From The Editor's Desk
QB Express Issue #1
Issue #1 ~ August 23, 2004
"A magazine by the QB community, for the QB community!"
Contributors
- Pete (Editor)
- Relsoft
- Marcade
- V1ctor
- Blitz
- Seph
- Levi
- Adigun A. Polack
- Semerkoala
- Matt2Jones
- Kevin D.A.G.
- WisdomDude
- QBasic News Forum
In This Issue
- Regular Columns
- From The Editor's Desk
- Letters
- Express Poll
- News Briefs
- Gallery - Counter Strike 2D Clone
- Blast From The Past! - Sneukeule's QB RPG Page
- Comics - Bobby The QBasic Maniac ( Adult Content )
- Final Word
- Articles & Editorials
- QuickBASIC Caliber Programming Compo 2004/2005 - Adigun A. Polack
- Interview With Blitz - Seph
- About DSock & An Interview With V1ctor - Pete
- Does The World Need Another QB Forum? - Pete
- Tutorials
- Plot Line Tutorial - Levi
- Metaballs? I'd call them "Blobs" - Relsoft
- DSock Tutorial Document - Marcade
From The Editor's Desk
Written by Pete
Two weeks ago, I had no intention of starting a new QB magazine. Two weeks ago, I was just skimming through all of the old QB magazines, you know, for old time's sake. At first, all I intended to do was archive the mags on my website. The BASIX Fanzine...QBasic: The Magazine...The QB Times...QB On Acid...QB Cult Magazine...QB Chronicles...and more. I gathered them together, archived them, wrote little paragraphs about each one, and uploaded them to my site. But as I read through them, I kept thinking to myself "What a great resource these are!", "Hey, I remember that!", "Wow, that's a handy tutorial!", and..."Hey, I could make one of these myself!"
Anyway, I set to work collecting QB magazines, sending emails to try to get ones that weren't available, and archiving the ones I could find. Soon enough, I had created a snazzy new section for my site that distributed them all in one unified and easy-to-access archive (http://www.petesqbsite.com/sections/zines/zines.shtml). As I worked on this section, I did quite a few web searches on various QB magazines. In the process, I stumbled across message board postings (http://forum.qbasicnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=2843) and excited raves about the various QB magazines...and a lot of demand for new issues. Meanwhile, I kept thinking "Hey, I could make one of these myself!"..."Hey, I could make one of these myself!"
I soon came to the realization that the existing QB magazines are dying out left and right. QB Cult Magazine is on its last legs, and has gone since January without a new issue. (In fact, QBCM turned down Relsoft's newest series of tutorials, since it probably won't be around long enough to release them.) QB Accelerator is no longer released on an issue-by-issue basis, and also hasn't been updated in months. QB On Acid ended its third short run early this year when its co-editor quit. QBOA has supposedly merged with V Planet!, another QB magazine which has slowed down substantially.
With all this going through my mind, I decided to start feeling up the QB Community to see if they'd be receptive of a new magazine. After a few apprehensive message board posts (see http://www.petesqbsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=213#213 and http://forum.qbasicnews.com/viewtopic.php?p=74583#74583), I found that the answer was, indeed, yes. I finally decided to start a new QB magazine...that's what you're reading right now. It's been a lot of work -- I've sent a lot of emails, spent a lot of time and posted a lot of messages to put this together, but I'd say it definitely worked out! I hope you agree!
Introduction
Welcome QBers! I'm proud to invite you to the first ever issue of QB Express. This month, I have gotten an absolute bounty of submissions -- far more than I ever expected for the first issue. In fact, at 141KB of text alone, this first issue is already one of the largest issues of any QB magazine ever made! The great response I got was a very pleasant surprise.
This issue, RelSoft has delivered a great tutorial on creating Metaballs ("Blobs"), Adigun A. Polack has written an article about the QuickBasic Caliber Programming Competition, Matt2Jones has submitted the first in his series of new comics, Bobby The QBasic Maniac, and I've written an article entitled Does The World Need Another QB Forum?. I've also started a column called "Blast From The Past" which discusses old and dead QB sites or programs. This time, it's all about Sneukeule's QB RPG Page. And of course, I've written up the latest QB community news.
The biggest section of this issue, however, is our focus on badlogic Software, Blitz and V1ctor's programming group. Interviews with both Blitz and V1ctor have been conducted, and this issue's Gallery is devoted to their new game, a clone of Counter Strike 2D. There is a heavy focus on V1ctor's online library for DOS, DSock, a powerful but under-used application. V1ctor's interview is dedicated almost entirely about DSock, and is prefaced by a short article on the library. Finally, Marcade's awesome DSock Tutorial Document is included to help you guys learn how to bring your QB games into the Internet age!
An Open Magazine
Also, you may be wondering about this issue's Comics section, which includes nudity and violence that some may find objectionable. I have decided that it is more important to include content from everyone than to selectively choose who can and can't have their submissions published in this magazine. This is the only truly fair way of running a magazine. If you're easily offended and don't want to see the comics or any other article, then don't read them. You're not forced to read this, and if it bothers you, you can either quit reading or tell us about it. We value your opinions.
QB Express is an "open" magazine, meaning that we are dedicated to free speech and opinion. We believe that everyone, no matter who they are or what they believe, has the right to have their voice heard. Anyone who wants to write is allowed to, and anything that is submitted will be published. We will not censor out strong opinions or commentary, and we will include anything that has any value to the QB community. Only gutter trash, tasteless commentary or images and useless dreck will not be published. Anything else is fair game.
Enjoy!
A lot of hard work has been put into this first issue, and I am very pleased with how it turned out.
But as you read through this issue, keep in mind that I am always in need of submissions of all types for future issues. If you have any QB news you would like me to include, or would like to write a tutorial, editorial, article or review, be sure to get in contact with me! I can be reached through my email address, pberg1@ithaca.edu, or this form (http://www.petesqbsite.com/sections/contact/contact.shtml). Remember, this magazine can't survive without YOUR support!
I hope you enjoy this first issue of QB Express!
-Pete
