1. Could we cover some old ground first..... why did you leave Amiga?
Because Commodore managed to go from 1 billion profit to a loss in approximately 1 year. I was so depressed when it happened that I gave up the Amiga and got myself a PC. I had also started in a new job so I needed to know more about the PC.
2. Did you see it as a natural progression, or was it your antipathy to Mehdi Ali (which you always put in the read me for Galaga)?
No. It was my form of personal protest against the mismanagement of Commodore.
3. Amiga will soon be bringing out a new machine. The AmigaOne, have you any interest in this?
I don't believe in any new Amiga until I see it in the Stores. Too much time has passed for any new very small company to survive in the market. Even if the machine is very good. Linux and BeOS are without doubt much much better then any Microsoft OS.
4. Coupled with this, there will be a new OS (AmigaDE), will you be taking an interest?
Yes I'm interested.
5. Do you still own an Amiga?
Yes! A1000, A1200, A2000. I also have a Vic20 (Commodore20), a Commodore 64. with lots of cartridges and tapes.
6. Compared with writing on Amiga, how do you find writing for Windows?
Very very difficult. It took me years to get into DirectX. Delphi is the easiest way to learn programming under Windows.
7. What do you use for coding?
I use Microsoft Visual Studio 6. I got it at work, so I didn't have to pay for it. I am proud to say I have never paid for any Microsoft product and never will. I have legal licenses, but that's paid by the Company where I work.
8. Will you ever do any more writing for Amiga?
Maybe.
Now on to the present.......
9. Warblade betas have started coming out, albeit very slowly, when do you anticipate a version suitable for sale?
Hopefully not too long . Now I'm finished with my new house (some small jobs remain, but....) So now I hope I will get more time to work on the game. If only I now can stay healthy.
10. When will the level editor be ready for Warblade?
I don't know exactly. I think when the game is ready. But I may release it before the game. I need to make it a bit more user friendly and make some help files.
11. Do you have any other games in the pipeline?
Deluxe PacMan, but not under that name. Hopefully I have learned so much from developing Warblade that it should be much faster to do that game.
12. Why DirectX ? Is it easier to program using it for the game?
Yes much easier. I don't have to think so much about all the different set-ups that people have. Different video cards, soundcards etc. etc.
13. Hopefully, now that you have finished the new house, Warblade will progress much faster?
Yes I hope so..
14. How hard is it to try and make a game that is compatible with all the variants of computer (graphics cards etc) ?
Very easy I hope, thanks to DirectX.
15. Have you decided on a final price for the finished version of Warblade yet?
No.
16. Will you have anti piracy features built into Warblade or do you feel that it would be a waste of your time to try and do so?
Waste of time and a bit of a challenge for crackers, so it would attract crackers to the game.
17. Will the finished game only be a download or will you be selling it in disk format as well?
Only by download. I almost drowned in disks with Deluxe Galaga and Deluxe PacMan. And it cost me a fortune sending all the disks back all over the world.
18. Would you consider porting the game to other OS's or contract it out to other programmers if it there was a demand?
Maybe.
19. Deluxe Galaga was one of the most popular shareware games ever on Amiga, did you actually get many folk paying for the game?
Some, I don't think the response was that bad. If I get the same percentage on the PC I will be very happy indeed!
20. Does piracy have any impact on you or your writing?
No.
21. In other words, what motivates you to write these splendid games?
To have fun and maybe earn a little bit. It's also my only hobby....
22. Will all the features that made Galaga such a hit be included in Warblade?
Yes and more....
23. Apart from the level editor, are there any other new sub games planned?
I have tried to come up with one, but nothing yet.
24. If there was one program you wish you had written, which would it be?
Lightwave or Tetris. not MS-Dos...
25. What computer setup do you use in the house?
I have a PC with a PIII 600 MHz, 392MB RAM, a Geforce 2MX gfx card, a Matrox Millennium G200 gfx card, 2 x 17" monitors, SoundBlaster Live!, Windows 2000, 2 x 20GB harddisk, A Plextor 12x CD-RW,DVD drive and a ZIP 100MB drive, A Panasonic laser writer. ISDN card.
26. Any other computer related plans in mind?
No. I wish for a Geforce 3 and an Athlon 1.4GHz. And also a Playstation 2.
Now, why aren't you hard at work uploading new levels.....instead of reading this :-))
Will do.... :-)
Bye!
So there you have it ,folks. Edgar isn't very garrulous but Amiga users can take hope from the fact that he hasn't ruled out doing more games for Amiga and even if he didn't , hasn't ruled out someone else porting the games. Not only that, but as Edgar left the Amiga scene some time ago, it is a good sign that he still has an interest in a new OS. Some good news for a change. Wonders will never cease.
