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Nandrew
05-04-2008, 04:35 PM
So, yeah, I'm glad that Dev.Mag 21 went down well, but I do feel quite terrible for the delays that we had to suffer to get it out.

Naturally, I'm keen to make up for that this edition, and I want to see some really great content for number 22. I may even throw a few surprises in myself.

I'm keen on suggestions for thematic entries in this edition. I'm also craving design pieces -- last edition was remarkably tutorial-heavy (which IS cool in a way), but I'd like a sense of balance in this regard. Hopefully we can cover some bases this edition and get some stuff related to the comp 17 entries put to paper (postmortems are generally cool, dear writers ;) ).

DEADLINE THIS MONTH IS 18 APRIL.

------------------------------

Current content up for grabs in the mag. Will be edited when necessary, so please check on this regularly. All articles on this post are up for grabs, unless they're indicated as having a writer assigned.

Please note that further proposals are requested for each section -- this isn't a cast-in-stone content deal.


FROM THE NET:
- done by me, though submissions are wholeheartedly welcome. In fact, they're encouraged. +-100 words each

FEATURE:
- It's likely that we'll have a H-Craft interview this edition. Fuzzyspoon has sent me a transcript, though I'd like to use this opportunity to expand on that in some ways and have a feature which gets more bulk behind it. Ideas welcome.
- I'd really like something from Eric Gooch, I've been waiting on him for a few months (Fuzzyspoon).
- We've still got Mr Aikman of Synaesthete who's also open to an interview (I'd chat with him if this is desired).
- We haven't written anything about DigiPen yet, and I think a feature on this institution really deserves a place in Dev.Mag. There would be a lot to write about, and would make for a nice juicy piece.
- What about dislekcia's company? I'd like something written on that!
- We could have a look at the CMP Game Group, that big game development conglomerate thing behind stuff like Gamasutra and GDC. They're really involved with a lot of stuff!

OPINIONS:
I'm wondering about this section. Is Opinions all that valuable to us, or are we just trying to keep it going for the sake of it?

REVIEWS:
- Trilby: The Art of Theft (Gazza_N)
- Lost Garden. Normally, this would be a review (and it COULD be), but if somebody can write something considerable on it, I'd consider punting it into either Features or Design depending on the angle taken. (writer needed)
- Duty and Beyond (TROOJG)

TUTORIALS:
- A blue pill article (writers apply)
- Blender (?rman/wireman)
- Photoshop (UntouchableOne)
- Irrlicht (Fuzzy)
- Procedural generation with gGuardian (GAZZA_N - done)
- Some cool trick from Herman Tulleken

DESIGN:
- Coding Etiquette (Coolhand - if you can find any more topics. Request me for a brainstorm if needed)
- WIP: Mathstermind (Squid / Dislekcia, I'll keep nagging until this is ready)
- WIP: Zticky Zlime (Nandrew) (I should get around to this)
- Postmortem: Cartesian Chaos (Evil_Toaster has been putting this off for a while, methinks)
- gGuardian postmortem (GAZZA_N)
- I'll throw in an article about timed gaming and what has been learned from comp 17. I'll be asking you people for your feedback to put into a boxout.
- We've had something similar in the past, (Geometrix wrote something about project management), but don't you guys think there's a call for a once-off piece on Design Documents? It can't hurt to remind people about their value (FUZZYSPOON)
- "School days" article. What do you study and where do you go to get a job in the game development arena? I've been receiving a lot of e-mails related to this particular question and I think it's important to address.
- I'd like an article on the criticism / feedback process of a game. Giving and receiving criticism is an important skill for any game designer, and if anybody feels particularly qualified to write on this, please announce yourselves. (TROOJG)


TAILPIECE:
- A bunch of mini-reviews for South African AGS games, as suggested in the Dev.Mag 21 thread (Gazza_N?)
- Otherwise, still waiting on that DB sprite set :P

Cyberninja
05-04-2008, 05:27 PM
Sprites? Speak to Afflict. ;)

*I recommend you take feta to his house. =]

Tr00jg
05-04-2008, 10:19 PM
-I'll review a South African AGS game (still have to pick one).

-I'd like to try the criticism/feedback article?

Oh yeah. What happened to my previous review? Still there somewhere?

FuzzYspo0N
05-04-2008, 11:15 PM
Irrlicht (Fuzzy) -

90%



- I'd really like something from Eric Gooch, I've been waiting on him for a few months (Fuzzyspoon).


complete :)



It's likely that we'll have a H-Craft interview this edition. Fuzzyspoon has sent me a transcript, though I'd like to use this opportunity to expand on that in some ways and have a feature which gets more bulk behind it. Ideas welcome.

I have a piece that can also be put in. its an irrlicht based game that is going commercial soon, its been eyed by canadian goverment and the developers have approached for a grant and are through to phase 3 already with goverment funding etc. Besides all that they have created a system that is cross system gaming, as in PVP but across any platform, xbox,pc,linux,mac,n-gage,psp,ps3,iphone etc, its all written up about and its a combat game.

http://shadow.krabbit.com/varmint/ksw_teaser/images/800/22.jpg
http://shadow.krabbit.com/varmint/ksw_teaser/images/800/15.jpg
http://shadow.krabbit.com/varmint/ksw_teaser/images/800/16.jpg

large scale combat, personal gravity (kinda like walk wherever you want to), loads of moves and combos.

Etc, this guy majking it is actually one of my good friends, and he is certainly keen on doing some infos and write ups. If this appeals to you, i shall be ready!

Its him and his wife, btw. 2 ppl, at home making games. u gotta love it :P


a once-off piece on Design Documents? It can't hurt to remind people about their value (up for grabs)

id hit that, if its not highly saught after.

Ill submit an opinion, just cos i can and then.

Gazza_N
05-04-2008, 11:41 PM
I'll happily do a postmortem of gGuardian, if you like, and then we can nix/integrate the proc-gen piece. I'll also try my hand at that Art of Theft review - I know you've been looking for one for a couple of months now, and I seem to have established myself as a Yahtzee game reviewer. :P

FuzzYspo0N
05-04-2008, 11:49 PM
lolgodoitnowgazza

Afflict
06-04-2008, 04:10 AM
Sprites? Speak to Afflict. ;)

*I recommend you take feta to his house. =]

Hehe...

Yeah, feta will be good ;) Peanut butter cookies however will be da bomb! ;)

Will get more involved with this after the major deadline I'm working on at the moment...

My Game Design research has been through the roof lately, so I might do some random articles / something or another's :P that I'll send you guys and you can include it in the mag.

Realistically, this will all happen round about the 1st of May. :) Yes it's true I'll be able to dedicate more time then. :)

I'm making the sprites top priority, on my GD to-do list.

Gazza_N
06-04-2008, 10:11 AM
-I'll review a South African AGS game (still have to pick one).
The links on Bigbluecup are dead, but Afflict's been awesome and given alternate links for us:

Duty & Beyond (www.thediabolicalduo.com/games/DutyAndBeyond.zip)
Hallway of Adventures (www.thediabolicalduo.com/games/Hallway.zip)
Knight Squire (www.thediabolicalduo.com/games/Knightsquire.zip)
Nether World (www.thediabolicalduo.com/games/netherworld.zip)
The Family Treasure (www.thediabolicalduo.com/games/TheFamilyTreasure.zip)

I don't know if I'll have a review of one of the above ready for this edition, but I will play through what I can manage and perhaps write something for issue 23. But since Tr00jg is willing to pick up the slack.... ;)

Afflict
06-04-2008, 03:59 PM
I know most of those off by heart :) I can also write up one maybe...

I think pick articles so we dont duplicate them ?

Tr00jg
06-04-2008, 05:13 PM
Whoa, Duty and Beyond and Family Treasure made this top 20 list.

http://indygamer.blogspot.com/2007/02/top-20-adventure-games-part-1.html

I dibs Duty and Beyond. :D

Afflict
06-04-2008, 06:05 PM
Duty & Beyond is one HUGE game, one of my all time favourites :) Everybody should play it. Then again all those games are good, puzzle wise they also very challenging.

Tr00jg
06-04-2008, 07:35 PM
Duty & Beyond is one HUGE game, one of my all time favourites :) Everybody should play it. Then again all those games are good, puzzle wise they also very challenging.

So far it is quite uninteresting (unengaging)... I'm still in the submarine though. The style is cool though.

EDIT:

Can't fire the harpoon. Either I'm being too daft here or something. So instead I'm playing Family Treasure so long.

moonblade
07-04-2008, 09:45 AM
What about an series of articles from beginners about how it is to be a beginner and start dev'ing games?

You could call the series "Beginners Diary" or something like that?

/Allan

Nandrew
07-04-2008, 03:23 PM
An interesting idea, moonblade, but our readers will typically be either at that stage themselves (and would find the info superfluous) or they'd already be relatively experienced developers. I feel that the article would be a novelty, but ultimately of limited educational value.

With regards to writer requests, I've updated the prep thread assignments (I think I've given everybody their requested pieces). Please note that I'm going to do my best this month -- and from here on, in fact -- to be a relatively diligent editor and will most likely throw your articles back at you for a rewrite after I've read the first draft. Don't worry if your work is filled with proverbial red pen marks -- I'm trying to be as fussy about content as possible, and want to see what I can do about getting every piece as polished as possible before it gets published.

FuzzYspo0N
07-04-2008, 04:12 PM
agreed on the polishing. im notorius for messing with english and not noticing :D

moonblade
08-04-2008, 12:45 PM
An interesting idea, moonblade, but our readers will typically be either at that stage themselves (and would find the info superfluous) or they'd already be relatively experienced developers. I feel that the article would be a novelty, but ultimately of limited educational value.


Well, you are right, I just thought that an article about difficulties in dev'ing games created by persons who are in the problems right now, the thoughts and ideas and how to get startet and progressing in this.
An article created for beginners, by beginners.

But, yes, i can see your point.

/Allan.

FuzzYspo0N
08-04-2008, 12:59 PM
moonblade , i also agree with nandrew, but i also think if you read through breakdowns of the games like the WIP things, its more of what you are describing. in 20 there was a breakdown where i mentioned problems i faced etc, usually its there i think... i think its enough for beginners to speak on forums too :) as you may have noticed the HUGE thread about game maker querstions and what not

not a bad suggestion tho,

Tr00jg
08-04-2008, 08:38 PM
Okay. Played The Family Treasure and reviewing it.

NightTimeHornet
09-04-2008, 04:54 PM
Hi, i'm here as usual. Not sure where I fit in this month however. Nandrew, perhaps you could do the usual; point at a stick and shout "Fetch NTH!"

Chippit
09-04-2008, 05:18 PM
Hi, i'm here as usual. Not sure where I fit in this month however. Nandrew, perhaps you could do the usual; point at a stick and shout "Fetch NTH!"
I get that a lot too. ;)

UntouchableOne
18-04-2008, 03:21 PM
Hi Nandrew. Just want to confirm, I sent you the Issue 22 Photoshop tut some time ago, do you still have it or do you need me to send it again?

Chippit
18-04-2008, 03:28 PM
We've got it.

Nandrew
21-04-2008, 07:43 PM
Hey guys,

Sorry, just been either
(a) in Johannesburg
(b) hideously ill
for about the past week or so.

Content is coming together nicely this month -- I came back to a nice and chunky inbox and I've grabbed some of the articles to proof for the meantime. However, there's a few gaps in the submissions and I'd urge everybody who has promised content this month (or hasn't promised, but still hasn't written anything anyway ;) ) to get their stuff in as soon as possible so that I can grant feedback.

Take a look at the prep pit if you need ideas -- there's definitely plenty of writing to go around!

Nandrew
21-04-2008, 07:45 PM
To point a finger at something in particular that needs beingz donez, I'm still looking for a writer for our proposed tailpiece to throw something forward.

dislekcia
21-04-2008, 08:52 PM
The MathsterMind postmortem will be done at the end of next week... There might be a followup piece once the whole project ends a few months after that up in Mpumalanga. What kind of wordcount should Squid and I aim at?

-D