ASM EXE GFX: Is it me, or have they lost the plot?
category: general [glöplog]
Caveat: I'm not a very good/prolific graphician or coder; I'm genuinely interested to know what people think about this.
http://www.assembly.org/summer08/compos/realtime/extreme#graphics
So. What the fuck? 40k size limit for oldskool platforms... How would that not simply entail cobbling together some basic ASM startup code and shoving a converted image file into it? Even *I* could do this, for God's sake - and syphus' ability to do something with ease should be the first major warning sign for a compo organiser ;)
As evilpaul remarked, 40kb is enough for a slideshow of low-colour pics, some compression and even a tune (let alone an entire bloody demo).
The biggest wtf, however, is the stipulation that you must include a PNG or TIFF version of your entry. So, what - does that mean you should submit the TIFF that you just converted to binary to put into your executable?!?
Maybe it's a typo.
http://www.assembly.org/summer08/compos/realtime/extreme#graphics
So. What the fuck? 40k size limit for oldskool platforms... How would that not simply entail cobbling together some basic ASM startup code and shoving a converted image file into it? Even *I* could do this, for God's sake - and syphus' ability to do something with ease should be the first major warning sign for a compo organiser ;)
As evilpaul remarked, 40kb is enough for a slideshow of low-colour pics, some compression and even a tune (let alone an entire bloody demo).
The biggest wtf, however, is the stipulation that you must include a PNG or TIFF version of your entry. So, what - does that mean you should submit the TIFF that you just converted to binary to put into your executable?!?
Maybe it's a typo.
The 40kb size limit is rather odd indeed.
plot lost
there's no oldskool gfx compo any more, so this is probably supposed to be the replacement. only it makes no sense as a compo *and* you'd be up against the 4k procedural pc entries
b to the izarre
there's no oldskool gfx compo any more, so this is probably supposed to be the replacement. only it makes no sense as a compo *and* you'd be up against the 4k procedural pc entries
b to the izarre
I keep finding it hilarious it's now called 'EXTREME graphics'. Like it's a fucking skateboarding contest :D
parapete just said to me "inclusion of PNG or TIFF is absolutely standard", but that's because he's autistic. Of course I'm highlighting the irony that one might do a simple, non-procedural picture in DPIV, save off a copy for non-platform-specific dissemination, then convert *that* back into the executable. All seems quite silly!
And obviously I know what the *spirit* of the compo is - to do procedurally generated graphics - but just look at oldschool executable music compos: lots of 4channel MODs in ASM players. And that's cool, because people do amazing things with the size limits, relatively. But this...seems not to be.
And obviously I know what the *spirit* of the compo is - to do procedurally generated graphics - but just look at oldschool executable music compos: lots of 4channel MODs in ASM players. And that's cool, because people do amazing things with the size limits, relatively. But this...seems not to be.
okkie - the biggest let-down was the discovery that an 'extreme graphics' compo wasn't sponsored by Stile Project :(
It's pretty clear what they've done here. They've tried to make a newschool 4k exe graphics compo and traditional oldschool hand-drawn graphics compo (not an "oldschool exe graphics compo") in one. Hence the different size limits for each - you can do pixel work on an oldschool machine and not have to worry about size limit or exegraphics on a newschool machine and fit in 4k.
The obvious problem is that the two things are entirely unrelated. It's a bloody stupid idea. :) It seems like they wanted to do both but only had room for one on the schedule.
The obvious problem is that the two things are entirely unrelated. It's a bloody stupid idea. :) It seems like they wanted to do both but only had room for one on the schedule.
Smashvision cuts through the bullshit and reveals the truth :)
Scheduling is a poor excuse, really. In my younger, more foolish days, I was frustrated by Breakpoint's apparent marginalisation of certain music compo categories, whereas I now realise how sensible and realistic those rearrangements were. But they never said it was an issue of time management, and indeed I'm sure Breakpoint would go out of its way to cater for a genuine concern that was important to sceners.
Maybe that's not the way ASM works? Who knows.
Scheduling is a poor excuse, really. In my younger, more foolish days, I was frustrated by Breakpoint's apparent marginalisation of certain music compo categories, whereas I now realise how sensible and realistic those rearrangements were. But they never said it was an issue of time management, and indeed I'm sure Breakpoint would go out of its way to cater for a genuine concern that was important to sceners.
Maybe that's not the way ASM works? Who knows.