Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

Geek Culture / 2008 Text Adventure Compo Planning [NOT the contest thread!]

Author
Message
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 11th May 2008 20:41
Link
I'm really going to have to object to the "Only a part of the game must be made in TGC products". This is a TGC competition and I feel that the game should be made completely in DBC, DBPro or DGDK (or FPSC).

I can imagine someone programming a DBPro program that plays and .AVI file, then load in a IF-engine game.

Also, is there a filesize limit?


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Matt Rock
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Mar 2005
Location: Binghamton NY USA
Posted: 11th May 2008 20:49
Link
Nope, no filesize limit this year... But I have to ask that everyone try to take it easy on us, don't send in something crazy with 800 MB (though if you could manage that in an IF game, I think it'd be a world record hehe).

As for TGC-only products, we've had a few people comment in the past on wanting to use IF engines... the 3DGM or FPSC-equivalents for text adventures. I figured I'd open it up, unless Rick or someone else told me not to do that, but if you guys think we should keep it TGC-exclusive I'm cool with that, of course

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 11th May 2008 20:54
Link
If not, I don't think I'll contemplate to enter this year. IF engines just removes the largest part of the contest. Since you go with the media-free rule, I can see someone AVI-ing the hell out of stuff .


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Matt Rock
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Mar 2005
Location: Binghamton NY USA
Posted: 11th May 2008 21:07
Link
Well, we're going to make sure to point out in the competition thread that if the judges don't think a game is really a genuine text adventure, it'll be disqualified. If they show a video of what's happening and don't use text to describe/ explain everything (or anything for that matter), their game wouldn't count for anything (not even the media kudos award). I think that's really the best way of going about it with the open-media policy.

The competition is rooted in game design and storytelling moreso than technical stuff, though this year we're including the technical score. So, using an IF-maker would hurt (or kill) your tech score, laying waste to your overall score in the process. You could score solid 10's in originality, story development, and writing ability, but if your technical score is 0.0, your overall score is going to drop to 7.5 . It brings back the age-old issue of including source code... to really enforce it we'd have to review the source to make sure someone made the game (we did that the first year), but some people don't want to include their source because they want to protect their coding style/ practices or "trade secrets." I dunno, it's up to the community really, whatever you guys think we should do

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 11th May 2008 21:10
Link
Well, I'm in favor of sending the source, eventually blanking out 'trade secrets', as long as it is obvious the game is a full 'TGC product'-product.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Jeku
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 11th May 2008 21:28
Link
If TGC-developed annual competitions never required us to submit source code as proof, neither should this in my opinion. It was already mentioned that the contestants could use 3rd party DLLs, so it would make no difference forcing us to use a TGC product.


Back to top
Profile PM Website
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 11th May 2008 21:36
Link
Doesn't matter to me. If we can use pre-made interactive fiction engines, this whole contest is barely a contest. I enjoyed it last year with Jarod's Fall, and was planning on doing another Wartorn episode, but if we end up allowing everything all-out, I'm seriously reconsidering joining.

3rd party DLL's are okay with me, and no source would be okay with me under the limitation that only TGC products can be used to develop the game.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Seppuku Arts
Moderator
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 11th May 2008 21:51 Edited at: 11th May 2008 21:52
Link
Perhaps limit it to specific IF engines, I mean Inform 7 is an IF engine, yet it uses a scripting editor, though it's really strangely done. (The coding is like telling a story itself) An example would be from Inform (which I am not using ):


As you've can add 'features' to it, and make things more complex (such as your own talking system) though one thing though, it requires a separate program to run and is parse based. (hence I never really got deep into using it)


But something anything less, might remove some of the coding fun, depends what the masses want really, I'm not bothered as long as it is judged fairly and that the writing, structure, execution and how the game works are the main judging points.

"Experience never provides its judgments with true or strict universality; but only (through induction) with assumed and comparative universality." - Immanuel Kant
Back to top
Profile PM Website
Darth Kiwi
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 7th Jan 2005
Location: On the brink of insanity.
Posted: 11th May 2008 21:57
Link
I think I'd rather stick with a "build your own engine" mentality. If I'm not a good enough coder to build an in-depth parser system (which I'm not) then I don't deserve to have such a system. I'll stick with the multiple choice system and go from there.

I'm not actually a Kiwi, I just randomly thought it up one day.
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Seppuku Arts
Moderator
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 11th May 2008 21:59
Link
Fair enough mate, probably keeps it simpler (and I guess easier to judge).

"Experience never provides its judgments with true or strict universality; but only (through induction) with assumed and comparative universality." - Immanuel Kant
Back to top
Profile PM Website
David R
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 9th Sep 2003
Location: 3.14
Posted: 13th May 2008 01:30
Link
Quote: "but if you guys think we should keep it TGC-exclusive I'm cool with that, of course"


Wang

I was kind of looking forward to using C++ w/irrlicht, and a few TGC tools to make mine - since the majority of the game is text, the way in which it is made has little effect in my opinion. What's the actual 'official' stance on non-TGC stuff at this current point in time?


09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Dazzag
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Cyprus
Posted: 13th May 2008 10:31 Edited at: 13th May 2008 10:32
Link
Quote: "I'm really going to have to object to the "Only a part of the game must be made in TGC products""
I think that should be upto the judge on a game to game basis. If you can prove only a small portion of the code is not in a TGC product then it should be reasonable enough for admission.

Actually talking about using plugins, would be cool to use DarkAI with hidden 3D objects to control NPCs in a text adventure. Sounds good in theory... Hmmm. I bought DarkAI too... Nah. Not much time on my hands really. Too much other stuff to do DarkPhysics could be cool somehow too. Perhaps a way of interpretting a 3D world in a text adventure. So you design everything in 3D, then describe it in text. So puzzles where you drop a weight on a plank will cause something on the other end to fly off and demolish a door for example. All in hidden 3D. Hmmm. Sounds cooler than it would be methinks. Still, pretty cool for a tech demo

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Matt Rock
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Mar 2005
Location: Binghamton NY USA
Posted: 13th May 2008 21:20
Link
Quote: "What's the actual 'official' stance on non-TGC stuff at this current point in time?"

I haven't talked to anyone at TGC about it yet, so I don't really think there is one right now. Everyone keep weighing in with your thoughts though, wherever the majority lies on this issue is where we'll go.

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Agent Dink
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Mar 2004
Location:
Posted: 14th May 2008 01:58
Link
Well if limiting it to TGC products only is going to possibly get us more prizes (IE from TGC themselves) I'd go for that, but if TGC doesn't want to give prizes at all or if they don't care if it's a TGC product or not I don't really care how the text adventures are made... I do think we should limit it to coding our own text adventure engine though. I dunno. It might be kinda sucky if someone uses some premade thing with an uber text parser and doesn't have the slightest idea as to how to make it himself would be a bit unfair.

MISoft Studios - Silver-Dawn

Back to top
Profile PM
Darth Kiwi
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 7th Jan 2005
Location: On the brink of insanity.
Posted: 15th May 2008 20:26
Link
I second Agent Dink's stance.

I'm not actually a Kiwi, I just randomly thought it up one day.
Back to top
Profile PM Email
BMacZero
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Dec 2005
Location: E:/ NA / USA
Posted: 18th May 2008 06:11
Link
Me too. I agree that last year the rules were quite strict and confusing, but I thing you've slacked off a bit too much this year. Your rules for media sound ok, but I really think the programs should be limited to programs that require coding

Unterseeboot - Has you played it?
Los Mineros are on leave...
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
BMacZero
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Dec 2005
Location: E:/ NA / USA
Posted: 18th May 2008 06:17
Link
By the way, for any newcomers who might be thinking this sounds a bit over their head, or experienced coders who just want to check out a different method of doing a text adventure, I've written a tutorial on the way I'm going to be doing mine this year. Check it out here:

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=129766&b=7

Unterseeboot - Has you played it?
Los Mineros are on leave...
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
soapyfish
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 24th Oct 2003
Location: Yorkshire, England
Posted: 20th May 2008 01:35
Link
Sounds good, this might just be the excuse I needed to dust off my copy of DBP and get coding again.

Your p0st count
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
BMacZero
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Dec 2005
Location: E:/ NA / USA
Posted: 20th May 2008 01:55
Link
Why do you need an excuse for that

Unterseeboot - Has you played it?
Los Mineros are on leave...
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
soapyfish
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 24th Oct 2003
Location: Yorkshire, England
Posted: 20th May 2008 14:47
Link
Meh, perhaps motivation would have been a better choice of word.

Your p0st count
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
draknir_
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Oct 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 26th May 2008 00:30
Link
I have a totally awesome idea for a text adventure game, and I cant wait to get to work on it! When approximately is the competition planned for? Im guessing sometime in the summer, and I certainly hope so, thats when Ill finally have some free time this year.

oh and imo it should be DBC/DBP/GDK only

cheers
draknir
Back to top
Profile PM Email
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 26th May 2008 02:17
Link
I side with draknir, TGC products only.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
draknir_
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Oct 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 26th May 2008 04:52
Link
dude I just spent 15 minutes staring at your avatar expecting it to say 'rami' after 'tha'
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Matt Rock
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Mar 2005
Location: Binghamton NY USA
Posted: 26th May 2008 06:29
Link
This year's competition will start in early June. I'm not exactly sure when just yet, but probably between 6/4 and 6/9 . Keep an eye on the Game Design Theory boards around that time. You can of course start whenever you want... I doubt the rules will change between now and then (as they've been discussed in this thread I mean), unless there's a huge uproar where people want a rule to be changed . You just can't enter until the competition starts.

The community has spoken! Only TGC products can be used, not counting DLL's of course . That limits your games to DBC, DBP, Playbasic, and Dark GDK (and whatever else is released between now and the end of the competition). Am I missing something that should be obvious but isn't because I'm sleepy?

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 26th May 2008 14:06
Link
Yes, answering my question whether I'll be a honor-candidate again .

Nope, sorry draknir, no Rami. It's just an avatar for THA.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Jeku
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 26th May 2008 19:45
Link
Quote: "not counting DLL's of course"


Oh cool, so I can get an IF engine DLL and simply call it from DBP

Kidding, but not really


Back to top
Profile PM Website
Seppuku Arts
Moderator
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 26th May 2008 19:57
Link
It's alright, if you do then we'd participate in a classic sabotage - I mean not enough people sabotage entries enough these days...shame, I like seeing dirty competition (as long as it's in my favour).

"Experience never provides its judgments with true or strict universality; but only (through induction) with assumed and comparative universality." - Immanuel Kant
Back to top
Profile PM Website
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 27th May 2008 01:32
Link
I don't know of any IF engine DLL's, but at least it'll be in a TGC project.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
David R
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 9th Sep 2003
Location: 3.14
Posted: 28th May 2008 01:25
Link
Well, that's kind of screwy.

I'm pleased the "The community has spoken!" took all viewpoints into consideration


09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
BMacZero
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Dec 2005
Location: E:/ NA / USA
Posted: 28th May 2008 01:47
Link
Well, hey, you can't please everyone.

Unterseeboot - Has you played it?
Los Mineros are on leave...
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Bizar Guy
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 20th Apr 2005
Location: Bostonland
Posted: 28th May 2008 05:41
Link
Quote: "Well, hey, you can't please everyone."

Yes you can.

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
soapyfish
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 24th Oct 2003
Location: Yorkshire, England
Posted: 28th May 2008 05:55 Edited at: 28th May 2008 05:58
Link
In my opinion allowing people to use non-tgc products for their entries shouldn't be a problem. It's not as if somebody using C has an unfair advantage over people who choose to use DB, this is a text adventure compo, unless I'm missing something. I can't imagine there would even be that many people using non-tgc products as far as coding goes but surely the few that would will appreciate the option. Then again these are the TGC forums.

It makes no difference to me because I'd be using DBP regardless, just discussing the rules.

Your p0st count
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 29th May 2008 03:08
Link
It's the TGC Text Adventure Compo. I'm glad the rules have been decided on, and that non-TGC products cannot enter. I could see people using IF-engines and the like. Also, now everyone's using the same programs, it should be more fair anyway.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Jaeg
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 16th Mar 2006
Location: Indiana
Posted: 29th May 2008 04:22
Link
I have a question about media. Would it be ok to have like a spinning cube in the background (Kind of like Mr. Smith on the Sarah Jane Adventures) or have a 3d forest. I'm not going to use it as a way to visual represent each area or something like that. I just want to use it as a way to break the monotonicity of a static screen. It won't change with the locations it will just sit there, maybe sway in the wind and have a random bird or two fly by.

If you get mad and want to type something nasty about another person do this-Type what you want to say in the box then press ctrl-a and hit delete then type what you should say.
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Blobby 101
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 17th Jun 2006
Location: England, UK
Posted: 29th May 2008 12:11
Link
it's ok Jaeg, There are almost no rules against media this year.

Your signature has been erased by a mod - 340 KB is a little big don't you think?
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Mnemonix
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 2nd Dec 2002
Location: Skaro
Posted: 29th May 2008 12:43
Link
Anybody remember that tv show knightmare? I may do one in the vein of a giant dungeon which wil be a cryptic maze of puzzles.

TheSturgeon(playing me at chess) : I will use my powers of the horse and pwnzor you.
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Dazzag
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Cyprus
Posted: 29th May 2008 13:31
Link
Hmmm. No non-TGC products? That might stuff me. DarkMUD uses a third party language for the multi-threaded download application for communications. I basically couldn't find a multi-threaded download dll for DBP that didn't crash. If someone knows one then please point me in the right direction. Also I still may fail because the online MUD bit is handled remotely by ASP pages. Whats the ruling Matt?

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
David R
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 9th Sep 2003
Location: 3.14
Posted: 29th May 2008 15:18
Link
Quote: "It's the TGC Text Adventure Compo. I'm glad the rules have been decided on, and that non-TGC products cannot enter. I could see people using IF-engines and the like. Also, now everyone's using the same programs, it should be more fair anyway."


Why not ban outright IF engines and allow other languages?


09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 29th May 2008 17:24 Edited at: 29th May 2008 17:25
Link
Crap. Double.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
tha_rami
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 29th May 2008 17:24
Link
How about allowing the programmer to make part of the program in another language, given that the core and majority of the program is made in TGC products? Naah. That would complicate things too much. I think just saying 'no' would be best.

PS. I think that using websites would be within the rules. ASP and PHP stuff is pretty much fair, I think.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Dazzag
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Cyprus
Posted: 29th May 2008 19:05
Link
Quote: "I think that using websites would be within the rules. ASP and PHP stuff is pretty much fair, I think"
Sort of. Depends how you use it. For example I could make DarkMUD's main engine (parser, object control etc etc) all be in ASP on a website. Essentially that would relegate the DBP part to just being a simple terminal really. And to a large extent that is what I am doing. Not that it isn't pretty technical and taxing to get the DBP bit working mind you (assuming I actually do pick up this project again - I still don't know if I will).

Plus the main background multithreaded downloader is not written in DBP. I mean I just could not figure out a way to get DBP to download stuff in the background while you could carry on typing and the like. I tried a couple of DLLs but nothing worked 100%. Even a paid for DLL I used (think was Torrey's utils) crashed quite a bit. So again, speak up if anyone knows a DLL for DBP that allows multiple downloads at once in the background, that is totally stable and doesn't crash when you exit the downloads half way through. Ta. My own 3rd party application works fine, but is slightly annoying to have another program running, even if it is invisible and impossible to see unless you use CTL+ALT+DEL and look at processes (and even then I can hide it if I use some code I don't really want to use).

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Matt Rock
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Mar 2005
Location: Binghamton NY USA
Posted: 30th May 2008 12:27
Link
I think David's solution really is the best solution: A ban on IF engines/ editors, but all languages are allowed. The stipulation being that some portion of your entry, albeit in code, graphics, audio, or what-have-you, must have been made using a TGC product. And the inclusion of at least some small portion of the code, so much as a function (for those who are worried about protecting trade secrets) could guarantee that you didn't just cheat and use an editor. Call me overly faithful, but I think there has to be a level of trust here, and at the end of the day, the bulk of the competition's scoring does revolve around the design and story more than the technological aspects .

Does this work for everyone? I'm trying to find a median here, and I agree with Rami about this being a TGC competition, as unofficial as it may be, and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't an element of promotion involved, lol. I'll contact Rick and see if we can get some sort of "TGC Stance" on this issue if anyone is still uneasy about it. TGC hasn't gotten involved with the rules before though, its always been a community thing .

PS.- Last year we had a great panel of judges, and anyone whose been a judge previously is more than invited to email me and let me know you're insterested in doing it again this year . Anyone else who'd like to be a judge, drop me a line and we can talk about it. I'd love to get a mod to join in this year, wink-wink nudge-nudge . I won't be available via messenger from June 2nd to June 16th but I'll still be around, just email me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I'd like to get the judges sorted in the next week or two if I can.

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Dazzag
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Cyprus
Posted: 30th May 2008 13:27
Link
Quote: "Does this work for everyone?"
Yeah, no worries. I don't even know if I'm going to enter anyway. Between other projects and moving back to the UK soon I may not be able to anyway. Plus even if I could not enter DarkMUD because of non-TGC products being used, it would still be cool to enter as an un-official game, much like the one last year that the author had something to do with the contest or somesuch.

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Dazzag
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Cyprus
Posted: 30th May 2008 15:15
Link
Out of interest, someone just converted The Hobbit onto the PC. Looks fairly similar (even copies the speccy graphics) as I think they used some of the online open source from the original game to complete it.

http://www.retroremakes.com/forum2/attachment.php?attachmentid=5839&d=1204547693

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Bizar Guy
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 20th Apr 2005
Location: Bostonland
Posted: 30th May 2008 16:02
Link
I hit gandalf and he killed me.

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Jeku
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 30th May 2008 22:35
Link
Quote: "Anyone else who'd like to be a judge, drop me a line and we can talk about it."


*raises hand*

I can't enter so it would make me feel like I'm still participating


Back to top
Profile PM Website
dark coder
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 6th Oct 2002
Location: Japan
Posted: 30th May 2008 22:43 Edited at: 30th May 2008 22:46
Link
I personally don't see why you must use a TGC product, obviously it would be encouraged being on the TGC boards. But as a text adventure there is no use for 3D/2D media, sounds, music etc, basically everything that DBP/GDK does, all that's needed is a simple console with input/output abilities. So if someone were to enter using GDK what's the point? Doing so just makes the exe far larger to include the libs that handle text and rendering, when all they'd be doing is remaking the console. Also, when you say "I think David's solution really is the best solution: A ban on IF engines/ editors" this isn't very clear, if I were to make an entry that parsed text and such and maybe made an editor for it wouldn't this make the game banned as I've just made an IF engine and editor for it? Also if you were to say only existing ones are banned, this doesn't really help because what if I made one for the previous competition?(hypothetically). Unless I'm mistaken the parser used for a game like the Zork series isn't all that difficult to code, if I were to make an engine that basically did the same thing how do you decide which is banned?

Back to top
Profile PM Email
Jeku
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 30th May 2008 22:53 Edited at: 30th May 2008 22:55
Link
Actually some of the parsers for those old classic text adventures were very sophisticated. You'd probably be surprised.

I disagree about dismissing anything non-TGC though. As you said--- using C++ with or without GDK in a text adventure competition makes absolutely no difference You might *want* to use GDK if you want a fancy looking console, but the meat of the parser would still be made with C++ anyways.


Back to top
Profile PM Website
Matt Rock
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Mar 2005
Location: Binghamton NY USA
Posted: 31st May 2008 20:27
Link
For judges we have myself, Dazzag (contacted me via email), and Jeku, this should be a really great panel . If any previous judges want to participate again this year, drop me a line as soon as you can, we should be okay with just three but hey, more judges means more accurate results . If you guys have yahoo, MSN, LCS, or Lotus Sametime let me know, I can add you to my Yahoo messenger friends list if you have any of those services. We don't need to do that though, you guys both know my email address hehe.

I've got a ton going on right now so I apologize for my slowness on this lol. We're struggling to get Capital Punishment finished by the July 4th release date, my gig at Yahoo! starts soon, we're looking for a new apartment... yuck, lol. But I'm going to email Rick right after this is posted to ask what he thinks about this year's rules and if TGC has any official concerns with us "opening the doors up." I'll report back when he responds.

A quick question for everyone: Are you cool with the contest running from early June to mid-October? We changed the schedule last year to include students and to give everyone the full summer for their projects. I don't want this to conflict with Dazzag's move back to the UK or any dev crunches Jeku might get into . And for the entrants, I want to make sure you liked last year's schedule, had enough time, etc.

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Jeku
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 31st May 2008 21:22
Link
Sounds good, any time of the year is the same for me now (unless I'm on vacation). There's no yearly dev cycle as products are always in development year round


Back to top
Profile PM Website
Back to top

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2024-11-20 10:31:24
Your offset time is: 2024-11-20 10:31:24