From: arron.shutt@nrpb.org.uk (Arron Shutt)
Subject: [SH] Allegro SpeedHack 1999 Rules
To: <agp@canvaslink.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Nov 1999 12:00:28 -0000
Received: for <bukinm@inp.nsk.su>; Fri, 26 Nov 1999 18:03:29 +0600 (NSK)

Hi Allegators!

Here are the long awaited rules for the Allegro SpeedHack 1999.

---

The Rules

Here are the rules and requirements for the competition!
The Rule-O-Matic has been cranked and the following rules apply:

1) Genre requirements

The Rule-O-Matic has decided that this SpeedHack is going to be a freestyle
contest. You can produce any entry you like - providing that Allegro is
used. I'm sure that will be a great relief for the rest of you!

2) Technical requirements

There is one technical requirement:

Your entry must implement the command line options, so that people can
specify options when running the program. You can decide what options are
specified. You may also see fit to include a help option like

$ ./myprogram --help

which gives the possible options. The options could be cheat codes,
configuration parameters, or not even useful. I've yet to see a splunge
option :-)

3) Artistic requirements

There are two technical requirements:

(I) - Use the BEL somewhere in your program. ;-)

(II) - Since it was my birthday yesterday, the Rule-O-Matic would like you
to include the number '29' somewhere in the program. Extra kudos are granted
for extremely clever implementations, and/or subtlety in execution. Use your
imagination!

4) Bonus rules

There is one bonus rule:

Act of Dog

The Act of Dog is designed as a get-out clause for not implementing one or
more of the requirements - providing that the entrant can come up with a
extremely good explanation for not doing so. And when I mean good, I'm
talking watertight. If I can find a way through it, then I will.

Lame excuses will be not be accepted, and may result in public embarrassment
for the entrant concerned. Successful attempts at 'social engineering' will
give you a waiver. All 'Acts of Dog' must be negotiated with me via Email
before the entry is submitted on Monday morning.

Humour (of all grades) may be employed in your argument. Other techniques
(underhand or otherwise) will have varying levels of success. Send all
petitions to speedhack@ashutt.demon.co.uk with good reasons, bribes,
incriminating evidence and pitiful pleading. Judgement will be as swift as
the organiser sees fit.

Other Important Info

All entries must comply with all requirements except where nullified by Act
of Dog.

All entries must be submitted on or before 12:00 pm on Monday 29th November
without fail. All entries must be supplied in a ZIP file equal to or less
than 250 KB in size. All source code, makefiles, documentation and
additional libraries used must be supplied in the ZIP file.

You can assume that everyone will have a copy of Allegro installed. You do
not need to supply one. You should consider uploading binaries for people
who have problems compiling the source. I will be checking that the binary
and source match up, so adding enhancements to the 'competition binary' is
not permitted..

If source code is reused from legal sources (your own, GPLed, public domain)
you should declare this and what changes have been made, so that your work
can be assessed for the voting.

People should keep a informative and interesting account of their
development through the competition. This can be sent after the competition
for those people with no Email over the weekend. and does not affect your
space requirement.

A web-based .plan update page will be available (hopefully) and details of
that are being sent to all competitors. This is easier for me (as it lessens
the amount of work for me). You can also send the .plan installments to me
here, and I will upload them to the SpeedHack Website to your own personal
journal page periodically though the weekend. This will allow spectators to
see what is going on :-)

You can make use of all information sources, mailing lists as you see fit.
This is not an exam! :-)

Any other questions? Send mail to speedhack@ashutt.demon.co.uk and keep
working! I'll get back to you as soon as I can.. :-)


---
Arron Shutt
arron.shutt@nrpb.org.uk


