Vscreen: Ideas for the future

Hmm, we should also have something like a editor to test your color cycle drawings, and maybe the speed of cycling should be adjustable in that editor. (Probably better to add this functionality in the level editor).

That's chaging the graphics of a pattern at every x frame. It can produce the same effects as a color cycle actually.

Okay, it's a Rikusu idea, I admit it .. but he thought even multi-layering (e.g. make the background move slower than the foreground) could be possible. (You can already do a nice multilayer in de editor by the way )

I evaluated the possibility to do multi-layering like it was done in the Metal Limit menu "Lazy Bones". Problem is, you need to out a lot of data to VDP for this, especially if your backgroud is made of blocks bigger than 16*16. Also the blocks with the "shadow" would need to be redefined as well... Would look nice tho

In TVSP I move an area of 128x32 (16x4 characters) to VRAM split over 2 frames, using double buffering (swap character banks). And then there's lots of time to spare, although a platform game will need more time for logic (enemy movement etc)...

Redefining characters like this is a lot cooler than a 'stupid' color cycle. But I wouldn't waste too much time implementing a thing like this. I'd rather have a better/nicer functionality than a pretty scrolling background!

People wanting multi-layer should think about writing Gfx9000 games

Right, the split in TVSP is very cool actually but of course it has the advantage to always go in the same direction, and at the same speed. In the case of Vscreen, the speed and direction might be different at every frame. Ah well, I'll see when all the other features are in how much CPU cycles are left for this

That's chaging the graphics of a pattern at every x frame. It can produce the same effects as a color cycle actually.

You could use this for some small animations, as was also done in "The Lost World" by UMAX (but that game doesn't scroll).

Some more ideas: maybe you can use some features from games like Super Mario World or other famous platform games:

• * special items that make 'blank blocks' go filled, so that you can reach previously unreachable platforms (the exclamation marks in Super Mario World).
  * Extending platforms
  * platforms that disappear when you walk on them (very ancient idea for platform games),
  * warp spots,
  * launchers (like in Sonic),
  * secret areas
  * etc.