May 8/04 - Dave Bonner to the rescue!

Many thanks go out to Dave Bonner (not sure if he wants to post his email, so I won't just yet) for sending in these two zips of VB source! They show off some of the code being used in Dave's upcoming space action game! The first zip contains source for a dynamic starfield generator, and the second is a simple 2-player asteroids clone, which uses Dave's DirectX wrapper classes. Pretty slick stuff; Thanks Dave!

January 28/03 - Has it really been 1.5 years?

Oh how time flies! But contrary to popular myth, I am alive. As evidence I give you... The Forum Search Function! May it bring you eternal happiness. Now that I've finally delivered on that promise, it's time to get back to the Galaxy grindstone. Look for some new demos soon, with better weapons and more baddies to fight! Lux0r out.

Sept 10/01 - MySQL? YOUR SQL!! AGAIN!!

To the many of you who've informed me of my message board problems: Thanks :) I am aware of the problem, but haven't had the time yet to look into it. I've been working too much lately :( I'll get on it as soon as I am able.

August 16/01 - Alllllllrightyroo!

Deep breath Lucky. You can do this. OK! So, I've finally updated the website again, and guess what? It's a biggy! Firstly, I've updated the linky-poos with a few choice morsels. Secondly, I've updated the albumy-walbumy with a few more freaks for the show :) Bren, MetalWarrior, and Sketch! Nextly, I've added a phat pack of German Tutorials for all of my german homies out there. SuperNextly, I've posted FIVE NEW TUTORIAL/FILE THINGIES!! Here we go: RSA Encryption, The Euclidean Algorithm and You by Paul "Some Bloke" Ayre; Full Screen GUI Development - Part 1 by Jim (Machaira) Perry; Full Screen GUI Development - Part 2 by (GASP!) Jim (Machaira) Perry; DirectShow Introduction / Simple Playback by Paladin; Pathfinding Source Code by Roto. Did you get all that? A thousand thankful thank-y'alls to everyone who made this update so HUGE! Now then! I have something to tell you. Are you sitting down? Good. I won't be updating this site anymore until I finish Galaxy. You heard me! So don't bother sending me any tutorials, links, or anything for posting... or you may be in for a wait :) I do hope to finish Galaxy as quickly and painlessly as possible however. Keep your eye-peelers handy, cuz you'll want to keep 'em peeled for new screenshots and alpha releases tres soon!

July 29/01 - MySQL? YOUR SQL!!

Looks like my web hosting service is having some MySQL problems... as a result the forums are scr00d. I'll sort this out as soon as I can! Hang in there :)

July 7/01 - You like me, you really really like me!

Ok, so here's the dilly (or 411, NFO, whateva): I don't have enough time right now to post everything, so I'll post some things now, and some later tonight or tomorrow! k? k. So, I've got for j00 a whack of new linkies and an addition or two to the album! You'll find a new and improved picture of Jack, along with an entirely new entry for Pascal (of XODE Multimedia fame). So please do take a look! Lastly, but not leastly, I won! Well, Jack cleaned up mostly, but Lucky's VB Gaming Site won the VB Gamer's Haven 2000 Coconut Awards award for "Best Community Site". Yay! Thanks go to everyone who aided the cause by providing help on the forums and in the form of tutorials :) Oh, did someone say tutorials? I have THREE new tutorials to post! Check back tonight/tomorrow!

June 3/01 - Angry propellers? What?

I hope nobody is having a heart attack or anything, but yes, this is 2 updates in under a week :) And we owe it all to everyone's favourite warrior of metal: MetalWarrior! The maddest of mad props go out to MW for his latest work of genius, Creating and Using Alpha Channels. So if you've been hankering to both create and use alpha channels, I'd imagine that this is right up your figurative alley.

May 30/01 - What would you do if I sang out of tune...

Yes, Lucky has had a little help from his friends on this update! Mateo, Bryk, and Suarez, to name names :) Mateo has provided us with a stunning example of a DirectDraw7 / Direct3D Hybrid Engine; Bryk graces your phosphors with a lovely treatise on Collisions Between Mixed Bounding Types; And Herr Suarez brings us a German tutorial on Waypoints. Some very high-quality work, so be sure to check these tutorials out!

May 02/01 - Move out already!

Now that all of my pesky "friends" have moved out of university residence (I live near campus, permanently), I can hopefully return to my regularly scheduled dorkfest. First on my list of things to do was "Post Emailed Items". That means two new photos in the album (SLAM and Mike T.), and two new tutorials! Loading GIFs or JPGs to DDraw Surfaces by W-Buffer, and Car Racing AI by The Tyrant. Fine work, both of you! I especially appreciate the quality of the car racing AI sample source. Be sure to check it out! Next on my list is that Winsock API tutorial. Stay tuned...

Mar 20/01 - 4ll j00r b453 r b3l0nG 70 U5.

My name is Lucky, and I am one 1337 114m4. If the preceding words appear to be jibberish to you, click here and learn yourself up, d00d. In other gnus, my Monkey Song was recently plugged by the good folks at MooMoo Fever. Any webcomic simultaneously covering rhesus monkeys, world domination, and video games, is schweet in my book (I only have one book)! Consider yourself reciprocally plugged MooMooMen. Moving right along: Have you ever had the urge to gouge your eyes out with a rusty fork? No? Why don't you answer me after you visit the album, hm? We now have Peter and Tatsuo! (Just kidding about the fork thing guys! You're clearly good enough for a spoon, or perhaps spork.) Don't worry folks, I'm almost ranted out. Lastly: Byte Buffer Compression with ZLib by W-Buffer and Using the ScriptControl Object by Q -- Two new tutorials! *frolicks away*

Feb 23/01 - OMG! I forgot! I have a website to run!

Yeah, it's been a month or whatever.. but I've been doing things! Really! The niftiest to date: Lucky's Multiplayer Space Combat. It seems people enjoy writing 'bots' (AI ships that fly and fight on their own) for it, so I'm going to be having a bot writing contest sometime soon; keep your monitors.. monitoring. Oh yes, thanks to the twin terrors of M&M (Mateo and MetalWarrior) the game will be getting a DX8 overhaul! The duo also claim that the new version will melt in your mouth, not in your hand. On a more lucid note, I do believe I've decided to name the new game "Nebular". Like it? I do, and my mommy (and girlfriend!) say I'm smart, so there. Enough aboot that. We've got a new face (albeit cartoony) in the album.. my bodyguard Silverbat! And Benedikt Engelhard has updated his handy DX8 Sprite code to include a demonstration of the use of fonts with DGraphics. Thank you all for making this update possible. It was brought to you by the letter 'L' and the number '8'. One last thing: I think a few people might have sent me links or maybe even photo album pictures that I've lost in the shuffle. If so, do let me know!

Jan 23/01 - DDraw lives!

It seems as though the removal of DirectDraw from DX8 has struck a chord deep within many VB gamers. The result: Many new methods for displaying sprites and surfaces in DirectX8. Last week we had Mateo's fine demonstration; this week we have a tutorial from the illustrious MetalWarrior! Read his new tutorial, Drawing Large Surfaces in DirectX 8 and check out the accompanying source. Benedikt Engelhard also got in on the action with his DirectX8 Sprite source code, and to round things out, Menu Box DLL was contributed by Thomas 'ThamasTah' van Dijk. Thanks y'all! (And a special thanks to Mateo for his provision of our spanky new message board emoticons! Or should I say "Emateocons?" )

Jan 18/01 - The forum is dead. Long live the forum!

Say bye-bye to the EZBoard and hello to my Pretty Huge Pants message board! It dices, it slices... and it's a pretty good message board too :)

Jan 16/01 - I am an old man.

Yes, Lucky is 23 today... now 4.55% more crochety!! My birthday present to me: An update! And a juicy one to boot :) Check the album for Mythos, the links page for Arcadia and Megalodon Software, and the tutorials page for Machaira's VB RPG Tutorial! Well I think that's enough updating for this year.. I've gotta act my age and slow down, right? NEVER!

Jan 13/01 - Sprites! My beautiful sprites!

I know you missed them as much as I did :) What DX8 has taken away Mateo has brought back! Check out his new tutorial on Using DirectGraphics for 2D Graphics! It includes some nifty functions for using sprites with DX8 and also demonstrates alphablending. Stop drooling! Click, CLICK!

Jan 12/01 - W-Buffer, the Vertex Slayer

We have a new tutorial on Vector-Vertex Rotations thanks to W-Buffer. Hurrah! Also, there are a few fresh faces in the VB Game Programmers' Album: CodeFalcoN and Machaira!

Jan 10/01 - Problem solved!

Wow, I declare that Mateo is Lucky's VB Gaming Site's guardian angel; he fixed my Nutscrape problems! WOO! Thanks again Mateo. I owe you big :) On another note, the VB Game Programmers' Album has a few new people in it. Namely Soop and JakRabbit. Take a gander!

Jan 10/01 - Mateo = Great Guy

The lovely and talented Mateo has provided me with some improved graphics for the page. You like? I like! Thanks Mateo! On another note, I'm having troubles getting this site to work properly with Netscape (aka. Nutscrape). If anyone thinks they know how to get my tables sizing themselves correctly, I'd appreciate the help :)

Jan 9/01 - It's... almost different

As you can see, I've redesigned the site somewhat. We now have a newsfeed direct from The Nexus! Are you as excited as I am? :) I also thought it would be nice to have EVERYTHING on the navbar, rather than have some links at the bottom of the news. Viola! Please let me know if you find any broken links or other abnormalities; there're bound to be some.

Jan 8/01 - Smeagol

I've updated the VB Game Programmers' Album recently. You'll now find pictures of Almar Joling, Jack Hoxley (all 20 pixels of him!), Yeu Kang Hua, and... *drumroll please*... Gollum! I'm glad I started this album, it's fun :) I'm always looking for more entries, so don't hesitate to send 'em in.

Jan 6/01 - 100k-day!!

Take a gander at the counter on the left! We've passed 100,000 hits! Excuse me whilst I rejoice: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Ahem. I'd like to say "spanks" to everyone that visits Lucky's VB Gaming Site; without all you visitors I'd just be an ordinary nerd... but instead I'm an ordinary nerd with 100,000 hits! And a lame sense of humour, heh. "Mad props" go out to everyone who has contributed to this site through message board participation, tutorial submission, or supportive emails. I raise my coke in a toast. Here's to the next 100k, may they come even faster :) Who was visitor number 100,000? For you I have a present! Ok, it's for everyone else too :) A tutorial on the astoundingly fast timer API, QueryPerformanceTimer. Enjoy. Lucky out.

Jan 3/01 - I picked a peck of picky pictures

It's the greatest! It's stupendous! It's, it's... the VB Game Programmers' Album! Ever wondered what Lucky looks like? (Probably not, thanks to the LuckyCam) Or maybe the famous David Goodlad? Check out the album and see the faces behind the nerds :) I'd love to have more pictures in the album, so please, send an 8x10 glossy and a self-addressed stamped envelo.. just kidding. Email me a picture (preferably 350x430) and all your vital info (check the album to see what info I need).

Jan 1/01 - As good as gold!

Yes, Galaxy won the contest! Thanks to all who went and voted for me, and congrats to all the other winners :) Now, on to 'bidness. We have three new tutorials thanks to Thomas van Dijk (Linear Interpolation and Skeletal Skinning) and Andy Owen (Trigonometry). Three new French tutorials by TalF and one new Dutch tutorial by Pieterjan Vandegaer. Finally, there's a nifty piece of source code from Ransom B.O.T. Cross that shows how to use the API polygon routines. Thanks very much to everyone who contributed to this substantial update :) Phew! Oh yes, almost forgot, Happy New Years :) I promise to finish Galaxy before 2002! Heh.

Dec 29/00 - Is it bad luck to break THIS kind of mirror?

Ok, so updating that other mirror site got to be annoying.. I'm going to stop. http://rookscape.com/vbgaming will now be the only place you can find this site, so update your bookmarks/links please! :) A few things on the agenda today. First, I've put up a new version of Galaxy that should be a bit easier to play (made the enemies easier!) and should have fewer errors. In that vein, be sure to drop by Mateo's Contest 2000 and vote for Galaxy! I'm losing! Heheheh. Lastly, check out my narcissistic LuckyCam if you're bored. Next update will be a big one.. I have a backlog of user submissions to post! Stay tuned..

Dec 24/00 - Happy Birthday Jesus!

Merry Christmas all my loyal readers! I'm about to head off to hang out with my family for a couple days, so I won't be updating or answering mail. I'll try to check the message board though! Since you've been such good little boys (and, I daresay, girls?) Santa-Lucky has two presents for you! The first is from your friend and mine, Jarrod Law. He has written a nice General Visual Basic and DirectX Tutorial! Thanks Jarrod :) And last, perhaps least, here's the Public Alpha of Galaxy!

Dec 18/00 - You like pain?

Not quite sure how this has happened, but it sure is cool! Tons of people have decided to take part in the Christmas Challenge that Mateo issued in an attempt to get my tooshie-in-gear on Galaxy. He has set up a Contest 2000 website so we can keep track of those who've decided to take part. If you're one of the participants, be sure to email Mateo to let him know you want in. There'll be a voting function available on Dec 26th so the public can decide which game they like best. (Hint: vote for Galaxy or I'll cry!)

Dec 15/00 - Glove slap! Baby, glove slap!

Yes, I have been challenged.. by the nefarious Mateo. The terms: He will release--by Christmas--the beta version of his project Brick Blast, if I release the alpha version of Galaxy in the same timeframe. And yes, we're talking about Christmas 2000 :) The Galaxy alpha will include combat (but no starbase or planetary trade), and I believe the Brick Blast beta will be almost entirely complete! Where's that grindstone? Time to nose it, eh Mateo?

Dec 14/00 - Sleep is where I get to be a Viking!

I'm special! And so is DirectDraw. Check out the new DirectDraw Special Effects tutorial and source. You can use it to perform fast pseudo-alphablending and gamma! Definitely worth having a look :)

Dec 12/00 - Daunting!

This update was so big I was scared to post it! Ok, maybe "scared" isn't the word.. "too lazy" is more like it :) First off, we now have French Tutorials thanks to my new friend TalF. Also, another Dutch Tutorial from Djamel Grine. And for the English speakers out there, Inverse Kinematics by Thomas 'ThamasTah' van Dijk and the second installment of DirectX Graphics by Steven Blom! Thanks y'all! I promise that the next time I update it will be the result of my OWN writing :)

Nov 30/00 - It's good to be me!

Yes, it's good to be Lucky when people help out like they have been lately! We've got a new DirectGraphics Tutorial (Yes, that's DirectX8) thanks to Steven Blom, a nifty little Skeletal Animation Tutorial by Thomas 'ThamasTah' van Dijk, and finally, four new Dutch Tutorials thanks to Djamel Grine and Pieterjan Vandegaer! It's good to be me!

Nov 27/00 - Ew, look what Mateo did!

Just kidding Mateo! Your new VB Gaming website kicks ass. Though I may be biased towards any site that has a space game in progress.. who knows :) Also on tap today, Djamel Grine and his translating machine (he MUST have a machine! He's fast!) have given us another Dutch Tutorial.

Nov 26/00 - Mirror, mirror on the wall; Who's the nerdiest one of all?

I think that I am the nerdiest one of all! Afterall, I have the only VB Game Programming site with its very own mirror! (don't I?) Visit the new site here, or peruse the old one here! Or maybe you should open TWO windows, with a different mirror in each! O the fun to be had :)

Nov 24/00 - You spin me right round baby, right round. Like a record baby...

I've posted a new physics tutorial on Circular Motion. You may find it helpful if you're trying to implement loop-de-loops in a platform game or... I don't know what else :) A physics demo for school perhaps? Heheh. Use it as you see fit! Also, we've got two new Dutch tutorials, thanks again to Djamel Grine.

Nov 21/00 - Stop. Hey. What's that sound?

Everybody look what's going down :) The Loading Buffers from Custom Binary Resource Files tutorial is finally here! No more DirectSound.CreateSoundBufferFromFile for you! Also, Djamel Grine and Pieterjan Vandegaer are at it again: Our Dutch tutorials have doubled in number!

Nov 18/00 - I promise!

Lately I've been busier than a beaver on Busy Beaver Day and haven't been able to write the tutorial on Manual Loading of DSound Buffers, but I promise I will do it on Tuesday, ok? Until then enjoy this new tutorial from MetalWarrior, and 3 new Dutch tutorials by Djamel Grine and Pieterjan Vandegaer!

Nov 13/00 - Brain.. imploding..

Ok, holy crap, this is a big update. We have a new tutorial in English and one in German thanks to Paladin's translation skills. We have a new Dutch Tutorials section thanks to Djamel Grine. And finally, we have a wicked new file, frogger.zip thanks to Martin Stradling. (Try to beat his highscore of 26!) Frogger is an example of a great pure API VB game and includes blending and colour rotation techniques. Thanks Paladin, Djamel, and Martin!

Nov 10/00 - Freedom! FREEDOM!

Cast off the shackles of DirectDraw7.CreateSurfaceFromFile my friends, and be free! My new Loading Surfaces from Custom Binary Resource Files tutorial will change your VB Game Programming methods forever :)

Nov 8/00 - MP3 For You and Me!

The ever helpful Brian Clark has provided us with a new tutorial on Mp3's and DirectSound. A popular topic indeed! Thanks Brian :) Also, a great new VB Gaming News website has been brought to Lucky's attention: Shado LTD. I will be visiting often, and would advise you to do the same ;)

Nov 6/00 - A question

I have a question for y'all: Are you interested in learning how to load bitmaps and wave files from Custom Binary Resource Files onto DX surfaces/buffers? It's quite a handy technique since it allows you to pack your files in a format that is not easily tampered with. I will post a topic on the message board about this.. I just want to see whether or not there is interest in the subject. If not, I'll write a tutorial on something else. Oh yes, almost forgot! There's another piece of news today. Stephan Kirchmaier of VB Empire fame has contributed an entirely unique new German tutorial on Pixel Plotting. Thanks Stephan ;)

Nov 5/00 - Been a while-ish

Yes, it's been a while since I updated, and for that I am sorry :) I WILL put up some fresh new tutorials this week.. on some very interesting topics.. so keep your peepers peeled and peeping. As for now, have a look at these wonderful tutorial translations by Paladin. Three more to add to the growing list! Thanks Paladin, and thanks to those of you who have written to me expressing your appreciation of the translated tutorials.

Oct 26/00 - Further advances on the German front :)

Thanks to Benedikt Engelhard we now have ALL of the DirectPlay tutorials translated into German! I betcha Lucky's VB Gaming Site is the only site on the net with German VB DirectPlay tutorials! How cool :) Thanks Benedikt, Lucky loves ya.

Oct 25/00 - Hard working Germans!

My friend and yours, Paladin, has translated my Efficient Linedrawing and Textout tutorial into German. Thanks Paladin! :) In other news, I've been working hard myself on Galaxy lately.. if anyone's interested I might release a public alpha in a week or two.

Oct 24/00 - Third time... Lucky?

This is the third message board Lucky's VB Gaming Site has seen since its conception, and hopefully it'll be the last! It is similar in format to the most recent board, but has a few more options. Don't worry, the old board is still around; a link to it can be found at the bottom of the new board.

Oct 23/00 - What's with all the German lately?!

Check it: New screeny on the Projects Page. Word to the big bird, these new Terran ships are money. They were designed by chief ship builder Sergio whilst on assignment in Germany. Solid German engineering will make this a fleet to be reckoned with, to be sure :)

Oct 22/00 - The G-Spot

The lovely and talented GBeebe has graciously supplied us with a new tutorial on Advanced DirectInput Mouse Handling. This tutorial offers a few improvements over my basic tutorial by providing 'hot spot' support and the ability to clip the cursor. All hail GBeebe!

Oct 19/00 - "Bit" off more than you can chew?

Thanks go out to MetalWarrior for contributing a tutorial on Color Keying in 16-bit. An important topic, to be sure! Many a newbie will be pleased :) Also, check out the newest VB gaming site on the block, LiquidWare. Very interesting stuff!

Oct 18/00 - Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

Thanks entirely to my friend Daniel Alexander Kurle, Lucky's VB Gaming Site now has German Tutorials! Daniel has translated a few into his native tongue, so go have a look if you're more comfortable in German than English. Now, on another note: Help! :) If any of you are interested in contributing to this site (writing tutorials, translating tutorials, or supplying source code), please don't hesitate to email me. I will love you forever :) Mmmmmwwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaa!!

Oct 15/00 - Teeny-weeny

Just a wee little update to let y'all know I'm still alive and haven't run off again :) Also, I added a few new links and placed a "Tutorials" and "Files" counter at the bottom of this page. High-five! Oh, another thing. If any of you have VB game programming sites (that have some content), email them to me and I'll link you up. I've noticed a few fresh sites pop up lately; keep me informed! Later skaters.

Oct 11/00 - Fade out.. again!

I've added some features to my RPG demo. It now plays midi files and allows for movement between the various map files. Oh yes, almost forgot. It does a nifty fade-out and fade-in (gamma) when you switch from one map to another! Break out the bibs, cuz you're gonna drool! Ok, maybe it's not drool-calibre, but it is certainly "nifty" :) Anyhoo, feel free to check it out by clicking here (source included). Bug reports and comments greatly appreciated!

Oct 9/00 - Sign me up.

I've added a guestbook, feel free to have your way with it! Also, Lucky's VB Gaming Site has been given the Nerd Universe Seal of Approval. Yay for me! That's all for today, but you can expect a DMusic tutorial and a new Galaxy screenshot very soonish :)

Oct 3/00 - It's alive. ALIVE!

Did you miss me? How could you not? I'm so loveable :P Anyhoo, enough of the mush. Down to 'bidness'. I am back and I still stomp. Feel free to ask questions on the messageboard; I am on duty once again. On another note, I just discovered this kickarse new site Nerd Universe. It is primarily a VB game programming news site (very funny and well written), but CheezX3000 also has some tutorials and a project in the works. Definitely check it 'oot'. It gets the Lucky's VB Gaming Site seal of approval ;)

Jun 27/00 - Finally, something!

Well, I was sick earlier today so I didn't finish the portal stuff in the RPG, but what I HAVE completed is quite cool, IMHO :) Have a look at the source code right now! I will NOT be explaining anything about how all this works until I'm completely done with it - at which point I'll write tutorials. Also, it is obviously incomplete and messy (and not very modular!).. I'll be cleaning it up. Worry not! On another topic, I've added a few new links to the links page. If you wanted me to add your link and I missed you, email me again please.

Jun 3/00 - Happy birthday to me!

Today is Lucky's VB Gaming Site's 1st birthday! Please send presents to: 256 Nerdboy Road, Luckyville, Canada. Thanks :) Now for some serious "bidness" - As my birthday present to y'all, I'm working on an RPG! I'll be releasing the source and stuff.. that's why I'm making it! SO many people mail me with questions about RPGs, so I figured I'd shut 'em up by writing a little RPG of my own. Interested in my progress? Here's an in-game shot, here's a shot of the map editor (which is now complete!), and here's a little midi file I wrote for the main town. I'll be posting a few new tutorials soon too.. one on GetLockedArray (thanks to Brian Clark) and one on DInput joystick. So c'mon back!

May 31/00 - Code load

Open up your code holes, cuz I'm about to shove a wad your way! I've been talking about this one for a while, so I figured it was about time I got it done. Check out the new Efficient Line Drawing and TextOut tutorial and source.

May 24/00 - OMG!

"Oh my God" is right! For two reasons: Firstly... emails! Here's what happened to Lucky today (I'm sure y'all are eager to know). I got up, checked my email. Only a few from friends. I go to work, come home, eat dinner, go watch Mission Impossible 2 (which was alright), get back home again, check my email. BLAM! 14 messages from VB gamers! Half of them asking me to look at their source code and find their bugs! I always try to answer the mail I get (in some fashion.. heheh), but this is getting silly! So, I've removed my email link at the bottom of this page. I've replaced it with a "Contact" page that begs people to use the message board instead of mailing me, wherever possible :) I'm only one man!! Ok, now for the real news: Another award! That's two in two weeks! Lucky's VB Gaming site is on a nerd-roll! heheh. Mad props go out to Peter of Voodoo VB for taking pity on Lucky and this, his humble VB Gaming Site :)

May 23/00 - FAQ Attack!

I've posted a short FAQ for this site. If you can think of other items worthy of addition, please let me know.. it's rather small at the moment! Also, in case you've been wondering what the heck I've been up to lately (certainly not updating! heheh)... you'll find out soon. I have been working on something, I'm not slacking off. Promise!

May 15/00 - Oh happy day!

Lucky's VB Gaming Site has won its first award! Thanks to everyone who has emailed me encouragement and suggestions; I couldn't (wouldn't!) have made it this far without y'all. And thanks, of course, to Adam at VB Gaming Central for finding the wisdom to choose this website as the Site of the Week :) heheh. Oh yes, I almost forgot! The counter rolled past 40,000 yesterday! It just keeps on getting faster! WOOOOO! "Oh happy day" indeed!

May 10/00 - UP-DATE?

What's the opposite of UP-DATE? DOWN-TIME! Well, close enough :) Yes, VB Gaming Central experienced some downtime lately, but it's back up and Adam's updating like the mad-cow eating Brit he is! Go pay them a visit! And when you're sick of reading the latest VB Gaming Scene news, why doncha c'mon back here and learn something from Lucky? I've updated the source (optimized it a tad) and posted a Pixel Perfect Collision Detection tutorial!

May 03/00 - Lucky is Perfect

Pixel Perfect, that is! Check out this source code and tell me what you think or if you find any errors. Please post on the message board instead of mailing me :) You can expect that a tutorial explaining this source shall be forthcoming.

Apr 22/00 - You can call me Ebert...

I've written three new VB Game Reviews over at VB Gamers Haven. Go check them out! Oh, and before I forget, Happy Easter everyone! God bless ;)

Apr 20/00 - Scroll THIS!

Look mommy, I can scroll tiles all by myself! I'm a big boy now! (Yep, Lucky's in a weird mood! I'll update again this weekend.)

Apr 14/00 - Dizzy!

I get dizzy just watching it... it's so pretty and soothing! Yes, I'm talking about none other than the Altairian Space Station in Galaxy! Have a look at it on the Projects Page - now in high colour! I'd make an animated GIF of it, but it'd be pretty darn large.. you'll just hafta wait for the game to see it spin, sorry :)

Apr 13/00 - Ask and ye shall receive...

Seek, and ye shall download! I've posted the source code to go along with the Time Based Modeling Tutorial. Check it out on the files page (or from within the tutorial itself) if you're interested. Also note, I'll be posting a tutorial on Smooth-Scrolling Tile Based Games in the coming days... by popular demand! See? I listen.. sometimes :)

Apr 12/00 - Justice!

..with liberty and maximal frame rates for all! Check out my "Time-Based Modeling" tutorial to see what YOU can do for your frame rates! Ok, enough of my dodgy American references... just go read the tutorial! I'll post some source code for it tomorrow (I'm too sleepy right now to finish!).

Apr 6/00 - When worlds collide

I've been asked about collision detection countless times, so finally I've put up a tutorial explaining some of the easier methods: "Basic Collision Detection - Rectangular and Circular." I placed it under the "Physics" section on the tutorials page, for lack of a better place. You can expect a more complex discussion of collision detection in the future (Pixel Perfect), but for now this'll have to do!

Apr 4/00 - On the road to recovery!

WOO! I've written my first four VB Game Reviews over on VB Gamers Haven. Have a click here to go have a look. Also, if you have any games that you'd like reviewed (or know of any that deserve to be reviewed), please upload them to the VBGH anonymous FTP; the FTP upload instructions can be found at the link above.

Mar 29/00 - Comin' to getcha!

Want the monsters in your game to seek out the player in the most efficient manner possible? Attempt to decipher my new Seeking/Fleeing Algorithms tutorial! Also, if you're interested in space games (I assume you are.. if not, get off my site! Space-geeks only! Heh), check out the fine looking VB Game, Star Trek: Quadrant Wars! She's a beauty!

Mar 27/00 - AI 4 U

Yet another AI tutorial has found its way onto the Tutorials Page. Go have a looky-loo if you'd like to learn about Finite State Machines and Probability Distributions. It sounds very bland, but I assure you that it... is! ;)

Mar 25/00 - Out of the ashes, a phoenix rises

An alliance is born! Lucky's VB Gaming Site will be working in conjunction with VB Gamers Haven to review and catalogue all completed VB games! If you have a VB game that is complete (or at least in alpha or beta stage), go to ftp://vbgh:vbgh@vbgh.thenexus.bc.ca:2121/incoming/VB_Games/ and upload your game (in ZIP format, please). I would suggest including a README.TXT file within your ZIP, giving us your email address and website (if applicable). Games that do not work (in whole, or in part) will not be reviewed.. so check it over first :)

Mar 24/00 - The good shepherd

I've started work on an AI section on the Tutorials Page. The first installment is entitled, "Basic Flocking." I hope you enjoy it! I can't get enough of those little virtual sheep running around the screen, and panicking when the flock gets too far away! "Small things amuse small minds, Lucky" ;)

Mar 23/00 - Well, it's no NetPONG...

But it's better than nothing! I've posted the source code for a (very) basic chat program on the Tutorials Page (and also on the Files Page). The "DirPlay" Class Module that this program uses is identical to the NetPONG one (I just ripped out NetPONG's guts so that I could get some source code to you guys sooner), and it's very easy to use. You just pass the functions a listbox and they spit out the answers! Nice! Please let me know if you have problems--I had some! My firewall wasn't letting the packets through, so if you have a firewall, beware!

Mar 21/00 - Mouse trap!

Two new tutorials on the Tutorials Page! The first describes a basic encryption technique using XOR, the other details mouse handling with DirectInput. A double-whammy!

Mar 20/00 - Done like dinner!

How many months have I been talking about these DirectPlay tutorials? 2 or 3 at least! Now, at long last, my shame has ended; I've done what I said I'd do! Check out the Tutorials Page for some DirectPlay tutorials--Lucky style! Note: I haven't completed the NetPONG source to go along with it, but I'll try my best to get that done before the week is out. Alpha testers, get ready!

Mar 19/00 - The little engine that could

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can! I'm working hard on the DirectPlay tutorials, and have managed to complete 3 more of them. Have a gander at the Tutorials Page. I never realized how strange some of the DirectPlay constructs really are until I started trying to explain them :) I hope the tutorials are not too confusing, it's late and I'm tired!

Mar 18/00 - I think I'm funny, but I'm not

I perceive a lack in the VB gaming world: A lack of... humour! Not that I think I'm a great comedian, but hey, I'm trying here! Go read your VB Horoscope and see what is in store for you today (or any day for that matter... it won't be changing!)

Mar 16/00 - The return of TBH

Just a tiny update today; I've thrown up a new section on the links page to make your message board hoping a little easier.. And also: The Black Hole is back online! THB can handle all of your VB RPG programming needs :)

Mar 11/00 - Starry, starry night

I'm going to put myself out of "business" doing this! Over on the Tutorials Page you'll find a new tutorial on starfields... add the projectiles tutorial, slap on some fancy graphics, and you've got Galaxy!! Serious, Galaxy is nothing more than a nice-looking physics demonstration. Go read the tutorials and you'll be on your way to showing me up :)

Mar 10/00 - Rat-a-tat-tat!

On a number of occasions people have asked on the Message Board how to accurately represent projectiles in their games. Well, there's a new projectiles tutorial on the Tutorials Page that you'll probably be interested in if you are one of those people :) You'll be shooting up those badguys in no time!

Mar 9/00 - I'm on a rampage!

Three updates in three days! Are you proud of me? :) I've added another physics tutorial to the Tutorials Page. This one teaches you how to use gravity in your games under various conditions. I think the source code that goes along with these physics tutorials is pretty sweet, but nobody has said anything about it on the message board! *cough* GUILT *cough* :) Oh yeah, the spaceship source code is really REALLY old (although I cleaned it up before posting it). I wrote it back when I was toying with the idea of programming Galaxy!

Mar 8/00 - Let's get physical!

I've added the beginnings of a "Physics" section to the Tutorials Page. I've been asked one too many times how to make spaceships fly, so I've broken down and explained it :) As you can see, with the upcoming DirectPlay and Physics tutorials, I have my work cut out for me... and I might finish off the next DPlay one tonight, but don't get your hopes up! My best friend is in town (briefly), so you-all might get ditched ;)

Mar 7/00 - Get ready to play!

I've written the first of my DirectPlay tutorials. It's just a basic overview of the structure of DirectPlay, and an outline for how I will proceed with the meat of the discussion. Go have a look at the Tutorials Page if you're interested!

Feb 27/00 - My ugly mug

Ever want to know what Lucky looks like? No? Well I bet you can't resist the urge to click here, can you? I'm posting this just because my grad pics are already on this site (so my relatives can tell me which pictures they want copies of), and figured, heck, why not? :) I DO have some real news as well, heh. Go to the projects page, you'll see a nifty new shot of NetPONG! WOO! It's almost done, so those of you who said you'd like to be alpha testers, just keep cool :) Oh, and one last thing. See that "Top 219 Visual Basic" icon down at the bottom of the screen? Be a dear and click on that for me, would you? (to vote for this site) I can always use more hits!

Feb 26/00 - 272, thanks to you!

A couple of things to report today; firstly, we've set a new hit record, 272 in one day! Woo! Am I the only one who gets excited about these things? Heh. Ok, now for the important stuff. We've got a new tutorial on "Transparent Blitting Without Masks" (API, not DirectX) on the Tutorials Page thanks to Brian Clark! Also, I'd like to inform y'all that VB Gamer's Haven's server is back in business, and they've recently updated the site, so go check it out on my links page.

Feb 23/00 - Nothin' big

I have updated the latest screenshot.. it's a picture of a Sicarius ship, and I've changed it from a static gif to an animated one. Go have a look :) (on the Projects Page, duh!)

Feb 20/00 - Progress update

Just a quick update to let you know that NetPONG is almost done, I'm just tweaking the network messaging. Single player and two player games work perfectly, however. Also, check out the projects page, I threw in a new screenshot from Galaxy.

Feb 13/00 - 269 and feelin' fine!

It's been 11 days since the last update, so I've got a lot to say! First of all, a big "thank-you" to everyone who visits and supports this page, a few days back we got 269 hits! A new record! Also, some of you may have noticed that VBGaming (top of my links page) has gone down. Well, I've been in contact with Adam, and he says that it'll be back up and running soon, and that he'll post a message on my board when it is. So keep your eyes peeled! In other news, we have some new source code on the Files Page. Chris has shown us how to determine the inverse and gray-scale of any given RGB value. Thanks Chris! Finally, I'd like to inform everyone that I'm taking the week off of work (voluntarily) to work on Galaxy and NetPONG. This means you can expect some sweet new screenshots in the days to come... but little else :) Also, the amount of work I get done is directly proportional to the amount that people email me... so if you leave me alone, I'll get more done! Heheh. I'll visit the message board too, but will only answer the really good questions :) Ta-ta!

Feb 2/00 - Forget it!

Ok, if I'm ever going to finish Galaxy then I'm going to have to stop working on tutorials and stuff for this page (for a while), sorry. I'll still try to answer stuff on the message board (if no one else does), but I'm really going to push to finish Galaxy (and get to work on NetPONG) because it's taking WAY too long when I divide my time in too many directions. I will certainly still post anything (if it's good, of course) submitted by you guys, so it's up to you to keep the content flowing! All I'll be doing is posting screenshots... I hope :) Now, speaking of user submissions, we have some excellent new code available on the Files Page. Thanks go out to KoPP3x, he's written a handy module enabling you to use irregular forms (and sample project to demonstrate). Have a look, Lucky likes it!

Feb 1/00 - I like it like that!

It is always very pleasing when kind, generous (and smart!) people contribute tutorials or other items to my page. GBeebe and Steven Blom have each written new tutorials which can be found on my Tutorials Page. One is entitled, "Input Lines From a Text Box" (GBeebe), while the other is on "Converting Long Integers to Hexadecimal or RGB Values" (Steven Blom). Both can be found in the "Miscellaneous" section of the tutorials page. Anyone else feel like helping Lucky out as these fine gentlemen have? Hmm? :)

Jan 29/00 - Feelin' Crazy?

I've written a new tutorial entitled Making Simple Card Games with Cards32.DLL. It will show you just how easy it is to make card games like MicroSoft's solitaire or hearts using the Cards32.DLL. Tromp on over to the Tutorials Page to check it out. I've included a fully functional version of the classic card game "Crazy Eights" as a demonstration.

Jan 26/00 - Gamma-lamma-ding-dong

I have fixed up my Gamma Tutorial Source Code so it should now correctly determine a video card's capabilities before attempting to alter any Gamma Ramps. Also, I've added the ability to INCREASE (ie. brighten) any or all of the colour channels, thus allowing you to "fade to white" or "fade to red" etc. Have fun!

Jan 22/00 - WHO'S YOUR DADDY?

That's right, I'm your daddy :) My Altering the Display with Gamma Controls tutorial is complete and can be found on the Tutorials Page! With this beauty of a tutorial you'll be able to do fading, colour filtering, and all kinds of cool crap :) Go have a look!

Jan 21/00 - Content Explosion!

Thanks go out to Gary Beebe for letting Lucky's VB Gaming Site host some of his awesome tutorials. Have a peek at the Tutorials Page to read his discussions of Tile Based Algorithms, Lookup Tables and Lighting, Isometric Style, and the timeless favourite, BitBlt. It seems we've been adding a lot of content lately, and there are a few more tutorials to come before things slow down. Expect a discussion of Gamma Controls, and a Line Drawing/Textout Tutorial in the coming days. After that, I'm gonna focus on Galaxy and the upcoming DirectPlay masterpiece, NetPONG.

Jan 20/00 - New tutorials a'comin!

Hey all, I've posted a new tutorial/file by Steven Blom on both my Tutorials Page and Files Page. He's created a nice little module that produces intelligible error messages when DirectX goes awry. Very handy! Thanks Steven! Also, I've made an agreement with GBeebe to host some of his tutorials, so be looking for those soon!

Jan 19/00 - Am I Articulate?

Over on the VB Gaming Website they've posted an article I've written concerning game design. It took me quite some time to write it, so you'd better go read it! :) Kidding! Also, I've posted a new tutorial on the Tutorials Page. I've been getting a lot of questions lately regarding binary files and file formats, so I hope this will help y'all out! It deals with making custom binary resource files, but the principles can be used for all sorts of applications such as map editors, etc.

Jan 16/00 - Happy Birthday to me!

So, as a present to myself, I worked on tutorials and Galaxy all day... well, after Church of course :) I didn't get the alpha done (sorry!) but I put up a great new tutorial describing the bitmap file format and how you can use it/manipulate it. Also, you'll notice on the Tutorials Page that Jennifer Miller has written a piece on creating shortcuts in windows using the API. Thanks very much Jennifer! Anyone else who would like to share their knowledge with the world is certainly welcome to submit a tutorial for me to review and post; I'd love to read 'em :)

Jan 10/00 - Slip slidin' away

In typical "Lucky-esque" style I have failed to meet my objectives. I stated that I'd release the next alpha version of Galaxy today, but I haven't quite got it ready yet :( Yesterday my computer was occupied by the resident AutoCAD-Monster Sergio Bernardo, so I was unable to complete my task. Have a look at the Projects Page to see some of the great new things that were born of Sergio's toil. I will not be able to work on the game tonight, so earliest it'll be out is Tuesday. Sorry boys.

Jan 2/00 - What a colourful world

I've thrown up a new screenshot of the Hantakas starbase on the Projects Page. You may notice that it looks more colourful (well the gradients look smoother) than the starbases of old. This is because I've broken down and done some palette optimizations to improve the colours of the bitmaps. It's going to be a pain to convert all of my ships, but it's for the good of the people! Heh.

Dec 31/99 - Lucky rings in the New Year with a DirectSound tutorial!

Over on the Tutorials Page you'll find a new DirectSound tutorial. I've also posted the source code to a partially completed mini-game entitled Save the Dog - The Game. Download it if you're interested in seeing how simple games can be made in VB using DirectDraw, DirectInput, DirectSound, and a little help from the API. Let me close by saying "Happy New Years everybody!", see you next millennium ;)

December 28/99 - History in the making

I've posted the History of the Galaxy on the Projects Page, go have a look if you're interested in reading about the story surrounding the game. Any comments would certainly be appreciated, but please take them to the message board rather than emailing them to me :) Thanks!

December 27/99 - Wonderful Wonderboy!

My friend (and alpha tester) Steven Blom is working on a recreating an old Sega game using VB and DirectX7. Ever play "Wonderboy III - Dragon's Trap"? Neither did I, but apparently it is quite good :) He has taken the ROM of the old game and is extracting the graphics from it to make a Win95 version of the game. Pretty neat stuff! I don't think any other VB game programmers have attempted anything like this, so go check out Steven's ground-breaking page!

December 23/99 - Time, where has she gone?

Well I have been trying to finish my DirectSound tutorial and the code for the mini-game I'm going to make available, but Christmas has me firmly in her grasp and she's not letting go. I was unable to complete either of these tasks satisfactorily, so I will postpone putting them on the page until they're nice and pretty. I've also got a few new features in Galaxy that I think y'all will like, not enough for another alpha release just yet, but I'll throw up some screenshots later. I'm heading back home to visit with the family for a few days... when I get back expect a big juicy post and a new version of Galaxy released for testing. Have a Holly-Jolly Christmas everyone, may you get all the VB programming books you asked for! :)

December 11/99 - Are you bored?

If you're bored, why not visit the new and improved message board? I've changed the format of it so that you don't need to enter a password or anything like that, it's much easier to use (the same format as the VBGH board) so I hope that means that people will use it! I'll try to stimulate some interesting discussions now and then to keep it hopping.

December 3/99 - A Big Fat One

I've added a new screenshot to the Projects Page, there are a few new ships in the game. Also, two more tutorials can now be found on the Tutorials Page, one is about Trig Optimization, while the other deals with determining the Cursor Position. Phew! Three new things in one night! That better keep you happy for a while!

November 28/99 - No more, no more!

Ok, it's not that I don't appreciate the enthusiasm, but PLEASE, NO MORE ALPHA TESTER APPLICATIONS! I said it once before, but perhaps not boldly enough. I have enough testers, and responding negatively to new applications is starting to take up a lot of time (when I should be working on the game). I will likely release a public beta version sometime in December, so just keep your panties on for that!

November 27/99 - A Penchant for GA's

Ever played The Curse of Monkey Island? No?! GET OFF MY SITE! As for the rest of you, you'll be interested to know that there's a VB Adventure Gaming company called Atypical Interactive currently working on a Graphic Adventure entitled "Smoke and Mirrors." Have a click here to check it out. The creator, Alex Kriss, appears to have quite a knack for writing, this is one to watch!

November 25/99 - NKOTB?

Ok, well I don't know if he's a New Kid On The Block or not, but this is the first I've heard of him :) GBeebe's got a nice little VB games page going, and a cool board game in the works! Looks like he knows what he's doing too, his isometric map editor looks very clean. Check him out!

November 22/99 - Little Tufts of Hair

That's right, Lucky's pulling out his hair. I've been having a little trouble lately with a bug or two, and as a result my next alpha version is late on delivery. On another note, I don't need any more alpha testers, please do not apply. I have enough different system types among my current testers to give me a good representative sample. I have, however, accomplished a few new items: Shooting, Shields, and Warping effects. They look cool, they work well, but unfortunately they rely on animation for their effectiveness so I won't be putting up any new screenshots. Also, stay tuned for a new tutorial on DirectSound sometime this week!

November 18/99 - MP3 BABY!

Have any of you loyal Galaxy followers ever wondered what the music in the game will sound like? Well here's your chance to find out! Head over to MP3.COM using this link and you'll find a collection of music made by my uncle Dr. James Clark. "The Ashen Crow", "Amber Sunslash", and "The Fall of Sarnath" are among the songs that will be used in the game! They kick ASS, so go have a listen.

November 16/99 - Back on the Airwaves (Webwaves?)

One of my favourite VB Gaming websites is back in action after a few months hiatus. Have a look at Daedalus Development's VB Gaming page. You'll find it to be a well designed and informative page, producing very frequent updates on the state of Visual Basic Game Programming on our beloved web. Go get your daily dose of VB Gaming News!

November 14/99 - SimGalaxy?

I decided it was about time I gave everyone something more descriptive than just a few screenshots from the game I'm working on. Have a click here if you're interested in reading my description of what "Galaxy" will be when it's completed.

November 12/99 - The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

I'm afraid I don't have anything new to show you guys at this point in the week. I'll probably be doing some DirectSound tutorials next week and putting up some new screenshots, but lately what I've been working on is the "warping" effects I'm using in the game. The stars sort of flow around your ship like you're in a bubble when you pass light speed. It looks really cool so far, but unfortunately a screenshot wouldn't do it justice, it would just look like a bunch of stars! It's all in the motion. Looks like only the Alpha Testers will get to see it in the next release. All the more reason to sign up and help Lucky out!

November 8/99 - I said a hip, hop, hippy...

I stuck a new tutorial on the Tutorials Page. If you want to learn how to play Audio CD's from your very own CD ROM drive in Visual Basic, go have a look. Have a nice day!

November 7/99 - Got a little time on your hands?

If you've got some extra time on your hands, why not become an Alpha Tester for Galaxy? Check out the Alpha Test page for the details. Alpha testing is currently going on, and the game is improving as a result. Alpha testers received the second release of Galaxy today, and soon I'll have some new screenshots for the rest of you so c'mon back!

November 4/99 - Long time, no update

Ok, I've been re-evaluating things as a result of the input from my alpha testers (some of whom haven't gotten back to me yet! You know who you are!) and it looks like there'll have to be some changes. Sniff. Well, you'll hear about them later I'm sure... for now, go have a look at the new screenshot on the Projects Page. A sexy new line of Grame ships are on display including their nifty starbase. Tata!

October 31/99 - The Boogey Down Hour

We have lift-off! Alpha Test #1 is underway, and by the stats I'm seeing off my FTP site it looks like almost all of my Alpha Testers have downloaded it already. Thanks for the help y'all. As a reward (kinda) I have also made available to you some of the music MP3's that will be used in the game. Go back to the alpha test FTP site and you'll see a directory called "Music", they'll be in there. So, once again, thank-you for helping me out and keep on trucking (thrusting?)

October 30/99 - I cannot tell a lie

Lucky wasn't lying when he said he'd be putting up new screenshots every day! Hop on over to the Projects Page and see what I've done today!

October 29/99 - Lucky's trigger-happy with the screenshots

I added two new screenshots on the Projects Page. There are a couple new ship designs that I hadn't yet displayed, and there's a beautiful shot of the moon. Yes, our moon!

October 28/99 - At long last!

I have finished my DirectX Tutorials. Go over to my tutorials page and have a look if you're interested in learning how to make games in VB with DirectX 7.0. The DirectSound tutorials will be up in the near future if all goes well. Also, this weekend (Sunday) the Alpha test will begin, and I'm still looking for testers! I'll be posting a few new screenshots every day so come back for those.

October 27/99 - New Screenshots!

I have added three new screenshots to the Projects Page. Some of them are a little rough, but I think they look pretty neat :) Expect a few more in the coming days, and also I should be finished many of the DirectX tutorials by tomorrow night so c'mon back!

October 24/99 - A call to arms

I need more Alpha testers. I should like to have at least 10 more people before next weekend. If anyone is interested they should read my Alpha Test 1 page which outlines the requirements and rewards of being an Alpha Tester. Also, I'd like to announce that my DirectX 7.0 tutorials are coming along nicely and they will be done and posted sometime on Thursday. BB4U!

October 22/99 - Where did you all come from?

What do we have here? My site is getting 40+ hits a day all of a sudden? In two days I've received 22 emails about the game I'm working on, apparently people like the name "Galaxy" so I'm going to stick with it. Thanks for the encouragement and feedback! Well now I have another question for you, who would like to be an Alpha tester for Galaxy? I figure if I have people lined up to do some testing then I'd be motivated to have something for them to test :) So Mail me if you're interested.

October 21/99 - We don't need that!

Heh, need it or not, we've got it! A message board! Yes, now you can go an unburden your soul in Lucky's VB Game Programming Message Board. I can tell you're excited. Any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this site or VB game programming in general should go in there, I'll check it every day or two. Ugh, I guess this means I should make a permanent link to it in my navigation bar on the left. That's a lot of work! ...want a little CHEESE with your WHINE, Lucky?

October 20/99 - Feeling Lucky?

Well I hope you're not feeling Lucky, I didn't give you permission! Don't get me wrong, Lucky likes to be felt.. just ask first, k? Thanks :) Anyway, what I was supposed to talk about was the fact that I added a number of new links and that I've been working on my game. I think I might make an alpha version available next week, would you like that? Mail me if you would, Lucky needs encouragement. Oh yeah, I think the title of the game will be "Galaxy"... in fact I'm pretty sure it will be. Thoughts?

October 17/99 - Workin' it

That's right, Lucky's workin' it. I've been working on my game, and I've put up two new tutorials. The first briefly describes what it is to BitBlt and the second shows you how to use Resource Files. DirectX 7.0 is next on the chopping block. Come back in a day or two, Lucky's on it. Peace out.

October 15/99 - Back in the game

Well well well.. after a characteristically long delay, Lucky has once again reared his ugly head. The reason for my awakening, in one word... DirectX (or is that two words?). As you may or may not know, DirectX 7.0 has been released, and it now has native support for Visual Basic. Excited, I immediately downloaded the SDK (Software Development Kit) which is 122meg (!) and got to work on my project once again. Upon surfing the web, I noticed that few VB pages have been updated with regards to dX7, so I decided I'd do it myself :) Expect new tutorials about dX7 in the coming weeks. For now, you can go get the SDK yourself and read the massive documentation (as I have!). Go to Microsoft's DirectX Page to get it.

June 3/99 - Even the greatest program begins with a single line of code...

I (Lucky) am starting work on this, my contribution to the world of VB gaming on the net. Much of what I now know about the Windows API and DirectX are a result of lessons learned on other pages like this one. Few pages, however, contain everything that is required to create a good VB game. The purpose of Lucky's VB Gaming Page is to remedy that problem and pay respect to all those that helped me on my way. Have a look at the links page for a list of my favourites.