-    -   -  - -- --- ---- ----------------- ---- --- -- -  -   -    -
  TextMode DemoCompo 3 Invitation/infofile v0.5.0 by Sol/Trauma   oWMMW.
ooooooooooooooooooo. ---- ---.oommooooooooooo.-- --- -- .omWWmo- mm"oWMm
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMWWMMMW        .WMMMWWMMMMMWWWWMMMm.     .WMMWWWMMWWm   WMo
Mm""oWMMW"""WMo WMMMm       oMMMo   mMMW"   "mMMMm   oMMW'   oWMMm  mMm
W    mMMo   "Wo oMMMW.     .WMMW"   "WMW      oMMMo oMMW'      WMm.mWWMW.
     mMMo       .MMMMm     mMMMW     WMW       oMMW.WMMo       "WW   .WMo
     mMMo       .MMMMM.   .WMMMW     WMW        WMMmMMW'        oW    WMo
     mMMo       .MWMMMm   mMWMMM.    WMW        mMMWMMW         "o   mMm
     mMMo       .MmmMMM. .MWoWMM.    WMW        oMMWMMW          mWWWWo
     mMMo       oMo"WMMm.mMo WMM.    WMW        oMWWMMM.
     mMMo       oMo mMMMWMW  WMM.    WMW        WMWoMMMm         .
     mMMo       oMo "WMMMM"  WMMo    WMW       .MM" WMMMo       om
     mMMm       mMm  oMMMm   WMMm   .WMW       WMm  oMMMMo     mMm
    oWMMW.     .WMWo  WMW"  oMMMWo  oMMMo    .WWo    mMMMMWmomWMW
  .WMMMMMMW.  oMMMMMm oMm  .WMMMMMmoMMMMMWWWWWm"      oWMMMMMMWo
-  """""""" - -""""" --"- --""""""--""""""""---- --- -- "oooo" -    -
                   [T]ext[M]ode[D]emo[C]ompetition[3]
-    -   -  - -- --- ---- ----------------- ---- --- -- -  -   -    -
                  (c) 1998 Jari Komppa aka Sol/Trauma

_____What?

    Since in the last 2 years we received rather many letters
  beginning with "if I had known about this competition earlier..",
  we decided to start advertising real early this year.

    There are some rule changes, so *READ THE RULES* !

    So why to code demos in textmode? Answer: Why not?
  I've tried to argue all the points thrown in by some people in
  earler tmdc invitation texts, so if you're intrested, check them
  out =). Real reason is that text mode demos give you the chance
  to make something _different_ for a change. Don't waste your time
  optimizing that last tick out of your texture-environment-bump-
  filler, but try to put it into some use that might even look
  worth watching.

    Making a 300+ -color truecolor mode out of textmode is pretty
  easy, so desinging routines for TMDC demo doesn't neccessarily
  mean you're "wasting your time with something you're never going
  to use anywhere else". All it takes is to think for a while..
  (or to rip my textmode palette routines - or use aalib for
  instance).

_____When?

  Deadline is 11.11.98. Submit your entries as soon as possible.
  Results should be out before mid-december. (12.12.98 probably :)

_____Where?

  Any questions can be sent to:
  IRC: Channels: #CODERS, #TMDC
       Sol_HSA (Main organizer, rarely on IRC)
  Email: solar@compart.fi

  The competition is held in the Internet, but you don't have to have
  internet access to contribute a demo. You may send your contributions
  to:

  FTP: <open as of yet>
  Email: UUEncoded to solar@compart.fi
  BBS: TRK +358-9-876-4017 28.8k (Trauma HQ)
           +358-9-876-4018 14.4k (node 2)
       (For anonymous upload, log on as TMDC, passw TMDC)
  Snailmail:
          Sol/Trauma
          Jari Komppa
          Kylakaskentie 1A2
          Vantaa  01200
          Finland,Europe
  (Please include Self Addressed Envelope and International
  Reply Coupons if you want to have your disk(s) back. Also
  remember to write 'fragile' and 'no x-rays' on the envelope).
  Acceptable media: DD/HD disk (3.5"), ZIP100, CDR or CDRW.

  Especially if you use email: make sure we have received your demo!
  (Do NOT resend it before we ask!!)

  --  8<  --  8<  --  Cut here for FidoNet posts  --  8<  --  8<  --

_____Rules?

Rules.Important
  - Group or coder must contact Sol via email as soon as
    possible if there is even slightest possiblity of a
    demo!
    (This does not apply if you don't have inet access).
  - Please, *please* read all the rules! Some rules have
    changed from last year.
    (and I have a funny feeling most people didn't read
    the rules last year either =)

Rules.General
  - The organizers reserve the right to disqualify any demo,
    and the right to change the rules at any time.
  - The organizers will spread the last version they've
    received from you.
  - The demos must be previosly unpublished.
  - Direct textmode conversions of existing demos are not
    allowed. (I don't want to see Textdemo Ankka! :)
  - The authors will retain copyright to their productions.
  - Maximum demo length (in time) is not limited, but you
    should remember that too long demos are boring.
  - Complete animation demos are not denied, but remember
    the size limits..
  - User must be able to quit the demo at any moment by
    pressing ESC.

Rules.Other_files
  - You MUST include file_id.diz (about 40x5 chars of
    Description In Zip info for BBSes).
  - You MUST include info file (yourdemoname.nfo) in the
    package.
  - You MAY add readthis.org file with info for the
    organizers only (we will delete this file before
    releasing the package).
  - Remember to include 'snail'mail address info in either
    .nfo or the readthis.org file!

Rules.Limitations
  - Maximum file size is 1447446 bytes in a ZIP file, and
    10 megs uncompressed. If you use DOS4GW, you don't need
    to include it in the ZIP. (Everyone has it already).
  - Sound support: At least 1024k GUS (either native, MEGAEM
    (midi) or (IW/MAX)SBOS (SB/adlib)). (We use GUS Classic,
    GUS MAX, GUS PNP and GUS extreme cards).
  - The demo *must* have sound support!
  - The demo must run on Pentium 150 with 16 megs of RAM
    under either QEMM, EMM386, HIMEM or plain boot under
    DOS 7.00 (Win95 'dos boot').
  - The demo may NOT write anything on harddrive (neither
    in current dir nor on C root or %temp% or anywhere else).
  - All file names must be compatible with MS-DOS 6.00.

Rules.Screen_mode
  - The complete demo must run in some textmode (including
    any possible setup screen). 
  - Valid textmode screen modes are:
    40x12, 40x14, 40x21, 40x25, 40x27, 40x43, 40x50,
    80x12, 80x14, 80x21, 80x25, 80x27, 80x43, 80x50.
    (All of these modes can be set through use of interrupt
    calls, so no direct hardware i/o is required).
  - You *MAY* include OPTIONAL support for other modes, but
    we will judge the demos in one of those modes.
  - Font and palette changes are not allowed; neither are
    other hardware tricks like splitscreen or startaddress.
  - EXCEPTION: Light backgrounds may be enabled (ie. the
    blink attribute may be disabled). Other 'tweaks' are
    NOT allowed!
  - If you wish to use refresh rate tweaks (60/50hz etc)
    they MUST BE optional, ie. there must be some way to
    turn this off.

Rules.Recommended(not_mandatory)
  - Autodetects and command-line options.
  - Nosound and SB support.
  - Stable code is always nice. TMDC2INV, for instance,
    runs under WinNT, Win95, Linux dosemu, OS/2 Warp3,
    and even Win3.1 (and this means even in a window,
    not only full-screen!).

_____Prizes?

<open as of yet. A.C.E BBS is already ready to sponsor, however>

  Thanks to our sponsors:
    A.C.E BBS - christophe.yvon@cnet.francetelecom.fr (Gandalf)

_____Jury?

  Trauma, ie. Sol, Nitro, Teque, Tonic, Excel, void,
  Assassin, !Cube and Tremor. Additionally a bunch of
  people we no doubt succeed to drag inside from the
  street.
  For voting system we'll use Silly Little Votesystem
  v2.01 (with free point scale but equal voters -
  results are displayed in 'acceptance factor'
  percentage). Sol holds on to his veto-rights.

  --  8<  --  8<  --  Cut here for FidoNet posts  --  8<  --  8<  --

_____Resources?

  The files mentioned here are generally available
  on www.hornet.org, but can be acquired by, for
  instance, calling Trauma HQ BBS.

Resources.source_code
    txtfli.zip  - textmode fli/flc player WatcomC
    ringnes.arj - Some textmode fx in tp/asm
    http://www.ta.jcy.cz/aa
                - AsciiArt library (check 'BB' out!)
    scr11.zip   - Assembler source code to set
                  12,14,21,25,27,43 and 50 row modes.

    Also, Sol/Trauma's textfx.c can be found from
    TMDC2 invitation demo package. textfx2.c (slightly
    advanced one) will be found with TMDC3 invitation.

Resources.demos
    Here are some textmode demos that are really worth
    checking out: (there are lots and lots of others too!)

   -- pre-TMDC:
    shape!.zip  - Textmode strikes .bak by Shape!
                  (this one was the main inspiration
                  to the TMDC idea).
    ringnes.arj - rignes motion by TJ/Crusaders
    atom.zip    _ These two are couple of the oldest PC demos
    yeah.zip    / ever, and run in textmode. By Sorcerers.
    yo!.zip     - This FC textmode production might explain
                  why TMDC rules limit the tweaking so much.

   -- TMDC and others:
    bb.zip        - 'BB' by AA-project. Uses AA-lib.
    rcn-tahf.zip  - Tahma by recreation. Winner of TMDC2.
    pp_sless.zip  - Spaceless by portal project. 2nd at TMDC2.
    rcn-orzo.zip  - D'orzo by recreation. Winner of TMDC.
    tremor.zip    - Tremor by demolition. 2nd at TMDC.

   -- TMDC invitation demos: (also in textmode)
    tmdcinv.zip   - TMDC invitation ('96) (music by teque)
    tmdc2inv.zip  - TMDC2 invitation ('97) (music by !cube)
    tmdc3pre.zip  - TMDC3 pre-invitation ('98) (music by !cube)

_____Other?

  As before, please note that this is NOT a joke competition!
  You CAN do all plasmas, whirls, vectors, and stuffs in text
  mode. And due to the reduced resolution and virtually
  truecolor palette, you can do much more than what you
  could imagine doing in 320x200 or even higher graphics
  modes.

  If you have any questions, send them to either
  solar@compart.fi, or use the other contribution
  addresses mentioned above.

  Signed,
          Sol/Trauma
          18 January, 1998

-    -   -  - -- --- ---- ----------------- ---- --- -- -  -   -    -