Hello folks,
Abbuc has decided to do another software-contest 2004. To avoid many confusions and mis-understandings we have also written new rules with many more details than before. The good news at first: Abbuc does not get the copyright for the contest programs, only the right to release them on the Abbuc magazine (thus the authors can do whatever they want with their programs after the contest)...  now here are the rules, dont be shocked, many of them are self-explanatory:

Rules for the ABBUC-Software Contest 2004:

1) General Rules:

- Deadline:     01.August.2004 ! (=>   Unconventional);
       
- Prices:    1. place: 500 Euro + 250 Euro Bonus;
                2. place: 250 Euro + 100 Euro Bonus;
                3. place: 200 Euro + 75 Euro Bonus;
                4. place: 150 Euro + 50 Euro Bonus;
                5. place: 100 Euro + 50 Euro Bonus;
                6. place: 75 Euro;
                7. place: 50 Euro;

- Rights:       - ABBUC gets the right of a premiere-
                release on its magazine!

- Quality Check:- Sorin Pascu (Contest leader!);
                - Wolfgang Burger (ABBUC chief!);
                - ABBUC members (at the
                  Unconventional & ABBUC hp.);
                 
- Presentation: - author needn't be there/present at the Contest
                        (prices will be send per snail-mail/mail-postage);
                - presentation at the Unconventional and ABBUC homepage,
                  decisions and places/prices at ABBUC-JHV 2004;
 
2) Program Types & Size:

- Program Types:    a) Games(s),
                    b) Application(s)
                      (also Tools, Utilities, ...)
                    c) Operating-Systems (DOS, Computer-OS);
=> no Demos !! => no pre-versions, no Alpha/Beta Versions, etc. !!
                 
- Compatibility:    - must be minimum XL/XE compatible! (800XL, 800XE,
65XE, 130XE);
=> the support of extra hardware is allowed but this extra hardware
mustn't be (!) a requirement to load and/or run the program properly;
                 
- RAM Size:     - 0 to 128kbytes ! (min. 64k or max. 128k Ataris!);
                 
- Ramdisk (if any): - if so, must be 130XE compatible, standard
E3,E7,EB,EF banks!;
=> must not use sep. Antic access ! for all XE and XL upgrades!;
                 
- Disk Size:    - no minimum or maximum length ! (<=>1 diskside!);
                 
3) Loading & Languages:

- Disk Format: a 5,25" Atari disk or an ATR-image that contains:
- a) Disk-File(s) or b) Boot-Disk(s)
=> no PC-Disks, CD's, Tapes or E-Mails with pure Atari files !!
         
- Disk Density:     a) Single (90k),  b) Enhanced (130k);
         
- Program load:     - if Bootdisk: Auto-Boot with/without Basic !;
                    - if Disk-File: a) DOS 2.x Autorun, b) Gamedos boot;
         
- Language:      a) inside program: english or german;
                 b) description/doc.: also english or german;
 
- Pgm. Language:    - theoretically any programming language you
know/have/like ! => but all programs (*) must be compiled or prepared in such a way, that they will run fine without the used programming language !! (* with the exception of Atari Basic & Turbo Basic XL listings);
         

that was it so far. Many rules are self-explanatory, but for some rules
you must keep in mind that Abbuc has 400 members and not all of them do have DD drives, harddisks, big ramdisks, etc. greetings from ABBUC -
Andreas. Magenheimer.