+nanochess Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 5 hours ago, Jess Ragan said: Kids' mode? Don't mind if I do! Kids' mode currently cuts the quota to 60%, and could later be used to adjust other stats. I have to deal with some unpleasant business in my life which could slow down the production of the game, not that there's that much left in the game to do. So if I disappear, that's the reason. I'm not... at optimal mental health right now. whackem_game.rom 23.09 kB · 3 downloads My recipe all my life has been: If you feel bad and you cannot solve it, then code something. Better to have a busy mind. I'm sure you'll get afloat. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5457538 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 Yeah, I'm in total agreement. Coding is just the thing when you're depressed and you need to switch off your emotions. The Game Boy Advance port of GORF helped me get through some tough times... it gave me a goal; something to strive for, rather than just sitting around and moping. Anyway, here's the end scene for the Byron game. It's looking like I'm getting really close to the 32K limit, so I'd better pump the brakes on any further additions. (Maybe a boss at the end, that would be amusing.) whackem_game.rom 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5457609 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Révo Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 Great game! Are you planning to compile a version for SG-1000 and MSX ? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5457628 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 I mean, I don't see why not. Sound is still an issue, though, in that there isn't any. Rayxamber may be helping me out with that, though. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5457673 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 This came along a lot faster than expected. Anyway, this is (more or less) the full game. I was thinking of adding a boss, but maybe that'll have to wait for a sequel... I'm a bit exhausted with this project. Aside from the lack of sound and a slightly glitchy seventh stage, it feels professional, like something you would buy in a store circa 1983. You actually CAN squeeze decent graphics out of the ColecoVision and related systems, if you understand how the graphics work and use clever workarounds for the limitations. Anyway. I should probably pass the source code onto Ray so he can pop in music. I don't know what the immediate future will bring, but I may be too indisposed (and stressed) to do much in May. whackem_game.rom 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5457870 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 You know that scene from The Simpsons where Sideshow Bob keeps stepping on rakes? Yeah, I can totally relate to that. There was a big, big bug in the code that kept the interval between Byron draws at a constant rate, resulting in slightly weird behavior in game. Turns out I should have been using the original timer "intervalmax" to read stage behavior data, not "inmax" which I somehow included in the code. I mean, the compiler kept telling me I had a wasted variable. I was like, "Hey, shut up, I need that variable for timing," and it turns out that no, I really didn't. It was some OTHER variable, and it was a small wonder the code worked at all. I hate when that happens. Here it is now in its fixed state. Buh, embarrassing. whackem_game.rom 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5457977 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 Whack 'Em Smack 'Em Byrons is now available for the Sega SG-1000! And instead of merely a straight port, there's an intro with Byron doing his best imitation of the Sega CD BIOS. Run it today on your favorite... SG-1000... emulator. Whatever that would be. (Steve Snake's KEGA Fusion works well enough.) whackem_sg1000.sg 2 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5458742 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nanochess Posted May 1 Share Posted May 1 3 hours ago, Jess Ragan said: Whack 'Em Smack 'Em Byrons is now available for the Sega SG-1000! And instead of merely a straight port, there's an intro with Byron doing his best imitation of the Sega CD BIOS. Run it today on your favorite... SG-1000... emulator. Whatever that would be. (Steve Snake's KEGA Fusion works well enough.) whackem_sg1000.sg 30.38 kB · 0 downloads Cool! @Révo and @aotta surely will want to give a look at this. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5458836 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Completed compression in the ColecoVision version of WESEB (and may do the same for the SG-1000 version). Nano's right; it does chop the file size down a considerable amount. The access time it introduces isn't something I like, but I guess I can live with it when the resulting ROM is 5K smaller. I can add content with that additional space, and there should be plenty of space for sound effects and music. (When I can figure out how to do those. Which I hopefully won't have to do. I need to talk to Ray and see if he's made any progress.) There's a single black pixel at the bottom of the hedge row on the right hand side of the screen. It's driving me nuts. I h-a-a-a-t-e weird anomalies like that! whackem_comp.rom Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5459621 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Holy hell, that shrunk the game a lot, didn't it? Er, anyway. The pixel issue was fixed (I must have dropped a bit of black on it in Aseprite and didn't notice), and now there's a new minor play mechanic. Hitting Byron on the buzzer no longer means you lose the points for that strike... now it's worth double. (This is great for the mystery bonus. It doesn't count against you if you hit a butt on the buzzer... that still doesn't count.) whackem_comp.rom Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5459678 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 On reflection, I would never, ever ask anyone to play this game with a stubby-ass ColecoVision controller. Use the player two keypad instead. Use a Sega Genesis controller instead. Hammer your head against the television set where the Byrons are instead... it'll be more responsive that way. Nano, will games built with your compiler work fine with a Sega Genesis controller attached to the ColecoVision? I use a Genesis controller whenever possible to play ColecoVision games, but because of that dumb stock controller it's not always feasible to do that. Sometimes a Genesis controller will send unwanted input to the numeric keypad. It's why I have keypad input assigned to the second player controller. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5460479 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nanochess Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 5 hours ago, Jess Ragan said: On reflection, I would never, ever ask anyone to play this game with a stubby-ass ColecoVision controller. Use the player two keypad instead. Use a Sega Genesis controller instead. Hammer your head against the television set where the Byrons are instead... it'll be more responsive that way. Nano, will games built with your compiler work fine with a Sega Genesis controller attached to the ColecoVision? I use a Genesis controller whenever possible to play ColecoVision games, but because of that dumb stock controller it's not always feasible to do that. Sometimes a Genesis controller will send unwanted input to the numeric keypad. It's why I have keypad input assigned to the second player controller. If a controller can be plugged and works with any game, then CVBasic won't have any problem using it. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5460658 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 Not much in the way of changes with this update. I just changed the Cote Gamers logo (as per Rayxamber's request) and fixed missing details in my own logo. whackem_game.rom Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5461158 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 The first few traces of sound have arrived. A special thank you to Nanochess for making it all possible! Now, if I were to add the music routine, will that work alongside the sound effects routine? They won't interrupt each other as long as I make sound with a different channel from the sound effects channel, right? Just checkin'! whackem_game.rom 2 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5461532 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nanochess Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 30 minutes ago, Jess Ragan said: The first few traces of sound have arrived. A special thank you to Nanochess for making it all possible! Now, if I were to add the music routine, will that work alongside the sound effects routine? They won't interrupt each other as long as I make sound with a different channel from the sound effects channel, right? Just checkin'! whackem_game.rom 23.61 kB · 0 downloads The sound fits perfectly. As you are using both tone and noise channels, you should use PLAY SIMPLE NO DRUMS to set up the music player. This tells CVBasic to only use channels 0 and 1. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5461554 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 Byron now chuckles audibly between stages! I was concerned that maybe it would come off a little too mocking, like the Duck Hunt dog, but at least to my ears, it's not that annoying. It does sound like laughter, though! whackem_game.rom 2 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5462329 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 9 Author Share Posted May 9 This is as far as I'm going with Whack 'Em Smack 'Em Byrons, at least until I can figure out how to turn the vague musical concepts bouncing around in my head into actual music. I'm asking someone else for their assistance, but in the meantime... are there any music notation and transcription apps that aren't stupidly expensive and don't suck? I tried something from Klangion and its sound transcription was utterly hopeless. The songs it made out of my doot-dooting didn't resemble what I had imagined, or anything coherent. But anyway! It's a fully functioning game at this point... it just needs more music and sound effects. Also, it's hard! Either lean on the Kids' Mode or play to win with a good controller, because the stock ColecoVision controller just ain't gonna cut it. I'm playing it on my computer's keyboard during testing and even then I can just barely win. whackem_game.rom 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5463626 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 11 Author Share Posted May 11 Slight changes to the code. The game's been made more fair by consistently awarding 60 points for Byrons popping halfway out of their holes. Also, there's a new coin sound effect when the game starts. (I really, REALLY need to work on the music now. It's the only piece of the puzzle that's missing.) The ultimate goal is to make this one of the better games on the ColecoVision, on par with first party and some third party releases. If I can make this top twenty material for stock ColecoVision games, I'd be thrilled. whackem_game.rom 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5464703 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 Music! We've got MUSIC! I managed to plink out a melody on a piano app, then modified an example in Nanochess's book to produce what I'd like to think is a pretty decent success theme. Oh yes, we're getting closer and closer to wrapping things up. (May have to consider a second channel for bass backing. I dunno.) success_audio.rom 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5464849 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 (edited) DAMN am I inspired tonight! So yeah, I hunted and pecked out a melody I had rolling around in my head, so that plays whenever you win a stage. (I suspect I'll need three more.) As a bonus, there's the drum roll I wanted for "Evaluation Time" almost from the beginning of development, and your score is kept a mystery until the drum roll stops. Adds suspense, wouldn't you say? (By the way, don't use drums in CVBasic; just find some really low notes and quickly oscillate between them for a decent stab at a drum roll.) (Might help if I post the file. Heh.) whackem_game.rom Edited May 12 by Jess Ragan 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5464907 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayXambeR Posted May 12 Share Posted May 12 Nice little melody Jess, specially with a single channel. Adding a bass sound could be great for sure! (bass is always great! Keep up the good work, your game is now really polished, congrats! Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5464965 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 Thanks, Ray! As for bass backing, give this a try. (It was a lot easier to add a bass line than it was writing a melody, that's for sure.) whackem_game.rom Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5465133 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 Getting really close to a release candidate now. Most (all?) of the music is here, and there are just a few bugs left to squash. I'm thinking of adding what I like to call "loping" music... you know, that repetitive, easy-listening music you hear in the backs of Nintendo games. Like the five note song that plays in the background of Donkey Kong, that sort of thing. whackem_game.rom Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5465317 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 Here's the loping music. Thoughts, opinions? Would hearing this in the background for five straight minutes drive you mad? I need to ask Nanochess about the MUSIC command. Say you needed all sound channels for a specific melody, one that uses chords. When you're done playing that melody and need the game to start playing sound effects, what do you do to keep the sounds from getting distorted? Do you just shut off all sound channels (SOUND 0,,0, etc.) to reset them? I've been working on an intro for the SG-1000 version, and everything after the Sega jingle ("Saaay-guuuh!") gets kind of grungy-sounding. loping_audio_00.wav Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5465448 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 I keep saying this, I know, but we're pretty close to the finish line at this point. I experimented with loping music (the ROM's below) but it was not to taste. I'm pretty sure that you would be driven mad listening to that over... and over... and over again. It's not like the Donkey Kong background music, which is persistent yet inoffensive. (It would help if I could lower the volume, but it doesn't look like that option is available for the MUSIC statement.) Next on the agenda? An SG-1000 port. Shouldn't take me too long for that... all the assets are ready. whackem_game.rom whackem_w_loping.rom 2 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/364885-whack-em-smack-em-byron-dev-log/page/2/#findComment-5465753 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.