You see, the easy way around this problem, is not write write ASM, and to only do math programs in BASIC. Really esoteric math programs, so that even people with the source code have a hell of a time figuring out how it works, much less improving it. That was my philosophy when I made the PRIME6 series of programs.

I don't think that game copying is that much of a problem. Obviously, those who put their name on others code are disrespecting the programmer who wrote the code. Aside from that, I don't see any major problem. Competition is good (Adam Smith thought so). It stimulates the programming community and provides new challenges. Porting isn't stealing if you contact the author and get their permission to do so. One problem with having multiple projects of the same nature going on is the fact that there are many different places to post PUDs. Someone could check at the three they know about and not see the gmae they want to write, but then find out it was posted on some random PUD site it's not like they copied anyone. Besides ideas that are adaptations of previous games on other systems are not original ideas, so if someone takes your idea, it wasn't yours in the first place. If you make up an original idea for a game and talk about it on a list and another programmer takes your idea and makes it before you, you should be mad. That's not a good form of competition, but if you are using someone else's idea anyway you really don't have the right to be made about someone else having the same idea

I have but one point to make this time. Although a great number of you have already said this, competition is healthy for any area, and it promotes growth and proper development. Competition in the business world helps keep new features and products coming and helps keep prices down. Competition at school and in the workplace is added incentive for people to push themselves just a little bit harder to do a good job. What would the world be like without competition? One word: MICROSOFT.

"One person makes one that is good. A few others make some that are better just to show up the first guy. Now the first guy keeps improving it. Makes new versions every few months. Ports it. And even though he wasn't the top at the start, he followed through and did what any good developer would do. He fixed bugs, added features, shrunk the size. But the other copies may still have bugs, are not optimized, and haven't been updated in 2 years"

I don't think you're the first guy and I think you're probably the guy who made a crappy "Nibbles" and can't handle a little competition. There were Marios before yours so why did you start Mario89? Why don't you stop?

I for one would like to have more than 1 Mario game for the 83. (Besides Penguins and Sqrx which are both also very good) I would take no offence, and hardly anyone would I think if someone made a Super Mario for the 83, in fact, people are asking for programmers to make it.
Besides,who cares anyway? It's not like people are being paid to make the games. If they were then there might be competition but as of now there isn't any. Just don't announce the game 'till the release date, it would be better that way anyhow---that way people wouldn't be waiting for months for the game AFTER you abandoned it.

This is just my 2 cents:
Comp. is good, but stealing is not
Being able to program BASIC but not ASM gives you goals, and ASM programers don't need to look down on BASIC programmers.

Obviously there is no respect in the TI Community whatsoever.

Yeah, OK, You're right. I'm a visual basic programmer, about to launch a company that will sell an AOL add-on of my creation. It will be faster, smaller, have more features, and be priced $12 LESS than my competitor, selling the clunky product I mentioned. Maybe I should 'respect' them, and let that piece of junk they call software roam the 'net with total freedom. Sorry! Ain't gonna happen! What would happen if developers never tried to make others' code smaller, faster, better? We would still be stuck in basic, because everything you can do, can be done in basic. (Only reallll slow and realll ugly) The developers of ash would say, "Lets show some respect for TI and not try to one-up them with assembly." I shudder at the thought.

i think you have a point, but i think ou are wrong.... i have tried to make a game that is already out there, just to see if i can make a better one.... if i dont, oh well, if i do, oh well.... thats all. it would be kind of a waste to make a game and not let anyone play it.

There is plenty of respect! Dude, competition is what makes people make better games, without competition every game would suck! I think you just might be mad because your Mario was not as good. No offense, it's just an observation.

i have a ti-83 calculator, nd want to put a few games on it, but don't know how. i've been to a few websites to download the text, but they all give me a bunch of crazy symbols. how DO i put games on it?

I agree, well, somewhat. You are taking this whole programming thing too seriously. I program (quietly - i don't post stuff - i might someday) and i do it just for fun! For me, it's not for money or recognition, just for something for me to do after the good tv stops at around 2:00 am. As for respect, i do have huge respect for the pioneers of ASM (which in MY OPINION is superior to BAsic) like the fargo guys and people like Yarin and AE.
Also, as for copying people and releasing games when others announce them, well, I understand your point and am a fine example.
recently, i bough a little known game called ZELDA 64. I thought it was so great, nostalgia hit and i ran to FUNCO (used game store) and bought all the old NES Zelda's. as i played them, I said to my self "man, this would look nice under Usgard with some grayscale!" and got started that night. I went to ticalc the next day and saw the ZElda89 ccia pics, and my heart dropped. I knew i couldnt outdo that, but i will try.
i did not copy. i just bought a game. and even
if i did, who cares? I am not plagarizing ccia, just, well, doing what i do best... programming.

if anyone took offence from
what i just wrote, well, read
it again. you must have misread
cause i didn't mean any.

STeve Marchesani

look for Zelda: the imprisoning war on Usgard
this spring.