Optron #18 18 сентября 1998

Демо

Fun Top'98 - Demo Compo - examination papers.

           FunTop'98: DemoCompo



(C) Gendalf / Paul Vysotsky, 1998


  Demostroenie on the Spectrum continues
develop. Sometimes just amazed:
coders from taking all these new and emerging
vozozhnosti? Machine is in fact almost the same
As in 1986!

  And this development - not gradual.
Whole year in the strictest confidence prepares
something new, then comes the festival - and
everything becomes clear.

  Spectrum has recently experienced another such
stage - was FunTop!

  What was it really new?
Are there any new ideas that will
inspire future demostroiteley? To answer these questions, I 
will try to consider some of the papers presented at the 
Festival. 


                 Funtasy


  Group: Oors

  City: Odintsovo


  Although this demo was presented at the festival out of 
competition, it has raised attention and vigorous debate as 
during the show, and after it. Therefore, start with her.


  Home - very entertaining. Have you ever included such a 
computer, like IBM PC? Zastavochka there is very unassuming:

test system. Demo starts with the same
itself. In my opinion, it is humiliating for
Spectrum.

  Well, then start jokes:

  "Detected driver ...

  A search for a suitable device for him ... "

  As you are putting the question? By the way, the search has 
been very successful - as much as 201%! Sufficiently familiar 
to pisishnikov glitch. 

  It is in this vein and all the passes.
A lot of fairly good joke - take at least a literal committing 
to a greeting from hand to hand. And the theme PC is constantly 
rising. Was there is a comparison with the picture into the 
bargain: 

  "This is worse than Bill Gates in Hell."

  And yet - from the very beginning we impose
"Demostroeniya laws." Like, "Informative ticker is inversely 
proportional to its length. But for these laws is worked by the 
authors themselves? 

  And here's the ending:

  "Now the computer can disable the" ...

  Same song as in the beginning.

  In general, in that, according to the authors themselves, 
"demo-parody," - an excellent idea and design, good music, deep 
humor, a lot of animation, but no cool effects. So, whether it 
is represented as competitive work, then ...



              Morbid Visions


  Group: Tankard, Asphyxia

  City: Minsk


  In the epilogue of this demo Tankard reports
that this - his last work on the Spectrum. Well, it is for her 
and will be judged him. As mentioned Stirlitz "last impression 
hard to forget." 

  Imagine a window with the text, which
scrolls up. And if this text
darkness, and only a piece of illuminated
strange light source? Read this
the message is impossible. One can only hope that nothing of 
interest was not there. The same effect appears at the end - 
does not take an expert in why. Because of this, and a couple 
other "jokes" demo seems prolonged. 

  And - ugly plasma. The plasma is annoying to everyone.

  "If I see another at least one plasma - take a sledgehammer," 
- wrote in the echo of Alexande Seduyk.


  Later this phrase relished by
all ways other fidoshnikami offering its options in this 
situation. 

  It is time to reduce the use of plasma
competitive demos. First of all, in fact,
operated by one idea, and thus disappears creativity. Secondly, 
just already sick of this flicker. Well, okay,

can once in a Deme, but because - in
almost every! And not on time!

  It was a couple of fairly good, although not brilliant
effects. There was also a plasma, is already better, but
not the entire screen.

  The general idea - no, not counting
secret information hidden in the fragmentary
messages in English. I have not had time to read a single 
before the end, but noted that the end of lines rhyme with each 
other. Poems in English in the Belarusian demo?

Curious!

  Coding, graphics and music - average,
idea / design - below average (even verses are not
helped).


  For the set-points: 0

  Mesto: 14-15


                Emergency


  Group: Real Masters

  City: Petrozavodsk


  Attention is drawn to the entry:
when submitting information about the authors used an 
interesting idea. In this case, the music perfectly consistent 
with what is happening on the screen. 

  Two video presenting authors
(Not all) are made good. But no more
order.

  First, who videotaped the team
authors, were the guys from Digital Reality,
but they have been in this kind of zest:
even a small demo came out. In "Emergency" everything is easier.

  We were pleased with the plasma - it is not just
You can look at it a pleasure to watch.
Themselves as writers before demonstatsii
This part declared that:

  "There's nothing like plasma".

  Translated into Russian:

  "Figure you'll find here the plasma!".

  And this, indeed, was more than
just plasma.

  Besides from the permanent reference nice
Name of Bill Gates and the operating system
IBM PC, in all demos stood another
image. He went from one to synopsy
another, then - in evrodemo, and then - in
trekmo.

  It was a kind of "evil spirit". Sometimes he
resembled a skull, sometimes - the evil (but
Jokingly) demon sometimes - a smiling man wearing glasses and 
with protruding ears. And each demo, the evil spirit of abused

their own way.

  In "Emergency" is a crock, who covered the light source of 
unknown origin. Beautiful, but not new. 

  There was a couple of good ideas, effects. Remember something 
like a square tunnel built, of course, the squares,

so even with the perspective.

  All parts of this demo, I appreciated
would like "a little above average."

  Music - anything like that. And in the end - and
do good. As for me - a very good demo.


  For the set-points: 55

  Mesto: 6


                 Tyranny


  Group: Syndrome

  City: Penza


  Tell you about one effect. In the 3d dance
two of the dog and man, as if made of matchsticks. Something 
similar, but without the dog was already in Opera 
Hallucinations, on I think, very successful last year

demo.

  Then - the inscription "He was lamer". So I
not sure who, in fact, this "lamer" and
why he was, and what happened to him.

  And then my computer "on strike" and
Reset. Experiment was repeated on another
car - with the same result. But, judging from
Points obtained in this work, I do
good is not missed.


  For the set-points: 15

  Mesto: 9


                Katharsis


  Group: Master Home Corp. Group

  City: Dzerzhinsk


  What you can say? Well, floats
below a large sign "Fun-Top98", well,
I noticed the picture there is a beautiful - and it is
everything. Again - almost total absence of
the general idea, or mood at least.

  But no. Not all so terrible. Do you like the tornado in one 
of the parts - which I have never seen before, and the 
realization of good. 

  Somewhere in the end appears the famous
symbol of Mortal Kombat, but nesolko crumble underneath. In 
light of recent agony and then the death of the same name of 
the group looks very allegorical. And sad. 

  But such an effect as a circular tunnel
met before, not once. It is unpleasant to contemplate old ideas 
in new demo. 

  And again the skull. And to him - some flying the pentagram. 
One thing not clear: what tyranny here? Judging by the title, 
the demo would have to contain a hidden

meaning. But I'm afraid not.


  For the set-points: 6

  Place: 13


                Adrenalize


  Group: Global Corporation

  City: Stary Oskol


  The authors immediately make it clear that this is -
not demo any, and not to hell
Overseas entitled "synopsy" and trekmo.

  Do not think I have nothing against
most of these "trekmo. Just fed up with it all
these varied - where smart, and when
not really - the name that has long been
called, and - simply and correctly: "demonstration" or simply - 
"Demo". 

  Maybe enough clever and invent bike with vertical brake? ..

  Once Global Corp., Therefore, for the main
authors' letter - "G". So they took her,
made a beautiful and voluminous, whirled in
different directions. Very well done, as
for real-time effect. Though slow
insolently.

  Plasmas clearly abused - although one
of them was not bad.

  And yet carried out experiments on chess
board. Can it stretch? And if so, how many times? And will not 
break if it is inclined at an angle of 40 degrees? Only here

questionable - Did this crazy
board 64 squares?

  Were still Flying Fractal (a must see) and a pair of 3d 
effects and geometric form (simple, of course). All

it - not bad. But again - where integrating all the separate 
parts demos idea? 

  In my opinion, "Emergency" - better, even though
and scored memshe points.


  K-the set of points: 73

  Place: 5


                  Blame


  Group: Stars of Keladan group

  City: Samara


  I'll start not from the beginning. After the announcement of 
the results of the Festival went dispute ehah about this demo. 
Namely - that she was unfairly won third place, they say, "Went 
only on the cake, throw in B. Gates, and there is little coding.


  I do not agree with such malosoznatelnymi
mates.

  First, it solved all the participants Party.
Once they liked it - so to speak
about.

  Secondly, not so little out there coding.

  And anyway, it was one of the few demos that contain an idea 
that is something more than a set of random effects.


  And how do because sometimes things happen?

  "Oh, here I protserka one lying around!
Shove-ka I had her in my evrodemo. Butter cereal
will not spoil. "

  A butter-something - foul: nobody wants junk.

  But the authors of "BlAME" wanted something to say - and say!

  "And flame went out" ...

  It is - part of the entry. Then - picture
titled, "BlAME"

  So, what exactly is "BlAME"?

  If literally - the charge, or a verb of the same root. 
Moreover, the context is also interesting. Not just the 
prosecution, accused of something shameful. Can and generally 
translated as "shame." In addition, the reflection pushes a 
small second letter. If you start to read with her, then leaves 
"Lame" - lamerstvo. By the way, you're not interested, what 
exactly does this word mean? So ask!


  Next part: imp. Crafty
imp. Imp prefix "mega-worship ...", imp clumsy, but strong,
imp last philistine - philistine
which only remains to join
to the mass of gray and sullen majority
selected window. This little devil - no, this
BES - quietly chuckles. He knows that he will win. And he did 
win. 

  This demon is illuminated by two sources
light - also a step forward.

  Then - the lunar landscape, and ...

  "They're playing us" ...

  "We are - pawns. We - ordinary ants who believe. We - tennis 
balls, flying on a strictly deterministic curve. Not one step 
left. No decision "...


  Immediately demonstrates these balls. C
in terms of coding - nothing special.
But, again, the main point here - the idea.

  Then take a picture of Bill Gates - and
slightly change it. Interestingly Bill Gates as
free student in a T-shirt. Then twist
photograph, turning everything upside down.

  This photo has ten seconds on the screen. And nothing else.

  "Remember him" ...

  Another ten seconds ...

  "And never pass near by" ...

  Picture disappears. On the screen - a stranger. His eyes burn 
with strange unearthly fire. Run in the face blue

glare of the monitor. He's still alive. But not the really. He 
- the slave windows ... 

  Bill Gates at the grand concourse. He
smiles. As always. He is confident.
As always. He won again!

  "... Da payment is near" ...

  He showered the cake into the face. Step back. It's a shame.

  No, he will not sue. Why?
He still won! He is - civilized
modern man. He is not stuck
retaliate to some loser!

  "But the evil has always won" ...

  A We - we will put new windows ...

  Well, not to glorify this utterly
work, saying that its coding, graphics and
music is somewhat behind the idea / design.


  For the set-points: 102

  Place: 3


                 Entropy


  Group: ZX-Maniacs' MKHG

  City: information not obtained


  What is this "entropy" is that? Say
This buzzword miscall a measure of disorder
in the world. Or, in other words - the degree of
approximation of some models to the most
probable for her condition. And since
most probable state of matter -
complete chaos, then both the definition of almost
identical.

  As the authors write: "Entropy. Law Of
Time ", - and seemed to sigh at the same time.

  One part of the demo reminds introshku
Rst 7 to lemmings. Those cubes that rotate around the axis of 
the highly conditional. Maybe done and beautiful, but the idea 
- clearly not original. 

  And again the skull. At this time - some
one-eyed (right Kutuzov without dressing).

  Some three-dimensional bun. Something reflected in the water 
... Plasma ... 

  "Time is money" ...

  It already looks like a rap ...

  Balls, darting after each other. Moreover,
nesolkih in parts of the demo ...

  Disorder in the Entropic demo
a lot. But still, it is rather good,
than bad.

  "Now the computer can disable the" ...

  Well, you know! Repetition of fun
two demos - this is too much!

  By all accounts, I would rate it as
"Slightly above average."


  For the set-points: 9

  Place: 11



  Demos Refrashe and Forever, ranked respectively first and 
second places, altered (!), And therefore have not yet reached 
We, as well as several others. 

  Well, see you next issue
"OPTRON!

  There, we will continue our analysis and then
followed by a sacramental:

  "So this year we saw that demostroenie ..."