Atari: Challenge to develop levels for Best Game Ever
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Krzysztof "xxl" Dudek has put out a call for level development for his platform game "Best Game Ever" for the Atari 8-bit computers.
As he explained to Atariteca, the game is structured in levels, each consisting of a field of 32 by 9 characters. In turn, the levels make up a "world". This "world" uses a character set that has 256 fonts (like in C64). Each world can have its own character set.
"There can be any number of levels, but it's best not to have too many of them within the 'world'. It's better to have several different 'worlds' with fewer levels," Dudek recommends.
For character editing and level design, I suggest using CharPad –available for free at this link
A level consists of three files (the authorprovides a sample template for download): 1. The level map, composed of characters; 2. The gem layer (which the protagonist collects); and, 3. The attribute layer (floor, obstacles, enemies, traps, etc.).
Dudek asks level/world developers to send him the saved project of the tool they've been working on via the AtariAge portal's private messaging system. "I'll compile it and send it over for you to test, and then I'll show you how to prepare the version for you to test yourself - everyone will have a slightly different binary. The reason is that I want to eliminate any misunderstandings or errors that might arise."
"Technically it doesn't seem difficult, but artistically it is a challenge. Get to work! You have the opportunity to take part in an immortal adventure," he added.
Finally, “xxl” says that, once he has several worlds made by third parties, he will add music to the game: it is a song by R.Munns, never before published and with the permission of the author. “If someone would like to prepare a graphic for the start screen, that would be great,” he concluded.
For those who wish to try the game, you can download it from the link below. It only takes one button to play. So, are you up for the challenge of creating more levels?
Best Game Ever tribute
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