My Demoscene Career

Written by Dario Phong

Well, actually I don't know whether I really was or I'm involved with the demoscene, so let's say that we talk about my feelings about demoscene. But, I really wonder if what I knew was demoscene.

Ok, it all started when I met a guy who programmed in C, by this time I had some experience with computers (less than a year, I think) and I already felt like creating programs, so he gave me a compiler and a tut. He did not really expect me to learn C. But I did (though I'm not an expert at it.) He gave me all the stuff, and I'm very grateful to him for doing this. He was the only programmer who I knew and who I thought was good. But he was not. Fortunately I needed some time to realize that.

I also had two other friends who liked computers; they also liked demos, but they were not demosceners. Or at least I believe so. I wanted to learn to code in Asm. They all thought that I'd never achieve it. But I did it. And then I did a simple fire effect. It was not the best fire effect ever. And they told me "We have seen hundred fires better than yours", "Yours sucks", "If I do this it will be twice as good as yours". I think this is not a very positive criticism. In fact I still wonder why they always tell this bullshit, but I don't mind. And I did 2d bump-mapping. And they told me the same bullshit again, oh, and also something quite childish: "I'm sure that you ripped it." And then I alone did my first 4k intro. As I've told you I did it alone, 100% asm, I had little knowledge, and it was not very good. And they told me that it sucked, that it was shit, and more things like this.

Now I've ranked first at Euskal Party 7 with my latest 4k intro. And they have done nothing. I wonder who is and has always been the lamer. If you want to call it lamer. Fortunately now I don't have to hear their bullshit.

But I've skipped most of my (short) career. When I finished my first 4k intro. (the one which wasn't good) I wanted to meet sceners, to know the scene. I had no contacts, I knew no one in the scene. I remember that Euskal Party 6 was going to be held, and I wanted to go there.

I got the phone number of a Demo Scener (which I doubt that is reading those lines, anyway thanks Drareg) who told me the phone number of the organizers of a bustrip. I got the last place in the bus. So I could go to the party. I remember that I sat next to the organizer of the bustrip and asked him a coding-related question, about fixed point maths. I didn't expect his reaction: He stared at me like wanting to say "Hey lamer, why do you bother me with such a lame question?" and told me "Yes. That is." I think that he wanted to add: "And don't bother me anymore".

Though I'm grateful to him for organizing the bustrip and helping me getting in it, I'm not grateful for treating me as the lamer that I've never been.

I had his phone number but I did not call him. So in fact I did not get any contact. If you wonder it was on the party: At first I wat very impressed, as more than 1000 persons were there with (I thought) the same hobby as me. But then I realized that most of the ppl were playing Quake, copying CDs or viewing porn pics. It disappointed me a little bit. Fortunately there were some ppl coding, or tracking, and some graphicians doing some impressive pics. I also got the phone number of a group, but when I was at home and called, it turned out to be wrong, so the result was that I had no contact at all. And then I found a Spanish demo which was from a guy near me (well, unfortunately not that near), so I called him and asked him for a date. Then we met. He was Dave (yet not a member of PhyMosys). We communicated using snail mail (I had no Inet). He gave me some good things, like info, new demos or Hugi#11. I also knew another guy, Navi^PhyMosys, so I finally joined PhyMosys, he gave me more info and some other stuff. But in fact we have not done anything together.

I worked on my second 4k intro (the one which was good) and asked Navi to do something together, but he was very busy with exams. Euskal Party 7 was coming soon. Unfortunately our graphician died in a car crash, and so most of the team didn't feel like going to a party. I wanted to go. I had some money, but then my mother lost her job, and we had to spend the money on food. So I couldn't go to Euskal Party 7, quite bad. But Dave (who is also a member of PhyMosys) attended the party, and I gave him my 4k intro.

I won. I was still a bit sad about not being at the party. But at least I got the prize.

Now, I am writing for Hugi, and I'm also doing another 4k intro (though I don't presume that it will win any prize). I also have some contacts in the scene. But still I wonder if I'm a part of it.

I think this is all, and I didn't forget anything. Anyway, see you in my next article.

Dario Phong, Barcelona 08-Aug-1999

P.S.: If you want to see my intro, it's available at my hpage:

http://www.ross.net/dp