Vector Games on CGA monitor?

[Dave Wave]

How do vector games look when displayed on a CGA monitor driven by acradevga/mame?

[SirPeale]

Like crap.

No, really.

Vector games should really only be played on a vector monitor for best results.  Failing that, a high res VGA monitor.

[fredster]

Vector monitors have different charateristics.

IE Asteroids: The vector monitor shows the shot as a bright dot with tracers, and the mame version shows only a small dot.  There is no comparison in the "feel". 

[ericball]

Consider that the Zektor Vector Generator has a endpoint resolution of 1200x944 (onscreen 1024x768).  Compare that to a CGA monitor which has a resolution of ~320x240 (may vary slightly from game to game).

If you want to get a feel for what it would look like, force MAME to use 320x240 (or 640x480).  I'd also advise turning off any overlays, backgrounds, bezels etc.  (except where necessary, e.g. Armor Attack).

And as fredster suggests, many vector games "overdrive" the monitor, which cannot be duplicated on a normal raster monitor.

[wpcmame]

IE Asteroids: The vector monitor shows the shot as a bright dot with tracers, and the mame version shows only a small dot.

[Lilwolf]

two questions..

1) has anyone looked at mames anti-aliasing code?  what would it take to add 4x or 16x AA?  I know some AA algorithms (wrote some a while ago)...   And they can be pretty fast to add extra detail... ESPECIALLY with drawing lines...  Biggest trouble is adding the transparencies (combining two parts that are over each other...)

Anyway, playing 3d games on 640x480 with 16x FSAA looks GREAT... Asteroids running 4x or 16x should also look GREAT,... even at 320x240.

2) crap... can't remember... started the last question thinking of two... Oh well... Anyone who can answer #8 successfully gets 10million xp (wizardry bishop anyone?)

[wpcmame]

1) has anyone looked at mames anti-aliasing code?

[Xiaou2]

 I wish there was some sorta enhanced drawing routine for the vector games in mame.   I once saw a vector monitor that was mis-adjusted.  It was cool  - as the vector lines were all connected - all one line! (and all drawn staring fron the center of the screen)  And there were lines criss crossing all over the place.   I thought the thing was busted - but then someone opened the thing up and turned a dial to fix it, as well as explaining it. (was at an auction)

 Ive noticed that the Bullet  in the arcade was super bright.   I believe it had something to do with the way a single point had to be drawn.   When vector graphics move... they fade a bit - leaving a sorta trail. 

 Remembering how the screen was misadjusted and the center of the screen was monster bright - (the guy said that leaving it that way for a bit would ruin it)... It would seem that the durration of the beam in one place may dictate the brightness.   So - maybe they drew the single point at a longer durration - or - just updated the point twice as much as the rest of the gfx  - so it was drawing the thing like 4 times in a frame when the asteroids were drawn only once.   This would brighten the point even more, and also keep the point from dulling and fading as much as it moved.

 I think mame could adopt a way to simulate this better by simply drawing the other gfx at a lower color gradient.... and use 100% color brightness for the single pixil bullets.   Adding a timed 'fade' would also be very nice to simulate the trails.  Adding a slight glowing 'mist' arround the beams would also be nice to help simulate the phospur glow. ..

   Mame could also look into drawaing the lines the same way that these games did - for accuracy in simulation.   Would be cool to have the brightness dial simulated  to show the  ' one line draws them all'    effect.