Hi,

The zcontest is a z80 programming contest.

There's 3 different categories :
- TI basic
- Basic extended (axe parser, bbc basic, fast rpl etc...)
- Asm

In each category, there's 2 sub categories :
- Utility
- Game

The deadline is the 1st december.
Update: the deadline has been postponed to 6am on December 2nd, French time, or midnight Eastern time (9pm December 1st Pacific time).

### The prizes ###

1 TI NSPIRE CX CAS
2 TI84+ pocket.fr
3 TI76.fr

Thank you to our sponsor TSPromotion (http://www.boutique-calculatrice-ti.com/
More information here : http://tiforge.info/zcontest3/ (french and english version)

### How to participate ###

You just had to submit your project on the official website before the first december.
You can also opened a dedicated subject in the Yaronet subforum : http://www.yaronet.com/sujets.php?f=3179

(French and english spoken on Yaronet)

The most important thing is not competition but sharing knowledge, discussing and have feedback on your project.
And have fun

But win a prize is always cool

No need to have a big project, little things are welcome.

I hope there will be some people interested

Good luck to everyone !

Thibault Duponchelle

What kinds of restrictions do you have on previously-published projects, specifically, those about which information and screenshots have been published, but code and a finished executable have not? Projects that are currently under development, but not in secret, in other words? I can't believe you guys actually got a calculator contest sponsored; I'm very impressed.

There has to be more guidelines than "Finished by December 1st" More info, please?

Are there 3 prizes for each category, (Unlikely) or overall?

From the link that was posted, it looks like there would be two prizes for each category.

Can you have more than one entry,? (Like I code a TI-BASIC game, and also enter an asm utility)

Yes no problem you can 3 entries max (it could be 3 in the same category or not).
I have currently 2 projects in asm category by example



As you know there's 3 categories and 2 sub categories...
But we don't care about subcategories for distributing prizes.
So there's currently 2 prizes per categories (3 categories).
A category is a langage...
The contest itself keep the 6 categories, only giving prizes use this system (!).

Because 2 subcategories * 3 categories is too much for our sponsor and we had prefered to have better prizes in less categories



There's absolutely no problem to submit a project started before the contest
A lot of entries are started before the contest.
The only thing is : The program must not be released before the contest but it can be in progress with a lot of screenshot already posted etc...
We don't want to see a very old project which have already won 3 contest reappear in this contest. That is the reason to to that
But no problem for projects started before contest, even if there's a lot of published screenshot, a lot of published piece of code etc...

This contest is a good way to motivate people to finish some unfinished projects too

By example, Guillaume Hoffman (gh_ : http://tift.tuxfamily.org/) who is pretty inactive for 2/3 years is currently working on an old unfinished project.




That's not the first zcontest organized by yaronet z80 forum but this is the first time I'm in the staff and the first time we're looking for sponsors.
It was not really hard to get an offer of a sponsor and we have some other possibilities in progress
(maybe more prizes soon, by example a third prize by category...?)

We are very proud to have these nice prizes.

I hope we will have a lot of english people in this contest. Because there's no problem for distributing prizes in other country than France.
Currently, Stefan Bauwens is participating

Do not hesitate asking me for more informations :p

Thibault

I ask because December 1st would be a nice goal for getting Sandpaper done, but as I suggested, I've published screenshots. I'm happy to hear that it's still eligible; if my busy schedule lets me get it done in time, I will certainly try to enter it. You'll have to teach me how you got sponsors; I don't think I've ever tried to get people other than fellow gmods and admins to donate prizes for contests. Thanks for all the clarifications!

Ok no problem for sandpaper!
This is a great program. It will be hard to beat it



I will teach you how we found sponsors if you want...
It was not really difficult. Just need to contact the good persons
When you're ready, just ask me by email and I will give you the email I wrote etc... (but it's in french !!)
And some piece of advice.

I would prefer to have your programming skills than the ability to found sponsors



You're welcome

Contra, that would be greatly appreciated, I'll probably pursue that at some point in the near future. We had a great suggestion for a Cemetech contest pop up today, but I want to get the remaining prizes for the last contest () sent out first and give your contest some time so that people will focus on it. And it will be nice that this might press some unfinished but cool projects towards completion!

Thank you really

Some english people have joined the contest (leafiness0, stefan bauwens, ztrumpet, yeongJIN_COOL).

There's currently about 15 entries...

This is really cool

Are you looking for like games and such for TI Basic or would my math series be good to enter too. Also do you want one program or can it have subprograms and such as well?? If I can do this I think it would be fun. It would give me an excuse to do more programming my mom does not like how much time i put into it.

Oh, yes.
It's go time.

*dusts off TI-83+ SE*

EDIT: I only see three prizes. Who gets what prize and in what category?

It would be nice if it was one of each for each category. Cause you cant really judge a z80 against a basic program. That is like judging an apple to a nectarine. since there is so much more you can do with z80

Out of curiosity, are you considering "Basic with assembly libraries" as "Extended Basic"? In the description of that category you are only listing other languages, but it doesn't seem fair to Basic purists to have to compete against assembly libraries.

I plan on just pure basic with 1 assembly subroutine. and that is only to change the state from program mode to homescreen mode and back again.

If I cant use the assembly subroutine then it will just be a big program but still do able.

No problem for subprograms, no problem for math program.
(There's already one in basic : http://tiforge.info/zcontest3/?a=projet&id=33)


No there are 6 prizes (one nspire cx cas, two ti84+pocket.fr, three ti76.fr)
More than 500 euros of prizes !
Maybe more (discussing with one sponsor currently).
Here's the original announce of prizes :


There's an example it's better



There's 2 by category (3 categories)
Of course, each langage is judged independantly!
Asm vs asm , basic vs basic, extended basic vs extended basic .




Good question. Basic with asm lib doesn't offer the same possibilities to developpers so we prefer to put it in extended basic category.
But all depends of the level of use of these libs.



As I've already said, this is a special case.
Some people put hexcode in their basic programs, no problem for that !

In fact we don't want to give an advantage or a handicap to a person

Thibault

What is meant with 'utility' ?

A utility is a non-math, non-game program that does something useful. A group manager or a shell might sort of fall under utility.

Thibault: I'm almost definitely entering Sandpaper into the contest. Is just saying that enough, or do I need to formalize it somehow?

Could I share Chemix under 'utility' ?