HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: yawei@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (~{QG9p~})
Subject: Re: Graphics Library for the SpeedStar 24X? (VESA)
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 07:00:08 GMT

In article <21JAN199320343834@rosie.uh.edu> st1lv@rosie.uh.edu (McLeod, Stephen) writes:
>Given the great price for 24 bit color I am considering buying a Speedstar
>but a friend told me I should not do so unless there is something called a 
>VESA driver for it.  He says if there is not, I might be able to use a paint
>program but never any games and so on.  Is there a VESA driver for the 
>Speedstar 24X?  

My Speedstar 24X came with a VESA BIOS, therefore no VESA driver
is needed.


 Ya-Gui Wei

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: jonm@void.ncsa.uiuc.edu (Jon E. Mittelhauser)
Subject: Re: PC Graphics (animation)
Organization: Nat'l Center for Supercomputing Applications
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 22:04:46 GMT

scd@cs.brown.edu (Steven C. Dollins) writes:
>
>Xspace and Netspace store an array of flags, two for each key.  One
>flag has the current state of the key, up or down, and the other is
>set only when the key is pressed.  In your game loop, if the second
>flag is set, then the key was pressed within the past loop (note that
>it need no longer be pressed.)  Act on the keypress and then reset it
>with the value of the first key.
>
>					- Steven Dollins
>Brown Computer Graphics Group		scd@cs.brown.edu
>
>Here is the assembly source code used for the keyboard interrupt
>(int09) and the timer interrupt (int1C) in our games:

   Just a slight warning and appeal for information.  This is very good
code, but we have recieved a small number of people who have systems
on which the key code for Netspace doesn't work.  We haven't been able
to duplicate the problem ourselves to try to fix it.  The people with
problems seem to be running fairly complex setups (e.g. DR-DOS and QEMM and
various other memory managers).   We haven't been able to track down a single
cause for the problem.  If you get this code and it doesn't work for your
setup, please mail me with information concerning your set-up.  Even better,
if you find what is causing the problem please let me know.
   Again, this _is_ good code.  It works on 99.9% of the computers which
run Netspace/Xspace.  I simply would like to try to find the cause for that
.1% problem.  :^)

-Jon (jonm@ncsa.uiuc.edu)

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: asrmr2@acad2.alaska.edu
Subject: contour lines
Organization: University of Alaska
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 01:13:58 GMT

Recently I aquired an older apple program call WILDERNESS SURVIVAL, that would randomly create a topo map
complete with rivers, forest and mountains.  The main program calls a map.obj
and I was wondering if anybody knows how this might be done. 


Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: disbrow@halon.dfrf.nasa.gov (Jim Disbrow)
Subject: Nintendo Monitors
Keywords: Nintendo
Reply-To: disbrow@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Ames-Dryden FRF, Edwards, CA
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 21:26:30 GMT

We're just about to purchase a super Nintendo and I was wondering
if I can use an old commodore color monitor instead of a TV.
Any info would be appreciated.

Thanx in advance,
-- 
Jim Disbrow

work: 805/258-3417
home: 805/948-1363

internet:  disbrow@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
  Brain. Brain. What is brain?
      -- Kara the Eymorg, "Spock's Brain," stardate 5432.3.

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: vputz@nyx.cs.du.edu (Victor Putz)
Subject: All right- who's doing what?
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 93 02:13:27 GMT


I periodically like to take a survey of who's working on what.  I'm still
plugging away at yakIcons, as well as making occasional jabs at
morningStar (a mech wargame-- should make those darn FASA games look a
little worse for wear) and Shadow of the Beet, a platform game (which I'm
doing just to develop the platform game kit for yakIcons).

SO:  What are y'all up to?  I'd also like to know who's doing what with
WGT, XLIB, and/or yakIcons.

Good luck (and good gaming!)
-->Vputz

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: nbb3647@ultb.isc.rit.edu (N.B. Bast)
Subject: Re: Graphics Library for the SpeedStar 24X? (VESA)
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 19:07:01 GMT


the 24X is hardware VESA compatible... you won't even need a driver for
most things.

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: jch@xerxes.cs.umn.edu (J.C. Hamlin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Wanted: Computer Games Design Course Textbook
Keywords: computer games design course textbook wanted
Date: 27 Jan 93 22:34:40 GMT
Organization: University of Minnesota, Department of Computer Science


   I'm searching for a textbook (or books) to be used in conjunction with 
teaching a computer games design course at the University of Minnesota.  The  
ideal book would cover computer games theory, with some emphasis on raster 
(bitmap) algorithms spefically for use in a computer game.  I'm interested in a 
book that would discuss different game styles such as action/arcade style, 
turn based, multi-user real-time; graphics styles like 2D raster, 2D vector, 
3D vector; and describe the theory behind the development of games on a 
computer system.  The book need not describe simple raster algorithms like 
line drawing or simple 3D graphics as the Foley and Van Damme book covers 
this material quite well.  I'm not interested in books that describe how to 
use a particular graphics platform, how to build a boardgame, or how to make 
a smart computer opponent (AI stuff).

   So far, I've found very little that would work well as a textbook for a 
computer games course.  I've found some that do a good job of describing 
certain types of games like wargames (The Complete Wargaming Handbook, 2nd 
Edition) which touch on computer games, but again, nothing that would serve 
as a good textbook.  I'm sure other universities may offer courses similar to 
this and I would be interested to know what types of literature are being 
used to teach those courses.

   Please, no suggestion is too stupid.  Send me enough information so that I 
can obtain the material, and if possible a short summary of the contents.  I 
appreciate your time and consideration.  

Thank you in advance,
J.C. Hamlin
jch@cs.umn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: glover@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Eric Glover)
Subject: Re: Aaargh!!! Scanning.
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 16:56:17 GMT

>> I really need to know if there is a good program to 
>> 
>> 1: scan in images into 320x200x256 mode
>
>Scan and edit?  doubtful.

Okay, better yet, is there a good program just to scan in images
into 320x200x256 color mcga\vga mode? *any* program at all anywhere in the
cosmos at any price?

the ugly voice of desperation rears its head.... :).
 

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,alt.msdos.programmer
From: cat@wixer.cactus.org (Dr. Cat)
Subject: Re: Game Publishing Questionaire
Organization: Real/Time Communications
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 03:55:27 GMT

   Self publishing is not for the inexperienced.  Running any kind of a
business is tricky, running a publishing business without having the
background is very unlikely to work out.  If you deal with Epic Megagames or
Apogee, they pay a 40% royalty.  Is a mere doubling of your profit on the
project worth incurring a large risk that you won't make any money at all,
that you might actually lose money?  I would say you should also approach the
conventional publishers, such as Microprose, Electronic Arts, Origin, Sierra,
etc.  If you have a finished (or nearly finished) product, you're in an
excellent negotiating position, and there's no reason not to talk to as many
publishers as possible and get the best offer you can.  You should definitely
make sure you get a royalty, and get a non-refundable advance against it also.
When you have an offer you want to take, you should talk to some authors who
have had their work published before you accept it, to see whether it is a
fair offer.   Regarding how much money you might make, it's really hard to
say without any description of your game other than the fact that it is an
RPG.  In addition, how much you can make depends a lot on which publisher
you end up with.  Good luck!
                                  Dr. Cat
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,rec.games.design
From: jeremi@ee.ualberta.ca (William Jeremiah)
Subject: Re: New FTP archive for computer game development
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 22:56:36 GMT

profile@netcom.com (Tom Czarnik) writes:
> Effective today, an anonymous FTP archive is available for
> computer-based game development material. It's empty right now,
> but if anybody would like to fill it up with meaningful stuff, 
> send mail to game-dev@netcom.com. No offical mirrors yet.
> 
> Use ftp.netcom.com 192.100.81.100 /pub/profile/game-dev and
> read the README.
> 

  A tad difficult, /pub/profile/game-dev does not appear to be readable.

-- 
It's here at last:  Released a 26-week project in 48 weeks.
Xref: sparky rec.games.programmer:5527 alt.msdos.programmer:3247
Date: Sunday, 24 January 1993 21:13:35 EST
X-Mailer: TMail version 1.14R
From: "Tim Triemstra" <empath@ais.org>
Organization: Empath Software
Subject: Re: Aaargh!!! Scanning.
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Distribution: world

In <1993Jan24.165617.25838@news.acns.nwu.edu>, glover@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Eric Glover)  wrote:
   >
   >>> I really need to know if there is a good program to 
   >>> 
   >>> 1: scan in images into 320x200x256 mode
   >>
   >>Scan and edit?  doubtful.
   >
   >Okay, better yet, is there a good program just to scan in images
   >into 320x200x256 color mcga\vga mode? *any* program at all anywhere in the
   >cosmos at any price?
   >
   >the ugly voice of desperation rears its head.... :).

Welp, I believe the new version of PC Paintbrush 5+ (I believe that is the
version) would do it.  The key is not getting it to scan into any particular
mode, the key is getting the settings right on the scanner so that the DPI
scanned and the size/width of the scanned image will fit onto 320x200x???
That is, if you are scanning at 200dpi, and the image is 3 inches wide,
how would you expect to get your whole picture onto anything less than
200x3 = 600 pixels?  Your key is to get a program that you can get to run
much higher resolutions (lie PC Paintbrush, Delux Paint II+ or a good
Windows program) and scale it to the size you like.

A fine windows program (the one I use with my color scanner) is Picture
Publisher.  It has some very good scaling functions and about a million other
things it can do.  Then again, you have to really have a SVGA 256 color 
driver and be willing to deal with windows.

Tim.

-------------------------------------------------------
| When the end comes, there will be two men standing: |
|   Me, and the guy I gotta kill.   - Gosh I'm EVIL   |
------ Tim Triemstra ------------- empath@ais.org -----
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: jonm@void.ncsa.uiuc.edu (Jon E. Mittelhauser)
Subject: Re: Novell-Network Games: How to program?
Organization: Nat'l Center for Supercomputing Applications
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 21:40:07 GMT

stoned@wimsey.bc.ca (Darren Stone) writes:
>sn (sn@plato.chemietechnik.uni-dortmund.de) wrote:
>: We have a new Novell (3.11) Network at our university, and
>: I'd like to program some multi-user games taking advantage
>: of the network. Where can I get information about how to
>: do the communication-routines? Do I have to buy a book about
>: this or are there some text files available via FTP?
>
>I had the same problem.  I wanted to do multi-user stuff over Novell,
>without even having to worry if the server itself was up or if users
>were logged into it.  If you want to do this, you want to learn IPX/SPX
>programming.  This is peer-to-peer communication.  It's not too bad
>(there's about a dozen or less routines you need to use).
>
>Two good books on this are:
>
>Programmer's Guide to Netware, McGraw Hill
>Network Programming in C, Que
>

   I recently decided to add IPX/SPX support for our game Netspace (which
currently only uses TCP/IP).  By far the best book which I was able to find
is "C Programmer's Guide to Netbios, IPX, and SPX" by David Schwaderer and
published by SAMS Publishing (c) 1992.  Library of Congress Catalog Card
Number: 92-61286.  ISBN:0-672-30050-8.  That should give you enough
information to order it if you cannot find it in a store.  :^)
   The book comes with a source disk for MSC 7.0 and/or Borland 3.1 and
includes "Complete Netbios 2.h,ipx.h, and spx.h applications.  Real-time
LAN conferencing application, intermediate datagram application, and C file
transfer application".  I haven't had the time to port Netspace to SPX yet,
but it doesn't look like it will be too bad....

-Jon Mittelhauser (jonm@ncsa.uiuc.edu)
 Dragon Palace Software 
 509 W. Park Ave 
 Champaign, IL 61820

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: scd@cs.brown.edu (Steven C. Dollins)
Subject: PC keyboard interrupt (was Re: PC Graphics (animation))
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Brown University
	<SCD.93Jan21175136@nevar.cs.brown.edu>
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 02:12:23 GMT


Sorry, folks.  The keyboard interrupt I posted was zipped with our
system's UNIX zip which requires pkunzip 1.93a or unzip 5.0 to open.
You have my apologies if this caused you problems.

I have put a new zip file, created with pkzip 1.1, on the NCSA ftp
site, ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu, in outgoing/sdollins/keyint.zip.  This is the
80386 assembly source for the keyboard and timer interrupts C library
used in xspace.zip (in the same directory) and in its successor, the
networked version, nspace13.zip (available on wuarchive.wustl.edu in
mirrors/msdos-games/Misc.)

The interrupt requires a 386 because I used some bit manipulation
opcodes in the keyboard interrupt ... and 'cause I don't feel that
16-bit machines are worth supporting anymore.

					- Steven Dollins
Brown Computer Graphics Group		scd@cs.brown.edu
--
A girl and a boy bump into each other -- surely an accident.
A girl and a boy bump and her handkerchief drops -- surely another accident.
But when a girl gives a boy a dead squid -- *_that _had _to _mean _something*.
		-- S. Morganstern, "The Silent Gondoliers"
From: jas37876@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (John A. Slagel)
Subject: Re: Colour cycling - I get flicker
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 15:52:15 GMT

bromage@mullauna.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Andrew Bromage) writes:

>I've got some code for cycling the VGA palette, but I have problems with
>flicker. The main problem is that I can't disable interrupts during the
>"rep outsb" (did I mention I was using the 286 instructions?) because I've
>got music playing in the background. The result is that I get terrible flicker
>over the top quarter or so of the screen.

>Does anyone know a cure for this?

   The problem is that you can only write to the palette registers during
   verticle retrace, or else snow results... so, you might need to wait 
   for retrace, send 1/2 of them, wait again, and send the other half if
   you can't send them all in one retrace period.

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 John A. Slagel              "My old man used to tell me, before he left this
 j-slagel1@uiuc.edu           shitty world, never chase buses or women- you
 (217) 337-7930               always get left behind." -The Marlboro Man
From: meissner@park.bu.edu (Karl Meissner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Design PhilosophyHi,
Date: 27 Jan 93 01:39:55 GMT
Reply-To: meissner@park.bu.edu (Karl Meissner)
Followup-To: rec.games.design
Organization: Boston University


        I am working on a system which allows players to act as teams.
One of the biggest problems I have run into is a philosophical one...

1) What is the best way to present information that is happening at lot
of different locations at once?  (one problem is that too much information is
distracting)

2) How do I design in the ability of allowing (possibly physically separate)
players to act as a team?  (The more teamwork the better...)

Any 1) experience 2) literature 3) example systems would be greatly welcome.

                                        Karl Meissner
From: ddp@cm.deakin.OZ.AU (Damien De Paoli)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: XMPB - Looking for Beta Testers
Date: 21 Jan 1993 09:54:18 GMT
Organization: Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: narya.cm.deakin.oz.au


	XMPB is a multi player space combat game for X-terms.  We 
(Shane Hyde and myself) released a version late last year to get
some feedback. Due to lots of great feedback, we have finally
got a new version up and running, which has all the features that
we envisioned it would (and extras :^) 
	
	We would greatly appreciate it, if we could get some people 
out there to Beta test this version for us.  If you are interested,
Mail me:  ddp@deakin.edu.au  and tell me what specifications your
system runs under.  From these we will hopefully cover as many 
systems as we can.

	When giving your system specifications, tell me your:

	- X11 Revision (and vendor if you know it)
	- Whether you are running a colour machine or not
	- What hardware platform you are using
	- Whether you are using a terminal or workstation
	- How much memory you have
	- And of course, anything you think I should know.


	For those who have seen our earlier version, some of the changes
we have made are:

   	- Save files.
    - Shop.
    - NPC's and compiler.
    - better Imakefile.
    - more weapons.
    - more consistent qualities of items.
    - Speed increase.
    - Clean quitting.
    - CTRL-C trapping.
    - Fixed collision routines.
    - Keys may be used instead of the mouse buttons.
    - Keys may be configured by resources.


Cheers,
Damien	
--

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damien De Paoli                                  ARPA:  ddp@deakin.edu.au 
Department of Computing & Mathematics,                   
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: Jari.Karjala@hut.fi
Subject: Re: Where can one find the XLIB04 library
Reply-To: Jari.Karjala@hut.fi
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Date: 25 Jan 93 14:55:10 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.133437.11471@Newbridge.COM> djones@Newbridge.COM (Dave Jones) writes:
> Can anyone tell me where I can find a copy of the
> XLIB04 library, and any other useful utilities
> for game design.

	XLIB04B and other utilities can be found from nic.funet.fi,
	(128.214.6.100) directory /pub/msdos/games/programming.


--
/*-- Jari.Karjala@hut.fi -- The World is Just a Huge Fractal --*/
float o=0.075,h=1.5,T,r,O,l,I;int _,L=80,s=3200;main(){for(;s%L||
(h-=o,T= -2),s;4 -(r=O*O)<(l=I*I)|++ _==L&&write(1,(--s%L?_<L?--_
%6:6:7)+"World! \n",1)&&(O=I=l=_=r=0,T+=o /2))O=I*2*O+h,I=l+T-r;}
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu (BILLY JOE BISSETTE)
Subject: Yak
Originator: bjbisset@c00202-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu (BILLY JOE BISSETTE)
Organization: Raise A Great Old One Foundation
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:22:12 GMT


 Where is it?  Not to mention, how big is it?
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: dnguyen@samson.hac.com (Duong Nguyen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: computer games questions
Date: 21 Jan 93 22:07:08 GMT
Reply-To: dnguyen@samson.hac.com
Organization: Hughes Training Incorporated, WCO

I have an idea about a new video game that I would like to develope. Now before jumping
in and hack it out, I have a few questions:

1. How can I find out if this "new" game has not already existed or is in-the-work somewhere?

2. How do I obtained copyright for this new game?

3. Most of all, I'd like to know how the graphics in some of the games are generated
(i.e. the Flight Simulator game, how are the graphics done to simulate all the flight
manuevers)? Can any graphic gurus out there help me out?

If anyone could point me in the right direction in getting started, I'd would deeply
appreciate it.

Thank you in advance,
James Nguyen




Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,rec.games.design
From: jeremi@ee.ualberta.ca (William Jeremiah)
Subject: Re: New FTP archive for computer game development
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 22:42:13 GMT

profile@netcom.com (Tom Czarnik) writes:
> Effective today, an anonymous FTP archive is available for
> computer-based game development material. It's empty right now,
> but if anybody would like to fill it up with meaningful stuff, 
> send mail to game-dev@netcom.com. No offical mirrors yet.
> 
> Use ftp.netcom.com 192.100.81.100 /pub/profile/game-dev and
> read the README.
> 

  A tad difficult, /pub/profile/game-dev does not appear to be readable.

-- 
It's here at last:  Released a 26-week project in 48 weeks.
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca (Chuck Turner)
Subject: Its the questionnaire guy again =)
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 21:44:55 GMT

Okay, I see what the problem with windows is.  Nobody likes the thought
of a game the uses Windows because its so difficult to get good animation
in a window.  No problem.  We don't plan to have any animation beyond the
3-d representation of the galaxy.  The rest will be 'stills'.  Everything
else in the game we're planning is perfectly suited for *a* windows
system (SimCity was mentioned in one of the responses, and this is the
sort of thing we're driving for - minus the animation.  Another example
would be Command HQ).

I think the confusion came when I mentioned 'detailed combat sequences'.
I didn't mean to imply that you fly one of the ships in the fleet, or
some such thing.  The 'detail' comes in your ability to move your entire
fleet, change targets, etc during combat.

					- Chuck 

PS:  If Borland C++ 3.1 hadn't jumped $60+ dollars since Christmas, I would
     own it by now and wouldn't even be worried about this problem =)
 _______________________________________ 
|                                       | '..err..of course I suck blood.' 
| "--whether you are quiet and ALIVE or | 'I don't believe you.' 
| quiet and DEAD makes no difference to | 'I've got a straw right here PAL! 
| Cerebus."                             |  You want a demonstration?!'
|       - Cerebus the Aardvark          |                   - The Tick 
|_______________________________________| Chuck Turner -> lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca
From: unbelver@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Carlos Y. Villalpando)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Nintendo Monitors
Date: 22 Jan 1993 21:56:02 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: tigger.cc.utexas.edu
Keywords: Nintendo

In article <1993Jan22.212630.18043@news.dfrf.nasa.gov> disbrow@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov writes:
>We're just about to purchase a super Nintendo and I was wondering
>if I can use an old commodore color monitor instead of a TV.
>Any info would be appreciated.
>
>Thanx in advance,
>-- 
>Jim Disbrow
>internet:  disbrow@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov

DEFINITELY!!!!!!!

I dug up my old Commodore 1702 to keep my brother from hogging up the TV.
For the SNES, since the 1702 is not in stero, hook up the left side
signal to the speaker. Most carts pipe both channels to the left if
the right is not connected to anything.

If you still have the computer-monitor connector for the 1702, you can
use it to connect your monitor to some SEGA's as well.  (look in the
back for the DIN connector)

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Unbeliever              | "All of this is just a very intense dream"
(Carlos Villalpando)        |                               -Thomas Covennant
unbelver@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu | Melenkurion abatha duroc minas mil khabaal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------