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Nandrew
06-01-2008, 04:51 PM
Hey guys!

A long-overdue prep thread, and I'm sure that most peeps are back from their holidays by now and ready to kick-start the new year with an awesome edition of Dev.Mag!

I'm focusing on content for this issue -- I like making the first release of the year rather plump considering the 1-month gap we take during the holidays, and I want everybody to get involved this month with ... well, something or another. A little bit from everyone, so to speak.

Starting now, I'll be working diligently on Issue 20 content. The e-mails gathering dust in Dev.Mag's inbox shall be examined, and people will be harassed for content (unless they've already promised me wads, in which case I'd like to kindly remind them that yes, I still expect wads).

The deadline? 14th of the month, preferably, but if you've just put your feet back on home soil and feel a little rushed, getting stuff in by the 21st would be appreciated, thanks. ;)

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

Current content up for grabs in the mag. Will be edited at regular intervals, so please check on this regularly. All articles on this post are up for grabs, unless they're indicated as having a writer assigned. This may be a habit that I keep up with future issues, it's nice and organised and stuff.

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:
I would love a feature related to IGF 2008. It's the right time of year and it would be massively appropriate. If a writer wants to focus on the Game Maker entries in the IGF, that would also be fine.


OPINIONS:
(Please note that the opinion section is an open ground and that all wannabe writers are welcome to try out. If you want to get into writing for Dev.Mag, feel free to have a go in this section. Should be 300-500 words)

REVIEWS:
Chippit and Fuzzyspoon have each promised a multitude of reviews this month.
... more wouldn't hurt, of course. Particularly if they're IGF entries.
Reviews already claimed:
Aquaria
Darwinia
H-Craft Championship
Iron Dukes (For Chippit - request details if needed)
Irrlicht tool
Yoyo games winter competition winner (if details are released in time -- for Chippit)

TUTORIALS:
Game development for beginners ( Fengol -- I'm twisting your arm for this. rly rly. This series cannot screech to a halt )
Blue pill article - Find a tool you've been fiddling about with an write a primer for it! (currently open for writers this month)
Blender (?rman/wireman)
Blender supplement (Chippit)
Photoshop (UntouchableOne)

DESIGN:
Coding Etiquette (Coolhand - if you can find any more topics. Request me for a brainstorm if needed)
Replacement series to fill the void left by our dearly departed I-Imagine series
Postmortem: Ultimate Quest (Chippit / Azimuth)
WIP: Project SCR (Fuzzyspoon)
WIP: Mathstermind (Squid / Dislekcia, pweeze start it this month? :) )
WIP: Zticky Zlime (Nandrew) (depends on how many other articles I end up adopting)
Postmortem: Cartesian Chaos (Evil_Toaster? Pweese? Naow. Naow)
Any other postmortems/WIPs welcome, possibly Deathbringer? (Gazza_N?)

TAILPIECE:
A lineup of the IGF entries -- mini-reviews, where possible, otherwise just basic descriptions. Could be fun (writers apply for this, please)
Otherwise, suggestions welcome (possibly something related to the DB sprite set, still waiting on it)

Insomniac
06-01-2008, 05:22 PM
I've got a review almost ready on 5 Days a Stranger although you seem to be pretty well stocked with reviews this issue. I'll send it anyway as you can always stockpile it for issue 21 :)

FuzzYspo0N
06-01-2008, 05:25 PM
Hey i got the two reviews in so far, im working on a combo of the irrlicht for this :


REVIEWS:
Irrlicht tool

TUTORIALS:
Blue pill article

This goes together. PArt 1 : an introduction to irrlicht is the engine review, whats its capable of with screens and all sorts, as well as the conclusion which is a primer for irrlicht. Setting it up for use, the tools you can use, as well as a c++, Visual basic, and C# code sample for a black screen with a deebee in there. Its the start of that series i spoke to you about?

It will cover creating simple games with irrlicht (probably, 4 parts) making 2 games, and then, moving onto "advanced" 3d stuff, making interesting 3d games etc. SCR is part of the articles too where i dissect stuff such as handling physics, handling camera control and the like. This includes all types of info, i can discuss it more in detail if need be nandrew?


WIP: Project SCR (Fuzzyspoon)

Awesome :D iv been writing up the full info and specs and all major releases planned. This will go well with all the shots and some problems iv faced, challenges and triumphs in the development of a full 3d game as a one man team (and the evolution of getting a team involved half way through)


What else can i do for the 14th?

Iv got the interview with the irrlicht creator and team. as well as the interview with eric gooch from insomniac games, he is an artist (ratchet and clank, original cmd and conquer) um there is also a full length article on team , and the importance thereof (listed in a little more detail in the other thread) but im not sure what to pick

Any ideas? suggestions? tell me what you want :) i owe a LOT cos of last years failings, so im spamming this year ;P

Nandrew
06-01-2008, 06:22 PM
Hehe.

Alrighty -- Insomniac, I'd given up on that review, but I'm glad to hear it's come through after all. :P Sure, please, send it through, and I'll either use it now or in the next edition, depending on the situation. I'd like to have it now either way.

Fuzzy -- great stuff. Regarding Irrlicht, the blue pill format is relatively specific in its aims (ie in the way that blue pills are short, once-off articles that give a broad summary of what's needed to get into a particular tool) while your Irrlicht series proposal is more in-depth. I don't necessarily mind this, but just to inform you that your current ideas aren't going to fit under the blue pill schema unless you're willing to hold off the main Irrlicht idea for now and write a blue pill quickie for this month.

It's your call on that, either way.

I'm also happy that you've got interviews lined up and I'm sure we'll use them, if not this month then in the months to come. I'm just rather set on getting an IGF-related feature this month, seeing as I think the winners are announced during February and this is our last opportunity for build-up.

Alternatively, we can focus on looking at the IGF finals in retrospect next month, but I like the idea of us being on our toes with this one. I'm open to input, of course.

Gazza_N
06-01-2008, 06:43 PM
I've got a review almost ready on 5 Days a Stranger although you seem to be pretty well stocked with reviews this issue. I'll send it anyway as you can always stockpile it for issue 21 :)

The coincidence is much. I've been spending stupid amounts of time playing point-and-click adventure games over the hols, and I happen to have played through all four games in the Chzo series (5 days a stranger, 7 days a skeptic, etc, etc). Point being, if I could replace the Deathbringer article with a review of one of those...........

FuzzYspo0N
06-01-2008, 06:48 PM
Aha i wasnt 100% percent sure of what exactly blue pill was :P i forget


write a primer for it! primer being the key word :P

Iv got a few tools, i dont know which fit. DeepUV, is a UV mapping tool that integrates into most 3d apps to create awesome UV maps, there is also the free NVIDIA FX composer tool, ATI rendermonkey (for creating shaders) as well as GLSL devil, Typhoon labs have ShaderLab Pro which is awesome.
On the other hand there are dark basic, which is quite awesome.. I cant imagine or think of other "tools" im not sure.. there is a primer for wings3d i can do, 3dstudio max, 3d world studio, um, there is also a bunch of tools relating to creating sprites, such as EXgen, and there is another usefull tool iv found that can convert 3d animations to 2d mip maps of sprites, VERY useful for game maker?

Hmm, theres a plenty coming, tell me whats u wanting ill get on it asap. Iv just recieved the email from eric gooch :

I'd be fine with an interview. Send me some questions, and I'll answer them if I can.

Later!
-Eric G.

And Niko from irrlicht :

Nikolaus Gebhardt to me

Hi,
sure, just send the questions in :)

Iv composed most of the questions am just gonna run through it a few times to make it cooler...

Nandrew
06-01-2008, 07:02 PM
Sweet, I like that.

If you have to prioritise, go for Nikolaus over Eric. It'll fit in better with your Irrlicht series, and I like the idea of the mag having complementary content. Heck, we may even make January the "Irrlicht edition" and save the IGF for February if it turns out to be better that way.

I trust you'll know what to ask Nikolaus about, but I'd like to know your aims for Eric. What do you want our readers to learn from an interview with him? What's your angle on him going to be, specifically?

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

Gazza_N -- oh man, that is awkward. But I think I have a plan. If you write a review on the second Chzo game this month, then between you and Insomniac get the third and fourth written for next month, we can release them in pairs.

I think that releasing full reviews of all four games at once would be a bit overwhelming and probably repetitive for the reader, and I think it's a bit late at this stage to step back and write a single compound review, but I reckon two at a time couldn't hurt.

Could you get me a review of 7 days for this month to go alongside Insomniac's 5 days?

Gazza_N
06-01-2008, 07:17 PM
Consider it done. Besides, each game has enough unique gameplay changes to warrant separate reviews. Trilby's notes uses a text parser, for instance.

Insomniac
06-01-2008, 07:33 PM
That's a cool idea, I'm up for it.
For the next two, is alright if I do Trilby's Notes, Gazza N? As it means I only have to catch up on 7 Days A Skeptic before doing it.

FuzzYspo0N
06-01-2008, 07:34 PM
we may even make January the "Irrlicht edition" and save the IGF for February

*beams* that wud be radness, cos scr, the review, the intro and the interview are irrlicht, as well as hcraft championship :D

But yea thats all up to you. Ill have both interviews done by then im sure,
Also ,for eric he is a light artist and works on cool games, im not entirely sure what i wud ask him, ill think about it more, it wud mainly be about getting into a huge company as such, how it is to work on team with "legends" of the industry, um, how wud one get involved in lighting as well as mapping and techiniques employed in cutting edge games(such as reisitance for PS3) and stuff.. i wud try make it educational too,

Ill submit the questions to you sooner, so you can see if its worth it , else ill review the questions and he can answer anyway, giving it for another time.

Gazza_N
06-01-2008, 08:19 PM
For the next two, is alright if I do Trilby's Notes, Gazza N? As it means I only have to catch up on 7 Days A Skeptic before doing it.
No complaints here. I am rather fond of Notes, but I'll happily do 6 Days instead. :)

UntouchableOne
06-01-2008, 08:42 PM
I'm currently working on another photoshop tut, an opinion piece, possibly a blue pill on asphyre(this has been haunting me for a while, I really think I should get it done)...there's a game I'm working on, I would like to write a WIP article on it but I think it will be more appropriate/suitable in a later issue. If there's anything else in specific that you would like me to write, I'm game.

dislekcia
07-01-2008, 02:09 AM
WIP: Mathstermind (Squid / Dislekcia, pweeze start it this month? :) )

Our first milestone hits on the 14th... After that we'll see how our time looks. If it's at all possible to get something in by the 21st, we'll have something for you. Squid has some ideas about an interesting format, seeing as it's just the two of us working on this at the moment.

-D

Squid
07-01-2008, 01:58 PM
Our first milestone hits on the 14th... After that we'll see how our time looks. If it's at all possible to get something in by the 21st, we'll have something for you. Squid has some ideas about an interesting format, seeing as it's just the two of us working on this at the moment.

-D

Erhm, yar, what he said...

Cyberninja
07-01-2008, 02:34 PM
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/a0b1a29dd3.gif (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

I've been told he will be arriving soon.

Nandrew
07-01-2008, 02:41 PM
Sweet!

And that animation looks *really* cool.

Tr00jg
08-01-2008, 02:46 PM
I'm coming back on the 11/12th. I don't know what to write, but if it is cool, I would like to do an article about the site www.tigsource.com ?

Nandrew
08-01-2008, 03:35 PM
A review?

That's fair enough, looks like a decent catch. Feel free to go ahead with it.

UntouchableOne
14-01-2008, 09:23 PM
Photoshop tut signed, sealed n sent.

Nandrew
29-01-2008, 02:14 PM
Just a little note to get you guys in the zone: Dev.Mag's been undergoing production for about a week now (thanks to everybody this month, by the way, we got practically everything in by deadline!), and our first issue of the year is looking to be ENORMOUS.

I'm going through section by section, and reviews alone seem to be tipping the scales at about 9 pages. I've been shaving content like crazy, and we already have several articles being moved to next month because there simply isn't enough room left in this edition!

A big "well done" in advance, you guys -- Issue 20 is going to be epic.

Gazza_N
29-01-2008, 07:10 PM
I've been shaving content like crazy, and we already have several articles being moved to next month because there simply isn't enough room left in this edition!
Wow. Bet you didn't expect this a year ago... ;)

FuzzYspo0N
30-01-2008, 08:16 AM
yea, tho its FTW> the bigger the better

Nandrew
05-02-2008, 02:51 PM
If we're lucky, Dev.Mag comes out before the end of today.

50 pages. On the dot.

Gazza_N
05-02-2008, 02:57 PM
50 pages. On the dot.

0.0

Looking forward to it!

FuzzYspo0N
06-02-2008, 03:04 PM
im busy downloading it
ftw