Blitz3D has one very big thing going for it!
Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Beginners Area/Blitz3D has one very big thing going for it!
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| One-man projects seem to be getting done! I'm the guy working on the F-19 retro flight sim... http://blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=98816 ...and although I've yet to have something tangible to show, I've been keeping an eye on another flight sim being developed in B3D... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KvNdC-DAMwg While it's not really my style (old-school flight simmers know what I mean), this guy has modeled just about every essential element of a combat flight sim. I believe he even shows air refueling on another video! I'm not sure if this one is still being worked on... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_cbO-gYhdg4 ...but it's VERY impressive! My point being that while B3D may not have the looks and all the bells and whistles of more modern game engines, these single developer B3D flight sims are progressing further than anything I've seen with other 3D engines. I don't mind being proven wrong, it just seems to me that with B3D the project actually gets done! EDIT: I couldn't figure out how to use the YouTube forum code with the links, sorry. |
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| One more thing... This message board looks to be so dated and old fashion. My rural satellite internet thanks you! :) |
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| I agree Mr. G. I plan to use B3D fir my simple retros. I already have three in the works! Life+ Jupiter Cube and Voltaire |
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| I found a thread on these boards for the second flight sim (see the pics)... http://blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=98497#1151287 Just beautiful! I know flight sims are a niche market, but still it amazes me to see the indie/hobbyist progress being made with Blitz3D today! Here's a couple of quotes I saved regarding my beloved VB6... ========== "Visual Basic 6 is the un-killable cockroach in the Windows ecosystem...Cockroaches are successful because they’re simple. They do what they need to do for their ecological niche and no more." "VB6 isn't just dead, it's undead. It's a f*****g zombie monster that won't stay down no matter how many shot gun blasts it takes." ========== Kinda makes me think of Blitz3D. :) I'm not sure how Blitz Research feels about B3D today, but I get the feeling Microsoft wishes VB6 would just go away. Not gonna happen. |
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| I was waiting for a proper thread to post this. There's an online archive of legacy Blitz newsletter entries. There's some interesting topics, along with interviews. http://blitznews.wordpress.com/ Courtesy of Mark Chadwick. |
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| Outstanding read, thanks a lot for this! Even mentions that incredible water demo. I'm going to read them all when I get home tonight. Cheers. |
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| I have a theory, and it may be shot down in flames. :) ++++++++++ But first, I have no problem with most modern tech (posting this on my Win7 x64 laptop, next to my Kindle). But when it comes to development and gaming, I'm old-school. My software is old...  My reference books are old...  And the games I play and want to develop are old (i.e. EF2000 DOS...1994/95)...        So B3D seems perfect for me! ++++++++++ But my theory why B3D is having such success with flight sims is: 1. A B3D developer is obviously not making realistic cutting-edge graphics a top priority, giving precious developing time to other things like physics and game-play. 2. A B3D developer isn't concerned with, nor is chasing new technologies, focusing solely on developing their game with what they have NOW. Because no one is going to develop a fully-featured flight sim (especially one with modern combat) in just a few short months. By the time you finish your game, whatever tools/technology you started with are likely going to be outdated anyway. With B3D you don't even worry about it, B3D today is going to be the same B3D tomorrow and the same in 5 years, so your learning curve stays consistent while you just jeep plugging away at your game. Like my development OS (Windows 2000) and all of my tools that support it, Blitz3D is small, fast, very reliable and never needs to phone home (my development PC is not online connected). That's about the best I can ask from a 3D engine, even if DirectX 7 graphics are overkill for my needs. ++++++++++ I started this thread as a reminder that not all B3D users spend time on these boards, although I plan to when I feel ready and with something meaningful to contribute. The first video in my original post above of the modern combat flight sim is just one example of a B3D developer who I don't believe has ever posted here (possibly doesn't speak English). And I'm sure there are others, B3D lives on! :) |
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| I think Ken Silverman once said: "Don't upgrade your hardware or try to always used the latest tech. If you do you will never finish a game." Anyways it was something to that effect. There is nothing wrong sticking with what you know. Thinking back the two main guys responsible for the original Battletech pods took almost 10 years to finish the project. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdJA5C_Po4U Use what you're comfortable with and hopefully one day you will finish the game/simulation. As far as old tech and software I'm right there with you. My main setup includes these:   The IBM keyboard has such a satisfying feel you don't get with current keyboards. The clicks the keys make also helped improve my typing accuracy. |
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| Okay, let me crawl out of my cave for a second here and put in my two cents worth. The picture above is actually highly comparable to Blitz3d. The keys are finger sized, the basic colors and shapes are non threatening, and the whole thing is really quite pleasing to look at and to use. You could even compare the nice old table under it to Blitz3d, but I'll stop there. The point is, I've been telling people about Blitz3d for years, always with the same basic description: "It's between Playstation 1 and Playstation 2 quality. No black fog, but no shiny armor either, which who cares, right?" The bottom line is, games get better the further back in time you go, and more realistic the further forward. And in between those two points is...? |
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| The IBM keyboard has such a satisfying feel you don't get with current keyboards. The clicks the keys make also helped improve my typing accuracy. That's because it's mechanical. I just bought myself a Razer Blackwidow 2013, which is also mechanical. I wouldn't normally spend nigh on £100 on a keyboard, but after having a go with it in the shop I could not leave without it. |
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| I agree, I've had one of those old IBM keyboards. It worked really well; It had that advantageous tactile response, which I loved, ...then I spilled coffee on it.  Sometimes I attach a brand new USB keyboard to my laptop; I still miss the old hardware. |
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| Totally agree with this. I'm not a professional coder, but from what I hear. Developers sometime start a project with the latest hardware, then work just with that hardware and nothing else until the project is complete. Working with the logic that by the time the game is finished, that hardware will be the standard for PC gamers. We have so many people who come on these forums saying that blitz3D is holding them back from releasing their game because it doesn't support X,Y or Z, but when you ask them to sere their work they don't have anything to show, because they're using Blitz's limits as a reason to not even start. The fact is, you can write a chart topping game in virtually any language/engine. And if you need the top end graphics tech for your game, then you're probably aiming too high anyway. |
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| If you need the top end graphics tech for your game, you don't know what makes a game good. Wow, what is this, the retro tread? I'm all for it, I'm frozen. |
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| Same goes for people who think pixels are ugly because it's not 3d graphics. Pixel art will always retain a certain charm over 3d graphics for me. But yeah you got it right Fox95871! |
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| I love programming with Blitz3D because it is so simple to use and very quickly one can get great results (I mean great compared to the limitations of DX7 and the age of B3D - Of course this is never going to look as stunning as a lot of the most modern AAA games) Sure it may lack the versatility of OOP languages, and the viusual finesse and range capable of maximising the full power of graphics cards and HLSL control, but that kinda stuff takes WAY longer to work with andis incredibly complex leading to a much longer time and potentially much more headaches and bugs. Besides all the above, with so much focus on mobile platforms and easily accessible, 'small', fun games these days, Blitz is really suited for that kind of market! |
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| Like in the movie business, there is always a niche for movies that ate not latest SFX 200 Millions Blockbuster productions, but retro style "art films". There's still so much you can do with Blitz3D, just don't try to write the next best fps engine ever. And yes, Retro has that hard to explain charm. |
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| I agree with everything said here, and I started with a Sol-20 kit computer my father built. Been slowly moving up the platforms over the last 35 years. Always in BASIC. |
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| I've said it before, Blitz3D is the only language where you can think, "I wonder if..." and develop right through to a final professional product without leaving the environment. |
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| Hello John, i just wanted to say that you are one of my great inspirations to learn 2d 3d programming (SolarSystem Explorer) Congrats for your works and regards :) I like Blitz3d, long live the Blitz3d community :) |
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