I do sometimes wonder what the hell I was thinking back when I was doing C64 stuff..... Now thats its all running I've been looking at the code a little, and some of its shocking! Now, I know commercial presures and all, but this was my dream game, and I remember thinking I was doing things so well.... But I really was young (only 19!) and I was doing whole games on my own - still, I was a twat sometimes.
The fastest code you can write, is code you can delete and never run, simple as that. Now the turrets in Blood Money are a case in point. It takes AGES to process and draw them, so with only a four on screen its taking up to 32 scan lines to process them! Thats ridiculous!! XeO3's turrets are a nightmare it has to be said. The scrolling is slower because of them, and when you hit them, its horrible! BUT! They're quick.... I never have to print them or really think very much about them until they shoot, or you shoot them. Here though, I draw them, do collision with them (bounding boxes) and then blow them up.... horrible.
Turrets should really be part of the landscape and drawn in there - like XeO3's, then you just dont have to worry about it. It would be trick in Blood Money because of the multi directional scrolling, and because the screen is drawn in 2 blits (theres actually 3 screens. 2 being drawn as they scroll between them, and a 3rd being built), but it is possible. Failing all that.... Im pretty sure you could at least speed them up!
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