Some time ago, I decided to rewrite Numbers from scratch. This is now its 5th implementation, the previous versions written in C64 Basic, Apple QuickBasic, C128 Basic, VB6, and now a combination of VB.Net & C#.Net 2005.
This version, while not yet complete, is playable. My original intent with the game was to learn how to get good performance out of GDI+, and I don't think I did too badly with the game running approximately 60 fps on my work computer. But I knew that GDI+ performance blows, and wanted to do better. So, I downloaded the DirectX SDK, and in my free time over the last few days, created a new option to use DirectX for rendering. After much code crunching, I got a version that performs 5 times as well - that's over 300 fps - than the GDI+ renderer.
Granted, DirectX is overkill for a game as simple as Numbers, but the proof of concept for creating rich 2D games - and even 3D games if I ever bother to learn that much - is now there for the taking.
Still to come is a high score list, a full screen option, and a few tweaks to the game to determine what happens when blocks reach the bottom of the display. Once all that's done, I'll give it the ol' freeware release and take what I've learned along the way to the next project.
My goodness. I might actually finish a project for once. What's the world coming to?
This is my blog where I give my thoughts and opinions on various topics and share my creative endeavors with the world. I run two personal blogs, but combine them here for ease of access.
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In California, truck license plates are 7 characters, all numbers except for one letter in either the second or the sixth position. Whenever that letter is an X, I get nerd snipped into treating it as a multiplication problem and solving it in my head.
we should have paid more attention to the cats who, for decades, put their bodies on the line to walk on keyboards and sit on laptops and prevent us from programming
Former 2 time world champion DogPlayingTetris becomes the first player to ever rollover the level counter in NES Tetris, performing what's known in the community as "Rebirth". Final score: 29,486,164, 4216 lines, level 347 (256 + 91)... all huge world records. #tetris
I'd also love a 6 hour layover overnight instead of taking the red eye I was going to take and be 7 hours later getting into Cleveland than I wanted, why do you ask? #airporthell
Why yes, I'd love to leave at 4:40 to get to the airport at 6:20 for an 8:20 flight that got delayed to 9:05 which is too late for my connection so now I'm on a 10:20 flight instead. Why do you ask? #airporthell
@shanselman Who at Microsoft do I have to bribe to fix ADO so that those of us on dark mode who copy/paste text from one task to another can do so without our friends on light mode seeing dark text on a dark background?
I updated the blog post with a statement from Revival. While I'm not particularly happy with Revival's decision, I understand their motives. It's just a shame that it was someone from Interplay that had to go and do this. "By games for gamers" my ass.
Damn, got another Tetris world record! This time in the arcade variant developed by Atari. 6,008,005 points, 5,386 lines, round 363. Be warned, it's nearly FIVE HOURS. https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2131759212
Isn't that true!!!