The 2005 4K challenge is behind us now, and it got me thinking: A lot of the great old cartridge games of the '80s had a limit not of 4K, but 8K. Of course, they needed all that space for graphics and music, but let's forget that for a moment. Those games focused on gameplay and could do quite a lot with their puny 8K of code. But then, most of them were written to draw on the capabilities of the computer's larger ROM, and with that came abilities granted by the operating system or by the computer hardware itself.

So thinking along these lines, I thought: Why not an 8K challenge? But not just any 8K challenge. After all, an 8K isn't all that different from a 4K; just a little roomier with a little less compression. What we need is a challenge where libraries can be used, just like the hardware on those old consoles, but the game itself must still be kept simple. To that end I'm pleased to announce the very first Cartridge Classic, a competition to create the best games in 8K, with libraries.

Prizes for the competition will be paid out in the ever rarer BYONDimes, with $50 going to 1st place, $40 to 2nd place, $30 3rd, $20 4th, and $10 5th. I'll also be including a year's subscription to my Regex library for all the top 5 and up to 5 honorable mentions. More prizes may be added later; stay tuned. Meanwhile let's go over the ground rules:

• The 8K limit is only on .dm files in your game.
• The entry must be submitted with complete source code and all the files needed to compile and run the game. Libraries you use need not be included; they can be downloaded separately. However you should list in a separate file, such as readme.txt, which libraries you used (i.e., Skysaw.Dictionary, Spuzzum.s_smiley).
• Published libraries (anything in DM.Libraries) do not count against the 8K limit. The libraries used must be free, and they may not be used as "dumping sites" for your game's code. It's one thing to upgrade your library or even submit one during the contest, another to use it to store all your game's code; the library must be available to all. (I'll be adding a simple proc to a DmiFonts update to allow easy use of name overlays, to add class to the games.)
• Since DmiFonts produces .dm files, those .dm files will also be allowed and will not count against the total. However, they may only be modified to the extent of tweaking font parameters and changing the 'fontfile.dmi' in single quotes to a double-quoted version.
• Entries must be open-source.
• Games may be single- or multi-player, or both.
• Judges may not judge their own games, but they may participate.
• Multiple games are allowed.
• You may publish your game(s) on the hub for players to download, either the game itself or the source or both, before the deadline. However there is no requirement to do this or even to create a hub entry.
• Deadline is October 31, 2005, 11:59 PM BST. That's 3 months away. (A Halloween theme is not necessary.)

Judging will cover all aspects of the game. Gameplay is a huge part of that, since the game must be fun more than anything else. A good interface is key; browse() may or may not be your friend. If the game is multiplayer, some rudimentary troll control is almost a must; nothing too fancy is needed. Sound is great too.

Oh, and one more little detail: You'll be competing against me. I will likely be submitting a revival of my game PlunderMine.

Let's make this the best contest yet. The BYOND community has a lot of talented people, and with version 3.5's new sound features--to say nothing of some of the stuff Shadowdarke and I are cooking up for the next release, which will likely be before the deadline--I know a lot of people can put together spectacular games in 3 months. An 8K limit will be tricky to work with, especially using libraries, but it's very doable. At the end I think BYOND will have a lot of great new games--and I think a few more libraries for making great games.

Good luck!