The mind works in mysterious ways.
Especially mine.
When I'm meant to be finishing off the Framework, fixing up game #1, and starting off game #2, my head went "Hey, why don't you make a video for Pain!"
..

Today, whilst uploading the new AGAW header for this site, I wondered if anyone would be interested in a simple little challenge.

Question : Name all the games in the new AGameAWeek header.
(URL "https://socoder.net/uploads/1/header.jpg"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/header_thumb.jpg">

The Linux test has worked on one test system.
The Linux test has NOT worked on another test system.
And that's all the replies I've had.. Not a whole lot of feedback there.
The broken version appears to have been entirely audio related, so I'm going to have to peek into BlitzMax's audio options today, and see what I can/can't do inside Linux, and otherwise shove in a few failsafe methods incase of broken audio.
(I'd rather fix it, than just declare it "Not wor...

AGameAWeek 2010 - Game Number One!
We'll call this a test game, because the whole framework thing still isn't quite up to scratch, with all kinds of missing features!
Plus I've put in LOADS of little quirks, things that should be quick have been made extra lengthy, and there's a bunch of redundancy.. This is half-done on purpose so that I can see what the available systems can and can't cope with.
Hopefully we'll find that they can!!
<a href="https://AGameA...

By now you've probably routed around inside the JayArchive.
It's a nice thing to flick through, but sometimes folk can't be bothered to download 150+ seperate little downloads.
So, rather than leave it up to random picking, here's 11 nice big zip files, with EVERYTHING for Windows. (up until today)
Each big zip file is numbered with it's associated JayRank.

Uhoh, titlescreen's still not quite done, yet!
With a game to release on Tuesday that's yet to be thought of, never mind started, I'm really cutting it a bit fine, here!
If a game doesn't appear on Tuesday, this is the reason why!!
I've yet to do the following.

Oooh, new engine this week, are you all looking forward to it?!
First Linux release, too! Blimey!
As the days drive on, I'm leaving myself with less time to actually code a game, here, but things are coming along nicely.
Joystick controls are in, little pop up text things are happening, debug file's being created, everything seems to be working!

Audio!
As you probably noticed, the past 100-or-so of my games have had a rather generic set of numbered sound effects, ranging 001 -> xyz.wav
Today I decided that I might as well make that a more permanent feature, so super-BlitzMax-engine now includes quick "LoadSFX" and "PlaySFX" functions that will work solely with those files.
Neat!

Blimey!!
Step 1. (3/4 hours)
After about 3 or 4 hours spent prodding Ubuntu to actually get it to install properly, I finally managed to get it up and running by downloading a different Ubuntu, and installing it onto a thumbstick instead..
Step 2. (10 seconds)

<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/argh.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/argh_thumb.png" style="float:right"></a>
Because there may or may not have been resulting copyright issues, I've left this post on the backburner until the magazine went off the shop shelves. Usually I'd happily scan in a bit of a page if my games are mentioned, but this time it's a whole entire page, and that's a completely different kettle of fish. (Although, to be fair, I'...

For something that just looks like this..
<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/bmaxtesting_game.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/bmaxtesting_game_thumb.png"></a>
.. I have actually but a heck of a lot of work into the framework, so far!
Take a peek inside to find out some nice nuggets of info, and take a look at the future of AGameAWeek!!

That went as well as could be expected. Xmas intervened, family issues cropped up, all manner of snow based issues, and I pretty much rushed through the last 4 or 5 of those!
Not that it was entirely noticeable. I happen to think the last two were cracking games.
But which were your favourites?
Three Hens a-Laying seemed remake-able, could be something more interest.

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Twelve_Lords_a-Leaping_20100105B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Twelve_Lords_a-Leaping_20100105.zip">Twelve Lords a-Leaping</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eleven_Ladies_Dancing_20100104B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eleven_Ladies_Dancing_20100104.zip">Eleven Ladies Dancing</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Ten_Pipers_Piping_20100103...

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eleven_Ladies_Dancing_20100104B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eleven_Ladies_Dancing_20100104.zip">Eleven Ladies Dancing</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Ten_Pipers_Piping_20100103B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Ten_Pipers_Piping_20100103.zip">Ten Pipers Piping</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Nine_Drummers_Drumming_20100102B_thumb.pn...

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Ten_Pipers_Piping_20100103B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Ten_Pipers_Piping_20100103.zip">Ten Pipers Piping</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Nine_Drummers_Drumming_20100102B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Nine_Drummers_Drumming_20100102.zip">Nine Drummers Drumming</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eight_Maids_a-Milking_20100101B_thumb....

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Nine_Drummers_Drumming_20100102B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Nine_Drummers_Drumming_20100102.zip">Nine Drummers Drumming</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eight_Maids_a-Milking_20100101B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eight_Maids_a-Milking_20100101.zip">Eight Maids a-Milking</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Seven_Swans_a-Swimming_200...

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eight_Maids_a-Milking_20100101B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Eight_Maids_a-Milking_20100101.zip">Eight Maids a-Milking</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Seven_Swans_a-Swimming_20091231B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Seven_Swans_a-Swimming_20091231.zip">Seven Swans a-Swimming</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Six_Geese_a-Laying_2009123...

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Seven_Swans_a-Swimming_20091231B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Seven_Swans_a-Swimming_20091231.zip">Seven Swans a-Swimming</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Six_Geese_a-Laying_20091230B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Six_Geese_a-Laying_20091230.zip">Six Geese a-Laying</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Five_Gold_Rings_20091229B_thumb.png...

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Six_Geese_a-Laying_20091230B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Six_Geese_a-Laying_20091230.zip">Six Geese a-Laying</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Five_Gold_Rings_20091229B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Five_Gold_Rings_20091229.zip">Five Gold Rings</a>

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Five_Gold_Rings_20091229B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Five_Gold_Rings_20091229.zip">Five Gold Rings</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Four_Colly_Birds_20091228B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Four_Colly_Birds_20091228.zip">Four Colly Birds</a>

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Four_Colly_Birds_20091228B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Four_Colly_Birds_20091228.zip">Four Colly Birds</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Three_French_Hens_20091227B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Three_French_Hens_20091227.zip">Three French Hens</a>

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Three_French_Hens_20091227B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Three_French_Hens_20091227.zip">Three French Hens</a>
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Two_Turtle_Doves_20091226B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Two_Turtle_Doves_20091226.zip">Two Turtle Doves</a>

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Two_Turtle_Doves_20091226B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Two_Turtle_Doves_20091226.zip">Two Turtle Doves</a>
and
<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/A_Partridge_in_a_Pear_Tree_20091225B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/A_Partridge_in_a_Pear_Tree_20091225.zip">A Partridge in a Pear Tree</a>

<img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/A_Partridge_in_a_Pear_Tree_20091225B_thumb.png">
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/A_Partridge_in_a_Pear_Tree_20091225.zip">A Partridge in a Pear Tree</a>

Whilst learning the ins and outs of BlitzMax properly, I'd like to learn using something I know. It's easier to fiddle around with a new language if you already know where the game's headed.
So, for my first proper week in 2010 I'd like to attempt a remake of one of my previous games.
If there's any of my games that you've really loved, but that you think could be better. let me know what it is, and we'll see if we can choose a winning remake to be done.

As well as all the 12 Games of Xmas (starting Friday) I've finally got around to opening up BlitzMax, and getting that whole new system going.
Plenty to do, and it'll probably kill the whole point of my Xmas Week Off, but no matter.. Lots to do, let's hop to it.
First up, I want everyone who can be bothered to try this out.
It's a couple of little programs that stress tests your system, and tries to draw as many things onscreen at once as it possibly can. Or, at least, as fast as BlitzMa...

As I mentioned the other day, there'll be an ever so slight delay in this week's game.
But don't worry, it's a cracker!!