Letters
QB Express Issue #1
Letter From Matt2Jones
Pete,
At the moment I'm searching the net for a board to post this proposition on, and seeing a you have a magazine, this would be a good place to start.
I've been coding in QB for six years now, thats getting to be a big number, and I've been in on the 'scene' for four, and most of the people who were around when I came in, are all dead and gone now... QB generations seem to be only about a year, so most participants (or me at least) don't really know the history of this, just what came around during their time. You've got a huge archive of magazines on your site, which is allot of info to work with, and you've been around awhile, so doubtless you know of others who've been around before you....
How about a history of online QB? It'd be and interesting first issue article, and you've got the resources to make it quite detailed (major sites, program releases, coding groups, coders, trends)... If you remember the history of 3D in QBCM, I mean something like that...
It's an Idea I'm having right now, I just thought I'd tell you, I don't mind if you ignore it.
-Matt
Thanks for all the ideas!As for QB history, there will be a regular section called "Blast From The Past", which will cover an old QB game or site that was once an important part of the QB community. I will focus on content that is no longer available online, or has long been forgotten. This month, "Blast From The Past" discusses Sneukeule's RPG Page.
I have actually already thought about doing QB history articles in the new magazine -- not an article or series that tries to cover all the history at once, but shorter articles that discuss just one aspect, such as "The History of QB Platform Games", "The Rise of QB Graphics Libraries", or "Tsugumo's Influence on the QB Community". Of course, it will take a lot of time and research to write these articles, so I'm not going to be doing it for this first issue. In future issues, though, QB history articles may end up being a regular feature.
If you (or any other QB history buffs) are interested in writing an article, though, you should by all means do it! Email me and we'll talk!
-Pete
Letter From Marcade
(This letter is in response to some questions I asked Marcade about V1ctor's online QB library, DSock.)
Hey Pete,
You should really stimulate QB programmers to use DSock .. because it has a hell of a lot potential. Somebody also should use it to make a new DS4QB version. I believe, the current version uses an indirect way of communicating with a windows slave client .. through files or DMA 0 or whatever .. With using DSock, a 'direct' connection can be made and lag between the QB app and the client could be minimal ..
Originally I think the DSock library was going to be used in Subshock, a project ran by some other QB'ers. The Subshock project died (I think?) and V1ctor got tired of waiting. If I remember correctly, earlier versions of DSock already existed years ago, but the Subshock team did not want V1ctor to release it to the public. You could ask V1ctor for more details though about this.
When DSock came out, WisdomDude and I created an online version of Connect 4. [You can find it here.] Connect 4 was released with the source code for people to learn from it. Of course all this only if credits are given. (Not only to me; Wisdomdude did the biggest part of C4; I only added DSock .. and V1ctor created DSock; the DSock Tutorial Document [included in this issue] was created by me.) The Networking code of Connect 4 can be used by other people if they want it (as long as credit is given). It's programmed in a way that it can be reused .. Actually the DSock code in Connect 4, was originally code from an MSN client I wrote in QB before I worked on Connect 4. Unfortunately because the MSN protocol has changed (and since I lost the source in a disk crash), the compiled version doesn't work anymore. :'-(
The DSock library is very much like the socket library for C or the CSocketmodule for VB6.0. I'm in to do anything to support other programmers using DSock. My Draft/tutorial document is incomplete by the way. I haven't explained in there, how to listen and to accept to incoming connections. But that is very easy .. people can look at the source of Connect 4 to figure it out .. basically.
Good luck with the new magazine!
Best regards,
_Marcade
Thank you for all the DSock info, Marcade! I agree with you that we should promote the use of DSock and the creation of online QB games. Online games are the next step in game development from the current generation of QB games, and I'm glad to see that people like you, V1ctor and WisdomDude are making headway!As you can see by this issue, I have included your DSock Tutorial as well as an article about DSock. Hopefully people will take notice of this splendid application!
-Pete
Letter From Kevin D.A.G.
Hey Pete,
I think you have a great idea. Making a QB mag could really stimulate the QB world. On the topic of a title, I think "The QBasic Folio" sounds attractive to me.
Good luck with your project, and THANKS for hosting my game (Astral Worlds)!!!!!
-Kevin D.A.G.
Glad to hear you're excited about it! I have currently settled on QB Express for the title, though it is by no means final. It's more of a working / temporary name, that could very well be replaced. To me, The QBasic Folio has a sort of a snooty, aristocratic air to it, but I will certainly change the title if enough people prefer that name! Drop me an email and tell me which title you like: Express, Folio or something completely different!-Pete
Have a letter for the editor? Send all your rants, raves, ideas, comments and questions to pberg1@ithaca.edu.
