THE QB64 RETRO REMAKE COMPETITION! [ENTRY NOW CLOSED]

[Galleon]

WIN $40[US] OR MORE! ENTER THE QB64 RETRO REMAKE COMPETITION NOW!
Welcome to the first official QB64 programming competition!

Your challenge (should you choose to accept it) is to take
an existing QBASIC game and improve it using the functionality
of QB64 and your own creativity. The original QBASIC program
MUST be from one of the following approved websites:
http://www.petesqbsite.com/downloads/downloads.shtml
http://www.qbasic.com/games/
(Note: If you believe another website should be listed let me know
 and I will add it totally at my own discretion.)

The competition will cost $8[US] to enter and all entries must
be received by February 29th 2012. You must enter the competition
by (or on) January 31st 2012.

Judging/criteria:
The winner will chosen by a panel made up of all competition entrants
as well as myself[Galleon] where all votes count equally. The original
QBASIC version and the QB64 version will be compared and contestants
will be judged on HOW WELL THE GAME WAS ENHANCED. It is not necessary
to use QB64 specific functionality to enhace the game however it will
probably help. Any linkage to external libraries (eg. DECLARE LIBRARY)
will work either for or against the entrant based on each member of the
panel's personal opinion.

All programs must run in Microsoft Windows, even if they were developed on
MacOSX or Linux.

An entry must contain:
1) The original game including its source (preferably in its own sub-folder)
2) Your enhanced version including source (preferably in its own sub-folder)
3) A text file called 'reference.txt' containing the website address(URL)
   of where the original QBASIC game came from.
4) A text file called 'changes.txt' outlining the enhancements you have made to
   the game.
5) A text file called 'ideas.txt' containing links to and very brief descriptions
of code ideas you borrowed from other sources (ie. not from your own brain).
Following the entry criteria is advantageous to the judging criteria.
Entries CAN NOT include any executable files (.exe) for security reasons.

The prize:
Winner takes all! Whoever wins will receive all of the entry money combined
AS WELL AS $40[US] from the QB64 donations account. That's right, if you are
the only one who enters you win $40[US] by default! However, you stand to win
more.

How to enter:
1) Click on the DONATE button on the qb64.net website and make a donation of
exactly $8[US]. No other payment method will be accepted.
2) Reply to this post stating that you have made the $8 donation to enter the
competition.
*****Do the above by the January 31st 2012 entry deadline*****
YES, YOU CAN ENTER RIGHT NOW!

[DeeBee]

Sounds like a good competition. (except for potential copyright issues)

[Galleon]

Sounds like a good competition. (except for potential copyright issues)

Hence rules 1 and 3:

1) The original game including its source (preferably in its own sub-folder)
3) A text file called 'reference.txt' containing the website address(URL)
   of where the original QBASIC game came from.

It is often impossible to discern exactly what the original author intended copyright-wise when they shared their game via such websites. Treating it as you would any free and open source is fair usage unless the developer specifically states otherwise. Certainly I would be very concerned if people decided to profit from the eventuating program apart from the competition itself (which is rewarding changes made, not the original content).

[DarthWho]

even though I do not plan to enter myself I just want to ask (because it piqued my curiosity) does getting a game that no longer works due to some library incompatibility (say it used UGL) to run on qb64 count as an enhancement? (Cy might have an advantage there with his DQB clone depending on how far along it is)

[Lachie Dazdarian]

I think I might try to participate. I have a QB game I might want to modify.

[unseenmachine]

So do we have to modify the code or can we make a total rewrite? Either way you can count me in.

[Lachie Dazdarian]

Damn, no source available for the game I wanted to take a dab on...looking for something else now....

EDIT: Found a new candidate! And it compiles! And actually displays graphics. Keyboard not functioning, of course. But, it means, I can concentrate on enhancing the game!

[TerryRitchie]

Count me in!  Been scouring the two sites all morning and have 2 that look promising.

[DeeBee]

Is there going to be an issue if two or more people choose the same program?

[DSMan195276]

I'd love to enter, I'm going to look into it. I might enter if I find a game that really look promising.

Also, something you might want to note in the rules would be that the .txt files need to have Windows line endings (CRLF) so you can open them with a normal Windows editor. If the files are written on Linux/MacOSX they'll have different line endings and won't be formatted right for Windows Notepad, for example.

Pretty much all Linux editors I've seen allow you to chose to format you're saving it in (GEDIT does. I can confirm that). i'm sure MacOSX has a equivalent program that can do this, and if not you can download Gedit for MacOSX here and use it to convert them (It asks you what line ending you want in the save file prompt).

Matt

[Galleon]

even though I do not plan to enter myself I just want to ask (because it piqued my curiosity) does getting a game that no longer works due to some library incompatibility (say it used UGL) to run on qb64 count as an enhancement? (Cy might have an advantage there with his DQB clone depending on how far along it is)

I don't see how this could really be considered an ENHANCEMENT of the original game, so unless more was added as well I don't see how this meets to competition goal. However, any work to make it QB64 compatible should be noted in 'changes.txt' file and I'm sure the panel would take this into consideration.

So do we have to modify the code or can we make a total rewrite? Either way you can count me in.

Total rewrites are OK as long as the game is clearly similar to the QBASIC original. You couldn't make a chess game and then later just list any old QBASIC chess game with the only similarity being that it's the game of chess.

Damn, no source available for the game I wanted to take a dab on...looking for something else now....

Yeah, some games listed on those sites are executable only and those need to be avoided.

Is there going to be an issue if two or more people choose the same program?

That's fine.

If the files are written on Linux/MacOSX they'll have different line endings and won't be formatted right for Windows Notepad, for example.

The QB64 IDE saves .BAS files with CRLF endings on all platforms, but it can load .BAS files with other line endings too. So this isn't an issue.

Update: We already have 1 competition entrant.

[Clippy]

If there is only one entrant does he win by default? Or do I have to actually make the game? 

[vrensul]

I want to enter.  Gimme a few days to get some time off so I can look over those sites (never been there before).  I'll enter when I get paid again.

[DSMan195276]

The QB64 IDE saves .BAS files with CRLF endings on all platforms, but it can load .BAS files with other line endings too. So this isn't an issue.

I was more referring to the 3 .txt files that have to be in the .zip file with the programs.

Matt

[Galleon]

I want to enter.  Gimme a few days to get some time off so I can look over those sites (never been there before.

I think a lot of people will are doing exactly that. I know that's what I'd be doing before throwing my $8 into the ring. I hope people will suggest other sites where QBASIC games abound so I can add them to the list too but those 2 sites are very comprehensive. I know if I want a good quality QBASIC game those are the fist two places that spring to my mind. Although taking a piece of rubbish game and making it shine is lots of fun too.

I was more referring to the 3 .txt files that have to be in the .zip file with the programs.

Oh... well I'm sure we'll survive. There's always line wrap in Notepad.

Also, I thought I should make everyone aware that no one is obliged to reveal the QBASIC game they have chosen. You can if you want to or you can save the surprise till the end!