Tempest Strain

mystery_base

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So what is it about Tempest (in particular) that taxes the WG-6100 so much?
I understand Tempest was Atari's first color vector effort, so is it purely a software problem? Does the game overdrive the monitor? The 6100 deflection board was revised a few times, but Tempest remains a black sheep when it comes to reliability. Can we discuss why this particular game is so flaky, and what can be done to promote reliable operation?
 
It's mainly because of the Attract Screen in Tempest. It is too intensive for the 6100 to handle for long periods of time (like about 3-6 months). Decreasing the size of the image can help, as the monitor isn't stressing to draw that Attract Screen so large anymore, or rebuilding the low voltage section with better parts.

I've not seen many 6100 problems with other games like Space Duel, Gravitar, etc, other than age-related parts problems....
 
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