From: sg7017095@v9000 (tomwoof)
Subject: Re: New Game Standards***
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: Games,standards,Amiga
Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 10:48:00 GMT

In article <C0MBzw.Hzy@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, shulick@navajo.ucs.indiana.edu (Sam Hulick) writes...
>In article <10JAN199310382936@v9000>, sg7017095@v9000 (tomwoof) says most sayishly:
>>Proposed New standard for good Amiga games:
>>
>>These features should be automagically invoked and/or alterable through a
>>control panel/option menu:
>>
> 
> 
>>1) Take advantage of extra fast mem 
>>   - more features/moves/gameplay/extras...
> 
>Not at all.  That's unfair, for a person w/ an A4000, 10M FAST to have
>extra game features because he has more RAM, than some guy on an A500,
>1M RAM.
Here's how I see it. If I get more memory, my old game gets better.
> 
>>2) Take advantage of extra chip mem
>>   - more music/sound effects/samples
> 
>Again, a total unfairness to people on lower machines.
See above argument.
> 
>>3) Ensure the game works on new machines
>>   - it'll be a joke if it won't
> 
>Agreed.  Even if some application is really excellent, if it doesn't
>work on a) accelerated machines, b) OS 2.0+, it sucks.
Just heard that a lot of games (old and new!) don't work on the A1200.
This is not helping the sales of AGA machines... 8( 
I'm going to get one soon. Someone PLEASE do something.
> 
>>4) Take advantage of better chip sets (ECS/AGA...)
>>   - more music/sound effects/samples
>>   - more sprites/animation/colours
>>   - higher resolutions
> 
>And once again.  It would better if the box just said "Requires 1M CHIP"
>or "requires AGA" than to flaunt it in the faces of A500 owners, "nyah
>nyah, you can play this game but you can't have all the extra music and
>effects!"
Here's the plan: Make various versions available. The old machines will
have less features/colours/graphics/sound/animation/speed but same gameplay.
The new machines get "AGA version" etc. Then offer an upgrade path, like
they do for application software. This will ensure that people don't have to
worry if they are upgrading to newer machines in the future, as they can
get updated versions. Hopefully this won't create too much confusion/frustration...
> 
>>6) Support various control inputs
>>   - analog/digital joysticks 1/2... buttons
> 
>That's a hardware thing.  Amiga can't handle 2+ button joysticks.
Really? You must be kidding?
> 
> 
>Discovery Software.  Dead company unfortunately.  But amazingly, their
>game Sword of Sodan (made in 1987, was it?), works on an A4000!
Really? That's amazing! Someone resurrect these guys!
> 
>*HEIL* to Monkey Island 2, DarkSeed, and Legend of Kyrandia, for being
>fully HD installable, OS-friendly, and just plain GREAT games.
I'm sure game makers realize the advantages of HD installable games,
but the increased possibility of piracy puts them off developing such games.
PCs can make it because the market is so huge, they can survive alongside
the pirates. For a comparatively smaller market like the Amiga's, they think
about securing their profits first!
> 
>-- 
>    // Amiga 3000   ___ \ Sam Hulick: shulick@indiana.edu (NeXTmail OK!)
>   // 68030 25 MHz /__/\ \ My opinions wear combat boots.  Or whatever.
>\\// OS 2.04       \__\/ / "Walk!  Not bloody likely.  I am going in a
> \/                     / taxi."  --George Bernard Shaw
-tomwoof-
Still living in the Stone Age:
Amiga 2000.