BlitzMax Magazine?
BlitzMax Forums/BlitzMax Programming/BlitzMax Magazine?
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| Was there at one point a magazine for BlitzMax? Would people be interested in collaborating on one, e.g. Free PDF/Flash/Web based magazine for BlitzMax? If so what topics would you like it to cover? BlitzMax Mag... Game Reviews Interviews Tutorials How To's Competitions Regards Merx |
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| there have been a few Blitz electronic magazines over the years... BRL used to have one, and after they quit, a two or three users tried to create one.... But all of those stopped after just a few issues, though. I don't think there's any around currently. |
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| I don't think there's a big or interested enough community to support one. |
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| Its a nice idea, but its a lot of work for someone. plus it will only work if you cover a lot of different stuff so there something for everyone as they say. Write a test issue see what people think of it, people on the forum will be cynical, because of past magazines that have started and disappeared. If its good people will read it. Id help out but Im putting all my spare time into the community framework. Good luck with this though. |
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| Probably better to concentrate on building a Blitzmax related programming resource website instead. That way you have something more permanent and useful to show for all the effort. |
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| The magazine idea was based on the older style magazines that used to include programming hints and tips - tutorials and also aimed at raising awarness of the blitzmax and what it can do... @Pete Carter what stuff would you like to see in it? @Bill well once the content is there I can setup part of the website that could work as a programming resource? @Brucey wouldn't you like to widen the community with a magazine that is aimed at letting people see what BlitzMax can do and why so many people use it? @xlsior excellent a whole in the market... ;o) OK I'll put together a first issue think of it as a prototype would anyone like to contribute e.g provide links to good tutorials, great games made with blitzmax, be interviewed about BlitzMax (Mark)?? |
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| The original one (Amiga) was called Blitz User Magazine, or BUM, for short. The one that was here a few years back, didn't have much content. Almost all of it was what had already appeared on the BRL news page. It probably didn't last long for that reason, plus BRL probably got sick of everybody complaining if it was a day late. |
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| wouldn't you like to widen the community with a magazine that is aimed at letting people see what BlitzMax can do and why so many people use it? Sure. But to be of interest to me, it would want a section where more advanced features are discussed, with perhaps example code. Like for instance, doing single-surface drawing, how delta timing works, render to texture. Perhaps tutorials on some third party modules. Tutorials on TMaps. etc. But they'd all have to be well written, with good example code. Re-hashes of the BRL news page doesn't work for me either. As Pete says, it's a lot of work, more so if it is going to be a "quality" publication - which I expect requires a certain level of skill to pull it off successfully. I'd also try to limit it to perhaps one reasonably sized game review per issue - remembering that there isn't an endless supply of good quality games made with BlitzMax. And filling two pages with screenshots doesn't of course, make a review ;-) |
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| And filling two pages with screenshots doesn't of course, make a review ;-) Future Publishing have got away with the same for long enough. |
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| Basically it sound like people are saying they want the blitz coder site back, with articles for different blitz languages and libraries, as well as a good resource archive and games showcase download area for free games and demos. I personally really liked the blitzcoder site and wish it would make a come back. |
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| @Brucey so what about in the programming section I aim to provide three levels...e.g. Blitter - Beginner - The basics of writing code in BlitzMax Blaster - Intermediate - Using the language to develope games/apps Blitzer - Advanced - Using modules/writing modules. Well I've got a basic layout done, hmm next thing content... all suggestions welcome. Anyone got any New's they would like to appear, new releases, modules ect? |
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| I too miss the Blitzcoder site. It was so nicely organised in sections, categories. Finding what I want in a forum is okay too but Blitz could be bigger than it is now if there was a resources site like Blitzcoder was. With all the games listed by genre... *sigh* Useful code... *sigh* I wouldn't be able to start a website like this but I would help for sure even if by submiting small examples or code. Blitz deserves this. Someone take over Blizcoder! lol |
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| Someone take over Blizcoder! lol Someone did. That's why its not there any more. |
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| How about blitzmaxcoder.com then! ;o) got the domain just need to host it and populate it... So what would you like to see, well organized code archives, sections a monthly magazine dedicated to developing with BlitzMax? |
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| I might be able to provide some hosting, either for webpage, filemirror or irc or something. |
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| @Flemmonk I think I've got the hosting sorted, might need some a mirror for the magazines files depending on bandwidth usage though, if it takes off, Cheers! |
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| I think, generally speaking, some magazine (even electronic ones, like this: http://www.conitec.net/english/gstudio/aum.php - talk about 3DGS) have the problem that any article was "lost" inside the time (history). I think it could be great creating a monthly magazine, but every article must be stored in a way to be reusable in the future (preserve the information!). A wiki-like could be great (or a blog). It could be created in a "magazine-style".. |
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| @Alessandro, yes I think your right what got me thinking was the off the shelf glossies for web design and illustration, they are often just very good looking adverts for their core products so if I can make a good looking magazine then maybe we can highten the profile of blitzmax? Good idea about using a wiki cheers! |
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| Yes @Merx, you focused the point! Since I like to read magazines, we could make a wiki with a magazine-style (one big page per month, with PDF formatting/printing option, so I can read it even when I take the bus or the tube!). Those information in this way will not be lost, but will be ALWAYS available during the time. |
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| @Merx: whoa, that was fast. Keep up the good work. Bookmarked for now. @Gfk: Is the website content still available somewhere? It would be such a waste to lose all that. |
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| Dunno, you might find patchy bits on webarchive. If Krylar had sold it/given it/whatever, to somebody who actually gave a damn about its long-term prospects and had no contractual ties to Blitz Research, then perhaps it'd still be here. The Blitz community was a much nicer place before all that tomfoolery happened. |
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| @byo apparently it's what you do not what you say that count's, just took me a while to learn that. If you would like to provide ideas or contribute content please use this thread... BlitzMax Coder Mag Submissions |
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| Huge undertaking. Probably not enough active developers to support it commercially but would still be a fun project for someone willing to work for free for many hours over and over and over. |
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| @MGE Excellent could I hire you as a motivational consultant? ;o) |
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