Great idea #1: Code this........
category: general [glöplog]
Had a great/weird idea. How about coding a database and frontend, (similar to iTunes,) for demos. Basically you could store the demofolders from zips in a main folder and the software could sniff out the .exe's and allow which/all you would like to stick into the database. From there you could get the database software to tweak the code for demos that might not work so well with a particular OS. I would imagine it would be possible to get the older DOS demos to automatically execute dosbox so you could get near 100% compatability for near 100% of PC demos.
Considering it'll be a database, you could easily sort demos by group or by contributing artists. I know Pouet does similar, but the thing is I have lots of old demos floating around and I need a good way of sorting them.
Considering it'll be a database, you could easily sort demos by group or by contributing artists. I know Pouet does similar, but the thing is I have lots of old demos floating around and I need a good way of sorting them.
Well, I sort my demo collection like this: First into platform categories (Windows, DOS, Amiga, ...), inside each of these folderes for different types of prods (demo, 64k, 4k, musicdisk, ...) and finally inside those seperate folders for years, so each prod goes into the folder from the year it was released in. Works pretty well, the sorting by release year makes it easy to find demos of a specific era.
I'm much more concerned at how I should sort my always-growing module collection. All my attempts at creating some useful hiearchy (group by year, group by author, group by genre, ...) have failed so far.
Having an easier way to launch non-native demos in an emulator would be nice though...
I'm much more concerned at how I should sort my always-growing module collection. All my attempts at creating some useful hiearchy (group by year, group by author, group by genre, ...) have failed so far.
Having an easier way to launch non-native demos in an emulator would be nice though...
I suppose if the software could exist, people could sort their demos any way they want to suit the individual.
why don't YOU code it? :)
you can make use of the pouet.net db via rss-feed and stuff..
Decipher: You have NOT seen my coding skillz, for they suck donkey balls.
i host my demo collection on youtube.
Can you adapt Gamebase into a Demobase?
Why don't YOU code it?
If you're referring to me, it's well out my league. It's why I suggested it. :(
Make a demo instead, I'm sure it would be much more appreciated.
Agreed. We don't need more ideas. We have so many of our own we can't get THOSE projects done.
Besides, just like me and Finnish - which I _suck_ at - if you don't start, you don't get better. So just start coding it, when you run into some problem, ask questions.
(But yes you should instead make a demo. WAAAY more fun.)
Besides, just like me and Finnish - which I _suck_ at - if you don't start, you don't get better. So just start coding it, when you run into some problem, ask questions.
(But yes you should instead make a demo. WAAAY more fun.)
i use Dos Blaster for launching DOS demos in windows. it has a very neat integration to windows explorer (e.g. right click exe and run)
Might be interesting for something that's multiplatform. Have a bunch of emulators in there and whatnot. Still, I feel, the effort it would take to make it out-ways the benefit of having it. I'm quite satisfied with running demos manually.
Actually there is such a thing for ST platform, called demobaseST. I never used it though, it really seems pointless to me.
Also, the idea sounds very Windows-specific, so people with other OSes (and other versions of Windows than the target one) will find this utterly useless...
Also, the idea sounds very Windows-specific, so people with other OSes (and other versions of Windows than the target one) will find this utterly useless...
Quote:
Also, the idea sounds very Windows-specific, so people with other OSes (and other versions of Windows than the target one) will find this utterly useless...
Well, maybe you can come up with a remote protocol for running demos and have a "sequencer" type machine controlling what get's run. Might even have to go so far as to build hardware to emulate a fucking keyboard and diskdrive on some systems. You then would also have to build hardware to switch video to what system is running.
again, too much work for too little pay-off. It interesting to think about though.
having a website to listen music/view all gfx prod will be cooler than download, guess what are the good file and unzip /extract procedure
video captures + some media player will do this nicely, i guess
what's this obsession with having to run things natively?
what's this obsession with having to run things natively?
It seemed like such a nice idea at the time.........
Oh and another thing, even some of the bigger FLT binaries are smaller than a high quality video of the same demo, so work that out. :P
Basically having the binaries would would use far less space than the high quality videos. Aaaaand, I find a fair few demos don't work for me, so they could use the software to patch them when they're released, or at least a system to tweak them to make them run.
But like I said before, It's only an idea. :P
Oh and another thing, even some of the bigger FLT binaries are smaller than a high quality video of the same demo, so work that out. :P
Basically having the binaries would would use far less space than the high quality videos. Aaaaand, I find a fair few demos don't work for me, so they could use the software to patch them when they're released, or at least a system to tweak them to make them run.
But like I said before, It's only an idea. :P
well yeah, duh, executables are likely to be smaller than the hires vidcaps, otherwise we wouldn't even bother distributing them otherwise now would we? :)
and how little does a 1tb external drive cost these days?
leave the patching/vidcapping to the authors.
and how little does a 1tb external drive cost these days?
leave the patching/vidcapping to the authors.