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It depends on there being strong cross-platform development tools or not. Back in the early days of the micro-computer, many games used a virtual machine of so
by digi_owl 10y ago
It depends on there being strong cross-platform development tools or not.
Back in the early days of the micro-computer, many games used a virtual machine of sorts. The game logic was implemented in VM bytecode and then the VM engine was the only thing that needed porting between systems.
This was to a greater or lesser degree aided by the limited hardware of the time, and that said computers were single task more often than not.
- E6300 10y agoThis intrigues me, as it clashes with everything I know about how classic game software was designed. Around what decade are we talking about? Can you name one or two examples of games that were designed like this?
- pjmlp 10y agoUsually only adventure games, and point and click ones did that. Think of games like Maniac Mansion or adventure writing software like PAWS.
- E6300 10y agoAh, alright. When you said "early days of microcomputers" I was rather thinking about the Atari 2600. The VM approach was in absolute terms actually pretty unusual in the late 80s/early 90s, AFAIK. Perhaps counting only cross-platform games or adventure it was more common, though.
- digi_owl 10y agoLost Vikings have been mentioned on HN a few times, and Blizzard used a VM for that game.
- E6300 10y ago1993 is nowhere near close to the early days of microcomputers.