Battle of the Bits

BotB update log

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 13:32:36 -0800

'Home Bunk' has an ajax menu

Winter Chip Five voting and OHBs?

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 12:36:06 -0800

Yes! It's time to vote on WC5's 114 entries from 13 countries. We have over a week to get this massive task done. If the average entry only has 15 votes at the end, the voting period will get a slight extension.

Now, which is more befitting - OHC or OHB? One Hour Compos are a long held tradition of chat rooms. The lingo 'compo' is short for competition and can be easily misunderstood as 'comp' or 'compilation'. BotB is a battle site. So would it make sense to rename these events 'One Hour Battle' instead?

BotB update log

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 11:17:43 -0800

added error message for votes casted after votePeriod is expired

BotB update log

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:55:17 -0800

Bonus Magic Power bumping threads at level 13 enabled

BotB update log

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:02:57 -0800

Taggist points enabled

BotB update log

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:11:09 -0800

BotBr chosen palette applied to BotBr profile

BotB update log

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:32:13 -0800

'text-shadows' option now available in 'Settings' panel

BotB update log

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:11:35 -0800

added XHTML valid 'alt' attribute to icon class :: combed through code to make sure all icons are called through icon class

BotB update log

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 22:04:14 -0800

BotBr radio playlists now available on yer profile page!!

BotB update log

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 19:31:32 -0800

radio playlists by format in the Arena!!

BotB update log

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 17:13:21 -0800

mighty botbrs oh my! :o http://battleofthebits.org/barracks/Mighty/

WC5 and Some Upgrades

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 17:14:56 -0800

Winter Chip V is finally here! I've been hard at work, trying to make the battle interface more intuitive. BotB also expanded it's forum.

So Let Us Battle and Talk!! =D/

8static preshow 30min Battle + a Surprise Remix

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 01:04:57 -0800

Baron Knoxburry will be live and loud this Saturday night alongside Cheap Dinosaurs and SKGB at Philadelphia's premier monthly chip music event, 8static. The preshow event includes a lone b-knox on stage showing n00bs how it's done. This special 30 minute battle allows *WILD_CARD* submissions which includes any chiptune format plus chip inspired MP3's. Best tracks will be played back between sets -- NSF's on a live NES!! So don't be a total n00b! Be here on Saturday at 7:15pm EST!! Read more about the event over at http://8static.com !

ALSO : From the depths of the cosmos comes [{Revenge of BotB in Space}], a surprise remix battle with it's own unique rules and history. :P Shortly following?!?! WINTER CHIP 5 \:D/

OHCs are back!

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:49:01 -0800

The One Hour Compo engine was rebuilt and made public 5 weeks ago. We've tested it 50 times already with really epic battles! Heck, 25 of these battles happened in the last week. :o

Though, I would say, the OHC engine is not 100% complete due to a technical backend problem. Recently, I realized that while BotB operates in your web browser in UTF-8 the server runs on ISO-8859. Don't know what that means? Let's say it creates many filename compatibility issues between your browser and the server. I have the solution in my brain, no implementation yet, but it will be nice to finally have all BotB entries in their proper places! :D/

BotB Newsletter v11.25

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:34:24 -0800

Not Very Monthly Newsletter #2
The last big news was sent out this past July and we're now in November 2009! A few cool things happened since then, both with BotB and myself. I found a solid job guarding a door and stocking beer. A solid job means I can focus on fun things instead of worrying where the monies at! =D/

Ann Arbor 8 Remix Compo
It's that time again. Can you believe we've been at this for eight years? Me neither. But that's because I know it's a lie! Number 3 was actually a number 2.5, but seven years is still an immaculate record. Quantitavily speaking, of course.

We've got about a week to submit and select the 25 samples used in the 48 hour remixing period. First sample submission is free. Every submission after that costs more and more boons.

Remix Period :: THURSDAY DEC 3rd - FRIDAY DEC 4th
BotB's 8th Annual Ann Arbor Intergalactic
Remix Composition Competition Playback Party
Friday, Dec 11th ~9pm
@ Cafe Ambrosia
325 Maynard St.

BotB Aquires Dot Com
That's right! IT'S OURS NOW!!! MWaaaHAHAHAAHHA!! http://battleofthebits.com redirects to BotB rather than some 3 year old, unfinished film project (however that happened). Is this a good thing? It's better than a bad thing!

OHCs Have Returned
One Hour Compos have been out of commission since the big BotB 2.0 launch nearly an entire year ago. I have to thank all the chat n00bs, hanging in there on IRC, begging and waiting. Have to admit, it felt mostly a chore. But, in the end, BotB's general battle engine has been further modulated. This means BotB is closer to handling a variety of battle variations.

We've tested it a few times. It works. Except for some minor details. And, so, there are some minor details to work out still...

In closing...
I've had a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moleskine notebook for a couple months, which has been rather handy. Especially, when I must stand attentively, guarding the door for the next brigand to cross my path. My mind does wonder. Notes get wrote. The cloudy dream grows in moderate detail.

BotB Newsletter v09.06

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 19:12:25 -0800

A newsletter?
If you are reading this then BotB must have figured how to make an SMTP connection and bypass the dreaded, limited php mail() command. I think the last time BotB sent out a mass email was over two years ago. And a lot has happened since then...

BotB 2.0 Launch
As many of you know, about two years ago I desired a complete retooling of Battle of the Bits. I had two main goals in mind -- 1) faster page loads and 2) greater user experience. With a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears, the new version launched 6 months ago.

Yes, the pages are loading faster, about 1000% faster than the old, clunky BotB. But the user experience has yet to really develop into my vision. I spend just as much time optimizing the back end code as I do developing BotB's interface. While the new look seems easier on the eyes and you can find javascript/AJAX functionality at play, the greater challenge has been discovering the best way to organize, save and retrieve data. "Form follows function," as they say.

Detroit V Remix Compo
The 5th annual Detroit 25 samples / 48 hours competition is under way. As of right now, there are two days left for sample submission and voting. The 48 hour remix period starts on Thursday, July 23rd at 6pm Eastern Standard Time.

The playback/showcase party will be at Cliff Bell's, 2030 Park Avenue in Detroit. This year we are taking a different route with the party: BotB is an opening act for Jamie Register and the Glendales CD release party rather than booking the whole night to ourselves. BotB only has one hour of stage time so Blank and I might not be able to play everyone's submissions. If you do submit a remix, and you are there, we'll ask you to tell us so we can make sure your track gets played on the house PA.

What the hell are 'boons'?
You may have noticed that submiting more than one sample to the remix compo costs boons. BotB has always strived to be a role playing game. The boons are an attempt at an economic system. Boons are awarded to your BotBr when others view or play your submissions on BotB. So, unlike experience points that are received for actions, boons are the reward for inspiring other BotBrs to explore BotB further.

Does anyone have an iPhone or iPod touch?
I've tried to add a defualt icon for Apple mobile browsers. By default, the Safari mobile browser will create a thumbnail (known as a 'Web Clip') 57x57 pixels in size. I checked what this default icon might look like using photoshop and it looks like a creepy little mess. So, can anyone tell me if BotB's custom Web Clip is working?

Money makes the world go round...
I've asked for donations before and I'm not afraid to do it now. Once again, I have added a PayPal donation button to BotB. For every US dollar you donate your BotBr will be awarded 10 boons. That's a good conersion rate! ...and the least I can do.

But better than just giving your money away you could <i>hire</i> me to build YOU a website of your own liking. Over the past two years I've had a very passionate journey through the perils of web development. Let my skills and experience assist your internet presence. For more info please check out http://firteendesign.com.

In closing...
How often will these newsletters appear? Hopefully, once a month, but only time shall tell. If you are curious about the work I've done on BotB recently then check http://battleofthebits.org/academy/Updates. There are many features on the horizon!! Unfortunately, programming eats time like no other.

BotB 2.0 is COMPLETE!!

Wed, 1 Apr 2009 18:41:20 -0800

jajjaja belated April Fool's!! =P I've spent the past couple days revamping the site, giving it a facelift. Songs, previously thought lost in Limbo, have returned. Both the Arena and BotBr Profiles now actually helps you find these old songs too!

Thanks to all who participated in Winter Chip IV!! Keeping BotB's engine up to speed throughout the compo was a bit overwhelming. I'm glad we pulled through with only a few negligible problems.

Next up : OHCs!!! All n00bz!! \=D/

Immediate Resluts

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:42:38 -0800

The tally worked but the display sucks.

Winter Chip IV resluts are up.

Winter Chip IV -- Get Yer Votes ON!!

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:46:07 -0800

We've got 87 chiptunes ready for your hearts, ears and opinions. Hoping to get at least 20 votes per track but we'll see. If we really need it there will be an extension on the voting period. =D/

WC4 Voting Right Around teh Corners

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 22:34:48 -0800

At this moment we have one hour left for Winter Chip IV submissions. I'm tired and never coded a voting module. This is not an EPIC FAIL however!! I have the day off tomorrow! =P/