A
Fake Opinion Poll:
How
Active are You?
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Summertime... aaaaah summertime ! Many people expect it all year long... I
DON'T. Why ? Because it's a time when I'm jobless and above all because this
is the poorest time of the year release-wise :( Apart from the loonies of The
Bits Club - who seemingly don't go on holidays just to keep us entertained
with another 80s inspired intro - we haven't seen ANY little prod on our fuji
machines, well at least the 8biters have done things.
Call it the "summer blackhole" or whatever but this is the most depressing
time for me and the other day on IRC someone said he was being "semi-active",
this being the definition of "someone releasing even one small prod a year".
Though I won't oppose this point of view, this made me think of the different
status we could stick to Atari Sceners. As with most of my contributions, this
article is nothing more than comedy and should not be considered as offending
since it's honestly not meant to be so. However if you felt offended then send
harsh words to survivor@atari.org, this way you will eventually show some
signs of activity :)
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So let's see how you define your level of activity :
* 5% active : you have tons of projects and want to produce games, many games
at once and you don't hesitate to promote all your forthcoming projects on as
many BBS as possible. Unfortunately, probably very tired after such heavy bbs
spamming you suddenly lose all motivation to switch your computer on... Here
ends another dream. That's soooo bad !
* 15% active : instead of bragging around, you get started at once ! Such
fever often lasts no more than a couple of hours and then you start wondering
why you started doing things. You go back to the fridge, grab a beer and start
watching the dumbest show on TV. My guess is that it's gonna take you months
or years to get back to your work and then you'll think it's shit...
* 25% active : sure you "do things" and want them done and completed... but
you don't know when : is it good enough ? Of course it can always be better,
hence you keep optimizing everything because you * need * to bring the most
perfect stuff (one thing I can sincerely agree with). Problem is that you've
started working on your demo more than 5 years ago and it's still a preview as
you don't seem to see the end of the "tunnel" :) Sure it will rock like hell
when you release it but somehow you don't wan't to finish this, since this
would be the end of an endless quest for perfection... Then what ? Start
something else ? Gosh this would take you... 15 years this time ! Still don't
give up as I know some hidden treasures are still sleeping around. You may
have guessed who I was thinking about :p
* 45% active : you're actually working on a project with other people. It has
started well from a friendly cooperation mixed up with lots of cool ideas...
But of course this project is now frozen :( Why ? Experts would easily set up
a list of decent reasons : too much work, gotta build a house, lost your dog,
got a seventh child or simply most of your collaborators have simply vanished
and won't answer any of your mails ! But since you do NOT want to give up,
you'll go on, alone if needed, and finally release this demo we have been
waiting for a couple of years. Though the level activity has dangerously
dropped due to lack of help, you are still motivated and that is something I
admire above all ! Hey it took Thyrex and me 4 years to complete that crappy
"Back In France" megademo :)
* 75% active : not only you have projects, but they are going well too ! you
even presented a preview at the usual Easter Party and people seemed to like
your work. Now is the hardest part since you don't want to disappoint anyone,
a feeling I can easily understand. Then torture starts with the most boring
part for coders : design ! Add original fadings, touches here and there and
make everyone happy with colors and code. No one call tell how it's gonna take
as the "preview show" stands above you as a permanent threat... Let me set you
at ease here as I don't mind waiting several months and make sure you're happy
with the final result, however don't fall into a "frozen" state, that would
put the whole thing into danger :(
* 90 % active : I don't know how you manage to make such wonders but you DO !
You've just released a prod and we already read about the next project ? It's
often due to a strong core of collaborators be it coders, graphicians or
musician and this is so good to us ! Here I need to name a few brave Sceners
such as C-rem who's done so many awesome gfx for everyone, DUNE for bringing
us sweeties while working on some more but also writers like CiH who never
stops using his fingers :) I can also name 505 for composing so many wonders
or the guys of Paradize, including highly talented artist Exocet who's always
willing to give a hand. You're already doing a lot and you ARE willing to do
more ? Geez that's a miracle and I'm really grateful to you !
* 120% active : yeah I know, it reads stupid or *unreal* but when you come to
think about the work of our Swedish Godfather you can hardly underate it ! Yes
of course I'm thinking of Evil here ! Not only does he bring us the BEST Atari
related website but he also codes demos and intros both on ST and accelerated
Falcon and no one can decently complain about all his releases ! And now, for
the second time, he also provides us with another couple of DVDs showing all
Atari releases of 2004. Sometimes I - truly - wonder if Anders has a twin or a
clone since it is just incredible to me that a single man - helped with some
trustful fellows - can produce that much !
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Let put things straight here after this short overview of the Scene activity
rate : I'm not blaming anyone, we *all* have good reasons for being active or
being inactive... We also have bad reasons as well :) Btw I am not considering
myself that active you know, as I could do more of course, I am just missing
motivation sometimes... I only hope that there are still *lots* of people out
there willing to keep our Scene alive for a bit longer. Future will tell and
please remember to send some feedback to the people who ACTUALLY do things coz
I'm tired of writing crappy comments on pouet whenever... TBC releases another
shitty intro :p
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STS for Alive, 2005-09-23
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