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[sigfarter]

BRAIN DAMAGE

WHAT IS THE BDAPI?

I have been developing a video game development framework and engine over the past three and a half years in C++. It is called the Brain Damage API, or simply BDAPI. My intentions for the BDAPI are twofold: to provide an effective and transparent interface between low-level procedural generation technology and the developer (mastering chaos, as I like to say) and to implement a cross-platform, virtual 16-bit console aesthetically styled according to the Sharp X68000, MSX Turbo-R and Neo Geo MVS systems.

WHAT'S THE POINT?

Game development based on the BDAPI, and in particular the creation of in-game assets, is intentionally limited according to the constraints of typical 16-bit consoles. Twofold again, this allows the developer to rapidly create in-game assets during both the development of the game and during runtime, and also because 16-bit consoles such as the SNES and Sega Genesis are fucking badass.

IS IT A GAME?

I am working on a game in parallel with the BDAPI, but I will elaborate in heavy detail on that at another time. It suffices to say that the BDAPI was designed and developed specifically according to the needs and requirements of this game, and apropos, the framework was eventually fleshed out to support many more projects in the future. Once the projected and necessary specifications of version one of framework have been implemented (three and a half years of full-time development and counting, currently refactored down to a tidy 40,000 lines of code), I will ideally be able to rapidly create expansive gaming experiences far into the future.

WHAT FEATURES DOES IT PROVIDE?

• Hardware accelerated software rendering emulation, which visually presents you with the quintessential low resolution, palette restrictions and sprite graphics of pre-32-bit systems, optionally filtered through a variety of legacy analog display emulations (CRT, NTSC, PAL), while making full use of the GPU in the procedural generation of graphics assets behind the scenes.
• Audio synthesis based upon a heavily modified Yamaha YM2151 sound chip, supporting common and useful audio processing filters such as low-pass, reverb and equalization. Speech synthesis functionality is extended from and modulated through the FM synthesis system, launching the Yamaha OP family of sound chips far into the 21st century.
• Powerful, developer-friendly and real-time capable procedural generation of 2d and 3d graphical data, sound effects, music, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
• Reactive and dynamic music generation responsive to the game world and player's actions; in combination with the audio synthesis system, reponsiveness is essentially instantaneous.
• penises
• A rich toolkit suite supporting the game development process and Brain Damage file formats.

SOUNDS GREAT, WHEN'S IT COMING OUT?

I am never releasing the source code or dynamic link libraries because I am a selfish republican asshole. But I just wanted to let everyone know about the great tools I have to work with! You'll just have to wait until the first mystery game based on the BDAPI comes out to play with it (hint). To add insult to the injury, what little third-party code I make use of in the BDAPI is licensed under MIT, BSD and zlib licenses.

Unfortunately, a realistic projection of completion and release taking into consideration my current working habits, stamina and progress so far is sometime before the end of 2016 at the earliest. That's not just a number I pulled out of my ass; I still have a great deal of work to do.

WELL, FUCK YOU THEN!

Hold your horses, mister! I have for you here a sneak peak of the BDAPI's audio synthesis system; a video of it in use (with sound, of course).

BDAPI Synthesizer Alpha

ERIC, YOU NEVER FINISH ANYTHING

Eric Vaughn, a guy who is notorious for starting awesome projects and never finishing them. So yeah, to say I’m skeptical about this one would be an understatement. But oh! If he did finish it, that’d be great...

It would be out of character for me to attempt anything other than a hugely ambitious and convoluted video game project, so don't expect me to settle for Sunday morning's next indie game special on Steam. However, consider the following: I have been pushing 60-100 hour weeks consistently over the past three and a half years on this project, and I am also developing this framework and familial game entirely by myself; pertinently, I am not making compromises or playing power games with other developers to realize this vision. I have worked with many a notable developer over the years on hugely ambitious projects which always failed because of the inevitable social dynamic baggage that comes with attempting to create video games with other people over the internet. Since I answer only to myself, I have not had to make any compromises on this project. So if you would like to silently root for me on the sidelines, then that would be appreciated.

OK. WHAT'S NEXT?

I will keep you guys up to date on my latest developments on a loosely stringent weekly basis. Until then, I still have some work to do today! Sieg heil!

[Belimoth]

This is cool and I am following it.

[sigfarter]

(shameless cross-posted from an ancient, underground thread)

...a brief history of 16-bit console sound chips!

Ok, the important point to remember here is that the Sega Genesis/Megadrive, Neo Geo and Sharp X68000 all make use of sound chips produced by Yamaha. The Sega Genesis/Megadrive's sound chip is the YM2612, while the Neo Geo uses a relative of the YM2612, the YM2610. Both the YM2610 and YM2612 are based off of the YM2608; in fact they are both essentially stripped down and cheaper ripoffs of the YM2608.

Yamaha YM2608

During the eighties, sound chips were an uncommon and expensive feature in the world of personal computing, and chips like the comparatively cutting edge and powerful YM2608 were typically not built-in components of many devices. However, sound chips in home video game consoles were made possible by corporate jewing. Similarly to CPU manufacturers such as Intel and AMD who maintain market supremacy by releasing state of the art CPUs with a few internal switches turned off for half the price, Yamaha released a series of mid-to-low tier sound chips by taking their cutting edge models (typically used in workstation based audio production, synthesizers and keyboards) and tearing half of the shit out of them. This is what the 2610 and 2612 are.

Neo Geo YM2610

Sega Genesis/Megadrive YM2612

You might notice that the versioning number system actually works backwards; Yamaha released the newer version in the series with a bigger serial number than its predecessor, but it was in actual fact much less advanced and powerful.

The 2610 and 2612 share some mechanical and auditory similarities, both being based on the 2608, yet they are still nonetheless remarkably different from one another. For instance, the 2610 has fifteen channels, while the 2612 has only six. You might notice that the 2610 is a lot bigger than the 2612 as well. However, technicalities aside, its probably a fair prediction that even experienced video game enthusiasts familiar with the consoles implementing these sound chips are not necessarily able to differentiate the two.

Sharp X68000 YM2151

The Sharp X68000 implements the YM2151 sound chip, a model unrelated to the 2600s series. Strictly speaking, it is a sound chip designed for keyboards, and was Yamaha's first single-chip FM synthesis implementation. However, it was also found to be suitable for the large and expensive arcade game cabinets of the era. The Sharp X68000 can be interpreted as an attempt at making a personal computer out of the same components used in contemporary arcade cabinets, and the YM2151 just happened to be what was popular at the time. Think the arcade version of games like Marble Madness and so forth.

Super Nintendo S-SMP

The Super Nintendo uses a sound chip designed specifically for the console called the S-SMP, cobbled together from a Sony SPC700 CPU core, some RAM and a DSP (digital signal processor), all wrapped up with its own boot ROM to boot. All you need to know is that it is entirely unrelated to the Yamaha series, composition and methodology of sound chips, and henceforth sounds entirely different. However, its sound is still unmistakably reminiscent of the 16-bit era of video games, just like the sound chips mentioned previously.

So do your homework! This stuff is actually REALLY interesting.

TOEJAM IS A WIENER

[eigenbom]

wow and i thought your role on these forums was just to rage out, but you seem like a really smart chap and this project looks uber cool. follow mode on.

[moi]

shit man, this is so badass


If you release that to the public, you'll be , like, the most popular guy on tigsource, I'm sure you could become president of australia if you wanted to. The man with the hand on the faucet

[sigfarter]

shit man, this is so badass

If you release that to the public, you'll be , like, the most popular guy on tigsource, I'm sure you could become president of australia if you wanted to. The man with the hand on the faucet

I don't think anyone has ever told me that a game idea I had was bad.

[Geti]

Looks cool, game screenshots would be more fun but w/e I know your work is generally solid even if your posts come off a little schizo. Keep doing your thing.

[JobLeonard]

Hardware accelerated software rendering emulation, which visually presents you with the quintessential low resolution, palette restrictions and sprite graphics of pre-32-bit systems, optionally filtered through a variety of legacy analog display emulations (CRT, NTSC, PAL), while making full use of the GPU in the procedural generation of graphics assets behind the scenes.
Audio synthesis based upon a heavily modified Yamaha YM2151 sound chip, supporting common and useful audio processing filters such as low-pass, reverb and equalization. Speech synthesis functionality is extended from and modulated through the FM synthesis system, launching the Yamaha OP family of sound chips far into the 21st century.

So, like instagram for software?

*runs*

But seriously, this sounds like you really worked hard to make it authentic and bring out the aesthetic qualities of the original hardware. I'm intrigued

[sigfarter]

Here's the latest update on the synthesizer.

Brain Damage YMX Synthesizer Demonstration

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

wow and i thought your role on these forums was just to rage out, but you seem like a really smart chap and this project looks uber cool. follow mode on.

i think this is because it takes intelligence to troll well -- usually the best trolls are also the most intelligent. super joe is also extremely intelligent for example

[melos]

I think the synthesizer is very cool. Can't wait to play around with it, though I might be waiting for a bit apparently!

[J. R. Hill]

TOEJAM IS A WIENER

Will he ever reach FunkLord?  I don't know, I mean I've shared an elevator with the guy...

[gnat]

Sigvatr content thread detected.

Bumpity bump bump.

[sigfarter]

I completed the synthesizer, I'm taking a break for a few days. Maybe I will post another video of it!

[PompiPompi]

wow and i thought your role on these forums was just to rage out, but you seem like a really smart chap and this project looks uber cool. follow mode on.

i think this is because it takes intelligence to troll well -- usually the best trolls are also the most intelligent. super joe is also extremely intelligent for example

Meh, after a while you can see he is recycling himself quiet a lot.

[sigfarter]

ontopic only itt thanks

[sigvatr___]

I'll have an update on this project ready in the coming days; don't rat me out.

[sigvatr___]

[JobLeonard]

It's alive? At is alive! 

[sigvatr___]

It never died, but there were some... difficulties communicating my progress.