Naked Paul Toast’s Insights

1. Always turn off Treat uninitialized variables as value zero.
   It is better to get an error message, than to find bugs caused by a mistyped variable name.
2. Remember to change the Game Maker Default Keys behavior, and handle them your self.
   -Let ESC end the game.
   -Let F1 show the game information
   -Let F4 switch between screen mode
   -Let F5 save the Game and F6 load a game
   -Let F9 take a screenshot of the game
   Though they can be useful during development
3. Centre all your sprites.
4. Backup your game.
   -Save different versions
   -Save offline
5. Turn on Keep backup copies of files, increase the maximum number of backups to at least 5.

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The cost of gas has skyrocketed lately. Today I paid $1.22 a Litre. Converting to US Gallons and dollars that’s $4.59 (US) a gallon.

To further infuriate me, at the pump as Esso where I filled they have these monitors built into the pumps displaying advertisements. So not only am I getting ripped off by these pirates, they are making more money by selling advertising time.

Not bloody likely!

I sent Esso and Pizza Pizza the following emails, informing them that I would not be buying any products from any company that shows ads on their monitors.

Email to Esso:

I am outraged at how the cost of gasoline has skyrocketed in Ontario.

To make matters worse, now while pumping my gas, I have to watch advertisements on the monitors over the pumps. I will be emailing Pizza Pizza and all advertisers, that so long as they show advertisements on your monitors, I will not be using their products.

Naked Paul Toast

Email to Pizza Pizza:

 While getting ripped off at the Esso gas pumps today, I couldn’t help but notice your Pizza Pizza advertisements playing on the monitors over the pumps.

So long as you support the monopolistic practises by buying advertising time, I will not be buying any Pizza Pizza products.

Naked Paul Toast

I may not be able to get by without buying gas, but I can sure as hell get along without Pizza Pizza.

For some years now, there have been a few Game Maker magazine start ups. Few, have gone more than a two or three issues, few should have gone more than one issue.

Markup is an exception.

Published by GMking, Markup has just released it’s 13th issue.

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This is the first time I have used a third party web host. I find a lot of the cpanel web interface clunky, and wish I could get at a shell.

I had a hell of a time connecting to the blogs mySQL database, I followed the instructions to a tee, researched all the FAQs, scoured the forums, and finally opened up a support ticket. What an absolute joke.

The only thing I learned, was not to follow their advice, and to use my own instincts and good judgement.

I’m not interested in “outing” the hosting provider just yet, based on a negative first experience. I’m equally not interested in promoting them, although the cost is absolutely bargain basement.
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I’ve recreated the blog, on my own domain.

blog.nakedpaultoast.com

The database, entries and comments all appeared to import terrifically. For the few of you that might have blog-rolled or linked to me, please update your links.

I’ll be configuring, as I notice things and looking for a new theme.

I failed to list AKHLog in my Game Maker oriented blog topic:  GameMakerBlog et alia.

This wasn’t an oversight, but I did struggle with the decision. I actually like AKH, I think he has a good sense of humour, can be outlandish and random, and has a penchant for the controversial. I have found myself laughing at some of the shots he has taken a various GMC personalities, he’s even taken a few shots at me.

• the cage matches make their return
• the time to hate nakedpaultoast has arrived

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Posted mainly to scoop GMNews and the GameMakerBlog.

I always liked the Cage Matches. Thought Ablach Blackrat did a hell of a job, and hated that the punk ass cheaters who wrecked it for all of the community.

YoYo(Hi peeps)Jim announced the YoYo Game’s third competition.

Competition03 will be much like its predecessors, a themed competition with a focus on casual gameplay and replay value. However, in the spirit of user-generation, the theme itself is up to you.

Well, the competition hasn’t really been announced yet. He is seeking the input from the membership about what to theme the contest around. I like that.
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Came across a trace-back from gamemakerblog.com/ in the Mplay entry.

I visited the Blog and suggest you put it on your list of blogs to visit regularly. A lot of Game Maker news and commentary.

Tuntis’s name immediately jumped off the page. A long time GMC member, and someone I hold in high regard. Phil Gamble, a self admitted Domain Name whore, is the owner of the blog and the major contributor. I enjoy reading his entries and like how he expresses himself. I recognised his name, but honestly can’t recall, one way or another, anything regarding his GMC presence.
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It was bound to happen eventually.

A somewhat, fully featured Game Maker decompiler has been released into the wild. It’s kinda happened before. Other decompilers have been released, but they were limited, didn’t work all that well, basically hacks.

This one is different, it’s well written,  decompiles GM 5.x, 6.x and 7, it can also be used to expose extensions. And the GMC community is spooked. Everyone is panicking, and many are trying to be heroes by thwarting the decompiler. Wasted efforts.
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