Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!news
From: "Mark Wilson" <m.wilson@dial.pipex.com>
Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.programming.2d_graphics
Subject: Re: General question.
Date: Sat, 9 May 1998 13:10:36 +0100
Organization: PlayStation Net Yaroze (SCEE)
Lines: 37
Message-ID: <6j1h5n$aek12@chuka.playstation.co.uk>
References: <3551E529.39700A51@chowfam.demon.co.uk> <6isrju$aek3@chuka.playstation.co.uk> <35520452.5385308E@netmagic.net> <35521703.6AC7A819@chowfam.demon.co.uk> <35524CC0.B7F2B618@netmagic.net> <35542F52.F49EB34E@hinge.mistral.co.uk>
NNTP-Posting-Host: userm446.uk.uudial.com
X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.2106.4
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.2106.4

><SNIP : Loads of complex kludges deleted>


Hardly complex...

>The open/read/close are redirected by the ARS library to load
>from the fileserver program running on the PC (via the Action Replay
>cartridge, parallel connection: 2Mb/s download speed). You'll get faster
>downloads, and can load in more data whenever you want. And you
>don't have to pre-allocate any  memory at all....
>


So, you write your game, loading the data up from the PC every time you run
it (which, no matter how fast it is, is always going to be slower than
leaving it in the PSX memory) and then go further, loading in new data and
graphics for each level, maybe extra executable files... "Wow!" you think,
almost as good as coming straight off a CD!

And then you come to upload it to your web page for everyone else to admire
your handywork, but there's a problem. You either subject the majority of
users to a 5 minute wait between levels by converting it to run through the
serial port, or just don't bother and say that you must have an AR setup to
play it.

Don't get me wrong, I think the AR could be a great time-saver during
development (I'll be buying one shortly), but I think to rely on it could be
a mistake.

Basically Sony cocked up big time by using the serial port didn't they?

Mark