Game speed in basic

IsaacKuo · Post by **IsaacKuo** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:33 am

Since I only had a VIC20, my only basis of comparison was against videogames and cartridges (Vic Avenger, Super Alien, Jupiter Lander). I couldn't get fast and smooth motion with BASIC; my unsophisticated childish programming skill level didn't help.

Anyway, I spent much of last night struggling with code for the bullets...I really am rusty.

rhurst · Post by **rhurst** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 7:03 am

Write your game using machine language with a modern assembler. Try something simple to start with, then step up and make it hires with some software sprites. You will not be disappointed, and you will be amazed how quickly you can learn 6502 ML. Ask Ghislain how well his recent game project went.

Jeff-20 here writes excellent games in BASIC for unexpanded VICs; but having robots and bullets are going to be too much animation for BASIC -- unless you plan on hitting ALT-W in VICE.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 8:23 am

IsaacKuo wrote:I couldn't get fast ...

You might check out my version of TRON lightcycles first.

... and smooth motion with BASIC; ...

With BASIC, pixel-wise motion is quite difficult, to say the least. Usually the farthest you get is remembering character, and colour code beneath your player, foe, or "missile" character - and moving these objects character-wise one step in every iteration of the game main loop ...

my unsophisticated childish programming skill level didn't help.

Anyway, I spent much of last night struggling with code for the bullets...I really am rusty.

... as I had done in this version of Moon Patrol I wrote several years ago.

Both games run on an unexpanded VIC-20, and are written in pure CBM BASIC.

ravenxau · Post by **ravenxau** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:55 pm

Mike wrote:
IsaacKuo wrote:I couldn't get fast ...
You might check out my version of TRON lightcycles first.
... and smooth motion with BASIC; ...
With BASIC, pixel-wise motion is quite difficult, to say the least. Usually the farthest you get is remembering character, and colour code beneath your player, foe, or "missile" character - and moving these objects character-wise one step in every iteration of the game main loop ...
my unsophisticated childish programming skill level didn't help.

Anyway, I spent much of last night struggling with code for the bullets...I really am rusty.
... as I had done in this version of Moon Patrol I wrote several years ago.

Both games run on an unexpanded VIC-20, and are written in pure CBM BASIC.

in regards to the tron light cycles - very topical with the new movie in the works - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tron_Legacy

IsaacKuo · Post by **IsaacKuo** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 12:03 pm

rhurst wrote:Write your game using machine language

I plan on learning 6502 coding after I do a few things in pure BASIC. I understand 6502 coding in theory, but I've never actually done anything with it yet.

rhurst wrote:having robots and bullets are going to be too much animation for BASIC

I'm satisfied with the already frantic speed of my game. Each game loop, there are only 5 "moves"--the player, the player bullet (twice), the enemy bullet, and one random enemy. I'm doing a rewrite to clean things up a bit and make it easier to type in (to my real VIC, which currently has no mass storage).

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:56 pm

In case you're interested, I have a half finished Robotron-esque game going in machine code. I'm planning to make a complete game out of it some day, but perhaps some co-operation would make it more fun.

(And no, it hasn't been posted as a WIP yet)