🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <9207222016.AA66549@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu> psteffn@GNU.AI.MIT.EDU writes:
> It depends on how you look at it.  Really, the only difference between
> most game programmers and most demo programmers is that the game programmers
> get paid to write routines which work on many machines while demo programmers
> win contests by getting the most out of one.  Fortunately, there are much
> less differences among Amigas than PCs so they can get away with more.
> Quite a few conventional coding tricks have been found by demo coders, too.
> How about doing bresenham in 3 lines of 680x0 code?  No branching and no
> MUL/DIV?  Just a short table and the addx opcode.  I learned this one
> from New Mode/Delta Force.
>

Gee, why doesn't my 'C' compiler generate that Bresnehan (was that line
or circle) algorithm inline for me? :)

> Maybe these arcade game manufacturers should hire people based on talent
> and vision instead of just based on a degree in computer science.  I
> noticed in jobs.offered a post by Atari Games with 'Knowledge of C
> required' and 'Knowledge of 680x0 assembler helpful.'  Aim high, eh?

Atari has a network of 50MHz 486 machines running Unix.  It is hard
to find hackers to write software tools on those...  But give those
same guys an Atari ST or Amiga and they write a raytracer just to
render graphics for a demo :)  But the video game hardware Atari
is programming for isn't an ST or Amiga and does require a bit more
aptitude.

> STratoHAK/TPPi
> psteffn@gnu.ai.mit.edu
>

FWIW, game libraries are aplenty.  There have been text adventure
construction sets, pinball construction sets, shoot-em-up construction
sets, etc.  The bottom line is that no library or construction set is
valuble unless you are constantly updating and changing the library's
functionality to meet the demands of a design.  Otherwise the design
meets the demands of the library.  Get it?  The real answer is to
get the source to a real game, learn what you can from it, and learn
to do it for yourself.

--
Amiga programmer of: GRn, MailMinder, Budokan, Beyond Dark Castle, Dark Castle
Sega Genesis programmer of: Dick Tracy and Marble Madness.
Mike Schwartz  (ames!zorch!amiga0!mykes or mykes@amiga0.sf-bay.org)
1124 Fremont Ave.
Los Altos, CA 94024