Second try at replying... bloody computer.
Originally posted by eaviii@Mar 21 2006, 09:01 PM
Very cool- I have gotten a lot of emails on this and noted a huge amount of internet buzz. The main complaints have been the user interface. I really designed the game for an iPac through a dual arcade stick control like the flick. I beta-tested using the keyboard on my laptop which is indeed unwieldy but is similar to MAME on a keyboard (Robotron comes to mind).
I too have been testing this on my laptop. P4 1.6G, 512mb ram with 32 MB video ram... and it runs FLAWLESSLY...
I will incorporate an analog joystick interface but I have no idea how extensive the joystick support is for Dark Basic. Does anyone know a good thrid party program to interface keyboard with most joysticks? I know these programs are out there but simply never beta'd with a joystick per se.
Great, does this mean I have to go buy another Optipac then?
I have already taken a lot of comments into consideration and updated the game a bit (I have learned the hard way to do as much as possible while the code is fresh in my brain)- Thus far, have incorporated-
--- Full mouse controls (weapons mapped to Mouse1Â and MAME weap switch to Mouse 2, Death blossom both at once)
--- Fixed the music to play more than once during attract if toggled on(Dark Basic apparently dumps the MIDI as it plays so you have structure a reload)
So, are you saying the music plays more than once during the whole attarct mode, or it just replays at later times? It's a pretty loud, and long piece of music to be playing back to back if that's the case. If not, please ignore me.
--- Inserted toggle for sound effects durng attract (on or off)
Just a question, why not have the music/FX tracks controlled by one switch setting?
Also, is there an
easy way to have the attract sound cycle like once every 5 minutes, or once every 4 cycles of the attract mode? IS attract mode the same series of screens and demos in the same order every time, or is there a random element to it?
--- VARIABLE DISPLAY RESOLUTIONS DONE- Now can run the game in any resolution your computer/monitor (VGA) allows- My laptop runs it well in 1600x1200x16 (yes, 1600x1200) and it really looks MUCH better- This was a bitch by the way as all the text commands and targeting had to be reworked for variable screen sizes and positions as did the load screens- But seems to be working fine (still unsure about missile lock)
--- Fixed Death Blossom a bit in terms of targeting and added a user defined rate of DB failure (10-20 seconds of floating without control and minimal weapons restore)- You can set the failure rate from 0%-100%/increments of 20- This definitely captures the Hyperspace risk of Asteroids or Space Wars that I was looking for without the finality of an explosion and makes the Death Blossom use a little more interesting
HELP NEEDED (as above)- Any lines on a freeware keymapper out there for analog joysticks that might be used here?
Also, what are you thinking on functional controls?
Doc
The control schemes you have set up seem to work just fine.
Since we never discussed it, do you really know what the left joystick's top mounted 'fire' button actually does? I was thinking that perhaps it was the auto weapon cycle. The right stick obviously is the actual fire button.
You also still have the seperate weapon toggle switches (On your cabinet, are those a 2 way rocker switch like I think they are?) to flip if you want to be more 'elite.'
I think the dual button set up for DB would work if you could map the mouse 2 button to the left stick trigger. Those who want to build a 'custom' cabinet could add a true DB button under the right hand stick position, same as it was located in the Gunstar in the film.
And my own 'testing' questions...
1) When in diagnostic/dip switch mode, do you have a setting to return directly to the game/attract mode? I always have to exit from the game completely and then restart from windows. In a cabinet setting, exiting to windows after making a change would kill the illusion.
2) Could the 'Centauri
tm' logo be slightly larger in size? On my 15" laptop monitor it kind of gets lost. Keeping in mind that it's only onscreen for a few seconds,
I don't feel it would be remiss. Also, on a same tangent, how about
'Centauri-tm'
Presents...'
And then in comes the Starfighter title and Star League logo, obscuring the Centauri as it does now? Many of the classic Williams games (such as Defender) had "Williams Presents..." and then the name of the game in a much larger type/font. Just a suggestion. Take it or leave it as you see fit.
3) When you start a game, you see the full text printout of Centauri's greeting,
"YOU HAVE BEEN RECRUITED BY THE STAR LEAGUE TO DEFEND THE FRONTIER AGAINST XUR AND THE KO-DAN ARMADA." (Period at end of sentence.
) Dialogue doesn't start until 'RECRUITED' is on screen and ends well past when 'ARMADA' has left the screen.
In the film, the dialogue is the same, but the on screen text only reads,
"YOU HAVE BEEN RECRUITED TO DEFEND THE FRONTIER AGAINST XUR AND THE KO-DAN ARMADA." (Exclamation point at the end.
) Dialogue
begins when the first letter 'E' in 'BEEN' is above the nose of the gunstar, and ends when the "A" in 'ARMADA' is just barely past the nose of the gunstar.
Would it be possible to add (another) dip switch setting for "Movie accurate greeting" ? If not, then I'll just bugger off.
Otherwise, as I told my wife, had I found THIS game in the arcade in 1984... I never would have played Gauntlet. Ever.
All in all, very, very happy making.
Oh, one last comment from a previous posting...
This allows you to map the keys to your liking without having to enter and exit gameplay (it also mimics the William control test screen which gives me great nostalgic pleasure).
The thing that made me go
YES... was the
Sinistar inspired takeover of the screen by hundreds of 'Starfighter' logos when the game goes into 'transmit/alien detected' mode. Awesome. I'm so easily amused. :lol
Thanks Doc,
Russ
