited December 15, 2022 by phoboz

[agradeneu]

Looks like Phear or some 3D Tetris, cool. 

 

But calling it "Minecraft" is something of a stretch?!

Good for clicks and views probably.

 

[phoboz]

Runs quite steady on the Jaguar at 25 frames per second on a PAL system.

 

Actually a little bit faster on the Jaguar than than in BigPEmu that was used to make the video. There it dropped to 20 fps. I guess the PC has a hard time to keep up emulating all the GPU code at full speed 

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by phoboz

[JagChris]

2 hours ago, phoboz said:

The original Phear prototype does not run any faster than this.

You've said too much!

 

Report for your beating.

[Rick Dangerous]

This has been chatted about in a few threads before.  It wound up becoming the (super fun IMO) Tetrisphere on the N64.  Would have been cool to see the game completed on Jag...but you can say that about a lot of games.  

[Clint Thompson]

2 hours ago, phoboz said:

Runs quite steady on the Jaguar at 25 frames per second on a PAL system.

 

Actually a little bit faster on the Jaguar than than in BigPEmu that was used to make the video. There it dropped to 20 fps. I guess the PC has a hard time to keep up emulating all the GPU code at full speed 

 

Fill the sphere with tiles 100%, add music and sfx and then let’s see performance

[phoboz]

28 minutes ago, Clint Thompson said:

Fill the sphere with tiles 100%, add music and sfx and then let’s see performance

Well the DSP is not even running yet, the m68000 goes to sleep as soon as the mesh has been generated, or modified.

Also I recalculate a camera matrix every frame, which I probably don't need to as the viewport never changes, just the orientation of the sphere.

 

Here I use only one sixth of a quadratic mesh sphere. As soon as I add the other sides, I won't need the same resolution on this side. There will be plenty of bricks on the other sides to make it complex enough. Back faces are culled, so invisible parts of the sphere should not take much power.

 

There will be some work on tuning this for optimal performance? However, I am sure that there will be some bricks to play around with in the end.

Edited December 15, 2022 by phoboz

[phoboz]

32 minutes ago, JagChris said:

You've said too much!

 

Report for your beating.

No, but I mean that 25 fps is a fully acceptable framerate for a 3D game on an early 90:s console, given that AvP probably runs at half that rate (e.g. 12-13 fps) and that is an action game.

[phoboz]

30 minutes ago, Rick Dangerous said:

This has been chatted about in a few threads before.  It wound up becoming the (super fun IMO) Tetrisphere on the N64.  Would have been cool to see the game completed on Jag...but you can say that about a lot of games.  

Yes, but this one in particular as it is a 3D game for the Atari Jaguar.

[phoboz]

37 minutes ago, JagChris said:

You've said too much!

 

Report for your beating.

I am not very good at keeping silent, am I?

[WAVE 1 GAMES]

PhobozSphere.

 

 

nice.

 

Keep it up let's see where this goes sir!

 

👍

[JagChris]

22 minutes ago, WAVE 1 GAMES said:

PhobozSphere.

 

👍

I actually like this name better

[JagChris]

9 hours ago, phoboz said:

Runs quite steady on the Jaguar at 25 frames per second on a PAL system.

 

Actually a little bit faster on the Jaguar than than in BigPEmu that was used to make the video. There it dropped to 20 fps. I guess the PC has a hard time to keep up emulating all the GPU code at full speed 

 

From the really bad things I've heard about it I don't think that renderer does anything at full speed. It was meant to be a demo. 

[phoboz]

5 hours ago, WAVE 1 GAMES said:

PhobozSphere

Yes, why not?

Thanks for the hint.

[agradeneu]

5 hours ago, phoboz said:

Yes, why not?

Thanks for the hint.

Sounds as modest as Carmackeddon instead of Doom.

 

 

[agradeneu]

18 hours ago, phoboz said:

Well the DSP is not even running yet, the m68000 goes to sleep as soon as the mesh has been generated, or modified.

Also I recalculate a camera matrix every frame, which I probably don't need to as the viewport never changes, just the orientation of the sphere.

 

Here I use only one sixth of a quadratic mesh sphere. As soon as I add the other sides, I won't need the same resolution on this side. There will be plenty of bricks on the other sides to make it complex enough. Back faces are culled, so invisible parts of the sphere should not take much power.

 

There will be some work on tuning this for optimal performance? However, I am sure that there will be some bricks to play around with in the end.

If you can keep 25 FPS, that would be excellent for a Jag 3D game! Hope to see some more progress....

[WAVE 1 GAMES]

Regarding the esthetics of the game, do you plan on adding colorful backgrounds behind the sphere puzzles like in Tetrisphere? Perhaps some space scenery? Maybe clouds and blue skies? Some trippy psychedelic backgrounds maybe? Just curious.

 

In regards to the name, PhobozSphere kind of rolls off the tongue easily and it helps distinguish it from Phear and Tetrisphere respectfully. I hope you do use that name.

 

Let me know if you require any help with this project be it testing or anything graphic related. I would be happy to lend a hand.

[phoboz]

17 minutes ago, WAVE 1 GAMES said:

Regarding the esthetics of the game, do you plan on adding colorful backgrounds behind the sphere puzzles like in Tetrisphere? Perhaps some space scenery? Maybe clouds and blue skies? Some trippy psychedelic backgrounds maybe? Just curious.

 

Let me know if you require any help with this project be it testing or anything graphic related. I would be happy to lend a hand.

Yes, nice background effects can be added later, my main focus right now is on the sphere.

 

If you have something in mind about decorative effects I am open for suggestions when I enter that stage of development. There will probably be plenty of space left on the cartridge for that.

[JagChris]

You might want to work gameplay out first. 

 

What is the plan?

[alucardX]

1 hour ago, phoboz said:

Yes, nice background effects can be added later, my main focus right now is on the sphere.

 

If you have something in mind about decorative effects I am open for suggestions when I enter that stage of development. There will probably be plenty of space left on the cartridge for that.

There are so many psychedelic type effects used on Jag already that it would be easy to fit in with some of the other games in the library that way.  It would also really be cool to give it some kind of a "Tron" look. Lit up backgrounds that maybe react to certain things? I don't know, just a thought.

[+Biff Burgertime]

I don't get the name Phear by itself. Tetrisphere? That one makes sense, it's a sphere made of Tetris blocks. Is Phear supposed to be a play on the word "fear?"

 

Given the fact this name appeared on some (nicely-made) marketing materials, I assume it's more than just a placeholder. Maybe I'm missing something obvious.

 

(from AtariMania)

[Shaggy the Atarian]

Maybe they'd have changed the name for the final release or it was just something to look cool. Never made sense but I always liked the name myself.

[Clint Thompson]

4 hours ago, Buffalo Biff Burgertime said:

I don't get the name Phear by itself. Tetrisphere? That one makes sense, it's a sphere made of Tetris blocks. Is Phear supposed to be a play on the word "fear?"

 

Given the fact this name appeared on some (nicely-made) marketing materials, I assume it's more than just a placeholder. Maybe I'm missing something obvious.

 

(from AtariMania)

 

"Phear was envisioned to be an adventure in cyberspace, pitting the player and his avatar against a future computer virus which would take over the minds of all connected to the internet if you didn’t defeat it. The goal was to unlock the game through “encrypted” puzzles – hence the Tetris sphere. It was originally to have cinematics and story development, in a kind of Mind’s Eye/Lawnmower Man universe. The player avatars of the early game were Mind’s Eye type beings, random references to pop culture and current social archetypes. A modern reference might be Ready Player One."