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SpeedHack 2011 is coming soon
Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
avatar

Reminder: next weekend is the SpeedHack.

The 2011 template is available. If you are using C/C++, then you must[1] use it. So download it now and get your questions answered before next weekend.

You should also be working on a list of excuses to use as the reason why you dropped out a few minutes into the competition. "The rules sucked" is not a valid reason because you know that ahead of time. Likewise "my girlfriend came over" doesn't work because a) you don't have one and b) pretending that you do, you should have told her to stay away given that the date has been set for longer than whatever other plans you are making up.

For this year, all C/C++ programs MUST be source compatible with either Allegro 4.4.2 or 5.0.3, no exceptions. i.e, Do NOT use functionality from SVN, unless it is optional.

If you use some other language, then it doesn't matter since nobody will be able to easily compile or run your game anyway.

References

  1. Obviously, nobody is going to force you to use it, but you really should supply something that works on Windows and Linux. Keep in mind that the Windows makefile should assume people are using the a.cc binaries, which have unique names.
Neil Black
Member #7,867
October 2006
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I'm dropping out BEFORE the competition starts. My job is taking us all to an amusement park.

Bet your job doesn't do that. :P

someone972
Member #7,719
August 2006
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You can't let a little thing like going to an amusement park stop you from participating in speedhack, just get one of these and code on the rides ;).
{"name":"41Y6FHsLxLL._SL500_AA300_.jpg","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/a\/c\/ac1c7729bc540ff7a997fadc85851782.jpg","w":300,"h":300,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/a\/c\/ac1c7729bc540ff7a997fadc85851782"}41Y6FHsLxLL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
I'm not participating in speedhack since I've been away from allegro for so long, but I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with :D.

______________________________________
As long as it remains classified how long it took me to make I'll be deemed a computer game genius. - William Labbett
Theory is when you know something, but it doesn't work. Practice is when something works, but you don't know why. Programmers combine theory and practice: Nothing works and they don't know why. -Unknown
I have recklessly set in motion a chain of events with the potential to so-drastically change the path of my life that I can only find it to be beautifully frightening.

Desmond Taylor
Member #11,943
May 2010
avatar

Downloaded and set up my framework with the correct folders and the make file included.

I now see how the makefile works too so all I need to do is change the one line to the game name and I'm up for business :P

Append: Do I need to place my headers in the "include" directory as I always place mine in the "src" directory?

Append 2: Where is the read me file that we need to edit? Or are we not having one this year? The read me file that was included is just instructions to us :P

GullRaDriel
Member #3,861
September 2003
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I'm out. I already have obligations that week. Good luck to the participants.

"Code is like shit - it only smells if it is not yours"
Allegro Wiki, full of examples and articles !!

J-Gamer
Member #12,491
January 2011
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I'm not going to participate... I have way too little experience to come up with a game and make it in such a short timespan :-X

" There are plenty of wonderful ideas in The Bible, but God isn't one of them." - Derezo
"If your body was a business, thought would be like micro-management and emotions would be like macro-management. If you primarily live your life with emotions, then you are prone to error on the details. If you over-think things all the time you tend to lose scope of priorities." - Mark Oates

Desmond Taylor
Member #11,943
May 2010
avatar

J-Gamer said:

I have way too little experience to come up with a game and make it in such a short timespan :-X

Neither do I but I'm going to give it my best :) I don't think it matters if you don't end up with a playable game it's just for fun :D

J-Gamer
Member #12,491
January 2011
avatar

I would've tried if I wouldn't have been in Germany that weekend, without access to the Internet :(

" There are plenty of wonderful ideas in The Bible, but God isn't one of them." - Derezo
"If your body was a business, thought would be like micro-management and emotions would be like macro-management. If you primarily live your life with emotions, then you are prone to error on the details. If you over-think things all the time you tend to lose scope of priorities." - Mark Oates

Desmond Taylor
Member #11,943
May 2010
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:( That's a shame. Oh well. There is still enough people participating :) Have fun in Germany.

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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Do I need to place my headers in the "include" directory as I always place mine in the "src" directory?

It's cleaner to keep the two separated, but it doesn't really matter. You have almost a week to figure out how to configure your IDE to work with an include folder, and part of the great joy of SpeedHack is trying new things...

Quote:

Where is the read me file that we need to edit? Or are we not having one this year? The read me file that was included is just instructions to us

There may be one posted after the rules are up, but if not, it should include the same things as always.

Desmond Taylor
Member #11,943
May 2010
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The only reason I don't use include for my headers is because I use the include directory for allegro includes xD.

However, I looked at the test script you included in the 2011 template and by the looks of it I can just place all my headers in the include folder when [That's if I complete it ;D] I upload my entry and it should compile using the makefile with no issues.

Okay, Just in case I shall download the 2009 one and fill the parts in that I can since we have no idea what we will be making ;D.

Edit: I forgotten how to add references on these forums now :/

Trezker
Member #1,739
December 2001
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Hey, even if you don't think you can make a complete game over a weekend. Just take it as a test to see how far you can actually come. You might be surprised.

kenmasters1976
Member #8,794
July 2007

I,m in. I really hope to submit an entry this time.

For those in doubt, do what Trezker said.

weapon_S
Member #7,859
October 2006
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You almost tempted me to join. Then I thought of the technical requirements. Those are mostly so hard, I can't even think of a abstract scheme to implement them. :-/
*Spins to prove his point*

Technical requirements said:

Roto-Mania (Good)

The game must involve some kind of rotation as a main element of the game.

That's not so hard :-/

Artistic requirement said:

Cheat codes (Good)

There must have at least two secret cheat codes in the game that are not visible nor documented to the casual users (they must be shown in some readme.txt file or something like that for acknowledgement and review by others entrants, but no more than that). When triggered, that cheat codes does incredible things that would be very hard or impossible to happen otherwise. BTW, these things don't need be necessarily good or useful things.

Ugh... that's what I'm talking about. Fairly trivial (result), but I would be happy if I could implement that alone in one weekend. (You have to monitor keyboard input throughout your game... or only during the menu... or implement a text-field...)
Doubting... If I like the next spin, I will join.

#
Genre requirements

Insanity! (Good)
Your project should either be about insanity or have a featured character who is insane.
#
Technical requirements

There are 2 technical requirements:
Speed (OK)

The player cannot control the speed of anything in the game: everything's always going full throttle. Think: mario who's always running, asteroids with the engines stuck on, etc. The faster the better :)
Unbeatable (OK)

The game must be unbeatable - it just keeps going on and on and on and..
#
Artistic requirements

There are 2 artistic requirements:
Boing boing! Spring time! (Good)

People love bouncing. Thus your game should feature springs. This can be either springs as characters or enemies, or part of a character. Or this can be bumpers or other items used by the player. Or any crazy idea about the use of springs. Extra kudos if cleverly used in the game or if it's the core of the gameplay. Bonus if there are realistic spring physics.
Look Mom I can Fly (Great)

Ground based transportation is boring. The player should be able to fly in some way or other. It doesn't have to be zooming around in a 3d space (extra kudos if it is), but the player can not be anchored to the ground at all times.
#
Bonus rules

There are 2 bonus rules:
Act of Chewbacca (Great)

You can opt out of one rule if your game contains no verbal communication at all. Your game can't use words, but it can still use symbols, icons and descriptive sound effects.
Act of Act of Recursiveness (Good)

Clever use of recursiveness will give bonus. It could be a code thing or something in the graphics. It could even be the way you interprete a rule. If one rule says you have to save a princess, you could make a game where a princess has to save a princess.

:|
Heh, I'll try it :P Maybe it will jump start me into actually producing a game. Hopefully it will be fun to see me fail anyway.

Desmond Taylor
Member #11,943
May 2010
avatar

Im in doubt that I'll get a game done in time but I'm just going to go with it :) It's only going to mess me up on the genre really because I cannot do some types of games as I haven't gotten round to learning. For example.. Platform games. They are my weak spot xD

Edit: Good to see you are in :D

weapon_S
Member #7,859
October 2006
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Do NOT use functionality from SVN, unless it is optional.

Fudge! I'll have to look through the change logs... I hope the SVN of 5 only added extra functions. If I just use the old manual to reference everything I type in, it should be fine :P

Desmond Taylor
Member #11,943
May 2010
avatar

I'll stick to Allegro 5.0.3 except when I use the monolith-mt with the binary it causes errors so I just static link them one by one instead xD.

I'll leave the makefile alone as I know Matthew wont have a problem with the compiling since he set it up with 5.0.3 I only need to change the NAME whatever that may be :D

Can't wait too see the rules. Will my face be a :O or a :D XD

Don Freeman
Member #5,110
October 2004
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Looking forward to it...don't know for sure how much time I can get to spend on it, but I'm gonna at least try. ;)

--
"Everyone tells me I should forget about you, you don’t deserve me. They’re right, you don’t deserve me, but I deserve you."
"It’s so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don’t say it."

Slartibartfast
Member #8,789
June 2007
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My problem is that my weekend is Thursday-Friday-Saturday and not Friday-Saturday-Sunday, so you stole one day from me :( (well, half day).

And anyway I'll probably drop out because my friends will come up with something more fun to do over the weekend :)

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
avatar

This year, for the first time, you will be able to upload an additional 10MB of resource data (images, music, etc).

Before you get excited or angry, this is not a waiver of the base 250KB limit. Your entry (source code and essential resources) must still fit within that size and be playable (although perhaps with a subset of levels). The 10MB is an optional, extra ZIP file that is uploaded independently.

The real differences from past competitions are:

  • You can upload that data directly to the SpeedHack site


  • When judging the finished games, people may consider that extra resource package as part of the official entry.

MiquelFire
Member #3,110
January 2003
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If I read that right, ways to use that extra 10MB:

  • Base game is like a demo of a full game, but still follows all the rules

  • Base game uses a small/simple set of resources that might make it retro looking, but the extra 10MB allows you to have a game that uses any combination of: more frames of animation, more variety of sounds, higher quality images/sounds/music, more levels, and other stuff I can't think up

Knowing me, I won't even bother with that extra space.

---
Febreze (and other air fresheners actually) is just below perfumes/colognes, and that's just below dead skunks in terms of smells that offend my nose.
MiquelFire.red
If anyone is of the opinion that there is no systemic racism in America, they're either blind, stupid, or racist too. ~Edgar Reynaldo

BAF
Member #2,981
December 2002
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I'm not participating because I clearly would win. I want to give someone else a chance to grab the title. 8-)

Desmond Taylor
Member #11,943
May 2010
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That's a lot of extra space for one weekend but hey :D

Elias
Member #358
May 2000

I always thought 250KB is way too much, I'd have reduced it not increased. For example this is only 256 bytes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vzcMdkvPPg

--
"Either help out or stop whining" - Evert

Derezo
Member #1,666
April 2001
avatar

I'm going to try and do up an entry.

I might get the "at least you tried" award.

"He who controls the stuffing controls the Universe"



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