From: aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Falcon030 Resolutions - 1 Meg not enough?
Date: 19 Dec 1992 04:28:25 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu


Ok, everyone, this is what I have found out about games using these
high Falcon030 resolutions...

If I'm incorrect, please feel free to post. :) 

I'm clear to that fact that games can use almost any resolutions, but
some would be better than others for certain situations.

These have been the resolutions that people have suggested that might
be the best to use for games:


320x200
384x240 overscanned

   384x240x256 = 92k (x2 for double-buffering = 184k)
   384x240x65536 = 184k (x2 for double-buffering = 369k)

There would be no flicker on a TV because this resolution is not
interlaced.

1 Meg would be required to produce games in this resolution.

320x400
384x480 overscanned

  384x480x256 = 184k (x2 for double-buffering = 369k)
  384x480x65536 = 369k (x2 for double-buffering = 737k)

There would be hardly a flicker on a TV even with this resolution
interlaced.

1 Megs would be enough to produce games in 256 color mode, though 2 Megs
may be needed for the TRUE color mode.

640x200
768x240 overscanned

  768x240x256 = 184k (x2 for double-buffering = 369k)
  768x240x65536 = 369k (x2 for double-buffering = 737k)

There would be no flicker on a TV since this resolution is not
interlaced.

1 Meg would be enough to produce games in 256 color mode, though 2 Megs
may be needed for the TRUE color mode.  Same as 384x480.

But I'm curious to know how the graphics will look in this resolution...

640x400
768x480 overscanned

  768x480x256 = 307k (x2 for double-buffering = 614k)
  768x480x65536 = 614k (x2 for double-buffering = 1.2 meg)

There may be a small flicker when using graphics on a TV--no one really
knows how bad it may be.  Any developer care to test it?

1 Meg MIGHT be enough to produce games in 256 color mode, though at
least 2 Megs would be required for the TRUE color mode.


I am NOT sure if 320x480 (normal), 320x240 (line-doubling),
640x480 (normal), and 640x240 (line-doubling) can be displayed on a TV
or a SC1224 monitor OR if they can be interlaced.  The information
from John Townsend makes it unclear.


It is CLEAR that 2 Megs would be more appropriate as the minimum amount
shipped with a Falcon030 if Atari wishes to make the Falcon030 an
excellent game platform.

I believe Commodore was thinking this when they began shipping the
Amiga 1200 with 2 Megs.

It is true, that the majority of these resolutions could be used with
only 1 Meg of memory, but there would be little room for the programmer
and the sound would be pretty bad.

If Sam asked me, I'd ask him to consider shipping the Falcon030 in these
configurations:

Falcon030/no memory/no hard drive...plug in as much as you want.

Falcon030/2 Megs memory/
 no hard drive......................minimum amount.
Falcon030/2 Megs memory/
 65 Meg hard drive..................minimum amount with hard drive.
 (the reason I'm leaving the hard drive 65 Megs is because Atari probably
  made a deal on them.  The drive probably should be around 85 Megs.)

Falcon030/4 Megs memory/
 65 Meg hard drive..................middle amount.
Falcon030/14 Megs memory/
 200 Meg hard drive.................high-end machine.


I understand that the Falcon030 will be used for much more than
just games, but what else could only use 1 Meg?

Also, let's take a look at the SNES and Genesis resolutions just
for the sake of having one up on these systems:

Super Nintendo:  512x448x256 = 229k

Genesis:  320x224x64 = ?

Anyhow, you can see that the Falcon030 could forget about 320x200.
The resolution of 320x400 MIGHT be able to compete when overscanned.


But it would be best to try to get a leap on the other machines by
using the 640x200 or 640x400, no?



Thanks.


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