Questions regarding game jam

[Jebbs]

If that's all it is, then that wouldn't be a problem. You should definitely try to get 2.1 up and running to see if it is fixed though.

To be honest, I seriously doubt anyone is going to have time to put multiplayer action into their jam games.

[eXpl0it3r]

To be honest, I seriously doubt anyone is going to have time to put multiplayer action into their jam games.

You underestimate the people.
It's hard but if you're perpaired in knowledge (and framework), it's doable. Nexus did all the networking for the DevMania contest and we had only about 20h - well okay maybe Nexus doesn't count.

SFML 1.6... jep you definitely want to upgrade.

[Nexus]

but if you're perpaired in knowledge (and framework)

Don't forget to mention that we were not...

[Joshua Flynn]

To be honest, I seriously doubt anyone is going to have time to put multiplayer action into their jam games.

Well, if people have their own codebase to work from, anything is possible. My own library includes things ranging from compression functions, router reset and IP rotation, automatic imageshack URL uploads (under registered accounts) to (now non-functional) SMTP email, to pulling image links from the GOES satellite weather website, earthquake data from USGS, efficient text parsing systems, 'conversation' text generator (that works by script), basic musical instrumental script system (that can play multiple instruments in parallel).

In-fact, part of the codebase is used to post to a forum to demonstrate how false information can be broadly propagated by automated systems (which combines the automatic image uploading, etc). I've had to reconstruct some fundamental classes (being able to access, read and remove header fields from a HTTP request is highly important in uploads, SFML has it set to private and therefore inaccessible to even subclasses). I suspect people's ingenuity is unlimited. I mean, imagine a forum based computer game?


I'm planning to offer up the compression algorithm to SFML (no licence, public domain) at some point after I clean up and finish testing the recursive functions. It's not a fantastic algorithm (don't expect it to be on par with gzip), and it's written using C programming style (so it would probably need to be encased such to be C++ in classes or namespaces), but...

...It'd have no licensing terms (public domain, no need for credit or anything or additional license bulk), works with pre-existing std::string, configurable settings (so if it's taking too long, you can simplify the pattern search, and if it's not compressed enough, you can increase the complexity). Settings don't affect the receiving end (so you can decompress a heavy level search compression just as you would a light search, no need to communicate settings). It can handle machine code and text code alike, so you can feed in file data raw and it'll spit out the compressed version (however, it's optimised towards text-based data: the more randomised the data stream, less returns you get, and if there are no returns to be had, it doesn't compress the data stream).

[Lo-X]

I did add multiplayer in a Ludum Dare 48h Jam, so yes people are crazy enough to do it, and if I can I know I will at least try.
Multiplayer games are always much funier than solo.

Concerning personnal code, I used it for the first one (some kind of framework based on SFML book) and I put it on GitHub and tell people I will use it some time before the Jam. So I'm in favor of it

[FRex]

1. What about content generators, such as sfxr that was created for LD? LD explicitly allows and encourages sharing them.
2. What about premade music, such as Kevin MacLeod's or any other royalty free music or one that is under CC0?
3. What about premade assets of all kinds actually, graphics, music, effects, such as OpenBundle or other CC0 graphics?
4. Are there tools restriction (apart from programs that are covered by question 1)?
5. If using something like Garage Band, FL studio or LMMS etc. we are of course allowed to use the samples that code with the program to make own music, right..? LD allows that too.

[eXpl0it3r]

The rules say:

You only have 72 hours to create both the code and the audio/graphic assets of your project. Pre-made fonts are allowed.

1. What about content generators, such as sfxr that was created for LD? LD explicitly allows and encourages sharing them.

If the audio is created during the Game Jam it doesn't matter whether it's randomly or manually.

2. What about premade music, such as Kevin MacLeod's or any other royalty free music or one that is under CC0?
3. What about premade assets of all kinds actually, graphics, music, effects, such as OpenBundle or other CC0 graphics?

It violates the Game Jam rules, so I'd say no.

4. Are there tools restriction (apart from programs that are covered by question 1)?

I don't see a reason why there should be one. Of course one has to actually have a license to the software. It may give an advantage, but then again effective software usage isn't learned within a few hours/days - those the know how to efficiently handle a specific software will always have an advantage over others.

5. If using something like Garage Band, FL studio or LMMS etc. we are of course allowed to use the samples that code with the program to make own music, right..? LD allows that too.

Good question, intuitively I'd say yes, because samples are essentially similar to having preset to a synthesizer or even more if you use a e-piano, you might actually be playing based of samples and while recording it, it would be very hard to argue that it wasn't created during the Game Jam.
Thus I think it's important to make a difference between, music, sound effects and samples. While music and sound effects are what bring a game to live via audio, samples are only building blocks, they don't make up the music itself.