4 ms·

I just say mars.com (no, not a domain. A program. A video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zSjpIyMt0k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zSjpIyMt0k) Edit: Pouet

I just say mars.com (no, not a domain. A program. A video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zSjpIyMt0k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zSjpIyMt0k) Edit: Pouet has it: https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=4662 https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=4662

Grosvenor 2y ago
and to be clear mars.com ran /smoothly/ on an 8Mhz 286.
- kragen 2y ago
  The readme says, "If you have a 386 or better with VGA graphics, run mars and use the mouse to move around the landscape." Are you sure it will run on a 286?
  - Grosvenor 2y ago
    Yes. It was 16bit code. I ran it on my 8mhz 286, it ran smoothly. On a 386 like my AMD 386/DX-40mhz it ran smoother than butter, with a 486/66 is was essentially too fast.
    - kragen 2y ago
      Wow! I appreciate the report. I never saw anything like this on my 286, but I didn't have a VGA on it either.
      - Grosvenor 2y ago
        It was amazing to see back in the day. Unfortunately it kind of ruins you for the rest of time knowing what can be.
        kragen 2y ago
        Interesting, I wonder how.
        Grosvenor 2y ago
        https://pastebin.com/RuVsnCyq https://pastebin.com/RuVsnCyq Here's the author describing how it was done. Note the 64K data sizes. So they fit into one 16bit segment.
        kragen 2y ago
        If I'm understanding this correctly, in 01993, Tim Clarke independently reinvented the painter's-algorithm variant of the VoxelSpace algorithm used in Comanche the year before.
        kragen 2y ago
        This is fantastic, thanks!
ggkyx 2y ago
Also found a JavaScript implementation of this demo. Thanks for sharing it! http://web.archive.org/web/20140107070635/http://ppl-pilot.com/scripts/demo.js http://web.archive.org/web/20140107070635/http://ppl-pilot.c...
alexjplant 2y ago
Blast from the past... by the time this made its way to me circa 1998 it was embedded in a Microsoft Word file and controlled by mouse. I thought it was cool but was disappointed that it wasn't a full-fledged game because I was a child that had no awareness of demoscene or programming. In retrospect I've always thought this was just some chintzy DirectX demo that made the rounds via e-mail - I had no idea it was a real thing.
Yoric 2y ago
Ouch. I remember running it on my 286 and being blasted. And also disappointed because Wing Commander 3 wouldn't run on the same machine.

Grosvenor 2y ago

and to be clear mars.com ran /smoothly/ on an 8Mhz 286.

kragen 2y ago
The readme says, "If you have a 386 or better with VGA graphics, run mars and use the mouse to move around the landscape." Are you sure it will run on a 286?
- Grosvenor 2y ago
  Yes. It was 16bit code. I ran it on my 8mhz 286, it ran smoothly. On a 386 like my AMD 386/DX-40mhz it ran smoother than butter, with a 486/66 is was essentially too fast.
  - kragen 2y ago
    Wow! I appreciate the report. I never saw anything like this on my 286, but I didn't have a VGA on it either.
    - Grosvenor 2y ago
      It was amazing to see back in the day. Unfortunately it kind of ruins you for the rest of time knowing what can be.
      - kragen 2y ago
        Interesting, I wonder how.
        Grosvenor 2y ago
        https://pastebin.com/RuVsnCyq https://pastebin.com/RuVsnCyq Here's the author describing how it was done. Note the 64K data sizes. So they fit into one 16bit segment.
        kragen 2y ago
        If I'm understanding this correctly, in 01993, Tim Clarke independently reinvented the painter's-algorithm variant of the VoxelSpace algorithm used in Comanche the year before.
        kragen 2y ago
        This is fantastic, thanks!

ggkyx 2y ago

Also found a JavaScript implementation of this demo. Thanks for sharing it! http://web.archive.org/web/20140107070635/http://ppl-pilot.com/scripts/demo.js http://web.archive.org/web/20140107070635/http://ppl-pilot.c...

alexjplant 2y ago

Blast from the past... by the time this made its way to me circa 1998 it was embedded in a Microsoft Word file and controlled by mouse. I thought it was cool but was disappointed that it wasn't a full-fledged game because I was a child that had no awareness of demoscene or programming. In retrospect I've always thought this was just some chintzy DirectX demo that made the rounds via e-mail - I had no idea it was a real thing.

Yoric 2y ago

Ouch. I remember running it on my 286 and being blasted. And also disappointed because Wing Commander 3 wouldn't run on the same machine.