Atari Player-Missile Graphics in BASIC
by Philip C. Seyer, published 1984

book cover

Cover

Title Page/Acknowledgments/Preface

Chapter 1: Introducing PMG

Easy Image Creation
Extra Colors
Three-Dimensional Effects
Animation
Not Just for Games
Learning to Use PMG
Overview of PMG Setup
Chapter 2: Designing Player Images
How images are Stored
One- and Two-Dimensional Images
Designing a Player Image
Lighting Up Pixels
Converting the Image to Decimal Numbers
More Practice
Chapter 3: Dimensioning Strings for PMG
Dimensioning Strings for PMG
The Buffer String
1K Boundary
Starting on a 1K Boundary
Understanding the Filler Code
Setting Up PM Memory
Player Numbering
Chapter 4: Getting a Player on the Screen
Main Programming Tasks
PMBASE
HPOSP0
Trying It Out
An Assignment
Chapter 5: Animating Your Player
Animation Without a Joystick
Joystick Control
Modifying the Program
Setting Display Priorities
Changing Speed
Looking at PM Data
Chapter 6: Making Your Player Dance
Defining Images
Initializing the Image Strings
An Experiment
Trapping Errors
Chapter 7: Adding Sound
The Sound Statement
Chords
Poking Sound Parms
Sound Registers
More Experiments
Using a Loop
Using Pokes
Adding Variety
Chapter 8: Missiles
Defining the Missile Image
Horizontal Position Register
Revising the Main Loop
Building a Missile Move Routine
Error Routine
Missile Size Register
Complete Listing
Chapter 9: Single-line Resolution
Line 11000
Line 11010
Lines 11020 through 11040
Lines 11045 and 11047
Lines 11070 and 11330
Line 11085
Lines 5 through 14
Line 10070
Line 315
Lines 3000 through 3080
Chapter 10: Detecting Collisions
Collision Detection Registers
Assigning Variable Names
Reading Collision Registers
Multiple Collisions
Clearing Collision Registers
Using Collision Registers
Drawing a Playfield
Revising the Main Loop
Player-Hayfield Collisions
Missile Collisions
Try It
Slow Player Moment
Adding More Features
Chapter 11: Programming a Game
Mazeduel
Checking for Collisions
Moving Legs
Crystal Defense System
Missile Move Routine
Typing in the Program
Chapter 12: Odds and Ends
Five Players!
Multicolored Players
Graphic Shape Registers
DMACTL
Sample Program
Appendix

Index

Software Archive


Phil Seyer, the author of Atari Player Missile Graphics in BASIC, is continuing his programming efforts. He recently wrote AlwaysOnTop, a Windows utility that lets you keep any window on top of others. You can download a free trial of AlwaysOnTop. Phil is the webmaster of www.lovemusiclovedance.com and offers free online music lessons. When not programing utilities and teaching music, Phil writes stock trading programs and gives private dance lessons.

You may be able to buy a pre-owned, printed copy of the book from amazon.com.

This site maintained by Kay Savetz. Atari Player-Missile Graphics in BASIC is copyright © 1984 by Philip C. Seyer, and is posted on www.atariarchives.org with the permission of the author. Do not redistribute, mirror, or copy this online book.