AGS ezine issue two

[Vel]

Here is it folks, the second issue of the AGS ezine. Here Candace Grace: Bard's blood gets unrevealed and there is also a pretty useful tutorial and exclusive artwork from FoY.... Don't just read this, DOWNLOAD

[Vel]

Oh, and by the way, the qfg battle engine sample game is @ http://invis.free.anonymizer.com/http://geocities.com/scorpiorus82/qfgbe_v1.zip

[MillsJROSS]

I enjoyed it until the end. LGM, might not have done what you asked of him, but don't let us know. Do you see professional magazines/newspapers do this?

On the whole it was good. A few grammar problems here and their, and I felt the other engines that you discussed could have been analiyzed a bit more in depth.

-MillsJROSS

EDIT - just wanted to point out my bad grammar in the above post. I'll leave it there, as I think it's ironically funny, and unintentional. Laugh!

[scotch]

This issue is better than the last, well done.. I especially liked the FoY preview and the ags tips that you've added.

[Vel]

The combat engine is by Scorpiorus

[Miez]

Very nice e-zine Vel - well done, keep up the good work!

[Proskrito]

And the PDF version:
AGS Ezine issue 2 PDF (663 kb)

[Vel]

Proskrito, I dont know what it is, but something is terribly messed up with the pdf version.

[Hobbes]

Ok, Vel... you wanted feedback on the e-zine, I'll give you feedback...

I love it!

Not too helpful? Ok... just let me say, I loved the review, interview, article on gaming engines and all that... I loved the QfG thing, although I'm still slightly baffled by how much coding it is.

That being said, if you ever want me to write an article for it (I've written a few for several different things), drop me a line. Review of an old adventure classic, article on storytelling, etc... just ask.

[Miez]

Proskrito, I dont know what it is, but something is terribly messed up with the pdf version.

er, vel - not on this side of the internet. PDF file looks fine to me, better than the Word file (where the tech-corner listing is all over the page and through the carefully crafted grey boxes).

[m0ds]

Very very well done, Vel. I too was glued to this issue from start to end. Very well written and some very good content!


m0ds

[Vel]

Thanks all!
Hobbes: I dont need any help at the moment(except for the techie's corner, but scorpiorus is doing very well), and LGM taught me a thing or two.
M0ds: Thanks.

Judging from what you guys said, Ill do the next issue in the same manner.

[Scorpiorus]

I loved the QfG thing, although I'm still slightly baffled by how much coding it is.

Originally it was about 300 lines of code but then I added fighting castes database and stuff and it grew up quite fast. Anyway you don't need to rewrite it from scratch  - just modify the sections I described in the article.

~have fun

[Scummbuddy]

Techies corner turned into the whole wall.  J/k.

Very good eZine... I really cant wait till the next one.  If you weren't doing this, I would.  This is my kind of stuff.

Good job!

[Vel]

I WILL do it!

[Jimi]

I liked it.

I can't wait for FoY to come out now. It looks GREAT!!!!!11

I would like to see some GUI samples in there. (suggestion)

[Vel]

What do you mean by GUI samples?

[Jimi]

well, I mean scripts which are usable, and have explanations, describing what the funtions do, and stuff. Or, a week-by-week tutorial of scripting. That'd be great.

[Vel]

Thats what techie's corner is about. GUIs, combat systems and all kinds of useful things.

[Jimi]

But I mean like, like a week-by-week continuation of the scripting tutorial in the manual. That would be great, because you'd learn alot more than just using things people tell you. You'd learn what everything means and does.

[Vel]

Techie's corner is not about newbies. You should have an idea how to script if you want to read it.

[Pumaman]

Good content, well laid out - nice job

The only reservations I have are

1) The justified text - especially on the first couple of pages, the text is very hard to read, and would work better left-aligned.
The problem is that Word doesn't space out the letters, it just increases the gaps between the words in order to justify the text, which leads to problems that you don't get in newspapers and so forth, which use better formatting apps.

2) The final paragraph, as Mills says, sounds very unprofessional. Basically, writing in that way puts people off from contributing in future, just in case they don't get their stuff done in time and you write a similar piece about them.

[Scummbuddy]

AGS eZine 2 patch:



___________________________________
AGS eZine____________________page 14

Noob corner

Question:  How come my character doesn't walk once I've gone to a new room?

Answer:  NewRoomEx(int room_number, int x, int y);
or RTFM

Question:    I want to have a neat little picture underneath my name in my posts on the AGS forums like everyone else! How do I do that?

Answer:  First I want you to go to every forum on AGSForums and write a post asking that very question.   Perferably in BOLD text to really get our attention.  Then you could make your way to the Beginner's FAQ and read about how to do this.  Or just read on....

It is really called an Avatar to begin with.  They must be less than or equal to 40 by 40 in dimensions.  Find a host to keep your picture on the web, your local C: drive will not work.  Find the properties and link to that picture, say on GeoCities or FreeWebs and type in [img ]the pics address[/img ] (You'll have to take out the spaces next to the 'img').  For jerk sites like the ones mentioned above, you will have to put in "http://invis.free.anonymizer.com/" before the first hypertext transfer protocol 'http'.

Question:  How do I use the MakeGame(); function?

Answer:  We'll I'm all out of room for this eZine, perhaps next time I'll be able to answer more questions like using the room I used to write this last answer.  But please don't make me have to write another one... do as I said above and RTFM  

-Scott (Scummbuddy) Nichols
___________________________________

[Vel]

CJ, Ill fix the text for the next issue.
As for LGM, I know I did something very unprofessional, but if I hadnt realized that he isnt gonna help me a bit with the ezine three days ago, you would be left without an ezine. Again, sorry.
PS And, CJ, would it be OK for you to post a link to the ezine on the main page?

[Vel]

Could A moderator please make this thread sticky? Ill reply to it whenever there is a new ezine.

[m0ds]

Ermmm... I think just creating new posts is the best way, Vel. ^_^

m0ds

[Vel]

M0ds, butposts sink down for a week or so. And anyone who has been away for such period of time wont see the post.

[SSH]

Just make a new issue each week, then and it will stay up.   Seriously, though, thanks for creating this resource: it's good! But I would recommend not using the ezine itself for those complaints about other people: that's best kept to the Gen Gen discussion forum!

[Svetac]

My compliments bro! Heck, when I read all of it I wanted more

So, since I'm new here. can you tell me what is the time gap between two issues of the AGS ezine? Is it coming out monthly? And is there word and pdf version of it? Also, shouldn't the main AGS page also be host page for it? I mean, it would be really easier if among the documents, games, links etc. there an AGS ezine button, and the user simply access it there and dl it. It would be great for new users also(like myself), because that way they'll have quicker access to stuff and can easily get hooked.

And again, thanks Vel, I really enjoyed your work.

[Vel]

Chris and m0ds, read the upper post. Now what were you saying abou the sticky, m0ds?
And Svetac, the ezine is monthly