From: alumni106@camins.camosun.bc.ca (Max Sterling)
Subject: Re: A 386 mathcing SFIIs graphics, etc.  * LAUGH *
Organization: Camosun College
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 07:56:43 GMT

In article <1992Sep28.024748.2649@news.unomaha.edu>, bryker@cwis.unomaha.edu (Barrett T. Ryker) writes:

> Hmmmm.  Obviously you have not seen graphics demos such as "Vectdemo",

Ya, I've seen that one, but it's nothing the Amiga hasn't had about 3 
years before it came out.

> "Black Glass", And especially "Cronologia".  They take the IBM beyond
> it's known limit, and combine them with digital music, some even in
> stereo.  In "Cronologia" highly detailed objects as big as half the
> screen bounce around smoothly.  They glide arcross the screen smoothly.
> Some even zoom in, and zoom out.  All this and it can be ran on as
> little as a 6 mhz xt, with 640k (a 386sx sounds FAR better, tho!).

OK, these last 2 I HAVEN'T heard of. Are there any sites where these are 
available? I've got some friends who would undoubtedly like copies of 
them.

> It's the codeing that makes it look soooooo good.  Why do games ported
> from the amiga suck?  Not because the IBM can't handle the graphics,
> but because there is such a rush to get a game done, and they are poorly
> coded (there are exceptions to IBM-AMIGA graphics, but nothing that is 
> in SF2).

I could say the same thing about Amiga games ported from the IBM (eg. 
ANY Origin game, particularly the Ultima series, Microprose games, 
Civilization, etc). It would be nice if more Eurodemo programmers would 
make games for both systems. At least that way, you know they're going 
to put in A LOT of effort to make the thing GOOD (and most likely A LOT 
more playable than the stuff they have now).

> The big problem I see is not about memory, it's about the screen pan.
> If they can make the screen pan from one side to the other, with no
> glitches, the game could work.

I know a guy who CLAIMS to have an assembly listing that even runs on a 
4.77 MHz XT that allows double buffering rates at 200 frames/second. If 
that's true, then they could do the panning quite easily.

> Another problem is joystick control.  The largest # of buttons on a 
> joystick is 4, and that is not standard.  If there is keyboard+joy-
> stick control, they better let me pick my own keys!

Ya, but it might be difficult trying to play a game that uses joystick 
control AND keyboard control. It would be better if they just made it 
straight keyboard and 1 player, or somehow make it mouse/keyboard 
operated instead.

> P.S.  I've heard that there is a demo of this game.  Could someone
>       please tell me a BBS that has it?  

Ya, I'm the one who posted about that about a week ago. As soon as I 
logged off, I tried calling places to download it, but it seems to have 
vanished from the local boards, or perhaps it's on one that I lost the 
password for. I'll see if I can get it from somewhere else and post it 
on an ftp site. As soon as I do, I'll let you know. Mata ne.

                                                          -=]> Max <[=-

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|Kup- "This reminds me of the time when my   +-> Kup- "You ever SEEN a Regulan|
|      my platoon was stranded on Regulan IV;|         Metal Monger, lad?"    |
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|      US, against THREE WHOLE REGULAN METAL |   Kup- "TRUST me! We were      |
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