kometbomb

Programming and stuff.

Author Archives: kometbomb

29 Nov

klystrack 1.5 Is Approaching Fast!

klystrack 1.5 screenshot After months of busy developing (not), I have finally decided to release klystrack 1.5. In short: feature creep. iLKke also joined the dev team and I have to thank him for graphics, testing and general support (motivational kicks in the butt). I also got some very good feedback from quite a few people, even though not every request was possible to implement (thanks nonetheless).

What is new in 1.5:

  • Improved editing
    • Undo/redo for most actions
    • The “compact” pattern display mode can be configured to display exactly the needed pattern columns
    • There’s now an edit mode similar to most classic trackers (you can jam in the pattern editor without changing pattern data)
  • New audio driver features
    • Wavetable for sampled drums etc.
    • Bitcrush effect has now optional sample rate downsampling
    • Extra parameter column for volume (like in FT2)
    • New commands such as setting filter resonance and restarting the instrument program from pattern data
  • Improved GUI
    • A lot of general laziness has been fixed, e.g. own menu items for opening a sample even in the pattern editor, keyboard control in all editors
    • Editors can be switched with buttons located bottom-right
    • The menu is less obscure with a new added menu button top-left
    • New default theme (no more eyesore) AHX meets klystrack?
    • Themes can now use PNG images instead of BMP
    • Program icon
  • Fun stuff
    • VU meters and a fake spectrum analyzer (think Protracker)
    • AHX/Protracker/C64 etc. retro themes
  • Experimental stuff
    • MIDI sync (not tested very well) and MIDI keyboard support (great for instrument editing)

Get it here. Don’t forget the Facebook page, updates get posted there more frequently.

16 Jun

Amegas

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Original by Karsten Obarski

11 Mar

AHX Import in klystrack 1.4

I’ve just finished an AHX import feature for klystrack. The conversion is not perfect because not all features are present in klystrack and they have to be emulated using what there is available. However, even if the conversion isn’t too accurate, the tunes still sound pretty good. This is what the imported tunes sound like if you’re lucky:

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I’ve also updated the effect system to support separate FX chains, meaning you can have different reverb etc. settings for different instruments. While there will be more effects in future versions, they will still be for fine tuning the old school sound.

1.4.0 should be out soon but you can try the nightly builds that should work pretty well.

10 Mar

Review: The Last Arcadian

The Last Arcadian is one of those games that in hindsight are pretty strange stuff for a public domain or shareware title. Considering even in the early 1990s a 3D shooter was automatically rather cool and thus profitable, The Last Arcadian makes you think why it wasn’t released commercially. It looks a bit dated even for a 1992 3D title but you have to keep in mind it is a one man show. A bit of money would have made it look much nicer. It could be compared to Epic but I’m not sure if that’s a compliment. I have seen worse — I have paid for worse.

(Another video below.)

The main idea is to go and destroy enemy bases while the enemy tries to do the same to you. The game is over if your base is destroyed. If you, flying a fighter, are killed, you will simply find yourself piloting a nearby fighter that was previously computer controlled. There are multiple wingmen flying around and if you watch the first video, they sometimes manage to win the game for you.

The enemy fighters are killed with lasers and homing rockets and the enemy base needs to be bombed. When you return to your base, you need to make sure nobody else is trying to dock at the same time; you have to request permission to land. You can also repair your fighter in the base and then return to the battle (to save the computer controlled fighters.) The bases can also fire cruise missiles that travel slowly and you need to escort them and also keep the enemy missiles away from your base.

Overall, the game is very nice. It is simple but has some quirky features and also some quite modern stuff like the zoom in your ship at the start of each level and the fact everything is three-dimensional. There is a feeling of immersion as the rest of the war goes on around you while you’re being resupplied — quite well done as I no longer have the imagination of a kid. If you’re a fan of the old 3D Star Wars shooters, you probably should check this out if you have an Atari ST lying around.

The game can be found on the ST Format 42 cover disk available on this page.