[Coco] Original Gamer Stevie Strow reviews Xmas Rush

[James Ross]

> From: Bill Pierce
> James, it probably would be trivial to add a "No Joystick" option to VCC.

Your probably right, Bill. It would be one of the modifications that shouldn't be too difficult.

> To be honest, I thought there was one until I read your reply and checked myself.

Ah! I thought the same thing!

> BTW, VCC DOES work with PC joysticks (self-centered).

I figured it might since that option is there, but alas, I do NOT have any PC joysticks (what kind of gamer am I??)

> I will look into this. I'm by no means a C++ coder, but I think I could handle that one.

Sure thing. 

Also, I am still planning on getting into it, one of these days. So if you don't get to it, I will when I get the time. I might have some time next week (around New Year’s weekend) not too sure about it yet.  What I need is a good 2-4 hour block almost every day for a while to get some momentum built up on it.  Right now I can take 15 minute breaks and play a bit here and there and read up on the FB page and this List, but not enough time to get into VCC hard-core to really dig into the code and learn enough about the overall structure and come up to speed on DirectX enough to begin making modifications.  
 
I kind of feel bad that I was one of the persons egging on the release of the code and now months gone by and nothing, right?!!

So, Joseph Forgione has disappeared again, then? He hasn't signed up to this list or anything then? ha! that is too funny! at least he showed up long enough to make an official Open Source release! Good for him for that. At least he is alive and kicking? (since some of us thought perhaps the worst!)
 
I have been occasionally checking the VCC GitHub and the 4 forks on there to see if there is any progress, nothing on the main repository, but it looks like Gary Coulbourne (aka ursine) is beginning work on a Qt port (for making it multi-platform). I applaud him… that it’s NOT going to be easy. I don't know what his plan is w/ what to do about the DirectX stuff. 
 
The idea of a Qt version is a good one. If one strips all the Windows GUI + DirectX stuff and re-does it in Qt + (presumably) OpenGL (for the CoCo screen buffer), then it will definitely run on everything. However, I am thinking that is in essence a redo (using the existing VCC code more as guide than an actual port – but that’s just semantics!)

> I also need to get the release of the WinXP compatible version up for download. 
> My problem is my computer is a Vista machine and VS C 2015 only runs on Win 7 
> or better. I have to use my wifes laptop to compile VCC and she's not easily 
> convinced to give it up long enough for me to work on VCC LOL