Scanline possibility question

#1 salstadt OFFLINE

Chopper Commander

198 posts

Location:Glendale, CA

Posted Tue Oct 5, 2004 2:51 AM

I tend to mockup things and then find out later that they can't possibly work on the system.

So I'm starting backwards this time. I have a fun idea, that would be relatively easy to illustrate and code, but I want to check on how it fits in with the 2600's limitations first. So, check out this image:

Posted Image

The letters A & B aren't sprites, so don't count them. But regarding the other objects, this is the most that would ever possibly be on any single scanline at once. So my question is...

1) Is option A possible (equadistant scrolling objects - the red things - which may at any given moment scroll past up to two independant larger objects and one smaller one)?

2) And if not, is option B possible (the same, but with only one of the larger objects)?

The red objects will never overlap horizontally, and if so would only do so with Space Invader-style sprite copying. But the gameplay hinges on at least 2 to 3 other objects being able to float independantly past those red objects. And each must float freely (so the yellow circles in the example might not line up, or one might move up with another moving down, etc).

So, is this possible? Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer some insight.

- Adam

#2 Cybergoth OFFLINE

Quadrunner

8,207 posts

This is Sparta!
Location:Bavaria

Posted Tue Oct 5, 2004 3:43 AM

Hi there!

Well, it's even harder to tell you what's possible with those two examples, than with the full screens you provided with previous concepts...

Just from what we see right now can be displayed almost 1:1 by the VCS.

How will the final shapes look like, I assume those circles and arrows are just dummies? And the yellow circles aren't always on the same vertical height, or? Also, are all horizontal positions of the objects absolutely fixed, like you had a set of vertical rails as ~ in this picture:

Posted Image