Interviews

Interview with Bryan Turner of Vagabond Software
By Frank Vest

Q: Tell us a little about Bryan Turner. Just who are you? :)

Well in the real world I am a Support Rep at that company that made Duke 3D (3D Realms) so when I am not on my computer at home I am on it at work playing games. When I am at home I am the owner of Vagabond Software (Used to be SMYC) and my "Baby" Pegasus Flight BBS.

Q: What got you first interested in BBS?

I got a 300bps modem from a friend in a bet. Then when I was tring to figure out what to do with it I called a BBS in Dallas called Might and Magic. All I would do is download games. Not BBS games. Games like Kroz, Duke 1, and a lot that I can not even remember. The SysOp over there said that since I spend all night on the BBS anyway I should try his on-line games. I fell in love and then decided that I wanted to run a BBS so that I did not have to worry about my time on line. If I am not mistaken that was in 85. I joined Fido (Again if I am not mistaken)in 87 with the help of a GREAT guy James Ray. Although there were more people involved I do not think I would have joined with out him.

Q: How long have you been programming?

I started in 92 for my self. Actually turning batch files into EXE using Basic. Then in 93 a programmer made an EXE for a Subnet called Linearnet. I needed to update it and he told me to get a compiler and he would help. That was Visual Basic (1.0 Dos) and I still use it for smaller things that I do.

Q: What prompted you to begin writing Doors and other utilities?

Actually the news of my wife being pregnant. My first Door was called Baby Bowl were users would guess the weight and date of a baby. I started playing with that and once Brianna was born, I put it away. Then when Glen O'Gorman (Yet another Dallas SysOp) was about to have another child, He reminded me of Baby Bowl. So I cleaned it up and released it. That is when Ruth Argust (DDS DOORS File Echo) and I became Friends. She pushed me to write utilities that people needed. So I did.

Q: What do you see as the strong points of your programs? Give us a quick review.

About 2 years ago I would have answered with 2 points. One they are Cheep. 2 that any bugs are fixed on about 2 days. Although now I have to answer that 1 they are Free. And there is not another. :) Honestly I have had no time over the last year to really get back into the Programming part of my life. Between Working and trying to get a business up and running (Another personal project)

Q: Where do you see door games going in the future?

In the future I see more authors knowing that this is not a money making market anymore. And not trying to release software that is going to make them money. So many times I grab a new door and read the register.txt and want to write to the door author and tell him what will happen. 10 Years ago you could retire on what you could make. But not any more. Yet people still try.

Also I I see a lot more new author's with old software. (OOII, BRE, and LORD for Example) I really think that the old authors will give there code to someone and and we will see a lot more of this in the future. (I would like to see this with Arrowbridge)

Q: Where do you see BBS systems going in the future?

Well The Internet. Although I have not moved there, that is where it is heading. IMHO Telenet BBS's are not that fun. When you are on a Dial up Connection it always looks as thought you are logged in at 2400 BPS. I still call up BBS's and do stuff. And I think as long as there is a modem that will answer my calls then I will still make them. (Face it I am still just a user at heart)

Q: Anything else you want to add or tell the readers?

There is a bunch of stuff that I would like to say but it has all been said before. So I guess I would like to just tell the Future door authors that if you do it for the love of the hobby and not the love of money you will like it a hell of a lot more.

Oh and I get asked this now and again. When I released my first few doors that were not freeware, the reg form always stated that I wanted to get money just enough to get my daughter a Swing. Yes I did that. And although it took 3 years, that is the one reason that I went to postcardware. And now that she has a little over 2000 Postcards we are going to Freeware. :) All the next releases of my software will be 100% Free.

Best regards,
Vagabond mailto: vagabond@darktech.org