The QB Times issue 3

eZine lover (@eZine)

Published in 

The QB Times

 · 1 Jan 2023

Contents:

• Introduction
  
• Feedback
  
• Errors in the last issue
  
• Shorts
  
• Projects
  
• Making a basic GDM handler
  
• Program (P)reviews
  
  • Pokemon Unlimited
    
  • Kalderan
    
  • TMB Software
    

• Map Engines: Zelda style free movement and pixel by pixel scrolling
  
• Writing your own scripting language
  
• The .ZIP File format!
  
• Full Motion Video
  
• Interview with Maz about The Legend of Aliea
  
• Closing Words
  
• Credits

Introduction

Welcome to the QB Times issue #3! This issue is a few weeks late due to the fact that I had some personal problems and I couldn't get on the internet. Anyway here we are again with lotsa news, articles, project updates and a few new things! Also please welcome Nekrophidius as new writer for the QB Times! He's doing a nice series on BWSB. For other articles this issue, I've continued my scripting language article with IFs and variables this time, Maz wrote a nice article about scrolling engines, gza_wu has done some program (p)reviews and there is much more!

-Nightwolf

Feedback

I have recently read the QB Times and I really liked it. Your ASM tutor is really easy to read, unlike the other tutorial I have downloaded from the net. I was wondering if you had any information on .MOV files and how to open it in basic.

Sincerely,
Matt email: MutantEgg@aol.com

Thanks for the compliments =) But I would like to point out abionnnn wrote the ASM tutorial. So all your credit should go to him. You can find an article about .MOV file on Wotsit I didn't put it in this QB Times because it's really big and in Adobe Acrobat format. You can find an article on .ZIP files in this issue though...

-Nightwolf

It said in QBTimes #2 that B-Czar flooded the QB Forum. I find that highly unlikely, as B-Czar resolved the spammers IP address, his REAL LIFE address and threatened the spammer. Here's a quite from QB Forum: Please read after this clip also...

-CLIP----------------------------------
To the one who scrolls: READ by B-Czar
I know everything about you. I have connections you cannot imagine. I remain calm and clear-headed most of the time, but you have gone too far. I know you use bellsouth. I know where you live, mr. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I would post your full address, but I want to save the satisfaction of your utter demise for myself. You are dealing with forces you cannot image, 216.77.201.145... you shall be stopped, one way or another.
I offer you one last chance to leave this board and NEVER return... if you ever come back... well... I won't be responsible for the reprecussions. Thank you for your time, B-Czar

-CLIP----------------------------------
Then I found this on the QBForum, MadHatter is talking about B-Czar.

-CLIP----------------------------------
Hmmm...something about this tea party is disgusting.... by Madhatter
That isn't B-Czar because B-Czar left for a month and so forth. He also doesn't sound like him so my disregards are that...uh...well...he doesn't sound like him. What if this isn't his IP? What if this is just an enhancement to a plot that we cannot truly comprehend...or possibly just me. Hmmm...oh well....
Posted on Apr 12 1999, 02:38 AM

-CLIP----------------------------------
Also, here's a listing of some messages...

-CLIP----------------------------------
Read this! you dirty old bum!

        SHIT HEAD on Apr 11      Your IP is 216.77.201.145 
        B-Czar on Apr 11         * Ok 
        APerson on Apr 11        1. Ass Hole 
        SHIT HEAD on Apr 11      2. Ass Hole 
        SHIT HEAD on Apr 11      3. Ass Hole 
        SHIT HEAD on Apr 11      4. Ass Hole 
        SHIT HEAD on Apr 11      5. Ass Hole 
        SHIT HEAD on Apr 11      6. Ass Hole 
        SHIT HEAD on Apr 11

-CLIP----------------------------------
It seems obvious to me that it wasn't B-Czar that flooded the QB Forum. Please tell me your view on this.

Ok, I know I made a very big mistake last issue. For further explanation please read about it in shorts.

Errors in the last issue

There was only one error in issue #2, but it was a BIG one! It was about B-Czar flooding the QBasic.com forum. He didn't do this! I wrote an apoligy in shorts.

Shorts

B-Czar did NOT flood the QBasic.com forum!

Ok, I made a very big mistake last issue saying that B-Czar flooded the QBasic.com forum. He didn't do this. I apoligy for any enconviniences B-Czar might had from people mailing him. Please read the message about this in Feedback.

FS has a new member
Stefan Hendriks is the newest member of Future Software. He's working in a C&C clone called Arrakis which is really cool. Other Future Software news is that ZeldaClone has been resumed.

New BASIC IDE + Compiler
I recently got an e-mail from a guy telling me that het developed an BASIC IDE + Compiler. He sent me a big mail with the history of the project and some technical specs. Here's a clip from the mail:

Over the years, I developed a 32-bit BASIC language compiler with IDE and GuiDesigner. The original implementation was for the Motorola 88000 RISC CPU running on UNIX. Over the next 4 years I ported XBasic to WindowsNT, SCO UNIX, Linux. Somewhere along the line I let Motorola 88000 and SCO UNIX implementations fall behind, so today the Windows95/98/NT and Linux implementations are the only two left up-to-date. Well, in-sync is probably a better phrase, since I've not worked on XBasic since shortly after Windows95 came out.

Anyway, I was unfortunate enough to grant XBasic marketing license to some total morons. Their marketing model was "tell nobody and hope the phone rings". I've been busy doing other projects and their license expired 2 or 3 years ago.

For some strange reason it recently started to bother me that nobody was getting anything out of "all that work". So I decided to make XBasic available to everyone as freeware, and posted it on my web-site. An overview: http://www.maxreason.com/software/xbasic/xbasic.html (...)

The XBasic programming language is not identical to QBasic or QuickBasic, but its vastly closer than VB. I wrote the original stripped-down XBasic compiler in QuickBasic, then tweaked it into XBasic when the XBasic compiler worked. From then on, all development has been in XBasic. All of XBasic, including its IDE and GuiDesigner is written in XBasic, except a little assembly language for speed critical routines like memory allocation and such.

Way back at the beginning of this project I wrote a QuickBasic to XBasic translator in XBasic. Though I can't find it (?maybe on an 8" floppy?), it is not super difficult to write one again - and maybe even integrate it into the IDE so people could load QBasic programs and run-city. In fact, I just started working on it again and we have some work starting up at the news:alt.lang.basic.compiler newsgroup.

For more information about XBasic you should go to: http://www.maxreason.com/software/xbasic/

Future Software moves to QB45.COM
Last month we told you that Future Software bought QB45.COM and now they actually moved to QB45.COM! Nightwolf Productions has made a deal with Future Software that they get 100MB space at their domain for a little donation.

Future Software also opened a forward service, webmaster can get an address at QB45.COM (http://www.qb45.com/yourname) and a little page which shows an advertisement and your banner or so. Goto http://www.qb45.com/ for more information!

Masamune_q changes nickname to Maz
Somewhere this month Masamune_q mailed everyone in his contact list of ICQ that he was changing his nickname from Masamune_q to Maz.

Nekrophidius joins QB Times crew
Last week I asked Nekrophidius if he wanted to write an article for the QB Times. I told him since he's great at BWSB if he could do a series about BWSB, he agreed and in this issue is his first article! In the next issues he'll continue his articles!

Qlympics finals are over!
All the winners in the Qlympics have been announced. The final scores are below in the table. I congratulate all winners with their prizes!

Fake OS

1^st 6.61 Atechos by Steven Crocker
2^nd 5.56 Windowz by Jeremy Hammond
3^rd 4.67 WinQB 2 by Mr. Cheat Code
4^th 4.28 Fake DOS by Chet Zema
5^th 3.17 JWH OS by Jonathan Hunt
6^th 3.11 QDOS by Ersin Y. Akinci

/Games/Action

1^st 8.13 SB's Bricks by Eric Schneider
2^nd 7.19 TF Tetris by Tom Ford
3^rd 6.69 Tetris 2 by Jorden Chamid
4^th 5.94 Commander Pang by Thomas Laguzzi
5^th 5.75 Grenade Pong by Aaron Sutherlin
6^th 5.13 Bombi World by Andrew Gorny
7^th 5.06 Renegade Force by Ivan Matyunin
8^th 5 Major Inferno 2 by Jeremy Hammond
9^th 4.88 Bouncy by Johnny Kauffman
10^th 4.69 QB Tron by Mike Hoge
10^th 4.69 Tetris by Markus Krütli
12^th 4.5 Brawl by Andrew Gorny
13^th 4.31 Space Surrender by Ray Hidayat
14^th 4.06 Space Explorer by Johan Gustafsson
15^th 4 Fight!2 by JiM
16^th 3.81 Air by Devin Garner
16^th 3.81 Escape from Hell by Jeremy Hammond

/Games/Adventure

1^st 7.79 Wetspot 2 by Angelo Mottola
2^nd 6.68 Peanut Patrol by Nick London
3^rd 6.54 SpaceWar by Bill McDonald
4^th 5.86 Stick Fighters 2 by Kevin Reems
5^th 5.5 Mario by Danny Gump
6^th 5.46 Dudes w/ Attitude by Wafn
7^th 5.11 Spaced by Noah Daleo
8^th 4.79 EMan by Nathan Horne
9^th 4.54 Monster Slayer by Noah Daleo
10^th 4.43 Jungle Warrior by Jeremy Moore

/Games/RPG
1^st 6.67 Dark Ages by Michael Hoopmann
2^nd 5.81 Mystical by Danny Gump
3^rd 5.52 Warrior of the ChiChi by Majiko
4^th 4.57 Of Hell and Magic by Aaron Bishop
4^th 4.57 QB Game by Ryan Florin
6^th 4.52 Lost 1 by Felix Casavahn
7^th 4.24 Gimp Warrior by Richard Jacobi and Dan Weber

/Games/Strategy

1^st 7.33 TF Checkers by Tom Ford
2^nd 6.33 Minesweeper by George Gardiner
2^nd 6.33 Puz by Jason Gould
4^th 5.67 Mirror Time 2 by Jonty Lovell
5^th 5.11 Password by Sunset Rider
6^th 4.89 Age of War by Timothy Baldridge and Daniel Rentas
6^th 4.89 Othello by Jason Sorensen
6^th 4.89 Tic Tac Toe 3D by Richie
9^th 4.67 Master Mind by Cheng-Ning Pu
10^th 4.33 QGolf by Richie
11^th 4 Chinese Squares by Cheng-Ning Pu
12^th 3.78 Hangman by Guardian Bob

/Games/Text-based

1^st 5.73 Guess Phrase by Guardian Bob
2^nd 5.55 AGS by Grant Shreve
3^rd 5.27 Drugs Baron by ADeo
4^th 5 Stock Market Shark by Damon Amyx
5^th 4.91 Battle Tank by Jimmy Griffith
6^th 4.55 Hover Wars by Zach Perkins
7^th 4.45 Star Wars 20 by Danny Gump
8^th 4.09 IRC Chat by Steven Crocker
9^th 4 Agent007 by Jimmy Griffith
9^th 4 Dark Wizard II by Neal Franzen
9^th 4 Dark Wizard III by Neal Franzen
12^th 3.91 Dark Wizard by Neal Franzen
13^th 3.45 Gem Thief by Jordan Miller
14^th 2.27 Magic 8 Ball by Jimmy Griffith

/Graphics

1^st 9 PB3D by Marko Dokic
2^nd 8 2DBump by Thomas Ludwig
3^rd 7.56 PB2DBump by Marko Dokic
4^th 7.44 PB2DWater by Marko Dokic
5^th 6.78 3D Particles by Thomas Ludwig
6^th 6.67 Ripple 2 by Danny Gump
7^th 6.22 3D Starfield by Anthony Stamboulis
8^th 5.78 Fire Fly by Thomas Ludwig
8^th 5.78 Water 2 by hydroXide
10^th 5.67 Ripple by Danny Gump
10^th 5.67 Thires by Thomas Ludwig
12^th 5.44 Water by Thomas Ludwig
13^th 5.33 Keko! by Steven Crocker
14^th 5.22 Goggles by Viktor Rootselainen
14^th 5.22 XMas by Viktor Rootselainen
16^th 5.11 Raycaster 1.1 by Mike Hoge
16^th 5.11 VS Plasma by Danny Gump
18^th 4.89 Digital Clock by Viktor Rootselainen
19^th 4.67 B & W Thing by Damon Amyx
19^th 4.67 Uninstall by Viktor Rootselainen
19^th 4.67 Wars Trek by Danny Gump
22^nd 4.22 Ultra Scroll by Peder Johnson
23^rd 3.67 Physics by David Nielson

/Utilities/File Handlers

1^st 6.29 GIF Converter by QBasic God
2^nd 5.86 FontPro by AccuPixel Software
3^rd 5.14 VFont2 by Sam Thursfield
4^th 5 Open BMP v0.3 by Yousuf Philips
4^th 5 Open PCX v0.3 by Yousuf Philips
6^th 4.86 MakeFont by Jeremy Hammond
7^th 4.71 Open AVI v0.3 by Yousuf Philips
8^th 4.4 3Buttons Creations by Jeremy Hammond
9^th 4 24bit BMPLoad by Yousuf Philips

/Utilities/Libraries

1^st 6.6 RPGDK2 by Exodus
2^nd 6.27 3D Plus by David Nielson
3^rd 6.13 Future Library by Jorden Chamid
4^th 5.8 Palpitat by Wafn
5^th 5.47 ASCII Kit by Sam Lee
6^th 4.270 Put by Jeremy Hammond

/Utilities/Miscellaneous

1^st 7.42 JPost by Fred Buffington
2^nd 7.33 Install by Fred Buffington
3^rd 6.08 Encryption by Mike Conley
4^th 5.08 DWA Level Editor by Wafn
5^th 4.25 Stack by Thomas Laguzzi
5^th 4.25 Ultra-Tools by Jeremy Hammond
7^th 4 Electronic Secretary by Cheng-Ning Pu
8^th 3.83 JW Basic 2 by Jonathan Hunt
8^th 3.83 PhoneBook by Bryan Perfetto
10^th 3.67 QB Translator by Mark Andryk
11^th 3.5 F1 Manager by Christian Waldschmidt
12^th 3.08 Fosil & Librarian by Jonathan Hunt

/Utilities/Paint Shops

1^st 6.29 SpritedM by Nick Brownfield
2^nd 6.14 Sprite Shop by Jason Gould
3^rd 6.07 AR Paint by Steven Crocker
4^th 5.71 TFR Paint by Steven Crocker
5^th 4.64 Draw II by Jack
6^th 3.5 DBPaint by Dwaipayan Banerjee

Projects

• JP Zorrilla is working on Footbal 99, a football game inspired in Konami's International Superstar Soccer.
• Also JP Zorrilla is working on Raging Fire, a fighting game, with big sprites (up to 160x160). The characters will be in Anime style. The characters are designed together with Damian Rosso. The engine will be ready in a few weeks, but the graphics will take several months to be finished.
• Majiko is working on Crystal Keeper, it has no demos or updates. But it will contain FLIs and cool GFX (At least he says so...) More info: http://majiko.logiclrd.cx/
• actlab is working on the Curse of Elaines Castle you can get a demo from http://www.actlab.de/tcdemo.zip
• Sentoshi and The Collector are working on the Aliens-X. There is no last release of the program, because a public demo has never been made, due to the fact that there's not enough doable to warrant a public showing. However, one will be released by June. The final version is slated to be released on January 1, 2000, so it can be the first video game of the new Millennium.
• MA*SNART is working on XENO2. Here is a current screen shot of the engine in development: The model is of a space ship hanger...the 'camera' is located in a hallway that leads to an elevator [the 'box' like shape near the image center] and you can see a fighter ship to the left through the 'window'...As you can see [hopefully!] the engine can now render interior environments... with walls and ceilings and all that stuff...also the engine isn't limited to 'tile' areas like XENO 1 was...In fact the whole environment is quite free...the walls and such can be at any angle [and any size]... However it still has some bugs to hunt down [math problems limit the model size...if the camera moves to far in any direction it will crash] and he's still experimenting with the number of polygons it can handle [the larger the polygon the more likely it will be clipped if the camera gets to close...causes things like the floor to suddenly disappear] However this version runs in SCREEN 13 [no buffer yet...so it flickers] and with the current model [of about 270 polygons] it runs at about 15-25 FPS in QB1.1! [In QB4.5 it's over double that!] corse it still needs to Z-sort and actually render a polygon MA*SNART is waiting for DQB1.6 [with the additional EMS support and 'blending' layers] before he'll commit a larger effort to it...
• Anthracks, Lord Noremac and ColdMouse are working on Reign of Annihilation They're working towards a demo, including making maps, scripts, tiles, and supporting code. Also, ColdMouse is writing a story set before our game to provide depth and an introduction to the world. The website is http://roa.hypermart.net.
• 19day is working on MazeRPG, but the last update was a few lifetimes ago, He's also beginning to plan his next game, a sequel, POV game, but he hasn't started programming it. Maybe it will be SVGA.http://come.to/mazerpg for more info.
• Akujin is working on a little miniquest game.Currently done is a scrolling engine, and part of an attack system (zelda style-ish).
• The Brain and NutZboy are working on Peanut Patrol 2 . It is the sequel to the original Peanut Patrol, by NutZboy. A demo of PP2 will be out very soon (probably in no more than 2 weeks). Expected release date: august-septemberish
• The Brain is also working on SSRPG. It will use the same scrolling engine as PP2. This game is a platform game, like peanut patrol (it uses the same graphics engine), but it has an rpg-like plot, characters, etc... There will be lots of magic, items, enemies, characters, action, and cool music to make this game work. Expected release date: mid 2000
• 1000101 is working on Senseless Violence. It's *another* RPG...but wait! It's isn't in the "final fantasy" knock-off category. It's in the "Ultima VIII" knock-off category. =) It's a multi-layer isometric engine that use SVGA 640x480x256. The sound engine plays MIDI, MOD, VOC, and WAV. It supports most major sound cards and PC speaker (yes, you can hear a VOC/WAV through the PC speaker). Basically, the game was designed to make fun of other games which are mostly hack-and-slash with a thin, weak plot - which is why it was called "Senseless Violence". To find more about it, go to http://scroll.to/crossfire
• exide is working on Mystic Sword Of Phantasy it's a comedy rpg mixture!
• Nekrophidius is working on 4 projects here they are: First of all: Wrath of Sona. Project includes Dave Perry, Linda Willson, Zack Friedrich, and Jason Gould. Last update was May 6th 1999. New features to be added to the game soon include true dual-layer scrolling highly optimized engine, and more of the REAL storyline... Second of all:Killers. Being developed by Dave Perry, Linda Willson, and DarkDread. Heavy-memory fighting game with HUGE character sprites, made possible thru DirectQB. No demos have been released yet. Biggest features: bloody graphic violence, wicked high speed, real-time camera zoom, and kewlish special FX. Thirdly: Kalderan. Being developed by the Bizzare Creations team at www.bizzarecreations.com. SVGA RPG with unparalleled speed and features. Digital music, nice graphics, excellent control. I personally am developing the great battle engine for this game. A couple of demos have been released, the last just a week or so ago. Fourthly and finally: Furball And Spike. Being developed by Linda Willson, Dave Perry, and Jason Gould. Action/platform game similar in nature to Bubsy. No demos have been released yet, and not many details of the project will be released for quite some time.
• leroy ans Jason are working on QuickBASIC Compatible Compiler (QBCC or QBCBC) - A protected mode BASIC compiler that is as close to QB as humanly possible. Features direct access to the DJGPP platform, allowing libraries such as Allegro, MikMOD to be used easily.
  leroy is working on the compiler and some of the library routines. Jason, is working on the rest of the library routines plus the Windows IDE for all of this.
• Guardian Bob is working on Bob's Great Adventure which is a tile-based maze game much like Chip's Challenge. It has level editor that actually works, too. There is an older version up on http://keiprod.cjb.net/projects.html
• DarkDread and a few others are working on Distant Promises which is a console style RPG, similar to the Final Fantasy series of games.
  The team members are as follows:
• DarkDread - Programming, story, graphics, music
• Devius Creed - CG renders
• SHROUD - monster design, beta testing
• Tyrrany - beta testing

Program (P)Reviews

Pokemon Unlimited

If you go on IRC and connect to an EFnet server and /join #quickbasic then you are sure to meet a man called Necrolyte. Also, I can guarantee that he will be spouting forth the words that make up this games saving grace in it's builds so far. 270 fps on a P200 MMX.

This is with no libraries and as I have seen the source, I'd say it could be optimized A LOT! Now that is saying something.

I think some things that let it down are the flickering due to lack of buffering (I can only assume that that is the problem). The scrolling is at the time of writing tile based movement which is rather too easy in this day and age. The story is as solid as the original Gameboy version albiet not finished being written and the NPC's of which there are many all have scripted moving and talking. Multiple NPC's can do scripted at the same time. Unfortunately a bug causes the NPC's to randomly disappear and always disappear when youtalk to them.

A very good point is that this program is released as an open-source so anyone can take a look at the source and borrow/steal anything. Why you would want to is beyond me though, it is pretty standard stuff on the whole.

Necrolyte's official statement is as follows:

This game will be complete with Walking/Talking NPC's, Animated Tiles, Animated Character, "scripted" moves around the maps, MapEditor (not released). I think Pokemon Unlimited will be a great demo. It has a VERY fast engine, tho fixed with a lil delay :). It's great, so get it today!Booyah!

I think that sums up more than I could talk about so you know where to find him to talk and give comments as this is a very early release and he needs the support from as many people as possible. One last point, can you leave out SBMIDI as it isn't the most efficient thing in the world!

(Also, I'd like to point out that in no way biased to MAZ-Q's version of Pokemon just because we work together - I always write fair and honest reviews of everything I do) Pokemon Unlimited

This article was written by Gza_wu (Christopher Neill)

Kalderan

WOW another RPG game...when will people ever stop? Was QBasic made to design RPGs? Well anyway here's the honest low down of Kalderan Alpha .35 using the Zephyr Library.

Unfortunately you need SBMIDI loaded and as there are lots of better alternatives nowadays, I'd rather have had in-built support. You do need SVGA, a mouse, XMS and a Sound Blaster (or compatible) to run this.

No collision detection is implemented (why?) which is one of the easiest things to do and the most essential in my opinion. I do hope that the next version includes this.

The frame rate is 30 fps on a 333 Mhz AMD cpu. which is acceptable. The tiles that are in the game are normal to say the least but the actual character/player is superbly drawn albiet small.

The mouse feature currently consists of a mouse on the screen?! Someone please e-mail me and tell me what it does, it's driving me insane. I was asked on loading, "how many NPC's do you want?". I have entered numerous figures but as yet I have failed to see any appear...e-mail me to tell me where these are hiding too! On larger maps the engine handles well using a pixel by pixel scrolling technique (not pixel by tile for a change) which really gives me hope compared to RPGEngine's tile based movement (see last issue). On smaller maps however (10 by 10), I experience shifting of tiles and some sprites being PUT in wrong places so there still is alot to be done. When the mouse is used, NPC's appear and they make more than 3 tiles, i think this is going to be a nice little RPG especially as it features changes between night and day which gives the game a sense of real-time about it. I am looking forward to a proper Beta. (change the midi's guys... FF7 music is so common (track 1))

Kalderan website: http://www.bizzarecreations.com

This article was written by Gza_wu (Christopher Neill)

TMB Productions

I got a call from Nightwolf telling me to review this game and I though WOW, another game to review, this will be good...How wrong could I be?

I firstly opened up the readme to get the basic plot and controls and so on...It all looked so promising, well documented and detailed steps to run the game. I finally reached the bottom of the readme and hit the following copyright agreement - One which I suspect is made up by them and NOT registered with the corrected registrar.

4. DO NOT PUBLISH THIS GAME IN ANY FORM. DO NOT GIVE IT TO YOUR FRIENDS.
Here is the first strange copyright rule...WHAT? No programmer in Qbasic worth their salt would tell people not to share games that they make. Are these people deliberately trying to alienate a prospective audience...You know what happens, someone downloads a game and plays it. They tell their friends and they say, ok then give me a copy and show me what's so good...They agree and send it over, they play it and so on until the popularity increases beyond comparison. I would love that to happen to my games.

6. ALL TMB PRODUCTS MAY ONLY BE AVAILABLE FROM THE TMB WWW - PAGE.
Also, like the above this alienates your audience by stopping the flow of publicity. I'd happily let NeoZones to add my programs to Qcity for distro. and so by that I would get a review and a mirror server for my games. 2 for the price of 1 even! Anyway, on to the game...though I wish I had deleted it on first sight to be brutally honest.

The intro makes or breaks the game really, first impressions count I am afraid and if a default Qbasic text print function intro is for you, you'll love it. There is little or no shading of the gfx and they themselves are large and blocky. Once you get into the game and start playing you find out there is NO physics engine at all. constant speed no gravity, friction or anything like a calculation there to my eye.

The background doesn't need to have fancy calculations as in TMB's infinite wisdom they have decided to make the background static in the side scrolling game!?! You honestly look like you are in the sea with a static cloud above...there is no perspective brought into this game at all.

Every sprite, or should I say, block, has a large black outline and the ground and most features have NO shading and undecipherable things stuff in the ground. I think I saw a leaf or something...

The collision detection actually brought me to tears...of laughter...You can move pixel by pixel, all very good, but funnily you can walk down a slope but you cannot walk up a slope as the collision stops it!

The animation is almost non-descript but at least it is there. The character themselves such as the enemy crab, which is actually a decent sprite for this game. Finally, they use the Blast! library but insist that they used NO LIBRARIES. Call me a queer but I still think that Blast! is a library whether it uses Interrupt calls or not. They say it is "A way of doing things" instead...Isn't DirectQB a way of doing things? YOU USED A LIBRARY TMB!

To sum up, I would not have released this game, it is bugged with more emphasis on getting something done that is bad than doing anything good that will take slightly longer. I would not download this as it is a waste of my bandwidth. Please save yourself unless your up for a laugh...

(AUTHOR'S NOTE : This is my own opinion and by no way is it the collective thoughts of the QB Times team. Though I believe they will agree this game is as I say, I am the one responsible for these reviews...and I am honest. I don't kiss people's asses.) TMB productions - http://www2.crosswinds.net/members/~tmb/

Gza_wu (Christopher Neill) - Exposed Dreams '99
(http://www.gza-wu.freeserve.co.uk)

Map Engines: Zelda style free movement and pixel by pixel scrolling

The most common types of map engines seen to day are those that: move tile by tile: pathetically blocky and jumpy movement

Pixel by pixel scrolling, move 1 tile at a time: decent to look at, but still pathetic when considering the freedom that the player has.

Now, probably one of the better engines is that of Zelda clones, but only if the are done right. Most people find it hard to make these because of the freedom that the player has to move around the place. But this is one of the most simple things to do!To find out what tile a player is on all you do is use the following (very simple) calcs:

xtile = INT(playerxpos / tilexsize) 
ytile = INT(playerypos / tileysize)

There! Wasn't that easy, now all you must do is check that in the map buffer and you have collision detection!

What about scrolling you ask...Well I'm getting to that. The scrolling that we are going to use is not any fancy scrolling routines or anything like that, our map is going to be redrawn each time. This will require the use of a lib to do a full screen map as you will see.

First of all we are going to implement a camera, this is really cool as there are lots of things you can do with camera routines, for example, in a cut scene that uses the game engine.

We are going to start with the simplest type of camera and basically keep the player in the center of the screen(until he/she hits the edge of the map) this can be done with the following code:

cameraX = playerX - 160 
cameraY = playerY - 100

This assumes that you are using mode 13 or 7 and a full screen map. so now the camera is at a place that will have the player in the center of the screen constantly. But, we want the camera to stop moving when the player hits the edge of the map so we just use some simple if's like so:

IF cameraX < 0 THEN cameraX = 0 
IF cameraY < 0 THEN cameraY = 0

This accounts for the top and left of the screen, but what about the bottom and the right ? well for this we need two more values..maxmapx and maxmapy..so we can tell where to stop the camera going.

IF cameraX > maxmapx-320 THEN cameraX = maxmapX - 320 
IF cameraY > maxmapY-200 THEN cameraY = maxmapY - 200

This is now allowing the map to stop scrolling when the player enters the edge of the map and stops us from going outside the map buffer also. 320 and 200 are taken away so that we get the top left hand side of the screen, this is where everything is being redrawn from so that is where we need it.

Now for the drawing of the map.

What we want to do here is calculate the tile where the camera starts(NOTE: the tile not the pixel) then we want to add the value of the distance into the tile that the camera is(in pixels) and then redraw the map from there.

So here is how we find out the x and y tiles that the camera is on: for the ease of it we are going to use 20x20 tiles

xtile = INT(cameraX / 20) 
ytile = INT(cameraY / 20)

Now we know which tile the camera is on and which tile to start reading from the map buffer.

To calculate the exact position of the tile I am going to have to make a loop which is basically the whole thing, I'll explain after. (the routines in this are not real, just for speed)

DECLARE SUB PUTTILE(X, Y, TILETOPUT) 

xtile = INT(cameraX / 20) 
ytile = INT(cameraY / 20) 

FOR x = 0 to 16 
FOR y = 0 to 10 
 tile = map(x+xtile,y+ytile) 
 xpos = cameraX MOD 20 
 ypos = cameraY MOD 20 
 PUTTILE (x*20) - xpos, (y*20) - ypos, tile 
NEXT 
NEXT

I know this looks hard but I'll talk you through it:

The sub declaration is just to tell you what the parameters I am using are.

Then I calculate the tiles on which the camera lies.

Then I start the x and y loops, this is all simple enough. Notice that by using 20x20 tiles and going from 0 to 16 and 0 to 10 that I'm using 1 extra tile either side of the screen, this is because we are going to need some of each tile to be on the screen at any one time.

I get the number of the tile from the map buffer, this assumes a map array with 2 subscripts. by adding the number of the tile that the camera is lying on to the x and y values when reading the map we are effectively getting the correct offset in the map buffer according to where the camera is, this allows us to redraw only the part of the map being viewed on the screen.

By using the mod function on the camera values we are getting the offset into the tile that the camera is on. Even if you don't understand this, trust me, it works.

Now for the drawing of the tile. The tile is drawn at x*20, y*20 a standard thing in any map engine. Then we minus the distance that the camera is into the tile so that the map is drawn at the right place.

Next and next completes the loop and we have our map drawn.

So now we have our map engine, we can work out where the player is for collision, the map engine supports not only pixel by pixel movement but zelda style free movement around the screen !

Now for one last thing to make it complete. When ever putting sprites on the screen, such as the player or NPC's us the following code. I shouldn't really have to explain this as it is quite obvious:

xpos = playerX - cameraX 
Ypos = playerY - cameraY

All it does is keep the player on the actual screen.

Geeze that was alot of writting !

Well I hope to see all of you kick ass map engines now, and no more crappy tile by tile junk, even if it scrolls !!!!!

Byeee !

This article was written by Maz (Greg McAusland)

Making a basic GDM player

Not a lot of introduction here, I'm just going to cut to the chase. Writing a program to play BWSB's GDM format files can be a real pain, so I'm going to keep it simple at first and then get more detailed and complex as time goes on.

FIRST...load up QB with QB /L MSE_QB (for 4.5) or QBX /L MSE_PDS (for PDS).

This will load the BWSB library. Now, you can start writing your program. The first three major steps are going to be:

DEFINT A-Z 
'$INCLUDE: 'BWSB.BI' 
'$INCLUDE: 'GDMTYPE.BI'

BWSB requires integers and those two include files to operate. Failure to follow these first few steps WILL RESULT IN A CRASH AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF DATA.

So, with that done, you'll want to keep the rest simple as well, and the best way of doing that is by following pre-built code. Here are a few declarations you'll want to make somewhere at the start of your module:

TYPE MSEConfigFile 
  SoundCard     AS INTEGER 
  BaseIO        AS INTEGER 
  IRQ           AS INTEGER 
  DMA           AS INTEGER 
  SoundQuality  AS INTEGER 
END TYPE

That section makes it easier to load the MSE driver file you choose. BWSB requires a driver file, called a Music and Sound Engine, or MSE for short. A file called MSE.CFG can be used to keep this data. However, this is not needed as you can write your own routines, but for now lets keep it simple.

DIM ModHead         AS GDMHeader

ModHead is used for the GDM module. It is used internally by BWSB, so no need to go into great detail, just make sure that code is added.

DIM SndDevMSE(6)    AS STRING

This is another part of the easy MSE load.

DIM MSEConfig       AS MSEConfigFile

This is yet another part of the easy MSE load. In fact, this makes setting the device settings later SO much easier.

Freemem& = FRE(-1) - 80000 
A& = SETMEM(-Freemem&)

What this segment does is free up 80K of far heap memory. This is needed for the MSE files, plus the patterns. Don't worry if this doesn't make sense right now, if you need to know what this all means, consult the help file in QB.

SndDevMSE(1) = "GUS"                   'Gravis Ultrasound 
SndDevMSE(2) = "SB1X"                  'Sound Blaster 1.xx 
SndDevMSE(3) = "SB2X"                  'Sound Blaster 2.xx 
SndDevMSE(4) = "SBPRO"                 'Sound Blaster Pro 
SndDevMSE(5) = "SB16"                  'Sound Blaster 16 
SndDevMSE(6) = "PAS"                   'Pro AudioSpectrum 16

The six MSE files, this part is also part of the easy load.

OPEN "MSE.CFG" FOR BINARY AS 1 
  GET 1, , MSEConfig 
CLOSE 1

In this last segment, the MSE.CFG file is opened and read. From here on in, its smooth sailing!

IF MSEConfig.SoundCard = 0 THEN 
  PRINT "No Sound Selected in SETUP. Please run SETUP." 
  END 
END IF

If a soundcard has not been specified, obviously sound will not be available!

MSE$ = SndDevMSE(MSEConfig.SoundCard) + ".MSE"

Easy loading stuff again...

SELECT CASE MSEConfig.SoundQuality 
CASE 0: Ov = 16 
CASE 1: Ov = 22 
CASE 2: Ov = 45 
CASE 3: Ov = 8 
END SELECT

MSEConfig.SoundQuality sets the variable Ov, which is the Oversampling rate at which sound plays. The higher the oversampling, the better sounding the music, but in most cases, the more processor time taken. The exception to this rule is the presence of a GUS card with 1MB or more of DRAM.

ErrorFlag = LoadMSE(MSE$, 0, Ov, 4096, MSEConfig.BaseIO, MSEConfig.IRQ, MSEConfig.DMA)

This last fragment is all it takes to load the MSE. Also, it handles any errors that could occur, and many are possible!

SELECT CASE ErrorFlag 
CASE 0 
CASE 1: PRINT "Base I/O address autodetection failure": END 
CASE 2: PRINT "IRQ level autodetection failure": END 
CASE 3: PRINT "DMA channel autodetection failure": END 
CASE 4: PRINT "DMA channel not supported": END 
CASE 6: PRINT "Sound device does not respond": END 
CASE 7: PRINT "Memory control blocks destroyed": END 
CASE 8: PRINT "Insufficient memory for mixing buffers": END 
CASE 9: PRINT "Insufficient memory for MSE file": END 
CASE 10: PRINT "MSE has invalid identification string (corrupt/non-existant)": END 
CASE 11: PRINT "MSE disk read failure": END 
CASE 12: PRINT "MVSOUND.SYS not loaded (required for PAS use)": END 
CASE ELSE: PRINT "Unknown error on MSE startup" + STR$(ErrorFlag): END 
END SELECT

This last section is a monstrous error-notice. If the ErrorFlag is 0, then the operation is a success. If anything goes wrong, the program will quit with an error. If this is not done, the computer will lock up. This could be trimmed to just quit if ANY error occurred.

IF LEN(COMMAND$) = 0 THEN INPUT "Module file: ", ModFile$ ELSE ModFile$ = COMMAND$

Here is the example from MMP.BAS about how to specify a filename. All you have to do really is set ModFile$. This can be done in a number of ways, this is just one of them.

TestMOD: 
IF LEN(ModFile$) = 0 THEN END 
IF INSTR(ModFile$, ".") = 0 THEN ModFile$ = ModFile$ + ".GDM"

This last fragment of code is MMP.BAS's way of 'testing' the filename.

IF EmsExist THEN ErrorFlag = 1 ELSE ErrorFlag = 0

One of the greatest assets to BWSB is its use of EMS. It can allocate as much EMS as it needs to play sound files, up to the RAM limit in your computer.

File = FREEFILE

A great way of determining a file handle to open is by using the FREEFILE command. It will open the next available file handle. Available file handles are set by the FILES line in CONFIG.SYS.

OPEN ModFile$ FOR BINARY AS File

GDM files are stored in binary format, so open it as such.

LoadGDM FILEATTR(File, 2), 0, ErrorFlag, VARSEG(ModHead), VARPTR(ModHead)

Load that sucker up! And go through extensive error testing...

SELECT CASE ErrorFlag 
CASE 0 
CASE 1: PRINT "Module is corrupt": END 
CASE 2: PRINT "Could not autodetect module type": END 
CASE 3: PRINT "Bad format ID": END 
CASE 4: PRINT "Out of memory": END 
CASE 5: PRINT "Cannot unpack samples": END 
CASE 6: PRINT "AdLib samples not supported": END 
CASE ELSE: PRINT "Unknown Load Error:" + STR$(ErrorFlag): END 
END SELECT

Errors R Us...attempting to play a corrupt GDM file leads to disaster!

MusicChannels = 0 
FOR J = 1 TO 32 
  IF ASC(MID$(ModHead.PanMap, J, 1)) <> &HFF THEN 
    MusicChannels = MusicChannels + 1 
  END IF 
NEXT

Here, the program uses a sneaky way of detecting how many channels to allocate. BWSB can allocate up to 32 channels, but unless you're using a GUS card, more channels means more CPU power.

OverRate& = StartOutput(MusicChannels, 0)

Here, the output is initialized. Only one step left to getting the music going...

StartMusic

How simple! Whew! What a simple final step.

Now, when you wish to cancel the music, you should do this:

StopMusic 
StopOutput 
UnloadModule 
FreeMSE

FreeMSE should only be used when you no longer need sound, like when you are ending the program. However, one of the nice things about QB is that FreeMSE is called when QB ends a program, so calling it is not really necessary. How- ever, it is ALWAYS a good idea to call it anyways...you just never know!

So, if you wish, just cut and paste the code into your program! It's that simple. Oh, and be sure to use the SETUP.EXE program that comes with the BWSB package to configure your MSE.CFG file. As it stands, using this code without an MSE.CFG file will make it lock up! So, use the SETUP.EXE or add error detection in the loading (more on that later...)

Woohoo! This completes the hardest part of using BWSB! If you can master this then the rest is easy.

This article was written by Nekrophidius

Writing your own scripting language

Introduction

A lot of people responded positive on my last article so I'm going to continue this series! First I would like to point out that I'm not gonna tell you how to make a full working scripting language that you can put in your program. I'm gonna teach you techniques on how to make your <u>own</u> scripting language. Hence, this article is called Writing your own scripting language!

Secondly, in the last article I made an error. I said to put WAITFORKEY in the script.dat file but in the script.bas file we called it WAITKEY. Change WAITFORKEY in script.dat to WAITKEY.

Third, in this issue I'm gonna talk about variables and how to use them. You need the script.bas program and the script.dat file we created in issue #1 to use this article, if you don't have it I suggest you read the article in issue #1.

Variables
Ok, first you'll need to know what variables are. If you don't know what they are I suggest to find a beginners tutorial which explains variables.

Unlike QBasic we're gonna have two types of variables, text and numeric. We're gonna modify our DISPLAYTEXT command so that it can handle variables and equations. First you need to add this two lines at the beginning of your script.bas file.

DIM SHARED Variables$(100,2) 
DIM SHARED VariableCount%

What we've done is that we've made one arrays which hold the variable name, type and the value. VariableCount% controls how many variables we already have in memory. Add this at the beginning of our script.dat file:

$text = Hello! This is Nightwolf's Scripting language article!! 
%a = 5 
%b = 10 
DISPLAYTEXT $text 
DISPLAYTEXT (%a * %b)

This creates one text variable ($text) with the value of 'Hello! This is Nightwolf's Scripting language article!!' and two numeric values (%a and %b) with the value of 5 and 10. Then it displays the value of $text and displays the equation %a times %b. First we're gonna add variable detection and storage. Add this at the beginning of the DO...LOOP command just behind the reading of the line (just after INPUT #1, ReadLine$):

IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 1) = "$" THEN 
 IF VariableCount% <= 100 THEN 
  VariableCount% = VariableCount% + 1 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 0) = LEFT$(ReadLine$, INSTR(ReadLine$, " ") - 1) 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 1) = "1" 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 2) = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - INSTR(ReadLine$, "=") - 1) 
 END IF 
END IF 
IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 1) = "%" THEN 
 IF VariableCount% <= 100 THEN 
  VariableCount% = VariableCount% + 1 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 0) = LEFT$(ReadLine$, INSTR(ReadLine$, " ") - 1) 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 1) = "2" 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 2) = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - INSTR(ReadLine$, "=") - 1) 
 END IF 
END IF

I'm gonna explain the code line by line now.

IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 1) = "$" THEN

If the first character of ReadLine$ is a $ then it's a text variable and we start the IF.

IF VariableCount% <= 100 THEN

If we've less than 100 variables in memory we continue.

VariableCount% = VariableCount% + 1

Increases the number of variables in memory by 1.

Variables$(VariableCount%, 0) = LEFT$(ReadLine$, INSTR(ReadLine$, " ") - 1)

Puts the name of the variable in Variables$. (name = all characters to the first space)

Variables$(VariableCount%, 1) = "1"

Set the type of variable to 1 (text).

Variables$(VariableCount%, 2) = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - INSTR(ReadLine$, "=") - 1)

Set the value of the variable to all the characters behind the = and the space following the =.

END IF

End the IF

END IF

End the IF

IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 1) = "%" THEN

If the first character of ReadLine$ is a % then it's a numeric variable and we start the IF.

IF VariableCount% <= 100 THEN

VariableCount% = VariableCount% + 1

If we've less than 100 variables in memory we continue.

Variables$(VariableCount%, 0) = LEFT$(ReadLine$, INSTR(ReadLine$, " ") - 1)

Puts the name of the variable in Variables$. (name = all characters to the first space)

Variables$(VariableCount%, 1) = "2"

Set the variable type to 2 (numeric).

Variables$(VariableCount%, 2) = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - INSTR(ReadLine$, "=") - 1)

Set the value of the variable to all the characters behind the = and the space following the =.

END IF

End the IF.

END IF

End the IF.

Displaying variables and equations

Now we have variable detection and storage but I'm sure you want to do something with the variables, we're gonna implement variable display and equations now. Search in the script.bas file for the following code:

IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 11) = "DISPLAYTEXT" THEN 
 Temp1$ = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - 12) 
 PRINT Temp1$ 
END IF

And then replace it with this:

IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 11) = "DISPLAYTEXT" THEN 
 Temp1$ = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - 12) 
 IF LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "$" OR LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "%" OR LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "(" THEN 
  IF LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "(" THEN 
   SELECT CASE MID$(Temp1$, INSTR(Temp1$, " ") + 1, 1) 
    CASE "+" 
     Action% = 1 
    CASE "-" 
     Action% = 2 
    CASE "*" 
     Action% = 3 
    CASE "/" 
     Action% = 4 
   END SELECT 
   Temp2$ = MID$(Temp1$, 2, INSTR(Temp1$, " ") - 1) 
   Temp3$ = RIGHT$(Temp1$, LEN(Temp1$) - INSTR(INSTR(Temp1$, " ") + 1, Temp1$, " ")) 
   Temp3$ = LEFT$(Temp3$, LEN(Temp3$) - 1) 
   Temp2$ = LTRIM$(RTRIM$(Temp2$)) 
   Temp3$ = LTRIM$(RTRIM$(Temp3$)) 
   FOR i = 1 TO VariableCount% 
    IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp2$ THEN Temp1% = VAL(Variables$(i, 2)) 
    IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp3$ THEN Temp2% = VAL(Variables$(i, 2)) 
   NEXT i 
   SELECT CASE Action% 
    CASE 1 
     PRINT Temp1% + Temp2% 
    CASE 2 
     PRINT Temp1% - Temp2% 
    CASE 3 
     PRINT Temp1% * Temp2% 
    CASE 4 
     PRINT Temp1% / Temp2% 
   END SELECT 
  ELSE 
   FOR i = 1 TO VariableCount% 
    IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp1$ AND Variables$(i, 1) = "1" THEN PRINT Variables$(i, 2) 
    IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp1$ AND Variables$(i, 1) = "2" THEN PRINT VAL(Variables$(i, 2)) 
   NEXT i 
  END IF 
 ELSE 
  PRINT Temp1$ 
 END IF 
END IF

I'll explain the code line by line now:

IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 11) = "DISPLAYTEXT" THEN

If the first 11 characters of the ReadLine$ variable are DISPLAYTEXT execute the DISPLAYTEXT command.

Temp1$ = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - 12)

This gets the text, variable or equation to display from the ReadLine$ variable and stores it in Temp1$.

IF LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "$" OR LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "%" OR LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "(" THEN

If the first character of Temp1$ is a $, % or ( then we start the variable/equation IF.

IF LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "(" THEN

If the first character of Temp1$ is a (, start the equation IF.

SELECT CASE MID$(Temp1$, INSTR(Temp1$, " ") + 1, 1)

Start a SELECT CASE command for the first character behind the first space in Temp1$. This is the equation method (+, -, *, /).

CASE "+" 
Action% = 1

If it's a + (plus) then set Action% to 1.

CASE "-" 
Action% = 2

If it's a - (minus) then set Action% to 2.

CASE "*" 
Action% = 3

If it's a * (times) then set Action% to 3.

CASE "/" 
Action% = 4

If it's a / (divide by) then set Action% to 4.

END SELECT

End the SELECT CASE command.

Temp2$ = MID$(Temp1$, 2, INSTR(Temp1$, " ") - 1)

The first variable name.

Temp3$ = RIGHT$(Temp1$, LEN(Temp1$) - INSTR(INSTR(Temp1$, " ") + 1, Temp1$, " "))

Get the second variable name.

Temp3$ = LEFT$(Temp3$, LEN(Temp3$) - 1)

Remove the last character from the second variable name because when we got it in the last step there still was the ) of an equation

Temp2$ = LTRIM$(RTRIM$(Temp2$))

Remove all the spaces left and right from the first variable name.

Temp3$ = LTRIM$(RTRIM$(Temp3$))

Remove all the spaces left and right from the second variable name.

FOR i = 1 TO VariableCount%

Start a FOR...NEXT from 1 to the number of varialbes we have in memory.

IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp2$ THEN Temp1% = VAL(Variables$(i, 2))

If the variable names are the same make Temp1% equal to the value of the variable.

IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp3$ THEN Temp2% = VAL(Variables$(i, 2))

If the variable names are the same make Temp2% equal to the value of the variable.

NEXT i

Return to the FOR

SELECT CASE Action%

Start a SELECT CASE of the value of Action%

CASE 1 
PRINT Temp1% + Temp2%

If Action% is a 1 (plus) then do the equation.

CASE 2 
PRINT Temp1% - Temp2%

If Action% is a 2 (minus) then do the equation.

CASE 3 
PRINT Temp1% * Temp2%

If Action% is a 3 (times) then do the equation.

CASE 4 
PRINT Temp1% / Temp2%

If Action% is a 4 (divide) then do the equation.

END SELECT

End the SELECT CASE.

ELSE

If it's not an equation then:

FOR i = 1 TO VariableCount%

Start a FOR...NEXT loop from 1 to the number of variables we have in memory.

IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp1$ AND Variables$(i, 1) = "1" THEN PRINT Variables$(i, 2)

If the variable names are the same and the type is 1 (text) print the value of that variable.

IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp1$ AND Variables$(i, 1) = "2" THEN PRINT VAL(Variables$(i, 2))

If the variable names are the same and the type is 2 (numeric) print the numeric value of that variable.

NEXT i

Go back to the FOR

END IF

End the if

ELSE

If it's not an equation or variable display:

PRINT Temp1$

Just print the expression that was behind the DISPLAYTEXT command

END IF

End the If

END IF

End the If

Conclusion

After this issue you should now know how to do things like variable handling, displaying and equations. I told some people I would have IF...THENs in this issue but because the article is already rather big I decided to put IFs in the next issue. At the end of this article your script.bas program should look like this:

DIM SHARED Variables$(100, 3) 
DIM SHARED VariableCount% 

OPEN "script.dat" FOR INPUT AS #1 
 DO 
  INPUT #1, ReadLine$ 
IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 1) = "$" THEN 
 IF VariableCount% <= 100 THEN 
  VariableCount% = VariableCount% + 1 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 0) = LEFT$(ReadLine$, INSTR(ReadLine$, " ") - 1) 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 1) = "1" 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 2) = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - INSTR(ReadLine$, "=") - 1) 
 END IF 
END IF 
IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 1) = "%" THEN 
 IF VariableCount% <= 100 THEN 
  VariableCount% = VariableCount% + 1 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 0) = LEFT$(ReadLine$, INSTR(ReadLine$, " ") - 1) 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 1) = "2" 
  Variables$(VariableCount%, 2) = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - INSTR(ReadLine$, "=") - 1) 
 END IF 
END IF 

  ReadLine$ = LTRIM$(RTRIM$(ReadLine$)) 
  IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 11) = "DISPLAYTEXT" THEN 
   Temp1$ = RIGHT$(ReadLine$, LEN(ReadLine$) - 12) 
   IF LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "$" OR LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "%" OR LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "(" THEN 
    IF LEFT$(Temp1$, 1) = "(" THEN 

       SELECT CASE MID$(Temp1$, INSTR(Temp1$, " ") + 1, 1) 
        CASE "+" 
         Action% = 1 
        CASE "-" 
         Action% = 2 
        CASE "*" 
         Action% = 3 
        CASE "/" 
         Action% = 4 
       END SELECT 
       Temp2$ = MID$(Temp1$, 2, INSTR(Temp1$, " ") - 1) 
       Temp3$ = RIGHT$(Temp1$, LEN(Temp1$) - INSTR(INSTR(Temp1$, " ") + 1, Temp1$, " ")) 
       Temp3$ = LEFT$(Temp3$, LEN(Temp3$) - 1) 
       Temp2$ = LTRIM$(RTRIM$(Temp2$)) 
       Temp3$ = LTRIM$(RTRIM$(Temp3$)) 
       FOR i = 1 TO VariableCount% 
        IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp2$ THEN Temp1% = VAL(Variables$(i, 2)) 
        IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp3$ THEN Temp2% = VAL(Variables$(i, 2)) 
       NEXT i 

       SELECT CASE Action% 
        CASE 1 
         PRINT Temp1% + Temp2% 
        CASE 2 
         PRINT Temp1% - Temp2% 
        CASE 3 
         PRINT Temp1% * Temp2% 
        CASE 4 
         PRINT Temp1% / Temp2% 
        END SELECT 
        ELSE 
       FOR i = 1 TO VariableCount% 
        IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp1$ AND Variables$(i, 1) = "1" THEN PRINT Variables$(i, 2) 
        IF Variables$(i, 0) = Temp1$ AND Variables$(i, 1) = "2" THEN PRINT VAL(Variables$(i, 2)) 
       NEXT i 

    END IF 
   ELSE 
    PRINT Temp1$ 
  END IF 
 END IF 

IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 7) = "WAITKEY" THEN WHILE INKEY$ = "": WEND 
IF LEFT$(ReadLine$, 9) = "ENDSCRIPT" THEN 
 EXIT DO 
END IF 

LOOP UNTIL EOF(1) 
CLOSE #1

Full Motion Video

Full motion video is any type of "movie clip" played from within a computer program, used in many places including electronic encyclopedias and games. The latter is what this article will cover. There are two main types of FMV: prerecorded and real-time.

Prerecorded FMV is what you will see mainly in computer-based games that span several CDs - although console games are also gaining much FMV now that cartridges are being phased out (even Nintendo will not use them for the new Dolphin system). Prerecorded FMV is just like what you see on your VCR when you play a movie. Everything has been done previously whether it was with live actors or in a 3D rendering program. Examples of games that have used this form of FMV include the "Wing Commander" series and "Final Fantasy VII." The downside to prerecorded FMV is that it hogs tons of memory if it isn't used sparingly. That's why the afore mentioned games are on several CDs.

Real-time FMV is much never than prerecorded FMV because, until recently, personal computers and video game consoles had lacked the power necessary to generate quality movie on-the-fly. Nintendo has proven that this power barrier could be broken on their Nintendo 64 by releasing games like "The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time" and "Waverace 64." "Zelda" was only 32MB, including all the playable game and its 1.5 hours of real-time FMV! "Waverace" only has a very small amount of FMV - on the title screen - but still, if it would have been done as prerecorded FMV, it would not have fit onto the 8MB cartridge. Real-time FMV hogs processing power, but unlike prerecorded FMV, one can place hours of it in a game, taking only a small percentage of the space it would have taken otherwise.

There has been much debate over the years as to whether or not FMV adds to a game or hinders it. My personal belief is that cut-scenes enhance the game when placed between levels or areas, but when FMV is placed throughout the game, and it removes time from the game-play, that is when it is defeating it purpose. "Zelda" employs an excellent use of FMV to enhance the game by immersing the player in the game world. Whenever a new boss has to be introduced or the player brings Link to a new level, there is a short cut-scene. I have always been a fan of the "Final Fantasy" series, but I no longer am after Square slautered the series by releasing "Final Fantasy VII" on the Sony Playstation. (I've only seen a demo of the game on the PC, so I don't know if they have redeemed themselves yet.) The graphics in the playable portions of the game, to put it mildly, sucked. They reminded me of the mapscreen of Rare's "Donkey Kong Country" - which was good for its time, but now I'm looking forward to "Donkey Kong Country 64." :) Anyways, back to FFVII: You're playing the game in this environment with horrible graphics, and suddenly a FMV sequence begins. These sequences were all created on SGI workstations.making them extremely hig-quality, so the Playstation could never handle them in real-time, causing them to completely contrast the game and ruin any little immersion the player did get playing the game. So I guess my point is that if FMV is to be used in a game, it should seemlessly blend into the game so the feeling of immersion is not lost, and when it is put into a game, it should not be overused to the point where the person does not get to actually "play" the game because the whole point of buying a game is to be able to play it. If I'd want to watch a movie, I'd buy another ticket to see "The Phantom Menace." :)

Recently, games made in QuickBASIC have begun to gain FMV - both real- time and prerecorded - as powerful graphics libraries allow for it. One notable game is "Groov Buggies." The intro scene to it runs a loop of a prerendered sequences of some racecars running a circuit while music is playing. This was the first true FMV I'd seen in a QB game when I got Internet access a little over a year ago. Two of my games contain video sequences: "WarsTrek" and "The Mystical Journey." "WarsTrek" has laid dormant on my hard drive for several months as schoolwork has taken priority, but I did manage to get a short intro finished that shows a Type IV Shuttlecraft fleeing from the Millennium Falcon, dodging asteroids. TMJ has a few cinema sequences to introduce parts of the storyline (some may debate whether or not this is FMV because it's tile-based video). Many other QB games have intro sequences that use FLCs, AVIs, or are done in real-time, showing that it is very possible that FMV will be a standard in QB games by the end of this year.

Forward any comments to gump@gnt.net, and if they aren't straight-out criticism or dissing, I'll be sure to reply.

This article has been written by Danny Gump

The .ZIP File Format

Because the article is really big I decided to put it in a separate file. You can get it here!

Interview with Maz about the Legend of Aliea

Nightwolf>Why do you program The Legend of Aliea?
Maz> I was always trying to do games and other stuff none of which really made it past the planning stage. All my friends said that I would never get anything decent done, so I decided to prove them wrong !

Nightwolf> Was there an idea behind The Legend of Aliea except to prove your friends that you could make something cool?
Maz> Well, sort of. My cousin and I wanted to make something together and he had a good imagination. So he sorta gave me the starting idea. The storyline was written by me and Al (my partner in crime).
I also wanted to write an rpg as good as the GAME (tsug) but i then came across milo sedlacecks rpg and loved the engine (that is where the Aliea scrolling comes from)

Nightwolf> Does The Legend of Aliea use libraries or other utilities?
Maz> sadly yes, it uses directQB, but all that is used is putting and text (along with the usual copying routines) I would like to use custom asm but I have found that I dont have enough time to do so because I want to get a real demo out as soon as possible.

Nightwolf> What will the Legend of Aliea have in it when it's finished?
Maz> Hopefully a 3D battle engine, moving npc's (almost done) some decent gfx !! which i currently does not have and a cool story (which is mostly done).

Nightwolf> Who are working on LoA?
Maz> Al is kind of working on it but he is new to qb and cannot do much to the code at the mo, so really i am the only programmer working on it.

Nightwolf> Will LoA be the typical QBRPG, who releases a few demos and then die?
Maz> erm, well. I hope not. I am working on a map editor and other features like that. so when the engine is complete all i have to do is sit down and make up all the maps ans scripts. It could die, but i am going to try and finish it.

Nightwolf Thanks for the interview!

Closing Words

Again I hoped you enjoyed reading the QB Times. I know this issue is a bit late but I hope the contents made it up! In the next issue I will continue my scripting language article, Nerkophidius his BWSB article and there will be lots of other articles along with news, project updates and previews!! The next issue of the QB Times will be shipped on the 27^th of June!

À bientôt!
-Nightwolf

Credits

© Copyright Nightwolf Productions 1999