#AmigaVision Dragon's Lr.
23 messages in this thread
John,
I've got a guy here who practically went catatonic on me when I showed
him one of your messages.
You see, he's a Dragon's Lair (arcade version) addict from way-back, and
flipped when you wrote that someone was interfacing an actual arcade
videodisk of the game to AmigaVision. Can we get more details on this
somehow? (It also fascinates me that he says the response time is better
with AV than on the original game!)
Thanks,
Karl
A year or so ago, at a show here in Philly, I saw a company which had a
touchscreen interface and was using it to control Dragon's Lair off of the
laserdisk. Twas pretty neat to play with.
Response times are bound to be better nowadays since the laser disk
players now have much faster search to frame capabilities. The only real
problem nowadays with releasing a videodisc version of the game is that the
discs themselves are *very* difficult to find nowadays. (And if anyone
knows a source still selling DL, Space Ace, or other LD arcade game discs,
let me know!!!)
–>Steve Bennett
Steve, ask around CEFORUM. I believe one of our members, Gordon McComb,
knows of some place where you can still get some of those LV arcade game
discs. –MFW
I know who did it, but I'm not sure he'd want it spread around that he's
doing it. Not that I think he's going to sell it, or anything like that,
but I'll let him pipe up if he sees this message. 🙂 Think of all the
other video disk arcade games that could be interfaced this way… all you
need is a player with a serial interface.
I guess John is refering to me. I have about 8 levels of Dragon's Lair done
so far, using AmigaVision. -Lou
What laser disk player are you using, and what would the cost be? I am
beginning to really want one as I have been caught up in AmigaVision
programming. I absolutely love it.
I can think of improvements, but this program is the best program I have
ever purchased for the Amiga.
I use the SONY LDP 1200, on eof the least expensive industrial laser disk
players. It retails new for under $1000, and I got one used a s a demo for
half that.
As for AmigaVision, I too love it and right now it is my favorite peice of
Amiga software. In fact, I have gotten so into it over the last months I am
curently writing a book entitled Advanced AmigaVision. (There's even a fair
chance it will be published. ;D )
-Lou
I have spent a great deal of time with it.
I really wish it would handle array's, but that aside it is a super
program.
I am working on a project that may very well turn the video store business
on its ear. I hope so, tis how I am going to get my 3000.
This program is not hype, it is real! Bravo to Commodore and IMSATT Corp.
Want help with the advanced AmigaVision book? (grin)
-mark=
Lou,
Do you know how the LDP1000 compares to your 1200? I know of a source of
them for about $100 and they have a data connector on the back. Useful?
Karl
no, I haven't seen the LDP 1000…but if it is command compatiable with the
1200 it might just work…assuming a suitable cable was created. I have
noticed that the sony 1200 and the 1550 (I think it was the 1550) are
command compatiable. At April's WOA show in NY, I made an AmigaVision
presentation, and had requested a LDP 1200 for the demonstration. All I
brought with me was the LDP 1200 driver, and when I got their I found a
different Sont laserdisk player. All was fine in the end since the 1200
driver seemed to work ok, at least for the functions used in my
applications.
-Lou
Lou,
Is the data connector on these AV-controllable LD players a standard
D-connector? The LDP1000 has a Centronics-type connector, though with 24
pins. Methinks this means it's one of the previous generation, and,
unfortunately, I have no docs for that.
Karl
John,
Well, I don't want to prosecute the guy, but I get your drift. I'd love
to just talk to him about the project, EMAIL if need be. I'd think there
would be a fair amount of the disks around, considering that, if I remember
right, the arcade game was not too reliable, and was often unplugged.
Karl
Well, sic'em, it's AmigaWorld senior tech editor Lou Wallace. Seems to me
there are lots of these disks around… or maybe I just have fanatical
friends. I know a couple video disk fanatics who have 6-8 feet of shelf
space for these things, and they all have Dragon's Lair and that Clint
Eastwood movie with the high-tech plane as a video game… I've got a
player that I bought for three dollars, but it isn't serial controlled.
(It would have been two dollars, but the guy didn't have change, and I felt
generous. 🙂
John,
Aha! That Wallace character is a Dragon's Lair freak! So now we know.
Hmm. Maybe I'll EMAIL him to get juicy details. I think the Eastwood
movie was called "Firefox" or somesuch, wasn't it? You mean someone made an
interactive game out of a laserdisk of the movie?
Wow,
Karl
I ran out of space in the last post. To continue.
When you have a level with more than one possible death, as most of the
levels do, the coding becomes fairly complex. It would have been easier if
AmigaVision support arrays, but this first release doesn't so…we do it
the harder way.
As for comparing it to the original arcade game, it surely differs in
some respects, but I can't remember the game all that much. Outside
spending a few quarters many years ago and the various Amiga floppy based
version, this is my most serious contact with Dragonb's Lair.
A few other details. It has two modes, a practice mode and a game mode.
Practice mode lets you choose the level to play. You get one chance at it,
and win or lose you are returned to the menu after that chance. In game
mode you get three lives. With three lives it isn't easy. At this time it
doesn't save your place or high scores, but with the database those will be
easy to add.
As I said, I have about a half dozen or so levels complete, and do plan
to add more. Game play is quite good, and the combination of laser disk
video and sound with Amiga overlaid graphics and mouse support offer the
player a real feel of the original game.
-Lou
Lou,
Fascinating. Also sounds like a lot of work! I've got a Dragon's Lair
fanatic here who is foaming at the mouth!
So when there's more than one possible death, you randomize and pick
one, or did you mean that, within a "level", there's more than one
opportunity to "bite it"? Sounds like fun; I'm just starting to play with
AV, myself. Great fun. So far, all I have is a little slide-show, where, if
you click on certain parts of digitized pics, you get a digitized sound (my
HD's full of both). At one point, when you click on PicardTheBorg, you get
Clit Eastwood saying "Make my day." Easy entertainment while learning the
program; branching is next.
Do you know of anyplace I can get my grubby's on one of them thar D Lair
disks?
Karl
(BTW, when's the closing date for the next Anim tape?)
Depending on the level, there can be many different places where Dirk
dies. Each has it's own death sequence. There is no random element
involved. For example, if he is supposed to kill or be killed by a spider,
if the user presses the button in the correct range of video frames, he
will use his sword on the spider. If the video exceeds the allowable range
of frames without the correct action being performed (the button press),
the program instructs the laser disk to jump to the sequence where Dirk is
killed by the spider.
Yes, it is quite complex. So far I have the first seven levels done. You
get three lives, and 500 points for each correct action. I plan on adding a
bonus life everytime you complete three levels.
Just to give you an idea of how complex the program is, so far the seven
levels and support subroutines (including a demo and practice mode) add up
to a AV course that is over 125K. Now consider there are 30 levels on the
disk….
I wanted to add I also have a Space Ace disk, and when DL is complete I
might just do it to…
As for the Anim Video Vol 2, November is the deadline.
<chuckle> Yes, that's quite a project. Will you be able to finish it
before working feverishly on the next AW tape?
You're making me drool. Where's the best place to start looking for a DL
videodisk???
The best place to look is the phone book. Look up the names of
companies that service arcade amusement machines. Give them a call, and ask
if they have replacement disks for DL… That's how I did it. p.s. I
think I will have it complete and ready for others before the AW Animation
Volume II is finished…
😀
Well, since I goit several emails today on the subject of AV and Dragon's
Lair, I thought I would answer here how I did it. So far, what I have done
is, using AmigaVision and a SONY LDP 1200, is author an AV application that
fairly effectively re-creates Dragon's Lair. The source of the video is an
authentic Dragon's Lair laser disk. (BTW, while available, they aren't all
that easy to find).
My system is rquipped with a A2300 genlock, which certainly isn't
broadcast but gives an good inexpensive video signal on the Amiga's
display. Since AV doesn't support a joystick, which is how Dragon's Lair
was controlled, I used dpaint to create a simple onscreen joystick that
moves U,D,L & R via arrows, and a round button for the fire button. The
player clicks on the appropriate arrow or button, and the AV application
responds accordingl.
The disk itself contains only video and audio information, The program
had to be in the arcade machine's ROM's. To create the game] I carefully
studied the animations. They consist of a long anim that is Dirk doing
everything correctly, and he makes it through the level. There are also
various death anim's where Dirk failed to do something and dies in a
variety of ways. By looking at these I just decided where in the correct
sequence they would occur, and it is at those frames I insert decisions.
For example, perhaps in a level Dirk must use his sword to kill a
spider. I monitor for all actions, up, down, left, right and fire, and when
an event occurs I find out what frame of video s playing. If it is a fire,
and it occurs during a specified sequence, (usually around 20 frames), I
allow the sequence to continue. But, if the frame is past the allowed 20
frame and the fire button wwas not pressed in the proper interval, then I
tell the laser to play the appropriate death anim sequence. The delay
between the anim change is quite small, with the SONY LDP 1200 taking .5 to
1 seconds to change. And it is a fairly slow player compared to the better
contemporary players. If memory serves be right, that compares very
favorably with teh the original arcade game.
Your best bet would be to ask in the IBM Forums.