[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Demo Day 99

[J. Reeves Hall]

Steve Baker wrote:

> "J. Reeves Hall" wrote:
> >
> > Steve Baker wrote:
>
> > > I had the idea to try to write an entire computer game in 24 hours - to
> > > establish some kind of record with the Guinness Book of Records - then
> > > to sell it for charity (some kind of shareware deal maybe).
>
> > I LOVE that idea - but dammit, I'm gonna be in Atlanta in a week!!!
> > Speedcoding is extremely fun. Err, perhaps this could be done over the
> > Internet, with live videoconferencing?
>
> I guess so - of course if we all did that, it would be a less publicity-
> raising event than sitting in the foyer of a big computer store doing
> it!

Agreed. I'm sure I could find a group of ramblin' wrecks to do a similar event
in Atlanta. ALE is quite an active LUG.

> > I'll participate if possible. Good luck in any case. This could raise a
> > lot of Linux publicity, even if it didn't get in the GBWR.
>
> [Having floated the idea - I'll play devil's advocate for a moment]
>
> If GBWR understood anything about the subject, they clearly wouldn't
> be able to formulate a set of rules that would make this a proper
> record attempt.

So what? This can be a success even if we don't get in the GBWR.

>   * What constitutes a video game?  Would 'PONG' do? (I could write
>     that *easily* in an hour - single-handed)

Well, nobody will be impressed if you write pong, unless it's a really damn
cool pong with realtime-raytraced paddles and true physics on the ball :)
(anyone seen the game Pong Kombat? That was just damn cool. A bit old and
certainly not realtime raytracing, but extremely fun)

>   * How much of it has to be done in the 24 hours?  Do you have
>     to think up the idea, plan it *and* code it in that time?
>     Would you be allowed to flowchart all the code in advance?
>     Would you just have to type in the code in 24 hours?

Designing a game and writing a game are two separate balls of wax.
Flowcharting is part of writing the game. But really, how much does
flowcharting matter? Given a game plot and well-considered design, the details
of implementation could be settled in an hour of heated debate. Especially if
it was already known that the game would use OpenGL and GLUT, for instance.

>   * What pre-written libraries are allowed?  Clearly one shouldn't
>     have to rewrite the C standard library. What about Mesa or libSVGA?
>     Are you allowed to use a game library like my PLIB package
>     or ClanLib?  If you are allowed that, why not a complete
>     "Game Engine" like Doom or Quake?  It hardly seems like you'd
>     need to write code at all in that case.

OpenGL can rightly be considered part of the operating system's graphics
infrastructure - it's essentially a portable and flexible interface to the
hardware. libc is part of the language for all intents and purposes. PLIB's
arguable.

IMHO the GBWR doesn't matter. The point is doing it and getting publicity. In
this light, I'd say use PLIB and everything else you have. Those are raw
materials; if you're going to build a car in a day, are you expected to mine
the metal too?

-Reeves