Does any one remember SPACE HAWKS on the CPC?

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Brick Redux

My first ever computer game.

Played throughout Christmas in the early 80s and now in progress as a code project.  Any ideas proposed to improve or update it welcome.

Cheers

Mark.
A mournful owner of a HP HDX18 Laptop that has died...FECK!

bigsofty

It was a bit like Galaga/Space Invaders? Good game IIRC!
Cheers,

Ian.

"It is practically impossible to teach good programming style to students that have had prior exposure to BASIC.  As potential programmers, they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration."
(E. W. Dijkstra)

mentalthink

Interesting in Spain Amsoft sells the computer whit a similar game, but a bit wors - "La plaga Galactica" the galactic plague...
The game you say it's more like the arcade machine... This it's very new for me, I always thinked Amstrad sells whit the same games in UK and here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RRjbngNG9c


erico

It is new to me too. No CPC in brasil.

I have watched a few yotube links about this game.
I love the pattern the enemies go by. One of my very first arcade experience was Moon Cresta.

The star wars music on the game start is great! Kind of thing that would no be on these days. :)

I can´t really come up with any ideas Brick, I need to see what you have in mind and design first so to formulate something.
Keep us posted! :good:

Ian Price

I remember (and had) both games for my CPC - Galactic Plague and Space Hawks. IIRC I preferred Space Hawks. I got GP as part of the 12 free games pack (which I luckily got when my first CPC died after a couple of months and we got a refund and bought another machine, which came with the freebies). Roland On The Ropes was my fave out of all of those IIRC. Roland In The Caves pissed me off big time and Bridge-It was the crappest game I've ever played.

TBH Space Hawks was jut a Galaxian clone. Gameplay improvement wise you could add new enemies, attack waves, power-ups and maybe a boss or two. Obviously the graphics could be improved and smoothed and the sound could be redone from scratch. But doing all of that would make it a new game entirely...
I came. I saw. I played.

Brick Redux

Galactic Plaque was a very frustrating game as i recall it.  I hacked into it to increase the number of lifes - but it was still a game that made you scream!

Im thinking of keeping the graphics blocky, with plenty more colour and lots of animation (to keep it retro looking).  Ive got the formation and original swarm movement already coded. Each distinct type of hawk to have its own unique attack,flight method .  I might add the crab thingies from another CPC game called Alien Break in, into the mix. ( they used to crawl onlong towards you once they had landed).  Im also adding a boss stage every 3 levels to juice it up, power-ups, hawks with various hit points etc.

Thanks for the input.

Brick
A mournful owner of a HP HDX18 Laptop that has died...FECK!

mentalthink

Ian in UK you was a lucky guy 12 games... I think my CPC only comes whit 6... and I think the only "playables" was oH Mummy and Plaga Galactica , Sultan Maze, and fruit machine (WTF, this guys want whit 5 years old make "lodupatas"  =D =D )

Thanks Sir Alan Sugar for this computer!!!

Ian Price

We might have had 12 games, but most of them weren't actually worth playing! The ones you mentioned were the best of a bad bunch really (except for Roland On The Ropes, obviously).
I came. I saw. I played.

erico

Good improvements, Brick.  One good game you could check to get inspiration is Beamrider. The coleco version is the best IIRC.

I plan to do a space invaders shooter too later on. I will take the opportunity to try using/learning TYPE and it will be more of a bullet-hell kind of mini-game with some gfx I posted on another thread.

Do you have a video or screen shot of the action going?
I said enemy patterns up there but what I meant is enemy movement style, really nice.

One good idea from Beamrider is a second limited weapon that can go through every hazard.   

Brick Redux

Thanks Erico, I`ll look that game up.  Ive played a few games on that old system in my past - Mr WIMPY being a personal fave

I think giving the players ship a temperature that builds the more you fire is a good idea too.

TYPES - I can help you with that.  I`ll post an example here based upon your rain demo.

Code (glbasic) Select
GETSCREENSIZE screenx,screeny
//LIMITFPS -1
// Your demo displayed rectangles, so I call the TYPE "rect"

TYPE rect // Here we lay out the variables BUT do not give them values.
X // xpos on screen
Y // ypos
SPEED //
// SIZE // rain[a].SIZE=number
// COLOUR // rain[a].COLOUR=rgb(,,)
ENDTYPE

// Now we need to assign a Dim array which I have chosen to be called "rain".

GLOBAL rain[] AS rect // rain[] will use X,Y,SPEED from TYPE rect...see below

DIM rain[100] // 100 rain drops - 50 will move slow, the rest - quicker.

// Now we give DIM rain[] values as its now linked to the TYPE.

FOR a=0 TO 49 // first 50 of DIM rain[]

rain[a].X=RND(screenx) // rain[0-49] linked to TYPE rect X = random xpos on screen
rain[a].Y=RND(screeny)
rain[a].SPEED=1

NEXT

FOR a=50 TO 99

rain[a].X=RND(screenx) // rain[50+] linked to TYPE rect X = random xpos on screen
rain[a].Y=RND(screeny)
rain[a].SPEED=2

NEXT

// create a loop

WHILE TRUE

// lets read the rain[] array and display a DRAWRECT from it.

FOR a=0 TO 99

DRAWRECT rain[a].X,rain[a].Y,5,5,RGB(255,255,255)
  //DRAWRECT rain[a].X+RND(5),rain[a].Y,5,5,RGB(255,255,255) ------ Creates a wobble
INC rain[a].Y,rain[a].SPEED // like saying ypos=ypos+speed

IF rain[a].Y>screeny // As it gone beyond the display?

rain[a].Y=-1 // Above the display.

rain[a].X=RND(screenx) // New Xpos

ENDIF

NEXT

SHOWSCREEN

WEND
A mournful owner of a HP HDX18 Laptop that has died...FECK!

Brick Redux

Heres a use of TYPE to move a group of blocks Erico.

Code (glbasic) Select
[code=glbasic]GETSCREENSIZE screenx,screeny
//LIMITFPS -1
// Invader formation.

TYPE alien // Here we lay out the variables BUT do not give them values.
X // xpos on screen
Y // ypos
ENDTYPE

// Now we need to assign a Dim array which I have chosen to be called "invader".

GLOBAL invader[] AS alien

DIM invader[17] // 8x8 formation

xpos=100; ypos=100 // Start point for the invaders.

FOR a=0 TO 15

invader[a].X=xpos
invader[a].Y=ypos

INC xpos,20 

IF a=3
xpos=100
INC ypos,22
ELSEIF a=7
xpos=100
INC ypos,22
ELSEIF a=11
xpos=100
INC ypos,22
ENDIF

NEXT

// create a loop

WHILE TRUE

// lets read the invader[] array and display a DRAWRECT from it.

FOR a=0 TO 15

INC invader[a].X,0.2 // Move the formation.

DRAWRECT invader[a].X,invader[a].Y,5,5,RGB(RND(255),0,RND(255))

NEXT

SHOWSCREEN

WEND
[/code]
A mournful owner of a HP HDX18 Laptop that has died...FECK!

erico

Uau Brick! SUPER thanks for those examples. It does make it easier to understand! I will give it a go in a few days. But I´m sure bookmarking this thread for when the time to use it comes by. It would greatly improve my current game, but I fear I better not mess with the code as it pretty much lacks only some images and music. It is about 4k lines, and using types would sure get it more compact and easy to read.

Again, I´m really greatfull for those examples, they will help me a lot! :good:

Back on the subject, how is the game going? Do you have an image of it? I´m curious.

Brick Redux

A mournful owner of a HP HDX18 Laptop that has died...FECK!

Brick Redux

No probs erico, if theres anything I can help you with just ask.

Not much to see Im afraid  (above) as its still early days.

The formation movement and swarm movements work fine.  Collision detection is complete, the hawks fall as fodder once hit but Ive not drawn those sprites in yet.
A mournful owner of a HP HDX18 Laptop that has died...FECK!

erico

That looks great Brick! Ain´t the ship a bit too big? But really beautifull none the less!
Are you checking collisions by numbers or by using some commands?

I thought you wanted more blocky gfx, I really like what I see.

The ´fodder´ idea is great! Adds up an extra object to avoid.

My invaders idea can´t be destroyed, they all fall as indestructible carcasses and so produces a rain to be avoided. That together with an unlimited spray of bullets is what I plan.

Keep it up, and keep us posted, did you check beam rider?