From: ajlmvoer@cs.ruu.nl (Tonio Voerman)
Subject: Re: Documentation for A(G)A?!? THE SOLUTION!!!
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 13:07:53 GMT
Organization: Utrecht University, Dept. of Computer Science

In <Karsten_Weiss.0iyv@ibase.stgt.sub.org> Karsten_Weiss@ibase.stgt.sub.org (Karsten Weiss) writes:

>  
>       Documentation for the A(G)A chip-set?!? THE SOLUTION!!!
>       =======================================================
> 
>I  decided to write this message because I think that my proposals are
>the lowest common denominator and the only way to find a compromise in
>this  problematic.  If you think that I am wrong feel free and send me
>(net-)mail!
> 
>Here are my thoughts which will solve the problem (in my opinion):
> 
>1. Commodore  should release a new  Hardware Reference Manual!  (Don't
>   stop  reading  now!   ;-)  This will prevent the hardware cracks to
>   find  out  some  great  features  which  aren't  even documented in
>   Commodores documentation.  (There exist some of those tricks in the
>   current  hardware!  I mean e.g. the $003f/BPLCON2 trick if you know
>   what  I mean!  It is as far as I know still not documented!!!  (but
>   useful ;-)
Oh boy, you really know how to interest me !! I like to programm the
amiga-hardware directly just for the fun of it. What is this trick with $003f
/BPLCON2 ???
Please explain that than rather only mentioning it.
Thanks in advance.

Tonio

> 
>2. Applications  MUST ONLY use the OS to make their graphics.  This is
>   very  important because a computer is only as good as its software.
>   In  my  opinion  it  would  be impossible for the new generation of
>   Amigas  to  establish  on  the  market without a big software pool.
>   This would also make RTG possible.  (CATEGORY I)
> 
>3. Normal  games  (in  technical  respect)  like e.g.  Monkey Islands,
>   Lemmings,  role-playing-games,  adventures,  jump'n runs etc.  must
>   also  only  use  the  OS  for  their  grapcs.   I  think  this is
>   absolutely no problem because there is no reason for such a game to
>   touch the system hardware.  (CATEGORY II)
> 
>4. (Euro-)demos  and  games  with  a technically high standard (mostly
>   action  games)  like  e.g.   Turrican  II,  Shadow Of the Beast ARE
>   ALLOWED  to  touch  the  hardware  directly.   However, these games
>   should  be  marked  with  a special 'button' at the cover that they
>   aren't  upwards  compatible  (Or  game-magazines  should  say if it
>   touches  the  hardware  or  not).   For  a  demo this is no problem
>   because they are  for  free and  nobody has a  financial  loss when
>   they don't work on the next generation of  Amigas anymore. (I  even
>   think that you won't like to watch  it then anymore  because a demo
>   is very, very fast out-of-date!) RTG is/are NOT NEEDED here!!!
>   (CATEGORY III)
> 
>5. Additional  Commodore  should  supply  a  routine in Kickstart that
>   checks  for  the  present  graphics hardware to make it is easy for
>   each game- or demo-programmer to decide what he can do.  This would
>   also  solve  the  problem that such programs often crash because of
>   the wrong hardware.
> 
>6. If Commodore would  support FAST&SMOOTH tile  based 8-way-scrolling
>   with some system routines the problem would be MUCH smaller because
>   smooth  scrolling  is  one  of  the  biggest  arguments  to use the
>   hardware  directly! Then  most  games  would fall  in  CATEGORY II.
>   Some  days  ago  Stefan  Boberg asked here in the net whether it is
>   possible  to  change  the  bitplane-pointers  at  every  y-position
>   without  'losing a line' (you  need  this for scrolling) and he got
>   NO  ANSWER  (on  the  net).   Commodore,  if  you  really want that
>   everybody  uses  the OS for graphics then you should have an answer
>   for this!!! Or shall we do without scrolling?  I would like to hear
>   an  answer  to  this  question  of  one  of  our  two  GFX-gurus at
>   Commodore!   However,  I  have  to  admit that Commodore has done a
>   great  job including Interleaved bitmaps in the system because this
>   was  also  one  reason  to access the hardware...  Commodore should
>   simply  get  in contact with some game producers and ask them which
>   routines  they  need  to make games running without direct hardware
>   access.
> 
>I  think the problem isn't as big as we make it.  If I buy a new Amiga
>with  new  custom chips I really don't expect that all games run on it
>because  for  me  it's  just like buying a completely new computer.  I
>prefer a ULTIMATE-SUPER-DUPER action game/demo NOW instead of a boring
>and slow one which even runs on my next 5 computers! The fact that all
>applications  of my (old) Amiga still work is a however a GREAT bonus!
>We  shouldn't  expect  100%  compatibility from Commodore because this
>makes the development of new computers much harder and it is also more
>expensive!
> 
>Finally  I  have  a  little question:  Will it always be compatible to
>access  the ECS(!)-hardware directly?  This would mean that all future
>custom chips must have ECS included. Is this right?
> 
>                                         So long,
>                                                 Karsten Weiss
>
>-- Via DLG Pro v0.992
>
> 
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