05.12 - 08.12.2024

Competitions - regulations

ver. 4.1.1, m. 2024-11-19

              .            
             _|            
                  ___/\__  ____ __    / |_______ ____ _________    | 2600/XL/XE
            /       \/    \  \  /  |   ___ \    \  ______/__  | LYNX 
               /    /\__/  /\  \  \/   |  / \/ / /\  \_____    |  | ST/STe/TT
             \    \/  \  \/  / \  /  |  \___/  \/  /   \/    |  | FALCON 
             \___  __/\____/   \/___|    |__|____/_____  ___|  | JAGUAR
                            \/      /______\   |____!NE7          \/      | PORTFOLIO/VCS 800

I. GENERAL RULES

  1. All the entries submitted to the competition, will be judged by all party attendants, both those present at party place and remote ones.
  2. Entries should be submitted using on-line form that is placed HERE. Please do not send entries with other contact means i.e. e-mails. If you are going to submit more than one entry, please do it on separate submissions - each entry should have own record and fileset.
  3. The unpassable deadline for submitting entries is Thursday, 5 December 2024, 12:00 CET (GMT+01:00). After this time, the form will be blocked and new entries will not be accepted for the competition. We encourage you to send your entries as soon as possible - it helps to present them correctly and make actions in case of problems.
  4. The submitted entries should contain at least::
    • txt information file, with the title of the entry, author (s), category, required hardware configuration,
    • executable binary files or floppy disk image (does not apply to the Wild category and Graphics Compo)
    • optional, but strongly recommended, video file of recorded entry; MP4, 1920x1080, 50fps - will be a 100% guarantee of correct presentation
  5. The submitted entries cannot be published earlier.
  6. All submitted entries are freeware. Participants also agree to the publication of their entries as part of collective "Silly Venture Packs" for appropriate hardware platforms, video streaming during competitions, and publication of video recording on Silly Venture channel at YouTube platform.
  7. The organizers reserve the right to change the declared category in consultation with the author, in particular if the entry does not meet the requirements of a given category or meets the conditions of a category with lower requirements.
  8. The presentation will be preceded by a screen containing the title, author (s), category and basic information about entry (hardware requirements, resolution etc.). When submitting an entry, it is possible to provide two forms of title - one for presentation during the competition and other for publication of the results.
  9. The entries will be published in the form of a collective package on 22 December 2024, until then authors can publish their entries on their own or send corrected, final versions of their entry.
  10. Any content that is against applicable law, as well as content commonly considered offensive are not allowed. The organizers will urge the authors to remove them, and if they fail to do so, they may withdraw the entry from the competition.
  11. Any entries of a political nature, containing any criticism or agitation, concerning current events, conflicts or images of living politicians are prohibited.
  12. It is prohibited to include content with fascist, communist, nazi, racist themes. This also applies to use of symbols and images of people associated with a given ideology.
  13. Dedicated competitions concern entries for Atari hardware. Entries for other platforms may be presented in the Wild category.

II. GENERAL RULES OF THE CATEGORIES

a. Music compo

  1. Music entries can be up to 5 minutes long. If the track is longer, it will be silenced after that time.
  2. The pieces must be original, they cannot be a cover, plagiarism or alteration. It is possible to present a cover in the Wild category, then the original should be clearly mentioned in the description.
  3. Music compo generally is purposed for music using the sound capabilities of dedicated platform chips. It is therefore not permissible to stream sampled composition generated using other instruments. Of course, it is permissible to use sampled sounds and sequences on platforms where applicable.

Check out the list of platform-specific requirements and policies below.

b. Graphics compo

  1. The entries should be submitted in one of the common formats available on the given platform. They can also be provided as an executable file.
  2. Be especially careful when using additional techniques available for the platform; using active interlacing, over-scan, etc. may result in an incorrect presentation of the entry. The entries are presented at party place using a projector and streamed to the network in the form of 1920x1080 video.
  3. The entries must be original, they cannot be plagiarism, alteration or a scan of a photograph.
  4. Entries in the Graphics compo must be able to be displayed using the standard graphics capabilities of the platform - it is not allowed to prepare entry that requires hardware modifications, only software techniques are allowed.
  5. Entries are shown for 45 seconds (and that should be length of optionally delivered video file).

Check out the list of platform-specific requirements and policies below.

c. Game compo

  1. Entries in the Game Compo categories are presented in the form of a video of the gameplay and a general presentation of the game. Currently, there is no possibility of a fully interactive presentation - this is due to the configuration of the equipment for streaming.
  2. If the authors' representatives are present at the party place during a compo, they can narrate live during the playback and talk about the production. The will of this form of presentation should be reported to the organizers or the Compo Team before the competition so that the whole thing goes smoothly.
  3. We encourage the authors to prepare a video recording as they know the game best - the video file may then contain their commentary.
  4. The presentation of the game in the form of a video recording should last up to 5 minutes. In justified cases (due to the level of complexity or extensive audiovisual setting of the game), presentations may be slightly longer, but please do not overuse it :) Each case will be considered separately.
  5. If the authors will not provide a recording, a short gameplay and presentation will be recorded by the Compo Team.

 

III. HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS

  1. The organizers have the hardware in the configurations listed below and only from such are able to conduct the presentation.
  2. If the entry requires specific technical conditions, the authors should ensure that the equipment is delivered to the organizers no later than 2 days before competitions.
  3. The above rule does not apply if the authors provide a video file with the presented entry

a. ATARI VCS 2600

The following consoles are available:

  • Atari 2600 jr

As a medium, the Harmony Cart cartridge will be plugged into the console. Bank switching modes that were used commercially before 2000 are allowed.

b. ATARI XL/XE

The following computers are available:

  • The standard configuration is an XL/XE computer with 1MB Ultimate, 2xPOKEY (stereo), GTIA, Covox
  • We consider the above-standard configuration the XL/XE computer as above plus VBXE 2.1 core 1.26 and Rapidus

Computers will be connected to the following media

  • SIO2SD (data on SD card) connected to the SIO port
  • SIDE3 (data on the SD card) connected to the cartridge port
  • SIO2USB connected to the Atari SIO port and a PC (with the latest version of AspeQT) - to emulate a disk drive or tape recorder
  • physical floppy drive
  • Atari 1010 without turbo :-)

c. PORTFOLIO / ST / STE / TT / FALCON / JAGUAR / VCS 800

The following hardware configurations are available:

  • Atari Portfolio (standard config)
  • Atari Falcon 030, 14MB RAM & FPU + CT60e card equipped with 128MB TT-RAM and 68060 CPU clocked at 66MHz
  • Atari 1040 STe, 4MB RAM, FDD + Satandisk + Gotek
  • Atari Jaguar with Skunk cartridge and GameDrive cartridge
  • Atari Lynx with GameDrive cart
  • Atari VCS 800, 32GB RAM, standard mode (non PC)

IV. COMPETITION CATEGORIES

a. SPECIAL CATEGORY - Adam Gilmore Cover Compo

A special category has been created for SillyVenture 2k24 Winter Edition: Adam Gilmore Cover Compo. This is due to the participation of a special guest in this edition - Adam Gilmore, the legendary creator of music for games such as Zybex, Draconus, Ninja Commando and many others. We strongly encourage you to take part in this category! The rules of the competition are below:

  • Songs submitted to the competition should be covers of Adam Gilmore's compositions with a maximum duration of 5 minutes
  • You are free to use any technique and instrumentation - it can be a cover for POKEY (mono/stereo), GTIA, YM2149, SID, 4 or multichannel module, Falcon 030/060 etc. real instruments or any combination of all of the above. Please include a description of the technique / equipment used.
  • Due to the freedom of musical techniques, the preferred format of the submitted entry is MP4, FLAC, MP3 or OGG. If you wish to provide a version played on one of the platforms, as in Music Compo, keep in mind the equipment that the organizers have and include detailed instructions for correct playback.
  • If the cover is accompanied by a music video/visualization, it will be displayed during the competition. In the case of songs delivered in a purely audio form, a clip created by the organizers will be displayed on the screen, containing scenes from the game from which the cover comes. The presentation of the songs will be accompanied by information about the title, author and technique of creating the song/instrumentarium at the bottom of the screen
  • All entries are presented in one category, but the organizers reserve the right to create subcategories if enough entries are submitted to create them (e.g. MP3, POKEY, YM, etc.)

b. STANDARD CATEGORIES

Here is the standard default list of competition categories. The competition in a given category will be performed if at least one entry is submitted to it. The above hardware and competition type rules apply to the list below:

  • Atari 2600
    • Game Compo
    • Music Compo
      -  each entry must be provided as a 2600 executable (i.e. .bin, .a26, etc.) and must run on a 2600 console. Do not upload tracker files alone - some of them do not maintain console restrictions (e.g. Furnace Tracker)
    • Demo Compo
      -  each entry must be provided as a 2600 executable (i.e. .bin, .a26, etc.) and must run on a 2600 console.
  • Atari XL/XE
    • 256B Game Compo
        - games with an executable size of up to 256 bytes, above-standard configuration allowed
    • Game Compo
      - above-standard configuration allowed
    • Graphics Compo

        - graphics must use standard Atari capabilities - ANTIC / GTIA, entries using i.e. VBXE can be submitted to the Wild Compo

    • Pokey Music Compo
        - music tracks using only 1 or 2 POKEY chips (mono/stereo)
    • Covox Music Compo
        - music tracks using only the Covox extension
    • GTIA/1-bit Music Compo
        - music tracks using only GTIA (1-bit) chip
    • 256B Intro Compo
        - intros with an executable size of up to 256 bytes, above-standard configuration allowed
    • 16KB Intro Compo
        - intros with an executable size of up to 16 kilobytes, above-standard configuration allowed
    • Demo Standard
        - demos running with standard configuration
    • Demo Extended
        - demos running with VBXE and/or Rapidus or similar extensions such as Antonia or graphics cards. Please note that the organizers only have VBXE and Rapidus - for other extensions, the notes in section III. HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS apply

    • ATASCII Compo - SV Edition (original idea by Logiker)
        - Graphics created witch characters in 2-colour, standard graphics mode (BASIC: 0, Antic: 2), without additional techniques like DLI or scroll
        - Screen size: standard width (40 chars) and height up to 28 lines
        - Only standard ATASCII character set, redefinition not allowed
        - Techniques increasing number of colours or adding animation are not allowed - one character per cell, 2 shades of one colour (characters/background) plus static border colour from standard Atari palette
        - Entries should delivered as standard xex binary file
        - We recommend to use Playscii with ATASCII Exporter as editor. Detailed instruction and dowload links can be found here. Attention: plugin allows generation of files up to 28 lines.
        - Other rules of Graphics Compo apply (if applicable)
  • Atari ST/STE
    • Game Compo
    • Graphics Compo 
         - graphics will be displayed using Atari ST or STe capabilities
         - please specifiy graphics mode (LOW, MED, HI) and palette in case of first two (ST 9-bits or STe 12-bits)
         - max resolution for colour LOW mode is 416*274
         - for custom graphics format, please provide an executable file for display
    • 4chn Music Compo
        - music tracks in 4-channel MOD format (i.e. ProTracker)
    • 8chn Music Compo
        - music tracks in 8-channel MOD format (i.e. Octalyser, DBE Tracker)
    • YM2149 Music Compo
        - music tracks for the YM2149 chip, possibly using DMA channels (up to two sample channels)
    • 128B Intro compo
        - originally Boot Sector Compo - that's why executable part of entries should fit into 128 bytes. For convenience organizers allow and recommend delivery of intro in a form of system executable file - then the total size of the file can be up to 160 bytes (128 bytes are the code part and the data + 32 bytes of the header), maximum hardware requirements: Atari STe, 4MB ST-RAM, HDD
    • 4KB Intro Compo
      - intros with an executable size of up to 4 kilobytes, maximum hardware requirements: Atari STe, 4MB ST-RAM, HDD
    • 96KB Intro Compo
      - intros with an executable size of up to 96 kilobytes, maximum hardware requirements: Atari STe, 4MB ST-RAM, HDD
    • Demo Compo
      - maximum hardware requirements: Atari STe, 4MB ST-RAM, HDD
  • Atari Falcon
    • Game Compo
    • Graphics Compo
        - Please deliver entries as TGA or PNG files with exact information of Falcon's graphics mode to be used to display it. In case of Falcon specific format please specifiy which software should be used to display it. Avoid using JPG - overall palette of Falcon is 15/16-bit (HiColor), not 24 (TrueColor).
    • Music Compo
      - Music tracks intended for one of the trackers used on this platform (ACE Tracker, DBE Tracker for more than 8 channels, DHS etc.)
    • Cubase Audio Compo
      - Unlike Music Compo, in this category we present the use of Falcon as a machine for professional sound processing / mixing. Any songs are allowed, along with music videos, provided that Cubase Audio for Falcon is used for production. The equipment and instruments used must also be provided
    • 256B Intro Compo
      - originally Boot Sector Compo - that's why executable part of entries should fit into 256 bytes. For convenience organizers allow and recommend delivery of intro in a form of system executable file - then the total size of the file can be up to 288 bytes (256 bytes are the code part and the data + 32 bytes of the header)
    • 4KB Intro Compo
        - intros with an executable size of up to 4 kilobytes
    • 96KB Intro Compo
        - intros with an executable size of up to 96 kilobytes
    • 030 Demo Compo
        - demos using only the standard 68030 CPU & FPU
    • 060 Demo Compo
        - demos using the 68060 CPU
  • Atari Jaguar
    • Game Compo
        - all entries will be presented using real Jaguar with Skunkboard or GameDrive expansion
    • Demo Compo
        - all entries will be presented using real Jaguar with Skunkboard or GameDrive expansion
    • 256B Intro Compo
      -  Compiled binary file with all data included, using .bin format should be of size up to 256 bytes. Of course optional files in other formats (i.e. j64) will be bigger by all headers native to them
  • Atari Lynx
  • Atari Portfolio
  • Atari VCS 800
    • Game Compo
      - apart from a recommended video presentation, you must provide a file that can be run on a console with 32GB RAM and run in standard mode
    • Demo Compo
      - you must provide a file that can be run on a console with 32GB RAM and run in standard mode
  • Wild - any entry that does not meet the requirements of other categories; entry for other platforms, MP3 songs, video and multimedia presentations, etc.

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