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Discussion about making more Loadstars

R

rodneylives

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Loadstar OG
Background: Dave's plan was to make Loadstars to issue 256, then the tornado hit his house. We ended up with 249, plus 250 that made it out in 2008, bringing the era of Loadstar, and with it that of software periodicals, to an end.

But in constructing Loadstar Compleat, I think I've gotten together much of the information we need to make issues ourselves. And it's only six issues left to go to reach Dave's finish line. We should seriously consider if we should, or can, do this.

At my talk at VCF SE 2026, a couple of people expressed interest in helping out, at least with information, and suggested a format: selling issues via electronic means for most, and physical disks for those still with with physical Commodores.

So, what is needed, in terms of content, to construct an issue of Loadstar:
- The biggest thing is software. Nearly all issues have at least one game. Some form of productivity software. Utilities.
- Articles. Commodore technical info. An editorial.
- Media content. Art and/or music compilations. But at least a title screen image and background music for the Presenter.
- Permission to use all of the above, of course.

It was suggested that a revived Loadstar should be a paying proposition, as it was before. Meaning, we'd look for and accept contributions, and creators would get paid for them. Would people buy them? How much should we charge, and how much should we offer contributors?
 
Realistically, I would be careful offering money. As it's very likely that only a few people would buy issues. So unless you are charging like $200 per issue, you are not going to recap it.

It's one thing to have offered at least $100 per program back in the day when LS had thousands of subscribers it is another thing when realistically you are probably only going to sell maybe dozens at most. The average issue of LS has at least eight or so programs, so the production cost would be then $800 an issue. Also $100 a program isn't really much incentive to grown adults as it was back to us 80's and 90's kids. If you are going to be spending at least 10 hours on a program that only equals out to $10 an hour.

Not that I'm trying to discourage you from the idea of putting out new issues, but honestly it is going to have to be more of a volunteer effort than any monetary based one.

The only time that I received actually money was $50 for a program that I wrote for LS 128 in 1999. For the rest of my efforts, I received 10 or so back issues for free.
 
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Ah, that is worth considering. I think actually the market for C64 software is slightly better now than then, the success of machines like the C64 Mini, the Ultimate64 and the Mega65 means the audience is growing again. I can't say how long that'll last or how well that will be though.
 
Just an idea - maybe as an incentive rather than monetary rewards ($100 or even $200 a program isn't really much incentive to grown adults as it was back to us 80's and 90's kids. If you are going to be spending at least 10 hours on a program that only equals out to $10 an hour) we could offer Loadstar memorabilia (Maybe get Fender to sign some of the bubble wrap issues, etc?)
 
I have news in this regard! I told Fender about the idea of making a few more Loadstars, and he's generously offered some money to pay for contributions! Maybe not as much as in the old days when they were paying $250 or so for accepted programs, but maybe $50 or so? We have to consider that this is six issues we're talking about, but I don't actually know yet how the economics will lay out.

The incentive might not be too high for $50=$100, but it's still something. Maybe we could also do some profit-sharing for issue sales?
 
It would be good to to set a publication date (Say 2027 at the earliest) and start putting out the call for programs, so there will be enough content to fill each issue. Also articles, graphics and music as well.
 
We've already gotten one submission proposal! Beyond that I'll put out the call in various places. You, in fact, are one of the people I think Loadstar should be featuring! Is there anything you'd like to contribute? Keep in mind, I'm not sure this should be an exclusive publication thing yet, or maybe exclusivity should only be for a while.
 
I've got a friend who has expressed potential interest in developing something for a new release (I unfortunately do not have the knowledge nor time to learn C64 development), but would almost certainly be opposed to an exclusivity clause, even timed exclusivity.

Unfortunately, neither one of us have a physical C64 to test on.
 
Hey techconspiracy! That is worth noting, thanks for letting us know! I'm still figuring out how to make this work. So far it's looking like calling for exclusivity is a bad idea for multiple reasons.

VICE is an excellent C64 emulator you could use to test things. And I hear good things about the cross-compiler oscar64, which lets one write in C and still be quite performant. If you or your friend need advice on C64 coding or libraries to use let me know and I'll offer what I can.
 
This might be the kick in the butt I need to finish one of several half-done projects. Even if not selected for LS, at least it gives me a goal to aim for.
 
This interest in bringing LOADSTAR back is exciting! I have forgotten more about C64/Loadstar programming than I ever knew ;-) - and I have seemed to use up most of my ideas for new software.

I did develop a number of tools - Mr.MICK screen designer, the Sprite designer for DotBASIC Plus, and graphic-to-font converters. Of course, all these are on the last issues - not because they are great, but I had a 1581 disk to fill! But a dozen-and-a-half years have gone by. And I know a couple of things now that I was only vaguely aware of back then. First - some of you were and still are way more clever than I ever was. You also have tools - a cross-developer?? - I never touched. Secondly - what an Adventure this will be! Taking the out-of-kilter style and vision that Fender embedded in the magazine and opening it again in this brave new world!

So - I might have some advice, but I doubt that I remember the really important stuff. The only suggestion I have is to tear apart the Presenter on Issue 193. Alas, I have also lost all of the eLOADSTAR issues except that one crossover one. But this was a mostly BASIC 2.0 (with Mr.Mouse) attempt to do what Jeff Jones had accomplished in the standard Presenter so many years ago. And - when it came to actually putting out issues of LOADSTAR, I returned to that long-iconic program.

I do have a suggestion, based on what I wound up doing when submissions dwindled. Each of you come up with your own "Best of LS" issues - as in "RodneyLives Presents: The Best of Loadstar!"

Another thing I want to work on is a series of articles entitled "The Science and Art of the Commodore 64." I believe, with good reason, that the C64 was the best 8-bit computer ever built and underneath the hood, we might discover the reason. What made the VIC II so powerful? How did the Euro-Elite-Dudes overcome the limitations of the SID? Actually, some of you may know the answers to these questions - and I would like to hear your essays (so I can borrow them?).

Anyway - this growing excitement over Loadstar and the C64 is very heartening for an old hobbyist programmer. Thanks!
 
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Maybe the Presenter from 193 could be over hauled into a mouse driven presenter? It wouldn't be that hard to do - especially with Mr. Mouse?
 
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