64 replies to this topic

[kroogur]

Ok update time. I don't have the plot outline started because the winner of the scenario poll j.m.ratkos contacted me and we are currently getting things organized So basically once we get things sorted out we will post up the plot and then hopefully get some great input from the community to roll this thing along!

*Updates will be posted as needed*

Edited by kroogur, Sun Oct 4, 2009 4:47 PM.

[uglyclone]

kroogur, on Sun Oct 4, 2009 4:45 PM, said:

Ok update time. I don't have the plot outline started because the winner of the scenario poll j.m.ratkos contacted me and we are currently getting things organized So basically once we get things sorted out we will post up the plot and then hopefully get some great input from the community to roll this thing along!

*Updates will be posted as needed*

Is it started yet?

[kroogur]

uglyclone, on Wed Oct 7, 2009 3:36 PM, said:

Is it started yet?

I have been contacted by both Groovybee and j.m.ratkos today and we are starting to gather the basic story line and elements so yes things are progressing. When we have a solid plot we will post it

[jonfin826]

So this will be the Atari 7800's FIRST RPG? I can tell you right now, if it has even an occasional cutscene I guarantee I will buy this. You know, the kind with a picture on the top half of the screen and white text over a black background on the bottom half (like in the MegaMan games for NES). That alone would make me want the game.

[GroovyBee]

kroogur, on Wed Oct 7, 2009 5:30 PM, said:

I have been contacted by both Groovybee and j.m.ratkos today and we are starting to gather the basic story line and elements so yes things are progressing. When we have a solid plot we will post it

I'm just the technical guy on the project .

[gdement]

jonfin826, on Wed Oct 7, 2009 5:54 PM, said:

So this will be the Atari 7800's FIRST RPG? I can tell you right now, if it has even an occasional cutscene I guarantee I will buy this. You know, the kind with a picture on the top half of the screen and white text over a black background on the bottom half (like in the MegaMan games for NES). That alone would make me want the game.

The gameplay style has been decided to be similar to Zelda, which is the same basic style as Midnight Mutants. So it would be either the 2nd, or the 0th, depending if you call Zelda an RPG.

[Shawn Sr.]

gdement, on Fri Oct 9, 2009 8:39 PM, said:

jonfin826, on Wed Oct 7, 2009 5:54 PM, said:

So this will be the Atari 7800's FIRST RPG? I can tell you right now, if it has even an occasional cutscene I guarantee I will buy this. You know, the kind with a picture on the top half of the screen and white text over a black background on the bottom half (like in the MegaMan games for NES). That alone would make me want the game.

The gameplay style has been decided to be similar to Zelda, which is the same basic style as Midnight Mutants. So it would be either the 2nd, or the 0th, depending if you call Zelda an RPG.

So it's not gonna be turn based a la Final Fantasy? Thats a shame

[Mord]

Shawn Sr., on Fri Oct 9, 2009 9:04 PM, said:

gdement, on Fri Oct 9, 2009 8:39 PM, said:

jonfin826, on Wed Oct 7, 2009 5:54 PM, said:

So this will be the Atari 7800's FIRST RPG? I can tell you right now, if it has even an occasional cutscene I guarantee I will buy this. You know, the kind with a picture on the top half of the screen and white text over a black background on the bottom half (like in the MegaMan games for NES). That alone would make me want the game.

The gameplay style has been decided to be similar to Zelda, which is the same basic style as Midnight Mutants. So it would be either the 2nd, or the 0th, depending if you call Zelda an RPG.

So it's not gonna be turn based a la Final Fantasy? Thats a shame

I'm ok with something more zelda-ish, although let up and down actually be up and down. Don't do the whole diagonal movement like there is in Midnight Mutants please.

[Bakasama]

I hope the player character has lots of options for customizing. I've grown tired of prefap characters of JRPGs.

[Christopher T Leach]

If you have a mailing list can you send me a pm when this is actually available for purchase...I will be sure to watch this topic as i have the US release 7800 collection and some aftermarket titles...I could use something newer to play for a while.....

[MrBeefy]

Can't wait to hear more and see updates!

[Classic Pac]

I am looking forward to this one myself, but my main concern is the ability to save your game. Battery save would be great, password as long as it is not over complicated is okay.

[Atarifever]

Classic Pac, on Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:47 AM, said:

I am looking forward to this one myself, but my main concern is the ability to save your game. Battery save would be great, password as long as it is not over complicated is okay.

Password is the better option all around (how I miss them). One sheet of paper (or the same type of index cards I use for high scores) and you have virtually unlimited "save slots." Every old save remains viable if you want to go back and replay. No worry about battery failure, so as long as the cart works, the "save" works. Cheat passwords can be written in, or someone can crack the code and let you do silly stuff like start off with the best stats. And, from a homebrew perspective, it's one less component that can break, and I imagine it'd make the carts cheaper.

[Atari_Owl]

Well I've not ventured outside a particular part of the AA world too often I've therefore only just discovered this project.

As someone also working on an action-adventure/rpg-like project on another of the RPG bereft Ataris I shall watch this development with keen interest and wish you all the very best in your endeavours.

[jonfin826]

But aren't passwords only generated from where you are in the game, not what you've customized, character options, stats, etc? Is there a way to make it generate a password for every possible situation, status, stats, and whatnot?

[jrok]

jonfin826, on Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:15 PM, said:

But aren't passwords only generated from where you are in the game, not what you've customized, character options, stats, etc? Is there a way to make it generate a password for every possible situation, status, stats, and whatnot?

I don't expect they are talking about "generating" passwords at all, but rather having a static system of set codes that correspond to all the variables local to play (i.e. Swords and Serpents, Metroid, etc). I imagine that this would include all possible stats and customization, and would allow for "cheat codes" if you could crack the cypher.

[jrok]

It's really great that this is happening. It sounds like a very exciting project, and the action/RPG model seems appropriate. I wouldn't mind at all contributing some graphics and animation work.

Cheers,
Jarod.

[kroogur]

jrok, on Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:34 PM, said:

It's really great that this is happening. It sounds like a very exciting project, and the action/RPG model seems appropriate. I wouldn't mind at all contributing some graphics and animation work.

Cheers,
Jarod.

Thats awesome! If you like maybe send a pm to groovybee and discuss graphics and animation with him. The more help we get with this the cooler it will be.

[GroovyBee]

kroogur, on Thu Oct 15, 2009 7:13 AM, said:

jrok, on Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:34 PM, said:

It's really great that this is happening. It sounds like a very exciting project, and the action/RPG model seems appropriate. I wouldn't mind at all contributing some graphics and animation work.

Thats awesome! If you like maybe send a pm to groovybee and discuss graphics and animation with him. The more help we get with this the cooler it will be.

Welcome aboard jrok! I think that a design document for a game that fits the machine's capabilities needs to be on the table before graphics are started. For example, if you wanted a 1000 enemies on screen at once its not going to happen .

[jrok]

GroovyBee, on Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:14 AM, said:

kroogur, on Thu Oct 15, 2009 7:13 AM, said:

jrok, on Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:34 PM, said:

It's really great that this is happening. It sounds like a very exciting project, and the action/RPG model seems appropriate. I wouldn't mind at all contributing some graphics and animation work.

Thats awesome! If you like maybe send a pm to groovybee and discuss graphics and animation with him. The more help we get with this the cooler it will be.

Welcome aboard jrok! I think that a design document for a game that fits the machine's capabilities needs to be on the table before graphics are started. For example, if you wanted a 1000 enemies on screen at once its not going to happen .

You read my mind. Actually, I just assumed graphics and animation would be tabled at least the design doc had been written and perhaps a rough engine had been hammered out. But I'd be happy to work up a few samples once you had a tile size, resolution and framerate you were happy with. The offer will still be on the table whenever that happens.

Oh, and I'll be happy with just 500 enemies per screen

[j.m.ratkos]

I'm back in the land of the living after a serious bout with the flu over the past few weeks. I'll try and get with groovey bee and kroogur to continue firming up the plotline and present it to the forum for feedback and go from there. welcome aboard jrok (any and all help are much appreciated

in the meantime, can anyone point me in the direction of any documentation for the 7800 so that I know exactly what our limitations are for graphics, max no. of sprites on the screen, sprite sizes, etc?

[GroovyBee]

j.m.ratkos, on Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:54 PM, said:

in the meantime, can anyone point me in the direction of any documentation for the 7800 so that I know exactly what our limitations are for graphics, max no. of sprites on the screen, sprite sizes, etc?

There aren't any documents that say what the limits are. The only documents that exist are technical in nature and specify the machine's internal chip registers, its graphics modes and how to present data in Display List format to MARIA (video chip).

See Curt Vendel's site atarimuseum :-

http://www.atarimuse...maria_specs.pdf
http://www.atarimuse...00_software.pdf

Go with the GCC documentation because there are bugs in Atari's.

I'd recommend that you get the game design done first then scale it back as necessary.

[Mitch]

And more dev docs here.

Mitch

[j.m.ratkos]

thanks to both of you. I mainly wanted the documentation so that I wasn't attempting something that was completely not possible to begin with.

since I'm not really familiar with the system at a hardware level, even simple things like screen resolution modes, the number of colors for the sprites, sprite size limitations, etc. this should help me to determine what can and can't be done before putting on my rose colored glasses.

[GroovyBee]

j.m.ratkos, on Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:37 AM, said:

thanks to both of you. I mainly wanted the documentation so that I wasn't attempting something that was completely not possible to begin with.

It's a 1.79MHz, 8 bit, Pentium beating machine for sure .

Quote

since I'm not really familiar with the system at a hardware level, even simple things like screen resolution modes, the number of colors for the sprites, sprite size limitations, etc. this should help me to determine what can and can't be done before putting on my rose colored glasses.

The 7800's technical documentation is just the facts about the hardware in black and white. It doesn't explain programming tricks to exploit what you've got in unusual ways or include any information on creative game design.

To me its an iterative process. Don't worry about the technical aspects of the target machine at the moment. In my mind, the sounds, colour depth and size of the graphics will be the last things worked on in the design document. Game play plot/puzzles/quests, mechanics/physics, scoring system, player/enemy/weapon abilities, customisation options, etc. are much more important.