Cymon's Games wants you

[Cymon]

I'm impressed with you all.

If you haven't heard of it before, my website Cymon's Games (www.cymonsgames.com) and I am attempting to revive the good-ole days of the type-in. I'm sure more than a few of you started programming with type-ins. Since the focus is on printed code I like can only host programs that don't require external data files (that can't be typed in) so the programs tend to be simple, which is good for learning. So naturally in my search for programs that I can add to the site I (re)found roguelikes.

This Friday Ido's Crypt Rover will be the week's featured program. Jakub Dębski has already given his okay for a few of his 1K roguelikes to go up in the future. There is a lot of talent on this site and I'll bet more than a few folks already have programs that could be featured on Cymon's Games.

At the moment the focus is on C/C++ programs. I may expand to python or java one day, but I have to weigh those options first.

I am asking you, begging you, to come forward if you have something you can share with the next generation of type-in-ers. I'd love some more roguelikes, but I'll also take anything elementary programming examples, to more ambitions projects. The most ambitious project to date is Star Merchant, however I will soon be featuring a couple of allegro programs on the site too, so don't think you're limited by size and scope.

I look forward to seeing your programs!

[zzo38]

I am actually also reviving the day of the type-in, commercially (it's a coincidence!). The program must be BASIC or Forth to be ideal type-in for what I am doing. (You can still write in any program language you want to, but only BASIC or Forth are ideal for type-ins for this new system.) And it will be a new computer/game-console system, everything built-in is free (as in freedom, not as in beer, because you obviously still have to pay) software. It will be able to run many old type-ins as well, for various different old computers. And of course it will have other features as well, such as play audio CD, run complex software from DVD, etc. Maybe I will convert some of your program to ForthBASIC (BASIC programs are automatically converted to Forth when you run, Forth programs will run directly without conversion) and you can include the program in a book you write. You can write book with this programs and with many other things, such as describing things about programming, rules and strategy for the games, etc. Later on I will write some short programs like you have as well, you can post on your web-site. But, it will be BASIC (or possibly Forth), not C/C++. C/C++ just isn't ideal for type-ins in my opinion!

[Cymon]

I am actually also reviving the day of the type-in, commercially (it's a coincidence!). The program must be BASIC or Forth to be ideal type-in for what I am doing. (You can still write in any program language you want to, but only BASIC or Forth are ideal for type-ins for this new system.) And it will be a new computer/game-console system, everything built-in is free (as in freedom, not as in beer, because you obviously still have to pay) software. It will be able to run many old type-ins as well, for various different old computers.

That's neat. Get some old BASIC books and finally get to see the programs in action. If I had that maybe I wouldn't have started converting them, and I would have never made Cymon's Games.

Then again, I supposed I could have just used GWBasic in DOSBox, and I chose not to.

My guess is, tho, that you won't be able to do the machine dependent memory blitzes, which will negate most of the cooler games.

And of course it will have other features as well, such as play audio CD, run complex software from DVD, etc. Maybe I will convert some of your program to ForthBASIC (BASIC programs are automatically converted to Forth when you run, Forth programs will run directly without conversion) and you can include the program in a book you write. You can write book with this programs and with many other things, such as describing things about programming, rules and strategy for the games, etc. Later on I will write some short programs like you have as well, you can post on your web-site. But, it will be BASIC (or possibly Forth), not C/C++. C/C++ just isn't ideal for type-ins in my opinion!

Why isn't C/C++ ideal for type-ins? Just because "hello world" is 3 times longer.

No, you might not be wrong. C/C++ adds overhead that BASIC didn't have, but at the same time it provides a little more platform independent robustness, in particularly in the graphics and sound department, if you extend it with libraries like PDCurses, Allegro, SDL, or OpenGL.

Good luck with your project. I can definately see some educational applications for it. A bit like an Uzebox.