HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mitton@dave.lkg.dec.com (Dave Mitton)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Empire History (was: Strategy algorithms)
Date: 4 Jan 93 21:26:32 GMT
Reply-To: mitton@dave.lkg.dec.com (Dave Mitton)
Distribution: inet
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Littleton MA


In article <BzzpHn.9oE@cs.uiuc.edu>, wang@cs.uiuc.edu (Eric Wang) writes:
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: wang@cs.uiuc.edu (Eric Wang)
Subject: Re: Empire History (was: Strategy algorithms)
Reply-To: wang@cs.uiuc.edu
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 22:08:11 GMT

>>draper@ais.org (Patrick Draper) writes:
>>So, do you know how the enemy algorithms work? I've always imagined that
>>they were some sort of weighting system, with high risk/threat grid areas
>>getting the lions share of troop allocation.
>
>From considerable empirical evidence, I hypothesize (but it's ONLY a
>guess) that WGB's Interstel Empire's computer opponents are
>reductionistic "peephole" automata that react to their immediate
>surroundings according to hard-coded response tables that are written to
>maximize local "combat results" (in terms of city-turns of production
>(CTP) killed versus CTP risked), with only the most rudimentary levels
>of higher-order behavior, such as "look-ahead", communication,
>co-operation, co-ordination, etc.
>... <stuff deleted>

	At first I shyed away from following up Patrick's question
as I realized how much about the program's internals I've forgotten.
But your hypothesis brought a bunch of it back... you're basically correct.
The game had some rudimentary goals for each type of piece and would
interatively execute them each turn.   It did remember where it last saw
you and would head there.

	Once you realized that, the best Empire strategy consists of a
diversion/feint attack.  Land a beachhead, attract attention, then hit
him from the other side.

	It was fun when you knew the debug code to see the enemy positions
to watch ships get trapped in rivers blocking each other and bumping around.

>Still dreaming about an open-architecture Empire that allows us to write
>our own plug-and-play computer opponents ...

>Eric Wang
>wang@cs.uiuc.edu
	
	I view this as the logical forward evolution of Empire gaming.
There should be an Empire game server which is the Moderator of the
rules and keeper of the proper blind game state, and plug in network players
with AI's for opponents.   This would allow the AI's to be updated
independently.  AND the Player Client modules could be updated to provide
better player tracking and order tools.

	.... well I could ramble (and have) on Empire design for much too
long....  FWIW:
	Dave (ELROND::EMPIRE)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: vanderby@mprgate.mpr.ca (David Vanderbyl)
Subject: Re: Why are PC graphics so horrible?
Reply-To: vanderby@mprgate.mpr.ca (David Vanderbyl)
Organization: MPR Teltech Ltd.
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 18:47:01 GMT

rdippold@cancun.qualcomm.com (Ron Dippold) writes:

>C-c-c-combatability and standards!  First, I wouldn't buy such a card
>unless it was SVGA compatible, or would exist with my current SVGA
>card.  I'm not giving up all the rest of the software for such a card.

Hel-lo, wake up!  It wasn't too long ago that SVGA came out, and its
compatible with VGA, EGA, and CGA.  Duh, how did they manage that?

>Second, what's the incentive to write for such a card (other than the
>technical thrill)?  It's like writing for smaller market computer.
>Obviously there will be some people writing for it, but you have to
>get the big companies interested.

You could have said the same thing when SVGA was proposed.  All it needs
is to take off and everyone will support it.

By the way, I was only making a rhetorical question.  The obvious reason
there is no game graphics card for the PC is that it is not meant to be
a game machine.  Despite the vast number of PCs out there, a relatively
low percentage of them are used for games (but its still a lot of PCs).

Incidentally, Nintendo claims that one in three households in the U.S.
owns a Nintendo Entertainment System.
From: zklf0b@gs144.hou.amoco.com (Fergason)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: OK.. about my original copyright question.
Date: 7 Jan 93 23:47:21 GMT
Organization: Amoco Production

In article <43148@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike) writes:
>In article <wH1ywB2w164w@jwt.UUCP> bbs-cyclic@jwt.UUCP writes:
>>Maybe what I meant was a trademark.  What I basically don't want used is 
>>the idea.  What is the difference/definition between/of a copyright and a 
>>trademark?
>>
>>-Ron
>
>	As I seen to recall (correct me if I'm wrong!), a copyright
>covers an idea, say like a book.  A copyrighted book cannot be
>reproduced without the permission of the author...etc...etc.  A
>trademark covers a word...a character's name, a special term used by
>the company...etc.
>	Generally, I guess, you trademark names of places and
>characters in your work, and you copyright the idea...the whole.  So
>if someone came along and wanted to write their own Wing Commander,
>they couldn't use the name (trademarked), and they can't steal the
>background (copyrighted).
>	I do believe that's the general idea.  (Again, if I'm wrong,
>would someone correct me?)

You asked for it.  Copyrights cover the expression of the idea, not
the idea itself.  Otherwise, murder mysteries might be copyrighted
by some guy and nobody else could write one.  

Kelly
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.graphics
From: levinson@halcyon.com (Don Levinson)
Subject: where can I find graphics file format docs?
Summary: want files showing graphics formats
Keywords: graphics, formats
Organization: The 23:00 News and Mail Service
Distribution: comp.graphics
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 20:54:32 GMT

At one time I knew of a netsite that had documents detailing the
file formats of most popular graphics files but I have lost the 
net address, can anyone tell me where I can find these files?
or failing that can someone send me the format for a MS-Windows
bitmap file?
thanks,
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Don Levinson	  levinson@halcyon.com	| 	Fatigue Technology Inc.
 "Stupid answers for stupid questions"	| 	100 Andover Park West
    ph:206-246-2010 fax:206-244-9886	| 	Seattle, WA 98188
From: hemlock@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Zenbozo)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: need SBP Faq and help.....
Date: 13 Jan 1993 03:27:43 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucscb.ucsc.edu


In article <1993Jan8.105900@unccsun.uncc.edu> drh@unccsun.uncc.edu (drew hartman) writes:
>
>
>Now for the help part.  I have a really wierd programing bug.  I am writing
...
>which dumps the location array to a file every turn, and according to it, the
>3rd ship is in there.  Now, I narrowed the problem down to a single procedure
>and when I went to trace through the procedure, line by line, it worked just
>like its supposed to.  I am completly baffled by this, And don't know
>what to do.
>Sorry for the lengthy description,  and any help would be appreciated.
>
>Thanks
>Drew
>
>drh@unccsun.uncc.edu

If it works OK when you're following it in the debugger, you may be running
out of stack space or somehow writing into yor stack with a wild pointer.
The debugger swaps your stack around for you (because it needs to use its
own stack space) so it can sometimes indavertently save you from stack
corruption.  That's the first place I would look anyhow.
DOn't forget TC/BC only give you 4K of stack to start off with; it's fairly
easy to run out of it if you have a lot of local variables.

hemlock@ucscb.ucsc.edu
-- 
"The possessed's mad speech is the higher wisdom of the world, since it is 
human...Why have we not yet acquired this insight in relation to the world
of the free will?  Because outwardly we are the masters of madness, because
the insane are violated by us, and we hinder them from living according to
their ethical laws...Now we must endeavor to overcome the dead point in our
relationship to insanity."       --Wieland Herzfelde, 1914
From: landon@Apple.COM (Landon Dyer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: DP-Anim file format?
Date: 10 Jan 93 14:47:57 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA


Does anyone have the save-file format for Electronic
Arts' Deluxe Paint Animation editor?  I have some
animation that I need to get into more reasonable form.


Thanks in advance,

-- 

landon dyer
apple computer newton team
not the views of apple computer
From: cbusch@ub.d.umn.edu (Chris)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: vision like in older ultima games
Date: 4 Jan 1993 13:36:39 -0600
Organization: University of Minnesota, Duluth
NNTP-Posting-Host: ub.d.umn.edu

   I need an algorithm for vision like in the older ultima games.  In
other words if a house was on the screen (overview look) it would be
black behind the house.
         

        |HO|****
   U    |ME|**

For example you would not be able to see the evil monster where the
stars are, since it is behind the house.


--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Chris Busch     cbusch@ub.d.umn.edu =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 C(o_o))        _                        "The use of COBOL cripples the
   (=)         (_ -|- -|- is the         mind; its teaching should, 
  --|--        language of choice.       therefore, be reguarded as a
   /^\      Protest the use of BASIC!    criminal offense." -E.W. Dijkista
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
From: bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Getting a copyright
Date: 6 Jan 93 01:47:42 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <1993Jan5.172528.29826@fsl.noaa.gov> bear@kestrel.fsl.noaa.gov (Bear Giles) writes:
>In article <ui8VwB1w164w@jwt.UUCP> bbs-cyclic@jwt.UUCP writes:
>>Does anybody know the correct procedures for obtaining a copyright?  Any 
>>and all advice is welcomed.  Thanks.
>
>Copyright (c) 1993 Bruce R. Giles.  All rights reserved.
>
>BTW, this is _not_ necessary, it simply provides additional legal
>protection.  _All_ creative work is "born copyrighted;" the legal
>definition of "creative work" only requires it not be blindingly
>obvious (e.g., the white pages of the phone book does not have a
>"compilation" copyright) and that more than one expression is possible

	I believe he was talking about registering a copyright.  The
(c), of course, is absolutely meaningless (only if the "c" is
enclosed in a circle is it recognized).  And if whatever I'm doing
is truly worthwhile, I personally would register my copyright for a
number of reasons, the first being that if I do need to go to court,
I've got a much better claim with a registered copyright.
	Otherwise you have to prove that you were the one who wrote/
whatever the item in question...

>There is a central registry where you can send material but nobody
>bothers with software -- it is only used by literary authors.

	I'm willing to argue that one...grin.
	(Let's not forget trademarking...would be amusing if anyone
could write an "Ultima" game...)

>Bear Giles
>bear@fsl.noaa.gov/colorado.edu
Xref: sparky rec.games.programmer:5373 alt.graphics:442 comp.graphics:13692 comp.graphics.animation:1582
From: dejesus@saturn.nwc.navy.mil (Francisco X DeJesus)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,alt.graphics,comp.graphics,comp.graphics.animation
Subject: Re: What is the difference between 3D Studio and Animator (AUTODESK)
Keywords: Difference between AUTODESK Animator and 3D Studio
Date: 12 Jan 93 19:28:26 GMT
Organization: Science Applications International Corp.

In article <1imrd3INNrhr@mirror.digex.com> ewebber@access.digex.com (Eric Sean Webber) writes:
>What are the differences between AUTODESK's Animator, 3D Studio, and
>Animator PRO

As far as I know, the difference is that Animator is a 2-D paint/animation
package, while 3d-studio is a modeling/rendering package. The main
difference between Animator and Animator PRO is that the latter supports
higher resolutions.
-- 
      Francisco X DeJesus  ----- S A I C -----  dejesus@chinalake.navy.mil
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are mine. Typos and errors are yours *
 "Duck Season!" "Rabbit Season!" "...rabbit season." "It's Duck Season! SHOOT!"
From: w5y092@rick.cs.ubc.ca (Stephen Todd Leroux)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: OK.. about my original copyright question.
Date: 7 Jan 1993 16:44:56 -0800
Organization: Computer Science, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
NNTP-Posting-Host: gambier.rick.cs.ubc.ca

In article <1993Jan7.201940.22946@ugle.unit.no> robert@alkymi.unit.no (Robert Schmidt) writes:
>
>Especially things concerning compression etc.  As the comp.compression faq
>tells us, most of the popular compression programs have patents or
>patents pending.
>
>robert

I remember hearing somewhere that you cannot put a patent on a mathematical
formula.  Wouldn't compression programs fall into this category?  Just
a thought...

  +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
  | Steve Leroux            | My views do not necessarily represent |
  | U of British Columbia   | those of the human race or            |
  | Canada                  | carbon-based life in general.         |
  +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
From: kludge@hardy.u.washington.edu (Kludge)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Smooth-scrolling tilemap programming (PC/VGA)
Date: 13 Jan 93 04:11:53 GMT
Article-I.D.: shelley.1j04q9INN57t
Reply-To: kludge@u.washington.edu
Distribution: world
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
NNTP-Posting-Host: hardy.u.washington.edu


  Aaaargh.

  What's the best way to implement a scrolling tilemap?  I don't want to
use the one in one of the pre-done packages because mine will probably
use a strange storage method.  I'm using XLIB04, and it works -- but too
slowly.  I'm using a screen surrounded by a border of extra tiles, which
are scrolled smoothly onto the screen using pel panning (changing the
start address.)  When I have scrolled as far as possible, I do a block copy
(with x_cp_vid_rect()) from the current page to the hidden page, moving
the block in the direction I'm scrolling.  Then I redraw the "exposed"
line of tiles and flip pages.  This works... but I get a noticeable pause
at each copy/redraw/flip.  Any suggestions?  I know this can be done faster,
but how?  Thanks...
								...Kludge
From: connelly@key.amdahl.com (John Connelly)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Help! VGA mode 0x12
Keywords: VGA
Date: 7 Jan 93 20:14:50 GMT
Reply-To: connelly@key.amdahl.com
Followup-To: connelly@key.amdahl.com
Distribution: world
Organization: Amdahl Corporation

Hello everyone,
  Can anyone help me understand the pixel layout in VGA mode 0x12 (640x480 16
color)? I'm new to IBM graphics (I come from a Sun background) and 4-bit pixels.
I know that the pixels aren't accessed 2 per byte, in order. From what I've
tried it looks like each byte represents one pixel (like b/w), but how do I
access the other three bits per pixel?
  I'm accessing the VGA at 0xA000:0000. What am I doing wrong?

  Also, my local computer bookstore seems to have almost nothing on VGA/SVGA
graphics programming. Anyone know of any good books on this subject?

Thanks,
John Connelly
connelly@key.amdahl.com



Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: drh@unccsun.uncc.edu (drew hartman)
Subject: need SBP Faq and help.....
Reply-To: drh@unccsun.uncc.edu (drew hartman)
Organization: University of NC at Charlotte
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 15:58:59 GMT



   First off, I just got a Sound Blaster Pro for christmas and was wondering
if someone would email me, or at least tell me where to get it, the faq that 
tells how to program the sound blaster card.  I remember seeing it here about
2 months or so ago. 

Now for the help part.  I have a really wierd programing bug.  I am writing
my own version of BattleShip. I have always liked that game and have wanted
to try my hand at moving graphics and serial communications.  The code has 
grown quit large so I had to use the medium memroy model on my Turbo C 
compiler.  I am using the medium model becuase the only memory that I am using
right now is array to hold ship locations.  I have not added any communications
code to the program, and all the prgram does is place ships, according to
the array and then wait for more instructions.  I do have a moving sonar up in
one corner.  Now heres the problem.  When I run the program full speed, (i.e.
just like starting you favorite computer game), the program does not draw the
3rd ship. (I have 5 ships being drawn)  I have written in the code a procedure
which dumps the location array to a file every turn, and according to it, the
3rd ship is in there.  Now, I narrowed the problem down to a single procedure
and when I went to trace through the procedure, line by line, it worked just
like its supposed to.  I am completly baffled by this, And don't know
what to do.
Sorry for the lengthy description,  and any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Drew

drh@unccsun.uncc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: kinsman@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (Aphoriel/Kinsman)
Subject: Where is a good Action Game FAQ?
Organization: University of New Brunswick
Distribution: rec.games.programmer
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 22:15:24 GMT

I'm learning to write in C++, and I have a lot of questions concerning
programming graphics action game.  Is there a FAQ out there specifically
for this? In specific, there is a lot I'd like answered...

-How to write a page flipping algorithm such that a greater number of objects
on the screen slows the frame rate of the animation rather than the speed
of the game.

-How to write a data structure appropriate for handling game objects.
I.e. A group of unrelated data items, such that when it comes time to
draw the screen the program can say, "Hmm.. Aliens 35, 47, and 55 are destoyed,
Player shot 1 through 3 struck them and disappeared, Player shot 4 exited
the screen.. That leaves the Player, 20 Aliens, the backdrop, and the score
display. Ok, send this off this be drawn up for the page flipper!"
They would need to be unrelated by relative position to other data items,
since I would want to extract items from the middle of the "pile" without
causing fuss.  What data structure am I thinking of?

-How to write an action program using OOP, such that each alien or shot is
a procedure in itself, capable of reporting itself active, exploding, or
dead to the page drawing routine and the game logic routine.
-How collision routines would be handled in OOP.

These may be simple, but to me they are notable stumbling blocks.  
Again, is there a FAQ out especially for programming graphics action games?
Or, perhaps I could be directed to a good book...

Thanks in advance,
Aphoriel/Kinsman
Sean Givan
From: mek@acs.bu.edu (Mark Kern)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Getting a copyright
Date: 8 Jan 93 04:10:07 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

In article <1993Jan5.172528.29826@fsl.noaa.gov> bear@kestrel.fsl.noaa.gov (Bear Giles) writes:
>In article <ui8VwB1w164w@jwt.UUCP> bbs-cyclic@jwt.UUCP writes:
>>Does anybody know the correct procedures for obtaining a copyright?  Any 
>>and all advice is welcomed.  Thanks.
>
>Copyright (c) 1993 Bruce R. Giles.  All rights reserved.

	I would also advise not skipping this copyright statement.  Make sure
it is displayed prominately on the splash screen of your program or artwork,
and sprinkle it in a few places in your compiled code in human readable form
(ASCII).  Technically, the statement is not necessary in countries which
follow the Berne copyright agreement, but including it will protect you in
countries which have not signed the agreement.

>
>BTW, this is _not_ necessary, it simply provides additional legal
>protection.  _All_ creative work is "born copyrighted;" the legal
>definition of "creative work" only requires it not be blindingly
>obvious (e.g., the white pages of the phone book does not have a
>"compilation" copyright) and that more than one expression is possible
>(the opcodes of a CPU cannot be copyrighted since only those codes
>will cause the CPU to perform the desired operations; the nmenonic 
>codes used to describe those opcodes _can_ be copyrighted since you
>could use "MOV" or "MOVE" or "MV" or... and you could use different
>operand ordering).

	This is correct, but the basis of copyright lies in original
expression.  The reason why a phone book is not copyrightable is that it
is a compilation of facts (however, there is a recent case which might change
everything in phonebooks and facts).  A fact is not copyrightable, nor is a
functional item.  Thus, opcodes are not elibible for copyright, although the
expressions of those codes, the actual text representation, are.

>
>There is a central registry where you can send material but nobody
>bothers with software -- it is only used by literary authors.

	 I would advise registering your copyright, since this allows you
to recover, in general, more damages in case of infringement than would
otherwise be possible.  If I recall, it is relatively inexpensive, only a
few dollars, and provides immense protection.  Unfortunately, I don't have
the address on hand.


>Bear Giles
>bear@fsl.noaa.gov/colorado.edu


Mark "Simms" Kern

-= This is not legal advice.  Please consult your attorney for details. =-
From: w5y092@rick.cs.ubc.ca (Stephen Todd Leroux)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Good animation program
Date: 4 Jan 1993 18:29:24 -0800
Organization: Computer Science, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
NNTP-Posting-Host: gambier.rick.cs.ubc.ca

Hiya... I'm looking for a good program to create animations for use in a game.
Basically sprites, but I'd like it to be fairly powerful, and (free?)
shareware.  I've seen a lot of stuff by autodesk anmimator.  Is this useful
for my purpose?  I have a feeling its commercial.  Anyone know the price for
the program?

Thankyou muchly,

  +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
  | Steve Leroux            | My views do not necessarily represent |
  | U of British Columbia   | those of the human race or            |
  | Canada                  | carbon-based life in general.         |
  +-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer