IOCCC image by Matt Zucker

The International Obfuscated C Code Contest

2011/toledo - Best non-chess game

Author:

To build:

    make

NOTE: this entry requires the X11/Xlib.h header file and the X11 library to compile. For more information see the FAQ on “X11”.

There are two alternate versions, one that lets you reconfigure the controls and size and another that should work for Windows. See Alternate code below.

To use:

    ./toledo

Alternate code:

The first alt version, toledo.alt.c, allows you to reconfigure the controls and the dimensions more easily.

The second version, toledo.alt2.c, should work for Windows but does not allow you to reconfigure the keys or dimensions. This is because it cannot be tested by us.

Alternate build:

For the one that lets you reconfigure the keys you will want to look at the included header file, keysym.h, to find the correct macros. Once you have the right names you can define the macros FIRE, FORWARD, BACKWARD, LEFT, RIGHT, WIDTH and HEIGHT. Here are the defaults:

    FIRE= XK_BackSpace:XK_Tab
    FORWARD= XK_Up:XK_w
    BACKWARD= XK_Down:XK_s
    LEFT= XK_Left:XK_a
    RIGHT= XK_Right:XK_d
    WIDTH= 512
    HEIGHT= 288

but you can change them about however you like, even with other keys. For instance to swap LEFT and RIGHT:

    make clobber LEFT=XK_Right:XK_d RIGHT=XK_Left:XK_a alt

but you can specify something completely else and you can pick and choose which controls you wish to redefine. You might also wish to change the dimensions of the game, WIDTH and HEIGHT which have an arbitrarily selected lower limit as well as the default values.

Observe that each of the controls are a pair in the form of player2:player1 (yes, player 2 comes first!).

Judges’ remarks:

This two player game uses X11. The control keys can be configured by modifying the A, B, C, D and E macros at compilation.

After a quick splash screen the objective should be clear. There are Red, Green and Cyan tanks. A larger window can be made by altering the source early on, right before the code gets hard to follow, or using the alternate version.

Like Oscar’s previous winning X11 program for the 19th IOCCC, if you remove both the X11 include files and replace them with

    #include "layer.c"

you ought to be able to compile and run this program on Windows. NOTE: this is what toledo.alt2.c is for.

Author’s remarks:

        /=========\\
        \==\   /==/                ||
           || ||   /====\  |\/=\   ||      //==\   ==\ |=\
           || ||       ||  ||  ||  ||  //  ||       =| | |
           || ||   //===|  ||  ||  ||=//   \\=\\   ==/ |=/
           || ||   ||  ||  ||  ||  || \\      ||   User's
           \===/   \\==//  ||  ||  ||  \\  \==//   Manual

This is a color X11 3D tank-game for two players, just compile and run it without arguments.

You will see briefly a tank spinning before each level.

The Left half of the window shows the red player view and the right half shows the green player view; the background will change to blue when the view goes inactive.

The objective is to chase and destroy the other player’s tank. There is also an aqua tank for testing your aim and getting extra points.

Caveat: You can shoot only 3 bullets at a time.

Trick: You can fire faster if they explode on anything.

Believe it or not, it has strategy!

When only one tank remains on the field, the level will advance. Don’t forget to destroy the aqua tank.

The battleplayground is surrounded by mountains and each level is filled with random obstacles (pyramids and cubes).

The bars show players energy and score; each bar shows energy and indicates the current player view (wider on the left). The right part grows with every point.

Keys for player 1 (lowercase):

Keys for player 2:

Note: Numeric keys don’t work.

If you don’t like the keys assignment, you can change it in the Makefile or use the alternate version.

PARENTAL ADVISORY WARNING:

This game is highly violent: when the tank explodes you can see the little stick man blowing in parts.

Not really, just kidding :D

PLATFORMS TESTED:

COMPLETE FEATURE SET:

FEATURES THAT PROGRAMMERS WILL FIND APPEALING:

OBFUSCATION TRICKS:


                                       ....,,,,---++++++--,,..\
                     .,,,.......     .$@@@@@@@@@@@@$$@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#+\
                     @@@@@###@@@@$$$@@@@$$$@@@-......-@+......,,,,,,##\
                     =++==++++++++=@@$==#$$$$$---,,,,@@@,,,,,,-------@@,..........,,.\
        ,===#$$$$$$###$####=======@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@+=##$@@@@@@@@.
        +@,,++++++++=+=========++++===++++++++++-+++@@-,,,,,,,,---+++=++++--,,...   @.
        .@.                      .......,,,,-----++=@=++==@$=+--,,...               @.
         $#         S P O I L E R              .,,-#@--,,,@$.....                   @.
         .@                           ..,--+==++-,,,,.,,,,=@+++++====+++++---,,,....@.
          @+                ..,,-+++++++-,,..              @.         ....,,,,,---+@@\
          ,@       ..,--+++=+++,,..                        $#                   .==+\
           @#--++==++-,,..                                 ,@  S P O I L E R  .==+\
           ,#@@$+,,.                                        @.               ==+\
               .,,+++++,,.            S P O I L E R         $=             +=+\
                     ..,-==++-,.                            ,@           ---\
                            .,-+=+++,..                      @.       .++-\
                                  .,,++=++-,.                @+      ==+\
                                        .,-++==+-,.          +@    ==+\
                                              ..,+++=+-,..   .@. +=+\
                                                     .,-+++++,@@==

THE HISTORY OF THIS PROGRAM:

When I started working on this program, I figured that it would be easy to fit on the character limit, but I missed three things: the enormous X11 names, the non-portable key codes and my 2 KB of artwork.

Very hard coding did the first thing. In fact I worked out twenty-nine different versions and at one step I had four parallel versions with different characteristics removed (mountains, horizon lines, score/status bars and explosions) but I’ve managed to fit it all together!

The second thing was solved using the Makefile: it is under 160 bytes and you get adjustable controls. The greatest mystery on the Earth is why X11 gives non-portable key codes to the user.

And finally, the third “Thing” was growing and growing, and growing, eating bytes for lunch… after endless rounds of crunching I obtained three-hundred seventy-eight bytes of artwork and guess what? It doesn’t fit.

So I had to integrate a decompressor based on the space, tabulators and other non-counted characters.

The final program is composed of eight micro-functions: one is the core and does most of the hard work and the other functions help do the X11 things, explosion effects, 3D calculations and viewing.

The source code was formatted as a cube using a specially written program. This program is smaller and obfuscated what is needed so the reformatting doesn’t exceeded the character limits. The crunched vectors were generated by another special program and the tank that surrounds this text was generated by yet another program.

Have fun!

Inventory for 2011/toledo

Primary files

Secondary files


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