HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: nuthing@mcl.ucsb.edu (Ethan Rohrer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Copyrights -- legalities  -- etc.
Date: 28 Sep 92 19:21:47 GMT

Howdy,

	I  just wrote my own Pac-Man clone ('egad!! *ANOTHER* one!!!')
It was my first attempt at game programming, and I'd like to spread it 
around.  The people I've shown it to seem to like it.  The problem is 
(in this country overrun by law suits) I'm not sure how this may conflict
with the copyright on the original arcade game...the last thing I need is 
a law suit.
	Anyway, my clone is an unmistakeable version of PacMan.  I called it
it MunchManiacVGA.  MunchManiac looks just like PacMan (only with a little   
shading), and the ghosts look the same also (approximately).  I also  have
5 mazes which look just like the mazes from PacMan and Ms. PacMan, but I can
easily dump these as I have 10 other mazes.  I used the same bonuses as 
Ms. PacMan (Cherry, Strawberry, Peach, Pretzel, Apple, Pear, Banana).  
Scoring is the same.  Relative personalities of the ghosts are about the same.
I  wrote it hoping to make it as similar to the original as possible 
   	This sounds to me like it might infringe on the copyright, but I've
seen  many other obvious clones also:  PCMan(several versions by several 
authors), EatIt, ...   Many of these bearing the copyright of the author of
the clone.  Could someone explain to me how this is legal, or how the 
laws work in this field... I don't want to overstep my boundaries.
(Of  course, if I do release the game, it will be free...obviously)

Anyway, I'd  appreciate any help you may be able to offer!
Thanks,

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
[  Ethan                    [  "If there is nothing wrong with me, there      [ 
[  nuthing@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu [   must be something wrong with the universe."   ] 
[                           [      -- Dr. Beverly Crusher, Star Trek TNG      [
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: kennehra@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Rich"TheMan"Kennehan)
Subject: Using Atari 2600 joysticks on the IBM
Organization: Clarkson University
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 21:19:01 GMT



Hi.  Is there any kind of adapter that I can build that will allow me
to use my atari 2600 joystick on the IBM??  This would be for gaming
purposes only where only 8 directions are needed (Like Gauntlet 2,
commander keen, sopwith, robotron 2084, etc) Thanks in advance! 

- Rich
  kennehra@logic.camp.clarkson.edu
From: baylor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Baylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: what do you want to know?
Date: 27 Sep 92 16:44:13 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

>
>1. is there really a low resolution mode in CGA ?
>   160 x 200 x 16 color GPHIC mode (not tweaked text mode..)
>
	It goes lower than that. Check out the nifty tunnler game.

>2. is there a generic way of addressing more than 512K for 
>   most VGA cards (assuming of course the card has that much memory on
>   it) 
>
	Eeks, don't know - vesa tries for a standard but doubt it's got
one. Maybe there's a nifty way to get to that memory, but i don't knwo
it.

>3.has any1 tweaked a 512 x 512 mode for most vga cards ?
>
	Yeah, it can be done for standard vga cards ( i hope you mean
logical page, not screen dimensions) using the set width and height
registers.

							- baylor

Organization: Junior, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Date: Thu,  1 Oct 1992 22:48:22 -0400 
From: Court Demas <court+@CMU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Mouse in ModeX


The Hobbes ModeX library supports a mouse.
Try nic.funet.fi in /pub/msdos/programming/games/hobbsrc.zip
(or something like that).


-court
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: kennehra@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Rich"TheMan"Kennehan)
Subject: Re: real sprites
Organization: Clarkson University
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 21:03:45 GMT



I think that you could make MILLIONS if you designed a "sprite engine"
for the IBM that is basically a video card like VGA that allows you
to manipulate sprites (I mean BIG sprites, like on Street Fighter 2)
I've come up with a couple of algorithms written in turbo pascal that
simulates the type of sprite graphics used in NES and SNES games that
uses a tiled background with sprites, but the refresh rate is like
8 seconds.  (unoptimized, pure pascal code, no assembler)  

Ive told people about my idea of designing a sprite engine, but they
all said that it would'nt work because they say that the people who 
play IBM games
don't like arcade style games and that they like to think.  If I had
the technical knowledge in Electrical Engineering I'd build one JUST
TO SHOW EM!!!  I think that there is a HUGE market for arcade style
games on the IBM and if anyone wants to get together and try to build
a "sprite engine" Please let me know!!! 

- Rich
  kennehra@logic.camp.clarkson.edu
From: baylor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Baylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Real Sprites
Keywords: VGA
Date: 3 Oct 92 04:54:24 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

>Hi!
>	Can anyone tell me about "real sprites". I think it's in the hardware
>standard for VGA. Its supposed to let you draw sprites to the screen without
>have to redraw the background. Please send all replies via email. Thanks
>in advance.

	Not in this lifetime. Only the 8515 on up will support hardware 
sprites (on an IBM, which by vga i assume is the case here), and then
only one 16x16 sprite for mouse handling. And of course, no one gets,
uses or programs for the 8515.
	No, you have to save the background somewhere each time, either
on the video page or in ram. No way around software work that i know of.
From: neale@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Neale Davidson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Gravis Game Pad
Date: 30 Sep 92 16:18:15 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

Hi! Being fairly new to game programming, I was wondering if there was
a TPU or Pascal6 routine to interpret results from the Gravis Game Pad
on IBMx86 machines. I've Never handled interrupts before and could
really use some help.

Thanks in advance


-- 

"Our crew's living quarters have left the ship."
			- Secundam Yto aboard the IRON CLAW II
Neale Davidson, another writer wanna-be. neale@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: WPORTER@130.187.183.14 (WENDELL PORTER)
Subject: Re: What about us MAC game developers
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp.
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 14:39:13 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.11

In <1992Oct1.003027.15504@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz> rossw@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz writes:

> 	The subject says it all.  Whenever I read this group there is
> nothing of use to anyone except for those developing on PC's.  What
> about the reset of us.  There is more to games programming than 'VGA
> modes' and 'BIOS' there is the way to construct mazes, scenarios, etc. 
> Why is there *never* any discussion on these topics?
> What about programming hints for mac people or just general algorithmic stuff?
> 
> Ross Williamson ( MAC developer )
> +-----------------------------------+---------------------------+
> | Name   : Ross Williamson          | Do you remember when sex  |
> | E-Mail : rossw@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz  |  was safe and skydiving   |
> | Auckland University, New Zealand  |      was dangerous?       |
> +-----------------------------------+---------------------------+
> |   Of course these opinions are my own and thank !! for that   |
> +---------------------------------------------------------------+
> 
I've done quite a lot of programming on the PC and really appreciate the
ideas and info presented here in this group.  They have have been more
than just interesting for me.  I am, however, trying to expand on the
platforms that I work on, and the Mac is my next choice.  So I have a
couple of simple questions that are kind of related to games programming.

1.  What are the available C compilers for the Mac?  I know there is
    ThinkC, are there any others.

2.  What are the available assemblers for the Mac?

3.  What books or documentation are recommended that describe graphics
    and general programming items for the Mac?

Replies via e-mail or postings are accepted as I read this group
regularly.  Thanks
From: flongo@seles (Frank Longo)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: ModeX and Mono Monitor
Date: 28 Sep 92 14:52:01 GMT
Organization: US Card Products Group, Citicorp Treasury
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

I've posted this once before, however our news server has had
a lot of problems this past week so I don't know whether anyone
has posted a reply or whether my post even made it out the
door. So here it is again...

I've compiled Abrash's ModeX code which I downloaded from the net
and it works fine on the several machines I've tried it on except one.
This one machine is different from the rest in that it is connected
to a monochrome monitor ( Hercules VGA card ). The symptoms are
a screen full of wavey lines and a high pitched humming sound
from the monitor as soon as it goes into Mode X.

If anyone has any ideas as to why this is happening, I would
appreciate any help. Please email me directly at

flongo@bank.citib.com

Thanks,
Frank Longo
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: vputz@nyx.cs.du.edu (Victor Putz)
Subject: Re: RPG
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 14:30:11 GMT



Not too bad so far, but "created by a god" is still a little flimsy for
the continuation of a species.  Not saying that you need to create and
divulge the complete intricacies of a world's ecosystem, but maybe a
little work should be done here.

A little less emphasis on critters is not a bad way to play things; after
all, we are living in a pretty fascinating world today, courtesy of homo
sapiens (we screw up a lot, but we do do some pretty nifty stuff).  You
just can't have beetloads of wild monsters romping around the countryside.
 You do have an advantage in that you created intelligent races (to serve
as an army), so they won't be bent on self-destruction or interspecies
conflict so much as serving Karion.

Sounds like an okay start.  And-- yes, people will play a game if the
story is good but the graphics substandard (I was addicted to antepenult,
an ultima 3 clone released for the Amiga, for about four months last
year).  Your trick will be to get people to play it in the first place. 
Once they're into it, you will have far fewer troubles.

-->Vputz

Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: kludge@hardy.u.washington.edu (MoonMan)
Subject: Re: What about us MAC game developers
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 14:53:07 GMT

In article <BvG0n1.H8y@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> ssalter@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (-=[SLS]=-) writes:
>rossw@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz (Ross Williamson)
>>	The subject says it all.  Whenever I read this group there is
>>nothing of use to anyone except for those developing on PC's.  What
>>about the reset of us.  There is more to games programming than 'VGA
>>modes' and 'BIOS' there is the way to construct mazes, scenarios, etc. 
>>Why is there *never* any discussion on these topics?
>>What about programming hints for mac people or just general algorithmic stuff?
>
>Go for it Ross...start a topic!
>
 I most definitely agree.  Instead of coming on and whining about the lack of
variety in messages, try just asking questions.  Chances are, you'll
get an answer.  Newsgroups are not there for your benefit alone - if you want
discussion on a topic, you'll have to start it.  Good luck!

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
		                               	     
         .   //	                   +   ////	  .      The above opinions
              //  //   //   .  	      ///////         
  .  //	     //   //	//    /////   //  ///  //////      are mine.	.
     //	///  //	  ///	//    //////  //       /////////	       	 
    // //    //    //    //   //  //  ///      //   ////  Enough said. 	 
    ////     //     //	 //   //   //  // //// //       	       	 
    /////   // .     //	///   //.  //  //  ///	//            |	     	 
   //  //   //    +   //////  //  //  //    //	/////  .      |	    .	 
   //  //    //        /// // //  //  //   // 	////         \|/ 	 
    //  //    ///////        //	  //  ///////  //          ---*---	 
   //   ////   /////   .     //	 //    ////    //            /|\        .
           //     	     /////            //   ///        |	       	
   .            +            ////         .   ////////   .    |       + 
                  	                      //////               
      >>> kludge@u.washington.edu <<<	  
                                               	 

















Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: galt%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Greg Alt)
Subject: Re: Mouse in ModeX
Date: 1 Oct 92 10:23:25 MDT
Reply-To: galt%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu
Organization: University of Utah, CS Dept., Salt Lake City

In article <80821@ut-emx.uucp>, pez@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Gomer Wilson) writes:
>We all know that the BIOS mouse routines don't function properly in
>ModeX.  Has anyone successfully written mouse routines that work with 
>Modex?  If so, could you post them here, or to an ~rFTP site, or
>somesuch?  Great thanks.  

I hacked a logitech mouse driver to work in 320x240x16, which is similar
to mode X.  Basically, you need to look for some kind of table which is
used to set all of the info based on what graphics mode you are in.  
Since I was using a hacked version of mode 0dh, I changed the table for
mode 0dh to have 240 vertical resolution  Then you get the problem about
where to store the square that is under the mouse cursor.  Usually it is
stored at the top of the second page (in the driver I was hacking it was).
So you need to move it somewhere else... (compute the address of the top
of the second page, search for it, and change it to the top of the second
page in mode X.  You will probably make several incorrect changes, but
try doing each change one at a time, testing it each time. 

You might also try writing all of the important data into the BIOS
table that keeps track of all of the graphics mode info, and hope that
your driver looks at that instead of just using the graphics mode number.

If you want something that can be used on other computers than your own,
then you probably have to either write your own mouse driver, or find
someone that will write one for mode X...
From: omega2@eng.umd.edu (Wilbur S. Peng)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: High Resolution Graphics Modes
Date: 30 Sep 92 20:36:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: eng.1992Sep30.203644.1817
Organization: College of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park
Originator: omega2@transform.eng.umd.edu


If this is an old question refer me to the proper sources,
   I'm looking for a graphics mode on the IBM that has the following:
   1) 640 x 480 x 4 bit or ( better yet ) 640 x 480 x 8 bit
   2) More importantly, supports double buffering. (at least)

   Currently, I'm using 640 x 350 x 16 (EGA), but the distortion due to the messed up
aspect ratio is no good.  Does SVGA( either ET-4000, VESA or ATI VGAwonder ) support such 
a mode?
Xref: sparky rec.games.programmer:3992 comp.graphics:10090
From: danodom@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Dan Odom)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.graphics
Subject: VGA Documentation?
Date: 28 Sep 1992 18:53:25 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu
Summary: VGA Documentation Wanted
Keywords: VGA, Docs

   Is there any documentation for the VGA?  I need intruction set, port
usage, etc., etc.  Information on hi-resolution flicker-free animation
would be helpful, too.

Please reply via email.
-- 
Dan Odom
Peon
Kansas State University
danodom@matt.ksu.ksu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: sorourke@lonestar.utsa.edu (Sean J. Orourke)
Subject: Re: Discussion starter
Keywords: discussion started
Organization: University of Texas at San Antonio
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 14:05:59 GMT

In article <38986@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike) writes:
>In article <BvM2LJ.MCr@rice.edu> amitp@owlnet.rice.edu writes:
>>In article <1992Oct2.171920.14307@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, vputz@nyx.cs.du.edu (Victor Putz) writes:
[much deleted]
>
>>I agree about the Sierra adventures, but not about Ultima -- U6 and U7 are
>>object-oriented, and there's a lot more you can do in them.  Richard Garriot
>>told me a story about the beta testing of U6:  he had designed some place
>>that you couldn't pass unless you brought down a drawbridge, but the
>>crank was on the other side of the chasm.  He had intended the players to
>>use telekinesis to activate the lever; one of the testers killed a character,
>>threw the body over the chasm to the other side, and then cast Reincarnation
>>and took control of the character and turned the crank!
>
>	I like this!  Flexible games are the most enjoyable, I
>think!  "Wait...HOW did you get by that one?"  "Oh, I just shot the
>rope."  "Ack..."  [Lemmings is a game that makes me think of
>flexibility...my friends and I all had different strategies for
>getting past various levels, but the outcome was the same: we
>survived to continue on.  This can't be directly applied to games
>like Ultima, but it's a good example, I think, of a non-rigid
>structure.]
>
>>In the older Ultimas, the only way to solve a puzzle was a way that was
>>thought of by the designers of the game.  (The same with every Sierra
>>game I've seen... :(  )  With the new Ultimas, there is sometimes more
>>than one way of doing something, which is more realistic.

Actually, in watching my little brother play Ultima VII, I realized that it
far surpasses anything else I've seen in having a lot of choices as to what
to do.  The whole concept of Nonessential Quests seems to be missing from most
RPGs.  I still can't believe they put in a little subquest that leads only to
a man's suicide and you gain nothing, but I like it.
>
>	Actually, I thought that in early Ultimas, the only way to
>solve puzzles was to kill lots of monsters and get cool magic
>weapons so you could bash bigger monsters.  (*BIG* frown)  As the
>Ultima series increased in size, the story line became more and more
>important to the game, the player could interact with people in
>cities (thumbs up!), people would go to sleep at night, etc.  Some
>people might not be impressed by this, but I certainly was at the
>time...

I am/was impressed by this too, except when I'm waiting for someone to come
home or to wake up. :)




Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: otto@nevada.edu (Frederick J. Haab)
Subject: Re: VGA MODE 13h Questions. Simple Ones!!
Organization: University of Nevada System Computing Services
Distribution: rec
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 23:56:38 GMT

In article <1992Sep29.154829.59269@cc.usu.edu> sl8nl@cc.usu.edu writes:
>> Like is it impossible to access each plane in turn?
>
>Mode 13h is entirely linear...period.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  You have 64k of
>memory to work with, which gives you the 320x200x256 colors.
>
>> Can you use the set_address_high and set_address_low to pan the screen
>> around?
>
>No.

WRONG, please see below.

>
>> Can you use page flipping?
>
>No

WRONG again, see below also...

>
>> I have the feeling that the answer to all these questions. If so then
>> why would anyone want to use this mode? My current scrolly is so
>> processor consuming that I can't do anything else!! 
>
>Because it is simple.  there are some applications that don't require it.  As
>an example, I have written several games based in that mode.  Lessee, Wing
>Commander uses the mode (DPaint's Camera program was able to capture a
>screen.).  Most commercial software uses it, also.
>
>> Should I use Mode X from now on? I believe you can do the above
>> questions with  this mode, right?
>
>You betcha.  And there are a lot of experts here.  
>
>BTW, I'll be posting a sample demo with source soon that will have module
>music, color cycling, a 100 pixel tall scroll, and a graphic equalizer going at
>once.  It will be ModeX or Y, not sure yet.
>
>Take care,
>Joshua Jensen
>


Ok, the standard mode 13, 320x200 is very restricted, but it is possible
to kludge this mode, in a similar way to creating modex, so that
ALL 256k can be accessed, the screen can be scrolled, and therefore
flipped, which is just scrolling by a 'page'.  You can change the
logical width of the screen, you can use set address high and low
to scroll.  I posted a demo that does all of this...accesses ALL
256k, creating a 512x512 virtual screen, and pans around it.  Someone
who has it may want to post it, or I'll get to it this weekend.

This may be splitting hairs, I know I'll get flamed because the
original question was about mode 13 and not a derivative, but
if you're going through the trouble of using modex, you may as
well have a choice.  Modex gives higher resolution, but mode13
gives more free memory for storage of bitmaps and such.

-Fred

	flames > /dev/null
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: allen@baja.viewlogic.com (Dave Allen)
Subject: Re: world generation
Originator: allen@baja
Keywords: tec usml map generation
Organization: Viewlogic Systems, Inc., Marlboro, MA
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 14:03:29 GMT

Chris Eberhardt (ce@wuee1.wustl.edu) wrote:
> Anyone have any ideas and/or algorithms to create worlds similar to the
> ones generated by the game Civilization.  Possibly a little more
> intelligent in the sense that it could create mountain ranges rather
> than the seemingly random placement of terrain in Civ.

I wrote a program to do this.  I posted it to comp.sources.misc a year ago.
You should be able to get it from an archive site like ftp.uu.net; look
for the submission "planet-v1".  It computes climate for the world map
as well.

Here is a section of the README file:

This is the README file for Version 5 of tec, a plate tectonic simulator.
It is written in C and runs on any Xwindows system (X11R4) or any UN*X
machine using text or PostScript output.  Copyright (c) 1991 by David Allen.
You may distribute this freely as long as you leave my name and copyright
notice intact.

Version history:
5.  Posted to comp.sources.misc on 3 / 15 / 1991.
    - Merged with globe display and climate generator
    - Scope reduced to Xwindow graphics

TEC draws a map of some imaginary world and puts one big continent on it.
The program then graphically simulates the breakup of this supercontinent by
rifts and the drifting of the continents.  Mountains are built by
subsuming and by continental collision, and are reduced by erosion.  As
more time passes, the continents tend to drift back into a supercontinent
and split up again, forming what some authors call a "supercontinent cycle."

The program produces a map of an imaginary world which contains realistic
looking mountain ranges and continents which sometimes look like they fit
together (like South America and Africa on Earth).
From: jgostlin@malloco.ing.puc.cl (Javier Gostling)
Subject: Re: what do you want to know?
Organization: Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 22:03:52 GMT

Is it possible to get 640x400x256 in a standard VGA? How is it done?

Thanx
   Javier
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer