HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: davevh@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Van Horn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: New scoring for text-adv game.
Summary: Two scores, rather than one.
Date: 13 Aug 92 18:20:43 GMT
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson


	Hello.  I have another idea for the scoring in a text-adv
game.  

	If you were to have two scores, one for `completeness', one for
`number of the _really_ cool puzzles you've solved', it seems to me
that you could have the best of all possible worlds for the player, if
at the expense of some extra proggramming.

	The way I see this, the `completeness' score could be computed
by counting what the minimum number of puzzles left to solve before
finishing, and subtracting this from the number of puzzles needed to
solve the games in the shortest possible route.

	The `number of _really_ cool puzzles you've solved' score, on
the other hand, would be just that: The number of really cool puzzles
the player has solved, perhaps with a brief mention of how many
`_really_ cool' puzzles there are in the game.

	BTW, I mean `_really_ cool' to be defined by the programmer...
It may turn out that the player thinks you're full of it...

				Have Phun!
				  --Dave.

|\            /   / |"This is real,        | davevh@cs.arizona.edu
|  \        /   /   | This is now.         | Thanatos@hacks.arizona.edu
|  / \    / ~~/     | This is a freak      | bv367@cleveland.freenet.edu
|/     \/   /       | show, baby, anyhow." | #include <std_disclaimer.h>

--
|\            /   / |"This is real,        | davevh@cs.arizona.edu
|  \        /   /   | This is now.         | Thanatos@hacks.arizona.edu
|  / \    / ~~/     | This is a freak      | bv367@cleveland.freenet.edu
|/     \/   /       | show, baby, anyhow." | #include <std_disclaimer.h>
From: exuhag@exu.ericsson.se (James Hague)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: The miracle solution to IBM Freakouts a
Date: 13 Aug 92 13:18:39 GMT
Reply-To: exuhag@exu.ericsson.se
Organization: Ericsson Network Systems, Richardson, TX

John Zurawski writes:
>
>There have already been a lot
>of people who have expressed interest in the PC specific aspects
>of game programming.

Peter Brown writes:
>
>> Or do people really think we should fragment the group
>> and form rec.games.programmer.pc?
>> 
>
>Not a bad plan.  Supporters?

You guys are missing the point.  If a game programming question is
hardware specific, then it is actually just a hardware programming
issue--and you'll get the best response if you treat it as such.

The Amiga camp is very good at this.  Comp.sys.amiga.programmer has
recently had all sorts of questions about using dual playfields, custom
copper lists, etc.--stuff that is certainly of use to game
programmers.

I'm outta this one...

-- 
James Hague 
exuhag@exu.ericsson.se
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.ai
From: os9ug@gkcl.ists.ca (OS-9 User Group)
Subject: Re: Splitting the Group
Reply-To: sizone!justin@ee.ryerson.ca  (Justin Wells)
Organization: y
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 09:17:54 GMT


re: splitting the group

Actually I no longer feel it is necessary to split the group.  I
just added the following to my local kill file:

/msdos/j
/vga/j
/ pc /j
/soundblast/j
/mouse/j

After that, you would hardly know there were any msdos programmers
around in this group.  (Welcome to my killfile).


Justin Wells, sizone!justin@ee.ryerson.ca
From: sl859@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re:  Scoring reasonings
Date: 13 Aug 92 14:26:29 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

The only use I have ever had for scoring in a game is to see
who could get the number one position on a scoreboard.  Some 
games work with scores and some don't and some work with 
invisible scoring system that the computer uses, but is 
transparent to the user. (example, Karma in Ultima 6, but
I guess it did serve a purpose!)
					wReam...
P.S.  The easiest way to get to the top of a scoreboard is
via a binary text editor!  :)  Heck with real gaming skill!

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: msmith%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Matthew Smith)
Subject: Re: VGA, Retraces, and DMA
Date: 12 Aug 92 15:12:58 MDT
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept

In article <1992Aug11.181336.58070@cc.usu.edu> sl8nl@cc.usu.edu writes:
>> Sorry Josh, but I have to agree with Ross. The majority of questions
>> being asked are things that any decent VGA programmer's guide has
>> the answers to.  They really have nothing to do with games.  Sure,
>
>And what if one doesn't have access to such publications?  They always
>say, "...and the EGA/VGA Programmer's Guide is best..."  You ask for
>information on where to get it, and never get a response.
>
Ok.  I have the two books that everybody keeps quoting here in my possession.
I figure, for those who keep wondering where all of these people get this
information, these two seem to be *the* sources of information for low level
programming of the IBM EGA/VGA cards.  

Programmer's Guide to the EGA and VGA Cards 
Second Edition includes Super VGA
Author:  Richard F. Ferraro
Publisher:  Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN:  0-201-57025-4
Price:  $32.95 (No disk included.  I think it's $42.95 with disk).

A very good book discussing the lowest level aspects of programming on the EGA
and VGA cards.  It discusses in *gross* length all of the display modes, 
resoulations, and registers, and how to access and get the most out of using 
them all.  Pretty much a snoozer as far as light reading goes, but a definate
must for those who want to do anything with graphics.

Programmer's Guide to PC & PS/2 Video Systems
Author:  Richard Wilton
Publisher:  Microsoft Press
ISBN:  1-55615-103-9
Price:  $27.95  (No disk included)

Discusses all of the registers that the Ferraro book does, however, it's 
advantage goes into how to program the different display modes efficiently. 
Whereas the Ferraro guide tells you how to access the different modes, the 
Wilton book tells you how to do it right.  

I've been looking at a *lot* of graphics books over the last year, and these 
two put together probably make the best source of information concerning the
IBM VGA/EGA cards that I've ever seen. 

They both also discuss and give code on various fast algorithms, such as 
Bresenhem's line drawing algorithm, and scan converting ellipses with 8 point
symmetry, all with code.   

I found both of these at Bookstar local here in Salt Lake.  It just opened
up about a month ago, so I'm sure that it's also at other locations.  I have
seen the Ferraro book at places like Software Etc. in the past, but didn't 
have the money to buy it then :(.


Matt Smith
msmith@peruvian.utah.edu
Student - University of Utah Department of Computer Science
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: ssalter@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (-=[SLS]=-)
Subject: Re: Splitting the group (somewhat long) SHORT REPLY
Organization: OFSA
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:45:13 GMT

bjoerns@stud.cs.uit.no (Bjoern Stabell) sez hotly:


>        flame(ON);

Oh dear...a flamer. *yawn*

>*)      I couldn't resist - someone  stated that PC programmers were
>        the majority in this group.  Why so?  Because they annoy the
>        most,  because they have most  problems or because they need
>        everything repeated 3 times before they get it?

>        Could   this indicate that PC  users  are having a hard time
>        locating the correct newsgroup  or  is it  a sign that  they

Bjorn, perhaps there are a LOT of pc programmers, eh? Wonder what the
ratio is of PC type owners is to Amiga/Sun/Apple/etc. That may make a
difference...gee, that might even EXPLAIN it...

Steve
-- 
Spirituality is what is inside : religion is humankind's vain attempt to
express it outwardly.
From: ron@zooid.guild.org (Secret Mud)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Splitting the Group
Date: 18 Aug 92 13:22:29 GMT

From: checker@acf5.NYU.EDU (checker)
>I just proposed alt.graphics.vga-programming over in alt.config. 
>Everyone with an opinion should go over there and weigh in.
>
>Chris

If going to the trouble of creating a group for x86/MSDOS/VGA nitty-gritty
games programmers, why not go whole-hog?  Why limit it to VGA?

How about a news group for VGA, Sound Blasters, reading joystick ports, and
all the other low level things required to write a game for clones?  I find
that that the constant fanning out of groups frequently dilutes the
information by making it necessary to subscribe to a number of groups to catch
the tidbits as they float past.

 - Ron Sharp.
From: ernie@aquarium.Buffalo.NY.US (Ernest J. Gainey III)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Splitting the Group
Date: 14 Aug 92 17:43:17 GMT
Organization: Not an Organization
X-Newsreader: Arn V1.00 beta rel2

In article <1992Aug13.131813.29164@micor.ocunix.on.ca>, Timothy D. Goss writes:

> Splitting the group is not a good idea.  Those of us who enjoy reading both
> types of discussions will lose and so will the rest of you because some
> possibly interesting discussions will not be seen.  The only solution is to
> modify your subject line with PC/AMIGA/ATARI or whatever people are using.

I recall this newsgroup having been created with the intention of:

NON-Hardware specific game programming discussions...
       (in otherwords, GAME PROGRAMMING THEORY)        ;-)
Anyone have the newsgroup charter ;-)

>
> BTW since the majority of readers of this group are PC users and PC's
> represent the largest percentage of micros world wide, why should we leave?

Cause, programming IBM_PC's belongs under comp.sys.ibm.programming or
some such group... ;-)

> Why not kick out the few whining AMIGA/ATARI/COMMODORE users...  Face it
> folks you are out numbered and your opinions mean squat.

Gee... and I thought everyone was welcome in ALL newsgroups... regardless
of computer type ;-) or how PC_KLUDGED they are ;-)

And its not all that appropriate to say... someones opinion means "squat"
just cause they have a certain computer type... how... childish!

>The majority rules
> in all situations.

Not always... especially on UseNet!!!! (hail the charters, the guidelines,
and the UseNet GOD's!!!!)

>I am not saying that PC's are the only or the best choice
> for game programming (they are NOT) but they are where the REAL money is
> right now and money speaks.  The more money to be made the more popular the
> platform will become.  Game companies are pumping out new products fast and
> furious and the PC is one of the major targets...

Gee.. have IBM_PC's finally become... "just game machines?" ;-)

YEEAAH; Its finally happened! Now noone can call the Amiga:
    "Just a game machine!"

---
                                    |Home:        ernie@aquarium.Buffalo.NY.US
  Ernest J. Gainey III              |Internet: Gainey03@snybufva.CS.Snybuf.EDU
                                    |Other:     egainey@pdrome.UUCP
Why is it that, as a culture,       +-----------------------------------------
We are more comfortable seeing two  |Amiga The Creative Choice! :-)
Men holding guns than holding hands?+-----------------------------------------
------------------------------------+
Automated Quote:
"Stealing a rhinoceros should not be attempted lightly."
From: pcellik@axion.bt.co.uk (Peter SPHINX Cellik)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: inappropriate postings [was Re: VGA, Retraces, and DMA]
Date: 13 Aug 92 08:08:25 GMT
Reply-To: pcellik@axion.bt.co.uk (Peter SPHINX Cellik)
Organization: British Telecom Research Labs


In article <1992Aug12.185557.2113@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, gl8f@fermi.clas.Virginia.EDU (Greg Lindahl) writes:
|> In article <62430018@acf3.NYU.EDU> reznick@acf3.NYU.EDU (Daniel Reznick) writes:
|> 
|> >I
|> >have nothing against discussions on non MS-DOS platforms, but the fact
|> >of the matter is, NO ONE has tried to start any.
|> 
|> That's because most non-MSDOS people have stopped reading the group.
|> How about putting 'PC' in the subject of all PC-harware-specific posts
|> so we can mass-kill them?

             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sounds like a NATZI move to me.  What are you going to do,
say that only Jews program PC's ?

Destroying information is never the way to go.
    SPHINX

====================================================
=== Kill others only if you wish to be killed.   ===
===                                       SPHINX ===   
====================================================
From: pcellik@axion.bt.co.uk (Peter SPHINX Cellik)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: inappropriate postings [was Re: VGA, Retraces, and DMA]
Date: 13 Aug 92 08:13:40 GMT
Reply-To: pcellik@axion.bt.co.uk (Peter SPHINX Cellik)
Organization: British Telecom Research Labs


Hehee, ah....

I just read your posting over again, and suddenly realized what
you ment, I thought you wanted all postings killed by admin.  
But your not.  I must have been reading all these stupid subject
debate messages a little too fast.  (and why not) :-)
No, your right, putting the two letters PC in any subject of
a PC based message would be fair, just don't expect there to 
be much to read after deleting all the PC articles.
The subject should be like the following:

Re: PC DMA fast stuff
PC, Split screen mode
Re: PC, mode X

Yea?

====================================================
=== Kill others only if you wish to be killed.   ===
===                                       SPHINX ===   
====================================================
From: bjoerns@stud.cs.uit.no (Bjoern Stabell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Splitting the group
Date: 20 Aug 92 18:34:55 GMT
Organization: University of Tromsoe, Norway

In article <BtAH3E.Bpq@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, ssalter@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (-=[SLS]=-) spits:
] bjoerns@stud.cs.uit.no (Bjoern Stabell) sez hotly:
] >*)      I couldn't resist - someone  stated that PC programmers were
] >        the majority in this group.  Why so?  Because they annoy the
] >        most,  because they have most  problems or because they need
] >        everything repeated 3 times before they get it?
] 
] >        Could   this indicate that PC  users  are having a hard time
] >        locating the correct newsgroup  or  is it  a sign that  they
] 
] Bjorn, perhaps there are a LOT of pc programmers, eh? Wonder what the
] ratio is of PC type owners is to Amiga/Sun/Apple/etc. That may make a
] difference...gee, that might even EXPLAIN it...

Pure speculation.  I know one thing about the Amiga - there are ALOT of
programmers making games for it, so I don't think that's the reason.  Also,
me thinks there is a majority of intelligent programmers on the net, hence
there is a minority of PC programmers. :)

Seriously, even if there WERE a majority of PC owners (and I don't think
there is considering what machines have Internet access) in this doomed
net-world, would that give them the right to post PC related issues on any
group?  Nah, you can do better than that.

I can't see why you're so stubborn, you deserve your own group - now get
it!  And "it's too much work" isn't exactly a very good excuse, especially
since the newsgroup wouldn't need to be moderated (it wouldn't be a good
excuse anyhow :)


Just trying to keep my KILL file empty and still get what I would expect
from my newsgroups,
-- 
                                                  Bjoern Stabell
                                                  University of Tromsoe
                                                  (+47) 83 44 053 / 83 75 164
                                                  bjoerns@staff.cs.uit.no
From: sl8nl@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: splitting the group
Date: 22 Aug 92 18:35:00 GMT
Organization: Utah State University

> A final question : Would all you people wondering about PC hw spesific
> questions in connection with game programming feel better if there
> existed groups rec.games.programmer.vga, rec.games.programmer.soundblaster
> etc etc? For it seems to me that people have problems sorting out where
> to post simply from the fact that they are working on a _game_...

If somebody were to take the time to set them up, then yes.  I'd do it myself,
but I'll be off and on the nets over the next few months.

Joshua Jensne
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,rec.games.design
From: msmith%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Matthew Smith)
Subject: Question on game design
Date: 12 Aug 92 15:39:28 MDT
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Distribution: w

I have a question for those who have done some game design in the past.  

I'm looking to write a game for the IBM, and I have all of the low level part
pretty much completed (read: graphic drivers) and working fast.  However, I 
started working on the engine that controls the characters, walls, treasures, 
etc, and I was wondering how people were keeping track of collisions?  
I thought that the way I did it was the way most people did it, however, 
talking with a few people, I have realized that there is a different way to
go about doing things. 

What I've done is created a library in C++, where, to create a character, I 
just derive it from an object called GAME_CHARACTER, with a few parameters 
such as initial position, the byte buffers that are displayed on the screen,
buffer masks, etc.  I also have a linked list of all of the characters that 
are currently in the game.  Whenever I move any character (or, it could be 
an object, like a bullet, but that is irrelevant), it goes through the linked
list of characters, comparing the new coordinates of the object with each of
the coordinates of all of the characters in the list.  The way I draw
everything to the screen is to have each object draw itself when it initializes
and every time it moves.  

Now, my question is this.  The people that I have talked to do things a bit 
differently.  They have a virtual buffer that they draw everything to, and then
every once in a while, go out and refresh the screen from the virtual buffer.  
They use certain colors for the background (maybe 10 or so), and the rest are
reserved for character objects.  Then, whenever something moves, it only needs
to check the virtual buffer for the chunk that it is moving into for any colors
that aren't reserved for the background to see if the object has run into 
anything.

So, has anyone ever played with these two methods?  What other methods do others
out there use (that aren't top secret)?  

Thoughts?

 
Matt Smith
msmith@peruvian.utah.edu
Student - University of Utah Department of Computer Science
From: tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan)
Subject: Computer-Controlled Players (New, More Appropriate Thread)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 20:01:42 GMT


>Please post your questions
>on building artificially intelligent computer players.  Give some specifics
>I am interested in this.  We (Josh and some others) were building a game
>to have a computer player, and eventually scrapped that entire aspect, because
>it seemed so difficult, at the time.  Since then I have encountered a few 
>"classic techniques" and have had some ideas on how to handle this.  We have 
>some ideas from playing StarControl on the Amiga, but have not implemented 
>them yet.  (Another Josh is doing that.)  I would be interested in hearing 
>some discussion on the different view points.

OK, I'm interested in this topic, and it's certainly generic enough.
Just what are these "classic techniques" for computer-controlled
players? Assume for the sake of argument that this is an adventure game
like Zork (everybody remember the thief in Zork?) This guy had a pretty
detailed personality. He would follow you around, picking up the things you
dropped while mapping a maze, just to screw up your map making efforts.

I read an article in an old Byte (April 1980 I believe) written by a
couple of the authors of Zork, talking about the implementation of the
game. The article says that basically the thief is just a formula: the
chances of him attacking are a certain percentage, lower if you are
unarmed; the chances that he will filch an item vary depending on how
valuable the item is, and so forth. It doesn't seem as though there's a
whole lot to it, but I'm interested in what other techniques there are
to implement computer opponents.

Strategy games are, of course, a whole 'nother kettle of fish, since a
chess opponent who makes random moves isn't partu=icularly challenging.
;-)

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: scalawag@milton.u.washington.edu (Keith Frederick)
Subject: Book on  PC Graphics (by Walton)and Borland C++ for sale
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: pnw
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 20:28:09 GMT


PC & PS/2 Video Systems by Wilton - $20

Also, if someone is interested I am selling:
	Borland C++ v3.1 with Application Frameworks and
	Protogen, and the Phar-Lap DOS Extender LITE for $250

For questions, please leave me e-mail.


 ________________________________________________________________________
|                                  |                                     |
| Keith R. Frederick               | Happiness is our moral purpose.     |
| (206)285-1576                    | If you see Dr. Fu Manchu, Kill Him! | 
| scalawag@milton.u.washington.edu | Reason is our only absolute.        |
| I'm not a number, I'm a free man!|-------------------------------------|
| CIS: 73760,3521  UWID: 8722277   | :::  Looking for a grad school  ::: |
|__________________________________|_____________________________________|
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: then@vipunen.hut.fi (Tomi  H Engdahl)
Subject: Re: VGA PC: Multiple pages in Mode 13h?
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Date: 18 Aug 92 20:02:25

In article <1992Aug17.173418.17990@ctr.columbia.edu> jerry@connection.prospect.com (Jerry Shekhel) writes:

>Hello.  I'm very new to PC programming, and I'm wondering if it's possible
>to have multiple pages in Mode 13h in a way that works on all VGA's.  I can
>see how I can start the display at any address, but I can't see a way of
>writing to a different page in Chain4 mode.  Since the lowest two address

You can't do it in stadard Mode 13h. You have to go to tweaked VGA modes
to do multiple pages. Look for Mode X (320x240 with 256 colors) from
Dr Dobb's journal. Another possibility is Mode Y, which was explained
in this newsgroup some time ago.


--

Tomi.Engdahl@hut.fi            "Don't force it; get a larger hammer"
then@vipunen.hut.fi