Good places to start for possible homebrewing? [Archive]

AB Positive

07-20-2003, 12:13 PM

I've been really thinking about making a homebrew game, my friends and I have been tinkering with making games for nearly a year now but still waffling because none of us are big PC gamers. Where would be some great sites to learn about homebrew, like what systems use what language and so on. I know there's HuC for the TG-16/PCE, but I'd like to start small, like 2600 or even 5200.

-AG

ubersaurus

07-20-2003, 03:13 PM

2600 uses Assembly. Rough stuff there. It's a common misconception that its a small and easy thing to program for, when it is actually one of the hardest things to program for, due to all the limitations and the fact that its, well, assembly.

The 5200 can use assembly, but I also understand that atari basic or whatever its called also works out for that console.

StrychNiNE

07-20-2003, 04:10 PM

You might want to try programming for the Dreamcast. It runs on Windows CE I believe. It's very well documented.

AB Positive

07-20-2003, 11:16 PM

Dreamcast seems nice, except that neither myself or my friend John have used Windows in years. I would almost rather learn assembly than re-learn windows.

Atari BASIC? Is this a modified form of BASIC?

I was actually asking in hopes for links to sites with more info on homebrewing, more of the technical aspects of it or where to start from there, but I highly appreciate the personal service :-D

-AG

SoulBlazer

07-21-2003, 12:14 AM

Not used Windows in YEARS????? O_O

You're either one of those 'Windows sucks, Linux rules' people who seem to get more and more arrogant with each passing month or you don't use a computer for anything but coming to this board. :D

Windows XP was probaly my best purchase for my computer last year -- and that includes games. LOL

AB Positive

07-21-2003, 12:53 AM

I'm not really "Windows sucks, Linux rules" per se, just highly disapproving of Microsoft's buisness practices. The OS however isn't too bad really. Just get a good firewall and virus protector, and you're set.

Linux is the only OS to not completely crap on my hardware and I'm too cheap to upgrade, so Linux has been my OS for a while though

-AG

hades

07-21-2003, 01:19 AM

Lost Monkey

07-21-2003, 01:49 AM

Atari 2600 programming (http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=31)

slapdash

07-21-2003, 10:27 AM

You're either one of those 'Windows sucks, Linux rules' people who seem to get more and more arrogant with each passing month or you don't use a computer for anything but coming to this board. :D

MAC people do exsist ya know. :-)

I believe that it's Mac people that SoulBlazer was making fun of...

DEBRO

07-21-2003, 12:24 PM

Hi there,

The 5200 can use assembly, but I also understand that atari basic or whatever its called also works out for that console.
You can't use AtariBASIC to program for the 5200. Jeffry Johnson has written a BASIC compiler for the 5200 called 5200BAS (http://lilly.csoft.net/~jeffryj/5200bas/5200bas.html). This is probably the BASIC you're thinking of.

You can jump over to AtariAge if you're interested in developing on an Atari platform. You can check out their Moderated: Links for Programmers (http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=24015) thread. It may help direct you in the right direction.

chadtower

07-21-2003, 01:51 PM

rbudrick

07-21-2003, 03:18 PM

MAC people do exsist ya know. :-)
Yes, but shouldn't.

LOL LOL LOL

Seriously, I have a Mac and a PC, but Mac people are almost always whiny fanboys....not always, but generally.

-Rob

AB Positive

07-21-2003, 03:24 PM

The 2600 for beginners section over at AtariAge is great. I've been reading it for a while now brushing up on my assembly to get ready to try some of that. It's NOT easy, though, so don't go in if you're not a fairly experienced programmer.

Here's the thing, I am an experienced programmer.... in BASIC. I have some basic C and C++, but I'm always sort of apprehensive about my ability. However I'll ask my friend John how his assembly is.

-AG

chadtower

07-21-2003, 04:03 PM

By fairly experienced I meant professional, or having studied computer science at the university level, or have been writing software on the side for a while. Assembly programming is pretty much as low level as you can get without punching cards or editing hex directly. It's a completely different world. I just read the Stella programming doc on friday and it seems that the 2600 is even more obscure than half the assembly languages I've studed, as you also have to directly program scanline syncing and such for the tv... buh, I wonder how much of that the TIA does for you and how much you have to do.

buttasuperb

07-21-2003, 04:17 PM

Not used Windows in YEARS????? O_O

You're either one of those 'Windows sucks, Linux rules' people who seem to get more and more arrogant with each passing month or you don't use a computer for anything but coming to this board. :D

MAC people do exsist ya know. :-)

Change your avatar. It must be hell for dial up users.

slapdash

07-22-2003, 12:35 PM

Seriously, I have a Mac and a PC, but Mac people are almost always whiny fanboys....not always, but generally.

They get picked on for no reason. Of course they get whiny eventually. It's like being picked on for owning a Porsche. Some people just don't see the beauty, and you get tired of hearing people ridicule it.

chadtower

07-22-2003, 12:41 PM

Change your avatar. It must be hell for dial up users.

This site in general is hell for dial up users... everybody has an image avatar, too many people have elaborate billion color sigs... it takes a long time via 56k when I try to get here from home. It's not even worth it half the time.

NE146

07-22-2003, 12:46 PM

Change your avatar. It must be hell for dial up users.

Hello.. what about your sig there mr. dial-up friendly guy? ;) LOL

http://www.buttasuperb.com/svcsig2.jpg

http://www.buttasuperb.com/svcsig2.jpg

Thomas Jentzsch

07-23-2003, 09:57 AM

This site in general is hell for dial up users... everybody has an image avatar, too many people have elaborate billion color sigs... it takes a long time via 56k when I try to get here from home. It's not even worth it half the time.
100% agreed. There are even avatars up to ~0.5MB !!! And the sigs don't only waste my low bandwidth too but also often make reading the board quite hard. :(

So, I only have a quick look when I am at work.