🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1gsmv1INN688@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys) writes:

>Ok, how much memory would it take to get games to be created with the
>640x480 256 color mode?

>How much more memory does the TRUE color mode take?

Sigh. It's just simple maths...

In 256 colour mode each pixel needs 8 bits for its colour index
(2**8=256), which equals one byte. Thus, one screen takes
640x480=307200 bytes=300k. Now, arcade games use double-buffering, in
which one screen is shown when the other is being updated, to avoid
flickering when the screen is drawn. So, 600k just for displaying things.
Add to that sampled sounds (I bet you don't hear much chip music
anymore with Falcon... :), which could take a *LOT* of space. And the
actual sprite, background etc. graphics. And some space for the code, too.
One meg won't last for long.

Now, wasn't that true colour 16-bit? I guess you can make the
calculations by yourself...;)

btw, updating 300k of graphics might take a while... In arcade games
the frame rate has to be pretty high, or the game is crap. I suppose
320*200 resolution is more realistic for shoot'em ups and such. But I
wouldn't mind seeing a decent strategy game on 640*480...
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