I guess, you'll have to learn so much more then just C++, most likely assembler too, and a lot (lot lot lot) of tricks.
Everytime i see those multi-minute long demos, with music and animations and see those in 64k (or even 4k intros!!) i'm baffled.
You can use any native compiled language without problems (say, Pascal). You can also use any other language as long as its runtime is small enough.
Most important though, much more so than whether you know C++, is knowing graphics programming. In fact, I've been calling myself a democoder for 10 years now, and I still suck at graphics programming, which is why my demos suck. Focus on the graphics, not the language. A fondness for math is much more important than a fondness for compilers.
I'd recommend making a demo in your favourite programming language. Don't care about size, care about looks. Once you've learned to make it good, you can consider learning, say, C(++) to make it small enough for the 64k or 4k categories.
Sidenote: most 4ks these days are entirely coded in a shader. This means you can mostly copy&paste the entire C part from somewhere, and start hacking GLSL or HLSL. Sure, you'd need to learn the shader language, but it's smaller and simpler than c++.
There are many other compiled languages besides C++.
Here is a small list of languages with known native compiler implementations, that you could eventually use:
- Pascal (Actually all implementation have some extended form)
- Modula-2
- Modula-3
- Oberon
- Component Pascal
- Ada
- C
- Objective-C
- C++
- Ocaml
- Haskell
- D
- Go
- Fortran
- Lisp
- Scheme
Comments
Every time I see the this demo YT I want to teach myself C++ (despite I hate compiled languages) - this is great inspiration for me.
Nowa days this graphics is not really that impressive but back in 2000 that was jaw-breaking OMG
I guess, you'll have to learn so much more then just C++, most likely assembler too, and a lot (lot lot lot) of tricks. Everytime i see those multi-minute long demos, with music and animations and see those in 64k (or even 4k intros!!) i'm baffled.
In fact, you don't have to learn C++ either.
You can use any native compiled language without problems (say, Pascal). You can also use any other language as long as its runtime is small enough.
Most important though, much more so than whether you know C++, is knowing graphics programming. In fact, I've been calling myself a democoder for 10 years now, and I still suck at graphics programming, which is why my demos suck. Focus on the graphics, not the language. A fondness for math is much more important than a fondness for compilers.
I'd recommend making a demo in your favourite programming language. Don't care about size, care about looks. Once you've learned to make it good, you can consider learning, say, C(++) to make it small enough for the 64k or 4k categories.
Sidenote: most 4ks these days are entirely coded in a shader. This means you can mostly copy&paste the entire C part from somewhere, and start hacking GLSL or HLSL. Sure, you'd need to learn the shader language, but it's smaller and simpler than c++.
Actually in the PC Demoscene, many demos were done in Turbo Pascal with lots of inline assembly as well.
We were talking about now, not 20 years ago.
Now there is no longer a proper Demoscene.
In the old days a 64KB demo was really that. Now it is 64KB + several MB OS.
asm is not required anymore (besides reading it for debugging or optimization purposes)
you'd rather have to learn practical 3d/2d math and try many things out.
There are many other compiled languages besides C++.
Here is a small list of languages with known native compiler implementations, that you could eventually use:
- Pascal (Actually all implementation have some extended form) - Modula-2 - Modula-3 - Oberon - Component Pascal - Ada - C - Objective-C - C++ - Ocaml - Haskell - D - Go - Fortran - Lisp - Scheme