Re: What do you do with an Apple //?

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article nobody@REPLAY.COM (Scott G.) writes...
>
>>Dump the bloated OS and hit the system more on the metal with games,
>>and the GS can't hold a candle to that PC-- 386/33s (maybe 2/3 the
>>speed of a 486/25) can handle DOOM fullscreen. The GS is having BIG
>>problems with Wolf, a far simpler design.
>
>Nate, I have to contest that statement just a bit.  I've run Wolf
>on both systems and at 13.75MHz, the GS version runs as fast as the
>PC version.  Now the '486 game boots from DOS and is "on the metal,"
>but since Bill and Eric play by the rules, the GS version runs under
>GS/OS.  This time, the GS version is more bloated, correct?  Yet the
>GS still keeps up.  I call that impressive.

    If you want want to compare frame-rates (which is also important to
consider), Wolfenstein 3-D running on a PC is much smoother than the GS
port, especially when you play full-screen. Also remember the GS port
uses larger scaled bitmaps than the PC version, you'll notice textures
have a more blocky/chunky appearence (which was done to speed things
up, but unfortunately sacrifies smoothness and image appearence). Even
with my 15 MHz GS, I find the frame-rate unacceptable at full-screen,
so I shrink it down a few sizes (it's very playable full-screen, but
I wouldn't really call it smooth or flowing). The PC is also moving
around 256 colors while the GS is only moving 16.

    I'm still waiting for the _real_ version to be released, what we're
discussing could almost be called an alpha version (besides, the ugly
graphics are even worse than anything speed related. The new artwork
is pretty stunning though, it alone will make the game worth playing! :)
I must admit it _is_ impressive Wolf 3D has been ported to the GS and
it plays better than I originally expected, but being realistic here,
I agree that a GS isn't comparable to a 386/486 for writing games on.
(OTOH, there are many games that came out on the 386 that could have
been written and worked as well on an accelerated GS though, like
SimCity, Prince of Persia 2, Ultima VI, Wing Commander I, Incredible
Machine, etc).

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca