HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: baylor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Baylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: ega scrolling
Date: 11 Sep 92 02:33:39 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX


	Anyone have some simple example code for scrolling in ega mode?
	Has anyone done a smooth scrolling keen-type game in vga (jill of the
jungle runs pretty well in vga)?
	I know vga is easier to program in (1 byte per pixel) but is it faster?

	Thanks for any insight...
							- baylor

-- 
*******************************************************************************
baylor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu            free leanord peltier
From: Ron_Mcnutt@mindlink.bc.ca (Ron Mcnutt)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: SIMPLE GAME-MAKING PROGRAM?
Date: 7 Sep 92 05:27:17 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

Hello!

I am looking for suggestions as to a program that will allow me to create a
simple game. The game is intended to help teach users safe industrial practices
and must have the ability to ask text questions and mark answers correct or
not. Ability to write a file to disk with user scores is desireable.

The game should use pcx format graphics and must be fairly simple to learn. I
have a shareware game maker called "Questmaker" but not having any previous
game experience, don't know if it's a good one or not. Any suggestions? I
currently author multimedia with the "ACT3" program but am not a "programmer".
Thanks in advance for suggestions...

Ron McNutt
From: cat@wixer.cactus.org (Dr. Cat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Video Game Standard!?!?!
Date: 6 Sep 92 22:38:42 GMT
Organization: Real/Time Communications


   There was an open videogame standard some years ago, called MSX.  A number
of systems were actually made and sold in Japan (possibly in Europe too, I
forget).  But basically it was a failure, despite Microsoft being one the
main backers (they were less of a juggernaut then, of course).  One of the
problems with standardizing is that technology moves fast, and most processes
for developing standards move slow.  When an area of technology slows down
enough ("matures"), then you can have some standards.  But the current method
of "everyone tries to make the best widget and the one that sells the most
becomes a defacto standard" works ok.  If you take the approach I do, and
always develop for the most popular system, you can do fine & not have to
learn about the hardware of every oddball system anyone ever puts together.

   For the next platform to become a long term gaming standard, you might
want to keep an eye out for the SMSG machine.  Latest rumor is it'll have a
64 bit processor, digital signal processor, CD ROM, and a graphics
coprocessor that does fast polygon drawing, and will retail for under $500.
Probably won't be out until 1994, though.  (Late 1993 might be possible, but
I think it's unlikely and would probably be premature on their part to try.)
From: cat@wixer.cactus.org (Dr. Cat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: VGA vs. EGA
Date: 11 Sep 92 19:25:01 GMT
Organization: Real/Time Communications


   256 color modes are definitely faster than the 16 color planar modes.  I
converted my 640*480*16 sprite engine to run in 640*480*256 on my Tseng ET-
4000 as a test, and my test routine went from 70 frames a second to 93!
   On storing a chess board - sure you could come up with a clever scheme to
store a board position in the fewest possible bits - but memory is pretty
inexpensive these days, and mass storage too!  Take a few hundred bytes if
need be and store it in the way that allows the code accessing the info to
run as fast as possible...
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: davemc@dsd.es.com (Dave McAllister)
Subject: C Robots
Keywords: robots
Reply-To: Dave McAllister <davemc@dsd.es.com>
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp.
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 17:40:08 GMT

I spoke with the author of the original C Robots game yesterday and he
told me that there is an X Windows version of the game in existence,
written by someone else. I don't know where to get a copy of it, and
I couldn't find it very readily by ftp, so if someone has it, could
they contact me by mail, or if it's ftpable, point me to it.

Also, I'm wondering where to find any existing robots. Does anyone
have a collection of them? The author has about 20, but there must be
more than that. Any help is appreciated.

-- 
                                -- Dave McAllister (801) 582-5847 x4721
From: ap@jyu.fi (Patric Aalto)
Subject: Re: video game standard!?
Organization: University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 07:45:10 GMT

cyberman@toz.buffalo.ny.us (Cyberman) writes, among other things:
>
>Graphics hardware
>    320x200x256 resolution (is thier a need for higher?)

Please! 320x200 is not nearly enough. In my game I support 320x200 (which
is nearly useless due to lack of resolution), 320x400 (passable when using
antialiasing, but not great) and 800x600 (great). I would like the last
one to be a new standard. I think 256 simultaneous colors from a palette
of 16.7 million is usually enough.

Just my opinions...

Patrick Aalto
ap@tukki.jyu.fi
Xref: sparky rec.games.programmer:3781 comp.graphics:9717 comp.graphics.visualization:1338
From: cooper@plains.NoDak.edu (Jeff Cooper)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.graphics,comp.graphics.visualization
Subject: 3D Graphics Libraries for MS-Windows 3.1 wanted
Date: 15 Sep 92 00:44:54 GMT
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computing Network

I am looking for a library that can do 3D graphics in MS-Windows 3.1.
I've seen the demo of 3D Renderlib (3drender.zip) and was wondering
if there are any other packages that can do this.  I've seen adds in
'The Connection' and 'The Progammers Shop' for a package called 'Z-Phigs'
made by WISE Software in Germany.  Has anyone used this package before
(i.e. is it worth the $1300 for the windows version??).  Does anyone
know if they are on the net?

Any info will be very appericated!


-- 
"Life is pain Highness, anyone	|  Jeff Cooper
who tells you different is	|  cooper@plains.nodak.edu
selling something."		|  NeXTMail: cooper%midkemia@plains.nodak.edu
    - The Dread Pirate Roberts	|  (701) 298-0893
From: csudr@warwick.ac.uk (Mark Harrison)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Tetris killing sequence
Keywords: tetris, addict
Date: 9 Sep 92 09:24:58 GMT
Organization: Warwick CS Fyshing team

Has  anyone given  thought  to the existance of  a sequence  of tetris
pieces that is guarenteed to finish  _any_ game? Given no  time limits
on placement as in most games (that being the main skill.. the ability
to put the pieces where  they  should go, quickly)  
I currently  have  a  version of  tetris that performs  a very  simple
analysis of the field front, and selects pieces to be nasty to you (ie
it picks pieces that heuristics say  will go down badly in the current
situation)  but  there are players who can take this quite  happily in
their stride.

Snow

--
  /~\           Never Trust An  !
 /@@-\____---   Elephant In     !  Mark Harrison
 / / /       \  Dark Glasses.   !  	Warwick University
 l/'\  /__\  /\,                !		marris@uk.ac.warwick.cs
 \l lll   lll                   !
__~_"""___"""__________________________________________________________________
From: cyberman@toz.buffalo.ny.us (Cyberman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: video game standard!?
Date: 10 Sep 92 23:53:11 GMT
X-Maildoor: WaflineMail 1.00r


     -=> Peter Sphinx Cellik spoke of "Re: video game standard!?" <=-
    To All at 09-10-92  12:48

 PSC> While 16 bit colour would be nice, I don't think its really worth the
 PSC> extra memory.  You can do most things with 256 colours, and would you
 PSC> be able to detect the difference of a 65536 colour display on a
 PSC> standard TV?  I don't know, its been a long time since I had to resort
 PSC> to the old domestic monitor.  :-)

    I think 256 is really a good limit myself but some peple
    might feel otherwise.  I was jus STIRRING water to see what
    came out! hehehe

    Other than "TV" and NSTC outputs.  Should standard "VGA"
    monitors be supported as well?

Stereo is a must for 3d sound FX :)

        Stephen Cyberman@Toz.Buffalo.NY.US
        Scripted at Fri  09-11-1992  12:02:11

... You BELIEVE Microsoft? . . .  Let's talk real estate.
--- Blue Wave/QWK v2.10
From: cyberman@toz.buffalo.ny.us (Cyberman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: video game standard!?
Date: 8 Sep 92 02:41:12 GMT
X-Maildoor: WaflineMail 1.00r


     -=> Dr. Cat spoke of "Re: video game standard!?" <=-
    To All at 09-06-92  22:38
 DC> For the next platform to become a long term gaming standard, you
 DC> might want to keep an eye out for the SMSG machine.  Latest rumor is
 DC> it'll have a 64 bit processor, digital signal processor, CD ROM, and a
 DC> graphics coprocessor that does fast polygon drawing, and will retail
 DC> for under $500. Probably won't be out until 1994, though.  (Late 1993

    It will be out then because the CPU's for it will be CHEAP
    enough by then!  Heck one could build a toy like that now for
    under $1000.   Problem is that hardware is NOT what makes a
    good game machine.  $500 is to expensive.  a good game
    machine must be $50 < < $150. in that range.  Also software.
    It must be easy to develope for.

 DC> might be possible, but I think it's unlikely and would probably be
 DC> premature on their part to try.)

    Heck you could put it out by the end of 1992.  My guess
    is thier waiting for the prices to drop on the CPU.  Thier is
    only one CPU that fits the criteron you gave so I know what
    thier up to.  I don't think it will pan out though.

        Stephen Cyberman@Toz.Buffalo.NY.US
        Scripted at Tue  09-08-1992  10:48:45

... Don't bother procrastinating until tomorrow.
--- Blue Wave/QWK v2.10
From: reznick@acf3.NYU.EDU (Daniel Reznick)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: JOSH'S SCALE UNIT
Date: 8 Sep 92 03:58:00 GMT
Organization: New York University

Some time ago, you (Josh) offered to post "psuedo" code to this group
for your mapper / scaler code.  Was the algorith similar to the one
offered up here last week for Wolf 3D? I do understand assembly code,
I just find it much more meaningful if I have some idea about how it
works before I try to understand someone else's code.

Does anyone know if whoever (or who) it was that was going to try to
start an "alt" group for ibm game programming is still trying?  If
not, perhaps I will.  A group to cover all machine specific PC/PS2 
game programming isssues, mainly sound and graphics.  Any suggestions
for a name?

Daniel Reznick
reznick@acf3.nyu.edu
From: sl8nl@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: JOSH'S SCALE UNIT
Date: 7 Sep 92 17:46:12 MDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Utah State University

Die skum who are going to flame me for this!

In article <1532.880.uupcb@bville.gts.org>, lanny.cobain@bville.gts.org (Lanny Cobain)  writes:
> What needs to be e done to Josh's Scale/Perspective Unit to make it work
> in Mode X instead of Mode 13h?  Just for a test I tried to scale a 16x16
> bitmap that had been seperated into 4 planes for a quick "PutImage".
> Scaling it up to another multiple of 4 such as 48x48 did not return the
> desired results.  I don't understand why it can't go to another multiple
> of 4 without modifications.  My "PutImage" expects the planes seperated
> by the way, but if the original image already has it done that way I
> don't see why I would have to seperate again on a multiple of 4.
> Anyone????
>                                                                

The Perspective routine can be easily modified to work in ModeX (as it was
originally written to do that).  Bear in mind that it does a column at a time,
so instead of plotting to a buffer, set the bitplane to the correct one and
write the pixel to the VGA screen.

The scaler wasn't.  If you don't need to scale in real-time, you can write a
routine that will convert the bitmap to your format (right now, it is linear,
just like mode 13h).  If you do, you'll have to have a modified putimage that
sets the plane, [1] writes the pixel, adds four to the source offset, and
repeats to [1].

If you need me to post the code for these three things, just post a note in
this newsgroup.

Joshua Jensen
sl8nl@cc.usu.edu

P.S. Why, yes, wReam, this group is dead.
From: sl859@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: IBM VGA: Color Cycling 256 Colors
Date: 7 Sep 92 12:01:18 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

IBM VGA 256 Color Cycling Routines Requested:

Does anyone know where I can find an ftp site or whatever of where I can
obtain some coding info on how to do efficient color cycling.  I have some 
of my own but it is wretched.  I use the set palette interrupt to color 
cycle, which has got to be the hardest  way to do it!  IBM VGA should
have a simpler way, shouldn't it?  
	If certain netscum wish to get all uppedy about my posting IBM 
specific stuff here, then please reply to me via e-mail and I will repost
all the results later, say in a week.  I don't antecipate too much 
trouble but if it comes up again, I just want to warn the unsuspecting.

							wReam...

P.S.  Is it my imagination or has this group completely died now that
the people who are IBM specific are being more reserved about what they
post!?

P.P.S.  I would also be interested in carrying on discussions about how
you can use color cycling to achieve different animation techniques.  
Is there anyone out there willing to exchange ideas?
From: lanny.cobain@bville.gts.org (Lanny Cobain) 
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: JOSH'S SCALE UNIT
Date: 7 Sep 92 03:23:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Baudeville BBS - Toronto, Canada 416-283-0114/6059* *v32bis/HST
Reply-To: lanny.cobain@bville.gts.org (Lanny Cobain) 

What needs to be e done to Josh's Scale/Perspective Unit to make it work
in Mode X instead of Mode 13h?  Just for a test I tried to scale a 16x16
bitmap that had been seperated into 4 planes for a quick "PutImage".
Scaling it up to another multiple of 4 such as 48x48 did not return the
desired results.  I don't understand why it can't go to another multiple
of 4 without modifications.  My "PutImage" expects the planes seperated
by the way, but if the original image already has it done that way I
don't see why I would have to seperate again on a multiple of 4.
Anyone????
From: saxena@maxwell.physics.purdue.edu (Virendra K. Saxena)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Microsoft C
Date: 8 Sep 92 21:16:14 GMT
Followup-To: poster


	Question. Does anyone else use microsoft c?? I have downloaded 
	a bunch of different programming stuff that was all made for
	TC.  If I buy a compiler, which one should I get for more
	compatability with code thats distributed by others?

		Deepak
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: jas37876@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (John A. Slagel)
Subject: Re: JOSH'S SCALE UNIT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 23:07:03 GMT

     Wait a minute -- Someone (JOSH?) posted some code that
     scales bitmaps in linear VGA mode? I would like to get a
     copy, if someone wouldn't mind re-posting it or mailing
     me a copy.

     Thanks,
     John

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 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
                     always get left behind." -The Marlboro Man
From: bobp@hal.com (Bob Pendelton)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Graphics help/advice
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:55:01 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: HaL Computer Systems, Inc.

From article <1992Sep12.225253.12198@hellgate.utah.edu>, by galt%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Greg Alt):
> In article <20298@plains.NoDak.edu> tscott@plains.NoDak.edu (Timothy E Scott) writes:
>>1) Created two 180 element arrays sine and cosine, which are
>>   equal to the sine/cosine of an angle times 10000.  Any
>>   references to an angles sine/cosine therefore are not
>>   computed.
> 
> It should be faster to make the multiplier a power of 2.  Either
> 16384 or 8192 would be good.  That way, you can use a right shift
> instead of a divide. 
> 
> A little bit of assembly would help out a lot, since many compilers
> (BC++ for example) do a function call for every operation on a long.
> It is annoying to do assembly code using 16 bit registers for 
> operations on longs, but it is pretty simple, and you don't need to
> learn much assembly.  

Depending on what you want to do with the code when you are done, you
might consider using DJGPP. It's a full 32 bit 386/486 compiler and
has good support for VGA graphics cards.

You can get it via anonymous ftp from most of the major ftp sites. But

    host:      barnacle.erc.clarkson.edu
    login:     ftp
    password:  send your e-mail address
    directory: ~ftp/pub/msdos/djgpp

is a good place to get it.

I've been playing with it and I'm pretty happy with it.

				Bob P.

-- 
Bob Pendleton             | As an engineer I hate to hear:
bobp@hal.com              |   1) You've earned an "I told you so."
Speaking only for myself. |   2) Our customers don't do that.
                   <<< Odin, after the well of Mimir. >>>
From: rdippold@cancun.qualcomm.com (Ron Dippold)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Origin Systems buyout
Date: 14 Sep 92 05:17:49 GMT
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA

ron@zooid.guild.org (Secret Mud) writes:
>From: cat@wixer.cactus.org (Dr. Cat)
>>   Origin Systems put out a press release today announcing that they have
>>made an agreement to become part of Electronic Arts in exchange for a stock
>>swap.  Whether this will have much effect on the company will remain to be
>>seen...
>>               Dr. Cat

>Whaaat?  That's certainly very suprising.  I can't see why Origin would do it.

I'd guess EA's deep deep pockets and distribution/advertising power.
Combine that with Origin's name and programming and...
-- 
I want to dominate!  To whom should I apply for permission?
From: cyberman@toz.buffalo.ny.us (Cyberman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: video game standard!?
Date: 9 Sep 92 01:47:17 GMT
X-Maildoor: WaflineMail 1.00r


     -=> Peter Sphinx Cellik spoke of "Re: video game standard!?" <=-
    To All at 09-08-92  08:48
 PSC> I agree on the video, one byte per pixel is the only way to go,
 PSC> but I think the resolution should be 320x240x256 to give square
 PSC> pixels.  This will make circle drawing and object rotation much
 PSC> easier (faster).

    question would a word per pixel be better?  (16bit or 65536
    simultaneous colors)  320x240x256?  hmmm well as long as a
    standard NSTC compatible TV doesn't complain.

        Stephen Cyberman@Toz.Buffalo.NY.US
        Scripted at Wed  09-09-1992  09:15:52

... Can you survive an upgrade?
--- Blue Wave/QWK v2.10
                                                                                                              
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From:  ()
Subject: re: SoundBlaster programming
Followup-To: rec.games.programmer
Organization: Ostfold College
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 07:49:05 GMT


Hi all soundblaster fans. For a time now i have been making simple music
and samples on the soundblaster. I have been using programs like the
Scream Tracker and Venedit2. A few days a go i bought a new program and
it is called DIGIPLAYER. This program is only for producing samples, and
you can use samples from all the other soundblaster programs.

But now i hear that there is a new program on the market and that is
called DIGISTUDIO. This program is also produced by Covox the same firm
that has prodused DIGIPLAYER. I hope there is any one out there that
can give me moore information on this new program.

I am also interested in new games from lucas film, specially the new
Indiana jones that they have poped out on the market. I hope to get
a copy of this game soon. I have heard romours that it si more than
100% compatible with the soundblaster.

I must not forget WOLFENSTEIN. A while ago i got a playable demo of this
fantastic 3D-game. It consists of 6 episodes but i only have one. So i
was wondering if anyone could assist me with the 5 other episodes.


A bunch of greetings from

THE SCANDINAWIAN HAWK
NORWAY


To all norwegians, you can pleas type in your own language.
From: mduffy@aludra.usc.edu (Michael Duffy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: ega games
Date: 13 Sep 1992 11:27:33 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu
Keywords: EGA, VGA, IBM, IBM-PC, Nuke this message if you hate IBM

In article <79615@ut-emx.uucp> baylor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Baylor) writes:
>
>	Besides the installed base, is there any reason why games like
>Keen are written in ega (asuuming vga is easier to program in)?

>baylor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu            free leonard peltier

Well, programs like Keen are written in 320x200x16 (Mode 0x0D) for the EGA, 
as opposed to the mode which has become a trademark for VGA, the 320x200x256
mode (Mode 0x13).  Being that we have 4 bits per pixel in the 16 color EGA mode
and 8 bits/pixel in the VGA mode, it takes twice as much memory to store the
VGA 256 color mode graphics.  Also, because the EGA mode uses less memory, 
you have extra unseen pages which you can store pixels in, or use for page
flipping (Mode D has 8 pages, as opposed to mode 13's one page).  

IMHO, the VGA modes are not really that much harder to program than the EGA 
modes.  People are just hung up on the VGA mode 13 because it has 256 colors
(ooohh, catch me I'm about to faint I'm so overwhelmed :-)   ).  
Well programmed Mode D games are faster and smoother than Mode 13 games as far
as arcade games are concerned, and I'd rather play a game that is smooth than
one that strives to outshine a box of Crayola Crayons :-)

Just my $.03
Michael Duffy (mduffy@aludra.usc.edu)
  
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
From: davewt@NCoast.ORG (David Wright)
Subject: Re: Computer-Controlled Players - simulated evolution
Organization: North Coast Public Access *NIX, Cleveland, OH
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 02:24:01 GMT

In article <1992Sep3.203458.7209@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> pychen@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Peter Y. Chen) writes:
>Sounds interesting.  Care to share your code with us?


	You might want to take a look at the "Tierra" simulator. It does
a full "evolutionary" simulation on bits of code. Basically, you can
write up code segments, and pre-load an environment with them (and many other
ones as well), and let it run for a given amount of time. When there
exists more than a certain number of similar organisms they get written to
disk in external files, which you can then decompile and see the changes
that have taken place. It is pretty nifty and pretty complex. I would not
want to try it on anything much less than a very fast '386, and a '486 or
68040 would be better.


				Dave