LIMITED NUMBER OF SCREEN

[Packobilly]

Good afternoon.
When designing screens, the whole number or them is very limited.
How could I compress to create a greater number of them?
Using AGD4.7x4Ja.
Thanks!

[alessandro]

Hola Packobilly, first of all remember that the most memory-consuming feature in AGD are usually sprites. Reducing the number of animation frames to 2-3 per sprite can allow you to save a lot of memory.

As for screens, you can make them consume less memory by reducing their size and/or employing less different blocks in each screen and/or placing repeated rows of same blocks. According to what Jonathan wrote in the technical information of the user manual, screens in AGD are already compressed, so more contiguous blocks of the same type present on the screen mean a better inner compression ratio.

You can also reuse a screen multiple times in your map, but be careful how to design your game mechanics if you decide to do that. For example, you do not want a particular condition to be related to a screen which is repeated in your map. Moreover, if your game implies objects that can be placed or dropped, if you put or drop one object in a certain screen, it will appear in all of the instances of the same screen. So be careful.

[Packobilly]

Ok.
I'm messing around with a single-screen game for each level.
I would like to reach over 30 screens, but as much as I try, it is impossible for me.
In order of that, I will dose the sprites, frames and blocks to save the maximum memory possible.
So, I will develop screens until I "run out of fuel"; then I will stop.
Thank you, Alessandro.

PS. Very interesting your interview with Javi Ortíz.

[alessandro]

30 screens is perfectly reasonable: my Apulija-13, for instance, amounts to 36, and it's a complex game, with objects to find and use, tasks to perform, different types of enemies etc. There was also room for custom sound effects and (on 128K) AY background music.

With careful planning of screen and sprite design, I am sure you can do that

But also remember that size does not equally amount to quality. Think about Xavior or Psytraxx for instance. Enormous maps, but sparse graphics and repetitive and diluted gameplay.

Mar 17, 2020 18:28:41 GMT Packobilly said:

PS. Very interesting your interview with Javi Ortíz.

Muchísimas gracias