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Space:1999

Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 12:17 pm
by 4thRock
OK, this is not new, but well within what the Spectrum could do:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/i4mjkt76dtM[/youtube]
[youtube]https://youtu.be/oDkaimbO4FU[/youtube]

Given the style of the series I think that it could be a great game.

Moobase Alpha is very modular, so it will translate well into isometric graphics.
The base plan is available, so no need to design locations from zero.

Of course, any other Space:1999 themed game would be great! Doesn't need to be isometric ;)

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:08 pm
by Ralf
I have seen this Oric game before. I don't know much about Oric hardware but my belief is that it was weaker machine than Spectrum and it was harder to do something good on it. So this game is really some kind of Oric achievement.

I wonder how hard it would be to port it to Spectrum...

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:18 pm
by Wall_Axe
Usually iso game worlds are just nonsensical places with block puzzles

This is good that it has a world that makes sense,
Quite a sophisticated game, but how fun is it?

You get moaned at for not fetching medical notes fast enough!

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:57 pm
by Joefish
The Oric has a very weird hi-res screen format that works a bit like Teletext, but with hi-res pixels like the Spectrum. Only six bits of every byte relate to the actual pixels, so if you just treat it like that you can do monochrome graphics. Or get 40 column text with its 6-wide font. To get colour out of it, those spare two bits in each byte activate control codes that let you change the colours. But if you do that, then the six pixels that would be controlled by that byte show up either all-solid or all-empty.

So you can have a rainbow effect where each pixel line has a different colour, but you have to put up with a blank space everywhere you change the colour. This makes coloured moving objects a horrible pain, as they all have an extra apparently blank byte to their left where the colour change happens.

Apart from that and some better sound (and keyboard and looks with the Atmos) it was very similar to a Spectrum.

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:13 pm
by 4thRock
I guess a better option would be a side view game, like Batman: The Caped Crusader https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=442

Moonbase Alpha is modular and mostly white, so no major attribute problems :lol:

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 7:11 pm
by Joefish
If you watch this video of Manic Miner on the Oric you'll see the colour clash is all over the place. Sprites change colour when next to a wall, and the attributes of platforms extended well away from the ends. That's because there's no room between the platform and the sprite to insert a colour-switch byte.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/Js0Dg7h25eY[/youtube]

There are some Oric games where they draw the scenery on alternate raster lines then sprites on the lines in-between, to avoid colour clash. They look prettty awful. They might be improved if they masked the background where the sprite is drawn, but it's still a pretty hideous solution.

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 4:17 pm
by Sokurah
Ralf wrote: Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:08 pm I wonder how hard it would be to port it to Spectrum...
The source code is available out there somewhere. It's in C as far as I remember.

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 11:57 am
by Morpheus
Hi

These links might help i had and Oric Atmos for a while so was on the forum.

Homepage: http://www.defence-force.org/index.php? ... =space1999

Source: http://miniserve.defence-force.org/svn/ ... ce%201999/ Full project including source code and assets

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 1:04 pm
by 4thRock
That is great! The graphics are there as bmp.
May be interesting to give it a try in 3D game maker ( https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1956 )

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:50 pm
by C.Born
Ralf wrote: Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:08 pm I have seen this Oric game before. I don't know much about Oric hardware but my belief is that it was weaker machine than Spectrum and it was harder to do something good on it. So this game is really some kind of Oric achievement.

I wonder how hard it would be to port it to Spectrum...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oric#Technical_details

zx is faster, i guess the screen size is the main issuue, 240x200 against 256x192
so the last line sq heigth 8 bits is an isue

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:00 am
by hitm4n
Just so you all know, i just bought the complete 2 season bluray boxset of Space 1999. Over and out :mrgreen:

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:34 am
by Morpheus
hitm4n wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:00 am Just so you all know, i just bought the complete 2 season bluray boxset of Space 1999. Over and out :mrgreen:
Nice! :D

Not related to getting the game ported but I still think the Eagle was one of the best Spaceships ever designed.

Image

Re: Space:1999

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:43 pm
by RMartins
Morpheus wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:34 am
hitm4n wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:00 am Just so you all know, i just bought the complete 2 season bluray boxset of Space 1999. Over and out :mrgreen:
Nice! :D

Not related to getting the game ported but I still think the Eagle was one of the best Spaceships ever designed.

Image
I have a great Diecast model of a "medical" Eagle, like the one you have shown.

I never really understood how the crew fitted in the cockpit (taking as reference the side door on the medical pod, and Eagle head entry), since it looked larger when seen from inside, than the space that is left behind those big black "carvings" on the head of the Eagle, when seen from the outside. It's probably just movie magic :)