Competitions & Rules

The deadline for your competition entries is November 22nd, 2024 16:00 CET. The party system will be live about 1 week before the party.

Transmission 64 5th edition will feature the following competitions (subject to changes/updates):

The online system for accepting submissions will open approximately one week before the party and be linked on this site. We’ll use Votox by Burglar/SCS&TRC, the same system used for the famous X-party series.

If you’re unsure about any of the rules, just ask.

While Transmission64 generally doesn’t have prizes for competition winners, we usually have something provided by sponsors as a token of recognition. In 2024, we have:

  1. The winner of the demo competition will receive a fully assembled EVO 64 rev 1 board (without MOS chips).
  2. 3 stickers of your choice from Badgeman for all the 1st places.

General Rules:

  • All entries must be received in .d64 (standard d64 35 tracks or 40 tracks at your own risk) or .prg format before the deadline, November 22nd, 2024, 16:00 CET via upload in our party system.
  • Each entry must run on a stock PAL C64 with any 1541 compatible drive/u1541-II and a cartridge attached (like AR6, Retro Replay MK5, u1541-II). No expansions.
  • All entries or parts of it may not have been released before the competitions.
  • The reuse of previously released music for demos and 4k is permitted.
  • Your entries have to be free from third-party rights.
  • One entry per person (for each compo: graphics, music, PETSCII, BASIC oneliner) or group (for each compo: Basic Fader, Demo, 4k).
  • All shown entries will be released as is.
  • Keep in mind that this demoparty is an internet stream. So while you may get bonus points for killing the twitch encoder, your IFLI pictures may not look as good on the stream as they do on your CRT.
  • Racism, child pornography and any content that violates EU or Canadian law will be disqualified.
  • The organizers reserve the right to disqualify or pre-select any entry or not show/play it in full for any reason , including but not limited to the use of copyrighted works and/or the use of AI.
  • Please provide helpful information, such as SID type (6581/8580) and runtime, with your submission.

Compo Hardware:

  • C64 with single SID (Please state which SID chip (6581/8580) to use)
  • We’re likely be using a 6581 R4, but it’s subject to availability.
  • Ultimate 1541II+ and Retro Replay

Demo Competition:

  • One entry per participant/group/coop group.
  • Entries must be launchable by loading the first file on disk (and typing run or with autostart. No typing in SYS commands).
  • Please use a loader that is not picky about which drive wrote the disk.
  • Maximum running time: 20 minutes, including loading/pre-calculation.
  • Multidisk: Please add a boot file on each disk side.
  • Please specify which SID chip to use (6581/8580).
  • We reserve the right not to show all entries in full.
  • Pro tip: Please share the duration of the demo or another way for us to know when the demo is over (i.e. describe what happens at the end).

4K Competition:

  • One entry per participant/group.
  • Entries must be launchable using RUN and start at $0801.
  • Max packed size: $0801 – $17ff (4096 bytes including start address).
  • Please specify which SID chip to use (6581/8580)
  • Maximum running time: 8 minutes, including loading/pre-calculation.

Graphics (non-PETSCII) Competition:

  • One Entry per participant.
  • Entries must be launchable using RUN and start at $0801.
  • Max packed size: $0801 – $cfff.
  • Workstages must be provided.
  • A still image: no animations, no multiscreen, no scrolling.
  • All regular graphics formats are allowed.
  • Interlace, sprites, borders, and rasterbars are allowed; please specify what you used below as public comment.
  • Any music present while displaying the picture will not be played.

Screen fader Competition

A screen fader is an effect at the beginning of the demo that transitions from the screen the demo is run with (usually the BASIC start screen) to the beginning of the demo.

  • One entry per participant/group.
  • Size limit one disk side.
  • Runtime limit: 2m:30s
  • Startable by loading the first file on disk with run or autostart (no SYS commands needed).
  • It may also be used in a democompo entry for this year’s party.
  • It ends on an empty and silent single-colour screen (fade music).
  • It should work with different starting colours/text.
  • Please consider publishing your sources.

BASIC Oneliner Competition:

  • One entry per participant/group.
  • Create a BASIC oneliner (in a single line, BASIC code only, no assembly, no SYS calls), start-able with RUN.
  • 255 byte lines are permitted.
  • No machine language code may be included in the file (not hidden, not in print characters).
  • Code must be LIST-able before running it.
  • REM lines do not count towards your line limit, but the program MUST run without them. You can use them for credits/instructions.
  • Runtime limit: 3 minutes

PETSCII Competition:

  • One entry per participant.
  • Entries must be launchable using RUN and start at $0801.
  • Max packed size: $0801 – $cfff.
  • Use the lower OR the uppercase ROM charset; you cannot use any other chars or sprites.
  • Use any fixed background and border colour and a fixed colour map ($d800).
  • Animations, interlace, sprites, multiscreen, colour changes, ECM, multicolour settings, bitmap, scrolling and effects are not allowed.
  • Any music present while displaying the PETSCII image will not be played.

Music Competition:

  • One Entry per participant.
  • Entries must be able to run and play on an unexpanded C64 (no second SID, FM expansion, etc).
  • Entries must be launchable using RUN and start at $0801.
  • Max packed size: $0801 – $cfff.
  • Please specify which SID chip to use (6581/8580).
  • Maximum running time is 4 minutes. If an entry exceeds this, it will be faded out.
  • Entries may loop, but they will be faded out after being played through once.
  • Screen contents will not be displayed.

Latest Updates

  • 2024-03-29 Adapted the rules for 2024. Added note about interlace.
  • 2024-09-18 Clarified BASIC oneliner rules regarding the length of a line.
  • 2024-09-18 Added information about the prizes
  • 2024-10-02 Added information about REM lines to the BASIC oneliner.
  • 2024-10-16 Added internal compo links to page
  • 2024-10-20 Added information regarding the use of AI.
  • 2024-11-01 Increased BASIC oneliner runtime from 2 to 3 minutes
  • 2024-11-02 added workstages requirement for graphics compo
  • 2024-11-15 allowed 40 tracks disks at your own risk