ATTN: Malc

khisanth · 16:52, 25 February 10

if you cant code then you need some kind of game creator tool , then you need the time and motivation to plan it and actually do it.

original ideas and testing can all come later!

I have DarkBasic Pro sitting ready for me to use it, I have a Hydra game console ready to be programmed and messed about with The Game Creator. Closest I have come to a game was when i did a C++ course with the open uni. They get you to write a bouncing ball program. I tweaked it so the balls moved like the rocks in Asteroids and created rules for collision detection with a ship and thats as far as i got!

I get distracted by modern life. Games, TV, Blu-rays, the wife, the pub, techie projects, home brewing, gardening, work oh and more games!

ukmarkh · 21:31, 25 February 10

Put it this way... if your life depended on it, you could write your own game. I've written a few games in basic over the years, but if i'm honest they were a bit pants, and time defeated me in the end. Thats not to say ive given up. Just the other day me and a guy at work were talking about writing a F1 Management game for the GBA.

mr_lou · 07:51, 26 February 10

I'm very intrigued with game-development. Been so since childhood with my Amstrad CPC. Also tried doing a few games back then using BASIC. But it wasn't till 2006 I finally got started, and this was on the mobile platform (j2me).

Today I'm held back a bit by the fact that I'm only covering 1 platform. I suspect I've become too lazy to put all that work into only supporting 1 platform, and I also find it weird that there aren't more tools available here in 2010 that lets coders cover more platforms with the same code.

That's why I've become interested in frameworks such as Qt from Nokia or Bedrock from Metismo or Mobile Distillery. But they are either expensive solutions, or require you to release the source code.
I want to be able to develop my game once, and then release it on mobile phones, Nintendo DS, GameBoy, Flash, whatever. All kinds of platforms.
But there are too many new technologies emerging all the time, which only results in developers needing to work harder in order to achieve multiple platform-coverage.

Surely there must be some kind of (freeware) game-development-framework out there which lets us develop games for multiple platforms?

Bryce · 10:18, 26 February 10

Aaaarrrgghhh, I hate when people say "QT from Nokia". It was developed for many many years by dedicated programmers at Trolltech and only when it became popular did Nokia come along and buy it (and have added very little to it since then). I know it belongs to them now, but I hate to see the people who put in the real work being forgotten so quickly.

Bryce.

mr_lou · 11:14, 26 February 10

Well it is from Nokia....
Didn't say it was by Nokia.
But if you wanna get it, you need to get it from Nokia.

redbox · 11:22, 26 February 10

Quote from: ukmarkh on 14:35, 25 February 10
Anyone can program their own game, the difficult part is coming up with a good idea and finding the time.

That's real encouragement for all the peeps slaving away over their CPC games.

Quote from: khisanth on 16:52, 25 February 10
I get distracted by modern life. Games, TV, Blu-rays, the wife, the pub, techie projects, home brewing, gardening, work oh and more games!

You should try having kids!

Quote from: mr_lou on 07:51, 26 February 10
Surely there must be some kind of (freeware) game-development-framework out there which lets us develop games for multiple platforms?

I think you've just got to bite the bullet and learn assembler, especially when developing for the CPC.

khisanth · 12:21, 26 February 10

Java ?

ukmarkh · 12:55, 26 February 10

Learn C, it's the best by far... no question.

As for developing for multi platforms, I think this is a bad idea... imho I'd just concentrate on getting the best out of the platform your most familiar with and then release the code for people that wish to convert it to the other respective systems.

mr_lou · 13:24, 26 February 10

Quote from: khisanth on 12:21, 26 February 10
Java ?

I actually like Java. Not as much as I used to, but still.
My problem with Java is that they can take their "Code once run anywhere" statement and shove it. Java is only a syntax. Your code for an applet looks very different than the code for a mobile app. And they're both kinda the same sized platform in my opinion. Why do you need to create a Color object for an Applet, when you just set a color by 0xrrggbb in a Midlet? Stupid. The "Code once run anywhere" statement is useless when the objects and API's doesn't have the same names and methods on various platforms.

Quote from: ukmarkh on 12:55, 26 February 10
Learn C, it's the best by far... no question.

As for developing for multi platforms, I think this is a bad idea... imho I'd just concentrate on getting the best out of the platform your most familiar with and then release the code for people that wish to convert it to the other respective systems.

Why is that a bad idea? Lots of developers spend lots of time porting their app or game to other platforms. Probably starting with a Midlet, then a Blackberry version, then maybe Brew, onto iPhone and then Android and Flash. Then maybe Nintendo DS. etc etc
Why is that a bad idea?

ukmarkh · 14:08, 26 February 10

IMHO Java is sh1t... horrible and slow if you wanna do anything special. And every Java application I've ever used, runs at a snails pace, games are a different matter all together.

Again just my opinion, developing for multi systems has its problems; one of them is simply because what happens is you have to write the game or app for the lowest common denominator... i.e. the least powerful system. Better to be totally focused on a single platform and get the best from it.

If the goal is to make lots of money, well that's a completely different challenge entirely.

mr_lou · 15:10, 26 February 10

Quote from: ukmarkh on 14:08, 26 February 10
Again just my opinion, developing for multi systems has its problems; one of them is simply because what happens is you have to write the game or app for the lowest common denominator... i.e. the least powerful system.

This is true, but if the developer is already targeting a less powerful system, or if the game just doesn't have many requirements, wouldn't it be silly to not release for stronger platforms just because they're stronger? I think so.

ukmarkh · 17:33, 26 February 10

If the developer has already commited, and it's about making money, then for sure thats right... and something like Tetris proves that not all games need massive amounts of power. Although programming for a specific platform, say for instance the DSI or iphone can still have massive rewards.

mr_lou · 17:49, 26 February 10

My point exactly. Glad we agree.

And btw. The reason many JavaME mobile games are crappy is precisely because the coders want/need to support older phones. This is one advantage you don't see on many other platforms: Very old stuff can still run on the brand new phones.

Gryzor · 13:30, 01 March 10

So this thread has gone quite off its path

We were discussing about the wiki, I think, and ukmarkh made some valid points... so, should we resurrect the GB project?

mgman · 18:42, 24 December 10

Sorry to necro-bump this, but I need to point something out.

I can't believe I did not come across this topic LAST YEAR. The topic does bring up some interesting points and all I can say is that I'm shocked. The CPC Zone was by far the coolest reto-computer type of archiving site. What's even more is that its community was, along with WoS community, the nicest, chill and humble. Now I get to find out that behind the scenes, the main man isn't exactly as comforting as the site over which he had the most hogging control.

BTW, the Ritchardo guy; is he Richardo MK II from CPC Zone?

Gryzor · 18:51, 24 December 10

Quote from: mgman on 18:42, 24 December 10
What's even more is that its community was, along with WoS community, the nicest, chill and humble.

Well, I'd like to think it's the same guys here, too. Does anyone have a different opinion? My memory fades, are there any members of the Zone that haven't made the transition?

khisanth · 19:52, 24 December 10

Ah Malc, the man obsessed with Michael Jackson and who was really quite a rude,inconsiderate,selfish and self obsessed individual.

Probably a few have fallen by the wayside, maybe some dont even know about this!

I need to get back into the habit of checking in everyday like i did with the Zone. Make it my home page , that will solve it!

Gryzor · 20:46, 24 December 10

Yes, it's quite possible that we've lost a few, since it took a while for the Wiki to pick up its pace...

redbox · 21:30, 24 December 10

Interesting to see that given even more time and perspective on the matter, the sentiment is still the same about the situation.

It must be really annoying for all the people who lost so much work. But as I said before, never leave one person in charge, and that's why the wiki is so great.

mgman · 21:32, 24 December 10

Is that guy Richardo MK II?

Gryzor · 21:38, 24 December 10

@redbox: yes, it is interesting indeed. Maybe because it's a close-knit community and people really do care about the input they have...?

@mgman: what guy?

AMSDOS · 22:00, 24 December 10

I remember being young and foolish and got treated accordingly. There were some good folks there though and most of them are here. Haven't seen zeropolis79 though since the zone went down though noticed their a member of this forum!

Gryzor · 22:18, 24 December 10

http://cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=115

Unfortunately, last active in June... maybe we should email him?

AMSDOS · 23:16, 24 December 10

Gryzor wrote:

Unfortunately, last active in June... maybe we should email him?

From what I recall they get really tied up with stuff and generally cannot be here. I don't think it's necessarily to email them, some forums generally let people know their still around when they send out Christmas and Birthday PMs if that's any sort of a hint!

zeropolis79 · 15:02, 31 January 11

Hello all..

I was informed by someone on LemonAmgia that members of this board were looking for me (for some strange reason)...

I've been busy a lot and also the CPC scene seemed to have slowed down a lot..

Good news however, I've got a new real CPC.. It maybe a 6128 Plus but it's still a real CPC.. Cost me £2 but have no monitor or power lead so have no idea if it works.. Goign to get one of those modulators which let u run it on a TV.. Also got an Amstrad NC-200 with power lead, carry case and manual, also for £2 and that works!

Also working on my book - the original drafts of which were written 15 years ago using Protext on a 6128!

I'm also doing work on making a new website to replace the zone... I've got a good collection of screenschots and cover scans here. The webmaster of World of Spectrum has promised me access to anything he has related to the CPC..

News:

ATTN: Malc