02.Feb.2024
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Blog: Limitations of the HAM mode explained on the Hamulet engine
Recently, the developer of the game Hamulet - a demo version was included in issue 10 of the English-language Amiga magazine "WhatIFF?" - published a YouTube video that is intended to demonstrate as a proof-of-concept whether a puzzle or platform game could be feasible using the Hamulet engine in HAM and has the following features:
- Large 8-way scrollable HAM screen with no visible fringing
- Massive animated bobs (Blitter objects), the largest one being 144x170 pixels
- Copper list to create a parallax effect of a "transparent" HAM screen, where the background sky gradient is visible and scrolls at a lower speed
- Multiple animated sprites
- Music by Virgill
- Runs on Amiga 500, requires 1MB of chip
Appunti Digitali is an Italian website that deals with technology issues that the operators know or can judge from their own (professional) experience. The article now published under the title link deals with this video and the limitations of HAM. (dr)
[News message: 02. Feb. 2024, 09:35] [Comments: 0]
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02.Feb.2024
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Blog: Restoration of an Amiga 2500UX (AMIX)
In the past we have reported several times (1, 2, 3) about Commodore's Unix derivative AMIX. The two "official" Amigas on which Amix could run were the Amiga models 2500UX and 3000UX. Bo Zimmerman has bought an Amiga 2500UX on eBay, since it had been on his wish list for a long time. In his blog post under the title link, he now reports on his impressions and the restoration. (dr)
[News message: 02. Feb. 2024, 09:10] [Comments: 0]
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02.Feb.2024
Puni (ANF)
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AmigaOS 4: Blog summary for January 2024
For the past month 'Puni' has again published a news summary for AmigaOS 4 at the title link. (snx)
[News message: 02. Feb. 2024, 07:31] [Comments: 0]
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01.Feb.2024
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Java program: ham_convert 1.9.4
Sebastian Sieczko's java-based program ham_convert converts modern graphic formats to the Amiga's HAM format and is now available in version 1.9.4. Changes:
- Added DynamicHires variant with an AGA palette. To enable select mode=Amiga AGA Dynamic HiRes/PCHG software mode.
- Implemented PCHGF_32BIT format to be used by DynamicHires AGA and Atari 8-bit ILBM IFF files (using BigLineChanges). DynamicHires OCS uses PCHGF_4BIT (SmallLineChanges) format IFF limited to RGB444. https://wiki.amigaos.net/wiki/ILBM_IFF_Interleaved_Bitmap#ILBM.PCHG was uses as a reference. This enabled accurate encoding of the Atari 8-bit palette in the iff files.
- Extra EHB palette optimization was renamed extra OCS palette optimization and extended to support also 2/4/8/16/32-color modes (to be extended later).
- Acorn Archimedes VIDC1 256-color mode (out of 4096).
(dr)
[News message: 01. Feb. 2024, 22:03] [Comments: 0]
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01.Feb.2024
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Shoot'em Up: BreakThru V1.0
Since the beginning of last year, 'acidbottle' has been working on the Amiga conversion of the horizontal shoot'em up Breakthru, which was originally published by Data East in 1986: the player controls an armed military vehicle and must make his way through enemy forces - consisting of soldiers, flamethrowers, helicopters, tanks, jeeps etc. - to ultimately retrieve a stolen fighter plane. - The player must make his way through enemy forces - consisting of soldiers, flamethrowers, tanks, jeeps, etc. - to ultimately retrieve a stolen fighter plane (YouTube video).
He has now released version 1.0, which requires a 2-button controller and an Amiga with at least 1MB chip RAM, 1MB additional RAM and a CPU with 14MHz or better. A hard disc is also recommended. (dr)
[News message: 01. Feb. 2024, 18:52] [Comments: 0]
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01.Feb.2024
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Developer diary: Update on the game "The Gate" #1
At the beginning of October last year , we introduced the AMOS game "The Gate" by Fabio 'Allanon' Falcucci, a mixture of "Impossible Mission" and "Project Firestart" with his own ideas and concepts. We asked the developer to tell us about the current state of development. Here is his report, illustrated by his latest YouTube video:
"I still don't have a list of requirements but I'm targeting stock Amiga 1200 for this project, fingers crossed :)
I'm still writing the engine but I've made big progresses adding new features, fixing bugs and optimizing the code to make it as smooth as possible.
Here is a list of what's new since my last progress report:
- Doors
- Doors can be operated with the [action key], a pop up screen will appear to allow the user to operate the door.
- Unlocked doors can be operated freely
- Some of them may require a key to be opened
- Some of them may require a terminal to be opened
- Some of them may require to complete an event to be opened, in this case the hero will say something about it to give an hint to the user.
- Furnitures
- Furnitures are essentially containers and they hold items: the hero search them (like already seen in Impossible Mission) and when the furniture is searched an auto-pick screen is displayed to let the user know what items has been picked and what will be leaved into the container, not picked items can be picked later.
- Furnitures may require a terminal to be unlocked
- Furnitures may require a dialog option to be selected to be unlocked
- Terminals: I've developed a simple scripting language for this for maximum flexibility.
Terminals graphics is also nice because I've reproduced old monitor color glitches and out-of-sync effects.
Terminals that require keys can be hacked by the player using a special hacking tool that will be available in the game.
Each terminal can be tuned by the script that is run (colors, effects, print speed, etc...).
I'm very proud of how I implemented terminals: they run script programs that allow me to simulate terminals with text interfaces.
From terminals the user is able to:
- Operate doors (open/close/unlock)
- Operate furnitures (unlock)
- Display informative text to help the hero with its quest
- Minigames
- An many more actions and nice things
- Dialogs
- Like I've done for terminals, I've used scripts to run dialogs between characters but also when the hero express a thought.
Dialogs use almost the same scripting language developed for the terminals but with more commands for certain situations and to display the portrait (and the needed expressions) of the character that is talking.
This system is very flexible and you may be able to unlock a door after having talked to an NPC for example
- Game menu, which let the user access the following functions:
- Documents : You can read here all the docs the hero has gathered (implemented)
- Tools : From here the hero can review and equip special tools he found during the adventure (implemented), these tools are unique and can be used with the right mouse button once equipped (implemented).
- Map : A simple automap system, not yet implemented. I'd like to let the player to type map notes.
- Diary : This is a personal diary, the player can freely take notes here. Not yet implemented and not sure if it is nice or not.
- System : From here the player can load and save the game. Not yet implemented.
- Settings : Game settings. Not yet implemented.
About the tools
I've already designed the tools that the player will find during its adventure, they are 8 in total and the hero can equip them, once at a time, from the game menu.
Once equipped some tools can be triggered automatically, some manually (with the right mouse button) and some have both the functionalities.
For example there is a device called "Relife" that has two functions when equipped:
- 1: If the hero is suddenly killed the device tranfers its energy into the hero body and regenerate some of his life points.
- 2: Pushing the right mouse button (and holding it down) the device's energy refill the hero hit points.
The "Relife" device regenerates its energy over time, very slowly.
Another example is the "Hacking Device" which I'm currently working on: when equipped the hero will be able to hack any locked terminal, the hacking will be completed if the player will be able to resolve a mini-game. We all know Fallout 3/4 terminals & Mass Effect ones right? :)
What has to be done?
- Game menu
- Tools/Special devices (2 of 8 implemented)
- Traps
- NPCs
- Enemies
Those will complete the engine and I will focus on the maps and the story, which is already on my desk :)
"
You can support the developer via his Patreon page. (dr)
[News message: 01. Feb. 2024, 08:57] [Comments: 0]
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