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Geek Culture / June Newsletter # 89 is out!

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Mike Johnson
TGC Developer
22
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Joined: 13th Sep 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 1st Jun 2010 10:00
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The June Newsletter is now available. Read it here http://www.thegamecreators.com/pages/newsletters/newsletter_issue_89.html
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Lemonade
16
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Joined: 10th Dec 2008
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Posted: 1st Jun 2010 10:00 Edited at: 1st Jun 2010 10:13
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Nice! reading now.

EDIT:

Speaking about DBP:

Quote: "This version changes quite a few grass root elements to the language, including the build environment behind the scenes (upgrading from VS2005 to VS2008), and so the sooner we can get everyone running on new rails, the better for all. "


What does that mean for us users? Is is faster, will we see more features in the future?

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A r e n a s
16
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Posted: 1st Jun 2010 12:13
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Cool Im gonna take the usual hour or so out of my day to have a read

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Butter fingers
19
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Joined: 20th Mar 2006
Location: Mecca
Posted: 1st Jun 2010 12:14
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Very interesting piece from Lee (and GreenGandalf) on volume textures. Cheers guys, I'll actually be using that!

I want robotic legs.
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The Grunge Guy
14
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Joined: 25th May 2010
Location: Stalking The Mods.....
Posted: 1st Jun 2010 14:28
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I'm scared!!! Is this Fpgc going to be a new program? Is that the new name for Fpsc. With the update is it going to change everything so it's harder to make the shooter games. Look at oblivion, doom, bioshock, call of duty, halo, tomb raider, they made alot of money and are very famous, however if you look at games like.... Well i can't even think of any 3d first person games that are educational, they don't get alot of money, I can't even think of any. There is a reason why first-person shooters were made first person, because third person shooters are harder! Dark basic, dark basic pro, realm crafter, dark gdk, these are the tools people should use to make things educational, it's almost impossible to make a somewhat quality first person shooter with it, trust me I tried. However, 2d games are much easier with it thats how you get, Math Blaster Pre Algreba. That's educational. If this is going to make it harder to make an Fpsg then despite all these amazing feutures i've been looking forward to, I might not update, if it's seperate software then yeah, i'll update.

Seperate Softwareic:amiga]
Same software made for little kids now:

I hate this box, but hey it's there.....
..... It's still there.....
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charger bandit
15
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Joined: 10th Nov 2009
Location: Slovenia
Posted: 1st Jun 2010 15:08
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The Grunge Guy: If you would actually read the article you would notice you can select what kind of stuff you will use in FPSC.

Interesting news this month.


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lazerus
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Posted: 1st Jun 2010 15:21
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Well congrats to the winners of the modeling compettion ^____^


http://lazerus-reborn.deviantart.com/
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spooky
22
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Joined: 30th Aug 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 2nd Jun 2010 00:37
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Been out of touch for a year or three and going to get back into writing stuff soon.

I see in newsletter that UAC should be switched off in Vista and 7. Is it really a good idea to tell people to turn off something that is helping protect their computers?

I use Vista at the moment with UAC on and DBPro installed outside of program files as I'm sure I remember that being the recommended thing to do, although the editor does popup a UAC warning box on loading, but I can live with that.

I've now got a windows 7 setup and wondered what the official line was on where to install DBPro. From the newsletter it now seems program files and turning off UAC is the way to go. Surely that can't be right??

Boo!
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David R
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Joined: 9th Sep 2003
Location: 3.14
Posted: 2nd Jun 2010 00:43 Edited at: 2nd Jun 2010 00:49
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Quote: "
What does that mean for us users? Is is faster, will we see more features in the future?"


I don't know how TGC handled this in the past (with MSVC 05)... but changing to VS2008 means the apps depend on a whole bunch of different C Runtime DLLs - msvcr90, msvcrt90 etc. - which many computers won't have preinstalled (from experience I can tell you XP SP2 and Vista certainly don't have them as-is)

Either you'll need to bundle them with your app or point the user at the installer application for them

EDIT: The downside to these DLLs is that they don't produce friendly "XYZ.dll missing" messages. They say "Configuration incorrect" and abruptly terminate. They're extremely frustrating when it comes to redist.

TGC may well have thought ahead on this (or somehow wrapped DBP apps in something which doesn't require the CRT DLLs and then extracts them out itself etc.) - or at least, I hope so. It can be a real headache sometimes, especially if the app relies on say, a plugin which in itself requires another version of the C runtime too... Eurgh, so many unpleasant memories

09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
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Benjamin
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2010 01:54 Edited at: 2nd Jun 2010 01:55
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Quote: "Is it really a good idea to tell people to turn off something that is helping protect their computers?"


No, it certainly isn't. TGC aren't exactly known for their expertise in security - a while back they also suggested removing the router from a network setup to get FPSC working online.

As far as I'm aware no application by TGC requires administrative rights, as long as you give full permissions on the application's directory. One of the options for older applications is to update the installer to do this, otherwise any application updated for built for Vista/7 should work with files stored in the user directory. For some reason FPSC X10 which is Vista/7 only still does stuff that goes against the standard security rules of what it's designed for.

Quote: "I don't know how TGC handled this in the past (with MSVC 05)... but changing to VS2008 means the apps depend on a whole bunch of different C Runtime DLLs - msvcr90, msvcrt90 etc. - which many computers won't have preinstalled (from experience I can tell you XP SP2 and Vista certainly don't have them as-is)"


I seem to remember that it packs a CRT DLL in the resulting executable, and I'd imagine if TGC have done their homework they'll pack the new redistributables in.
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The Grunge Guy
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2010 23:46
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I did but none of it made sense to me. Is the upgrade going to automaticaly throw our settings a wacj and then we'll have to go in and fix them? And then, is it going to be things like,

Ragdoll =0
Blood =0
Dynamic Shadows =1

(This is good and easy)

or will it be something complicated. I personaly think they should be two seperate programs that you both get when you buy Fpsc. Almost like a mod. That way in your start menu it is like this, (basic incorrect formula, too lazy to make it realistic)

C:\Program Files\The Game Creators\First Person Perpective Engines\Fpsc
and
C:\Program Files\The Game Creators\First Person Perpective Engines\Fpgc

Also allow people who have already bought fpsc, to get a free copy of this in their order history. Then all who bought fpsc from the company it's self can get this version too. But, hey just an idea. I'm lazy and don't like going into the important files of fpsc unless i need to.

I hate this box, but hey it's there.....
..... It's still there.....
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Don Malone
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Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Posted: 3rd Jun 2010 13:39
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The way I read it was they are two separate programs sharing a same program base. One version, the new program for schools and such, would be a socially safe version. The FPSC version would get the enhancements that were going into the new version because it is a change to the base to make the less violent games.

In other words if you use FPSC you are going to get more tools to work with. That sounds like a win to me. If TGC does this like I think they will, you probably wont see any major differences. But I did have to read that in a hurry, and maybe I misunderstood.
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charger bandit
15
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Joined: 10th Nov 2009
Location: Slovenia
Posted: 4th Jun 2010 16:56
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Benjamin: The UAC in Vista and 7 is completely useless. It gives almost no protection,any free antivirus will protect you better and bug you less.


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Benjamin
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Posted: 4th Jun 2010 22:52
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Quote: "Benjamin: The UAC in Vista and 7 is completely useless. It gives almost no protection,any free antivirus will protect you better and bug you less."


I'd ask you to back up these claims with evidence but it's beside the point of what I was saying.
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Thraxas
Retired Moderator
19
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Joined: 8th Feb 2006
Location: The Avenging Axe, Turai
Posted: 5th Jun 2010 03:17
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Quote: "I'd ask you to back up these claims with evidence but it's beside the point of what I was saying.
"


You had a point?

Your signature has been [mod edited] :-p
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The Grunge Guy
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Posted: 5th Jun 2010 15:59
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Ok, if it's two seperate programs thats better.

I hate this box, but hey it's there.....
..... It's still there.....
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Shadowtroid
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Posted: 6th Jun 2010 13:16
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I'm pretty sure it's just something you can turn on and off. Same program. You can just toggle it from FPSC to FPGC.

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Don Malone
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Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Posted: 6th Jun 2010 14:28 Edited at: 6th Jun 2010 14:32
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From the newsletter

Quote: "we are building a non-violent version specifically for schools and enrichment centres. As FPSC is a robust engine, the development of the variant mostly consisted of removing inappropriate media and amending the code to remove UI elements that pointed to things like weapons, ammo, explosions, blood and the usual stock in trade of a typical shooter."


Key words
removing inappropriate media
And
amending the code to remove UI elements that pointed to things like weapons, ammo, explosions, blood and the usual stock in trade of a typical shooter.

That infers that it will be a separate release based on the same code base.
Quote: "The best news about all this is that the FPGC and FPSC developments are based on the same V117 source code, with flags in the SETUP.INI and the media controlling the flavour of the variant. It means that nearly all of the features we added to FPGC are instantly available in FPSC"


Looks like a win-win to me, but I am not a user of FPSC. I may be reading more into the words than may actually be there, but that is what I see.

A non FPSC user
Don
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Shadowtroid
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Posted: 7th Jun 2010 01:47
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Since I am defensive and stuff:

Quote: "The best news about all this is that the FPGC and FPSC developments are based on the same V117 source code, with flags in the SETUP.INI and the media controlling the flavour of the variant. "


I'm pretty sure it's a setting the setup.INI.

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Don Malone
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Posted: 7th Jun 2010 05:27
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As usual, It is up to interpreting what is written, and that can be read in a couple of different ways. It is just like when Dark Studio was released. They gave you all the information, but it still had to be deciphered, and questions asked to clarify.

I did see that statement quoted above made, but I note that the statements I quoted seem to send a slightly contradicting message. I guess we can agree that all statements quoted form the newsletter are accurate, and note that either way, FPSC can better with these changes.

Good Evening from Birmingham, Alabama.
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The Grunge Guy
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Posted: 9th Jun 2010 01:57
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This is a very confuseing thing, maybe lee or hockykid could find an ansewr for us....

I hate this box, but hey it's there.....
..... It's still there.....
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The Grunge Guy
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Posted: 24th Jun 2010 22:48
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Still no exact ansewr...

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Jeku
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Posted: 25th Jun 2010 01:43
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Try emailing Lee if you have a product question.


Senior Web Developer - Nokia
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The Grunge Guy
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Posted: 25th Jun 2010 17:48
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I'll wait the six days to see the newsletter and see if anything has been clarified.

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Conjured Entertainment
AGK Developer
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Posted: 26th Jun 2010 00:41
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I should have read the newsletter sooner because it has some really good info this month.
I am really looking forward to FPGC, but I won't need the VR goggles though.

Quote: "Try emailing Lee if you have a product question."

Or leave him alone so he can finish it, and then you will be able to find out all of your answers first hand.

Quote: "Very interesting piece from Lee (and GreenGandalf) on volume textures."

Yeah, the big cheese is looking good in that one.
I love it when people share their magic.

Quote: "I'll wait the six days to see the newsletter and see if anything has been clarified."

Yeah, more news is good news, and I will gather what I can from the newsletters until the big day.

   Conjured Entertainment

 WARNING: Intense Madness
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Monkey Mja
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Posted: 29th Jun 2010 02:37
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Does FPGC mean we will have much less gore, weapons, and other violent updates much less frequently?

I feel like hitting myself with a carrot right now.

- Monkey
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