Attract mode

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Vic 2000
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Attract mode

Post by Vic 2000 »

Too many games lacks it when it should be there. Instead of running a short demo of the levels most games leaves you with a static screen of some kind. Attract mode is a legacy from the arcade halls and attract mode was invented to make the games more inviting to play and more alive. I often leave the emulator on running attract mode to get some sort of arcade feeling at home. It's real nice to have Pac-Man, Moon Patrol, Donkey Kong or some other classic running there in the background while you do something else for the moment.

Back then most developers was quite careful to include the attract mode but later most developers unfortanly skipped attract mode. It would be great to see attract mode in more games, a small demo that makes the game more alive and inviting to play. :)

Novadays you have to visit some longplay site or YT too get that mode, unfortanly.
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beamrider
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Re: Attract mode

Post by beamrider »

Vic-20 games would usually not have an attract mode mainly due to memory constraints and the fact that you've already paid for the game so no need to attract players...

Agreed it's a "nice to have" but low down on the prority list. I would have added it to Pooyan if I had space as I personally like it.

Some Vic-20 games do have it though. Jupiter lander springs to mind.
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Re: Attract mode

Post by Vic20-Ian »

Matrix or Laserzone and Tutankham had these I think.

Trying to think of a 3.5k game that did? Arcadia maybe - will check later
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Vic 2000
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Re: Attract mode

Post by Vic 2000 »

Donkey Kong and most of Atarisoft games have an attract mode. K-Star Patrol, K-Razy Antics and many more when i search the Vic-20 rom collection.

A small automated sequence allways add some charm to an already good game. Some games for Vic-20 uses it as you say.

Perhaps a good solution to get more memory for gamewriting could be to use bankswitching memory and make it cartridge only? In those days memory was very expensive, today it's the opposite. Some games for Atari 8bit needs at least 320 Kb (Atari 320 Rambo) to even boot.

Zorgons Kingdom for exemple was a 48k game but used multiloading. Same thing could be done 1000 times faster using a flash cartridge or simulated cartridge.
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beamrider
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Re: Attract mode

Post by beamrider »

...if you make it cartridge only:

a) you're restricting the number of people able to enjoy the game on real hardware
b) offering an Arcade clone for sale exposes you to potential legal action from the copyright holder
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Vic 2000
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Re: Attract mode

Post by Vic 2000 »

Isn't there any type of flash cartridge available for the real physical Vic-20, as Atari Maxflash 8mb cartridge for Atari 8bit computers for exemple? Or it could be released for the diskdrive using at least 16 k expansion to cut down loading times?

Using an emulator you just go fast forward so tape loading is never really a problem using the VICE emulator. Just enter warp mode.
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beamrider
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Re: Attract mode

Post by beamrider »

I'm not aware of any bank switching flash cart for the vic-20, but even if there were, the vast majority of users will have a standard Ram expansion cartiridge.

Multi-load has its merits, but IMO is more suited to large multi-level games that couldn't possibly fit into RAM.

I certainly wouldn't want a game to become multi-load just to have an attract screen...
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Vic 2000
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Re: Attract mode

Post by Vic 2000 »

Another good way perhaps, instead of fitting your game on 3k or 8k, use 16k as minimum and add a nice title screen and a short attract mode sequence. :)
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beamrider
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Re: Attract mode

Post by beamrider »

Yes, unfortunately for my part, Pooyan already fills up all 16K. :cry:

I agree though that you might as well go to 16K instead of 8K. Back in the day (and certainly now) I think most users would choose a 16K cart over 8K.
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Vic 2000
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Re: Attract mode

Post by Vic 2000 »

Back then it was always a question of money, today we can afford to use 16k as often as we like. :)
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beamrider
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Re: Attract mode

Post by beamrider »

As a child I had very limited money at the time (earned £2 a week) but decided that I'd rather pay £70 for 16K than £45 for 8K. Given that the 8K would be wasted when I upgraded.

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Vic 2000
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Re: Attract mode

Post by Vic 2000 »

I bought one of those switchable 16k ram packs from Ram Electronics, else i couldn't play the 3k games. :D

I remember Zorgons Kingdom back then, it was a real pain to play, not because of the frustration of real bad game control that made you go mad. No, it was because of the horrible multi loading from tape. Play a screen, wait several minutes, play another screen, wait several minutes.

The swedish game catalog bragged about the first 48k game for Vic-20, in fact the whole game was a disaster of bad game control and endless loading. Just take the first screen, it seems to be real easy, wrong, it's a nightmare of bad game control, and not only that, suddenly you'll find yourself killed when falling of the platform because of the game created a random hole.

:D

Well, it's still a nightmare when i played it yesterday, except the loading times when i use warp mode in VICE. :)
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Re: Attract mode

Post by rhurst »

Agreed. It's not hard to incorporate, even for unexpanded games. I took the Atari 2600 route to at least cycle screen colors with something changing in the background to keep the eye on.
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Vic 2000
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Re: Attract mode

Post by Vic 2000 »

rhurst wrote:Agreed. It's not hard to incorporate, even for unexpanded games. I took the Atari 2600 route to at least cycle screen colors with something changing in the background to keep the eye on.
Thumbs up. :)
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Re: Attract mode

Post by beamrider »

I also have the balloon pop animation with the pigs jumping up and down. I thought we were talking silent self playing of the game though?

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