

          ! F I R E
         -----------
       By R - Fred - W
             for
       FishNet Software
          March 1995

 - Release date: AU Show 7-May-95 -

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This is a little demo to animate fairly real-looking
flames on the Risc-PC.


It's Risc-PC only, 'cos it needs a 256 colour mode with a
properly programmable palette.

This adaption from a PC original runs in a raster,
(1/60 sec in the screen mode used) for a 160 * 100 area on
my Risc-PC 600 with 1MB Vidram, and is written in fairly
speed-optimised assembler.

It's not quite a cellular automaton, 'cos it uses a random
number lookup to flicker the flames.

Hit SPACE for more flame than usual
Hit W to water things down a little

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The original for this fire demo was written on the PC
by Frank Jan Sorensen, AKA fjs@lab.jt.dk

Thanks, Frank!

It's included here in the "original" directory, together with
the .EXE for anyone with a VGA-capable PC emulator.

His version, written in not-at-all speed-optimised Pascal,
runs in about 3 rasters (1 raster = 1/70 of a second in VGA)
for a 120 * 100 area on a decent 486.

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People who claim the RiscPC is a pentium beater don't
actually know what they're talking about, I'm afraid: It's
a close-run race. My version runs faster ONLY because it's
hand-coded.

-In particular note that the Pascal does all screen access
by "plot/point x,y" while I hit 4 pixels at a time and NEVER do
X+320*Y calculations, and also the Pascal does true random
number calculations while I'm looking things up in 256 byte
tables. There're a few other short cuts as well.

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Like the original:- Try it, use it in your code, but please
credit Frank for the algorithm. Cheers.

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FishNet product, available from a PD library near you:-

PUSHY - The box-pushing puzzle game: Datafile GA059 & Cat24
FIRE  - You've got it in your hot little hands now!

...that wasn't a very long list, was it?
-OK, coming "soon" (ie - not very)-

PUSHY II - With hi res graphics, new puzzly features, more graphics...
TYDIRIUM - The all-singing, all dancing, game chite map editor.
SPLAT    - The ultimate 3D paintball experience. Don't hold your breath

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In case of...

Bugs,
Problems getting it to work on your system,
Praise,
Objective criticism,
Suitcases of banknotes.

Here's the address:-

R Williams,
16, Bradwell Lane,
Cannock Wood,
Nr Rugeley,
Staffs
WS15 4RW

