Bab 152: Chapter 152: The Invitation - Part 2
That's because the computers of this era couldn't directly paste images like those in the future. The so-called graphics were all composed of individual pixels. When the pixels that made up the image couldn't be changed, the only way to make the graphics stand out was to design them in strange shapes.
On February 15th, Woz completed the initial movement trajectory of the alien spaceship, which was free movement from top to bottom and left to right. He also added designs for score thresholds and acceleration.
On February 23rd, the movement and attack patterns of the Millennium Falcon were completed by Evelyn.
To be honest, at this point, the game could actually undergo initial testing.
As long as the movement trajectories of the monsters and the attack methods of the Millennium Falcon were fine, they could start working on the most difficult part of the code, which was the collision detection of the monsters.
But just as Evelyn was about to combine the code written by the three of them, Woz proposed an idea, "Ethan, if I remember correctly, weren't there scenes in 'Star Wars' where laser guns were shooting at each other? If the attack method of the Millennium Falcon represents these lasers, then shouldn't the Galactic Empire also have such attack methods?"
"So I suggest incorporating this kind of attack method into the game."
"The specific implementation is that whenever the player destroys a group of enemies, a row of flying objects with laser attack capabilities will appear at the top of the screen, and they will shoot at the player."
"At this time, the player needs to dodge the bullets on the screen."
"If hit, the player will lose a life."
"Of course, the attacks of the Galactic Empire will be intermittent and can never appear in a whole row because then the player won't be able to dodge them. After the player dodges this wave of attacks, the objects of the Galactic Empire will disappear, and then new monsters will appear."
When this kind of transition animation-like level appeared, Ethan's eyes lit up!
He thought Woz's proposal was excellent!
The reason he wanted to merge "Space Invaders" and "Galaxian" was because he felt that the mode of only spawning monsters in "Space Invaders" was too boring, and he hoped players could experience a richer game. And now...
Woz came up with an interlude mini-game?
This was great!
Worth every penny of the $100,000!
"Is it difficult to implement?" Ethan asked decisively.
"Not difficult."
Woz shook his head. "It should take three to five days. The code should be written by then."
Ethan was very tempted and turned to look at his sister.
Evelyn understood his meaning and said, "The time is completely enough."
"Then let's try it." Ethan made a decision.
"Okay." Woz nodded.
With their modifications, the code for the new feature was officially written on March 1st.
Afterward, Evelyn and Woz took a brief rest, and Damian pieced together the written code.
On March 3rd, the semi-finished game went online for testing.
When Ethan pressed the Play button, the game interface promptly appeared. The invaders of the Galactic Empire were attacking the Millennium Falcon continuously from top to bottom.
Although this version of the game had no music, no special effects, and not even a completed scoreboard—only a number displayed in the upper right corner of the screen—it didn't matter.
Because when Ethan pressed the button next to the joystick, the Millennium Falcon would emit a beam of light to attack the moving enemies...
The basic module of "Star Wars" was considered successfully developed!
And when the projectiles representing lasers hit the enemies and a burst appeared on the screen...
The basic gameplay of the game was temporarily without any issues!
This news excited Ethan, so he immediately called Spielberg and Lucas.
After the two brothers drove over from Los Angeles...
The unheard-of game effect astonished them!
"Oh, Ethan, is this what you call aliens invading Earth?" Spielberg said. "The continuous stream of enemies really gives a sense of oppression!"
"Yeah!" George nodded in agreement.
"Ethan! Your live demonstration of this game is really amazing!"
"This game looks much more interesting than my movie!"
At the same time, he corrected Spielberg's mistake, "Oh Steven, this game is no longer about Earth and aliens. The spacecraft below is called the Millennium Falcon, which is Han Solo's ship. And all those invaders above are people from the Galactic Empire!"
This emphasis made Spielberg stunned for a second, then nodded, "Oh, right—"
"Now it's called 'Star Wars'—"
Their approval was the best praise, and after sharing some follow-up work with them, the directors left without any objections. At the same time, they left behind the score sheet for "Star Wars" that they brought with them.
When Ethan got the theme song of "Star Wars," the music that began with 'A long time ago'... he couldn't help but hum along.
There was no way around it. This music was just too classic!
The only themes that could rival it were the theme songs of "Indiana Jones" and "Pirates of the Caribbean"!
"Make it the starting interface of the game, and loop the single song continuously until the game starts."
Ethan assigned this task to Damian.
"Okay, boss." Damian readily accepted.
Now that the basic features of the game were completed, the next step was to develop more advanced judgment algorithms.
And just as Ethan was preparing to lead the team to tackle the problem, on the morning of March 9th, 1977, the company's administrative supervisor, Eulise Noble, knocked on the door of the R&D department.
"Something up?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, boss," Eulise Noble said. "Here's an invitation."
'?'
Ethan blinked curiously and took it.
Opening it, he read the following text—
Dear Mr. Ethan Jones:
We sincerely invite you to attend the Consumer Electronics Exhibition in Chicago on April 1st, 1977. This is an event showcasing the latest and most exciting consumer electronic products, where you can witness the innovative achievements of the electronics industry this year and discern future trends.
We greatly appreciate your expertise and insights in the consumer electronics field, and we also hope to benefit from your presence. If you accept our invitation, please reply to us before March 20th and inform us of your arrival time and accommodation needs. We will arrange transportation and hotel services for you to ensure you have a pleasant journey.
Looking forward to your reply!
EIA.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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