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Best ofAmiga Public Domain

August 1
$2.95 U.

Comm0 dore
\ users
$3.95 Canada

M A. G A z N E

ALL ABOUT EPYX


Ca! Games I! Preview

Software Reviews
w&mKeithfan Eron'sPto Soccer
amiga TesiDrive If, Sword of Sodan
^-
...and more
@mi

Plus:
geoJargon by Jordan

44L
5*
AND THIS IS THE GOOD GUY.

' i":

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1
RRiryo GORTH ani» MARIANA DRAX PITH DOFF MAN BUSTER CHOPS
PHLEGM-LAUNCHER MUTANT CHICKEN TEENY-WEEJNY GREENY
pg pretty gross In Technoidcolor Tattoo Included! _lg\

(The Uncut Version) />


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Learn from the Experts!


Draw on the vast experience of our
Contents of Issue #58*
software editors to provide for you
each month carefully-selected
• The Red Obelisk—A colorful space min
programs which you can use
ing game for the dedicated strategist.
productively...from spread
sheets io accounting programs, • Lunar Calendar—Discover the moon's
phases.
from role-playing games to recipe
programs, from home office to • SnigglefrJtz—An entertaining one- or
two-player arithmetic game.
telecommunications programs. Using
clearly-written documentation, you will • Murder One—Solve the mysteries
master each new application with ease in four intriguing whodunits.
and confidence. • Oscar Party—Outguess the Academy
on their big night.
Become Experienced Inexpensively! • Sprite On!—Link sprites together
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Without your investing a fortune, Loadstar will quickly demon
strate to you the full power and versatility of your Commodore. • Print Shop" Borders—Twenty-eight
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BAD DUDESMAKES
DOUBLEDRAGON POLE
BY COMPARISON
Ask anyone who's played them both in the arcade. Bad Dudes is
clearly the game of choice. Ifs no contest.
BAD DUDES has better graphics. Better action. Better playability.
From the arcade to the Nintendo to computer formats, you can
count on a better game with BAD DUDES. And we're even
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The joystick play is incredible-fast, smooth and responsive.
And the game play and graphics of the home versions ate
amazingly true to the arcade original.
Check it out for yourself.The martial arts excitement of
BAD DUDES makes Double Dragon play like a dinosaur.
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BAD DUDES. From Data East. Now available on Commo
dore; IBM, Tandy, Amiga, Atari ST and Apple II personal
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Commodore
M A G A Z N

AUGUST 1989, Volume 10, Number8

FEATURES
SOUND INVESTMENT 54
COVER STORY
Considering the Amiga as a part of your music system? This
feature highlights the Amiga as a performance instrument, digital ALL ABOUT EPYX 50
sampler, synthesizer, MIDI controller and score writer. Included Now celebrating a tenth anniversary, Epyx has grown up quickly.
are some short reviews and some advice from recording From Temple of Apshai to The Games: Summer Edition, the
musicians. people at Epyx have been as much a part of the success as the
by Gary V. Fields products. Read about the company, the people and the products
that are Epyx, and you'll even get a taste of whatCa/ Games II
BEST OF AMIGA PUBLIC DOMAIN 58 might contain.
Here are our awards for the best Amiga public domain software by John Jermaine
released in 1988. Covering categories from animation to virus
protection, these are programs that every Amiga owner should
have. Specially honored are two more inductees into the Amiga COVER PHOTO: Charles Bartholomew
Public Domain Hall of Fame. Software: California Games II by Epyx
by Graham Kinsey Storyboards: California Games II by Cheryl Knowles

REVIEWS
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS AMIGA SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Keith Van Eron's Pro Soccer by Scoff A. May 14 Test Drive II: The Due\byJohn Ryan 22
Tower Toppler by Russ Ceccola 15 Sword of Sudan by Jay Kee 23
Final AssaultsRussCeccola 16 Galactic Frontier by Russ Ceccola 24
Where in Europe is Carmen Sandiego?Oy John Pustai 18 Hostage: Rescue Mission^ Nick Wild 25
1581 Toolkits Morton A. Kevelson 19 DetuxePaint III by Steve King 26
Pro Sound Designer by Steve King 27
64 AND 128 BOOK REVIEWS
Commodore Care Manual by Mike Rivers 20

DEPARTMENTS
ADVENTURE ROAD
LETTERS 4 Rockets, Robots and Renegade Pmsteby Shay Addams 37

NEWS 6 INSIDE Q-LINK


Music Connection^ Robert W, Baker 39
TIPS & TRICKS
128 MODE
Hints for Fun and Utility Compiled by Louis F. Sander 10
Things Everybody Knows About the \28by Mark Jordan 40
Gold Mine Compiled by Louis F. Sander 12
AMIGA UPDATE
SOFTWARE SHORTS Laser Rot by Matthew Leeds 46
Return of Batrcianfty RussCeccoia 28
TECHNOLOGY
CREATIVE COURSEWARE Changes in U.S. Copyright Law by David A. Weinstein 48
People, Products and News by Howard Millman 30 PROGRAMMING
Rainy Day MoonbyJohn Walker 64
PROJECTS
Amiga Mandel bratty John lovine 32 HOW TO ENTER PROGRAMS 88

MAGAZINE ENTRY PROGRAMS 90


PUMPING GEOS
gBQ-iargon by Mark Jordan 34 ADVERTISERS INDEX 96

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 3
LETTERS ing GEOS 128 at home, I decided to
"break in" the software for him. We pub
Commodore N
PD Resource M A A
lish a newsletter every grading period,
Dear Editors:
and I was the assistant editor.
I read with enthusiasm the letter by After using geoPublish, I don't know
Daniel Hoffmann (April '89) regarding his why so many people complain about it. Publisher
interest in obtaining public domain (PD)
What else could you want? It has so many Julie Bauer
software. There are many sources where
features, and it is so easy to use, I was us
one can obtain PD software (Fred Fish,
ing it in no time at all.
SMAUG, etc.). Tb my knowledge, these
In a previous letter in your magazine, a
sources offer PD software on ready-made Managing Editor
person complained about GEOS taking up
disks. If there are several programs you Jim Gracely
too much disk room. The answer to your
want all on different disks, then you have Editor
problem, fella, is to get another drive! At
to order several disks to receive those pro Susan R. West
school three of our computers have two
grams. Realizing this may sometimes be a Technical Editor
drives—so handy when using GEOS.
costly situation, we have started a PD Mike Rivers
If you don't have two drives, forget
software service that lets you order only
about taking full advantage of geoPub
the programs you want. You customize
lish. I do agree that the programs take up
the disk yourself by selecting the PD pro
too much room on the disks, but with two Art Director
grams from our catalog. This may save on
drives you can have the programs on one Gwenn Knapp
the cost of ordering PD software for some
disk, and the application files on another. Assistant Art Director
of your readers.
Every program has its bad points, but the Wilson Harp
Sincerely,
GEOS family has very few.
Don Barton Art Production
Sincerely,
Public Domain Software Resource Bob Clark
Christian Kugel
P.O. Box 7175 Production Manager
Brenham, TX
Loma Linda, CA 92354 Jo-Ellen Temple

MS-DOSsier
Tlianks for the info, Don. Readers wlio
Dear Larry GreenbcrR:
want some suggestions on what to order
In regard to your MS-DOS column in Circulation
should turn to page 58 for Graham Kin-
Commodore Magazine, June '89: You ap Kenneth F. Battista
sey's clioices of the best Amiga PD releases
peared to make the same mistakes as oth-
of the year.
ere before you have. You mentioned, "One
of the major advantages of MS-DOS is
Teach Your Children that file management is far easier and Advertising Sales Coordinator
To the Editor: Brenda Billings
does not require the use of additional util
I am very sick of people referring to the ity programs." Remember that using MS- Commodore Magozine
Commodore 64/128 as nothing but a "vid DOS commands usually require the use of 1200 Wilson Drive
eo game machine." I have only owned my DOS COM files on disk. Commodore West Chester, PA 19380
128 for a year now, but I taught myself (215)431-9259
164/128], on the other hand, uses built-in
how to program. Recently my junior high ROM to SCRATCH, COPY, NEW (for
school computer teacher entered me in a mat), COLLECT, etc. True, MS-DOS does
programming contest. I was not very good, have a few builUin commands too, but
but I spent lots of time in front of my 128 [these] must be loaded from the boot.
practicing. The contest was sponsored by Commodore 64 has them by turning on
the NYC Board of Education. Thanks to the computer only.
my 128, my teacher and the great people As for the commands on the MS-DOS
at Commodore Magazine, I came in third disk The Commodore disk drive comes
in all of NYC! If it weren't for my 'Video with a TEST/DEMO disk. It does very
game machine," I never would have much the same as what the MS-DOS com
learned BASIC! Thank you, Mr. Harris, mands do. I don't see the difference in run
Commodore Magiiim, Volume 10, Number 8. August
and thanks to Commodore Magazine. ning a DOS command on disk and run 1989,
Yours truly, ning a program on the TEST/DEMO disk. Commodore Magazine is published monlhly by Commo
Michael Peragine dore Magazine Inc.. 1200 Wilson Drine, West Chester, PA
In fact, the 1571 disk drive comes with a
19380. U.S.A. U.S. subscriber rate is $35.40 pei year;
Gtendak,NY DOS SHELL wedge that is very much Canadian subscriber rate is $45.40 per year; Overseas sub
like Q-DOS (or MS-DOS which costs extra. scriber rate is $65.00 per year. Questions concerning sub
scriptions should bedirected to Commodore Magazine Sub
Dear Editor I am not saying that the Commodore scription Department. Boi 651, Holmes, Pennsylvania
I am an eighth grade student who is en |64] is the same or better than MS-DOS. I 19043. Phone (BOO) 345-8112. Outside U.S. (215) 532-
rolled in a computer class for the top twen 8687. Copyright « 1989 by Commodore Magazine Inc. All
Continued on page 14
rights reserved.
ty people in the grade. We use Commo C3M, PET, VIC 20. and Commodore 64 aie registered
dore 64 and 128 computers. My teacher Address letter- for publication to: trademarks of Commodore Electronics Ltd. Super PET and

buys much software, and he has just in Letters Editor, Commodore Magazine, Commodore 128 are trademarks o( Commodore Electronics
1200 Wilson Drive, West Chester, PA 191(80 Ltd. Amiga* isa registered trademark of Commodore-Amiga.
vested in GEOS 2.0 and geaPublish. Hav

4 AUGUST 1989
STOP PLAYING
AROUND WITH YOUR
III1
GEOS 2.0 *59?5 geoPublish $49?s FontPack Plus *29?s DeskPacb Plus $29!5
A completely integrated graphical Ideal for creating one page flyers, Spruce up letters, banners, Enhance home productivity with a
operating system, GEOS 2.0 sophisticated newsletters, greeting invitations and more with any of variety of utilities. Import graphics
includes a word processor, graphics cards, or?' x9' posters, geoPublish 53 fonts in multiple point sizes. from Print Shop*" PrintMaster,1" and
workshop, spell checker, file and is a revolutionary desktop publishing If you don't see a style that suits Newsroom"; create or modify icons;
disk manager, mail merge program, package. Place graphics anywhere, your need, modify an existing organize your schedule with a
5 desk accessories, LaserWriter" enlarge text to 11)2 points, create font or create an entirely new one. calendar; store Information in an
compatibility mid more! Perfect for vertical text, Works with any GEOS application. automated card file; create person^
business forms, professional reports. smooth and Operates in ulized form letters
school projects, resize graph 40 and HO with a mail merge
dub newsletters, ics and more! columns. program; play an
personalized authentic black
stationery, jack game. Oper
invitations ates in 40 and
and flyers. 80 columns.

geoChart '298s geoCalc geoFile $49?5


GEOS 128 2,0 Give your numerical data max Handle all your financial needs with Organize and manipulate large
GEOS 128 2.DbtdDdeaall the imum visual impact with this this versatile spreadsheet. Analyze amounts of data easily with this
features of GEOS 2.0, operates in versatile chart generator. Nine "what if" calculations, balance graphics-based database. Custom
80 columns, utilizes the numeric easy-to-understarid charts create your persona! budget, estimate ize business records, track sales
keypad, has additional memory presentation quality documents. your monthly car expenses or volume, coordinate your stamp
and a faster processing speed. Operates in track your business' weekly sales. col lection or simply print address
Both GEOS 2.0 and GEOS 128 2.0 40 and 80 (jeoCak 128 is available for 80 labels. geoFile 128 is available for
support Commodore Ram Expan columns. column 80 column
sion Units as Commodore Commodore
well as over 128 computers., : ,( 128 computers.
70 popular
printers.

Sooner or later, you're going to discover Every GEOS application works with one
that there's more to Commodores than fun another. Sharing advanced capabilities at
and games. hyper-speeds, they can take your Commodore
You're going to discover power. from "mastering the universe" to a university
Not the kind of power that blasts aliens master's degree.
out of the galaxy. But the kind that whips So if you're tired of toying with technology,
through boatloads of data in seconds. The try playing around with GEOS. Once you feel
kind that crunches numbers and drafts its power, you'll know that for anyone who
documents like child's play. still thinks Commodores are toys,
The kind you find in GEOS. n Berkeley the game's over.
Softworks
The brightest minds are working with Berkeley.

Fbr orders only, call (800) 443-0100 ext. 234


{California residents add 7% sales tax.) $4.50 US/S8.50 foreign shipping and handling. Allow six weeks for delivery.
OKUS2.U 1>KOS]20 2.U, Krlidli, KrltClt I2B, Knjfllc. wol'ik. Mrt jrjjtWt. Jje-il'ulill'Ji, IIchiI',nk flu.' .Mid Hmllh« 1 I1\ii tlv I[intnimkauf bcikcli^ SrdLnhirh* l.j^r^'nioc,
CtmRKMliiii-, C.nii[in-]iinr Van Erpjnaimi tfnlu, CrmL sRchjx. PrinirvWtr, umlNilwin..imit[r3ili'martLi(ritfinipun«i»LkT than HeAeley Sort wirki
NEWS ■ NEWS ■ NEWS • NEWS • NEWS - NEWS ■ NEWS - NEWS
Ultimate Challenge Indiana Jones Returns
Grand Prize Winner Jjucasfllm Games has released two new computer games In
Announced conjunction with Paramount Pictures' new film Indiana Jones and
the Last Crusade. Both games closely follow the story of the latest
Spielberg box-office hit starring Harrison Ford.
Wommodore Magazine and MicroProse Software have announced "We started out intending to build just one game," said Stephen
that Michael Kwiatkowski of Welaka, Florida Is the Grand Prize Arnold, vice-president and general manager, Lucasfilm Games, "But
winner of the Rod Storm RisLnjj Ultimate Challenge.
since some players prefer wall-to-wall action, while others prefer
Competeting against nine other finalists, Michael won the Red Alert intellectually-challenging adventures, there couldn't be one 'beat1
War Game and was named Admiral of the Fleet. His prize package game. Rather than compromise, we designed two very different game
Includes a seven-day expense-paid trip for two to Great Britain, with experiences."
stops in Dunoon, Scotland (home of the Holy Loch OB, submarine The Graphic Adventure, available for the Amiga and MS-DOS
base) and London. In addition, Michael will receive a complete compatibles ($49.95 each), finds our hero chasing his father's
library of current MicroProse software for the Commodore 64, a one- Gestapo kidnappers through Italy, Austria, Germany and the Middle
year subscription to Commodore Magazine and Bed Storm Rising East. The game uses the interface made popular in Maniac Mansion
materials autographed by Tom Clancy, author of the best-selling and Zak McKracken. Players raise their score by using ingenuity to
novel Bed Storm Rising. get Indy out of his scrapes, The score Is expressed as an "Indy
The two runners-up were Anthony Palumbo of Bayshore, New Quotient."
York and Thomas McClimans ofCaldwell, Idaho. They will each The Action Game features Indy's exploits in three levels with six
receive a Commodore 128D computer system, a complete library of arcade challenges. The Action Game is available for Commodore 64
current MicroProse software for the Commodore 64, a one-year ((24.95), Amiga ($39.95) and MS-DOS ($39.95) computers.
subscription to Commodore Magazine and Red Storm Rising For further information on these new releases contact: Lucasfilm
materials autographed by Tom Clancy. Games, P.O. Box 10307, San Rafael, CA 94912. Or call: (415) 662-
The other seven finalists were: R. Brian Fritz of Ashland, 1800.
Kentucky; Paul D. Garrett of San Angelo, Texas; Kenneth E. Gillespie
of Poulsbo, Washington; James A. Kent of Colton, California; Thomas
E. Newland of Homestead, Florida; Robert Allen Rusk of Wiesbaden,
West Germany and Alan Darcy Smith of Eugene, Oregon. Each of
these finalists will receive a complete library of current MicroProse
software for the Commodore 64, a one-year subscription to
Commodore Magazine and Bed Storm Rising materials autographed
by Tom Clancy.
Commodore Magazine and MicroProse Software would hie to
congratulate the winners of the Red Storm His ing Ultimate
Challenge, and thank all of the Red Storm Rising players who
entered. Watch for the complete story of the contest, the winners and
some advanced hints and tips next month in Commodore Magazine.

Prison
B eing incarcerated In the year 3033 is no fun. Actiocware's latest
Amiga release is Prison—a futuristic Alcatraz that's not an island
Word but a planet from which you must escape. Naturally, you've been

Writer 4 unjustly convicted and sentenced to exile on the planet Altrax. There
are 300 screens and multiple escape routes to explore.
£flj§sg£'. fp£ Prison carries a suggested retail price of (39.95. For more
1 lmeworks has released an Information contact:
upgrade to their popular word Actionware, Inc.
processing program for the 36 W. 255 Deerpath M,
Commodore 64. Word Writer 4 Batavia,IL 60510.
includes new features like fonts, Word Writer 3 registered users Phone:(312)879-8998.
"mini-graphics," and text layout can obtain an upgrade from
capabilities, In addition to the Timeworks for $19,90. All
built-in outliner, 85,000-word Timeworks products are sold
spell checker and 80-column with a money-back guarantee.
print preview found in previous For further information contact
versions. Timeworks, 444 Lake Cook Road,
Word Writer 4 has a Deerfield,H 60016, Or call (313)
suggested retail price of $39.95; S48-9SO0.

6 AUGUST 1989
NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS ■ NEWS
World Progressive Peripherals Gold
of & Software BaudBanOlt
old Disk's new Hardwired
line of entertainment software
Commodore F PO?S was showing for the Amiga was also drawing a
HaudBandit-2400, a 3400 baud lot of attention at the show. The
Weest Coast Commodore and modem that works on all company promoted its new
Amiga enthusiasts converged on computers equipped with an shoot-'em-wpDenaris with a
the Los Angeles Convention RS232C port. The new modem contest to find the high scorer
Center for three days in May to features auto-answer and auto among show attendees. An Amiga
tiy and to buy the latest products dial capability, built-in memory! 500 was awarded to the fastest
for their favorite computers at for storing phone numbers and joystick handler in the west who
the World of Commodore. More LED readouts. BaudBandit-2400 comes with BaudBandit was David Jimlnez with 51940
than 50 developers, dealers and telecommunications software and is covered by a one-year points.
publishers along with warranty. Suggested retail price is S169.95. Gold Disk also told us of some
Commodore Business Machines forthcoming enhancements to
In addition, Progres
were on hand to exhibit products Professional Page. Among them,
sive's UltraDesign was
for all the Commodore lines. Compugraphlc font compatibility
on display. This high-
In a special presentation, is on the horizon forito Page.
end Amiga CAD system
master of ceremonies Gordon For more information contact:
features configurable
Hunter.presidentofthe Gold Disk, 2171 Dunwin Drive,
sponsoring Hunter Group parameters and a sepa
#13 Mlssissauga, Ontario,
awarded NewTek an' 'Irving'' for rate PasteUp program
Canada L5L1X2. Phone: (416)
drawing the most traffic at the to allow output of a
828-0913.
drawing over several
show. Mlnltel Services Company,
pages. TJltraDesign
a newcomer to the Commodore
community, received the best- also contains autOity

designed booth award for their for converting files to Mindware


attractive presentation of their and fvomlntroCAD, AutoCAD and other formats. The program retails
international Interactive F ollowing on the heels of their
electronic communications release of PageReader 3D and
MiniQenlsPP6fS's
service. PageSync 3D, Mindware
low-cost broadcast-quali
Five Commodore user group announced that they're
ty genlock for Uib Amiga.
members were honored for their developing a software package
MiniGen connects ex
Involvement in the Commodore that plays animations directly
ternally to work with all
Partners Program. Scott Peterson from an Amiga hard drive,
Amiga models. Available
of Rockwell Microcomputer Club, allowing sequences 60 times
in HTSC or PAL format,
Downey, CA was awarded top longer than RAM-based
mtniOen retails for
honors; in addition to the trip to animations. In addition, new
(819,96,
World of Commodore, Mr, software permits output to a
For more information
Peterson was presented with 500 PostScript-compatible printer
on these new products
Amiga software titles. Other from PageReader 3D. For details
contact: Progressive Peripherals & Software, 303 Kalamath St.,
honored user group members contact: Mindware International,
Denver, CO 80204. Or call: (303) 825-4144.
were Thomas Trocco, Kids 110 Dunlop St. W., Box 22168,
Computer News, New York, NY; Barrie, Ontario, Canada, L4M
Jack King, Arkansas Amiga 5R3. Or call: (705) 737-5998.
Users Group, Little Hock, AR; Lee
Savory, AMICON, Columbus, OH;
Show Notes
and Brian Gagnier, Northwest
Amiga Users Group, Portland, OR. Xiara Computer Graphics presented a lively videotape that featured Minitel
Richard Cho of Rosemead, CA some cleverly choreographed animated logos... Many folks took the
was the lucky winner of the opportunity to stop by Berkeley's booth to stock up on geoTities.,. Llnltel Services Company
drawing for an Amiga 500 Newtek's Digi- Paint m was just about ready for ahlpplng at took the opportunity to introduce
system sponsored by Commodore showtime... Commodore Magazines booth featured stunning its worldwide electronic
Business Machines. poster-size reproductions of this year's graphics contest winners communications service to North
courtesy of Philadelphia Video Lab, 2218-14 Walnut St., Philadelphia, American Commodore users.
PA 19103; (215) 567-3222. The artwork was deemed suitable for According to company president
framing by the many attendees who dropped by and tried to buy the Joe Mazzeo, the service will allow
graphics off the wall. Commodore 64 and 128 users to
Continued on page 8

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 7
NEWS • NEWS ■ NEWS • NEWS ■ NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS
Continued from page 7

access "cultural classroom-type


Next Stop,
exchanges between children
around the globe, tutoring,
Technologies Valley
homework support, children's
encyclopedia look-up, research Access Technologies was Forge...
guides and other interactive showing their new Amiga
learning environments." He program DlgiWorks 3D. Attention eastern seaboard!
The program will convert The next World of Commodore
added, "And certainly, interactive
digitized images, clip art show will be held September 22-
global personal computer games
or two-dimensional gra 24,1989 at the Valley Forge
are sure to be incredibly
phics into 2D or 3D objects Convention Center in King of
popular."
that can be rendered and Prussia, PA. For ticket
Minitel's service is based on the
animated. Suggested retail information contact The Hunter
teletel protocol and features a
Group at (416) 595-5906.
menu-driven graphic interface price oiDigiWorks 3D is
with an eight-key system $129.95. For further infor
designed for users who are not mation, contact: Access
computer literate. Minitel does Technologies, P.O. Box
not operate its own applications 202197, Austin, TX 78720.
services, but encourages small Phone:(612)343-9664.
businesses and entrepreneurs to
create such services for national
and international markets.
Current services available Virgin Mastertronic
Include: The Meeting Place, Home
Office Business Network, New
V irgin Mastertronic previewed a new Megagames line for the
York Networks and Job Search.
Amiga. Megagames titles will be identical to those released in the
For more information contact:
arcade—a result of the company's affiliation with Arcadia, which
Minitel Services Company, 2900
uses Amiga-based technology in their arcade cabinets. The first
Westchester Ave., Suite 101,
release under this new line will be Magic Johnson's Basketball to
Purchase, NY 10577. Or call:
be followed by World Trophy Soccer. The suggested retail price of
(914)694-6866.
each game will be 844.99. For details contact: Virgin Mastertronic,
Inc., 711W. 17th St., Suite G9, Costa Mesa, CA 92627. Phone: (714)
631-1001.

Artworx program includes two versions TheKrist&lofKronos. The Across Europe (859.95) is a
each of snooker, billiards and player's alter ego is Dancis Frake, strategic-level game that covers
pool. aspace pirate who sets out to find the European front from 1939-
Colossus Chess X (S34.95) is the Krifital of Kronos. The 45. One to three players control
Art■tworx Software has released the first chess program that Kristal includes' 'the finest infantry, tanks, paratroops and
four new Amiga titles. Tank learns from its mistakes. The elements of graphic adventure, air support.
Attack (S29.95, also available more you play, the better space exploration and arcade Cnrse of the Azure Bonds
for the 64 at $24.95) is a game for Colossus gets. The program also action." Suggested retail price of (S39.95) uses an expanded
two to four players in which each allows you to view the board from The Kriatal Is $44.95, For version of the game system
player controls a Tank Corps and any angle. details contact: Cinemaware established in SSI's popular
tries to capture enemy For further details on these Corporation, 4165 Thousand ADfifD installment Pool of
headquarters. new programs, contact: Artworx Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village, CA Radiance. Curse adds higher
Jigsaw Pnzzlemania Software, 1844 Penfield R±, 91362. Phone: (805) 495-6515. level characters, new character
(SS9.95) randomly generates Penneld,NY 14526. Or call: (800) classes and new spells.
puzzles in six sizes from 4" x 4" 628-6573 or (716)388-6120. SSI also plans to release a 64
to 12" x 12". The program SSI version of Heroes of the Lance
includes more than 10 puzzles in the same time frame. The
and accepts user-generated The Kristal Marches suggested retail price is expected
graphics for creation of to be S29.95.
personalized puzzles. I t's not the Amiga on Broadway, On For details contact: Strategic
World Snooker (and Pool but Broadway on the Amiga. Simulations, Inc. 1046 N.
and Billiards) (324.95) Cinemaware has announced The S trategic Simulations, Inc. has Bengstorff Ave., Mountain View,
Includes five different lypes of Krifital, an' 'interactive stage three summer releases planned CA 94043-1716. Phone: (415)
' 'pool1' played worldwide. The production'' based on the musical for the Commodore 64. Storm 964-1353.

AUGUST 1989
■ //

■ i

Arcade action brings the realism of the


big time game home to you in this direct
translation of the popular coin-op
arcade game, "Magic Johnson's
Fastbreak Basketball."

Featuring:
•Arcade-quality animated graphics
and characters larger than
any before seen in a home computer
basketball game, because it's NOT a
home computer game, but a REAL
Arcade gamel
•a full-court scrolling screen
•twn-on-two play, WITH OFFICIALS!
•full stats-see if you can achieve
Triple Doubles like Magic!

Make the "jump shot," the "alley oop,"


and of course Magic's famous
"fast break" with a "slam dunk" finish.
Dribble 'round your opponent to make
the "lay up" that wins the game!

Now you've earned the honor of


playing the ultimate fine on-One ...

Available now: Amiga [1 mg) -S49.99


IBM5-W -S39.99
IBM 3-W -539.99
Commodore 64 -S29.99
Coming soon lor: Amiga (51ZK) -S39.99
Apple IIGS -$39.99

MELBOURNE
HOUSE

IN-COMPUTER SOFTWARE

MELBOURNE HOUSE
711 West 17iti St.. Unit G9. Coils Mem. CA 92627.
TeI. 17141631-1001.
Compiled by Louis F. Sander

In February, we announced a programming contest for short 1. Use the checksum program. Commodore Magazine'?, Mag
and useful programs for Commodore computers. As you azine Entry Program is one of the best. [Editor's Note: Because
might expect, your creative fellow-readers responded quickly ami of the short and sweet nature of the programs found in 'Tips &
in large numbers—over 200 entries were received by the deadline Tricks,'' we don't use the Magazine Entry Programs here. This
of March 15. places an extra burden on the reader, but since the programs are
There were so many good entries, in fact, that (he judging is so brief, we hope that you don't mind it]
still going on! With a $100 prize for the most useful, original and 2. Look over the program before typing it. If there are lots of
user-friendly program, we don't want to make hasty decisions. DATA statements, type KEY 1,'DATA" while in direct mode on
This month's column features several oftiie contest's most nota the 128. Then you can simply press the Fl key to spell DATA.
ble entries. Judging slwuld be completed by next month, when With eight function keys available, you can save a lot of typing.
we hope to announce the winner. 3. Put the 128s AUTOmatic line numbering command to
In the meantime, ifyou have a short program or bright idea work by entering AUTO 10 in direct mode when the program is
that you'd like to share with the world, write it up and send it in. numbered by tens, AUTO 2 when it's numbered by twos, etc.
We seek hardware and programming hints, short programs or 4. If two lines are nearly identical, list the line that has been
subroutines, ideas for a better computer room, and similar items entered first, cursor up to it, then change its number to that of
of value to Commodore and Amiga computemts. Ifyou read the second line. After making any additional changes, simply
"Tips & Tricks" regularly, you know just what we look for. press the RETURN key.
We pay closest attention to tips that come double-spaced from 5. Don't try to do the whole program in one sitting. When you
your printer or a typewriter. You can help yourself by sending begin making frequent mistakes, it's time to take a rest. (Save
your material in that form. Send it to the program first, though!)
Louts F. Sander 6. Save your work frequently, remembering to use a different
P.O. Box 101011 filename each time. I include the line number I have progressed
Pittsburgh, PA 15237 to with each save, so FTNANCE240 is easily identified as a fi
nance program that I've typed up to line 240.
Game Buyer's Guide: Buying a new game can sometimes be a 7. Pay close attention to spaces in the program lines. It's
difficult decision, especially with all the new games on the mar quite easy to overlook a required space when proofreading the
ket these days. If you read the ads and the boxes, they all say typed line against the magazine listing. If you're failing to
"this is the most awesome adventure game you'll ever see" or match the checksum value, experiment with carefully placed
"these are the best graphics ever programmed by the mind of spaces.

man." Glen Young


Tb get a realistic point of view, read the software reviews in Renton, WA
Commodore Magazine. These show both sides of the game, good
and bad, and can be relied on for accuracy and objectivity. Fixing Disk Errors: Here's a trick to try when one of your disks
When you get your game, always make a backup copy and seems to have developed a bad sector. It's particularly useful
use that copy for your day-to-day activities. Keep the original on when the disk generates repeated #23 Read Errors.
a shelf in another room, preferably in its original box. And keep Use a disk editor program to read the sector in question. If it
the sales receipt with the original disk and box, just in case you can be read, which is probably the case, use the disk editor to re
have to return something for credit or upgrading. write it to the disk. Your troubles will probably be cured.
Paul Stagner Cameron Goble
Agency, MO Albuquerque, NM

Efficient Typing of Magazine Programs: I have been typing in Benefits of Programming Contests: Our little contest inspired
BASIC programs from magazines such as Commodore every thousands of people to give thought to practical programs they
month for the last year, and I can honestly say that it gets easier could write for their computers. They created programs for bet
with each program. Along the way I have discovered these se ting and lottery playing, making "to do" lists, watching your
crete of making the task more enjoyable: weight and calories, drilling students in math, working out high

10 flIJGUST 1989
Tips & Tricks
school science problems, creating shopping lists and more. 160 INPUT"[DOWN] PHONE NUMBER (7
Other entries included clock programs, calendar programs, DIGITS ONLY)";PS
forms printers, loan calculators, wage and hour figurers, alpha- 170 PRINT: PRINT: IF LEN(P$)<>7 THEN
betizers and tools for tuning guitars. A number of them con 160
cerned astronomy and related fieids like finding orbiting satel 180 INPUT "PRINTER OR SCREEN P/S
[RIGHT3]S[LEFT3]";R$
lites.
Our contest required programs to be shorter than four blocks :PRINT CHRS(147)
190 IF R$="P" THEN OPEN 4,4: CMD 4
on the disk, which encouraged contestants to work. One entrant
200 PRINT "THESE ARE THE WORD
said, "Thanks for the crash course in crunching programs! Ori
ginally my entry was 17 blocks long. The final version is only POSSIBILITIES"
210 PRINT"F0R PHONE NUMBER "P$: PRINT
three, and it does 300% more than the first one."
220 FOR A=l TO 3:N(1)=A:FOR B=l TO 3
The requirement to include a disk and a printed listing also
:N(2)=B:FOR C=l TO 3:N(3)=C
encouraged creativity, mostly by those who didn't meet it. One
:FOR D=l TO 3
person said "I'm sorry for hand writing the listings, but my
230 N{4)=D:FOR E=l TO 3:N(5)=E
printer got destroyed in a house fire." I guess his keyboard and
:FOR F=l TO 3:N(6)=F:FOR G=l TO 3
disk drive were spared, though.
:N(7)=G
One student at Montana State University wrote what seems 240 FOR H=l TO 7
to be a nice program, but failed to include a disk. "College," he 250 X=N(H): Y=VAL(MID$(PS,H,1))
said, "has a way of zapping one's checkbook to extinction," I : WS= WS+T$(Y*3+X)
sympathized with his plight, but with 199 other programs to 260 NEXT
evaluate, I didn't have time to type his into my computer. Oh 270 PRINT WS+"(SPACE3]";:W$="":WK=WK+1
well—live and iearn. 280 NEXT:NEXT:NEXT:PRINT:PRINT:NEXT
Louis F. Sander :NEXT:NEXT:NEXT
Pittsburgh, PA 290 PRINT WK"POSSIBILITIES"
300 PRINT "FOR PHONE NUMBER --> "PS
Phoneword: We've all seen the use of "telephone acronyms" 310 IF RS="P" THEN PRINT#4: CLOSE 4
such as 1-800-USEDCAR or 364-HAIR. This program lets you
find all the acronyms for your own phone number or that of a
friend. It creates all the possible word combinations for any sev
en-digit number you enter. You have the option of viewing the Calendar Maker: This little program prints out a one-page cal
combinations (all 2187 of them) on the screen, or of printing endar for any year from 24 A.D. onward. [Editor's Note: I no
them out on seven sheets of paper. ticed a bug for the year 2000, which although evenly divisible by
As the program runs, the computer generates all possible four is not a leap year. Enterprising readers sliatdd easily be able
words from the phone number you have entered and the letters to fix tiie bug.]
the phone company has assigned to each number. (The number Allan Vest
2 can be A, B or C, 3 can be D, E or F, and so on). Since the num Address Unknown
bers one and zero do not have alphabetical designations, the pro
gram uses the 1 or 0 in the word. Also, the letters "Q" and "Z" 100 PRINT"[CLEAR,RVS,SPACE6]
will not appear in any words because they are not included in CALENDAR MAKER - ALLAN VEST
the letters on the telephone dial. [SPACE7]"
So what's it good for? Aside from finding the words that can be 110 PRINT"[DOWN1THIS CALCULATES AND
made from your own telephone number, try the numbers of your FORMATS A ONE-PAGE"
friends or your business, Know somebody expecting a baby? 120 PRINT"YEARLY CALENDAR. PRESS [RVS]
Type in their number (or their seven favorite digits) and get over RETURN[RVOFF] TO QUIT."
2000 suggestions for names! Starting a business? Let your 130 OPEN 1,4:DIM D${12,6)
phone number suggest a name. I am not responsible, however, :S$="[SPACE5]":L$="S[SPACE2JM
for stupid or undesirable names that can be applied to anyone's [SPACE2]T[SPACE2]W[SPACE2]T
telephone! Have fan. [SPACE2]F[SPACE2]S[SPACE2]"
Philip Geiser 140 INPUT " [DOWN]YEAR";Y
Strongkurst, IL :IF Y=0 THEN END
150 A=Y-24:B=A+INT(A/4):L=1

1.00 PRINT" [CLEAR,RVS,SPACES] :IF V4-INT(A/4)=>.25 THEN B=B+1


:L = 0
PHONEWORD - PHIL GEISER[SPACE9]"
160 B=INT(B-(7*INT{B/7)))
110 PRINT"[DOWN] THIS SHOWS ALL THE
:FOR M=l TO 12:PRINT M:C=B:READ K
WORDS THAT CAN BE"
:IF K=28 THEN K=K+L
120 PRINT" MADE FROM THE 'LETTERS' IN
170 B=B+K:B=INT(B-(7*INT(B/7))):Z=1
A PHONE"
:Z$="":FOR X=l TO C
130 PRINT" NUMBER."
:ZS=ZS+"[SPACE3]":NEXT
140 DATA 0,0,0,1,1,1,A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,
180 ZS=Z$+"1[SPACE2]":IF C=0 THEN
I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y Z$="L(SPACE2]"
150 DIM T$(30): FOR X=l TO 30
190 FOR E=l TO 6:D$(M,E)=S$
: READ TS(X):«EXT
Continued on page 92

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 11
L O U N D R 1 S

Compiled by Louis F. Sander

This month's nuggets emphasize the games for which we re Try to make your way to no man's land and run as close as
ceive the most submissions of tips; you'll probably recognize possible to it. It will keep enemy guards from coming in from all
the names. In addition, we have a nice assortment ofgames directions.
you've never seen here before. We hope this mixture will be of in After landing, arm yourself with the knife. This will keep you
terest to the largest number of readers. from alerting the guards too soon. When you make it halfway
As always, many ofour tips will work on any computer, wheth across the map, arm the carbine. Your mission will be lots easier,
er it's from Commodore, Apple, Atari or IBM; others apply to and you won't get killed so soon.
only one machine. When crawling on higher-level missions, always keep your
Don't forget that many tips require skill as we!! as knowledge, Run/Walk status on Run. It's much easier to avoid grenade-
and that since they apply to so many games and computers, we throwing guards that way.
can't lest every one. When running from guards, never run in a straight path. If
Also don't forget tlie forthcoming Gold Mine book, which you zig-zag to your cover, it will be harder for them to hit you.
should be coming to market in a monUi or two. llfs )iard to pre The guards always finish off their kills. After a confrontation,
dict just when.) When the gods ofpublishing see fit to spew it you can play dead by getting in a foxhole and ducking. When
forth, I know you're going to love it. the guards walk up to you to make certain you are dead, let
Ifyou have a nugget to share with our readers, write it up and them have it with your carbine.
send it in. Stake your claim at: Machine gun nests can be your friends. When in danger, jump
The Gold Mine into a foxhole but don't shoot. The guards will walk around
P.O. Box 101011 mindlessly looking for you. If you're lucky, the machine gun nest
Pittsburgh, PA 15237 will shoot them if they are in range.
Use a separate sheet for each game, and put your name and ad Finally, save your heavy weapons for machine gun nests and
dress on every paper you send us. Neatness counts, and full-size other large targets. Grenades can blow up tents, shacks, fuel
double-spaced printouts are preferred. dumps, mini-bunkers, mini-tanks, guard posts, communications
If one ofyour nuggets is printed, you'll get momentary world posts, turrets and radar antennas. When crossing icy ponds, re
wide fame, the knowledge that Gold Mine Rules, and a nice little member that grenades can also blow holes in the ice.
$5 grubstake. Darren Critchfield
Carrollton, TX
Airborne Ranger Tb get promoted as quickly as possible, re
peatedly play a mission that you can complete successfully, rais Auto Duel: If you run a lot of courier missions, you may find it
ing the level each time. You'll reach Lt. Colonel before you know easier if you stay in Philadelphia, New York, Albany, Boston
it. Once you get there, set the game on Campaign, and hope you and Manchester. All these cities have AADA buildings, and
get a mission you can easily solve. most of them have garages and weapons shops. This allows you
Todd Gunnerson to fix up your car and pick up other assignments along the way.
Canaan, NH Avoid going to Baltimore, because the road is over 500 miles
long. If you use lasers, you may run out of power before you get
Airborne Ranger If your mission requires you to blow some there.
thing up, be sure to complete the mission. Drop a pod some Kris Pivin
where around the target, to insure that your Ranger will have at Napanoch.NY
least one LAW rocket and time bomb. Drop one more pod just
before you jump. It will be very useful for heavily guarded areas Auto Duel: When creating a character, spend your skill points
where you need more weapons and first aid. on Marksmanship and Driving Skill. Improve your Mechanic
When jumping, try to land in a foxhole or a pond. Duck as Skill by taking lessons at garages after you win some Amateur
soon as possible to avoid contact. This will keep the machine Nights.
gun nests from picking you off after landing.

12 AUGUST 1989
Gold Mine
Tb get lots of money with little risk, enter Amateur Night un The Bard's Tale III: There are very useful items in a building
til your prestige is 6. Then buy the cheapest car possible and get near the entrance to the Ruins of Skara Brae.
a courier job at Joe's Bar. Repeat as often as you'd like. In Arboria, you can save spell points by using Arefolia instead
When your prestige reaches 45, go to Dover Weapon Shop for of casting GILL. In fact, it's a good idea to make a list of the dif
a very interesting tip. ferent types of spells (healing, combat, summoning), how many
David Victor spell points they require, and exactly what they do. There is no
Waukegan, IL camp in Arboria, so you must either carry only six people or re
turn to the camp via ENIK to accept Hawkslayer.
The Bard's Tale I: The answer to the riddle on Level 3 of Man- In the Ice Keep's first level, the answer to the riddle is
gar's Tower must be given one word at a time. It is LIE WITH HAWKSLAYER.
PASSION AND BE FOREVER DAMNED. Tslotha can only be slain by the Nightspear from Valarian's
Kris Piuin Tbwer. Give it to your hunter.
Napanoch, NY Have your Bard singing song #1 or #2 when not in combat.
JeffBarnes
Address Unknown
The Bard's Tale I: Here's how to copy any item, giving you more
money or supplies than normal people think possible.
The Bard's Tale III: For a nice surprise, go to the temple of the
Keep the good copy of your characters on Disk A. Format an
God, talk to the Priest, and type in the word BURGER.
other disk, Disk B, to be a backup disk. Enter the Adventurers'
Kris Piuin
Guild with Disk B in the drive.
Napanoch, NY
Load any character not used, or create a new one, and give
him everything you want multiplied—money, weapons, armor,
Cavem of Riches: In the brick building, type Light Lantern to
etc.
turn on the light. Type Move Rug twice to reveal a trap door.
Remove the character and add him again. Give back all of the
(You need the keys from the cabin to open it.)
items and remove the character on disk A. Exit the Adventur
Use the bird to get rid of the snake. Typing Drop Bird will
ers' Guild, insert Disk B, and re-enter the Adventurers' Guild.
scare it off. When you enter the trap door, take the wand and
Distribute the extra items.
type Away. The bookcase will disappear, revealing a passage.
AndyStice
Don't enter it without a lit lantern.
Jacksonville, IL
Tb get past the part with the plant, take the bottle into the for
est until you find water. Fill the bottle, return to the room and
The Bard's Tale I: If you need a quick 60,000 experience points, water the plant.
enter Harkyris Castle and teleport to + 5N, +12E, +2up.This Jake Frederick
will take you into a battle with 396 Berserkers! Be advised that West Trvmont, ME
you must have an extremely powerful party to come out of this
battle in one piece.
Defender of the Crown: When raiding a castle, push the first
JeffCalog guard forward as far as possible. Then begin to retreat, striking
Greensboro, NC the guard every few steps. This should get you into the castle
where you will face another guard. Force him up the steps, then
The Bard's Tale I: Before fighting the 396 Berserkers, your first begin moving backward while thrusting with your sword. Re
three characters should have a minimum of 150 hit points, and peat this as much as necessary until you kill the guard and get
they should have an armor class of LO. The Fifth Bard Song and the gold. Or, for that matter, until you save one of the ladies.
the spell YMCA both lower the whole party's armor class. Henry Davar
A Demon or Wind Dragon may prove very useful against the Rego Park, NY
Berserkers. It also helps to have a Mage that can cast Mind-
blade, which affects every foe. Defender of the Crown: For best results, choose Cedric. In the
Chris Harrison first round, move your army into a territory with an income of at
Morganiown, WV least three. In the next round, joust for land. With the help of
Cedric's great jousting ability, you should find yourself three
The Bard's Tale I: When you're fighting the 396 Berserkers, be lands richer and two lands ahead of everyone else. With that ad
sure you're not wearing the cloaks you found on the first floor of vantage, plus Robin's assistance, the rest of the game should not
Harkyn's. be very hard.
After fighting these fellows, teleport to the entrance, leave Daniel Alvarado
and return to the Guild. This replaces the Berserkers so you can Arkta.CA
fight them again!
After destroying Mangar, you can leave his chambers by tele- The Eidolon: If you get all the gems on Level One, you won't
porting down from the little room behind the place you fought need any gems for Levels Two or Three.
him. You're better off having a Demon Lord while fighting Man- Norman Vaniski
gar, rather than using the Thor figure. I've found that as soon as Address Unknown
I use the figure, he is dead.
Michael Shapella Epyx Baseball: When playing against the computer, if his play
New Philadelphia, PA er gets a base hit to the outfield, just stop next to the ball. When
Continued, on page 94

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 13
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS Reviewed by Scott A. May

Keith Van
played on a significantly larger field. The
Eron's Pro screen must constantly scroll to accommo
date the large field. Arena soccer, with
Soccer only six-man squads, is played in what
seems like a fish bowl. In this version,
both touchlines appear on the screen at
Computer: Commodore 64* once.
Publisher Medalist International As users breeze past the title screen in
80 Lakefront Drive
Hunt Valley, MD 21030
Thegame melds fast, search of the main menu, take a minute
to admire the marvelous digitized sound
(301) 771-1151 realistic action with track by Martin Galway. In fact, the mu
Price: $34.95
extremely fluid player sic and sound effects throughout the game
are far above average.
No one can ever accuse MicroProse of controls. The main menu for both versions of the
limiting its horizons. The company game offers a variety of options for one or
synonymous with high-flying adventure nique nets astounding resulls—brighter more players. Medalist International
has recently introduced a new label called colors and sharper contrast between Challenge pits a single player against a
MicraPlay, a division of the company's graphic elements. roster of 16 World Cup teams (outdoor) or
Medalist International series. The first re This graphic style also provides a show six U.S. teams (indoor). Players begin at
lease from this new division makes a sur case for the game's stunning top-down the bottom and attempt to work their way
prise foray into the competitive world of player perspective. As the characters tear to the top. Initially, the computer teams
sports software with Keith Van Eron's Pro up the turf, the field scrolls smoothly in are real pushovers, but gradually increase
Soccer. Prepare to get knocked for a loop eight directions. The screen reacts in in strength. Complete the challenge in
when this powerhouse kicks on the after stantly to the location of the ball, not the one sitting or save your progress to disk.
burners. ball carrier, for added realism. The next option offers Tournament Play
Pro Soccer was aggressively designed During normal play, all we see of the for one or more human competitors. Select
by a British group known as Sensible Soft on-field characters are the tops of their your team name and jersey color, then join
ware. Expect to see a lot of exciting mate heads and jersey colors. Effective use of in tournament play as the best teams are
rial in the future from this innovative color highlighting and shading make the narrowed down through quarterfinals, se
team. upper torso appear to be above the mifinals and championship matches.
The game was created in cooperation ground. Meanwhile, tiny arms and legs League Piay allows up to 16 different
with Keith Van Eron, goalkeeper extraor pump furiously at their sides. The effect is people to compete over an extended period
dinaire, recently retired from die MISL's not unlike animated Foosball players. For of time. The computer automatically
Baltimore Blast. His career highlights in a fleeting instant, however, when they at- keeps track of team names, point totals
clude being ranked second on the MISL's tempt a tackle or dive for the ball, the out and league standings. The matehups and
all-time goalkeeper wins list (133), as well stretched body is revealed. duration of league play are completely de
as second in total games played (232). The bail itself heightens the 3D imag fined by the user.
The relatively small instruction man ery. Various kicking styles send the ball Choose the Two-Player Friendly option
ual is divided in two parts: The first deals sailing, often high into the air. When this for simple head-to-head matches. The Fl
directly with software options, gameplay happens the ball grows larger, tracing its key swaps joystick control between play
and joystick control. The second half offers shadow across the ground. More than just ers. Think of it as a training mode, when
a history of soccer, as well as hands-on window dressing, the 3D, multilayered ef an experienced player runs roughshod
hints for the real thing from Van Eron and fect influences every aspect of play. over another. Finally, a demo mode allows
fellow M3SL veteran Drago Dumbovic. The arcade approach extends beyond players to study differences in tactics and
Aside from technical advice, Van Eron's eye-popping graphics. The game melds strategy between the indoor and outdoor
greatest contribution to Pro Soccer is his fast, realistic action with extremely fluid versions.
spirited philosophy that above all else, it player controls. The result is a pulse- Basic gameplay consists of passing,
must be fun to play. The designers perfect pounding game that's easy to play but shooting, blocking and tackling. On
ly captured Van Eron's infectious love for challenging to master, especially against screen players gain control of the ball
the game. It has my vote for one of the an opponent of equal stature. when extended contact is made. Once in
most addictive sports games of the year. Pro Soccer is actually two self-contained control, dribbling is automatic. To pass or
Chief among the game's many attrac games in one package. The flippy disk fea shoot the ball, simply press the fire button
tions are the spectacular arcade-quality tures an indoor (MISL) version on one side and move the joystick to initiate one of
graphics. The game features a remark and an outdoor version on the other. The four kicks:
able 3D, bird's-eye view of the action manual outlines the differences between The Volley is a straight, fast, low-flying
drawn with Amiga-like artistry. The trick the two, some of which are quite dynamic. kick used mostly for passing. Its effective
lies in the European-style detailing, which The major variations are the field di ness as a shot is limited because it can be
calls for rendering the main characters in mensions and team size. The outdoor ver easily intercepted or blocked. Use it close
black outline. This relatively simple tech- sion boasts 11 players per team and is Continued tin pagt 44

14 0UGU5T 1989
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS Reviewed by Russ Ceccola

Tbwer Tbppler
Computer: Commodore 64*
Publisher U.S. GolcVEpyx
600 Galveston Drive
Redwood City, CA 94063 It is believed by many that
(415) 366-0606
Price: $39.95
the towers were created for
the purpose of evil—this you
There are times when I really need a can't allow!
good computer game to relieve my
frustrations. If I don't feel like going to the
local arcade, I should be able to boot up a
stress-reliever on my computer. Unfortu
nately, those kinds of games are really Fortunately, Destructo, Inc. has pro gerous because they come up on you
hard to find. Many games just don't "feel vided transportation in the form of an ex quickly unless you go through a tunnel or
right." You can tell a good game when the perimental MK.7 minisub. Use this sub to switeh to a different level They approach
moves that you make with the joystick travel between towers and catch fish for so frequently that you will begin to de
feel like an extension of your hand. If any bonus points along the way. As the action pend on their appearance. Eventually, you
of the actions of your on-screen represent gets fast and furious, you will need to earn can figure out a pattern to make it up a
ative feel awkward, then the game is prob extra men to survive. By catching fish you tower and make it to the next tower.
ably not one that you will play again and can quickly amass enough bonus points to If you don't have a good joystick, don't
again. get another life. bother playing Tower Toppler. An unre
I am happy to say that Tbwer Tbppler is Everything about Tower Tbppkr was sponsive joystick just won't work because
the type of game that I will play again excellently done, from the graphics to the the game demands quick response. If you
and again. It's fun, addictive, challenging tower design. Each tower has a name that have a slow stick, get a new one. Tbwer
and unique. Tower Tbppkr comes to us describes its theme. The first tower is the Tbppler tests the serious gamer; it
from Europe through Epyx's agreement Tower of Eyes. On it, you will come across shouldn't test your joystick as well.
with U.S. Gold. Maybe there's something many bouncing eyes that get in your way. The graphics in Tbwer Tbppler are su
in the water over in Europe, but they You have to move at just the right time to perb. Once again, a developer has pushed
seem to release arcade games left and get past them and make it further up the the Commodore 64 to the limit (I often
right. The funny thing is that a lot of tower. wonder if there is any limit to the func
them are really good. Tbwer Tbppkr con The second tower is the Realm of Ro tions and capabilities of this machine.)
tinues in that fine tradition of European bots. True to the name, you will find a lot The neatest graphic elements are the ro
artistry. It's a game that has a lot of neat of robots that move around in certain pat tating towers. As you move left or right
features that make it worth adding to terns on different parts of the tower. By around the circular towers, they scroll to
your software collection. watching these patterns for a few seconds the right or left, respectively, and it ap-
In Tbwer Tbppler, you are an operative and moving at the right time, you should pears as if the tower is rotating. You will
for the destruction company Destructo, be able to bypass these hunks of metal. always see the view of your operative on
Inc. Your mission is to demolish eight As you can see, each tower has a unique the tower's ledges from a third-person per
mysterious rotating towers that have ap personality. Instead ofjust making each spective.
peared in the toxic ocean of the planet Ne- tower a harder version of the previous one A clever bit of programming went into
bums. You do this by making your way to with more obstacles, U.S. Gold used per the routines that handle the rotation.
the top of each tower and setting the self- sonalities to add flavor to the game, not to Usually when a company makes a big
destruct mechanism. Your stay on each mention a reason for playing longer—to fuss over a feature of a game, it turns out
tower must be short, for a timer is quickly see what the later towers are like. Other to be rather commonplace. That's not the
running down the seconds before you lose towers include (in order of appearance): case with Tbwer Tbppler—the 3D graphics
an operative. It is believed by many that Trap of Tricks, Slippery Side, Broken live up to all the hype.
the towers were created for the purpose of Path, Swimmer's Delight, Nasty One and The next best occurrence of outstanding
evil—this you can't allow! Edge of Doom (very difficult). (I only made graphic work is the representation of your
In order to destroy them, you have to it to the fourth tower.) character in the game—a seadog opera
navigate your way to the top of each rotat Each tower also has a lot of different ob tive for Destructo, Inc. The game's graphic
ing tower by taking elevators, jumping stacles associated with it. In addition to artists took that description of your alter
over gaps in the ledges on the sides of the dissolving bricks and gaps in the path, ego literally and drew a "sea dog" on the
towers and destroying or avoiding all you will encounter bouncing cannonballs, screen. Your character looks like a cross
moving obstacles in your way. If you fall flashing blocks, elevators, paths through between a frog and a small dog, retaining
into the toxic ocean, you will die, so you the center of the tower and mutant mole the color green. He has big eyes that are
must find another way to get between cules that will follow you across the always looking in the direction of travel. If
towers. screen. These molecules are the most dan Continued on page 43

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 15
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS Reviewed by Russ Ceccola

Final Assault
Computer Commodore 64
Publisher Epyx
600 Galveston Drive
Redwood City, CA 94063
(415)3664)606
Price: $39.95 You will often breathe a sigh
Although computer games cover so of relief when you get to the top
many themes already, there are still
a lot of areas left to explore. There have of a screen. What would you do
been adventure games, driving games, if you ran out of food and
sports games, war games, science fiction
games and games to cover most major hu just a few more meters to go?
man achievements, whether they be root-
ed in reality or fantasy. But until now, By moving a cursor around with either of two menus. One menu lists the items on
there hasn't been a game or simulation joystick or keyboard, you can find out the the rack and the other lists those in the
that captured the spirit of mountain name, weight and amount you are carry sack. By highlighting an item with the
climbing. ing for each object in the pack. By select cursor and pressing the joystick button,
The idea behind Final Assault was to ing the word NEXT, you are shown the you automatically move it to the other
create a game that would capture on disk next group of six items in the pack. This is menu. Once you understand how to acti
the thrills that are part of the dangerous how you find out what is in your pack be vate or use items, the rest is all downhill
and difficult sport of mountain climbing. fore you start the game. (so to speak).
To that extent, Final Assault works. You There is a default set of provisions to To play Final Assault, you move a
make movements with the joystick in use for each trail and the training trail if climber on one of three screens: up a rock
three different scenes that help an on you don't want to choose your own items. face, up an ice cliff or across a glacier. In
screen climber make it further and fur If you do want to make your own selec all screens, you can fall to your death. In
ther up the mountain of your choice. You tions, a group of 16 icons pops up on the the first two, this is obvious—you fall
will breathe a sigh of relief when the screen. These icons represent some of the down the mountain by losing your footing.
climber makes his way to the top, and objects that you can take along, like mit- On the glacier, there are thin spois in the
you'll cry out loud when the character tens or coffee. You can select as many ob ice—on occasion, you may fall through. If
drops a few feet back down the rock face jects as you want Just remember to keep you don't catch yourself when you do, it
after losing his grip. the total weight of your possessions under can prove fatal. However, the ice screens
However, some of the movements that 25 kilograms and you'll do just fine in the are the easiest to tackle.
you have to make are a little too tough— game. Playing Final Assault involves repeat
the game is a little too picky. In order to The default settings are enough to keep ing these three screens in a random order
understand where Final Assault goes you going until you come to the top of the until you make it to the top. Because the
wrong, you have to know a little more mountain. The real use for the customized game can be very picky about where you
about the game. packing option is to set up hypothetical place your hands and feet on the more dif
Final Assault simulates a climb up a situations. For instance, if you were won ficult levels, you will often breathe a sigh
mountain trail of your choice. There are dering if someone could make it to the top of relief when you get to the top of a
six possible trails in the regular game, of a mountain with only a certain amount screen.
plus a training course. You have to outfit of food and drink, you could try it in Final Making it through the screens depends
yourself with all the provisions you think Assault. on how successfully you move the joystick
you'll need before you start the climb on a There are two places that your inven in the correct directions, just like many
packing screen. Everything from choco tory can be kept: inside your rucksack and other Epyx games. On the glacier, you
late bars to a snow shovel may be neces on the rack of the rucksack. The distinc simply move to the right and jump over
sary for that long trip straight up. There tion is that those items on the rack are visible crevasses, while at the same time
are many items in the game that can be available for immediate use. For instance, checking for the snow-covered ones with
taken up the mountainside, but you have if you were climbing up an ice cliff, you your walking stick. On the ice cliff, you
to be very selective. As a real mountain wouldn't need soil shoes or chalk (used for have to firmly plant your ice axes into the
climber would do, you have to choose your rock climbing). Instead, you should put on side of the cliff, set one foot in a safe spot,
provisions and equipment so that they your crampons (boot spikes). These are pull yourself up and then secure the other
don't weigh too much. With a heavy pack, used to dig into the ice to get a good foot foot. On the rock face, the trickiest of all
you will be more likely to fall from the hold. You put on the crampons by simply screens, you must use your soft shoes and
peaks. transferring them from inside the pack to rope to move carefully from crack to crack
On the packing screen, there is a pic the rack. This is easy enough to do. By in the face, while avoiding boulders that
ture of your pack. Depicted inside the pressing the space bar, a dot (cursor) ap occasionally tumble from above.
pack are six objects and the word NEXT. pears on the screen. With it, you select one Continued on page 44

16 AUGUST 1989
The Computer Show
~ ' For Everyone!
k Featuring

AMIGA • C^C^WCs

VaUey Forge, Pennsylvama

Welcome to a spectacular world of Commodore It's all in one place — at the 2nd annual North-
computing — a world devoted to ihe Amiga, liusiem World of Commodore. Whether you compute
C-64, C-128 and Commodore PCs. You'll for business or fun, at home or school, you can't
discover ihe software you've always wanted to try. miss this computer show!
plus amazing, new programs. You'll find primers and
plotters. Modems and monitors. Disk drives and joy The World of Commodore
slicks. Lasers and light pens. MIDI and mice. All the September 22, 23 and 24,1989
big and little stuff that make computing more Fri. noon-8pm/Sat.&Suu. IOam-5pm
productive, more creative — more fun! Admission $10 Sludents/Seniors $8
And some of ihe best bargains you "II find anywhere! Includes seminars & siage demonstrations

ExhitjiTors coriact. Trie Hurter Group (<16) 595-5906 Fax (416) 595-5093. Produced in association with Commodore Business Machines
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS' Reviewed by John Pustai

Wherein | Hunyaryn
i ,lHl! ,|] . is M.llir up

Europe is
uF inn cities. Pest
nnd luil.i, Him li Hers
MiT'inl In 1BT2. ri i
tourists visit
In the process of
Carmen
t

the Mt'i'tid'i place m


capturing Carmen th M

Sandiego? and her gang, a


Computer Commodore (<4 lot of educational ] iivf. 1 I'l.r '• '-
Use Noti-buul.'
Publisher: Broderbund
17 Paul Drive
material is l.u rci flirpfrrt

San Rafael, CA 94903 presented.


(415)492-3200
Price: $39.95 (Consumer Version)
$49.95 (School Edition)
$89.95 (Lab Pack)
Sleuth" he or she has completed the entire to the Airport."
game. Cursor keys are used to make the
Where in Europe is Carmen Sandiego? Two consecutive players will not get the choice. Normally, a player will chose "In
is the third in a series that have be same case to solve. But all players can get vestigate," which leads to three more op
come best-seliers among consumers and to the top of the ranks and will eventually tions: "Question Witness," "Search Scene"
in the educational market. (Previous re get to capture Carmen Sandiego. and "Call Tipster." These choices use up
leases were Where in the World is Carmen the investigation time the program allo
Sandiego? and Where in the USA is Car Your Assignment cates to solve the case. The choices also
men Sandiego?) These award-winning The opening screen is the entrance to provide geographical information about
programs teach social studies in a detec the ACME investigation office, and indi the movement of the thief to another part
tive-story format. In this particular ver cates "Humanoid at console. Please log of Europe. For example, "He said he was
sion, anyone can learn geographic, cultur in." Use the same name as in a previous going to spend the night somewhere be
al, historic and economic information case to open your file, so that you are as tween Nice and San Remo." If a player
about countries of Europe. Because there signed the same rank. If you have not knows the answer, he or she will "Go to
is no time limit for the entire program, played, the screen will prompt you to iden Airport" to follow the thief.
students and adulls compete on an equal tify yourself. After you are "cleared for en If the player doesn't know the answer,
footing. try," you'll receive your assignment. he or she can try to find it in the informa
This game is similar to the first two Assignments are straightforward. Once tion in the included Atlas. Or the player
games in the series, except that it is set in "inside" the office (next opening screen) can continue the investigation, this time
the 34 countries of Europe, and there are you are presented with a ringing phone possibly choosing "Search Scene." "You
some new features. The object of the pro that you answer with the press of any key. find a canvas bag containing a beach tow
gram is to solve crimes, advance to the top A center window provides the assignment: el with a red and white flag on it" is one
of the ranks and then catch the gang's "Gumshoe John, this is the Chief. I have search-scene clue,
leader—a graphically-cute lady called just received a call from the Netherlands. Still other options then are open. If you
Carmen Sandiego. Carmen is more diffi A year's harvest of tulip bulbs has been do not know what country has a red and
cult to catch than other gang members. In stolen by a masked male. Head for Am white flag, you can "Visit Crime Lab."
the process of capturing Carmen and her sterdam right away. You must track the Choosing this option yields a different
gang, a lot of educational material is pre thief to his hideout and arrest him. You screen with four windows. The location
sented. must apprehend the thief by Tuesday, 3 and time window and options window re
Players must accomplish three tasks to p.m. Good luck, John!" main the same. But there is a window
solve each case: (1) identify the criminal showing a computer, and a window show
from the clues given, (2) issue a warrant Solving the Crime ing a printer, as well as choices that in
for his arrest, and (3) track the thief to his The opening screen of your new case is clude "Use Database" and "Enter Crime
final destination. In essence, the player divided into four segments. One segment Notes."
must match up all information and clues shows the geographical location, the day Choosing "Use Database" yields three
to eventually cateh the criminal. Solving and the hour. Another window offers mov icons—a flag, a bag with a money sign,
each case takes time. ing graphics typical of the geographic lo and a cartoon cloud with "Out" inside.
After solving a few cases, players are cation—for example, a windmill and a These icons signify a choice of the nation
promoted in rank. The more cases solved, Dutch girl holding a dozen tulips. Still an al flag, the national currency and the na
the higher the rank. Levels of promotion other window displays text about the tional language—next to which there are
range from Gumshoe to Super Sleuth, country and city that you are in. A final options that are teggled by the right-left
with 11 levels in all. Once a player catches window offers a choice of "Investigate," cursor. For example, if you chose a red and
Carmen Sandiego and reaches "Super "Use Notebook," "Visit Crime Lab" or "Go Continued an page 80

18 AUGUST 1989
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS Reviewed by Morion A. Kevelson

1581 Toolkit
Computer: Commodore 64
Publisher: Software Support
International
2700 N. E. Anderson Road,
#A-1
Vancouver, WA 98661
Medium: 3,5-inch Disk
Price: $39.95
L The 1581 Tbolkit main menu screen 2. The 1583 Tbolkit TVack and Sector Editor

The 1581 DOS Reference


Disk management is an important,
but often neglected, aspect of per Guide, which is part of this
sonal computing. The only way to insure
against the irretrievable loss of data is to
package, should be required
scrupulously maintain backup copies of reading forall 1581 hackers.
all disks and files. Finally, improved pro
ductivity is a side benefit of proper file
maintenance as it becomes faster and the computer and hardwired as device which they occurred and the affected
easier to find what you are looking for. number 8. However, it will not be neces track.
The 1581 disk drive is the latest and sary to change the device numbers on any The Fast File Copier module supports
greatest floppy disk drive for the eightrbit of your disk drives to use the 1581 Tbolkit. the 1541 and 1571 disk drives in addition
Commodore computers. With more than Simply go to 64 mode and LOAD":*",n,l to the 1581. On the 1581 you can select
800 kilobytes of storage along with the where n is the device number of your 1581 the partition which will be used as the
ability to manage subdirectories, or parti disk drive. The 1581 Toolkit will remem source or the destination for the files. You
tions, it has revolutionized the way Com ber this device number and it will always can even copy files from one partition to
modore 64 and 128 users store their data. go back to it when the program disk is re another on the same disk. If you are using
The importance of proper disk mainte quired. two disk drives, you will find the Fast File
nance has grown in proportion to the The 1581 Toolkit consists of ten mod Copier very efficient. I was able to copy
1581's expanded storage capacity. After ules, all of which are accessed from the 702 blocks, consisting of 19 files, in just
all, the amount of data that could be lost main menu. With the exception of the in two minutes, 35 seconds from a 1571 disk
with a single 1581 disk is equivalent to stallation of the Fast Loader module, you drive to a 1581 disk drive. Ifyou are work
what can be stored on nearly five 1541 for can always return to the main menu from ing with a single disk drive, you will have
mat disks. any of the program modules. The program to swap disks in proportion to the data be
The most often-cited reasons for not ob is very easy to use as all of its functions ing transferred, as the data buffer is limit
serving proper data maintenance are the are accessed via on-screen menus. Com ed to the capacity of the 64s RAM. If you
time required and the inconvenience asso mon to all modules is the ability to view have two dissimilar drives and wish to
ciated with doing a thorough job. Thus, it the disk directories and to issue disk com copy a lot of files to the same format disk,
is important that a good backup program mands. you will probably be better off using a
be fast, easy to use and resistant to user Both single and dual drive whole disk scratch disk as an intermediary rather
errors. The 1581 Toolkit comes very close copiers are provided. These only work than doing a single drive file copy. The
to meeting all three of these criteria when with the 1581 disk drive. With two 1581 Fast File Copier module lets you easily
used with the 1581 disk drive. Although disk drives an entire disk can be copied in delete files and format disks in any of the
the 1581 Toolkit is supplied on a 3.5-inch about two minutes. With only one 1581 supported formats.
floppy disk, it supports the 1541 and 1571 disk drive, the backup process takes about Note: the Fast File Copier will handle
disk drives for file maintenance. (Of ten minutes, but it also requires 16 pairs only program and sequential files. Rela
course, the 1541 and the 1571 do not sup of disk swaps. Unfortunately, the 1581 tive files can't be copied with this module.
port the 1581's directory partition fea Toolkit runs only in 64 mode. It does not The Directory Editor module lets you
ture.) The 1581 Toolkit is not copy protect utilize the additional memory in the 128 rearrange or reorganize the 1581's disk
ed. Nevertheless, it cannot be transferred nor does it recognize the extra RAM in the and partition directories. The file name,
to the 5.25-inch disk format as the pro 1764 or the 1750 RAM expansion mod type and status can be easily changed.
gram makes extensive use of direct disk ules. With the whole disk copiers you can Dummy files, to be used as separators,
access for most of its overlays. copy a part of a disk by selecting the start can be easily created. Groups of files can
If you have a Commodore 128 and your ing and ending tracks. This can be useful be sorted in numerical and alphabetical
1581 is set up as device number 8, you can for salvaging data or for repairing dam order and files can be manually rear
autoboot directly from the distribution aged disks. The whole drive copiers verify ranged. Partition directories can be ma
disk. This is obviously not the case for the data as they read and write. Errors nipulated with this module, but you have
128D users where the 1571 is built into are reported with regard to the disk on Continued on page 43

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 19
64 AND 128 BOOK REVIEWS Reviewed by Mike Rivers

Commodore
tassette and disk drives. The sections on
Care Manual: error codes and troubleshooting are well
written and informative. If your drives
Diagnosing and Diagnoshg cndMdntanirvg!
seem to be ill-behaved, Chapter Five gives
or m System
Maintaining Your 64 or plenty of practical suggestions for deter
mining if it's the drive or the user that's
128 System malfunctioning. These chapters are re
commended reading for anyone.
Written by: Chris Morrison and Teresa
RS-232 modems, telecommunication
S. Stover
tion covers what to do if the unit does not data and modem protocol are the subject
Publisher: TAB Books
appear to be functioning. It includes a pro of Chapter Seven. We're shown how to
Blue Ridge Summit, PA
cedure for disassembly of the computer make a "loopback" connector to test a non-
17294-0850
(800)822^158 (717)794-2191
and keyboard, as well as a thorough de VIC (RS-232-type) modem and how to use
scription of how the keyboard module of it. If you're a telecommunications enthusi
Price: $16.95
the diagnostic program works. This sec ast and you've ever wondered what that
The Commodore Care Manual is a di tion of the program looks fairly rudimen little box connected to your phone line is
agnostic and maintenance guide for tary, but will help you nail down which doing, you'll find this section interesting.
the user who wants to know more about keys or combination of keys may be mal The next to last chapter, "Burn-in and
downtime problems they can fix and how functioning, and since the program also Post-Repair Testing" gives you the ability
to identify ones that require a service cen verifies key closure by printing the ASCII to "exercise" a unit or peripheral so you
ter. It covers not only the computer, but code of the key pressed, you will know can make sure it's going to stay fixed.
also peripherals common to typical per whether or not it's the keyboard that's Chapter Nine gives suggestions on
sona] computer systems. Each chapter in having problems, or some other part of the writing your own tests for other devices,
cludes a clearly written, easy-to-under- computer. with a joystick given as an example.
stand description of the device under dis The procedures mentioned in this chap At first, I felt that the book was a little
cussion, its function, troubleshooting and ter may prevent an unnecessary service sketchy concerning the computer itself.
repair guidelines, and solutions to possi call; who among us hasn't had a house Nothing is said about individual testing of
ble failure modes. hold appliance which appears to be dead RAM, ROMs, the system clock, RF mod
The entire text is written for the user that only needs to be plugged in? ule, etc., but this is not a technical service
who doesn't have any knowledge of elec The chapter on monitors allayed my manual. If something is wrong at the com
tronics or access to test equipment. Sound reservations concerning the scope of this ponent level, few owners can do anything
familiar? Maybe this book is for you. Even book. Since the display can tell you a lot about it except find a service center.
if you don't have an ailing computer, read about how the computer is working, the The authors stress having your system
ing the Commodore Care Manual will authors have taken the care to mention documentation handy because differences
give the inexperienced user an intuitive the relationship between the keyboard, in revision levels are not addressed. For
sense of how a system in good repair the character ROM and the monitor. If example, in the case of changing disk
should function, and what you can do you press a particular key and don't get a drive device numbers, a more recent ver
when it doesn't. character on the screen, is it the keyboard sion of the 1541 is used as an example, so
Chapter One describes a diagnostic and or the ROM that's in trouble? Knowing those with older drives will have to refer
"exerciser" program for the Commodore this is invaluable, both before and after a to their 1541 System Guides for the cor
64 and 128 systems and their peripherals, visit to a repair center, and the informa rect procedure. This is not surprising con
including the keyboard, monitor, printer, tion is presented so that the reader can sidering the number of different types of
datassette, disk drives, modems and serial understand what's going on with the peripherals mentioned.
port. The program is not a "component equipment without being baffled by The Commodore Care Manual is well
level" (i.e., microchip) diagnostic, but does technical information only an electrical written, easy to understand and informa
a good job of testing the devices men engineer could love. This chapter also in tive without beating you over the head
tioned. Every function of the program is cludes raster alignment, color testing, with unfathomable technical detail, and it
described in detail for both 64 and 128 scrolling and sprites. covers the entire system, including peri
systems, and a listing is provided at the Printers are covered in Chapter Four, pherals. After running the diagnostic pro
back of the book. A section called "Tools which contains a fairly detailed discussion gram and referring to the related chapter,
and Resources" which lists the basic tools of printer codes, their functions and relat the user can usually tell the difference be
needed to maintain a personal computer ed problems for dot matrix and daisy tween a problem with the computer itself
and perform simple repairs. A checklist wheel printers. Printers can be confusing or a problem with a peripheral. This is a
is provided to help you assemble what you even for the experienced user; the pro good book for those who have had their
need before you attempt to understand the gramming section of this chapter can be computers and peripherals "in the shop"
seemingly unknowable, namely: "What's enlightening if you have problems getting only to find there's nothing wrong. It's also
wrong with my computer?" your printer to do what you want it to, handy for those who do have something
Chapter Two deals with the "system even if there's nothing wrong with it. wrong and want a clear understanding of
unit" and the keyboard. The system sec- Chapters Five and Six deal with the da- what needs repair before servicing. a

20 AUGUST 1989
Queen Victoria

£8 I

Begging your pardonYour Majesty, but the sun never sets on us either.
We're CompuServe. The world's largest service than Her Majesty could ever imagine. Right
network of people with personal computers. from your personal computer.
As one of our more than half a million To join us, call 800 848-8199. We'll give you the
members you will enjoy more privileges and better royal treatment too.
AMIGA SOFTWARE REVIEWS Reviewed by John Ryan

Test Drive II:


in your rear-view mirror means business.
The Duel Dally too long and you'll find yourself eat
ing dust and taillights.
The Supercars Push the joystick forward to accelerate;
press the joystick button to shift. Pull the
California Challenge joystick toward you to accomplish the op
posite. Knowing when to shift to a higher
Computer Amiga* gear becomes rather obvious after a while.
Publisher: Accolade presented with a splendid menu that per If the car's engine begins to whine too
550 South Winchester Blvd., mits the scope of the game to be set. If you loudly, simply check out the tachometer
Suite 200 own the Supercars and California Chal You can bet that if your tach needle is peg
San Jose, CA 95128 lenge (CC) disks, you'll first want to use ging red, it's time to shift.
Price: $44.95 (The Dud) the install options to inform the program Knowing when to downshift, on the oth
$19.95 (The Supercars) which disk drive to access them on. (While er hand, will take some getting used to.
$19.95 (California Challenge) not a must, using at least two disks drives Timing is the key here. As you come upon
for this program will speed things up im curves or slower traffic ahead of you, it is
My secret weapon for initially sizing mensely.) The install option will also allow not enough to simply brake, for once you
up Test Drive II: The Duel, while not you to set up a play disk. Hard drive own attempt to accelerate again, you may find
quite as scientific as other methods, in ers take heart: Test Drive II will allow you yourself with little or no power. Downshift
volved a much more reliable litmus test: create play disks on your drives as well. once. If you still don't have enough rpm's,
my ten-year-old son. Once I hear the Once you've selected the cars for the try the next gear down. The worst mistake
words, rad, or big time!, I know I've got race, you must specify whether to play you can make is to hurriedly shift down
something worth looking at, against the clock or the computer. By rac three or four gears in rapid succession—
Yes, Test Drive II is indeed rad, for luck ing against the clock you can get a good especially when traveling at a high rate of
of a more sophisticated term. Test Drive II feel for how each car handles, check out speed. If you attempt this, you can kiss
seems to be quite an improvement over its the scenery and become familiar with the your engine goodbye, Mario.
earlier version. The Duel places you in the layout of the road, all without the pressure The race is composed of separate "legs."
cockpit of either a hot Ferrari F40 or of a computer opponent dogging your tail. Each leg presents different driving haz
Porsche 959. Unlike other racing games, Try to do the speed limit the first time out; ards (o contend with. While one leg may
however, the view from these expensive it will probably be the last time you really see you navigating a twisting mountain
cockpits falls on that extremely thin line get to look at the scenery! road, the next may have you negotiating a
between rad and big time. Not only will The difficulty level of the game is select heavily traveled desert highway. The sce
the beautifully detailed instrumentation ed by moving a slider across a multico nery is like that of a good flight simulator.
Iright down to the leather upholstery) lored scale. At the lower levels, all shifting As you move down the road at speeds of
have your heart beating faster, the first- is automatic, so you won't have to worry up to 200 mph, this "you-are-there" per
person view out the windshield surely too much about keeping a wary eye on the spective conveys a very convincing sense
stretches the Amiga to its limits—if such tachometer. At the more advanced levels, of movement.
a feat is possible. This game, if nothing however, shifting becomes an integral The acceleration is smooth, and the sce
else, may very well become the Flight part of the game. "Red line" your tach too nery scrolls by on each side of the car at a
Simulator II of the racing genre. many times, or downshift to an inappro rate consistent with your speed. Moreover,
But let's talk about differences. Where priate gear, and—more than likely—you this scenery is not just a line of repetitive
Test Drive pitted you against the stop will blow the engine out of your sleek ma landmarks that happen to show up at reg
watch and limited you to a few stretches of chine (resulting in a costly penalty). Addi ular intervals. The viewing in Test Drive
rather mountainous (read monotonous) tionally, the level you select will ultimate II is much more spectacular, especially if
highway, Test Drive II offers head-to-head ly determine the top-end speeds of both you invest in the California Challenge
competition against the computer. More your computer opponent and highway pa disk, which offers seven scenery areas in
over, Accolade must have listened to com trolmen. It will also determine the traffic addition to the three offered on the master
plaints that the original Test Drive lacked density on the roads, the speed of the disk. With the scenery disk, you can race
the depth and scenery needed to really do traffic and scoring percentages. from the from the lush forests of northern
the program justice. This time they've si The detail behind the wheel is magnifi California, down through San Francisco
multaneously released two support pro cent. The full instrumentation in the cock and on to the Mexican Border.
grams: California Challenge, a scenery pit includes a working speedometer, tacho If only racing were so straightforward.
disk that allows you to race from the Cali meter and gas gauge. You will also find a Negotiating the road is just one of the
fornia-Oregon border, all the way to the stick shift, radar detector and a race leg problems you'll face here. Depending on
blistering deserts of Mexico; and The gauge, used to display your position in re the level you select, you must also deal
Superwrs, contains five additional pre lation to your competitor and any police with slower traffic, for not only will you
mier sports cars, all of which have varying who may be skulking about. Against the find traffic traveling in the same direction
degrees of performance and handling. computer, you won't have time to study you are, but coming toward you as well. So
Once past the opening screen, you are the cockpit too long; that image growing Continued on page 74

22 WJGUST 1989
AMIGA SOFTWARE REVIEWS Reviewed by Jay Kee

Sword of performed, it could easily be renamed the

Sodan "Hall of Shame"!)


One last note, Sword of Sodan is heav
ily copy protected, but unlike some other
Computer: Amiga* software products, it doesn't crash and
Publisher: Discovery Software burn on an Amiga 1000. But be warned:
163 Conduit Street Sword of Sodan is a three-disk monster
Annapolis, MD 21401 and loves RAM; if you don't have a mega
(301)268-5)877
byte or more of RAM and two drives, be
Price: S49.95
prepared to do a lot of disk swapping and
memory crashes!
From the developers ofArkanoid, The plot may sound familiar, In summary, Sword of Sodan is a beau
Sword of Sodan is nothing short of a tiful piece of work, enticing and thorough
visual sensation. One of the best arcade but the game has a number ly entertaining. There's enough happen
games to come out for the Amiga in a long
of new wrinkles that put it ing here to keep veteran players toiling
time, Discovery Software has combined into the wee hours for weeks. If there's a
gorgeous artwork, silk-smooth animation into a class by itself. discouraging word to be found anywhere,
and superbly digitized sound in a package it has to be on the violent nature of the
that is as entertaining as it is challenging. a booby-trapped gateway and somehow game. Some of the action is graphic and
The game's premise is nothing new—an get through a graveyard full of zombies quite gory and not recommended for chil
evil wizard with a real attitude problem before you even get to the castle. And dren! If software were rated the way they
has taken over the kingdom. Your father, while all this is happening, daylight is rate movies, this one would definitely be
the king, has foolishly taken exception to fading and night is closing fast. R-rated. g
this, and the wizard cancelled his ticket. Along this twisted path, you'll find var
Of course, family loyalty being what it is, ious potions that will give you extra *An MS-DOS version of the program is
the king's heirs (that's you] have vowed to strength or extra lives, kill opponents or also available, A Commodore 64 version
avenge his death and restore peace to the create a temporary magical shield—all is planned.
kingdom. items that you can carry with you until
The plot may sound familiar, but the the need arises; and the need arises with
game has a number of new wrinkles that, alarming regularity. Every level has traps Next Month in
aside from the quality of the graphics and you must find and beat, tasks that must
animation, put it into a class by itself. be completed, puzzles to be solved or Commodore Magazine
For openers, instead of the standard moves that must be performed within a
muscle-bound barbarian you'd expect to time limit—all in addition to the mon Data East USA
find, you're given the choice of two charac sters that are constantly doing their level First they matte arcade machines, Ihen pinball
machines, ond tor 'tie post Ihree years Ihey have
ters—a male or a female (a new twist best to turn you into hamburger. been making computer games. You pronobly know
that's almost certainly aimed at attract Of course, like eveiything else, wisdom the games. BadDtiOes, Batman, Kamovani many
ing more female buyers). But don't get the comes from experience and experience Olhers Now lake □ looK ol Itie company Who are
the people driving this successlui software
wrong idea; this is not an RPG (role-play comes from screwing up. And Sword of company, and whot do they hove planned lot
ing game). You have no control over the Sodan provides loads of opportunity for Christmas?
character's race, class or attributes. What screwing up! Fortunately, the game de
you see is what you get.
Heidi Turnipseed:
signers provided a neat little trick called
Once you've selected the character, you The Amiga's Disney Animator
'Instant Replay." If you have one mega
start out in the courtyard of your father's byte or more of memory, instant replay Heidi starred her coreer os on animator at Disney
working on such films as Robin Hoodond The Fox
castle and, armed only with a sword and can be selected after your untimely de and The Hound She lelt Disney lo follow Don Blulh
your wits, set out to fight your way into mise. This option will reenact your jour and continued her animating on films such as The
Seael of NIMH ond An American Toil Now she Is
the inner sanctum, there to confront and ney from start to finish. In this way, you on independent animator and relies heavily on her
(theoretically) destroy Zoraa. can study a particularly tough trap or op animation computer . . the Amiga. Here is the
Of course, you're given more than one ponent and develop a technique or strate story ot Heidi and her Amiga,

life to start (it'd be a real quick game if gy that will work. If you don'thave addi PC40-HI: A Compromise
you had only one), and you can acquire tional memory, don't despair! The task is
more as you progress. In between lives,
of Superlatives
not entirely hopeless.. .just a lot tougher.
Earlier this year Commodore released the PC4D-III,
you encounter an incredible array of (But since when has tough ever bothered a a PC/AT-compatible computer wild 1MB oi RAM, o
strange creatures and weird warriors, dedicated gamer?) 40MB hard drive and lots of other goodies. This is
each meaner, uglier and nastier than the Just in case you survive long enough to a comprehensive look at what this machine has to
Oder, ond whot it lacks, in the crowded market Of
last. And while you may get hammered a achieve mediocrity, the game designers PC/AT-compatible computers.
lot, you'll never get bored! thoughtfully included a "Hall of Fame"
Available on newsstands
The terrain is just as ... interesting. where your achievements can be stored
August 22, 1989.
You have to pass through a forest, survive and displayed for all to see. (The way I

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 23
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS by Russ Ceccola

Galactic
Frontier
Computer: Commodore 64
Publisher: Free Spirit Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 128
58 Noble Street Galactic Frontier
Kutztuwn, PA 19580
(215) 688-5609
is an adventure
Price: $14.95 game of the
greatest proportions
How many times have you watched because you truly
Star Trek and wished you were the
one sent to investigate new worlds and are exploring the
seek out new life and civilization? I speak unknown.
for many when I say that I've always
wanted to visit different planets in the
galaxy and learn more about this world in
which we live. We would-be space explor
ers are in luck because a new game from out those stars that might have life-sup you determine whether the planets
Free Spirit Software lets you do just that. porting planets revolving around them. around the star can support life. For each
Galactic Fron tier is a very impressive pro When you get to this point with the pro star you choose, the following statistics
gram that lets you visit as many of the gram, the challenge is increased. Your are provided: spectral class (letter that in
200 billion possible stars in the Milky goal is not only to find life, but also to dis dicates composition, heat and color), spec
Way as you'd like. cover life forms on planets without wast tral number (where a star is in a spectral
Galactic Frontier is both fun and educa ing too much exploration time. Galactic class), luminosity (brightness), type
tional. Because of the way the game is Frontier is really an astronomy program (whether the star is a red dwarf, giant, su-
presented, you learn about how planets with some added features that make it a pergiant, etc.), spectroscopic analysis
and stars are related as well as all soils of game. Galactic Frontier is an adventure (chemical makeup of star), diameter, tem
characteristics about both. Your ultimate game of the greatest proportions because perature and age. For all of this data, the
goal is to find life forms on planets some you truly are exploring the unknown. star is compared to our sun's data to show
where in the galaxy. You are awarded It is very simple to play Galactic Fron how close the star can be to supporting
points for each life form you discover. tier. Although the manual is short, I sug life-giving planets.
Along the way to this goal, you will ex gest playing the first few times with the As far as planet data goes, there are a
plore many different sectors of the galaxy, manual by your side until you get used to lot more points to consider. As with the
examine stars and planets and guess the astronomical terminology. Your op star, the planet of your choice is also com
about the probability of life on certain tions in the program are few. Basically, pared to something we know about—our
planets before you fully explore them. you choose whether to jump (warp, what planet Earth. The numbers and descrip
When I first opened the package and ever you want to call it) to a new sector in tions given are compared to correlating
saw the miniscule manual (seven pages), I the galaxy. When you make it to a new date for Earth. This is how you determine
thought I was in store for some cheapo sector, the program tells you how many whether the planet supports life or not.
public domain program being distributed stars are in the sector and asks you if you After all the information has been re
by an established company. Boy, was I sur want to examine the first star. If you don't vealed for a planet, the ship in which you
prised! Although the manual is small and want to examine that star, it picks the are traveling releases some pods to search
the packaging rather plain, Galactic Fron next one on the list and asks you again. for life.
tier is an excellent way to spend time with The process repeats until you journey to a The following data are reported for each
your computer when you don't want to star or you run out of stars in a sector, planet: planet's distance from the star,
think too much yet want a bit of a chal after which you are automatically number of moons and their visibility, color
lenge. Galactic Frontier is the type of 'jumped" to a new sector. of planet, chemical analysis of atmos
game that I like to play when I'm in a Once you go to a star, Galactic Frontier phere, solids and liquids, length of year,
heavy thinking mode (about life, the uni shows you a picture of the star and tells length of day, volcanic activity, tempera
verse and everything) and want to escape you how many planets revolve around the ture (high, low and average), atmospheric
from reality for an undetermined amount current star. You choose planets in the pressure, wind speed, wind pressure, sky
of time by doing some serious gaming. same way as stars until you run out. In color and (at the end) life forms. The pro
Now that you think that I'm crazy, let both cases, Galactic Frontier gives you all gram builds to a climax by leaving the
me explain further. After playing Galactic sorts of data on the star or planet that you search for life forms until all the informa-
Frontier for an hour or two, you can pick have selected. This information will help Contmued on page 92

24 AUGUST 1989
AMIGA SOFTWARE REVIEWS Reviewed by Nick Wild

Hostage:
in to provide some cover fire.
Rescue Once your men are inside, the game
play changes again. This time the three-
Mission story embassy is displayed from the in
side. If your character is in a hall, a first-
person view is shown. When your man en
Computer Amiga
ters a room, the action is viewed from a
Publisher: Mindscape (Infogrames) third-person standpoint.
8444 Dundee Road If you spot a terrorist, open fire—fast!
Northbrook, IL GOOfiS roll and run to avoid the lights. If things The terrorists will shoot with no hesita
(312) 480-7667 get too hot to handle, dive into a doorway tion, so you'd better keep your finger on
Price: $39.95 or window to catch your breath and check the fire button—you're going to be using it
your map. a lot! Upon opening fire you can direct the
The sound of shattering glass breaks Excellent sound effects of gun shots and gun's aim. Accuracy is a must at times.
the deadly silence as you swing ricocheting builets will have you ducking! Terrorists will often use hostages for cover.
through the window, take deadly aim at If one or more of the men buys the farm, Dust a civilian and you're in big trouble.
the terrorist and open fire. Caught totally don't fret, you can repeat the stage as Movement is done in steps; instead of
by surprise he has no time to respond and many times as you'd like or continue on to scrolling, the display rapidly changes to
is thrown backwards through the door. the second stage. show your new vantage point. Terrorists
You motion the hostage to follow you, and With your snipers in position it's time to move in an identical manner. You'll find
so begins the long journey to safety. send in the commandos (code names Ho these bad guys play things smarter than
Hostage: Rescue Mission brings a cur tel, Tango and Bravo). Once again the ac most computer opponents. They usually
rent topic—terrorism—to the computer tion is set up by a cinematic "act." You track and attack you with good strategy,
screen. The game begins with a view of an watch through a TV camera as a helicop hiding for the ambush, using the hostages
embassy. Seconds later a car races to the ter carrying the men flies over the Embas for cover and following the sound of your
side of the building and screams to a halt. sy and the men rappel down to the roof. gun fire. Study their strategies and you
Several terrorists leap out and overrun After the helicopter flies off, a bird's-eye can force them to play into your hands;
the building. You are placed in command view blueprint of the embassy appears, somehow it seems they can always find a
of all six members of an elite anti-terrorist Markers show the location of your men. If way to surprise you, so never relax. Tb
squad. You'll have to use all of your skill you select a sniper, the view changes. You win, you must lead all of the hostages in
and cunning to counter these madmen will see a picture of your man aiming his dividually to a room on the third floor, or
and win one for democracy. high-powered rifle, In the lower-right cor eliminate all of the terrorists.
Before you begin the game you must ner the view through the scope is shown, The music keeps the suspense high,
complete the copy protection check by en you can move the aim around and look for while the well-done and occasionally hor
tering a specified word from the manual. terrorists to pick off. Realistically, the rifle rific sound effects will have your neigh
After finishing the check, you are then shakes slightly as you scroll around the bors wondering if you're training a battal
asked to select your level and mission. building. After you've finally gotten a ion in you're basement.
Four missions—Target, Ultimatum, As bead on a window, squeeze the trigger After the game has ended, an assess
sault, Rescue and a training level with no (joystick button] and say "so long" to the ment of your performance is given in the
hostages—can be selected at any time. glass and anyone standing behind it. form of a newspaper article. If you feel
You can not select a higher difficulty level Using the snipers is not trouble free. your efforts were inadequate you can re
until you have finished all the missions People in the windows appear only as sil play any part of the mission.
playing at your current level. When you houettes, so you have to be careful that Hostage: Rescue Mission is the perfect
have succeeded at all five missions on any you're not gunning down innocent people. game for those looking for that extra
level, you get a code word that lets you be To avoid this mistake have some ofyour something to go with fast action. Carnage
gin on the next level of difficulty. men scout out targets for the guys outside. can be heavy at times, parents may want
The first task you are faced with is put Once your snipers have picked off as decide if it's appropriate for younger chil
ting your three snipers (code names Delta, many of the terrorists as they can, it's dren but when compared to some other
Echo and Mike] into position. The display time to send in the commandos to do the games and TV, the game's violence is not
changes to show a street-level view of the real dirty work. Since storming the front that bad. While the action is varied, it
blocks surrounding the embassy. Using door would be suicidal, these three simply might have been nice if the embassy had
your joystick you must move your men to rappel off the roof and enter through a different floor plans or hostages were tak
their assigned positions under the cover of window. Tb accomplish this you must first en in different settings. Despite this,
the night. decide where you want your men to de Amiga owners should find this fits the bill
Sound easy? Well, if you said yes, you scend. Next you must control their de as a high-quality game. Hint: keep a
forgot about the machine gun-toting ter scent using the joystick-^nake sure the member of your team in back of the door
rorists across the street! They constantly terrorists don't see them. If they are spot to the "safe" room; this will prevent terror
scan the block with spotlights. To avoid ted they're in for a big fall! If things get ists from sneaking in and harming the
becoming Swiss cheese you must crawl, too hairy, the snipers can always be called hostages when you're not looking. a

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 25
AMIGA SOFTWARE REVIEWS" Reviewed by Steve King

DeluxePaint III slightly different positions and display


them rapidly, those objects will appear to
Computer: Amiga move. Moreover, if those objects change
Publisher: Electronic Arts their shape from frame to frame, they will
1820 Gateway Drive change in both appearance and position.
San Mateo,CA 94404 While this technique is not unique to ei
(415) 571-7171 ther DPaint III or the Amiga, the pro
Price: $149.95 gram's ability to automatically move your
objects in any of three axes and directions
is quite outstanding. This feature is par
ticularly useful in video titling applica
Undoubtedly everyone reading this re tions, as the results are quite good and the
view has either used or seen Deluxe- rendering time is extraordinarily fast.
PaintII, After all, the burning philosophi
Perhaps the most impres To begin animation, you first select the
cal question "Which came first—DPaint number of frames you want to use. At the
for the Amiga or tlie Amiga itself?" is stil!
sive and powerful addition maximum playback speed of 30 frames
being debated by computer hackers world per second, movement of an object over 30
wide. It's been four years since the origi
to DPaint III is its anima frames will last one second. You also have
nal DeluxePaint was released; since that
tion capabilities which are tJie option of changing the playback rate,
time Electronic Arts has demonstrated its although the faster you go, the smoother
support of the Amiga by working diligent based on a technique called the animation (but the more memory you
ly to refine DeluxePaint. need). Once you select the number of
That endeavor has culminated in the "page flipping." frames, you place the object you want to
release of'DeluxePaint III, and in my opin animate (usually in the form of a brush
ion, the wait was well worth it. At first you have created) on the screen.
blush, a look at the main screen reveals "wrap" option which, in effect, wraps one For example, you can load a large-sized
no changes whatsoever. But behind that of your custom brushes around any shape font and write the word Amiga and then
screen, Electronic Arts has included some that is being filled. Unfortunately, you pick it up as a brush. Now, to make the
powerful new features. The remainder of still can't print text in gradients (you word start as a small speck in the back
this review will concentrate on the im must fill each letter after you print it), and ground and appear to move towards you
provements to some of the existing fea the fill function doesn't fill in the area while gradually becoming larger, simply
tures and the additional functions added which is covered by the menu bar and select the Move option from the Animate
to the new version of DPaint. toolbox. Moreover, when you load in pic menu. You will then be shown a requester
While DPaint III still does not support tures where the lower register colors are box where you can set the distance (in
HAM images, it has been modified to sup very dark, the toolbox (which uses the ini screen pixels) you want the brush to trav
port Extra HaifBrite mode. This mode (on tial colors) also becomes dark and invisi el over the course of the 30 frames. In fact,
all but some of the older Amiga 1000 mod ble. Perhaps the next revision will contain you can move the brush in any or all three
els) gives you 64 colors, 32 of which are a feature that changes the colors when directions simultaneously. By using the
half the intensity of the first 32 colors. For ever you move the mouse pointer over the Angle settings, the brush can also rotate,
video applications, the program provides toolbox area. roll or spin while it is moving! A preview
an overscan mode (full screen display) as There are also additional controls in the button permits you to quickly see (in out
well as a screen as large as 1008 X 1024 "Print" option which control the place line fashion) the movement of the brush.
pixels. ment of the picture and allow you to print When you are satisfied click on "Draw,"
The Brush functions have been expand the black background as a white area. The and the computer will rapidly draw each
ed to include a mode where any custom perspective option has been expanded, of the 30 frames. When finished, you can
brush will be outlined with a user-defined and the manual explains the process in press various keys on the keyboard to play
color. This feature works best with greater detail than before. And last but back your animation and use the left and
brushes containing lettering. not least, the program will finally access right cursor keys to change the playback
You have the option of selecting which additional fonts which are not in the de speed in real time.
palette color will be transparent. There fault font drawer of your boot disk. In fact, The next great feature is what Electron
are also some improvements in the tool the font requester even has a feature ic Arts calls an "animbrush," which is
features. For example, lines, circles and which displays the letters of the selected short for "animated brush." Brushes usu
rectangles can be drawn with dotted or font in the requester itself! ally bring to mind static graphic objects
solid lines, merely by making the appro Perhaps the most impressive and pow which you pick up with the mouse. If you
priate adjustment in the new "Spacing" erful addition to DPaint III is its anima select the Pick Up menu item, the area
requester. You can now draw these shapes tion capabilities which are based on a you surround is not only the current
using the airbrush tool. technique called "page nipping." Simply frame you see, but a rectangular slice of
The "Fill" requester also has some new speaking, if you take a series of pages (or all 30 frames you have created. Now when
features, the most artistic of which is the frames) on which objects are drawn at Continued on page 74

26 AJGUST 1989
AMIGA SOFTWARE REVIEWS" Reviewed by Steve King

Pro Sound
Designer In reality, the
technical
Computer: Amiga
Manufacturer: Precision Software, Inc. capability of
8404 Sterling Street
Suite A
the Amiga to
Irving, TX 75063 capture and
(214) 9294888
Price: 5159.95 play sounds
exceeds its
When we hear the word digitize, most
of us immediately think of video ability to
cameras and HAM images. But micro capture and
phones and audio samples would be just
as appropriate, as the Amiga is an ideal display
tool for capturing and playing sounds. Un
fortunately, audio digitizing has taken a pictures.
back seat to video digitizing, perhaps be
cause it is less glamorous. But what's an preamp (such as that found in a tape deck Window. You must also set the recording
exciting game without explosions or rock which almost everyone has). You also frequency, which is the number of times
et sounds? And how could any of the popu have the option of internally adjusting the per second the hardware samples the in
lar music programs play songs without hardware to accept line level output sig coming sound. Pro Sound Designer can
the sounds of digitized instruments? In re nals which should remain constant from sample up to 28khz, or 28,000 times per
ality, the technical capability of the one audio device to another. While you second. For normal use, select 8 khz which
Amiga to capture and play sounds exceeds have to open the device to do this, the ad may produce a lower-quality sound (good
its ability to capture and display pictures. justment is quick and easy, although it for sound effects, etc.) but takes up less
Pro Sound Designer, distributed by Pre does require a small alien wrench. memory. The higher the sampling rate,
cision, Inc., is dedicated to capturing, edit When the program boots, the first tiling the better the quality but the more mem
ing and playing high-quality sounds. The to do is select the type of audio digitizer ory used. A five-second sample digitized at
package consists of a small electronic de you are using since the software was de 28,000 khz will occupy about 140K of
vice which plugs into the Amiga's parallel signed to work with several popular digi memory (5 x 28 khz), while the same
port and a software program. Precision tizers other than the one sold by Precision. sample recorded at 8 khz will occupy only
has also included a hardware adaptor to After you make your selection, the Main 40,000 bytes.
accommodate all Amiga models. The in Screen appears as a slick, graphic control Finally, click on the "REC" button
terface has a subminiature jack and is panel. There is one large blank screen in which puts you in the monitor mode, so
pre-set at the factory to accept a stereo the center called the "Waveform Display you can hear what will be digitized. Press
audio signal from the headphone (not Window." This acts as an oscilloscope, dis the left mouse button to start digitizing,
speaker) output of almost any audio de playing the incoming sound level of both and again to stop (if you haven't already
vice. All you need is a cable with a male the left and right audio channels in real run out of available memory). Tb play
subminiature stereo plug on one end and time. A second rectangular window runs back what you have recorded, just click on
an appropriate plug on the other. Unfortu the horizontal width of the panel. This is the "PLAY" button or press the key corre
nately, there doesn't appear to be such an the Sample Display Window which shows sponding to the buffer you have selected.
animal, so you'll probably have to gin up a graphic representation of the particular By clicking on the "Reverse Play" button,
your own substitute using standard audio sample you select. your sample will be played backwards,
cables with various adaptors at each end. Depending on the amount of memory and if you enable the loop function, the
The device itself translates analog you have, the program can hold up to sound will repeat itself continuously.
audio data (in the form of varying electri eight monophonic samples or four stereo Once you have captured a sound, the
cal strength) into discrete numbers—a samples at any time. Each sample is as next task is to edit and save it to disk.
language a computer understands. It signed to a graphic button, a function and Your sample will be graphically displayed
feeds those numbers through the parallel numeric key, as well as to one of the Ami in the Sample Display Window which con
port for storage in memory. Tb produce a ga's four sound channels. Prior to record tains two moveable pointers. The area be
crystal clear, noise-free signal, the hard ing your sample, simply select one of the tween these pointers is what is affected by
ware doesn't contain any preamps, and re eight available buffers, and click on the most of the editing functions. You have
quires a high-level signal to function. Be monitor button. You now have a choice of the option of deleting a specific section, or
cause of this, you can't plug a microphone either hearing the actual digitized sound setting it to zero (silence). You can also
directly into the interface, but instead being fed into the computer in real time, copy the section to a buffer and then paste
must route it through a high-quality or watching it in the Waveform Display Continued on page 29

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 27
SOFTWARE SHORTS by Russ Ceccoia

The Return of
Batman
Our venerable software reviewer
Russ Ceccoia takes a brief look at
some of the new entertainment
releases for the Commodore 64
and Amiga. lititnmn: the Caped t'msader

Combat Course
Well, here I am again with another
edition of what will now be a regu caped crusader. The graphics are window- along with The Duel. They could have
lar column in Commodore Magazine. This oriented, but easy to deal with. There are raised the price a little and made the ulti
month has been kind of slow for soft many objects that you can collect in Bat mate racing game package. By separating
ware—last month was a lot faster. Any man, from boomerangs to computer access the cars out, they have allowed for expan
way, I've assembled here what I think are cards. You can go through the bat cave dability of the system, but at the expense
the best buys for August. and rev up the batmobile to chase after of some customers.
Tb clarify things a hit, I'd better explain the villains. What's more, you don't need California Challenge is a great game/
again what i expect to do in this column. I to drop a quarter in a slot to play Batman. scenery disk, and I'm happy that Accolade
hope to present my best picks of the Data East did a great job with the spirit of didn't just include a road with scenery on
month, with an occacional spotlight on ar Batman and timed the game's release just the disk as I thought it would be. They
cade game conversions. right^-an all-around success! should have called it a "scenario disk." In
We'd really like to know what^oo think any case, The Duel is an excellent follow-
of these games as well. Once you've tried TheDuet: TestDrivell •*•* up, and the extra disks expand the life of
them, if you have any questions, com Commodore 64: $29.95/Amiga: $44.95 the program.
ments or scathing criticisms, or if you just The Superiors***
want to send me neat stuff or programs, Commodore 64: S14.95'Amiga: S19.95 Keith Van Eron's Pro Soccer
write to: Russ Ceccoia, c/o Commodore California Challenge jHrkWi Commodore 64: $34.95 +••*
Magazine, 1200 Wilson Drive, West Commodore 64: S14.95/Amiga: §19.95 Medalist International
Chester, PA 19380. Accolade, Inc. c/o MicroProse
550 S. Winchester Blvd., Suite 200 180 Lakefront Drive
Batman: The Caped Crusader #**■*• San Jose, CA 95128 Hunt Valley, MD 21030
Data East USA (408) 985-1700 (3011771-1151
470 Needles Drive I opened a huge package one day to find There are so many soccer games avail
San Jose, CA 95112 the above three programs inside. I rushed able for computers that I was really biased
(408) 286-7074 up two flights of stairs to my Amiga and against this game from the start. I
Commodore 64: $24.95 sat there for a whole hour playing with thought to myself—oh no, not another
By the time this is printed, the movie them. The Duel pits you against the com soccer game! That was until I tried it and
will have been released and a resurrgence puter or a friend in a race down roads with found it to be a good, solid sports game.
of "Batman-ia" may have taken the coun the neatest scenery I've seen in a driving The reason that I liked Keith Van Eron s
try by storm. A fan of the popular televi game since Pole Position came out in the Pro Soccer is the emphasis on the profes
sion series, I have always hoped for a arcades. sional sport from which the game is taken.
game in which I could use the utility belt You can choose one of two cars: a Fer Other soccer games just put some players
or batmobile to fight evil crimedoers in rari F40 or Porsche 959. Your opponent is on a field and it's supposed to be fun—
Gotham City. Now with Batman: The able to choose the same car, so you can be right? Wrong! They tend to be boring and
Caped Crusader, I can do just that. equally matched. Despite what you may uninspired.
You have to battle both the Penguin think, each car does perform differently at Pro Soccer has good joystick response
and the Joker in this great adaptation of high speeds. It must be tough program and fluid scrolling graphics to make the
the Batman tradition to the computer ming the cars' characteristics into the game exciting. I actually played a few
screen. First, you have to stop the Pen game, but believe me it works. You do ac more games after trying Pro Soccer once.
guin's plot to take over the world with an tually have to drive the cars differently. Getting back to the emphasis on profes
army of robotic penguins by destroying This brings me to the next thought. sionalism, you'll find a lot of pluses in Pro
his master computer in the umbrella fac Why did Accolade put only two different Soccer. You can make different kinds of
tory. Then, you have to gather facts to find cars on The Duels disk when the original shots in the game—that's a first. Profes
Robin, whom the Joker has just kid had more? Because they want you to buy sional shots like a banana shot are un
napped. the car disk called The Supercars. I really heard of in other soccer games. Also, you
Batman has all I could ever ask for in a think that they should have packaged a can play a World Cup Tburnament in Pro
computer game based on the famous disk with the five cars on The Supercars Soccer. You can have up to 16 teams in a

28 AUGUST 1989
Software Shorts/The Return of Batman —
through as much of the course as possible Hostage: Rescue Mission, a game that
tournament and play the games eveiy before the timer runs out. After you clear places you in the shoes of six Assault
step of the way. an obstacle, you don't have to repeat it un Force team members.
Finally, the manual is very well written til you go through the course again. There Hostage lets you take care of a complete
and has photos of Van Eron performing are many types of obstacles that can be rescue mission in four stages: setting up
shots with some children, lots of diagrams placed in your way, from poles and ladders strategic locations across from an Embas
and information on the history of the to dogs, grenades and trenches. The joy sy where hostages are being kept, gaining
MSL. Piv Soccer is really good for learn stick moves will become second nature— access to the Embassy by rappeling from
ing soccer and playing it too! the only tricky thing that requires prac the roof into windows, locating the hos
tice is climbing over walls. tages in the three Doors of the Embassy
Combat Course •••V'2 The graphics are very colorful in Com and bringing the hostages out of the Em
Mindscape, Inc. bat Course—almost cartoonish. However, bassy safe and, more importantly, alive.
3444 Dundee Road you can easily teil the difference between I was in heaven with this game imagin
Northbrook, IL 60062 obstacles. I like the joystick response of ing myself as team leader of an elite anti-
(312)480-7667 Combat Course—it was very easy to get terrorist force.
Commodore 64: $29.95/Amiga: $39.95 used to the game play. lb top off the pack The sequences of the game are all radi
With the popularity of war/combat mov age, there is a construction set on the disk cally different. This makes for better over
ies and military games in the arcades, I that lets you design your own courses. It is all game play. I thought that Mindscape
knew that the time would come when an easy to use and certainly extends the lon did their best in the graphics and sound
original home computer game would cov gevity of the game. Combat Course also department. You will feel as if you're actu
er the training of soldiers in what is essen uses a window interface that adds to the ally descending upon the Embassy with
tially an obstacle course. Well, Mindscape flavor of the game. your Assault Force. Hostage uses windows
tried their hand at such a game and did a intelligently and keeps the scenes alive
really good job—especially since they in Hostage: Rescue Mission with excitement. You have to control the
cluded a construction set with the game. Mindscape, Inc. actions of all six men and you can make
Combat Course puts you right in the Commodore 64: $29.95/Amiga: $49.95 mistakes very easily. If you persevere, you
middle of basic training on an obstacle With so much terrorism in this world, it will be able to save the hostages and make
course designed to simulate the situations was only a matter of time before a pub it to the congratulations screen. If that
that can occur in a war. There are five lisher released something based on a hos isn't enough, you also get your instruction
challenging levels to the game and, after tage scenario. Sure enough, in the same manual in a dossier marked "TOP SE
choosing a level, you must make it package as Combat Course, I received CRET." n

Software Reviews/ProSound Designer —


mode that activates either the record or play (and only one can be played at any
Continued from page 27
playback functions when the program time), you can raise or lower its pitch, set
it in another part of the sample, either re senses an incoming sound at a user-desig the duration of play, and change the at
placing that other part or inserting it be nated level. You can also activate a filter tack and decay. You can even divide a syn
fore or after a designated point. You can ing function which on an Amiga 500 or thesizer keyboard into four different parts
even merge two portions of your sample 2000 will improve the quality of samples and assign each part to a different sound.
(or a portion of the sample with that of an recorded at higher sampling rates. Final All in all, Pro Sound Designer is a ver
other sample) so that both will be heard at ly, you have the option of saving your satile sound digitizing system which pro
once when you play the sample. Using sample as either a standard 8SVX IFF duces clean, high-quality samples. The
this function, you can also create variable sample, or as a multi-octave IFF instru only real drawback is that users primarily
echo effects. ment which can be used in many avail interested in digitizing from a live source
Aside from the buttons which appear on able Amiga music programs. To save a using a microphone cannot plug it directly
the screen, there is another hidden set of sample as an instrument, you must first into the hardware. While routing this
buttons which appears when the "Ad specify which portion is the Attack and source through a preamp may be a nui
vanced Editing Function" button is which is the Decay, as well as the number sance, it does, produce a higher-quality
clicked. These other functions include the of octaves you want the sample to cover. sample. The manual is neither long nor
ability to increase or decrease the volume You can also retune the sample so it difficult to understand, and the disk is not
and expand or shrink a sample lor any matches a specific frequency. copy protected (although a keyword pro
portion of it). The latter feature is useful As if all of this weren't enough, Preci tection system is used).
when you capture a sound at a high sam sion furnishes a second program on the With short public domain sampled-
pling rate and want to reduce the memory disk—Pro Midi Plus. This program lets sound player utilities available to play
required to store it. Finally, extraneous you load and manipulate up to ten IFF your sampled sounds, the uses for your
noise (such as background hum) can to sound samples, and play them through own sounds are limited only by your inge
some extent be removed using the "Add the Amiga as if they were musical instru nuity. Pro Sound Designer is a well-de
Value" function. Tb achieve accurate edit ments using either the keyboard, a mouse signed package providing more than the
ing, Pro Sound Designer provides a mag or a synthesizer connected to your Amiga standard functions required for sampling,
nification of the area between the pointers through a MIDI interface. Again, the and they are presented in a manner easily
and even allows you to change a section of main screen is a graphic control panel, re comprehended. While there is nothing
the sample by drawing it with the mouse. plete with buttons, a Waveform Window truly innovative about the system, Pro
But wait—there's more! Pro Sound De and little piano keyboard at the top. Once Sound Designer does the job and does it
signer has an auto-record and playback you have loaded and selected the sound to well. a

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 29
CREATIVE COURSEWARE by Howard Millman

People,
program, its list price as well as suggested
Products and age groups. Names, addresses and phone
numbers of publishers are collected in an

News appendix.
A program's inclusion in the guide sig
France's Computer Plan nifies its endorsement by EPIE. When we
compared the guide's recommendations to
Ends in Failure our experiences, nearly all of the pro
grams warranted a joint endorsement.
Early in 1985, France's Ministry of Tales of Discovery is one of The guide costs $8.95, including ship
Education launched an ambitious Scholastic's interactive ping. Write to EPIE, Box 839, Water Mill,
§200 million program to install computers NY 11976 or call (516) 2834922.
into every classroom and within reach of fiction series, all of which For a wider selection of educational soft
France's 12,000,000 students. Prime Min ware consider High/Scope Foundation's
ister Laurent Fabius considered this in
stress reading and decision-
compendium the "Survey of Early Child
vestment a step toward establishing making skills. hood Software." High/Scope's 1989 survey
France as a major competitor in the inter reviews 355 programs (124 of which are
national computer market. hirers. By the time Thomson's machine available for the Commodore 64 or 128),
Theoretically, this seed money would reached the market, eight-bit machines designed for children ages three to eight.
enable France's electronic giant, Thomson were swept aside for 16-bit computers. "It The first crop of Amiga educational soft
CSF, to develop a computer under contract was too little too late," remarked Ronald ware is also listed.
to the government. To encourage Thom Bluden, a Thomson vice-president, adding High/Scope rates each program on a
son to commit its resources, the govern bleakly, "We didn't have a fraction of one one to 100 scale and provides a summary
ment guaranteed the company a captive percent of market share in any other of its strengths and shorteomings. Black
and ready market—essentially a sanc country." and white screen shots accompany some
tioned monopoly. Bolstered by this initial Since savvy consumers never caught reviews. Information about price, publish
sanction Thomson would first launch a PC the fever as politicians hoped they would, er and content is routinely included.
revolution at home and then abroad, France's "Computers for Everyone" plan The 1989 survey costs $20. Contact
based on the French design. All in all the goes down in business annals as an expen High/Scope Press, 600 North River Street,
plan appeared foolproof. sive faux pas for both Thomson and the Ypsilanti, MI 48198 or call (313) 485-
But the computer industry follows its French Ministry of Education. 2000.
own rules. The grand plan is in shambles, Support for the orphan machine in
Thomson's disbanded its personal comput French schools continues to wane since
Tales ofDiscovery
er division, and acrimony between politi the machine generated little software and
Computer: Commodore 64
cians and industry leaders is rampant. even less of a future. The Ministry of Edu
Publisher Scholastic, Inc.
In retrospect the plan contained a major cation, abandoning the French design al
P.O. Box 7502
flaw. Politicians predicted the machine together, recently purchased 9000 com
2931 E. McCarty Street
would be adopted nationwide once chil puters from foreign manufacturers.
Jefferson City, MO 65102
dren used it in schools. They assumed par C'est la guerre, at least in the world of
(800) 541-5513
ents would buy another for students to use computers.
(800) 392-2179 (in MO)
at home. This broad consumer market
Choosing the Best Educational Ages: 6-10 years
would, in turn, put pressure on business to
Price; $21.95 (home version)
conform to the self-proclaimed French Software $29.95 (school edition, in
standard machine. Like a domino train, How do you intelligently choose one
cludes instructional aides)
barriers to adopting the French-designed program from the mountain of education
computers would topple before this al software lining store shelves or listed in Tales ofDiscovery describes itself as in
inertia. catalogs? How can you be sure you're teractive fiction. In other words, as stu
Unfortunately, the computer failed to buying a first-rate program that lives up dents read the adventure, they make deci
win acceptance of consumers and busi to the shrink-wrapped package hype? sions that influence the story's conclusion.
nesses. Why? Because they were asked to Ask someone who knows. In this case For adults, interactive fiction is superb
support the fledgling design not for its the someone is the Educational Products training for preparing income tax returns;
technical excellence nor even for its price, Information Exchange Institute (thank for children it serves to reinforce decision-
but primarily because it was designed and fully shortened to EPIE). Their newly re making and reading skills.
built in France. vised 'Tarents Guide to Highly Rated Thks ofDiscovery consists of a double-
Consumers recognized the computer's Educational Software" lists 225 recom sided disk, one adventure per side. The
flaws, politicians did not. The new Thom mended programs for all computer sys first deals with pirates, side two recreates
son computer, based on an aging stan tems including the Commodore 64 and a trip back to prehistoric times. Both
dard, proved no match for the powerful 128. Divided into 15 subject areas, the qualify as guaranteed attention grabbers
machines produced by foreign manufac- Guide delivers a short description of each Continued an page 47

30 AUGUST 1989
li 1h vi vi vi vi vi 1 *f—i'i m i^mf f'/ 1 'i ili ' i'r ;

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PROJECTS by John lovme

Mandelbrot plot. Picture 2 required 36 hours. Picture


Graphics 2 is a magnified section of Picture 1. The
CT value was increased from 100 to 550.
for the Amiga The CT value limits the number of iter
ations the program will do for a particular
coordinate (pixel). (See program.)
We have investigated Mandelbrot The Amiga provides the opportunity to
sets on the Commodore 64 and 128 produce professional-grade Mandelbrot
computers. (See Commodore Magazine sets. To produce professional graphics you
September and October 1988 issues, re will need to: (1) increase the resolution be
spectively.) The Amiga computer, as you yond the constraints of this program by
know, has a faster BASIC, greater depth using either a combination of interlaced
of color and higher resolution than Com screen and/or higher bit plane, and (2)
modore's eight-bit machines. These attri commit your computer for days or weeks
butes allow us to plot the Mandelbrot sets at a stretch to plot these resolutions.
with improved definition. If you plot these higher resolutions,
Looking at the program, you will see we your CT value must increase accordingly,
have not pushed the resolution to the as I have done for Picture 2. And most im
maximum available; this is to keep pro portant you must allow for errors. It can
cessing time down. The screen we are be frustrating to plot a set for a couple of
Picture 2
working with is 320 x 200 with four bit days to find there isn't anything there.
planes. The four bit planes provide a 16- One way to curtail these dead-end explo
color palette. Time rations is to plot the section at a low reso
The program will query you for a file The time required to plot Mandelbrot lution before jumping to high res, If you
name when started; this is for an auto sets appears to be its biggest drawback. stay on the border of the Mandelbrot set,
matic picture save function that initiates Many people don't want to wait days to I'm sure you'll always find something in
upon completion of the plot. The picture is see results. Writing the Mandelbrot pro teresting.
saved as two 8K arrays. This is not in IFF gram in machine language or compiled Keep in mind that if it takes the com
format, but you can modify the program AmigaBASIC can greatly reduce the time puter a few days to plot these sets, the
using the IFF Save program on the Ex required. Another possible avenue is to re average person couldn't accomplish this
tras disk (in the "BASIC Demos" subdir duce your screen size to one quarter. This with pencil and paper in his lifetime. This
ectory). After the plot is saved, you must would reduce your plot time by about the is the main reason chaotic equations-
load the picture per item two of the main same. Mandelbrot and Julia sets—remained
menu to view the Mandelbrot set. Picture 1 required about 90 minutes to hidden until recently. 3

LOCATE 18,10 :PRINT "5) Quit"


Amiga Mandelbrot LOCATE 20,10 :PRINT "Enter choice 1 - 5"
getkey:
SCREEN 1,320,200,4,1 a$=INKEY$:IF a$ = "1" THEN mainroutine
WINDOW 2,llMande!brotSet",,16,l IFa$ = "2"THENloadpic
FOR x = 0 TO 15 IF a$ = "3" THEN view
READ red,green,blue
IF a$ = "4" THEN directory
PALETTE x,red,green,blue
IF a$ = "5" THEN END
NEXT
GOTO getkey
DIM array%(8403)
' Color informaton END
DATA1,1,1,.73,.73,.73,.8,O,.93,1,.13,.93 mainroutine:
DATA0,.93,.87,.4,.6,l,.47,.87,.l,.33,.87,0 xl= -2.25#:xr= .75#:yt= -1.5#:yb= 1.5#
DATA.73,l,0Jl,l,.13,l,.7310,l,-6.-67 sm=10;ct=100
DATA.93,.2,0,1,.87,.73,.8,.6,.53,0,0,0 CLS
WINDOW CLOSE 2
WINDOW 2,"Mandelbrot Sef',,16,1
INPUT "Filename for picture save";f$
INPUT "Enter XR";xr
WINDOW l,"MandolbrotGraphic8",,15,l INPUT "Enter XL ";xl
mainmenu:
INPUT "Enter YT";yt
LOCATE 8,10 :PRINT "Main menu"
INPUT "Enter YB ";yb
LOCATE 10,10 :PRINT"1) Draw Mandelbrot Set"
INPUT "Enter # of Iterations" ;ct
LOCATE 12,10 :PRINT "2) Load Mandelbrot Picture"
CLS
LOCATE 14,10 :PRINT "3) View Mandelbrot Set" dx = (xr-xl) : dy = (yt-yb)
LOCATE 16,10 :PRINT "4) Directory " FOR xO = xl TO xr STEP dx/319

32 AUGUST 1989
Pro ects/Mandplhrnt Granhiri-
CLOSE 1
FOE y - yb TO yt STEP dy/199 RETURN
a = xO*xO-y*y+xO
b = 2*xO*y+y:c=O loadpic:
iteration: CLS
r = a'a - b'b+xO INPUT "enter files name"; f$
i = 2*a*b+y:c = c+1 WINDOW 2,f$,,16,l
a=r:b=i CLS
ji = (r*r+i*i) xl=0:yl=0
IFji<-10THENDraw GOSUB putarray
IP ji < sm AND c < ct THEN iteration yl=100:fS=fS + ".1"
Draw: GOSUB putarray
xl = INT((xO-xl)/((dx)/319)) GOTO view
yl = INT«y-yb)/<(dyyi99)) putarray:
IFc = ctTHENc = 15 OPEN f$ FOR INPUT AS 1
getcolor: FORx = 0TO8403
IF c => 16 THEN c = c -15: GOTO getcolor array%(x)=CVI(INPUT$(2,l))
PSET (xl,yl),c NEXTx
NEXT y,xO CLOSE 1
PUT (xl,yl),array%
aavepic: RETURN
xl=0:yl=0:x2=319:y2=99 view:
GOSUB getarray WINDOW 2
yl=100:y2=199:f$=f$ + ".l11 repeat:
GOSUB getarray LOCATE 22,1:PRINT "Press any key for main menu"
WINDOW CLOSE 2:GOT0 mainmenu a$ = INKEY$
getarray: IF a$-"" THEN repeat
GET(xl,ylJ-(x2,y2),array% WINDOW 1 :CLS:GOTO mainmenu
OPEN f$ FOR OUTPUT AS 1 directory:
FOR x = 0TO 8403 CLS
PRINT* l,MKI$(array%(x)); FILES
NEXTx GOTO repeat EMD

WHAT DO YOU WANT,


FREE SOFTWARE?
If offering free software is what it takes for For erery GEOS product you buy, well send
you to try our GEOS products on your you one of equal or lesser value absolutely free.
Commodore, then byy goiiy,
golly, we
we're prepared to
re prepared to Which means you
wnich means you can
can build
bui an integrated
do it. Just buy any library for half

OH, ALRIGHT!
GEOS product the cost.
from your local But huny This
Commodore offer expires August
dealer and follow the directions n Berkeley 15,1989. After that, we may not be
on the form below. Softworks feeling BO generous.
brightest minds *ut working with Hcrkeley.
i ' -■' --.. .•■■-- i . ',.: i UiflsS

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COMMODORE MAGAZINE 33
PUMPING GEOS

geoJargon
Berkeley Softworks' series of
GEOS-compatible products opens
up a world of opportunity to
Commodore users. Take some
tips from Mark Jordan and soon
you too will be Pumping GEOS.

How would you respond to this state


ment: "The taxonomic value of the
facilitator's utilization of synthesis within
the cognitive domain is inversely propor
tionate to the incorporation of structured
spontaneous endeavors beyond the scope
of the call-recall arena'? I'm sure you re
sponded like I did when I tried coming up
with that sentence: you felt pain. Brain
pain. There's nothing like a good dose of
jargon to make you vow never to use a
poly-syllable word again.
Don't make that vow. Jargon, for all its
misuse, is necessary. And just what is jar meant. The word comes from the Latin precise. For another, it's a program that
gon? It's a form of shorthand specific to a "i-con" (not much anglicizing involved "applies" the GEOS concept to do some
given field. It's technical words. It's words here) meaning "likeness" or "image." thing practical. Applications are distinct
that only those on the inside seem to This little word is part of a newly-coined from a desk accessories, so we better look
know. Ana1—though it can be grossly mis acronym, WIMP, from "window, icon, at that next.
used in order to intimidate outsiders— mouse, pointer." Undoubtedly, pseudo- 4) Desk Accessor}': This is also a pro
we've got to have it. How inconvenient it macho power-users came up with WIMP gram running under GEOS but it is a
would be if, each time we wanted to refer to show their disdain for graphics operat sub-program ... that is, it runs from with
to the function keys on our computer key ing systems, but to paraphrase a biblical in an application. The calculator and note
board, we had to say, "Those keys with the passage, "Blessed are the wimps, for they pad are available from within all GEOS
F foilowed by a number." shall inherit the earth." applications; thus, they are desk accesso
GEOS has its own set of trade words. 2) Window, Mouse, Pointer While I'm ries. Desk accessories are in the form of
One could, if one wanted, simply grab a on the subject I might as well cover the overlay windows which, once finished,
GEOS manual and look up unknown other three terms involved in WIMP. should return the screen back to its pre-
terms in the glossary. Not a bad approach. Since these are such basic GEOS concepts, accessorized state. I say "should" because
But glossaries, like dictionaries, have an 111 only say this: the plural of mouse is I've used a few accessories that hackers
DchiDes heel: they're formal. Any person mouses. The votes from the survey I be have devised which somehow fail to do
who learns and then tries to use words gan several months ago to determine if that.
simply based on a dictionary definition mouses or mice is the preferred plural, 5) Dialog Box: This term, a good one to
may get strange looks. have been laboriously tabulated and the know, is seldom used by the occasional
Language is never easy to get a hold of. tally is dead-even (2-21. Thus, I am break GEOS user. A dialog box is just an overlay
Tb really understand a term you need ing the tie: mouses wins. \Editor*sNote: window that pops up from time to time to
paragraphs, not sentences; you need Apologies to Ms. Lillian Larre of Clio, CA ask the user a question or two. The word
shades of meaning, half-tones, opinions. whom I assured had (he final say with her undoubtedly is meant to imply some sort
Opinions I've got. And guess what? dcfen.se of(my choice) mice in the May Let of conversation between the user and the
They're here, they're now, and they begin ters column.] machine. It's a very limited conversation
in the next paragraph. An armchair glos because all the computer does is ask a
sary of sorts, to help users new and old Group 2: Some Macho Terms question and all you say is Click.
with GEOS jargon new and old. 3) Application: This term is used more I have a suggestion for program devel
by the GEOS manual than by users, opers concerning dialog boxes: allow a
Group 1: Wimp Words which makes it especially important to keyboard alternative, especially to click
1) Icon: With a graphics operating sys understand if you want to understand the ing Yes. A press of the Y key would be a
tem, tliis is the key term to know. The manual. An application is simply a GEOS nice alternative for touch-typists. And one
word itself has been around for a long program such as geoWrile, geoPaint and so more thing: good dialog boxes always al
time, but it wasn't until the computer in forth. Why the word application instead of low the user a Cancel option just in case
dustry started calling little pictures on the jaatprogiwn? Well, for one thing, it's a he didn't want to be there in the first
screen "icons" that I learned what it particular type of program—thus it's more place. Continued an page ,7fi

34 flJJGUST 19S9
Pumping GEOS/geolargon

Smilers and Smackers


Jargon is necessary. New words must Checkbook Zealot: A user who Delusions <if RAMdeur: The
continue to make ihcir grand cnliancc actually uses his computer to belief thai there is a certain amount
into any area of specialization. Com balance his checkbook. Rare of RAM that will finally be enough.
puters are no exception. What follows Dataseitler: User who still uses cas Inferiority RAM p lex: Psycho
is a list of icrms I believe needs lo be settes for storage and danged if he's logical condition in which person
added lo ihe Commodore domain. going lo upgrade lo a disk drive. feels shame because he has less
RAM lhan everybody else
Jargons ill: Person who uses

The Adventures of Ted and Jed


computer jargon lo impose authority.
Nerd-herd: Group of highly technical
computer geeks sitting around discus
sing cpu's. True jargonauts. Im
The trouble with you, led, is you Look, here come; Cloudici
use too ir.nr.y small words. now. Impfess her wilh pressive in herd but not when alone.
some biq word). .... . Paper Pirate: A software thief who
. Well, okay .
will go so far as lo photocopy the
I guess
manual. Chief behavioral signal:
often slays laic at the office wilhoul
boss prompting.
Pitswap: The time it takes to swap
disks. One of the driving forces
behind increased sales of disk drives.
RAM page: Wild, emotional slaie
that occurs upon discovery of RAM
disk's contents being lost.
Hi, Cltiudki. Utilization of an Smiler: Amateurish program which
Oh, Ted, you rewards correct responses with a
a nt id is e 5 tab li sh m e n (a ri nn nl
have such a
polarization \i requisite to [he smiley face. Highly annoying.
ujou with words.
social aggregate, you know.
Smacker: Computer user who
\ deliberately makes wrong choices so
he can watch sprites smack imo
buildings, blowup, etc.
Yes'm: A software review with
noihing but praise. A favorite of
software publishers.

More Grassroots GEOS Products


Utilities, desktop acccsorics, GeoView, by Sieve Basslcr. Icon Grabber, by John Paul
fonts, laser fonls ... all kinds of Pretty much docs the same as the Young. This is the most attractively
exciting tilings arc happening in the above wilh one drawback and one done utility I've seen in the GEOS
GEOS community these days. Below enhancement. The drawback Ls that it sphere (which, incidentally is ihe name
are listed a couple handy GEOS pro doesn'tallowfordriveswiiching. The of a magazine Mr. Young intends to
grams to help you with your geoPaint enhancement is that it allows you to produce wilh one David A. Reyes ■■
Files, icons, and albums. print any screen you display. Write to geoSphere! If the magazine is as
Paintview, by Joe Buckley. Mr. Bassler at 109 1/2 Ruby St., well done as Icon Grabber, it should be
Allows you to view Paint documents Deny PA 15627. excellent.) This desk accessory has
outside of geoPaint. Also allows you ihat all-importani feature of drive-
to switch drives from within the ScraPeek, by Ed Flinn. This switching. What's it do? It lets you
program, a great relief to two-drive (or one lets you view photo scraps in copy file icons to and from photo
REU) users. Use the mouse lo scroll albums or on disk. Similar to the scraps and Paint files. Very powerful.
around an entire Paint file. Write to two above in operation. Available on Get it from Mr. Young at 1202
Mr. Buckley at Storm Systems, 464 Quantum Link. (Sorry, I don't have Silver-way, San Antonio TX78251
Beale St., W. Quincy MA 02169. ihe address).

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 35
Pumping GEOS/geolargon
it is a folder filled with information. Since referred to as "Zoom Mode." this mode of
Continued from page 34
GEOS shows everything as an icon on the using GEOS is the one that allows you to
6) Clicking and Double-clicking: Don't screen, it confuses some users why they see the dots you're working on up close.
moan—there is more to these two terms can't just double-dick any icon and start Almost every GEOS artist 1 know works
than meets the ear. Clicking means to things up. The reason is that a data file heavily in the pixel edit mode, and by
click the mouse (or other input device) isn't a program; it's just a file of data. heavily I mean more than 70% of the
button once. Double<licking means twice time. It's the only way to go for creating
and in rapid succession. How does the Group 5: Terms Beginning with detailed drawings. My only gripe is one
computer know if it's a double-click or two the Letter F I've made in this column before: the eith
single clicks? The timing is preset within 11) Font: Every GEOS user knows er/or draw mode. Much easier to do is the
GEOS. what this word means, right? Right. But I hold-and-draw method where drawing oc
You can run into trouble with the tim put it in here anyway because there just curs only if button is held down.
ing factor when you want to move icons might be someone out there reading this Hi) Transparent/Opaque: In the old
around for whatever reason. To do so, who isn't a GEOS user. Here's the defini days (GEOS 1.0 days) only opaque exist
GEOS demands you click once to high tion: a text cypestyle. If you use Font- ed. Opaque means that when you grab
light an icon (file), then click again to cre maker, you can create your own and even and move a section of screen, the moved
ate a ghost icon (see below) which you can give them your own name. Record it with section covers whatever is beneath it com
drag wherever you want. This means you the U.S. Patent Office, and you might pletely, even in the spaces where the
need two single clicks—not a double-click. even make money licensing your font. But moved object has unlit pixels. TransparvtU
If you click too fast, GEOS interprets it as don't count on it. allows you to only move the lit pixels.
a double, and you'll find you've either 12) Fine-tuning: This term shows up in With the transparent attribute selected,
opened up an application or initiated the geoPuhlisli glossary but it should be in when you grab a section of screen and
some other happenstance which you didn't all GEOS manuals—it's a crucial concept. move it to a new location, whatever lies in
want. I hope version 3.0 (or whatever's What it means is to move the cursor or the new location will show through any
next) allows us users to adjust the timing pointer in one-unit increments. The blank places—in other words, you are
between clicks mouse relies on gross hand movements. building up layers of drawings. Another
7) Version ###: While I'm on the topic, The cursor keys require taps... just the reason to upgrade to 2.0.
some readers might not understand where thing for fine-tuning. GEOS 2.0 allows 17) Import/Export: Since GEOS is inte
the software companies come up with cursor key fine-tuning in most modes, but grated software, there has to be a way to
their version numbers. Is there a law or it wasn't always so. It's another reason to take info from one application to another.
something that says they must start num upgrade to version 2.0. There is, via the Photo Manager (for
bering with 1.0 and then go to 1.1 and so graphics) and the Text Manager (for text).
on? The answer is no, there tain't no such Group 7: Graphics Terms The process of moving things back and
law. Version numbers are incremented 13) Attributes: This term is a handy forth is called "importing" or "exporting"
however the software manufacturer de one; I use it all the time. Attributes are depending on which way you're going with
cides to do it. Which leads one to specu traits, usually graphic, that an object on the data. I've heard a lot of people crab
late, why not ship a new product with a the screen may have. These traits include bing about this and that with GEOS, but
higher number than 1? Like, why not ver the type of pattern used to form a graphic, when it comes to integration, the crabbing
sion 4.0, or better yet, version 4.7? That whether it's transparent or opaque, better cease. Nobody does it better.
makes it sound like you've got a product whether it should be smoothed or not, ete. 18) Bitmap: Another ancient term to

that's been around awhile, that's evolved, I'D Smoothing: A somewhat recent most, this is one of the staple terms of all
and one that is a mature piece of software. GEOS concept, this term came into play the graphics-environment computers
when programmers decided to help us us (Amiga, Macintosh, etc.) A bitmap is a
Group 3: Scary Terms ers overcome the jaggies. As any geoPhyte map (kind of) telling which pixels (bits)
8) Ghost Icon: This is the outline of an knows, lines that are not perfectly hori are on and which are off. For example, if
icon that occurs when you click it once. Its zontal or vertical often have a stairstep ef you use the copy tool in geoPaint to move
purpose is to let you know that you have fect commonly called "the jaggies" that an area of the drawing window, when you
indeed clicked it. I have some suggestions can be annoying, especially if enlarged. mark off the region to copy, the computer
for future scary terms. How about Ghoul Since GEOS 2.0 allows you to stretch treats the enclosed space as a bitmap. In
Icon for one that has been corrupted? Or graphics, you also will stretch your jag black and white mode, this map is simply
Gremlin Icons for icons that have been se gies. a grid of pixels on/off. But mix color in,
lected (highlighted) but are on other pages Smoothing attempts to overcome this and the computer has more work. At any
and not presently visible? by having the computer analyze the lines rate, users only need to think of a bitmap
on the screen in order to smooth out those as a graphics object that they can move
Group 4: Boring Terms jags. My opinion of the process is that it's around.
9) Command Menu: This is that famous pretty worthless. It never seems to smooth Don't think bitmapping only applies to
line at the top of the screen that drops them the way I want. I've found a better graphics. By using the Paint Drivers any
menus down from it. way—do it myself. I use the pixel edit thing you produce on any GEOS applica
10) Data File: There are many different mode and do it right., especially when tion can be converted into a Paint docu
types of files; in fact, the word file itself working with enlarged text. It may be ment which you can then use to create bit
confuses many newcomers. The idea be slower, but the human brain sure knows maps with. One application of this trick is
hind using the word file is that a computer more about smoothing than GEOS does. when doing laser printing: the laser driver
file is similar to a file cabinet file; that is, 15) Pixel Edit Mode: More commonly Continued on page 3S

36 WJGUST 1989
ADVENTURE ROAD

Robots,
Rockets and
Renegade
Priests
News and opinion from a leading
explorer of those fantasy realms
called adventure games.

To celebrate the U.S. space program's


MIA BQSNA
recent revival, I'm devoting most of
this column to science fiction adventures ing for clues and fighting enemy Battle useful feature is auto-mapping, composed
(hopefully, no shuttles will have blown up Mechs—there are practically no serious of an aerial-view map that starts out
between now and the time you read this!). puzzles (other than staying alive) until black and is filled in as you explore; this
One new game will surprise many adven you reach the tricky end game. can be viewed at any time.
turers—a rale-playing game from Info- Up to four non-player characters can Mastering the combat system and in
com. Recently picked as Best Quest of the join your group, but watch it—some might terface will be your biggest challenge in
Month by QuestBusters, BattleTech: The turn out to be spies. Another crew mem BattleTech, so I recommend this strongly
Crescent Hawk's Inception is a role-play ber, however, proves vital to completing for science fiction fans, especially those
ing game based on a popular paper and the end game. The crew attends Pacifica who want to do something besides flying
pencil RPG from FASA, who also markets Training Academy to improve their space ships and blasting the enemy's
a non-computer RPG about Star Trek. Bow/Blade, Pistol, Technician and four ships. (You can save up to six games in
Available for the Amiga and Commodore other skills. But you won't be able to boost progress, five more than most RPGs allow,
64, it was programmed by Westwood Asso everyone's rating to the maximum in ev and the program is not copy-protected.)
ciates, the Vegas team that did Mars ery skill; this can be done only for skills Look for a string of sequels, for BattleTech
Saga, Questrort II and a number of refined tied into a character's profession—a real could easily become Infocom's next major
conversions. istic yet uncommon design element. In series.
BattleTech takes place in the 31st Cen Pacifica you also get a chance to earn
tury, after the Star League has fallen money in the local stock market and wrap Star Saga: Reading Your Way to
apart and been replaced by an assortment up your Mech training. After you've com the Stars
of "combines" reminiscent of the feudalis- pleted several training missions, an en Here's an odd one. Designed by Andrew
tic families in Frank Herbert's novel, emy attack obliterates Pacifica, forcing Greenberg, one of the creators of Sir-
Dune. While most of this distant civiliza you to fend for yourself on the open land. Tech's Wizardry series, Star Saga; One
tion's technology and science has withered Unless you're lucky, this means on foot combines the depth of paper and pencil
away, one major by-product has en and without a BattleMech, which must role-playing with the power of the comput
dured—a mining robot refitted as a walk then be rounded up later on. er. Up to six people can play. A solo game
ing, flying, fighting machine. Called Combat is animated and viewed from is possible, but it won't be as entertaining
"BattleMechs," they're the weapon of overhead. Graphically the game excels as playing with friends who assume the
choice of the five "combines" that are con here: various colored lasers and missiles role of characters in the story. You might
tinually waging war amongst themselves. split the skies, and Jason's and the Mech's choose to be a rocket pilot, a renegade
A BattleMechs weapons and armor varies movements are intricately detailed. priest or a risk-taking smuggler, for ex
widely, depending on which of the 55 mod Sound effects are also well orchestrated ample. Each character has a different
els you're "driving" at the moment. (you hear a different sound for each weap goal, lending the game a distinctive tone,
Your role is that of Jason Youngblood, on). If your Mech has jump jets, you can and the first person to complete his goal
whose long-range goal is to find his father. select the direction and number of steps to wins. But that's not all that sets Star
But you'll pick up clues that eventually move, then wateh as your Mech snappily Saga: One apart from other RPGs—for
lead you on another search that's tied into executes the command. Occasionally you'll spend more time looking things up
your main goal. Don't worry about having you'll witness cartoonish, animated vi in the set of manuals (one for each charac
to fast talk clues out of this world's inhabi sions of your character's expression, ter) than you will looking at the screen.
tants the way you did in the last couple of shown from a first-person perspective. After reaching a new planet, for in
Ultimas, for you don't have to say a word You can let the computer control com stance, you can choose from several op
to anyone; choose the option "talk to char bat for you, which is done more intelli tions, such as talking to people or explor
acter" and the person recites whatever he gently than in some RPGs such as Pool of ing. Your choice leads you to look up a spe
or she has to say (if anything). The Battle- Radiance, for example, in which the com cific chunk of text in the appropriate man
Tech experience consists mainly of search puter will waste lots of spells. Another ual, somewhat like the Taragraphs"

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 37
Adventure Road Pumping GEQS/geoJargon
matically: instead of punching a key to
Continued from page 36
booklet that accompanied Wasteland The "eat food," you slide an icon representing
six manuals add up to almost 900 pages of the morsel across the screen and into a doesn't treat fill patterns properly. You
text, so this is not a game for the visually person's mouth! It's a monsters and mazes can overcome the problem by converting
oriented. scenario featuring stereo digital sound sections of the screen into bitmaps.
If you can round up a few friends who'll and some of the most impressively de 19) Pixel: A blend afpictoH and ele
meet regularly for sessions, consider tailed dungeons I've yet to get lost and ment, this wori refers to the lit or unlit
checking this one out. Then again, this killed in. You'll have to bump your RAM dots on your screen. Don't be confused and
hybrid game system eliminates one key up to a megabyte, but this game alone is think that any blob on the screen is a sin
advantage of conventional computer role- worth the cost. gle pixel just so long as it's a blob. A pe
playing games: because most computer It won't happen soon, but we may sec riod, for instance, has four lit pixels in reg
RPGs are meant to be played by one per the first Amiga Wizardry. Sir-Tech's Wiz ular Commodore BASIC. An 80-column
son, you don't have to figure out what to ardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom, which screen has 640 pixels in each row. The 40-
do when Duffy doesn't show up for the will be out for the Commodore 64 later column screen has half that many—320.
weekly session. Star Saga might also be this year, is reportedly "on the drawing Both allow for 200 rows of pixels. Each
worth a look if you're already interested in board" for the Amiga. (And don't even ask pixel corresponds to a single bit some
paper and pencil RPGs. MasterPlay is when the Commodore 64 Ultima VI will where inside your computer's memory.
marketing this one for the Commodore 64 be ready, though Lord British is already And with GEOS, each one represents a
and Amiga—at a steep $79 price tag. Two up to his neck in ores on it.) single dot on your dot matrix printer.
sequels are planned (can anyone guess That's what makes GEOS the most
their names?). Clues of the Month WYSIWYG (see below) software of all.
BattleTich: To make money, put most 20) Toolbox: This word denotes a group
■Space Quest III: Iioger Wilco of your funds in NasDiv and a few in Bak- of icons within an application that you can
and Far Out Phar. Invest in BakPhar when its value click and use. In geoPaint it is the 16 icons
So far Fve only seen a pre-release ver starts rising, saving the garr.e at this on the left of the screen which allow you to
sion of the next chapter in Sierra's wacky stage. Keep an eye on its price and sell choose between drawing, lines, Undo, etc.
science fiction series, which was shown to when it stalls falling, since it can drop In geaPubliah it's the moveable box of
me by those Two Guys from Andromeda rapidly: frequent game saves are the key. icons available in Master Page and Page
themselves, Mark Crowe and Scott Mur Save up your money for an Inferno, which Graphics mode. My only peeve about the
phy. Those Two Guys wrote themselves never runs out of ammunition and is very toolbox is in geaPaint it sometimes disap
into the story this time, in Space Quest accurate. You may be able to escape the pears after I do something, and I have to
III: The Pirates ofPestulon (atake-offon invasion of Pacifica with a Mech. Try us go crick the wrench icon at the top to get it
Pirates ofPemance), they've been kid ing a Chameleon on the mission and run back—a waste of time.
napped by the pirates and put to work at ning north at to]) speed when the attack 21) WYSIWYG: This is an acronym
ScumSofl, an intergalactic software com commences. After the buildings are de formed from the following: What you see
pany that makes the dynamic duo design stroyed, run and jump to the west side of is what you get. It means that your paper
dismally dumb arcade games. As Koger the city and escape through the hole in printout should match the screen it came
Wilco, your goal is te find and rescue the wall. A Mech and a crew member are from. There are three levels of
them. found in the jail (in a village northeast of WYSIWYG-ness. Level 1 is simply when
Part of this task involves flying a space Star Port). the screen shows you the lines of text with
ship to assorted planets. Unlike in the Neuromancer: When fighting an AI, correct margins, formatting, and maybe
first two games, however, this time you use Psychoanalysis to determine its weak bold and underlining. Level 2 is when
have much more control over the ship and ness, then apply that skill and follow up each dot on the screen becomes a dot on
even get to decide where it goes. You'll see with all four attack skills. Use Zen to re the printer. Level 3 is the same as level 2
more of the full-screen, first-person graph cover from mental damage. Enter all except that the screen dots are virtually
ics introduced in S/xice Quest II. And the Bases from Cyberspace, because entering the same size as the printer dots. Only the
puzzles and story flow are less linear this a Base Cyberspace is different from using Macintosh, with its unusual screen resolu
time, so you don't always have to complete the link code. Since ArmorAll 1,2 and so tion, does that. But GEOS, in the 40-col-
a certain puzzle before moving to a new on are different programs, keep the two umn mode, comes close.
area. As Murphy explained it, "You can go highest levels to restore your deck's armor
just about anywhere you want, when you while ICE-breaking. But hold onto just Group 8: Other Terms with No
want." That should make it less frustrat the highest number of each attack pro Room Left to Discuss
ing than their previous games. The gram. Probe will tell you what you're 22) Shadowed Disk Drive
Amiga Space Quest HI should be out by fighting; then exit, re-enter and use ICE- 23) Scrap
now (or very soon)—it's a definite yes for breaking skill, Slow, a Virus, then the at 21) Printer Drivers
puzzle-andjoke-sUirved adventurers. (No tack programs. High-level Jfluraniee will 25) A whole bunch of geoPublLsh terms
64 version is planned.I stop the revolving ICE for one attack (and 2(i) And more.
you can reuse it). For an account witli I could add lots more terms to this list
Other New Quests and $50,000, defeat Gold after entering Bank and maybe in the future Til do a sequel
Conversions Berne from Cyberspace. such as "Son of geoJargon" or "geoJar-
Dungeon Master is clearly a high point (These tips were provided by QuestBus- gon—Part II: The Wrath of Icon." Check
in the realm of Amiga role-playing. Its in ters James Simpson, Frank Chin and Da- out the Pumping GEOS document if you
terface incorporates the mouse most dra ganGalarneau.) 3 really want to see some jargon at work. Q

38 flJJGUST 1989
INSIDE Q-LINK by Robert W. Baker

Music
Link in the coming months. Many of the
Connection changes and enhancements youVe re
quested in the past have not gone unno-
ticed. I'll 1« covering each new update as
Explore the inner workings of the it's released, but watch for online an
Q-Link telecommunications nouncements for the latest infonnation.
service with network pro Hob With the magazine lead times, many of
Baker. the new senices will probably be avail
able online before I can talk about them in
this column.
People Connection will never be the
same! Q-Link is adding a new Music Introduction to PC-Link
Connection service to People Connection. As you may have noticed in previous
Now you'll be able to play music and columns, I've been active on PC-Link,
sound files from the Commodore Informa Quantum Computer Services' online ser
tion Network (CINl SID music libraries vice for MS-DOS users. I'm sure everyone
anywhere in People Connection. Plus is aware of Commodore's line of MS-DOS-
watch out for "Mr Music" who has an ex compatible systems, including the COLT
tensive range of very special music rights. for home and home office use and the Pro
It should be really exciting to have the fessional Series 111 business line. In the
world's largest SID Music library, contain coming months, Commodore Magazine
ing more than 5000 SID music files, at will be expanding their coverage to in
your disposal. clude Information on the MS-DOS mar
With Music Connection you'll be able to ket. In conjunction with that expansion,
receive music and sound in three basic I've been asked to give an Introduction to
ways: the PC-Link service.
You'll be able to browse a Directory of Basically, PC-Link is very similar to Q-
Music that lists SID files. Then simply Link. It uses proprietary software pro
type the filename into a Play Music field, vided by Quantum that you must install
and you can hear the music or sound and run on your system to access PC-
while you're in People Connection. You game shows, online theater and confer Link. The software uses the Tandy Desk-
can even chat with other users and play ences. Now there'll be sound effects, Mato package that allows keyboard or
music at the same Lime. The Music theme music and more. mouse controls with pull-down menus, re
Directory will contain an assortment of Watch for new special music events that questor boxes and other convenient user
categories, including Pop/Rock, Classical, will be introduced in the coming months, interfaces. Overall, you'll find the soft
Country; Holiday Times, Movie Themes including special music trivia and music- ware very easy to learn and use.
and more. oriented game shows. The Sysops of the The PC-Link software requires at least
You might also receive music or sound Music Studio in CIN will also be holding 884K of available memory. MS-DOS ver
sent from Mr Music, who will be roaming their conferences in Music Connection, sion 2.11 or higher, and a I layes-compati-
throughout People Connection from time greatly enhancing the utility of online ble modem. The Startup software package
to time. Mr Music can open a room and set music conferences. Imagine learning by is $29.95 and includes one free month of
a theme song that anyone entering the seeing the results of your work and hav service plus two free hours of PC-Link
room will automatically hear. Imagine a ing it critiqued online by your peers. Plus services. The monthly usage fee is
theme song in Bonnie's Bar or other favor Besides all the new features, Music $9.95, with no extra charges for higher
ite gathering spots. Plus, Mr Music will Connection menus will be dynamic. You'll baud rates. Plus charges are SO. 10 per
also be able to spontaneously assign some lx! able to open and close menus within minute during evening and weekend us
of his special rights to other members. the chat environment, plus toggle be age. The start-up package is available at
You'll also find a 'Hip 'Panes menu in tween menu and chat mode. There will your local Tandy center, or you can call
Music Connection that will feature favor also be options to play the same song Quantum at (800) 545-6572.
ites from the CIN libraries. Simply select again, stop a current song and even dis When you log on to PC-Link the service
the menu options and the music will play. able or enable music if you like. With the is logically split in half, with the standard
This is supposed to be an "album" feature, Music Connection disk you'll find a whole services clustered in one section and the
if you will. new look to People Connection. Get your plus services gathered in another section.
In addition to the new music functiona copy of the new Q-Link disk from the Q- This makes it a little easier to watch your
lity, the original People Connection func Link Store in the Mall, or download the plus time charges, but it may be a little
tions remain, but now with exciting en update online when it's available. confusing where some services may offer
hancements. For instance, the Audito Fram the rumors I've been hearing, this features in both areas. You can easily
rium will have all of these capabilities, is only the beginning of a whole new set of move from one area to another by press-
greatly enhancing productions including features and services to be added to Q- Gonttniud on pagt 42

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 39
128 MODE'

Things
Everybody
Knows About
the 128
In a few months we'll return to
exploring the 128's native mode
through programming. But
before we dive back in, let's
review some of the basic moves
everybody should know about
BASIC 7.0 and the Commodore
128.

One of the very first articles I ever


read in any computer magazine was
by Commodore guru Jim Butterfield enti
tled something like, "Everybody Knows
That..." The article listed numerous nu
ances of the then-new Commodore 64.
They were the kinds of things that are
hard to find in the user's guide, the small Thing #2; The ISHIFT space): Also ably a waste of space to tell you how to
but mighty things—the subtle body lan common knowledge is the fact that hold save a whole set of eight...
guage of the 64. For me, a novice 64 user, ing SHIFT down while pressing the space BSAVE "KEYS",B0, P4096 TO P4352
the article was very illuminating. The one bar sends a different character code to the ... and how to load them back.
item I remember that really helped me at computer. A regular space sends BLOAD "KEYS"
the time was the [SHUT RETURN] ma CHR$(32I to the operating system. But So I won't explain it. (Nor will I mention
neuver. with SHIFT pressed it sends CHR$(160). you can save multiple sets of these, each
The Commodore 128 isn't new, but it Of course, both look the same on the tailored to different needs.)
does indeed have a subtle and complex screen—they're both blank spaces. But if
body language all its own, one that new a programmer would include an input Thing #1: The Bell: Another bit of com
users and even old pros are ever-learning. loop which was looking for spaces and the mon knowledge is the fact that the bell
Some of its gestures are as slight as an user accidentally pressed the SHIFT at can be programmed with a PRINT state
eyebrow twitch; others, like the flashing the same time, the program might not re ment: PRINT CHR$(7), or, more simply, it
eye of a disk error, are more obvious. I've spond properly. can be typed: PRINT "[CTRL Gl" so one
had four years now to learn Madam 128's doesn't have to type out all those horrible
nods and winks and (with apologies to Mr. Thing #!1: Saving F'unction Key Defini letters and parentheses in CHR$( 1.
Buttsrfield) I'd like to share my discover tions: Everybody knows that the function
ies. These aren't tips exactly, nor are they keys on the 128 are implemented by the Thing #5: Projframminji the Mouse
tricks. They're simply Things Everybody operating system. And everybody knows from BASIC: Since so many of 128'ers
Knows About the 128. that you can redefine them just by typing own mouses, and since the POT function
KEY | l-8|,"|definitionr. Like this: is so well documented, it follows that most
Thing #1: The [SHIFT RETURN]: KEY 1,"DIRECTORY" + CHRS(13I 128'ers have picked up on the little quirk
Okay, I'm stealing from Jim's list. And I And surely everybody knows that you can of the OS that requires you to strip off the
already mentioned it. But this is one of even include quotes within the definition seventh bit to get a usefiil rendering. Like
those little goodies that you don't find by using the CHR$(34t statement. Like this:
readily in manuals. Think of the ISHIFT this: X = POT<1]AND127
RETURN! as a way to escape from any KEY l,"PRINT"-t-CHR$(34) + Y = POT(2) AND 127
program line your cursor is on. Whenever "HELLO" + CHR$(34) + CHR$(13) Of course, by doing it this way, it's plain
you get in trouble, [SHIFT RETURN! In fact, oveiybody knows how to pro to see that we can now only read values
your way out of it. gram function keys 80 well that it's prob from 0 to 127 on our mouse before they

40 AUGUST 1989
128 Mode/Things Everybody Knows
key is pressed by changing the 8 in the those double-long lines are now treated as
him back over to 0, but we all know this line above to 1, 2,4 or 16, respectively. single lines, and if you just happen to
and have learned to work with this trait press RETURN on any of them, you will
ThinE #10: The Escape Codes: Another likely have just snipped off half of the line.
Thins #6: The MIT)$ Twist: Though of those mystery keys on the top row is the You'll know something's up because the
the original user's guide didn't note first one on the left, ESC. It's common cursor, instead ofjumping down two lines
MID$'s fancy ability to insert characters knowledge that this is unlike any other past the end of the double-line, will only
in a string, users quickly discovered this key in this respect: the operating system fall to the start of the second line. How to
trait. The latest manual shows how (on doesn't print it but instead waits for the avoid it? Just relist the lines you're work
page 321). The way it works is, if you have next keypress to decide what to do. This ing on after pressing HOME HOME.
a string such as A$ denned—like this: happens not only in immediate mode
A$="EVERYBODY KNOWS"-and you (computer on but no program running) as Thing #12: Reversed, Colored Win
want to change it to "EVERYBODY well as program mode. Since we all have dows: It's odd, but this gifted feature of
SHOWS" all you'd need to do is this: memorized the 26 built-in functions of the the 128's 80-column screen is seldom used.
MK>$(A$,11,2) = "SH" ESC key sequence (as shown on page 378 It works so nicely, so easily, that one won
BASIC 7.0 will then count to A$'s ele of the User's Guide), I won't cover them. ders why. It certainly can't be because
venth character (which is the K in But I must mention the one non-alphabet folks don't know. All the programmer has
KNOWS) and then put two characters ic Escape code—Escape-@ It's the best be to do is place the screen in reverse mode
(the SH) in the eleventh and twelfth slots. cause it clears the screen from the cursor with a simple [ESCAPE Rj. Then, when
A great device... and one that everybody southward. Use this one a while and you'll ever he wants to create a colored window,
knows. hate going back to 64 mode for anything. he simply needs to change the present
cursor color to whatever color he wants.
Thing #7: Using U: Speaking of de Thing #10-B: I ESC O]: Well, I have to He can do this with a COLOR 5,[1-16] (or
vices, here's a BASIC 7.0 feature that point out one other ESC code because it any of the other ways permitted). And fi
really makes life easy on "U". As every helps you escape from programming jams nally, he finishes by typing the window
one knows, "U" is the prefix that must be which are caused by Commodore's famous command making sure he places a conv
included with the device number when quote mode. Just as ISHIFT RETURN] ma-1 at the end to clear it. Like so:
you use one of BASIC 7.0's fancy disk gets you out of quote mode, [ESC O| will COLOR5.6: WINDOW 10,10,20,20,1
commands (like DOPEN and DCLEAR). too... with the added advantage that the The above will create a pretty green rec
Even DIRECTORY works with "IT. Just cursor can stay put. This is more useful tangle on the 80-column screen.
type DIRECTORY U9 to list the second from within a program than in direct Aside: I've got a great window story. It
drive's directory to the screen. mode because that's where the quote mode seems this very dumb ethnic person had
can cause strange occurrences. Any time just gotten his Commodore 128 and he
Thing #8: Directory Reading the Old- you have a situation where the user might discovered windows. So he... aw, forget it.
Fashioned Way: Since the 128 comes type a quotation mark, it's a good idea to It's not that funny.
equipped with such a convenient directory shut off quote mode by following with this:
command, one thing that everybody PRINT CHR$(27)"O"; Thing #13: Error Lists: With just a tad
knows but may have forgotten is how to of code when one begins a programming
read the directory from within a program Thing #11: Window-Home: The Win project, one can create an handy, error
the old way—via the OPEN statement. dow statement, so useful to play with, has spotter. Two lines do this well-known tech
OPEN 2,8,0,"$:*" a quirk that is so well known that pro nique:
Using this technique allows a program grammers never get stumped by it any 0TRAP 60000
mer to get the directory data a byte at a more. But back when they did, they used 60000"|CLRHOME| LJST";EL
time by using a simple GET #2,A$ loop. to scratch their heads when, after issuing 60010 POKE 842,19:POKE
The advantage here is you can preserve a Window command, the next PRINT 843,13:POKE 208,2
the directory's contents in variables and statement might not be within the win
use them in many ways. And, of course, dow that had just been set. They soon dis Thing #14: No-No Variables: Every
you can open selective directories with the covered and the word spread that Window body knows that you can't use DS or DSS
wildcard feature just like you can with the left a HOME keypress value somewhere or ER or ERR$ or STor TI or TI$ as varia
directory command. in the computer and if the next Print bles in your BASIC programs because
statement started with a HOME (as they they are reserved names used by the 128.
ThinR #9: ALT and his Many Brothers: often do), the window was destroyed. (Re And since everybody knows this, nobody
One of the more mysterious things about member, HOME HOME clears to the de ever wastes 20 minutes bug-hunting for
the 128 keyboard is the top row of keys fault window which is the entire screen.) bugs that aren't really bugs. Right?
from ESC to NO-SCROLL. The question Related to this is another window quirk
beginners ask is: "Is there any way to that surely no programmers in 1989 Thing #15: Disabling Line Links: Line
check if the ALT key is being pressed?" would fall prey to: the lost-line-link syn links, one of the 128's most subtle body
The answer is Yes. Simply include this drome. This little demon wreaks havoc on cues, are what allow you to have up to 160
line: BASIC program lines showing on the characters (four screen lines in the 40-col-
IF PEEKI211) AND 8 THEN ... screen that are over one screen line (81 + umn mode) per BASIC line. Great. But
That same memory address (211) will characters] long. It shows up whenever sometimes annoying, like when you don't
also tell you if the SHIFT, the COMMO you press HOME HOME. want a blank line to be inserted when you
DORE key, CONTROL or CAPS LOCK What you might not realize is that all type past the left margin. By setting bit 6

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 41
128 Mode/Things Everybody Knows Inside Q-Link-
sages in that folder. You can then select
Continued from page 39
of memory cell 248 lo 1, line links of the any individual message in the thread and
128 can be disabled. It's easy to do: just in ing the F4 function key, or by using spe begin wherever you like. You don't have to
clude this line in a program: POKE 248, cial keywords to go directly to special display all the messages in a folder to get
PEEK (248) OR 64 to shut off the linking areas of the system. You can even set up a to the last message.
feature or type: POKE 248.PEBK (248) preferred area that you can automatically You can easily add new folders and add
AND 191/0 turn it back on. enter whenever you log on to the system. messages to existing folders. Plus you can
WitJiin each side of PC-Link are the fa even compose and edit your messages off
Thing #l(i; Re-initializing the Charac miliar areas like on Q-Link. In the stan line and upload them from disk. The only
ter Set: Many, perhaps most, 128 owners dard PC-Link features you'll find the Soft restriction is that your text files should be
never do any serious work redesigning the ware Buyer's Guide; NewsLink Headlines formatted with 69 or fewer characters per
80-column character set. So it might ap for general daily news; Dollars & Sense line, and each message should be limited
pear they don't need to know how to re-ini investment information; Reference Desk to no more than about 4,000 characters. If
tialize it if it gets goofed uu. But many of with an encyclo[x?dia, software catalogs you need more space, split your message
them have programs such ;is BASIC 8, and reviews, book lists and a college hand into several smaller messages. Overall,
News Maker 128, etc. that do mess with book; Entertainment Guide with movie the PC-Link message boards are extreme
the character set. That's why everybody and video reviews, soap opera summaries, ly handy but a little slower to navigate
knows that typing SYS 52748 will travel services, horoscopes and more; Our than the message boards on Q-Link.
straighten things back out, even consider World with opinion polls, general news One important thing to remember on
ing that you'll have to type it "blind." and health information; Quiz Center; PC-Link is the way the information is dis
Home Shopping; Tandy Headquarters played in the message boards and down
Thin* #17: Disk Reading: Most 128 where Tandy users can get direct support; load libraries. When you first enter these
folk have 1571 disk drives. Most know and the Customer Service Center for all areas, a small number of entries is dis
that the 1571 is smart enough to tell if a PC-link users. played in a window on your screen. Using
disk is single- or double-side formatted The PC-Link Plus services include the the cursor keys, you can scroll through the
without any effort on the user's part. And familiar People Connection, structured entries to select one that's of interest.
I'll lx:t Dan Quayle's family estate that all very much like People Connection on Q- There can be as many as 22 entries that
of them know how to force the 1571 to go Link; Financial Center with online invest can Ik; scrolled through using the window.
from double- to single-sided mode or vice ment information; News Room for more At the bottom of the screen will be a
versa. This statement detailed general or industry news; Learn numljer of "buttons" to select the desired
OPEN l,8,15,"U0>M0" puts it in single- ing Center with the Academic American function or action. The buttons are nor
sided (15411 mode and this one: Encyclopedia, Gralier's Reference Desk, mally accessed using your TAB or cursor
OPEN 1,8,15,"UO>M1" allows even a Online College, tutoring and a college keys. If there is a "More ..." button dis
Commodore 64 to use the 1571*8 double board; Community Center with various played, then there are still more entries in
storage. special interest clubs; Computer Forums the current message board or library, be
for help or information on all sorts of MS- yond those viewable in the current win
TWng #18: Cheap Disks: One sure DOS-related topics; Software Library with dow. You have to select the More button to
thing everybody knows is that cheap disks thousands of downloadable public domain, page through the area, and then scroll
are as good as expensive one. And that it shareware and demo software; Publisher's through each group of entries in order to
doesn't hurt anything to cut a notch in the Connection for online support and assis see everything that is there.
right side and flip the disk over... unless tance from various publishers; and The PC-Link has only been available for a
you have the disk formatted in double-sid Mall where you am hunt for bargains or short while, but the system has already
ed format advertise things for sale. accumulated a wide selection of files in
Electronic Mail is available from all the download libraries. There are separate
Thing #19: The 1764 L'onneclion: It areas of the system, and even allows the libraries for Public Domain, Shareware
took awhile (and a 1750 REU shortage) transmission of files or sending a message and Demo files, each divided by subject to
for everybody to become aware that the to a number of people at one time. You can make things easier to find. The demo li
1764 REU would work on a 128, warnings also review old mail, check the status on brary in my New Product Information sec
in the 1764 manual notwithstanding. current mail to see if it's been read, and tion, for instance, already has well over
more. And beet of all, the mail editor is 200 demo files available in just a few short
Thing #20: This and That: And finally, identical to the message board editor on months. You can find this library and the
is there anyone left in the world who this system and includes a number of associated message boards in the Publish
doesn't know that this symbol (&) is called handy features, including the ability to ers' Connection in the PC-Link Plus ser
an ampersand meaning and. Or that this upload your mail from a disk file on your vices.
symbol ((« is called "at" and at's what it system. Now you can easily compose and Thatfe about it for now, I'll be covering
meiins. Or that (£) is the symbol for the edit your Email offline and save valuable other new and exciting Q-link services in
British pound, a monetaiy measurement. online time. next month's column. Plus, next month
Or that three periods (...) is called an The message [wards themselves include we'll start to take a closer look at the ser
ellipsis and usually means an omission of what are called "Folders," which in fact al vices and features on PC-Link. As usual,
words in quoted material or, as I often use most appear to create another layer of if you have any comments or questions
it, just another way to pause the action... message boards. When you select a topic concerning this column you can reach me
kind of a punctuational Ixxly move. from a message board, that folder is via Email to RBaker on Q-Link or via
So until next time... Q opened, and you'll sec a list of all the mes RBaker PC on PC-Link. Q

42 WGUST 1989
Software Reviews/1581 Toolkit Software Reviews/Tower Toppler
disk. The byte patterns can be entered in
Continued from jxific 19 decimal, hexadecimal or PET ASCII for Continued from page hi
to activate the partition by issuing the mate. The data formats can be mixed for a you watch closely, the seadog makes fun
proper DOS command. single scan. Up to two lines of data can be ny facial movements and even seems to
The Fast Loader module is used to used as a search pattern. The search is smile.
speed up the operation of the 1581 with very fast requiring only one minute to Moving your seadog is rather easy with
the 64. The module gives you the choice of scan the entire disk. The maximum num a joystick—just move the stick left, or
where in the 64's memory it will be placed. ber of matches is limited to 255. If this right to go that way on the tower, up to go
You can also save the memory-specific number is exceeded, the scan can be into a tunnel or up an elevator, down to go
module to disk for direct loading. In this broken up by selecting a range of tracks. down on an elevator, and press the fire
form it can be loaded with the 1581 set to When done, the sector map is displayed button to jump or shoot snowballs (when
any device number. I found that the a 108- with highlighted sectors that contain a you aren't moving). In no time at all, you
biock file, which normally loaded in 55 match. The sectors can then be displayed should have the movements down pat, ho
seconds on a (>4, came up in less than sev in assembly format or in hexadecimal) you can work on getting the patterns-
en seconds with the Fast Loader installed. PET ASCII with the matched pattern right.
The Fast Format module provides a less highlighted in either case. The sectors The only things that you have to shoot
dramatic, but still significant, improve can be edited in either assembly or hexa at in Tower Toppler are bouncing cannon-
ment. With this utility a 1581 disk was decimal format. balls, flashing walls and fish that you plan
formatted in alxmt 68 seconds. Finally, the Error Scanner module is a to catch. The first two obstacles you en
The Partition Creator module greatly combination error' locator and disk usage counter on the tower. You shoot fish to
simplifies the task of setting up and re indicator. The sector map is displayed in paralyze them until you can run past
moving partitions on the 1581 disk drive. four quadrants showing the used sectors them with your ship between towers. You
To create a partition, simply mark off the and sectors which have never been writ have to be quick with your fingers to catch
tracks you want on the display and enter ten to. DOS errors are displayed as the a lot of fish. As the game goes along, you
a partition name. Partitions can be nested number 0 through 9 corresponding to er get better at catching fish. Of course, more
to any depth within the limits of the disk's ror numbers 20 to 29. of them appear once you do get better!
capacity. However, the display screen The 1581 Tbolkil comes with a 43-page Bouncing cannonballs move back and
shows partitions only two levels deep. The manual in a half-size, three-ring binder. forth on a particular ledge of a tower. You
only way to find out if additional partition The binder also contains The 1581 DOS can only shoot the colored ones; silver can-
levels exist is to try to open them. II'noth Reference Guide by David W. Martin. This nonballs can only be stunned for a few sec
ing happens you have reached the lowest 147-page book supplements and goes be onds. Flashing walls are immobile and
level. yond the manual which is provided with just waste time until a new batch of mov
The last four modules are primarily for the 1581 disk drive. Here you will find de ing enemy obstacles comes along.
disk hackers. The operation of all these tails on undocumented disk drive com The sound effects in Tower Toppler are
modules is restricted to 1581 disk drives. mands, early hardware problems, using also good. I've noticed that a iot of Europe
The Track and Sector Editor module lets the burst commands, and hardware speci an releases feature great sound and even
you examine and modify the contents of fications. One 40-page chapter is devoted some commercial music in their sound
the 1581*8 disk sectors in PET ASCII, hex to a commented memory map of the 1581 tracks. American publishers have only re
adecimal and assembler format. When ROM. This is not a detailed disassembly, cently picked up on this strategy. These
editing in the assembler format, you have but a functional listing. companies know that excellent graphics
to enter valid assembly code for the mod Along with the book there are several and lousy music/sound effects do not make
ule to accept it. utility programs on the distribution disk. a big seller. From splashes when you hit
The File Track and Sector Tracer lets Among them is a 1581 diagnostic pro the toxic ocean to snowballs bouncing off
you locate, examine and modify the disk gram wluch checks the disk drive for of the walls, Tower Toppler is musically
sectors which are occupied by a program known hardware errors. Also included is rich, as well as graphically appealing.
or sequential file. The first step displays a Kracker-Mon, a full-featured machine- Overall, I'd have to give Toiver Toppler
grid on the 64 screen with the sectors used language monitor which lets you work two thumbs up: one for being a great
by the file shown in yellow with the first with either the computer's or the disk game and another for not trying to make
sector marked by a flashing cursor. The drive's memory. the theme too pretentious. That little sea-
complete track and sector grid fills two 64 Overall, the 1581 Toolkit is the best dog character has got to l>e the cutest vid
screens. The cursor can be moved to any utility package that 1 have seen for the eo game character since Bubble Ghost.
sector in the file which can be examined Commodore 64 and the 1581 disk drive. Even his little green tail wags as he/she
and edited. The address where the file Nevertheless, there is still room for im runs up and down the towers.
would be in the computer's memory is provement. I would have liked to have Tower Toppler has the right level of dif
shown at the top of the screen. Sequential seen support for the Commodore 128's ex ficulty as well. Although I've played the
files are all assumed to start at $1000 panded memory and 80-column screen as game for hours, I still can't make it to the
(409G). Sectors am be examined and edit well as for the 1750/1764 memory mod fifth tower. Certainly, I'm getting longev
ed in PET ASCII, hexadecimal and as ules. The 1581 DOS Reference Guide, ity out of the game. You will too if you try
sembly format. This module can be in which is part of this package, should be Tower Thppler, and you'll have a lot of fun
valuable for repairing or salvaging dam required reading for all 1581 hackers. trying to break the records on the disk as
aged files. The inclusion of this book, and its accom you get your video game "fix." Just keep
The Pattern Searcher Module lets you panying utilities, make the package an that seadog out of the water! H
locate any byte pattern anyplace on the excellent value. n *A!so available for the Amiga,

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 43
64 and 128 Software Reviews/Pro Soccer
or tackling the ball. Tackling consists of door soccer is definitely an acquired taste.
Continued from page 14
sliding feet-first into the ball as your oppo Yet another special effect (used in both
to the goal, when the avenue is clear, or nent dribbles by. A warning buzzer sounds versions) is the Instant Replay. This fea
the goalie is out of position. when the ball enters your goal's penalty ture can be turned on or off, but it's so
The spinning Banana kick produces a box, automatically switching control to much fun you'll never want to be without
long, wide curve, excellent for moving be your goalie. Beyond normal ball control, it. Following each goal, the action stops
tween opponents and faking out goalies. goalies can dive leftVright or jump straight and actually backs up, using effects that
Use this high-flying kick at full strength up to block shots. Use the diving block simulate the look of rewinding videotape.
for best results. Banana power—the de only as an emergency measure, since it The goal is then replayed, starting from
gree of its curve—can be adjusted (low, takes time to recover, thus leaving the the setup, switching to slow motion when
medium, high) before each game. goal wide open. the goal is made. It's a fabulous program
Chip shots are short, straight kicks that Although gameplay remains nearly ming accomplishment.
jump the ball high into the air. Use them identical in both versions, the style of play The game's only drawbacks are the
U> avoid confrontations with oncoming op is dramatically different. Due to the size of limitations in design. There are no penal
ponents or to clear the ball from the goal the field, outdoor soccer consists largely of ties, injuries or substitutions during
area as quickly as possible. Chip shots can defensive action and ball handling. The gamepiay. Team statistics are also limited
be used to set up goals, but rarely store by outdoor version also adds inclement to simple won/loss records kept during
themselves. weather to the list of user-defined varia league and tournament play. Finally, the
A Scissors kick was popularized by Bra bles. When you least expect it, lightning "static" players—your teammates—are
zilian soccer legend Pele. This extremely flashes and thunder claps as a torrential cheerfully devoid of any artificial intelli
difficult kick requires the player to juggle downpour sweeps the field. Suddenly a gence. In other words, you are the brains
the ball in the air, jump, scissor the legs new dimension to the game opens up. and brawn behind the entire team. The
and fire the ball backwards over his head. The smaller indoor version, surrounded computer apparently doesn't want to get
Luckily, the computer version is much by arena walls, plays much faster. Here, involved. I guess for graphics this good
easier to execute, but still difficult to use defense takes a back seat to an almost you have to make sacrifices.
effectively. madhouse offensive game plan. Strategies But if you're looking for pure sports
The strength of each kick is determined to be learned include the use of the walls thrills with eye-popping arcade effects,
by the length of time the fire button is to bounce passes and set up goal shots. you won't find anything that even comes
pressed. The goal areas are smaller, however, and close to matching Keith Van Eron's Pro
Defensively, teams can change posses the cramped quarters tend to cause claus Soccer.
sion by intercepting passes, blocking kicks trophobic reactions in some players. In *Ako available for the Amiga, Q|

Software Reviews/Final Assault


shows how far you are up the mountain. More importantly, rock climbing is very
Continued from page 16
The graphics are really good and offset the awkward and on more difficult mountains
But climbing is not all there is to Final fact that there are hardly any sound ef nearly impossible. On these mountains, I
Assault, At different points in the game, fects in the game. In addition, you can just gave up and threw my joystick on the
you must respond to the needs of the choose whether your climb begins in win ground. I almost never give up on a game.
mountain climber. Sometimes words indi ter or summer, and the weather acts ac However, when you drop back, to the hot
cating that the character is hot, cold, cordingly up on the peaks. torn of the current screen every time you
hungry, thirsty or tired pop up on the If you keep your head and your joystick climb up a few meters, no matter how
screen. You should immediately attend to hand moving, you will be making it up carefully you place your limbs, it's time to
the climber's desires or he may fall. the more difficult mountains in a matter throw in the towel.
You do this by securing the climber in a of days. You can save your games in mid- That wouldn't have been too bad, except
strap and switching to the inventory climb too—a very useful option when you that the rock climbing sequences of the
menus, moving out of the rucksack what get frustrated. training trail are just as difficult. That
ever the climber needs. If he is hungry, se must have been a mistake. Fll give Epyx
lect some meat or cheese. If thirsty, give Final Assault Falls Short the benefit of the doubt.
him some coffee or milk. If hot or cold, I have some beefs with Final Assault
take off or put on some warm clothes. F that can't go unmentioned. First of all, Summary
tired, you should make your way to the since the game is made by Epyx, you Overall, Epyx did a fine job with Final
nearest glacier and set up a tent or sleep know that the manual is clearly written Assault. If they correct the awkwardness
ing bag. and well-organized. Unfortunately, thefi- and difficulty of the rock climbing phase
This element of'Final Assault is what nal Assault manual is supposed to be val of the game and customize the manual for
makes it interesting. (If the game were all id for five different computers. This does each computer, the company would have a
joystick moves, I would have blasted it not work. Although the package includes hit on their hands. Until then, Final As
long ago in this review.l By including a Command Card for the Commodore 64 sault is still a pretty good game. It's also
these random events, Final Assault be version, the combination of the two leaves addictive. It would have been a complete
comes a better simulation of mountain a lot of unanswered questions and misin simulation if Epyx would have included
climbing and a more challenging game. formation. For instance, the screen shots the descent of the mountain in Final As
What would you do if you ran out of food in the manual are from the ST version of sault. Still, there are enough surprises
and you had just a few more meters to go? the game, and the joystick movements de (like the ending screens) and challenges to
There are many nice pluses to Final As scribed for ice climbing are not accurate. keep you happy.
sault. A meter on the left side of the screen A better job could have been done here.

44 AUGUST 1989
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AMIGA UPDATE' by Matthew Leeds

Laser Rot
not the only cause of laser rot. Discs man
We expect things to work as adver Just as no one is exactly sure ufactured both before and after the pub
tised, events to occur as planned, lished dates had also gone bad, as well as
and most of all, our computer and data what causes laser rot, no one discs manufactured at other stamping
storage equipment to function correctly. plants. It was obvious that a single batch
What would it be like if we couldn't count
is exactly sure what laser rot of bad glue was not likely to be the sole
on a floppy disk drive to correctly store causes. cause of the problem.
data, a monitor to display text as we en If you were to closely examine a laser
tered it, or even a keyboard to paffl the ible to laser rot and which discs are im disc, you would notice that the aluminum
same characters to the screen as are prink mune. A clear understanding of the man coating extends to the edge of the disc at
ed on its keys? ufacturing process of laser discs can help both the spindle hole and outer circumfer
Imagine if your videotape collection us comprehend the process by which laser ence. Although these exposed edges are
suddenly developed defects; video snow, rot destroys laser discs. very thin, they are open to the environ
distorted dialogue or loss of color. Six ment. And should the bond between the
years ago these kind of defects and others Oxidation glue and the aluminum either be less
began to show up in laser discs manufac Laser discs are hot stamped from an than perfect or fail at some point in time,
tured by Pioneer Electronics. The "per acrylic resin. A master "stamper" is these exposed edges could become chan
fect" format for video suddenly seemed no pressed against molten plastic in a mold. nels for oxidation.
longer perfect. This impresses a series of tiny pits that
Laser disc video has had a rough go of are the actual information, the "bits" of CD's Immune So Far
things from the very start. The original la the laser signal. To improve the readabi It's far more likely that you have a com
ser discs, from MCA Disco Vision and the lity of these pits, the entire disc is coated pact disc, the audio cousin of the laser
now extinct RCA CED laser system, had with a very thin layer of aluminum in a disc, around to examine. And if you do, by
problems as soon as they first shipped in vapor chamber. Since laser discs are two now you are probably concerned that laser
the late 70's. Systems exhibited several sided, two finished discs are glued, back to rot may attack your CD collection. You
types of defects: cross-talk, causing mov back, to create a single two-sided finished can relax for now, as there have not been
ing patterns of lines across the image; disc. The finished laser disc is a sandwich any reported cases of laser rot infecting
skipping, where the laser tracking would with glue in the middle, aluminum coat CD's.
fail to track correctly causing a fastrfor- ings on either side of the glue, and the There are several good reasons for this.
ward-like effect; and video snow, confetti- clear acrylic base on the outside surfaces. The first is that no glue is used in creating
like dots and streaks across the image When a disc is played, the laser beam CD's, as they are single sided. The ex
caused by the inclusion of microscopic shines through the acrylic surface, is re posed aluminum coating is covered with a
dust particles trapped between the disc's flected off the aluminum coating, and lacquer protective overcoat instead of be
surface and the protective transparent bounces back through the acrylic surface. ing cemented to another disc.
overcoat applied to shield the disc from Aluminum is very susceptible to oxida The second is that if you look closely at
rough handling. By some reports the de tion. When aluminum oxidizes it loses its the inside and outside edges of a CD, you
fect rate was close to 50r/r. luster, its shine. This is the same process will notice that the aluminum reflective
MCA DiscoVision eventually gave up, that turns exposed iron red, darkens cut coating does not extend to the outside
and Pioneer Electronics acquired the fruit, and makes eggs go bad. But since a edges. It is completely sealed iaside the
manufacturing rights to both the players laser disc is a sealed unit, where does the disc by the lacquer overcoat on one side
and the discs. Pioneer improved the play oxygen come from? There is no shortage of and the disc medium on the other.
ers, adding better focusing and tracking possibilities. The glues used to cement two The third reason is one that you cannot
servos to overcome the cross-talk and single-sided discs together are organic- see. The disc medium is a different mate
skipping, and a "clean-room" process for based, and at least three different glues rial than that of a laser disc. Laser discs
disc production that cut the defect rate to have been used since double-sided discs are stamped from acrylic resin, CD's from
below three percent. Laser discs liegan to were first manufactured. It is possible that polycarbonate resin. There is a theory (as
look like a videophile's dream instead of a one or more of these glues either con yet unproveni regarding the acrylic resin
nightmare. tained absorbed oxygen, were involved in that proposes that a chemical reaction be
Then in 1983 reports began to surface of some kind of oxidizing reaction with the tween the resin and the aluminum reflec
discs going bad. This syndrome was far aluminum coating, or that air bubbles tive coating is the cause of laser rot. There
different from the previous defective discs; were trapped between the glue and the has been no scientific study on this theory,
those discs were defective as they came off aluminum coating. but it may help explain why CD's have
of the production line. The new reports In fact, Pioneer made an official state been so far immune to laser rot.
were of formerly good discs developing de ment; in October 1985 the company re
fects. These discs were literally rotting. ported that a bad batch of glue had been Consequences of Laser Rot
Laser rot is impossible to detect by visu used in discs manufactured between the Just as no one is exactly sure what
al inspection of a disc. The only way to tell third quarter of 1984 and the first quarter causes laser rot, no one is exactly sure
if a disc has gone bad is to play it. There is of 1985 at one of their stamping plants. As what laser rot causes. Precisely what goes
also no way to tell which discs are suscept- admirable as this admission was, it was

46 AUGUST 1989
Amiga Update/Laser Rot- Creative Courseware
derstandable. The laser disc industry has
Continued from page 30
been slow in maturing. The total number
on inside a laser disc that has laser rot is of titles available is around 3000, and in for kids.
unknown, but at least two theories have 1988 only about 120,000 players were "Pirates of the Soft Seas" casts the child
been put forth. soid. That number is expected to increase and a friend as treasure hunters. To find
The first suggests that as the alumi by 50% by the end of 1989. If laser rot the treasure buried on Disk Isle, they
num reflective coating oxidizes, its reflec were to become a headline story—even must unravel clues gleaned from a band
tive index decreases. This causes a rise in within the video community—it could im of pirates led by Fierce Frank and his sis
the signal-to-noise ratio on the returning pact severely on the saleability of any la ter Terrible Tess.
laser beam, resulting in video snow, audio ser disc product, disc or player. The second story, "Fossils Alive," intro
and video dropoute and audio noise. Pioneer believes that the problem has duces the player to Dyna Saurus, an in
The second theory suggests that as the been solved. Discs that have been manu veterate fossil hunter. Required to gather
aluminum coating oxidizes it distorts the factured recently seem to bear this out. It information for a class assignment, Dyna
shape and size of the pits as seen by the is still possible to buy a new disc that ei and the student embark on a fossil-hunt
laser beam. This causes a change in the ther has laser rot or will develop it, but ing expedition. Together they enter a time
actual data being returned by the laser these are discs that were manufactured warp where carnivorous dinosaurs and
beam. Since the laser disc player converts several years ago and have been sitting in other winsome threats to life still live.
the digital data to an analog video signal, dealer inventory since. Both adventures contain graphics and
these distortions are translated into a de On the other hand, laserdiscs still have some sound effects—a picture of a saber-
fective display. If the digital data were be the aluminum coating running right to tooth tiger accompanied by its roar, for in
ing used directly, for example as program the edge of the disc, and they are still be stance or a pirate with his knife clenched
data in a spreadsheet, the results could be ing made from acrylic resin. Perhaps it in his teeth. In 'Pirates," the student
a change in the bottom line that went un was just bad glue, perhaps not. moves two animated kids around an is
noticed until the auditors checked the land to search for the treasure and unra
books. False High-Tech Security vel clues. The gender and names of the
There is a technological moral to this treasure-seeking kids are chosen by the
Rot Prevention story. When laser discs were first intro player. Movement is generated from the
If you own or use laser discs there are duced they were touted as the ultimate keyboard, joysticks are not required. "Fos
only a few steps you can take to increase video medium; indestructible, soon to be sils" contains limited animation.
the odds you won't be hit by laser rot. If la the preeminent video distribution format. As each story progresses, students are
ser rot is caused by bad glue or oxygen in Salespeople would bounce discs off the offered choices at decision points. Their
trusion via the exposed edges of the disc, floor, stand on them, handle them with no decision affects the progress as well as the
you can't do much to protect yourself. regard for fingerprints—all to prove their outcome of the story. Although the two ad
Keeping your discs away from heat is a durability. They were described as never venturers are complementary in scope
good idea no matter what. Thermal ex wearing out—how could they when the and intent, important structural differ
pansion or even minor warping could only thing that touched them was a beam ences exist between the two.
cause microscopic stress fractures in the of light? "Fossils" plainly encourages decision
bond between the two sides of the disc, let A false sense of security often comes making, players encounter up to 14 deci
ting air inside. with the latest technology. We have had sion points while reading the story. Con
Although it has been recommended in the benefit of so many new high-tech toys, versely, "Pirates" requires more in the
the past, washing your discs with water but we have not had the opportunity to de way of problem solving. To discover the
or other solvents should be avoided. velop a folklore of caution to accompany treasure's location, players must solve an
Try wiping your discs with a clean dry our new tools. How many of us am re anagram and a rebus.
cloth instead. member our first exposure to a wrench, a The treasure is a chest filled with "pir
You should also remove your discs from record player, an automobile, and the ated" computer software, and therein lies
the player as soon as you have finished careful instructions in their use, the dan a moral message from Scholastic I think
watching them. Players do heat up when gers of misuse or inattention? How much the program could easily have omitted.
they are in use, and they retain some of attention do we give to the instructions for But 1 can understand Scholastic's posi
that heat even after they have shut off. use or storage on products today? tion, since they publish and distribute
Also, a disc is suspended from the hub Do you know what the expected life of a some of the finest educational software.
ring during playback. While it is actually floppy disk is? Or how to properly store a Their lively 100-page academic catalog is
playing, centripetal force acts to support videotape? Have you been eagerly follow free to educators.
the outside edge of the disc, but once the ing the development of erasable optical Tales ofDiscovery is from Scholastic's
player has stopped this is no longer the discs that can store 500MB of data and no interactive fiction series, all of which
case. ticed no information on what the useful stress reading and decision-making skills.
Pioneer Electronics, through its mar life of one of these discs is? The next time The series, appropriately named Twista-
keting division Laser Disc Corp., is to be you spend the weekend balancing your plots, requires students to decide between
commended for standing behind their checkbook on the computer, or word pro two discrete choices. Even if the worst
products. Every defective disc brought to cessing your version of the great Ameri choice is selected, it's the story that ends
their attention has been either replaced or can novel, take a moment to think about abruptly—not the character's fictional
a refund has been given. They have been how fragile a hold that floppy disk has on life. Players are never left swinging from
a little less forthcoming regarding infor your data. Then take another moment to a yardarm, made to walk the plank, or
mation on laser rot, but this may be un make a backup. g consumed by a monster. g

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 47
TECHNOLOGY by David A. Weinstein

Changes in
U.S. Copyright
Law Affect
Everyone
March 1,1989 was an important day
for software programmers and other
owners of copyrightable works. This was
the effective date for amendments to the
Copyright Act of 1976 lAct), the federal
statute which governs copyright protec
tion in this countiy. They were made by
the Berne Convention Implementation
Act of 1988, signed by President Reagan
on October 31,1988.
Among changes in the Act, the most
significant are elimination of the require and other material usually is the only a country will give the same kind of pro
ment that a copyright notice be placed on way to readily tell whether it is protected. tection to the copyrightable works of for
publicly distributed copies of protected Persons who use material created by eign nationals that it gives to its own na
material, and addition of language which others without checking its copyright sta tionals. For example, under national
enables the U.S. to become a party to the tus, risk Incurring liability for infringe treatment an American author can expect
Berne Convention for the Protection of ment. The absence of a notice on it no legal protection for his or her literary
Literary and Artistic Works (Berne Con longer means it is not protected. An un work in France to the same extent France
vention). This is the oldest as well as most authorized use of protected material may grants protection to literary works created
important and effective multilateral trea be infringement of one or more of the own by French citizens.
ty governing international copyright poli er's exclusive rights. Only the copyright Prior to March 1, American copyright
cy. It givea American copyright owners owner is entitled to copy, vary, publicly owners were entitled to national treat
the right to automatically receive legal perform, display and distribute protected ment in the 76 or so countries that signed
protection for their works in many foreign material. the Berne Convention. They were also en
countries without doing more than creat Although use of a notice is not required titled to national treatment in more than
ing them. to obtain copyright protection or to avoid 40 of those countries by reason of another
For more than 100 years, compliance losing it, there is a good reason why own multilateral copyright treaty known as
with the notice requirement has been part ers should continue to place it on their the Universal Copyright Convention
of our law as a condition of avoiding the works. By doing this, they can defeat lUCC). Some countries are parties to both
loss of copyright protection. Nonuseofa claims of innocent infringement by per treaties, while others such as the USSR
notice could result in the loss of all rights. sons who use protected works without au have signed only one. Before March 1, the
However, now that the notice requirement thorization. This means they can obtain U.S. was a party only to the UCC, which it
has been eliminated, creators of protecti- all available remedies for infringement, signed in 1954.
ble material do not have to be concerned including injunctive relief and damages. To receive national treatment in UCC
about losing their rights if a notice is not This is not the case when there is an inno countries, both before and after March 1,
used. This is good for copyright owners cent infringement. The remedies against 1989, American copyright owners are re
but is likely to be of concern to many per innocent infringers are limited. An inno quired to use a specific form of copyright
sons who use protected works. cent infringe!" is anyone who copies a pro notice on their works. This is necessary to
As in the past, creators of copyrightable tected work that does not feature a notice, satisfy any formalities set by a UCC sig
works are immediately entitled to legal publicly performs it or otherwise exercises natory country as a condition of its grant
protection for their material on the date it an owner's exclusive right. ing national treatment.
is created, without doing more. And, as a For many years, American copyright On the other hand, to receive national
general rule, this protection will continue owners have been able to protect their treatment in Berne Convention countries
to be a period equal to the life of the cre works in foreign countries. This kind of prior to March 1,1989, American copy
ator plus 50 years. But since March 1, it's protection is referred to as "national treat right owners were not required to use a
much more difficult for users of material ment." However, it is not necessarily the notice. But it was necessary for them to do
created by others to know whether it is same as that given by U.S. copyright law. something else. As nationals of a non-sig
protected by copyright if a notice is not on The protection available in a foreign coun natory country they were eligible for pro
it. Appearance of a copyright notice on try is determined by the law of that coun tection under the Berne Convention only
artwork, books, motion pictures, records try. Therefore, national treatment means Continued on page 87

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by John Jmmaine

was created to market that product. The


new company was officially founded in
Jim Connelley's dining room, and busi
ness was conducted out of Jim and Jon's
spare bedrooms.
Temple ofApshai was a multi-person
collaboration. Freeman was largely re
sponsible for the design of the game sys
tem, Connelley did most of the program
ming, and Jeff Johnson contributed many
of the game's features {the dungeon de
sign, what monsters were present, the lay
out of the building, etc.). Johnson also
came up with the title for the game. He
claimed Apshai was the name of some ob
scure Epyptian god or goddess. Jon was
busy while Temple ofApshai came togeth
er, so most of his contributions to the pro
ject were actually made over the phone.
Although Freeman liked the finished
product, he didn't approve of certain ele
ments it contained. For example, Mithril
(sometimes called "true silver") illustrates
his point. It is a magic metal that was in
vented by J.RJL Tolkien for his book The
Lord of The Rings. The term was "bor
rowed" by several fantasy role-playing
games (including Dungeons & Dragons),
and unfortunately, it also found its way
The i i«ir.ii- department gels
into Ikmpk ofApshai.
together for a "Class of 1989" photo Freeman discovered this factor, and
in front of Redwood City headquarters. similar transgressions when it was too
Jon Freeman, the creator of popular late to make the necessary changes. Jon
Last July I told you about Bpyx's programs like Archon and Murder on the would have preferred the name Ekctrum
Games line and how it evolved over Zindemeuf, helped to get Automated Sim or Orichakum in its place. These fanciful
the years. But there is much more to the ulations officially off the ground. In 1977, materials are fairly well know in history
Epyx story than just the Games line. Tfen he met Jim Connelley through his play and were reputed to have magical powers.
years ago, a small company called Auto ing of Dungeons & Dragons'". Connelley As Temple ofApshai was hitting the mar
mated Simulations started producing per purchased a Commodore PET computer ket, Freeman and Connelley had a series
sonal computer software. It was a small and used it to keep track of monster stat> of business-related arguments. Jon and
company by industry standards, but it istics, hit points and other related stuff. his wife Anne Westfall officially left the
was a group of dedicated people with some Six months later, Connelley was devel company on Thanksgiving day of 1981.
great ideas. That company is now called oping his first home computer game.
Epyx Inc., and ten years has changed both When he started having trouble, Freeman Bob Botch, formerly vice-president of
the computer software industry and the offered to help him on the project (even marketing and development, recently lefl
company. Epyx remains successful how though he knew next to nothing about Epyx to form his own software develop
ever, because they are still a group of computers). That first program, Star Fleet ment group. Botch had been with the com
dedicated people with great ideas. Here Orion, was a simple TRS-80 space shoot- pany for many years and was happy to talk
then is the rest of the story. 'em-up game. Automated Simulations about the good old days.

50 AUGUST 1989
John Jermaine: What do you remember
about the early days of the company?
Bob Botch: Jim Connelley founded Auto
mated Simulations in 1979, He sold his
first Dungeon & Dragons-type games to
friends and through the mail, They decid
ed these programs were pretty good, so
they encouraged him to sell them in com
puter stares. And the company grew from
there. Its interesting to note that the
packaging of that era consisted of placing
a diskette and tiny user's manual within a
clear plastic bag, I hate to think what it
costs to produce packaging and proper
documentation today. Programs like
Crush, Crumble, Chomp and Temple of
Apshai firmly established Automated
Simulations within the industry.
In 1982, Connelley sought out venture
capital funding, and several companies
agreed to provide the money. Shortly after
receiving the good news, we changed the
name of the company to Epyx. Our first
choice was "Epic," for the epic nature of
our games, but that title already belonged
to Epic Recordings. So we decided to take
a high-tech approach and came up with
the name Epyx.
Jermaine: Did you have specific goals at 3888 Christmas Canl
that time? from Epyx with Dave Needle
(left) and RJ. Mical taking a break.
Botch: Our original plan was to become a
major figure in the home computer soft
ware industry. I think the company has
met this goal.
Jermaine: Tell me about some of your ear
ly software titles.
Botch: One funny story immediately
comes to mind. I had been with the com
pany for seven days and really didn't
know anything about computers. So the
company decides to send me to the Con
sumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (in
January of '83). Epyx was so small at the
time that they couldn't afford a hotel
room. Instead, they rented a room in a
condo for a week, somewhere off the beat
en path. I also had to share it with the
vice-president of sales.

Halloween 1988
atEpyx.

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 51
name and package it for shipment. It
didnt take me long to realize this is not
Anyway, we were meeting the way to get a product to market.
with our first rep group at 9:00 So we gathered all the marketing and
a,m., and it was already 8:30 in development people together and spent an
the morning. My partner came afternoon brainstorming ideas and con
over and said oh, by the way, cepts. The feedback was absolutely in
here's a new program I thought credible. Everyone had a say in the future
you should see before the meeting plans of the company. Programs like Pit-
begins. I looked at this flat object, stop, Summer Games and California
he had handed to me, and asked him Games were bora in this manner. And the
what to do with it He said you put it in procedure is still used today.
that little slot over by the computer. I Jermaine: Speaking of Summer Games,
did that and asked him what to do next. did Epyx try to become a licensee of the
He told me to turn on the switch, located 1984 Olympic team?
on the backside of the unit. I did that and Botch: Late in '83, shortly before the Win
followed his loading instructions, but the ter Olympic Games took place, we
game still didn't work. We looked at each thought about getting a license to develop
other this time because neither one of us an Olympic-style product. Obviously we
Temple ofApshai
knew what to do next. So I called the of were a little late for a winter game, since
fice, located a programmer who had come it takes us six to 12 months to create a
to work early, and asked him to walk me program of this nature, so we concentrat
through the program, step by step. Now 1 ed on doing a Summer Olympics project.
was ready to demonstrate the game for Unfortunately, we soon discovered that
our distributors. Atari had already become the official li
We borrowed a big-screen television to censee of the 1984 Summer Olympics.
give our people an impressive look at the This information put an end to our quest
new role-playing titles. But I displayed for the license, but we still wanted to do
the other game every chance 1 got, Then the program.
Jumpman the president of the company would come Jermaine: Where did the name Summer
over, yell a lot and tell me to take the disk Games come from?
out Whenever he left the room, Id load Boteh: With Atari holding the Olympic li
the program in again. Tb make a long sto cense that year, we had to be careful not to
ry short, we left that show with a ton of or step on their toes. This meant Epyx
ders for Jumpman, the incredible new ac couldn't use a title that directly referred to
tion game I had fallen in love with. the Los Angeles Summer Olympic
In case you haven't heard of the pro Games. Summer Games was a strong title
gram, it contains a neat little guy who that kept us out of trouble.
climbs ladders, leaps to different plat Jermaine: What happened after Summer
forms, avoids things coming at him, and Games was released?
Impossible Mission II
so on. As we ate breakfast on the final day Boteh: We made a lot of money. [He
of the show, the vice-president of sales laughs.! Seriously, it was the beginning of
commented that I'd better get that thing our popular Games line, which has done
in a box and sell it, or the boss would have very well over the years. The support of
my hide. Three weeks later, I had the our followers convinced us to do Summer
packaging ready and we were shipping Games U, another multi-event program.
the product out the door. Jumpman (de Then Winter Games came along in 1986.
veloped by Randy Glover) was definitely a World Games challenged the player to
departure from our traditional games and participate in traditional contests in many
ushered in a new era. Incidentally, it was different lands, while California Games
one of Epyx's first big hits. brought west-coast hobbies and pastimes
Jermaine: How did you market software to personal computers around the world.
atEpyx? After all of these products hit the mar
Botch: As you probably know, we took a ket, we suddenly realized another Olym
different approach to marketing our soft- pic year was fast approaching. We quickly
ware. I learned a lot during my first day started negotiations with the U.S. Olym
on the job. I was sitting behind my desk, pic Committee and eventually worked out
which was pretty empty because I wasn't a deal. The Games: Summer and Winter
sure what 1 was supposed to be doing Editions were the fruits of our labor.
I
there. Someone came in, gave me a dis Jermaine: In recent years, Epyx got the
kette, and said here you go. So I replied rights to Godzilla for The Movie Monster
thank you, what is it? Oh, ifs a brand new Game. Would you tell me about that expe
Sub Ilattle Simulator game you have to figure out—give it a rience?

52 AUGUST 1989
Botch: In the beginning, The Movie Mon Botch: We did, but the negative factors of original characters. Our programmers
ster Game was slated to feature a selection the issue outweighed the positive ones. If also had more room to be creative and .
of totally original creatures for the player we licensed a character like Hulk Hogan, didn't have worry about the stipulations of
to control. As the program evolved, how for example, we would be restricted in how a contract.
ever, we found ourselves developing a he could look on the screen, and what he
character which closely resembled God was capable of doing in the program. Two Impossible Mission oho hit t!w market
zilla. Our people had reached a point licensed names would increase our woes in 1984, It was thebrainchild ofDennis
where they had to make some quick deci because both individuals wouid want top Caswell, an innovative developer who
sions. Would it be to our advantage to li billing, and sooner or later, we'd have to helped pioneer the use of synthesized voice
cense Godzilla for the game, and if we determine which character was stronger in computer games. Caswell is 32 years
went this far, could we pick up the rights than the other one. Tb keep things simple old, his hobbies and interests include: col
to other famous movie monsters for the for our game designers and marketing lecting wind-up toys and bizarre post-
program? people, Epyx decided to create totally new cards, while not losing sight of the finer
Research on the subject revealed that wrestlers for the program. After all, Continu
Godzilla is one of the most popular movie could incorporate any traits weji
monsters in existence. A new Godzilla
movie had been released in '85, Dr. Pepper
produced two commercials featuring the
giant lizard, and toy makers are still man
ufacturing models of the creature. These
were all good signs that the public was
genuinely interested in the subject.
Negotiations for this property went well
because we were far enough along with
the project to show the licensing agent ex
actly what we wanted to do with their
character. Our people even had a sample
of the packaging art for his inspection. We
also had another factor in our favor, The
agent representing Soho Co. Ltd had been
marketing the title for a long time. We
came to an early agreement without en
countering one major stumbling block.
Once the Godzilla contract was secured,
we returned to the idea of licensing other
famous movie monsters for the game. Un-'
fortunately, every creature we were inter
ested in was owned by a different com
pany. There was no way we could put to-'
gether a blanket deal for the rights to sev
eral of these creatures.
Jermaine: Did you have any negative
thoughts on the matter?
Botch: Yes, we did. Epyx was very sensi
tive to the fact that Godzilla has tradition
ally been a bad monster. It destroys pri
vate property and occasionally eats or
kills human beings. We were so concerned
about public reaction to the project that
we tested the Movie Monster Game con
cept on a group of parents. Some of these
individuals gave us a,negative response,
but the majority ofthe adults accepted the
material as a light-hearted spoof. There is
no point in the program where people are
actually eaten, or come to an equally ter
rible end. Epyx has always projected a
positive software image, where any
member of the family can use one of our
products.
Jermaine: Did you consider licensing
big name wrestlers for Cliampionship.
Wmtling1!
irst there was Desktop Publishing, could get into my Amiga, dig out the Gary Fields: How did you two get in
followed by Desktop Video, and now sound or music I want, and then replay it volved in music and computers?
there is quality Desktop Music. Creat according to my specific needs. I spent the David Brown: I started out in high school
ing serious music—which once required better part of two months talking with playing guitar. I like doing that. About six
orchestras to perform and expensive sound software deveiopers and musicians to get years ago I went into a study mode where
studios to record—can now be done at an the answer. I was intent upon improving my musical
Amiga keyboard. Countiess professional abilities. After doing that I decided I
musicians and sound engineers are dis David Brown and Al Lewis, two North wanted to perform with other people—a
covering the Amiga and are turning to it Carolina musicians, are mixing their tal band. Well that turned out to be a big has
to forge their music. ents and the Amiga's power to accomplish sle. It wasn't easy getting people together
But happily neither of those titles (mu their musical goals, if any one word can on time. We did it for two years and
sician or engineer) are prerequisites for describe their impression of the Amiga as learned a lot, but it wasn't too productive.
creating, editing, recording and perform a professional musical tool it is exciting. I wanted to control all the music. I wanted
ing professional-sounding music or sound Both men spent over a year researching to be able to tell the drummer how I want
effects. Just as you don't have to know the the abilities and advantages of using com ed a piece of music to sound, but lots of
difference between a pentatonic and a ma puter-aided or -created music and sounds, times the guy in the band didn't want to
jor scale to know what sounds are pleasing and deciding which system and software play it that way. He had his own idea of
to your ears, you don't have to be a musi offered them the most potential. After how it should sound. Well my drum ma
cian to coax impressive music and sound comparing all the systems on the market, chine won't talk back to me. It plays it ex
effects from your Amiga. You just have to both decided on the Amiga because of its actly how I tell it to play. It may not be
have an ear for music and the desire to power and price. In fact, it was their inter right, but it does exactly what I tell it—I
make it happen. est in the Amiga that brought the two to like that control.
Anyone who has been around an Amiga gether—at an Amiga user's group meet I bought a drum machine and was im
for any time has to be impressed with its ing. Because of their parallel interests, pressed. Then I started reading a lot about
full-range sound abilities. The machine the two musicians decided to combine MIDI and collected hardware as I needed
can make beautiful music, talk, capture their talents and see how far their music and could afford it. I spent about a year
and replay real-life sounds or synthesize and the Amiga could take them. The two trying to decide what was the best music
unearthly ones. cooled their keyboards and took off their computer for the dollar and settled on the
When 1 began researching this article I headphones long enough to answer some Amiga.
wanted to find out how I, a non-musician, questions.
Sound Investment
by GARY V. FIELDS
about her. I guess I have more than $5000 for about a year now, and not only does it
in hardware plus musical instruments. let me do that, but I'm also learning to
Lewis; I've been involved in music and read music.
different instruments since I was small. When I went looking for a computer it
Everybody in my family plays an instru was with the idea of using it for music—
ment. I got interested in keyboards when I nothing else. That's why I decided on the
was about 15.1 started with a piano and Amiga. It offered everything I wanted—
moved up to an electronic keyboard and including software—and it was affordable.
synthesizers. I got interested in computers The fact that it is great for other things is
because my keyboard had a set number of just a plus. I chose it entirely on its musi
instruments. After a time I got bored with cal merits.
those and wanted to add more. I studied Fields: Why do you perform synthesized
the different computers and read every music? Why not use traditional instru
music magazine I could find which de ments like pianos and violins played by
scribed computer music. It just seemed live performers?
David Brown (left) and Al Lewis break to discuss a
logical to add a computer to my set-up be Brown: I love traditional instruments,
change during a i mmlin;, session. I in- sheet music
they arc discussing was cumposed with a combina cause the computer allowed me to add any and I enjoy performing with other musi
tion (ilMiI'Vti-iil software packages, but finally load- instrument I wanted. Once I decided a cians—that's why AI and I are working to
ed into Deluxe Music Conslniction Set for final edit computer was what I needed, I started re gether. But unless you have a contract
ing and printing. with a major recording label, hiring musi
searching which computers and music
Every time I invested in a new piece of software were available. cians is prohibitive. It's a lot of fun getting
equipment, my interest grew, because The Amiga was just the logical choice. I together and jamming with other musi
each purchase let me see more of the po play by ear—I don't read music. But with cians, but it can be a hassle too because
tential computers and MIDI offer the seri a sequencer I can let the computer read schedules, and sometimes artistic tem
ous musicians. I've tried to limit my hard the music into its memory and then let pers, conflict. Not to mention the problem
ware purchases to around a thousand dol the software translate it into traditional of finding an affordable practice location
lars per year, but I admit there have been musical notations. I can then fine tune it where everyone and their gear will fit.
years when I have exceeded that limit. I and print it from within the software. I've Lewis: Economics play a big part as well
keep my wife happy by writing music been using Deluxe Music Construction Set Continued on page 75

Desktop Music Terminology


analog - a situation in which numerical frequency - the number of repetitions per octave - the interval between two tones
data are represented by analogous phys unit time of a complete waveform, such which have the same pitch name. There
ical magnitudes or electrical signals - as a sound wave. The frequency deter are twelve half steps in an octave.
the opposite of digital. mines pitch. patch - an instrument setting on a MIDI
beat - the basic unit of musical time. half step - an interval equal to a half a instrument; for example, the "Flute"
tone in the standard diatonic scale. patch.
channel - a pathway from the computer to
a MIDI instrument, or from a MIDI in measure - a musical unit containing a pitch - the relative position of a tone in a
strument to another, on which informa specified number of beats, divided from scale, as determined by its frequency.
tion is exchanged. Identified by a num other measures by a beginning and end staff- the group of 5 lines and 4 spaces on
ber. ing bar line. which notes are written.
digital - a situation in which quantities MIDI - stands for "Musical Instrument synthesizer - a machine having a simple
are represented as digits usually in the Digital Interface." MIDI is a nonpro- keyboard and using solid-state circuitry
binary system. prietary "language" which allows differ to duplicate the sounds of musical in
ent (or identical) synthesizers to "talk" struments.
envelope - this is the overall "shape" of a
to each other and/or computers. MTDI-
note in terms of its output level. When tempo - the speed of a song, the pace at
compatible instruments made by any
you play a note, typically the sound which it is performed.
one manufacturer should generally be
rises to some level, then falls to another
capable of causing other manufacturers' track - a separate recording which is com
level, and, when you release the key,
MTDI-compatible instruments to play, bined with other recordings to make a
falls to zero level - although there are
and to switch from one patch to the master recording so that all sound si
many exceptions.
next. multaneously.

MIDI interface - the hardware rink that Glossary terms are reprinted with permis
establishes communication between the sion from The Key to Aegis Sonix, Copy
Amiga and a MIDI instrument. right 1986 Aegis Development

56 AUGUST 1989
Music Bring the Beat to Reality
ftware
Thanks to some talented musicians learn a lot about sound by simply "twist do is move the sound file to a drawer
and programmers, giving life to the ing the dials" and then listening to the re where the animation or video can access
tunes buzzing around in your head is sults. Once you have a sound effect or it, then use the parent program's sound re
easier than ever. You don't have to be a score you are pleased with, you just save it quester to activate the file at the appropri
musician, a programmer or any combina to disk where you can either access it later ate time. One of the most appealing attri
Son of the two to translate your thoughts for refinement or play it back through an butes of the better games is the inclusion
to sound waves. You don't even have to be other program or actually print profes of digitized—instead of synthesized—
able to read music—you just need an ear sional-looking sheet music. sound effects. If a program uses digitized
for music. Most programs have playback modules sounds, when a gun fires, you hear an ex
The Amiga combined with music soft which make it easy to listen to sound files. plosion or when your opponent beats you,
ware supplies lots of shortcuts to bring life Using one of these players, you could cre he may add to the humiliation with real
to your music. In most cases you can sim ate a computer jukebox to entertain your laughter.
ply boot the program, and providing you self or your friends. If you are a program Perhaps the nicest thing about digitized
have any required hardware attached, in mer or someone interested in desktop vid sound effects is that they are super easy to
stantly hear musical responses to your in eo, you could use your sound effects and accomplish. A sampling program, digitiz
put. It is fair to say that the more you musical scores to add the finishing, profes ing hardware and an input device (radio,
know about how sound and music are con sional touch to other projects. An obvious tape recorder, VCR, microphone, etc.) are
structed, the faster you'll progress in cre use of a sampling program/hardware all you need. You can record any sound
ating your own unique music and sound product would be to capture real-life you can hear—just like you would if you
effects. But because most of the Amiga sounds to add to your animations or vid were using a tape recorder. But instead of
software is intuitively designed, you can eos. Tb include your own, all you need to Continued on page 77

'■'■■ --JJ.VJ,.i,-.j.Kr ■ il.irJr


MIDI Recording Studio Sgnthia mia£ Mmjc Construction Set

MIDI Magic Studio Magic

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 57
BEST OF
AMIGA
PUBLIC
DOMAIN
BY GRAHAM KINSEY

As the dog days of summer continue, something more original this time... so I Larn, which was also a great Fantasy
many Amiga users find themselves lied!). In some categories I also give "hon Role-Playing (FRP) game, was a joy to
with free time on their hands. This can orable mention" awards to one or more play. However, in terms of complexity,
mean only one thing: It's time for the sec programs that didn't make the top three, Larn is a mere shell compared to version
ond annual Amiga Public Domain but still deserved to be commended. 3.0 of Moria. Moria has more to offer in
Awards! So grab a chair and a glass of Most of the software categories should terms of magic items and monsters than
lemonade and relax in the shade as we an be self-explanatory. The ANIM Anima any game I've ever seen—public domain
nounce the cream of this year's Amiga PD tions category includes all animations or commercial! Moria adds so many twists
crop. that are saved using the IFF ANLM for to the puzzle that you won't ever think of
For those of you who weren't around mat. (In addition to VideoScape 3D, this it as just a hack-and-slash game.
last year, let me first briefly explain why includes animations created with Anima Unlike the Hack series, Moria puts
Fm doing a "Best of feature now, instead tor: Apprentice, Turbo Silver, 3D Profes hunger and its solution into a proper per
of the end of the year. Remember that sional and others.) The Miscellaneous spective: You can die of hunger in Moria,
there are lead times involved with writing Awards category represents programs but food is cheap, plentiful and relatively
for a monthly magazine. By writing this that had no competition (i.e., they're in a easy to find. After all, it wouldn't make
article now, Tm much closer to the end of a class by themselves) yet still deserved spe sense to go on any adventure if you
calendar year than if I wrote this article cial recognition. Programs nominated in couldn't be certain about how you win
for a December release. Also, this a good this category all win gold medals, since it's take care of your next meal!
time for such an article, since most people like comparing apples and oranges, so to The two biggest complaints about
have summer vacation and some extra speak. Moria—lack of color graphics and play
time to explore the wealth of PD programs For most programs I have included ei speed—have been solved, and version 3.0
available. ther the Fish disk number that each pro really has no major drawbacks. Moria
gram resides on (if this is the case), or may only be a dungeon-based adventure,
but I've seen wilderness adventure games
THE the file number from the file libraries in
PeopleLink'b AmigaZone. Also please that just can't keep your interest like
ENVELOPE, note that any of the programs mentioned Moria can.
PLEASE... can be obtained by writing to SMAUG
Here are the best Amiga Public Do (South Metro Amiga Users Group). Silver Star Trek by Eric Gustafson
main programs from those reviewed in my I had trouble deciding where to place
monthly column here in Commodore this entry. Eric's Star Trek program is a
Magazine from August 1988 through July GAMES game. However, it really should be consid
1989. For each Amiga PD category I be Gold: Moria ered on the same level as Defender of the
stow gold, silver and bronze medals to the by Bryan and Richard Henderson Crown. While you can "play" it, its best
top three programs in the category (yes, I (AmigaZone file #15421-2) attribute is in simply being able to dazzle
know last year I promised to come up with Last year's winner in this category, your friends when they see the amazing

58 /UGUST 1989
ft

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 59
mmmww
s?
Walker II: The Iraiter

I Access!

digitized graphics and sound effects from theme for Saturday morning cartoons, ation and destruction of orbits. While you
the Star Trek television series. this is not a game for eight-year-olds. I won't exactly be qualified to pilot the
While Star Trek—unlike Defender of wouldn't say this game is as complex as space shuttle after a few hours, a little ex
the Crown—won't be known for breaking Moria, but it comes fairly close, especially tra understanding doesn't hurt, does it?
new ground in the Amiga graphics arena, once you have sent in the shareware fee
Defender of the Crown isn't exactly a and are able to build your own robots
household name in the U.S. and around (and/or forts). For those who demand some TERMINAL
the world either! It's great to blow away eye- and ear-candy in their games, Battle-
onlookers with the Amiga's graphics and Forts beautiful lfrcolor 640x400 hexag PROGRAMS
sound capabilities, but it's even better onal map and loud sound effects should Gold: Access! by Keith Young
when you can show them something that satisfy most. When AMCPDTERM and its author
they can relate to. David Salas disappeared from the Amiga
This game is also great for showing Honorable Mention: Sorry! PD world (in search of commercial suc
what the average person can do with the author unknown cess), Keith Young's Access! quickly
Amiga. The Director's language is on a (AmigaZone file #15299) moved in to become the new king of the
par with BASIC as far as new users being Have you been looking for a nice family hill. Access! isn't known for its great proto
able to learn and get results quickly. game? Would you like to show off your col support, since even today it does not
While Eric was the person who accom Amiga to family members while being en directly support Zmodem or Ymodem
plished this masterpiece, unlike a com tertained at the same time? If so, look no (AMICPDTERM at least supported
mercial game (almost always written in further. Sorry! is the best Amiga PD ver Ymodem, although only in the form of
assembly language!, anybody who had sion of any board game I've seen yet. It XModem-lK which doesn't support batch
The Director, a real-time digitizer (Eric faithfully duplicates the board game transfers).
used PerfectVision, but results from using (after all, the code was written by someone Access! first became famous for its su
FrameGrabber would have been even at Parker Brothers!). perb color support, including shadow text
more amazing), some PD digitized sam The movement is very smooth and adds and nicely rendered color gadgets. Of
ples (or an audio digitizer), and some free at least one feature to the game—the course, in the tele-community the effect of
time could have done this! I can't think of show all moves option—that isn't possible colors wears ofTquickly, so Access! needed
a better example of the awesome power on the actual board version. Other than to have more than just pretty colors. Keith
the Amiga can give to its owner. the numbers for the cards being smoothed responded with major feature additions,
out a bit (we're talking serious jaggies some expected by the telecommunicating
Bronze: BattleFort by Ralph Reed here) and maybe a sound effect or two, community and some really novel and
(AmigaZone file #12787; Shareware: $25) I can't think of anything that needs im wonderful.
This game was in the running to win an provement. Now how about a C version Autoredialing was added, and later
award last year but didn't quite make it. of Monopoly? came queue support (so you could select
Formerly known as BattleMech, Battle- several numbers and Access! would dial
Fort's major addition is support of a one- Honorable Mention: Orbit3D one at a time, remove it from the list when
player mode. In my mind this is the fea by Richard Home you connected, and then later dial the re
ture that wins an award for the program (AmigaZone file #13990; Shareware: $25) maining entries), which is essential when
this time around. This game can not only be played in calling local BBS's.
For those who haven't seen any of the three dimensions (using red-blue glasses), Multiple font support was added so that
BattleMech/BattleFort versions so far, but it's also educational in that by playing you could have two different fonts in a
we're talking serious high-tech robotic the game you learn about gravity and chat window, one for incoming text and a
combat here. While robotic combat is a big how it plays a role in the creation, alter separate one for your text entry window.

60 AUGUST 1989
. . . • . • >• * w * r r -r . ,

ifl* r 9

ft' ifl
. ■ >
HattleFort
1

N
w ,*^»

Mono
Walker

The addition of Iconification made it grams allow you to open a NewCLJ via a terminal program with any decent level of
easier to run Access! while performing menu option, Access! didn't force you to go script support (there are a bunch of
other tasks at the same time. back to the Workbench screen to find the Access! scripts online on PeopleLink's
Four-color support was finally allowed, NewCLI (this is one occasion where play AmigaZone if you're interested).
so those who didn't care about Accesses ing hide and seek is not fun). While there haven't been any new ver
colors could just ignore them (while speed Access! is also the only program I've sions of Access! in several months (and ru
ing up the program, not to mention saving ever heard of that fully supports Bill mors persist that Keith Young may follow
CHIP memory). Hawes' great commercial shell program David Salas' lead and go commercial with
The Reader program "rd" was a neat WSHell, via opening a NewWSH instead Access!), the program as it stands is still
new feature that made it possible (as well of a NewCLI if you use WSHell. very useful and will be actively used by
as convenient and efficient) for you to read One of the last major feature additions many Amiga users for a long time to
text files online from within Access! was script support. While Access!'s script come.

While many terminal (and other) pro support isn't complete, it is the only PD Continued on page 81

THE AMIGA PD It is a very easy program to learn and DemoRccIl by NewTek, Inc.
use, and is regarded as one the most bul The crew at N-N-N-NewTek were off to
HALL OF FAME let-proof Amiga PD programs in terms of a great start when the first version of
As we enter the portal of the Amiga PD susceptibility to the Guru. It doesn't sup Digi-View was selling like hoteakes back
Hall of Fame, let's take a moment to rec port all the fancy features and sophisticat in mid '87. Little did they realize that a
ognize last year's inductees. Enshrined in ed protocols of today's terminal programs, PD demo released a few months later
this venerable institution (on these pages) but once a new Amiga user is comfortable would do just as much to enhance their
one year ago were Eric Graham's Juggler with the potentially confusing world of prestige (which today is unmatched even
demo as well as the ASDG-RRD (Recover Amiga telecommunications, he/she can by Electronic Arts) as their hottest com
able RAM Device) by Perry Kivolowitz then move up from Communicator to a mercial product.
and ASDG, Inc. They will be joined this more powerful telecommunications pack Those who read the '87 Amiga PD
year by two more legendary programs. age (before you can run you must learn Awards may remember some of the rea
It goes without saying that inductees how to walk). sons why I awarded DemoReell a gold
must be great PD programs, but to qualify Communicator's group of offspring medal (in the Custom Demos category),
for this honor PD programs must meet grows every year. The oldest child of Com including the first glimpse of Digi-View's
two criteria. First the program must be a municator, AMICPDTERM, is now near- 640x400 color mode and Digi-F/X (which,
prime example of what the Amiga can do. ing commercial release, and its next old in the current frenzy about when the Vid
In addition, the program will have single- est child, Access!, may also leave the PD eo Toaster be released seems to have been
handedly revealed important new fea nest and seek further fame and fortune in almost forgotten by many Amiga fanat
tures or possibilities to Amiga users. the commercial world. The latest progeny ics), plus the superb digiti2sd soundtrack
Drum roll, please... include ProtoComm, AZComm (men (which back in late '87 was rare for Amiga
tioned elsewhere in this article) and the PD demos). However, those who have seen
Communicator by Dan James (Fish 71) most recent arrival, CommPLX. it over and over won't need me to justify
This terminal program was not only a Communicator is a shining example of this Hall of Fame entry.
major success in itself, but has also fath how everyone in the Amiga community As for DemoReell's successor, we can
ered many other excellent Amiga PD pro can benefit when a talented Amiga PD only hope that DemoReell didn't make
grams via its source code. I still consider programmer releases source code to help NewTek so famous that they are no longer
Communicator the PD terminal package other Amiga programmers create new motivated enough to bother with Demo-
of choice for new Amiga users. programming works of art. Reel2.

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PROGRAMMING by John Walker

Rainy Day is simply the number of days since Janu


Moon ary 1,4713, B.C. The decimal fraction
after the Julian date is the fraction of a
for the Commodore 128 day elapsed at the current Universal
Time.
A picture of the current phase of the
Explore celestial mechanics and
moon fills the center of the screen. The
the powerful graphics commands moon is shown even if you can't see the
of BASIC 7.0 with this moon real moon because it's below the horizon
phase display program. or too close to the sun in the sky. Tb the
right of the moon, the distance to the
The ever-changing celestial ballet of moon appears in both kilometers and
sun, moon and planets has fascinated Earth radii, and the angle the moon sub
time is in effect). For example, if it's 2:45
observers ever since the first proto-hu- tends in the sky is given in degrees. Since
p.m. on July 4,1989, and you live in the the orbit of the moon is an ellipse, not a
mans raised their eyes to the sky. The
Mountain time zone with daylight sav circle, these values change as time passes.
quest to understand, explain and predict
ings time, you would answer the questions
the progression of the seasons, the phases The fraction of the moon illuminated by
as follows:
of the moon and the paths of the planets the sun is shown as a percentage of full:
ENTER TIME AS HHMMSS: ? 144500 0% indicates a new moon, 100% a full
has spurred the development of math
ENTER DATE AS YYMMDD: ? 890704 moon. Finally, the age of the moon gives
ematics and science from the arithmetic of
the Babylonians, through Newton's the the number of days, hours and minutes
TIME ZONES:
ory of universal gravitation, to Einstein's since the last new moon.
KASTERN CENTRAL MOUNTAIN PACIFIC
theory of general relativity. STANDARD 5 6 7 a At the left of the screen, information
Celestial mechanics—calculating the DAYUGirr t 5 G
about the sun is presented. The distance
motions of heavenly bodies—is one of the from the Earth to the sun is shown in kilo
TIME ZONE: ? 6
most ancient fields of science, and today meters and Astronomical Units (an Astro
ifs a dynamic and exciting area of re Be sure to enter the time using a 24-hour nomical Unit is the average distance be
search. Supercomputers are being applied military-style clock; midnight is 000000, tween the sun and the Earth: about 150
to problems such as the evolution of gal noon is 120000, and 11:30 p.m. is 233000. million kilometers or 93 million miles).
axies, the behavior of asteroids and com Also be careful to enter the date as speci The angle the sun subtends in the sky is
ets, and the long-term future of the solar fied:, year, month, then day. If you enter a also calculated. An eclipse of the sun is to
system. Precise calculation of the posi year between 88 and 99, the year is be tal only if the apparent size of the moon
tions of planets and moons is as essential tween 1988 and 1999; if you specify a year exceeds that of the sun during the eclipse;
a part of a Voyager mission as the rocket less than 88, the year is after 2000. You its fascinating to watch the angular sizes
that bears it skyward. don't have to enter the current date and change as the Earth and moon follow
Accurately calculating the motion of time—if you'd like to see what the moon their orbits.
planets is a demanding task, and while will look like on your 100th birthday, just At the bottom of the screen, dates and
the Commodore 128 is far from a super enter the date and take a peek. times of current moon phases appear,
computer, your 128 places far more com If you live in a time zone other than the these times are given in Universal Time
puting power in your hands than was mainland U.S. zones listed, answer the to match most astronomical tables. Luna
available to Newton, Kepler or Einstein. 'TIME ZONE:" query with the number of tions count new Moons starting with luna
This program sets your computer to work hours to add to your local time to obtain tion one on January 16,1923.
on a classic problem in celestial mechan Universal (Greenwich Mean) Time. If you As time passes, the display is updated
ics—calculating the phases of the moon. don't want to enter the time zone every about every five seconds. If you press the
It turns your computer screen into a moon time you run the program, you can preset "F' key, the program races through time
that never sets, a moon you can wateh your time zone in the program by chang at the rate of 12 hours every five seconds.
even when it's raining outside. ing line 80 to set variable TZ to the correct This lets you wateh the moon go through
time zone. its phases and get a feel for how the Earth
The Program and moon move in their orbits. Pressing
The moon calculator is written entirely All About the Moon any other key makes the program exit to
in BASIC. Type in the program and save After you enter the date and time, the BASIC.
it on disk in a file named MOON. Then screen clears and the program calculates Any calculation of real-world events
you can load and run the program with the positions of the sun and moon and dis must trade off accuracy against complex
the commands: plays the results. Time and date appear at ity and time to complete the calculation.
DLOAD "MOON- the top of the screen. Both local time and The numbers shown for the moon and sun
RUN Universal (Greenwich Mean) Time are are generally accurate to within about ten
When you start the program, it asks shown, as well as the Julian date and day minutes, and the times of phases shown at
you to enter the time, date and your time of the week. Astronomers use Julian dates the bottom of the screen are quite accu
zone (including whether daylight savings to calculate spans of time; the Julian date rate, generally differing only a minute

64 flJGUST 1989
Programming/Rainy Day Moon
putting the sun, Earth and moon inside sitions of the planets, rising and setting
from astronomical tables. your Commodore 128 and watching them times, orbits of comets, and even make
After a steady diet of computer games, dance in a computer-simulated sky. your own predictions of eclipses.
word processing or programming, having
your computer calculate how the moon References and Resources DufFett-Smith, Peter, Pmctical Astronomy With Your
Calculator. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University
will look and then stepping outside and If this program has whetted your inter Press, 1981.
seeing the real moon in the sky, appearing est in celestial mechanics and astronomi Meeus, Jean. Astronomical Formulae [or Calculators.
just as the computer said it would, is a cal computing, you'll find it a rich, reward 3rd «L Richmond: Willmann-Bell, 1985.
very different and palpably exciting expe ing and enjoyable area to explore on your Burgess, Eric. Celestial BASIC. Rev. ed. Berkeley: Sy-
bes, 1985.
rience. Many fascinating applications of own. The following books contain informa
In addition, Sky & Telescope magazine Has a monthly
computers involve simulating real-world tion and formulas you can use to write column, "Astronomical Computing" which often in
events. When you run this program you're your own programs that calculate the po cludes astronomically-oriented programs in BASIC. B

Before typing ihii ptogring. Kid "lluu lu Enter Program" »id "How lu i:\cihcMigHinc
390 PRINT "[SPACE7]EASTERN CENTRAL
Entry Program.' Tht BASIC program in iln- mimiint ire 11iitihle on <l»k Irum Ijiiduir.
P.O. Box 30008, Shrcvcport, I.A 71130-0007, I 801]-8i\ -2MA. MOUNTAIN PACIFIC"'BAGQ
400 PRINT "STANDARD[SPACE3]5[SPACE6]6
Rainy Day Moon
[SPACE6]7[SPACE9]8'"BAHE
20 REM A MOON FOR THE C-128'BQTC 410 PRINT "DAYLIGHT[SPACE3]4[SPACE6J5
70 REM PRESET TIME ZONE IN NEXT [SPACE6]6[SPACE9]7tllBAIF
LINE'BYCK 420 INPUT "TIME ZONE: ";TZ'BDQE
80 TZ=-1'CDJG 430 Z8=H:H1=H:M1=M:S1=S
90 DIM PA{4):PA(4)=-1'DMVJ :G0SU8 1620'FUQJ
100 ZF=0'BDEV 440 COLOR 0,7:COL0R 1,2:SCNCLR
110 YB=2447119'BJJX :COLOR 4,7'EMEI
120 C=56328:REM CIA1 CLOCK BASE 450 GRAPHIC 1,1'BDHE
ADDRESS'CCFF 460 REM FUNCTION DEFINITIONS'BTXK
130 NM$="JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPO 470 DEF FN R(X)=X*([PI]/ISO)'GKEL
CTNOVDEC"'BDNK 480 DEF FN D(X}=X*{180/[PI])'GKPM
140 DIM WD$(6)"BGDA 490 DEF
DEF FN
FN F(X)=(X-360*(INT(X/360)))
150 WD$(0)="SUN":WD$(1)="MON" 'HSFP
:WD${2)="TUES"' DUTJ 500 DEF FN S{X)=SIN(FN R(X))'FKCE
160 WD$(3)="WEDNES":WDS(4)="THURS" 510 DEF FN C(X)=COS(FN R(X))"FKKF
:WD$(5)=nFRIn:WD$(6)="SATUR"1ECCP 520 DEF FN A{X)=ATN{X/SQR(1-X*X))'IMXJ
170 W9=0:W6=-1000'DKLG 530 EO=0.016718 : MC=0.0549'CTJH
180 POKE C+7,PEEK(C+7) AND 127 540 GOSUB 3580'BERE
: REM SET CLOCK TIME'GXHM 550 REM MAIN LOOP'BIMG
190 POKE C+G,PE£K(C+6) AND 128 560 GOSUB 640'BDNG
: REM LINE FREQ = 60HZ'GYBN 570 GET A$:IF A$="" THEN 560'EIKK
200 INPUT "ENTER TIME AS HHMMSS 580 IF A$="F" THEN ZF=1-ZF
: ";A$'BDCD : GOTO 560'GLMN
210 H=VAL(LEFT$(A$,2))'DJKA 590 GRAPHIC CLR : STOP'DBRK
220 M=VAL(MID$(A$,3,2))'DLGC 610 REM APPLY UPDATES APPROPRIATE
230 S=VAL(MIDS(A$,5))'DJBC TO'BAVJ
240 IF H>23 OR M>59 OR S>59 THEN 620 REM THIS TIME.'BJKF
200'HMUH 640 IF ZF THEN JF=JF+.5
250 E=H:IF E>11 THEN E=E+68'GKLH : GOTO 770'FMSK
260 POKE C+3,16*INT{E/1O)+E-INT(E/1O) 650 C=56328'BGCG
*10'KSDM 660 H=PEEK(C+3):M=PEEK(C+2)
270 POKE C+2,16*INT(M/10)+M-INT(M/10) :S=PEEK(C+1):T=PEEK(C)'LWHS
*10'KSBN 670 PM=1'BDCI
280 POKE C+1,16*INT(S/10)+S-INT(S/10) 680 IF H>32 THEN H=H AND 127
*10'KSSO : PM=0'GMLO
290 POKE C,0 : REM TENTHS, 690 H=INT(H/16)*1O+H-INT(H/16)*16'JQWS
START CLOCK'CVAL 700 IF PM=0 AND H<12 THEN H=H+12'HKNI
300 REM OBTAIN DATE'BKFA 710 IF PM=1 AND H=12 THEN H=0'GIGH
310 INPUT "ENTER DATE AS YYMMDD 720
M=INT(M/16)*10+M-INT(M/16)*16'JQRM
: ";A$'BDTE 730 S=INT(S/16)*10+S-INT(S/16)*16'JQQ[g
320 YY=VAL(LEFTS(A$,2))+1900'EOBE 740
JF=(S+60*(M+60*H))/86400+(TZ/24)
330 IF YY<1988 THEN YY=YY+100'FNSG 'IYYP
340 MM=VAL(MID$(AS,3,2))'DMIF 750 IF H<Z8 THEN JB=JB+1'FIYL
350 DD=VAL(MID$(A$,5))'DKXG 760 Z8=H'BD0I
360 IF MM<1 OR MM>12 OR DD<1 OR DD>31 770 JD=JB+JF'CGGL
THEN 310'JRLN 780 D=JD'BDGK
370 IF TZ>-1 THEN 430'EGEI 790 GOSUB 1240'BEIL
380 PRINT "TIME ZONES:"'BALI 800 COLOR 1,2'BDRD

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 65
Programming/Rainy Day Moon
810 CHAR 1,16,2,D$'BJYF (LU+1)'IBLT
820 D=JD-(TZ/24)'DJOI 1200 RETURN'BAQU
830 GOSUB 1240'BEIG 1220 REM EDIT JULIAN DATE TO CIVIL
840 CHAR 1,16,1,D$'BJXI DATE'BAFE
3 50 D$=RIGHT${"00 0 00"+MID$(STR$(INT 1240 TD=D'BDQA
(JFM00000) ) ,2) ,5) 'HWLR 1250 GOSUB 1730'BEMB
860 D$=STR5(YB+INT{JD+0.5)) 1260 GOSUB 1920'BENC
+ " ." + D$'HPWQ 1270 D$=RIGHT$(STRS(H8+100),2)+"
870 CHAR 1,15,3,D$'BJYL :"'FNUI
880 D=INT(JD-TZ/24+0.5)+4'GNRR 1280 D$=DS+RIGHTS(STRS(M8+100),2)+"
390 D=D-7*INT(D/7)'FHUP :"'GPSK
900 CHAR 1,16,4,WDS(D)+"DAY[SPACE3] 1290 DS=DS+RIGHTS(STRS(S8+100),

"CNKI 2)-f" '"GPWL


910 TD=JD'BEPF 1300 D5=DS+RIGHTS("[SPACE2]"+STRS(D9) ,
920 GOSUB 2140'BEIG 2)+" "'GMIC
930 COLOR 1,8'BDXH 1310 DS=D$+MIDS(NMS,1+(M9-1)*3,3)'GTDE
940 CHAR l,0,8,MID$(STRS(SD+0.5), 1320 D$=DS+STRS(Y9)'DIKB
2)+" KM"'FRTO 1330 RETURN'BAQY
950 CHAR l,0,9,MID${STR$ 1350 REM EDIT JULIAN DATE TO SHORT
(SD/1.495985E8+10.0005)+"0000",3, DATE'BAFI
5)+" A.U."'HIEV 1370 TD=D'BDQE
960 CHAR l,0,12,MID$(STRS(10.00005+SA) 1380 GOSUB 1730'BEMF
+ "0000",3,6)+" DEG"'GABT 1390 GOSUB 1920'BENG
1400 D$=RIGHTS(STRS(H8+100),2)+"
970 COLOR 1,16'BEUL
980 CHAR 1,3O,15,MID$(STR$(INT(PH*1OO) :"'FNUD

),2)+"% FULL[SPACE2]"'GVUV 1410 D$=DS+RIGHT$(STR$(M8+100),


990 D$=MID$(STR$(INT(MG) ) ,2)+"D'"FMXS 2)+ GPQF
1000 T=INT(24*(MG-INT(MG)))' FNVY 1420 D$=DS+RIGHTS("[SPACE21"+STRS(D9),
1010 D$=D$+STR${T}+":"'EHVX 2)+" "'GMIF
1020 D$=D$+RIGHT$("00"+MID$(STR$(M7), 1430 D$=D$+MID$(NM$,1+(M9-1)*3,
2),2)'GQSC 3)+" "'HTYI
1440 DS=D$+RIGHTS(STRS(100+Y9-100*INT
1030 IF MG<10 THEN D$=D$+" "'FIMB
(Y9/100}},2)'JARM
1040 IF T<10 THEN D$=D$+" "'FHEB
1050 CHAR l,30,18,D$'BKAA 1450 RETURN'BAQC
1060 CHAR 1,30,8,MID$(STR$(INT(MD+0.5) 1470 REM CONVERT DATE IN Y, M,
AND D'BVVK
) ,2) + " KM"'GUUH
1070 CHAR l,30,9,MID$(STR$ 1480 REM TO JULIAN DATE IN J'BPSJ
(MD/6378.16+0.05)+"0000",2, 1500 IF M>2 THEN M=M-3 :jELSE M=M+9
:Y=Y-1'KNRI
4)+" E RAD"'HDYM
1080 CHAR l,30,12,MID$(STR$ 1510 C=INT(Y/100)'DHUC
(10.00005+MS)+"0000",3, 1520 Y=Y-(100*C)'DIXD
1530 J=D+INT((C*146097)/4)+INT(
6)+" DEG"'GBLM
(Y*1461)/4)+INT((M*153+2)/5)'OJER
1090 GOSUB 3330'BEKD
1100 IF JD<PA(4) THEN 1200'DLAX 1540 J=J-726000'CIGF
SD=JD'B£OV 1550 RETURN'BAQD
1110
GOSUB 3100'BEFW 1570 REM CONVERT LOCAL DATE AND
1120
TIME'BXIM
1130 COLOR 1,2'BDRX
LU=INT({(PA(0)+71+23683)
1580 REM IN YY, MM, DD, AND HI, Ml,
1140
Sl'BWKM
/29.53058868)+l'GGFI
1590 REM INTO ASTRONOMICAL JULIAN
1150 D=PA(0):GOSUB 1370
DATE'BBDP
:CHAR 1,0,20,"NEW MOON
:[SPACE2]"+DS+" LUNATION"+STR$ 1600 REM IN JD.'BFAA
(LU)"HAJO 1620 Y=YY:M=MM:D=DD'DLVG
1160 D=PA(1):GOSUB 1370 1630 GOSUB 1500'BEHD
-.CHAR 1,0, 21, "FIRST QTR 1640 JB=J-0.5'CGWF
: "+D$'EVRK 1650 JF=(S1+60*(M1+60*H1))/86400+
1170 D=PA(2):GOSUB 1370 (TZ/24J'ICPP
:CHAR 1,0,22,"FULL MOON 1660 JD=JB+JF'CGGI
: "+D$"EVAL 1670 RETURN'BAQG
1690 REM CONVERT JULIAN DATE IN
1180 D=PA(3):GOSUB 1370
:CHAR 1,0,23,"LAST QTR TD'BVQO
:[SPACE2]"+D$'EVXL 1700 REM INTO Y9, M9, D9
REPRESENTING'BYAH
1190 D=PA(4):GOSUB 1370
:CHAR 1,0, 24,"NEXT NEW 1710 REM YEAR, MONTH, AND DAY.'BSYG
:[SPACE2]"+D$+" LUNATION"+STR$ 1730 J=INT(TD+0.5)"DIOG

66 flUGUST 1989
Programming/Rainy Day Moon
1740 J=J+726000'CIFH 2310 MP=M4+EV-AE-A3'EKAD
1750 Y=INT(((4*J)-1)/146 097.0)'FSEL 2320 ME=6.2886*SIN(FN R(MP))'EPHF
1760 3= (JM.0)-( 1.0+ (146097.0*YJ) ' FXXN 2330 A4=0.214*SIN(FN R(2*MP))'FPEG
1770 D=INT(J/4.0)'DHHK 2340 LP=ML+EV+ME-AE+A4'FMIH
1780 J=INT(((4.0*D}+3.0)/1461.0)'FUFP 2350 V=0.<5583*SIN(FN R (2* ( LP-LS) ) )
1790 D=((4.0*D)+3.0)- 1461. 0*J) 'FVMQ 'GTJK
1800 D=INT((D+4.0J/4.0)'EMMG 2360 L4=LP+V'CFFF
1810 H=INT(((5.0*D)-3)/153.0)'FRVI 2370 NP=MN-0.16*SIN(FN R(M3))'FPWK
1820 D=(5.0*D)-(3.0+ 153.0*M))'FUPK 2380 Y=SIN(FN R(L4-NP))*COS(5.145396)
1830 D=INT((D+5.0)/5.0)'EMOJ 'GUIN
1840 Y={100.0*Y)+J'DKRJ 2390 X=COS{FN R(L4-NP))'EKQL
1850 IP M<10.0 THEN M=M+3 :ELSE M=M-9 2400 IF XOO THEN 2440' EGGB
: Y=Y+1'KQJQ
2410 IF Y=0 THEN LM=0 : GOTO 2450'FKRE
I860 Y9=Y:M9=M:D9=D'DLJM 2420 IF Y>0 THEN LM=[PI]/2
1870 RETURN1BAQI ;ELSE LM=-[PI]/2'LJTK
1890 REM CONVERT JULIAN TIME IN 2430 GOTO 2450'BEIC
TD'BVIQ 2440 LM=ATN(Y/X)'DGLF
1900 REM INTO TIME IN H8, M8, 2450 LM=FN D(LM)+NP'DJBH
AND SS'BVXI 2460 MA=L4-LS'CGKH
1920 J=TD+0.5'CGIG 2470 PH=(1-COS(FN R{«A)))/2'FNIL
1930 IJ=(J-INT(J))*86400'ENLK 2480 MD=(384401*(1-MC*MC))/{1+MCCOS
1940 H8=INT(IJ/3600)'DKOK (FN R(MP+ME))}'KGCT
1950 M8=INT((IJ/60))-(H8*60)'FQSN 2490 MF=MD/384401"CKHK
1960 S8=INT(IJ-(60*(M8+60*H8))+0.5) 2500 MS=0.5181/MF'CKPC
'HVAR 2510 MG=29.53058868*(FN
1970 RETURN'BAQJ F(MA)/360)'EXAH
1990 REM SOLVE THE EQUATION OF 2520 M7=1440*(MG-INT(MG))
KEPLER'BYHS :M7=INT(M7-60*INT(M7/60))'KEPO
2010 REM INPUTS: M, E'BKFX 2530 RETURN'BAQC
2020 REM OUTPUT: K'BIFY 2550 REM CALCULATE MEAN PHASE OF
2040 M=FN R(M)'CFWA MOON'BYYL
2050 E1=M'BDQA 2560 REM FROM A STARTING DATE SD AND
2060 D1=E1-E*SIN(E1)-M'FKHF A'BXGM
2070 E1=E1-D1/{1-E*COS(E1))'GOOI 2570 REM PHASE SELECTOR IN PH.
2080 IF ABS(Dl)>lE-6 THEN 2060'FLAH RETURNS"BAPN
2090 K=E1'BDOE 2580 REM MEAN PHASE IN MH.'BOWL
2100 RETURN'BAQU 2600 TD=SD'BEYB
2120 REM CALCULATE MOON AND SUN 2610 GOSUB 1730'BEMC
INFO'BXYE 2620 K=(Y9+((M9-1)*(1.0/12.0))-l90 0)
2140 D3=TD+2880.5 : REM DATE IN *12.3685'HHQN
EPOCH"DWPG 2630 T={SD+32099)/36 5 25'DPFI
2150 N=FN F((360/3S5.2422)*D3)'ETOG 2640 T2=T*T'CEOG
2160 M3 = FN F{N+(278.833540-282.596403) 2650 T3=T2*T'CFPH
)'EDIJ 2660 K=INT(K)+PH'DGSJ
2170 M=M3 : E=EO : GOSUB 2040'DMIG 2670 UK=K'BDGI
2180 EC=SQR((l+EO)/(l-EO))*TAN(K/2) 2680 MH=-32098.24067+29.53058868*K+0.
1 ISOM 0001178*T2-0.0000 0015 5*T3'IYJX
2190 EC=2*FN D(ATN(EC))'EKKI 2*590 MH=MH+0.00033*FN S
2200 LS=FN F{EC+282.596403)'DRUB (166.56+132.87*T-0.00917 3*T2)
2210 F=((1+EO*COS{FN R(EC)))/(1-EO*EO) ' IMFW
)'IWPH 2700 RETURN"BAQB
2220 SD=1.495985E8/F'CNUC 2720 REM CALCULATE TRUE,
2230 SA=F*0.533128'CLDC CORRECTED TIME'BCHL
2240 REM CALCULATE MOON'S 2730 REM OF MOON PHASE GIVEN MEAN
POSITION'BXSH PHASE1BAQL
2250 ML=FN F(13.1763966*03+64.975464) 2740 REM TIME IN UK AND PHASE
' EBEJ SELECTOR'BYDM
2260 M4=FN F(ML-0.1114041*D3-349.3830 2750 REM IN PH. RETURNS PHASE TIME
63)'FDNL IN'BXKN
2270 MN=FN F(151.950429-0.0529539*D3) 2760 REM PT.'BDVI
'EBOL 2780 K=UK+PH'CFWL
2280 EV=1.27 3 9*SIN(FN R(2*(ML-LS)-M4)) 2790 T=K/1236.85'CJAN
'HWTN 2800 T2^T*T'CEOE
2290 AE=0.1858*SIN(FN R(M3))'EPOK 2810 T3=T2*T'CFPF
2300 A3=0.37*SIN(FN R(M3))'ENNC 2820 PT=-32098.24067+29.53058868*K+0.

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 67
Programming/Rainy Day Moor
00 01178*T2-0.0 0 0000155*T3' IYVT 3230'GQNM
2830 PT=PT+0.00033*FN S 3200 M6=MH'BEBX
(166.56+132.87*T-0.00917 3*T2) 3210 U6=UK'BEUY
1 IMKS 3220 GOTO 3150'BEGA
2840 M=359.2242+29.10535608*K-0.00003 3230 U7=UK'BEVB
3 3*T2-0.0 0000 347*T3'HTDT 3240 UK=U6:PH=0:GOSUB 2780
28 50 Ml=306.0253+385.81691806*K+0.010 :PA(O)=PT'EVCI
7 306*T2+0.00001236*T3'HVGV 3250 UK=U6:PH=0.25:GOSUB 2780
2860 F=21.2964+390.67050646*K-0.00165 :PA(1)=PT'EYVK
28*T2-0.0000 0239*T3'HTNV 3260 UK=U6:PH=0.5:GOSUB 2780
2870 IF (PH>0.01) AND (ABS{PH-0.5) :PA(2)=PT'EXWL
>0.01) THEN 2960'HASS 3270 UK=U6:PH=0.75:GOSUB 2780
2880 REM CORRECTIONS FOR NEW AND :PA(3)=PT'EYDM
FULL'BYBR 3280 UK=U7:PH=0:GOSUB 2780
2890 PT=PT+(0.1734-0.000393*T)*FN :PA(4)=PT'EVHM
S(M)'GAFU 3290 RETURN'BAQG
2900 PT=PT+0.0021*FN S(2*M)-0.4068*FN 3310 REM DRAW THE MOON AT AGE MA'BSXE
S(Ml)+0.0161*FN S{2*M1)'MNIT 3330 CX=160:CY=100:XS=6 5:YS=50'EVBI
2910 PT=PT-0.0004*FN S(3*M1) 3340 T4=FN F(MA)/360'DKXG
+0.0104*FN S(2*F)-0.0051*FN 3 3 50 T1=INT(XS*COS(2*[PI]*T4))'HLEK
S(M+M1)'NOFV 3360 IF T1=W6 AND T4>=W4 THEN
2920 PT=PT-0.0074*FN S(H-M1) RETURN'HISK
+O.0004*FN S(2*F+M)-O.OOO4*FN 3370 COLOR 1,2'BDRG
S(2*F-M)'PPRX 3380 IF W6O-1000 THEN CIRCLE 0,CX,CY,
2930 PT=PT-0.0006*FN S(2*F+M1) W5,YS,W7fW8'GACQ
+O.0010*FN S(2*F-Ml)+0.0005*FN 3390 W6=T1:W4=T4'CJTK
S(M+2*M1)'QSQB 3400 IF T4>=0.5 THEN 3490'EJCD
2940 RETURN'BAQH 3410 IF W9=2 THEN CIRCLE 0,CX,CY,XS,
2950 REH CORRECTIONS FOR QUARTER YS,180,0'EWXI
PHASES'BCSQ 3420 CIRCLE 1 ,CX,CY,XS,YS,0,180'BTNG
2960 PT=PT+(0.1721-0.0004*T)*FN 3430 W9=1*BDOD
S(M)+0.0021*FN S{2*M)'KJYX 3440
2970 PT=PT-0.6280*FN S(Ml)+0.0089*FN 3450 IF TK0 THEN T1 = -T1:W7 = 180
S(2*M1}-0.0004*FN S{3*M1)'MORB :W8=0'HRPM
2980 PT=PT+0.0079*FN S(2*F)-0.0119*FN 3460 CIRCLE 1,CX,CY,T1,YS,W7,W8'BTJK
S(M+M1)-0.0047*FN S(M-M1)'NODD 3470 W5=T1'BETH
2990 PT=PT+0.0003*FN S(2*F+M) 3480 RETURN'BAQH
-0.0004*FN S(2*F-M)-0.0006*FN 3490 IF W9=l THEN CIRCLE 0,CX,CY,XS,
S(2*F+M1)'QQTG YS,0,180'EWWQ
3000 PT=PT+0.0021*FN S(2*F-M1) 3500 CIRCLE 1,CX,CY,XS,YS,180,0'BTNF
+0.0003*FN S(M+2*Ml)+0.0004*FN 3510 W9=2'BDPC
S(M-2*M1)'QSVP 3520 W7=180:W8=0'CJGF
3010 PT=PT-0.0003*FN S(2*M+M1)'GROE 3530 IF TK0 THEN Tl=-Tl:W7 = 0
3020 IF PH<0.5 THEN PT=PT+0.0028-0.00 :W8=180'HRPL
04*FN C(M}+0.0003*FN C(M1) 3540 GOTO 3460'BEKF
:GOTO 3040'MQVN 3560 REM PAINT STATIC SCREEN
3030 PT=PT+(-0.0028+0.0004*FN CONTENTS'BABO
C(M)-0.0003*FN C(M1))'JITK 3580 COLOR 1,2'BDRJ
3040 RETURN'BAQY 3590 CHAR 1,0,1,"LOCAL TIME
3060 REM FIND PHASE TIMES : [SPACE5]"'BGWO
SURROUNDING'BADJ 3600 CHAR 1,0,2,"UNIVERSAL TIME
3070 REM THE CURRENT DATE, : "'BGCH
GIVEN IN SD.'BACJ 3610 CHAR 1,0,3,"JULIAN DATE
3080 REM LEAVES TIMES IN :[SPACE3]""BGHH
PA(0)-PA(4)'BYNJ 3620 COLOR 1,8'BDXE
3100 AD=SD-45'CGAX 3630 CHAR 1,3,5,"SUN1" BGUG
3110 S6=SD'BEJX 3640 CHAR 1,1,7,"DISTANCE"'BGEJ
3120 SD=AD:PH=0'CIEB 3650 CHAR 1,1,11,"SUBTENDS"'BHBK
3130 GOSUB 2600'BEJA 3660 COLOR 1,16'BEUI
3140 U6=UK'BEUB 3670 CHAR 1, 32,5,"MOON1" BHHL
3150 AD=AD+29.S3058868'CPTF 3680 CHAR 1, 32,14,"PHASE"'BIMM
3160 M6=MH'BEBD 3690 CHAR 1,33,17,"AGE"'BIAN
3170 SD=AD:PH=0'CIEG 3700 CHAR 1,31,7,"DISTANCE"'BHFG
3180 GOSUB 2600'BEJF 3710 CHAR 1,31,11,"SUBTENDS"'BICH
3190 IF (M6<=S6) AND (MH>S6) THEN 3720 RETURN'BAQE MO

68 WJGUST 1989
All About Epyx
Continued from page 53 ly before moving on. By using this ap strategy accordingly.
proach, you don't have to keep track of the We also had some ideas for the game
things in life (art, literature and the rooms that haven't been totally explored that didn't appear in the final product. At
theater). and where they are located in respect to one time, I considered making it possible
Jermaine: What is the basic storyline of your present position. for the user to reprogram the robots to
Impossible Mission? The room with seven little floorlets is help him in his quest. This initially
Dennis Caswell: A mad scientist named the most chailenging of the game. To get sounded like a great idea, but time and
Elvin Atombender is tiying to crack the to the lift in the middle screen, the player memory grew short, and the program was
computer launch codes of missile systems has to learn to step—not leap—over the complicated enough already. We even
around the world. Once this is accom gaps in the floor. As you have probably talked about having a game behind the
plished, he can initiate an attack that will discovered, there's no way to get to the lift control room door, instead of the cartoon
annihilate the planet. Your assignment by somersaulting over the opening. But that appears there now. But once again,
consists of entering Elvin's underground by walking over to the edge of a gap, it's time and memory came into play.
installation, avoiding his army of robot Jermaine: The program contains a num
guards, and breaking the computer's secu ber of puzzles to solve. What is the best
rity code which will shut down the control "It's an unwritten law among way to deal with this element of the
center and end this terrible nightmare. game?
All you have to work with are your wits, programmers that any Caswell: Puzzles tend to be tough, so let
dexterity and a pocket computer that can application, given sufficient me explain a few things that might help
be brought up on the screen. By the way, you understand them better. First of all,
your enemy has the ability to carry out time, will expand to fill all the program generates visual puzzles
his plan in six hours, so work as fast as
you can in the game.
available memory." from a library of 240 different pieces
(which works out to 560 possible puzzles).
Jermaine: How did you get involved in the —Caswell Each puzzle has four parts. Smart play
project? ers will use their pocket computer to flip
Caswell: I came to Epyx when the com actually possible to step across the open and turn pieces several different ways.
pany acquired Storpath in November of ing. Be sure you hold the joystick to the Then it's wise to pick up a particular item
'83. In the past, I created Atari 2600 titles right (or to the left, if you're going to the and scan through all the others until you
like Escape from the Mindmaster and left) until the figure has made it to the find one that goes together with it. Con
Phaser Patrol, but now I was ready to do other side of the hole. If you release the tinue working with these pieces until you
something different. I wanted to produce a stick before your stride has been complet discover a third and fourth piece that com
sophisticated action game, unlike any ed, the figure on the screen will fall to his plete the geometric figure. Another way to
thing on the market at that time. Impossi death—screaming all the way down. It find a mate for a piece is to concentrate on
ble Mission was "inspired" (if I may so also pays to make sure your toes are not one comer of the piece, and try to find an
abuse the word) by the movie War Games, sticking out over the edge of the gap be other one that connects to that particular
the difference being the existence of a fore you take your stride. If they do, you'll corner. By using this approach, the player
crazed human villain who plans to blow slip and fall. This technique must be used narrows down the number of pieces that
up the world. in a couple of rooms and can be used in might fit together to form the figure.
It took me ten months to complete the several others. Completing nine of these puzzles will
project. I did all of the programming, Each chamber also contains a number give you the security code. Then it's a sim
graphics and sounds, except for the speech of robot security guards. Its interesting to ple matter to locate the control center,
synthesis (which was created by Electron note that their behavior patterns are ran push the joystick forward (to open the
ic Speech Systems in Berkeley, CA). Cred domly assigned at the beginning of every door), and the game is officially over. If
it also has to go to Craig Nelson, our head game. So each room contains the same you think you're an excellent player of the
of product development, and to all the number of robots, located in the same po game, I challenge you to beat my personal
Epyx programmers who contributed ideas sitions, but they always react differently record. I completed Impossible Mission in
and helped playtest the beast. At one time to your presence. Impossible Mission fea about 45 minutes, scoring 29,000 points.
or another, during the operation of the tures approximately 90 of these patterns, Jermaine: Was Impossible Mission a big
program, it uses all but 13AK of the Com displaying various combinations of a few seller?
modore's 64K of RAM. It could have been capabilities. Caswell: The program sold very well, and
made smaller, but the memory was there, Some of the robots are fast; some are its sequel hit the market in 1988. By the
so I used it It's an unwritten law among slow. Some of them can see you when you way, some of the tips mentioned above can
programmers that any application, given appear in front of them, at which point also be used when playing Impossible Mis
sufficient time, will expand to fill all avail they might charge you, fire an electrical sion n.
able memory. charge, or some combination of the two.
Jcrmnine: Tell me more about Impossible Some robots can actually hear you, while The Fastload cartridge caused a near-
Mission, others sense your presence and move to revolution when it shipped in 1984/85.
Caswell: The strategy of the game was wards your location whether they see you Brothers Craig and Scott Nelson, who
really very simple: visit every room in the or not. Still others cannot react to your were commuting to Epyx at the time, de
installation, search each piece of furni presence and simply follow a pre-deter- signed the system in their car on the way
ture, and gather as many puzzle pieces as mined pattern of movement. The trick to work. Then Scott made it work on a car
possible. Tb save time, it's best to visit the here is to learn to recognize the various tridge and that was that. Both brothers
rooms in order and search them complete patterns of behavior and adjust your still work at the company.

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 69
All About Epyx the mad. By the way, we thought about ing. I mean he really looked like a stock
putting various types of vehicles on the broker in that outfit. I didn't recognize
Pitstop, one of the top-selling computer road with your cycle. But that idea didn't him at first. So I thought it might be fun
to take him around the company, intro
games of1983, was the brainchild of Mi pan out.
Michael Kosaka, who was nicknamed duce him as Scott's brother Max (who
chael Katz (formerly president Epyx). A
year hter, Steve Landrum and Michael "the sock," designed the beautiful back didn't exist), and see what happened. We
grounds that appear in the game. There's fooled practically everyone, from the pro
Kasaka were co-developing Pitstop n.
Landrum went on to work on other pro an interesting story about the San Fran grammers and designers to the heads of
jects including the Temple of Apshai Tril cisco track. It went out over the water to the company. Scott's friends were actually
ogy, Super Cycle and the Vorpal Utility make Michael's graphics of the city look shaking his hand and asking if he
Kit. He aim developed Skate or Die for right. After examining the positions of the planned to get a job at Epyx. Scott would
Electronic Arts I with Michael Kanaka). local landmarks in the picture, it made give them this serious look and say he was
Michael, the first resident artist, made sense for the cycle to be somewhere over thinking about it. Some people didn't ap
Epyx graphics the talk of the industry. I re the San Francisco Bay. preciate our prank, but it was terribly
cently spoke to these talented individuals Here are some tips for playing Super amusing at the time.
and asked them about that phase of their Cycle. The optimum shift point is around Epyx also had a policy of charging you a
careens. 9000 rpm. Learn what the motor sounds dollar if you were late for a company
Jermaine: Tell me about the making of like at 9000 rpm, so you can shift without meeting. After a while, someone broke
Pitstop II. having to look at the screen. When travel into the president's office and turned back
Steve Landnim: In the beginning, an out ing at a high rate of speed, downshifting all of his clocks (so they wouldn't be late
side company worked with us on the pro reduces your speed much faster than ap all the time). I won't tell you who this per
ject. The submissions they sent us were plying the brakes. In case you're interest son was, but he had a good reason for al
pretty bad, so I roughed up some game ed, my best Super Cycle score is over ways being late.
code to show them what we expected to 320,000 points on level three. I had a lot of fun with Steve and the
see. Their work continued to be unaccep Jermaine: What is the Vorpal Utility Kit guys back then, but they really took me to
table, so I started the game over again, and how does it work? the cleaners at cards. Most of our pro
Even though half of the time allotted for l.andrum: The Vorpal Utility Kit was real grammers are hard-core mathematicians,
the project was up before I started, I still ly Scott Nelson's project, but 1 helped him and they knew all the card games inside
got the product out on time. finish it up and get it out the door. Basi and out. So I was constantly going broke
I madu an interesting discovery as I cally, it's a special ICommodore] 64 disk in games where cards and numbers came
worked on some code to create a split utility package that permits you to load into play.
screen with separate scrolling regions. If things in a lot faster (about 25 times fas Jermaine: Can you tell me about other
you activate both the extended-color mode ter than normal). projects you worked on?
and the multi-color mode at the same This technology first appeared in the Kosakn: Steve had problems when it
time (on the 64), the screen goes complete Fastload cartridge. When that product came to constructing Tlie Temple ofAp
ly black. I used that effect in Pitstop II, sold well, we decided to take things a step shai Trilogy. As he examined the codes of
whenever you entered or exited the pit. It further. We created a program that al these early games, there was a lot of mate
allowed me to redraw the entire screen lowed the consumer to write fast disk rial that needed a major facelift. After all,
and not make it visible to the user. loaders for BASIC programs. Temple ofApshai appeared on the market
Jermaine: How did you get involved in the The word vorpal has an interesting ori a long time ago. Technology has really
Super Cycle project? gin. I believe it first appeared in "Jabber- changed since then, so much of the pro
Uindrum: We chose to write the program wocky," a |)ocm by Lewis Caroll. In gram was rewritten from scratch.
because Pitstop I and // had sold very well, Dungeons & Dragons, you sometimes see Speaking of Steve Landrum, he's a
and we wanted to generate a follow-up a reference to the vorpal blade (which is a great guy to work with. Steve is a smart
product that looked a bit different. Motor mighty sword). As a program, a vorpal individual who knows how to manipulate
cycles were the perfect vehicles for the utility is something very powerful. code very quickly. Believe it or not, he
game. They're more exciting to ride than Jermaine: You haven't said anything, once looked over a programmer's shoulder
automobiles, open to the elements, and Michael. What do you remember about and located a bug in less than a minute.
definitely more dangerous to operate. I working for Epyx? The other guy was about to pull his hair
also wanted to convince the player he was Michael Kosakn: First of all, 1 was at the out, so Steve examined his work and said,
really moving fast on the roadway. company from 1984-87, doing artwork for 'There it is." Then he fixed it for the guy.
Whetheryouknowit or not, I worked very projects like Summer Games, Pitstop II, That's the kind of person Steve is.
hard to make that element stand out World Games and Super Cycle. Landnim: I really enjoyed working with
above the rest. Several years ago, Scott Nelson and I Michael at Epyx and Electronic Arts (in
When I started designing and program pulled off the joke of the decade. Back recent years). He has a way of making mi
ming Super Cycle, I took the display code then, Scott looked like the typical pro crocomputer artwork look almost like a
from Pitstop II, cleaned it up and rewrote grammer: he had long hair, a beard and photo of the real thing. Michael also initi
it to be more streamlined. Then I took out mustache, and dressed like a hippie. One ated the idea to hire a staff of artists at
sections and wrote new code to handle the day, a new Scott Nelson stepped through Epyx. That move made the programmers'
different display needs of the program. the doors of Epyx. Scott had to get glasses, job a lot easier. And our graphics are
The game control code is all new code. so he decided to change his image. He got state-of-the-art. Everyone misses Michael
The main similarity between Pitstop II his hair cut short, shaved off the beard around here, but I still see him every now
and Super Cycle is in the appearance of and mustache, and dressed in nice cloth and then.

70 AUGUST 1989
All About Epyx'
and mouse" game cyclists play. It's basi game. Initially, when they gave me the
cally a matter of knowing how to pace job, I didn't know anything about the
As I said before, last year I wrote a trib yourself and when to make your move. event. For starters, we went to the library
ute to the Epyx Games line ofproducts. At They also discovered that the "ringing of and collected as much reference material
the time. The Games: Summer Edition the bell" announced the final lap. So there as possible. This consisted of magazine ar
wasn't far enough along to do much with was more to riding a bicycle than anyone ticles, a rule book and step-by-step photos
it. Now you'll hear from thepeopte who ever imagined. of hammer throwers in action. Unfortu
made the program and how it came togeth The uneven parallel bars gave us a nately, no one could locate a videotape on
er. My guests include: Peter Engkbrite number of headaches. I had a lot of trou the subject. We even went over to Stanford
'project manager), Susie Green (graphic ble finding books on the subject that ex University looking for someone who
artist), and Joe Miller (vice-president, soft plained things on an Olympic level, in might demonstrate the sport. Their ham
ware development). stead of for amateur gymnasts. One of our mer throwers weren't practicing because it
Jermuine: How did you get The Games: was the wrong time of the year. So we
Summer Edition off the ground? didn't get any help from them. But I did
Peter Englebrite: It started in January of "Each new product must be get some people to model for me as the
1988, with the 64 and IBM versions of the
progressively better than the project came together.
product coming out before the Summer Going back to the rule book, I finally
Olympics that we*-e held in September. last one and not just a thinly figured out how to construct the event. It
We finished every event that was actually
started. Some of our ideas that didn't work
disguised sequel of started out with one screen displaying a
hammer thrower going through his warm-
out included the long jump, high jump, something we've already up exercises. As the athlete finally went
4x440 meter relay, certain swimming into his routine, there came a time when
events and water polo. done." —Englebrite he released the hammer. It soon became
We developed some contests and dis apparent that I couldn't show everything
carded others for several different reasons. people finally located the book we needed, on a single screen. There just wasn't
First of all, we looked for events that could complete with illustrations. But that's enough space. We could have done things
be made into good playable games. Then where the work really began. with a scrolling approach, but it's been
we tried to fulfill the fantasies of our fol While ail of this was going on, Cheryl used too many times in the past. In the
lowers. What would they like to compete Knowles (our art director) brought her lit end, we solved this problem by giving the
in? It appeared that several records might tle girl Shannon to the office one day. We player a bird's-eye view of the hammer
be broken at the Summer Olympics, so we took a look at her "monkey-on-a-stick" toy coming towards him (the moment it was
focused our attention on those particular and used it to generate ideas for the game. released). By the way, I worked closely
events. Lastly, we wanted to put our play First there were stick figures performing with the programmers throughout the
ers in the shoes of the athletes, as much as the different routines on the screen. Then project. I was always making sure that
possible. Making a good computer game our artists dressed things up and added all this thing and that thing could actually be
was one thing. Convincing the user that of the colorful details. It was also quite a done on the computer.
he was actually participating in the challenge to put together routines in a set Jermaine: Did you think about doing
Olympics was another matter altogether. pattern, where the end of one sequence some swimming events in the game?
Jermaine: The opening ceremony doesn't had to match perfectly with the beginning Joe Miller: Yes, we talked about it in the
feature the lighting of the Olympic flame. of the next. early design sessions. Someone thought it
Why did you depart from this traditional The number of possible moves in the might be fun to develop an underwater
Games opening sequence? event staggers the imagination. Wo used view of a swimming event. That concept
Englebrite: We don't have much competi 32 sequences in the game, containing sounded great at the time, but we gradu
tion from other companies in this field, so about 300 frames of animation and 2100 ally lost interest in it.
we are constantly competing against our Commodore 64 sprites. Now that's a lot of Jermaine: What else can you tell me
selves. Each new product must be progres stuff, but it only represents a small por about the project?
sively better than the last one and not just tion of the things a real gymnast can do. If Miller: The Games: Summer Edition has
a thinly disguised sequel of something you want to impress your friends, with a done very well on the market. It was also
we've already done. Everyone felt it was perfect "10" performance on the "bars," our most massive project to date. Approxi
time to produce a new opening for the follow these instructions to the letter six mately 17 programmers, eight artists, two
game, so the torch was moved over to the downs, up, down, up, down, down, up, up, musicians and five technical writers
menu screen. I really got excited when down, up, down, four ups, down and up. worked many hours to produce three dif
they broadcast the Olympics on television. Archery looks complex, but it was one of ferent versions of the same game at the
They were using the graphics of an Olym the easier events to make. In fact, it looks same time.
pic torch, flying around square icons of the more like the standard shoot-'em-up ar When push came to shove, everyone
various events just like we did in the cade game than a "take aim and fire"-type made personal sacrifices. Peter asked Ke
menu screen. of challenge. We thought the game needed vin to stay over late one night. Later it
Jermaine: How did you make the events more depth, so wind was added to mess up was revealed that he had already put in
for the program? your aim a bit. 40 hours straight. As The Games: Sum
Englebrite: There was a lot to learn about Jermaine: How did you research the mer Edition drew to a close, Peter discov
velodrome cycling. We sent our people artwork for The Games: Summer Edition? ered that a scene from the closing ceremo
down to the San Jose track, and they re Susie Green: I think I can explain things nies was missing. So rather than leave it
turned with information about the "cat. by telling you about the hammer throw out, he stayed up 20 hours and got the job

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 71
All AboufEpyx the 500XJ Joystick from Konix (in Eu got through to his parent company. They
done. Looking back on the project, it real rope), where it was the number one joy said oh, he's just been drafted into the
ly makes me proud to think I was a mem stick. Its sales are in six figures as we Finnish Army. This meant the guy could
ber of this team. They did fantastic work. speak. only work on the project every third or
Jermaine: Dealing with people of different fourth weekend.
cultures must be interesting. Have you Then you have the lost development
/ saved the best for last. Ifs time to hear
from the people who take care of business had any unusual experiences? team in Budapest, Hungary. You just
at the company. We Itave Gilbert Freeman Karen Janowski: First of all, they spell can't get there, by phone or aircraft. I hon
(president ofEpyx), Karen Jarwwski (vice- things differently "over there." They put estly believe there are a dozen phones in
president, marketing consumer software), -our on the end of words like color, for ex that country; half are always busy and the
and Bob Lindsey (director, creative devel ample. So you don't always know what other half are broken.
opment). These individuals can tell us they're talking about in their letters, pro All kidding aside, it's hard to deal with
about tlieir work abroad and possibly re- posals and manuals. (Just kidding.) a party 8000 miles away when your only
ueal a secret or two about upcoming prod communications are done by fax, telex,
modem and direct phone calls. You never
ucts. "Everyone also wants his get to know the other people very well. It's
Jermaine: How long have you been selling
software abroad? product to be the best- kind of a shame.
Gilbert Freeman: In 1984, CBS was very Jermaine: Earlier we talked about The
active in the software business. They had
selling item on the market. It Games: Summer Edition (the latest
offices throughout Europe. We signed a can't be good; it has to be Games project). Can you give me some in
master contract with them to distribute formation about the next Games pro
our products in some of those countries. absolutely fantastic." gram?
Initially we wanted to ship our programs —Lindsey Janowski: We're working on a sequel to
to Germany, Spain, and the UK. But this California Games. It may be called "Cal
agreement broadened to include Scandi Last September, we attended a big Games II," but that decision hasn't been
navia, France, etc. trade show in London. It was too late to made yet.
This agreement worked out well until purchase space on the floor, so we ended Here is a sneak preview of some of the
CBS decided they wanted to get out of the up having our offices in a bus. Yes, Epyx sports we're currently concentrating on.
business and didn't tell us about it. All of rented an old double-decker bus, which First of all, a new type of skateboarding
a sudden, some of our products were no was actually parked inside the building game is presently on the drawing board.
longer being marketed, so we looked for on the show floor. We met all kinds of de You may not know this, but water is
new licensees in the region. By 1985, we velopers there and negotiated some in moved around southern California
had organized a new system where a dis credible deals in that environment. Unfor through a large system of aqueducts.
tributor took care of things in each target tunately, you couldn't stand upright on These open-air pipes that can be ten feet
nation. We had U.S. Gold in England, our the main floor of the vehicle, so people tall arc a skateboarder's dream. To do the
former CBS affiliate took care of France, scrambled for space on the stairwell and job right, we're working closely with the
there were licensees in every Scandina the second story. Believe it or not, we even '[earn Riders, a hot group of skateboarders
vian country, and so on. conducted business standing outside the in Santa Cruz.
This arrangement quickly became a bus. It was a very unusual situation—but Another big event is boogie boarding.
nightmare because each company was a lot of fan. Kids like to take these small boards out,
competing against their counterparts in Then you have to deal with the time flop on their stomachs and bodysurf back
other countries. If U.S. Gold got a product here verses the time over there. I've called to shore. I've actually seen them do "bar
first, for example, they shipped it all over individuals at 6:30-7:00 a.m. to catch rel rolls" in the curl of a wave. This is real
(even to the countries that already had them as they end their work day. ly exciting stuff. I'm sure it will look great
distributors). It became almost impossible Bob Lindsey: Not long ago, I tried to on the computer.
to manage this job, and they wouldn't reach my contact at the company in the Snow boarding will also be coming your
work together for any reason. Something UK that developed Tower Toppler. We had way. If you like to ride the waves at Ma-
had to be done. some unfinished business to discuss. Any libu, imagine what it's like to surf down
Two years ago, we signed a master con way, I couldn't catch the guy at his home hill on a layer of snow. Yes, snow boarding
tract with U.S. Gold, who now manages and he wasn't in the office either, so I is a hot new sport, where the user masters
all of our affairs in Europe. They have ex called him up on his car phone. Here we elements of surfing and skiing at the
clusive distributors in every country, and were, conducting business as usual, while same time. He also performs a number of
everyone gets product at the same time. the other guy raced around the streets of stunts, as he tries to keep from losing it on
Impossible Mission sold well in the London at 11:00 p.m. 1 guess I didn't dis the course. I can hardly wait to play this
states, but it was a megahit in Europe. tract him too much or I probably would game. It sounds like a lot of fun. "Cal
Impossible Mission II has been a good sell have heard about it, if you know what I Games C," or whatever we call it, features
er both here and abroad. We weren't al mean. accurate simulations of each of these
lowed to market Sub Battle Simulator in Freeman: The Europeans have their own sports. I use the word accurate because we
Germany at all. They will not publish or special breed of software development are working with experts in each of these
sell any military games in that country. problems. One programmer, who I believe fields. This product will be released on the
Incidentally, our software is now written was working on Battleship, suddenly dis 64 later this year.
in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Ger appeared off the face of the earth. We Jermaine: Why do you think your em
man and Japanese. Epyx also imported couldn't contact him at nil. Epyx finally ployees are so special?

72 AUGUST 1989
All About Epyx
were getting ourselves into. Simulations has to be absolutely fantastic. And thafs
Lindsey: What can I say? They've added must be carefully researched, extremely the way it is.
new meaning to the word dedication. Joe accurate and patterned after the real Freeman: I feel like the head doctor at the
Miller discussed the dedication of the in- thing. Testing these programs is also very local asylum. We have some real crazies
house staff earlier, but a few other exam difficult. In fact, I believe we budgeted around here, but I'm proud of every one of
ples come to mind. Several years ago, we several hundred hours of playtesting for them. When we were shipping California
saw an early version of The World's Great the project. When all was said and done, Games, for example, people offered to
est Football Game at a trade show in San they had tested the product for 900 hours work extra hours on the line to get the
Francisco. Epyx quickly negotiated a deal and still weren't making much progress. product boxed and out the door. It takes a
with Nexa, which was run by a man So I called Gordon in Texas and said, "It special breed of people to care this much
named Gilman Louie. It's interesting to just isn't happening. We have to try some about their job. It's our secret weapon
note that Louie and his people went on to thing different. Why don't you and your against the competition.
form Spectrum HoloByte, and he's still people fly out to California, bring along Lindsey: Gil forgot to tell you that em
their president today. Anyway, their pro ployees with different jobs at the company
gram needed a lot of work, but we went
ahead and signed the contract telling "It takes a special breed of worked side by side on the production line.
Even Gil was there, and he wasn't giving
them it had to be done by a certain date. people to care this much orders. The president of the company was
Gilman said, "Look, I'm committed to you boxing software like everybody else. Pizza
now. Well move heaven and earth to get it about their job. It's our was brought in for supper, and everyone
out on time." I thought oh no, another one
secret weapon against the had a good time. As long as we keep this
of those deals. Here we go again! team spirit alive, the company will go on
As we approached the due date for the competition." —Freeman to celebrate its twentieth anniversary. I
project, Gilman and his group literally hope I'm here when it happens.
moved into Epyx (while we were still lo your equipment, and complete the project
cated at Sunnyvale, California). I'd come here? We'll find you a place to stay." So Commodore Magazine would like to
in in the mornings, and the guys would be Gordon took my advice, and we put them thank Noreen Lovoi, Epyx's Public Re
hard at work or sacked out on the floor. up in a nearby motel. Before they arrived, lations Manager, for her assistance in
And we didn't have heavy carpeting on however, I rented them a trailer to work in putting together this feature. Q
the floor at that time. We also saw them and set it up in the large deserted ware
working on the game when we left the of house next door. Gordon and his people
fice to go home at night. Those guys were worked in these surroundings day and
absolutely incredible and worked on the night, for several weeks.
project for many weeks. Epyx didn't need Now Epyx is located on an inlet near GET MORE
security people for a while because Louie San Francisco Bay, and there are a lot of
PLEASURE
and his group were always on the job. Now ducks and geese around here. So it didn't
that's dedication! By the way, The World's surprise anyone when white splotches ap FROM THE
Greatest Football Game was released on peared on Gordon's boxes. But the team BIBLE WITH
schedule. kept going around the clock. A short time
On another occasion, we worked closely later, they purchased a small swimming
LANDMARK
with K-Byte (a group based in Detroit) to pool, so the ducks had a place to swim in
The Computer Reference Bible
produce our World Games program. I re the warehouse. Then they bought food for
member calling their president and say their fine feathered friends. Before long, Itcrc'l Wtul LANDMARK will nublt you 1O dot

ing, "We're going to miss the window, Pat. these guys had attracted a whole gaggle of • SEARCH THROUGH THE UIDLE—Find
Phrases, words or sentences.
World Games won't be ready for Christ geese and ducks to the building. It was be </ DEVELOP TOPICAL FILES—Copy from The
mas release." These people also believed ginning to look like a wildlife refuge. Bible lexi And search results then add your

there's a time for work and a time for play. In the end, Walton and his people com own comments and notes.
• COMPILE YOUR PERSONAL BIBLE—
So they decided to put all their vacations pleted their task and had a good time do Outline text! in color. Add notes,
on hold. They worked a three-day holiday ing it. We, on the other hand, learned a lot comments, and references. Make your Bible
Study organized and on perrnameM record!
weekend and continued putting the pro more about the development cycle of sim
• CREATE FILES— Convert [hem for
gram together seven days a week, ap ulation software. Incidentally, Sub Battle wordproccsiors like Paperclip and GEOS.
proximately 18 hours a day, during the fi Simulator was a very profitable venture • MAXE SUPPLEMENTARY STUDY FILES—
Foi specific study and develop translation
nal month of production. In the end, for us. variations.
World Games did very well selling be These stories have one thing in com
NEW LOW PRICE!
tween 4-500,000 units worldwide. mon. They're about dedicated people who
This brings us to the story of how Sub don't have a "nine-to-five" job. These tal $119.95
Battle Simulator came to the market. Gor ented individuals gave us their all, and vl.2 for C64 and v2.0 for C128
don Walton, leader of the Digital Illusions were reasonably compensated for their ef CALL OR WRITE TODAY FOR A
development team, gave us a demonstra fort. But there is more to it than that FREE BROCHURE, WHICH SHOWS
tion of their realistic submarine program. We're one big happy family around here. HOW VALUABLE LANDMARK CAN

And we said, "Gordon, this looks great! Our people work together, play together BE IN YOUR BIBLE STUDY

Well take it." and have a lot of fan together. Everyone PAV.Y. Software P.O. Box 1584
Ballwin, MO 63022 (31-0 527-4505
Now Epyx had never done a simulation also wants his product to be the best-sell
before, so we really didn't know what we ing item on the market. It can't be good; it

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 73
Letters Amiga Software Reviews/Test Drive II Amiga Software Reviews/DeluxePaint III ~
Continued from page 4 Continued from page 22 Continued from punt' 26

use both types and would be a fool to say while passing a slow mom-and-pop station you paint, the brush plays your animation
such. But for most computing needs, what wagon may seem the order of the day, as you move it around and stamps each of
one computer does, the other can too, even keep in mind that the head-on traffic is the 30 images onto the screen. If you press
if it does it a little differently. equally dangerous, especially on moun- the left AMIGA key while you paint, the
Overall, though, I thought your article Uiin roads, where you can't always see program automatically flips from frame to
was very good and really served its pur what lies around the next comer. Crash frame as you paint, thus creating an ani
pose teaching Commodore users about and you will lose one of your five lives; mation within an animation.
MS-DOS. make it to a gas station (which signals the For example, suppose you created 20
Sincerely, end of a leg) and you mil get one of those frames where the word Amiga spins
Bill Wolff lives added back into your total. around once on its vertical axis. When you
Chicago, IL If fallen rocks, possible rear end and pick up the word as an animbrush and
head-on collisions, and treacherous curves paint with it, it will spin as you move it
Piracy RS. weren't enough, there's always the high* around the screen. And by the way, you
To Gary Fields: way patrol to contend with. You'll often are not limited to one animbrush in any
I read with great concern your article know about the police well before you ac series of frames. Once you have painted
"Those Generous Pirates" (April 1989). tually spot them, however, for your radar an animbrush over a series of frames, you
Although I don't disagree with most of the detector will begin to flash. You can then can go back to the beginning and paint
article, I for one fall into the identifying make a decision to either slow down to the with another animbrush and watch both
pirate description—but with one excep legal speed limit land watch idly as your move when you play the animation.
tion, / don't pirate software. competition speeds offinto the sunset), or When you are finished, you can save
Although I have several of the archival attempt to outrun the law. If you are ex the entire animation to disk in a standard
programs, I use them only for making tremely good and have a few miles of rela Anim format which other programs can
backups of my precious and expensive pro tively flat highway, and if you have little use. Moreover, Electronic Arts furnishes a
grams. Being at least several weeks away or no traffic in your way, then maybe you Player Only program which you can free
(by mail) from the nearest software devel can outrun the police. Since your comput ly distribute with your animations.
oper, common sense tells me not to abide er opponent will also get stopped occasion I have only scratched the surface of
by the no-backup laws. ally, it's often better to pull over and take DPaint HFs animation capabilities; its
I also am a member of the local Commo your medicine (in the form of a speeding uses are limited only by your imagination
dore user's group, one which I founded and ticket and time penalty). If you are lucky, and the amount of experimentation you
help run to this day. And we do not con you may find that the smoky on your tail do. The package itself contains three non
done, nor do we promote piracy. In fart, we is actually after your computer opponent! protected disks: the program, an art disk
discourage it as much as possible. I know If you get bored flitting about in the and an animation disk. The latter con
we have lost a lot of members this way but Porsche or Ferrari included on the master tains several backgrounds and many pro
it's better than losing our integrity. disk, you may want to consider investing fessionally drawn anim brushes. The most
I agree that software is expensive and in The Supercars. This companion disk impressive of these is an underwater
that we are sometimes burned by the de lists the performance and vehicle specifics scene where you can use anim brushes to
velopers (especially when they show of five additional sports cars. The Lotus paint various fish swimming around a
screen shots from the Amiga or Atari ver Turbo Esprit is a British boy-toy sporting lovely animated mermaid. The program
sion on the back of the 64 box and don't over 228 horses under the hood. Then also contains several impressive examples
tell you), but there is an alternative. Sup there's the Ferrari Testarossa, with 12 of Colorfonts—text characters which auto
port the developers that sell un-copy-pro- smooth-hitting cylinders. Don't pass up a matically use up to eight different colors
tected software like Batteries Included's chance to jump into a Porsche 911 RUT1, specified by the fonts themselves. Two ex
Paperclip III or Interplay's Neuromancer perhaps the best all-out sports car ever en amples of the Kara Fonts series are in
with their code wheel. Or better still use gineered, capable of speeds up to 211 mph. cluded which give the realistic appearance
shareware or public domain software. I-sistly, there are the Lamborghini Coun- of letters carved out of granite and chis
There is one way developers can help tach and the Corvette ZR1, two legendary eled letters of gold. Many different types
themselves and us. That is to put out speeders, both renowned for their han of fonts can be purchased separately.
demo disks, like Electronic Arts with their dling and asphalt-burning acceleration. The 237-page manual is easy to under
interactive demo of Demon Stalkers, or Test Drive 11 is everything that the stand, contains explicit tutorials and is re
Broderbund's Amiga demo of Fantauision original Test Drive wasn't. Now, with the plete with hints to enable even the novice
(which is free to copy to all user group companion disks available, there's sce to create stunning graphic effects.
members). This is one way of stopping nery, seven cars to choose from, and head- Electronic Arts will continue to sell De
that "burned feeling" and promoting good to-head competition. Are you tired of luxePaint 11 at the reduced price of $99.95.
software and public relations. If more de watching the races from the grandstands, DPaint II owners can also upgrade to the
velopers did this, there would be more or—even worse—above and slightly be new version, for details on the upgrade
software sold, cheaper prices, less copy hind the top of a car made up of chunky policy, call (800) 2454525.
protection and more trust all around. sprites? Then slip into the sleek cockpit of DPaint III is a powerful program which
Sincerely, a Ferrari F40. But take heed: Afterwards, has kept up with the times and should
Francis W, Murphy, Editor you may not want to climb back into that continue to retain its place as the "stan
Midland Commodore User Group old station wagon in the driveway. Q dard" graphics paint program for the
Victoria Harbor, Ontario, Canada H *64 and MS-DOS versions also available. Amiga. a

74 AUGUST 1989
Sound Investment
Continued from page 56
Fields: Do you have to be a musician to Fields: What is MIDI and why is it impor
as the total control synthesized music of use the Amiga? tant?
fers. David and I like the ability to man Brown: Well it hasn't stopped me, has it? Brown: MIDI stands for "Musical Instru
age every instrument and every musical Let me get serious. If you are a musician, ment Digital Interface." It is a digital
note. The down side of that control is com you're going to be able to do more and do communication protocol which allows de
plexity—you have to know everything it quicker. But for somebody who knows vices like computers and keyboards to
about the music you want to create. You nothing about music, an excellent place to talk with each other.
have to know where the bass track goes start is a little program called Instant Mu Lewis: If the standard hadn't been estab
and when to bring in the wind section. But sic. You just load it and it makes music lished, equipment would be a lot more ex
by using the Amiga to break each section quick and easy. You don't have a lot of pensive, and hooking up computers and
of the music into individual tracks and in control over the music, but you can make keyboards would probably be a headache.
struments even that complexity is man some good-sounding music. It is sort of the But because of the standard, all the user
ageable—you just break the music into first level in music software. really has to do is make sure the instru-
Lewis: All you have to do is move the
mouse and it picks up semi-tones and har
"It just seemed logical to monics and matches them up with the "For somebody who knows
add a computer to my setup music it is playing. It hits the right notes. nothing about music, an
It filters your input so you can't strike any
because the computer soui- notes, but it limits your creativity. excellent place to start is a
allowed me to add any You don't have to be a musician to make
little program called Instant
something sound right. It is more a toy
instrument I wanted." than anything; it would be ideal for some Music." —Brown
one interested in music, but without a real
—Lewis background in music. It would be good for ments they want to hook up to the Amiga
getting children interested in music. have a MIDI port and the software they
small controllable tasks. And the final re Fields: Okay, now that I know that I can buy supports it and most do. The impor
sults are really impressive. We're creating get great music out of the Amiga, where tant fact about all this is that there is a
music here that would have required an do I turn to get serious? MIDI standard. I think that is why the
expensive sound studio, dozens of per Brown: You can get some very profession prices of interfaces and MIDI devices are
formers and sound engineers just a few al results out of Deluxe Music Construc coming down. The manufacturers are as
years ago. Everybody is talking about tion Set. I still use it every day. It is an ex sured their products have an outlet which
desktop publishing and desktop video, cellent note editor. It not only lets you edit is compatible across the board.
well we've got professional-quality desk the music, but will also play it back and Fields: Are MIDI interfaces expensive?
top music too. even let you edit it while it is playing, and Lewis: You ran get one as cheap as $39.
Fields: This room is filled with expensive- it includes an option to print out music as The one I use costs only $60 and it is rela
looking electronic devices—a drum ma well. It just has so much going for it. And, tively deluxe. So compared to other elec
chine, keyboards, tone generator, effect of course it includes MIDI. tronic devices, a MIDI interface is inex
units, recorders, mixing box, etc. Is all this Lewis: I guess one of the most well-known pensive.
necessary to compose or perform electron developers of music programs for the Fields: Is connecting a MIDI device diffi
ic music? Amiga is a company called Dr. Ts. They cult?
Brown: I had most of this equipment be have an excellent entry-level sequencer Brown: It really couldn't be easier. You
fore 1 bought a computer. I added the called MIDI Recording Studio and a pro plug the MIDI interface into the serial
Amiga to control them. But the Amiga fessional-level [sequencer) called KCS, port on the computer and then plug the
alone is all a beginning musician needs. (Keyboard Controlled Sequencer). For other end of the cable into the MIDI port
My Amiga 1000's internal voices are great pure quality, they are probably the top of on a device. And because most devices
for drum and bass sounds, but for high- the line. I like MIDI Magic and Dynamic have MIDI input, output and "thru" ports,
frequency sounds the external instru Studio, and David usesAudioMasterto you can daisy chain several devices to the
ments are better. sample sounds. There's a lot of good soft same computer. You don't have to know
Lewis: That's true, but because the 500 ware out there. Musk-X sounds like it will how a MIDI translates signals between
has a switchable low-pass filter it can pro be a great program if it is ever released. the device and computer—the software
duce quality sounds—both high and low Fields: Assuming you already have a takes care of that. All you have to do is
frequency. But to answer the question, all computer and music software, what is the plug the two together, set the MIDI chan
you really need to get started is the com next logical addition? A keyboard? nels and load your software. The software
puter and software. As you get more in Lewis: Well, before adding anything, I controls what sounds the keyboard and
volved, you'll probably want to add a would suggest you increase your Amiga's computer will make and what will happen
MIDI keyboard. But you don't have to un memory to at least one megabyte. The when a key on either is pressed. That's a
til you are ready—some software lets you first thing you'll say if you don't is "Whoa, simplified explanation, but basically
use the Amiga's keyboard just like a MIDI I wish I had more memory." To create and that's how it works.
interfaced device. But prices of keyboards edit lengthy compositions requires ex Fields: After you have your MIDI key
are coming down. You can get a MIDI key panded memory. After that you would board attached to the Amiga, what is the
board for under $200, and the prices are want a MIDI interface and a keyboard, or next step?
still falling. some sort of MIDI device. Lewis: You use a sequence program and a

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 75
Sound Investment orchestra. When it is connected to other either add to or edit it.
MDI keyboard to capture notes played on musical devices through a MIDI interface Lewis: Then you could output it to a track
the external instrument. Then you can it can tell them what to play, when to play, of a cassette recorder. But once you have
take the file created with those captured how loud to play, etc. And it never misses one track perfected, you can ignore it and
notes and load it into a program like De a beat. go about either adding another instru
luxe Music Construction Set (DMCS) Lewis: If you did that, you would have to ment or whatever to get the exact sound
which can translate the sequence into know how to play every different instru you want. What's great about computers
screen represented sheet music. We use ment. But because the computer can syn is that nothing is written in stone. You
the sequencer as a sort of digital tape re thesize different voices, I can piay a violin can always take your original music and
corder to lay down multiple tracks, so we or any musical instrument without learn change it to suit your whims or musical
can control up to 16 different instruments. ing anything but the keyboard. Plus syn taste. Plus you don't have to hire or pay a
Fields: Can you edit the notes captured by thesized instruments don't cost anything, piano player just to make a few changes to
the sequencer software before loading it don't take up floor space and don't have to the piano track of a composition—you
into DMCS? be tuned. simply load in that instrument and do it
Fields: Why is the Amiga important?
Brown: The software is like the conductor
"The Amiga is the brains of in an orchestra, and the MIDI is the visu
"Synthesized instruments
the music, sort of like the al signal the musicians respond to, and don't cost anything, don't
the devices sitting on the end of the MIDI
conductor of an orchestra." cable are the performers—the instru take up floor space and don't
ments. And what is the music? The music
—Brown is the music.
have to be tuned." —Lewis
Lewis: I don't know if that analogy is per
Lewis: Yes. Although some sequencers fect, but the important thing is that when yourself. The Amiga, music software and
are more difficult to work with than oth the computer, MIDI interface, MIDI de MIDI make it possible for the individual
ers. I prefer to simply load the sequence vices and the software are all working, the to create the professional sounds normally
file into DMCS and edit and listen to it music possibilities are almost infinite. associated with expensive recording stu
there. Then when I have the music sound Even though only 16 MIDI channels are dios and high-priced musicians. It really is
ing just right I save it to disk where I can open to the computer, I know of no phys great.
play it back or edit it. I like DMCS be ical limit on the number of devices you Fields: What is a sampler and what is it
cause it displays the score using tradition can connect and control. Because the used for?
al musical notation and staves, plus you sound quality of each device can change, Brown: A sampler is a combination of
can instantly listen to the effects ofyour there is no limit to how many instruments hardware and software which is used to di
editing. Other sequencers let you edit the can be played under the Amiga's direc gitize real-life sound effects which can be
score by altering number values, sort of tion. The device could sound like a violin, used either in music or replayed simply as
like updating a file from a database, but I then change to a piano, then a harpsi a digitized sound effects. The hardware
prefer the more traditional approach. chord, etc. Because the Amiga has only gives you a port to the computer's mem
Fields: Both of you keep mentioning De four voices, it can only play four instru ory, and the software controls what infor
luxe Musk Construction Set. That pro ments internally, but that doesn't restrict mation (sounds) is captured through that
gram has been around a long time. Why how many external devices it can handle. port. A good example of a digitized sample
do you use it instead of some of the newer The number of possible voices keeps mul would be a game which includes real-life
programs? tiplying. speech—not computer-synthesized voices.
Brown: I like DMCS because it shows ac Brown: That is what is so great about To capture a sample all you do is plug
tual notes on the screen and includes the MIDI and the Amiga. Remember you can your digitizing hardware into the comput
ability to dump the music to a printer. It is attach another Amiga to the original sys er and then boot your sampling software.
the program I started with, and I feel com tem through one of those channels, and When you are ready, you tell the software
fortable with it. When I outgrow it or see presto you've multiplied voices and MIDI to begin sampling the sound going
something better, Til switch. channels. This gives you the ability to through the microphone, and when the
Lewis: Well, it's affordable. But it is not control a huge orchestra instead ofjust sound ends, you tell the software to end its
really a sequencer program. I'd like to see four instruments. That is real power. This sampling process.
Electronic Arts update the program and means you can control, afford and fit a A sample is like a piece of voice sound
add features. The more involved I get with professional-sounding orchestra in your recorded on magnetic tape except it is di
MIDI and computer-generated music, the own office. There is no limit to what you gitally encoded into the computer. For ex
more features I wish the software offered. can do if you keep adding MIDI devices, ample, if I say "yes" and record it on tape,
DMCS isn't a bad program, after all, I use interfaces and computers. The only prob I can play that sound back. But once cap
it every day. I'd just like to see an update. lem you might run into is that your or tured, the software allows you to save it as
Fields: Why is a computer important to chestra might get too big to control, and a file which can be used by other software
creating music? Couldn't you just play the music might get too complex. or you can even edit the sample—turning
and record one instrument and then keep Fields: What do you do after you have it into unearthly sounds.
playing and recording more until you had your music composed? Do you simply re Lewis: Any sound you can capture can be
everything on the tape you wanted? cord it on tape or what? turned into an IFF instrument and played
Brown: The Amiga is the brains of the Urown: Well first you would save it to just like any other on a keyboard or
music, sort of like the conductor of an disk, so you could always go back and through the computer. Or you could

76 AUGUST 1989
Sound Investment' Music Software
Continued from page 57
the financial plunge for a MIDI interface
simply play the sample—the digitized and keyboard will appreciate this fact).
sound—back through software for some using magnetic tape for storage of the With MRSs editing features, you can
interesting effects. The software also lets sound, your storage device will be a com mute and unmute tracks fit uses eight)
you cut and edit the sample you capture. bination of RAM and disk. RAM is used and cut, copy, paste or transpose musical
So you can stretch or alter effects until while the sound is being captured and information just like you would with a
they sound exactly the way you want. As edited, and the disk is used for permanent word processor. But because the program
an example, you can reverse the sounds storage. offers no printout option, you'll have to
and play them backwards. It is all very If you are an Amiga-based musician, transfer music files to another program
easy to do on the Amiga. you may already be delighted with the es (like Copyist) if you want sheet music.
Fields: What are your goals? tablished music-related software base.
Brown: Right now I am just enjoying the But the titles now on the shelves will soon MIDI Magic
music. I really like what I am doing and be joined by a load of new, quality offer MIDI Magic is a powerful sequencer
what I am able to do with this system. I ings. Almost every software developer I which uses simple tape recorder-like con
talked with, was either nearing comple trols to record, rewind and play music cap
tion, working on, or at least planning a tured through the MIDI port. It employs a
"Any sound you can capture musk-related release for the Amiga. The unique visual metronome (the title menu
can be turned into an IFF fact that serious musicians have recog pulses with the beat), so if your keyboard
nized the Amiga's desktop music capabili is across the room you should still be able
instrument and played just ties and are switching to it has not gone to see it. Because of this, unless your
unnoticed by software developers. Here MIDI devices is over 30 feet away, you can
like any other on a keyboard are some of the better packages with still see and keep the beat. The program
or through the computer." which I had a chance to experiment. provides sensible cue options, so you can
time your first note exactly. Controls in
—Lewis Some Impressive Programs clude tempo, metronome, clock source and
Keyboard Controlled Sequencer output (MIDI, drum sync or none). Be
plan to make some musk with the setup It's hard to think of computer-controlled cause the program was designed for the
eventually. Al and I have been ap music without thinking of Dr. Ts Music Amiga, it takes full advantage of avail
proached to compose and perform sound Software (the company gets its name from able memory, RAM: storage and multi
tracks for two different video production Dr. Emile Tobenfeld). KCS is the name of tasking.
companies. That is our immediate goal. their top-of-the-line sequencer. It offers Once a score has been sequenced, flexi
But right now I'm not worrying about three modes of operation: track, open and ble editing tools allow you to alter any of
making money. Fm just enjoying the mu song. the 16 tracks. Options include transpose,
sic and learning. In track mode, the sequencer functions erase, copy, shift, invert, append, loop, and
I used to have great expectations be as a 48-track tape recorder with automatic change time. Individual notes can be
cause like most young musicians I felt my looping. You can record and store up to 47 turned on or off. As the name implies,
"music was so great" others had to hear it. tracks automatically muting and saving MIDI Magic is for MIDI device owners
But I've mellowed. There is a lot of compe each. The program is controlled through a only—no MIDI, no music.
tition out there. Fm willing to accept screen-displayed tape recorder, allowing One other welcome feature is intensive
whatever the future brings. the user to record, pause and play as easi on-line help. If you don't understand an
Lewis: Fve written a couple of songs ly as pressing a button. Editing options in option, all you need to do is activated the
which I think have commercial possibili clude merge, echo, solo and mute. A pow "?" option and select the help from the
ties. I'm looking for a market for them. erful "find" option lets the user quickly lo areas listed in the help window.
But like David, right now I'm really con cate a denned measure similar to the way
sumed with learning and exploring the a word processor lets the user find all the Dynamic Studio
possibilities. But down the road, I hope to occurrences of a character pattern. Dynamic Studio is just that>-a com
make a lot of money with my talent and Song mode provides a simple method plete music studio. It comes with a power
what the hardware and software help me for chaining sequence segments into the ful sequencer, editor and built-in drum
to create. Everything I write is for sale. same song. Tempo and volume for each machine and, of course, includes MIDI.
Fields: Why are you two working togeth segment can be specified separately. The The drum machine lets you load or define
er? I thought the idea of getting involved mode allows up to 16 separate songs to be ten separate sounds and assign them to
with MIDI and computers was to not have in memory and acted upon at one time. the numeric keyboard. You can adjust
to contend with the influence of others. each to suit the requirements of the music
Brown: No, that is not entirely true. Al MIDI Recording Studio you will be performing and instantly test
has knowledge and strengths which I am MIDI Recording Studio (MRS) is not the changes. In a very real sense, this puts
drawing on, and I think I have some ex only the least expensive sequencer Fve the beat at your fingertips.
pertise in fields which will help him. Right tried, but because all of its features can be The sequencer option of Dynamic Stu
now we are learning from each other. We mouse activated, it is also easy to use. The dio lets you record and modify any data
are both enjoying working together. We program allows the user to use the Ami coming from a MIDI device. Bad notes can
have similar interests. What the future ga's keyboard, as well as true external be edited out, the time adjusted, sections
holds for us, I don't know. But right now MIDI devices, as a musical keyboard automatically repeated. Track menu op
we're just enjoying working with each oth (would-be musicians interested in testing tions let you merge, filter, copy, erase, re-
er and each other's music. O the Amiga's sound waves before taking channel, randomize and alter the data on

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 77
Music Software the easy-to-use options and controls gram called SMUSPlayer which lets you
any of the 16 channels. Built-in filters let packed in this sampler. play SMUS-IFF music files independent
you ignore certain MIDI data while re Beyond the obvious applications digi of Synthia. It can handle scoresof up to 32
cording a sequence. Dynamic Studio in tized sounds offer the serious musician, tracks containing up to 32 instruments.
cludes pitchwheel and polyphonic pres playing with them is just plain fun. I digi
sure controls. tized the voices of my two children (ages Studio Magic
It also has a librarian option which lets eight and 13) and then lowered each by Studio Magic could be called a musi
you store system-exclusive information. two octaves to get a good idea of how their cian's digital toolbox. The program in
Serving like a musical database manager, voices will sound when they are grown. If cludes a MIDI sequencer, so you can re
librarian lets you upload or download data you want to entertain (or embarrass) your cord music in real time plus a sound-edit
between disk and a MIDI device. At first friends, you can't beat the fun of digitizing ing screen and options which let you listen
glance, the options and exacting sound and then editing their conversations. Fin to and edit selected sections of the se
controls Dynamic Studio puts in the user's ished sounds can be stored in either IFF or quence. Pull-down menus make loading,
hands can be unnerving. But with a little Sonix format. A print waveform display editing, altering and saving musical
testing, anyone can master the program. option is also included. scores intuitively simple. To get the most
out of Studio Magic you'll need a MIDI de
Perfect Sound vice attached, but even without one you
Beyond the obvious Perfect Sound is a stereo digitizing can still load sequences or digitized sam
ples, fine tune them and use them with
applications digitized sounds package which includes both the hard
ware and software for capturing and edit other programs. Much of the appeal of this
offer the serious musician, ing real-life sounds. Compared to the oth program is that it lets you cut and paste
er two sampling products, the software patches of sound much like you edit type
playing with them is just here isn't as flashy, but it still produces ex with a word processor. The real power of
plain fun. cellent results. It's always nice to find an Studio Magk is its heavy-duty arsenal of
affordable product that delivers quality tools including tempo adjust, append,
results. The audio digitizer samples overlay, insert, bevel, compress, rescale,
Pro Sound Designer
sounds at rates between 5000 to 25,000 interpolate and a variety of filters. You
Pro Sound Designer, Gold Edition is a
times a second and converts them into a can load any IFF digital sound and con
digitizing system complete with hardware
series of numbers the computer can un vert it to a unique EFF instrument.
and software. Designer has a full 1-32
derstand to recreate the exact sample. But
kHz frequency response range with a good
to use the sampler, all you need is an ear Sonix
signal-to-noise ratio. More than simply al
and the ability to move your mouse. The Sonix is a digital synthesizer which sup
lowing you to capture real-life sounds in
program supports the IFF sound format ports eight MIDI voices and up to 32 chan
either stereo or mono, the software lets
and can create instruments for music pro nels and its own as well as the standard
you edit and manipulate one to four sound
grams. For the price, this one is well worth IFF filing format. Those who are more
samples at the same time. Cut, paste and
investigating. It offers stereo-capturing comfortable with musical notations than
overlay features are included, along with
channels and hardware volume controls. programming jargon will like Sonix dis
a facility for changing frequencies and oc
plays, since each musical notation is dis
taves. Sound samples can easily be con
Synthia played graphically (using traditional sym
verted for use as instrument voices which
Synthia lives up to its claim to be a bols) rather than as numerical values.
can be accessed by either a MIDI key
high-performance digital synthesizer. In The program's stereo output can be direct
board or the Amiga. The hardware comes
fact the master disk contains not one, but ed through the Amiga's external sound
with a gender changer so it will work with
five synthesizer modes: Suhtractive, Addi connections or a MIDI controller. Because
either the 500,1000 or series 2000 Amigas.
tive, Interpolation, String and Percussion. the program was developed on the Amiga,
[Editor's Note: See complete review on Each allows the user to employ the unique its mouse-activated interface is easy to use.
page 27.] attributes of each particular synthesizer Despite its low price, Sonix offers profes
without burdening them with the limita sional-level power including the ability to
AudioMaster II tion of the others. Because Synthia was create, modify and edit any type of syn
AudioMaster II is a digital sampling designed for multitasking use, you can ac thetic or digitally sampled sounds. Cus
system which offers not only the largest tually define and listen to instruments tomized sounds created with the pro
oscilloscope display I've seen, but offers with several different modes all at the gram's waveform editor can be used as an
two of them and supports stereo. The soft same time. The program includes MIDI instrument played from either the key
ware offers sampling rates as high as and will allow you to test sounds with ei board or via a MIDI device. Using word
56,000 times a second (a rate higher than ther the MIDI or computer keyboard as processor-like controls, you can compose
that of an audio compact disc) providing well as the mouse. Synthia uses a multi and edit music (using standard notation)
your Amiga has the 68020 processor. tude of screens and panels to give the user on the monitor screen, plus listen to the
Samples can be visually clipped and edit maximum control over each sound includ changes you make as you make them.
ed using a combination of screen-dis ing a waveshaper, harmonic mixing, am Finished scores can either be saved to disk
played buttons and pull-down menus. Pro plifiers and filters. At first glance, all or dumped to a printer as sheet music.
viding you have sufficient memory, any these controls can be intimidating, but
sample can be sounded in a continuous with a little hands-on testing, the controls Deluxe Music Construction Set
loop during your editing session. Both and their logic is apparent. Deluxe Music Construction Set has been
pros and hobbyists will be delighted with The two-disk kit also contains a pro around since 1986 and still has a faithful

78 AUGUST 1989
Music Software
terms as well as the training of the stu
following. The screen display here is divid dent's ear to recognize chords, scales and PRODUCT INFORMATION
ed into several windows, but the main one keys. This is accomplished via a battery of
displays the score using traditional music tests administered by the computer. Each ACS Software
notation. A toolbox allows the user to edit student is assigned a password, and he or 2135 E. Sunshine, Suite 106
the composition using cut and paste fea she can progress at an individual speed or Springfield, MO 65804
{4171887-9923
tures like those you would Snd on a word at a rate regulated by the teacher. The Music Student I $59.95
processor. The program includes MIDI, an program's database keeps track of each
on-screen keyboard and printout options; student's progress. Music Student can
A€gis Development
it also allows the user to input lyrics as keep track of the scores of up to 200 stu 2210 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 277
well as sound information. The program dents. Santa Monica, CA 90403
comes with 15 good IFF-sampled sounds, Music-X (2131392-9972
but more can easily be imported. The pro I had hoped to tell you a little about
Sank $79.95

gram is copy protected, but unprotected AudioMasterll$9$.%


Music-X, but the review copy we were
disks can be purchased for installation on promised never materialized. But Microfl-
a hard drive. Because of the program's in lusions' David Boyles assures me the Brown-Wagh l'ublishing
16795 Lark Avenue, Suite 210
tuitive design and professional options, it product is ready for release, and the com LoaGatos,CA 95030
is a program both entry-level and expe pany is just waiting for the manual to be (408) 395-3838
rienced musicians will appreciate. completed before starting to fill orders. AflD/Jlfegie $149.95
More than a few musicians have been ea
Music-Related Products gerly awaiting the release of this pro Dr. Ts Music Software
Copyist gram. Based on developer's promises it 220 BoyWon Street, Suite 206
Copyist is a desktop publishing tran could be the most impressive, powerful Chesnut Hill, MA 02167
(6171244-6954
scription and scoring program. There are and feature-laden piece of music software Copyist Apprentice $99.00
actually three versions of Copyist—Ap yet developed for any system. They have Copyist Professional $275.00
prentice, Professional and DTP. The en been promising that for nearly two years Copyist DTP 5399.00
try-level program allows the user to edit now (an old news release projected it Keyboard Controlled Sequencer (KCS) VI.6 $249.00
MIDI Recording Studio (MRS) VI.I $69.00
and print five pages of music using a dot would be released 1/87), but hopefully by
matrix printer. The Professional version the time you read this, the wait will be
increases the page capacity to 50; includes over. Electronic Arts
1820 Gateway Drive
Macro controls and a font editor; and sup MicroDlusions claims the program will
San Mateo, CA 94404
ports dot matrix, laser and ink jet printers include a sequencer, keymap and patch (415)571-7171
as well as plotters. The top-of-the-line editor, MIDI and a master clock accurate Deluxe Musk Construction Set $99.95
Copyist DTP can handle up to 100 pages to one millisecond, plus plenty more. They Instani Music $49.95

of music and Adobe Sonata fonts, and it even boast that users will be able to edit a
supports PostScript-compatible printers, score while still recording. Rather than Micro) II unions
The power of these programs is visual rush a half-baked program to market, the RO. Bra 3475
17408 Chatsworth Street
not audible. In fact, none include any op company has devoted two years of devel
Granada Hills, CA 91344
tion to sound the musical scores they al opment time and thousands of promotion (818)3603715
low you to edit, but because they support al dollars readying the program for the Music-X 5299.95
multitasking, you can use MRS or some public and readying the public for the pro
other recorder to listen to scores. The gram. If Music-X lives up to just half the New Wave Software
main purpose of the programs is to let you hoopla it has generated, it should be a P.O. Box 438
wonderful addition to the Amiga library. St. Clair Shores, Ml 48080
easily transcribe files from KCS format,
(3131771-1465
standard MIDI or SMUS. Dynamk Studio $199.95
Once loaded into memory, you can edit Conclusion
any score using either pull-down menus or The bottom line is that creating perfor
The Other Guys Software
direct keyboard commands. Any sections mance-quality music on the Amiga is a
55 N. Main &reet. Suite 301
of the score can be duplicated, moved, de reality, and you don't have to be an accom Logan, UT 84321
leted or edited. Or if you prefer, you can plished musician to use it. The software (8011753-7620
simply load blank staves and input musi available now makes it easy to get pleas Synthia $99.99

cal notation directly—everything will ap ing results by simply "tweaking the


pear on screen exactly as it will be print knobs" and listening. By the same token, Precision Software, Inc.
8404 Sterling Street, Suite A
ed. When you are finished, you can either the power of Amiga means anyone who
Irving, TX 75063
save the results to disk (changing formats has studied music can put his or her tal (214)929-4888
if you wish) or print it on paper. ents to work and harvest impressive re Pro Sound Designer, Gold Edition
sults quickly. For serious musicians and (with hardware] $15955

Music Student I the rest of us who simply enjoy music, the


Musk Student I is the first in a planned Amiga packs a studio fall of musical SunRiw; Industries

treats worth exploring. So, until next 3801 Old College Road
series of music teaching aids. The pro
Bryan, TX 77801
gram is designed to strengthen the user's time, keep a spring in your step, a song in
(409)846-1311
knowledge of music. The special emphasis your heart and a tune playing on your Perfect Sound (with hardware) $89.95
in volume one is musical symbols and Amiga. Hi Studio Magic $99.95

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 79
Software Reviews/Carmen Sandiego computer notebook and Crime Lab. An
Continued from page 18
other new feature is the call from the Ancillary Material Improves
white flag, with no other input, the printer Chief Educational Value
will list all countries with red and white The database is yet another new, and
Because of the overwhelming accep
flags. If you add the determined currency very powerful, educational feature. The
tance of the Carmen Sandiego series, Bro
and language, the list will contain fewer database provides a computer-aided in
derbund provides two major educational
country choices. struction environment. Players reinforce
support packages.
Every so often, a window opens up in their knowledge of Europe by the repeated
One package is a School edition; the
the middle of the screen that provides ad use of database information to capture
other a Lab Pack edition—each contain
ditional clues such as: "Call from the gang members.
ing a 'Teacher's Guide." The Teacher's
Chief. We've confirmed the suspect is only
Guide is a 43-page manual that includes
interested in comic films." This informa Educational Information and
reproducible maps, suggested school ac
tion can be added to the Crime Lab note Effectiveness tivities, European flag sheets, a European
book. Information entered in the notebook There are almost 1000 clues in the language tree and a glossary. The school
is transferred to the Crime Lab computer game. As players gain experience, the version contains one backup disk, while
via the "Enter Crime Notes" option. clues become more challenging. Resources the lab pack version includes five disks.
If there is enough information in the include an enclosed Rand McNally Con Also available to educators is "The Car
Crime Lab computer, so that only one sus cise Atlas ofEurope—made especially men Sandiego Day Kit." This kit includes
pect on the list matches, then a warrant is for Broderbund. This 100-page book itself sample letters to parents, public service
automatically issued and printed on the is probably worth half the cost of the soft announcements, maps, geographic terms,
screen. If not enough information is avail ware package. The Atlas is four-color and a database, European flag information,
able, then that is so indicated. If you enter loaded with textual information about
the wrong data, you will issue the wrong suspect description, investigation activity
each of the European countries. sheets, as well as Carmen Day 'Suggested
warrant, then you will not capture the
Players learn about European geogra Activities."
gang member. If you are in the right town phy, history, economy and culture, while
and no warrant is issued, an on-screen According to Ingrid Wallace, Broder-
developing valuable organizing, analyz bund's manager of educational market
note indicates that you cannot capture the ing and research skills. Concept skills of
person.
ing, 'The world's first known Carmen
deductive reasoning, reference and re Sandiego Day was held in Bluffton, Indi
The "investigative" time limit is always search are developed. Content skills are
six days exactly from the time shown ini ana on March 4,1988. Credit goes to a
developed about European geography, his
tially on the screen. Time is added to the fourth-grade teacher—Jon Bennett—and
tory and economy. his students at Eastside Elementary
on-screen clock every time you make an There is cultural information, and in
investigation, travel to a different city, go School who organized the event Bennett's
troduction to cultural terminology—such students spent an entire day learning
to the Crime Lab, use the database or ac as "epic poems." Players are made aware
complish any task. There is even time about the places the Sandiego gang-mem
of types of literature. Much information bers used as hideouts, the hobbies and
added for "sleeping." other than geographic is presented in an
sports for which they are known, and their
almost subliminal approach.
Closing the Case favorite meals."
Whenever you are on the right track, Evaluation Suggested activities for Carmen San
visual and audio clues are provided. In ad There is no question in my mind that diego Day include language arts, art, mu
dition, a message is given: "A VILE (Vil sic, geography and other database activi
this software package is worthy of any ex
lains International League of Evil) hench ties using the Carmen Sandiego programs
cellence award. The addition of the CAI-
man. You must be on the right track." If as a focal point. There are sample news re
like database is a welcome improvement,
you are not on the right track, then you adding to the educational value. leases and a radio script. In addition, Bro
get a negative response to investigations My research (with my own two children) derbund provides stickers for each stu
made in the new city location. If you trav proved that this program reinforced edu dent, and a reproducible "Certificate of
el to the wrong city, you should return to cational information provided by the local
Participation."
the original city and essentially start over. school system. It is this reinforcement There is a four-week, week-by-week
If you do not find the thief in the allot that enhances the learning experience. planning guide, that leads to the actual
ted amount of time, you are returned to The format of these programs is excel Carmen Sandiego Day. Advance notice to
the office and receive a message from the Broderbund will even get Carmen San
lent—for both child and adult. Adults will
chief offering another case. However, be equally stimulated by the challenge of diego herself to call the school. Parents
when the player enters the correct hideout finding the thieves. {Did I tell you that I play a big part in the activities by prepar
town location, and a correct warrant has failed my first case because of time?) ing special foods and giving demonstra
been issued, there are graphics showing The graphics are excellent. The user's tions of activities mentioned in the pro
police hauling away the criminal, the manual is superb, providing not only grams.

criminal standing before a magistrate, operational information, but also informa This "Carmen Day" activity package
and a "guilty" verdict being voiced by the tion to help players develop strategy to has been so successful, that Broderbund
judge. find the thieves. (who originally mailed free copies) must
There is no end in sight as to the poten now charge $10 for shipping and handling
New Features of these kits.
tial for this series. Keep it up, Broder
New features not found in the previous bund! The series is great educational en- Are the School edition, Lab Packs and
Carmen Sandiego programs include the joyment^-for both children and adults. M "Carmen Day" kite worth it? You bet!

80 AUGUST 1989
Best of Amiga Public Domain
Continued from page €1 really designed with high-speed Zmodem be accurate to the second and don't mind a
transfers in mind. While you might have long distance call to the U.S. Naval Ob
been satisfied with Zmodem transfer servatory in Washington, AtomClock is a
Saver: VLT by Willy Langeveld speeds using Online! or ProtoComm at wonderful utility.
(AmigaZone file #14025) 1200 or 2400 baud, these programs wer
Although we've had terminal programs en't designed with high-speed modems in Bronze: Ovdemo by John Nagel
that have supported VT100 emulation mind. The author claims that AZComm is (AmigaZone file #14623)
and/or Textronix emulation, none have the only terminal program that can keep This program may not seem important
done so in as powerful and versatile a up with 9600 + baud Zmodem transfers. to most of you, but as a BBS sysop, I am
package as VLT. One of VLTs major at Finally, AZComm is the most robust shocked to see the ridiculous passwords
tractions, of course, is its AREXX support, terminal program I've ever seen concern some of my callers use! For example I've
which is all 1 need say to the growing ing Zmodem file transfers. Often when seen "Amiga" as a password, and I've seen
group of AREXX supporters. transferring files with a friend via a noisy one-letter passwords. Ovdemo is a bit
VLT has other important features like phone line, we can't rely on Online!, complex in that it checks your password
its own internal macros, 15 different par ProtoComm or Access/RZSZ to transfer against all common English three-letter
ity settings, Ymodem support and graph the whole file without one side aborting. combinations; if your password has two
ics operation support for pan, zoom and a Only AZComm is robust enough to get the many of these combinations, it tells you
crosshair. job done. your password is too obvious. (It assumes
Perhaps more important is what VLT is that you are trying to use a non-obvious
being used for. I'm referring to how VLT Honorable Mention: Emit password.) Anything that helps protect
serves as an important link for the Stan by Justin McCormick bulletin board users from people illegally
ford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) to While you can't perform file transfers logging on and using their accounts is
be able to use Amigas. What's so notewor over a modem faster than 19.2KBaud, it very worthwhile.
thy about that? Well, when Jerry Pour- isn't the Amiga's fault Standard phone
nelle, that famous doubter of the Amiga's lines have trouble with baud rates above Honorable Mention: Savemoney
worthiness, saw how the Amiga was being lOKBaud, but the Amiga itself doesn't by Steve Pietrowicz
used at SLAC, it gave him a much higher even work up a sweat at that speed. Emit (AmigaZone file #12609)
regard for the Amiga and its capabilities. is the only terminal program that can Users of other networks besides People-
make a null modem transfer between two Link (like GEnie and CompuServe) may
Bronze: AZComm by S.S. Patel Amigas efficient. You may be shocked feel this award is given simply because
(AmigaZone file #13942) once you try Emit and find that null mo Fm biased towards PeopleLink and I'm
While Amiga terminal programs have dem transfer speeds between two Amigas blatantly flaunting that bias. While ITl
come a long way, there's still a long way to can top 270KBaud, but that's only be admit a bias towards PeopleLink, the real
go. One major joke with the Amiga and its cause of how slow other terminal pro reason for this award is not due to parti
terminal capabilities (at least as far as grams really are. sanship. Savemoney is important simply
MS-DOS telecomm addicts are concerned) because it shows people how inexpensive
is that not too long ago there was no de Terminal Utilities accessing an online information service
cent support of Zmodem in any terminal Gold: RZSZ by Frank Anthes-Harper can be. In that regard, Savemoney is ex
program (commercial or PD) for the {AmigaZone file #13408) tremely effective. (Although its intended
Amiga. Sure MicroSystems Software's Since Access! was awarded the gold only for those who are already using Peo
Online! version 2.0 supported Zmodem. It medal in the Terminal Programs category, pleLink, it can serve a similar purpose for
was also a joke trying to use Zmodem with it makes sense to award the top honors in users of other services by simply compar
Online! at times, since when you were this category to the two programs that ing their rates to PeopleLinks rates via
linking up with BBS-PC! or another On make it possible to perform Ymodem and PC-Pursuit)
line! program, the block transfer size nev Zmodem transfers with Access! (RZ han I do wish that all online services could
er rose above 256 bytes—no matter how dles the downloading, and SZ handles the be as inexpensive as PeopleLink/PC-Pur-
clean the line was. It goes without saying uploading.) Of course, RZSZ has the po suit's rate of $3/hour at 2400 baud. Unfor
that Online! didn't support Zmodem's tential to help bolster the capabilities of tunately, of the four major online services
valuable Resume feature (actually it does, many terminal programs, but since only that support the Amiga (BIX being the
but since there is no menu option for this Access! allows you to tell it to stop listen fourth), PeopleLink is the least expensive
feature and the topic isn't even discussed ing to the serial port, this is the only ter (even after Telenet finally removes unlim
in manual, you might as well say it isn't minal program that can be used with ited usage from PC-Pursuit this summer).
supported at all). RZSZ. However, for many Amiga users,
AZComm is a simple derivative of Com that's the only one they care about. Virus Protection Proj,Tams
municator version 1.34, with one major Gold: VirusX by Steve Tibbett
difference: Zmodem support. AZComm Silver AlomClock by Art Steinmetz (AmigaZone file #15414)
supports the variable transfer block size (AmigaZone file #13833) This was the easiest award to choose
of Zmodem, all the way up to IK blocks. Although this program has nothing to this year. Anyone who is using VirusX
AZComm also supports resumed Zmodem do with normal terminal programs, it does knows I don't have to bother justifying
transfers as a mention option. access a modem, therefore I felt it be this award. Steve Tibbett has become
However, AZComm goes much further longed in this category. Some may consid quite famous in the Amiga community for
than simply supporting the aspects of er AtomClock frivolous, but for those who VirusX, the virus detection/elimination
ZModem that MSS forgot. AZComm was demand that the Amiga's real-time clock program that has no peers. It's not just

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 81
Best of Amiga Public Domain duplicated by BootBack and several other directories, which can be a real pain when
that VirusX protects against the largest Amiga PD programs. ever you want a whole directory tree of
number of viruses (16) either. Today programs like SafeBoot and your system disk (especially if you haven't
First of all, VirusX was the first, virus DiskX are a bit more versatile than Boot- switched from Dir to LS).
checker program that continuously stayed Back in terms of performing this function,
but BootBack was the ground-breaking Honorable Mention: Cramden Utilities
in memory, immediately checking each
program in this area. As you might ex by Bill Barton (AmigaZone file #11726)
and every disk inserted into a floppy
pect, the early bird gets the worm (and the While it's nice to finally have an answer
drive. One-time virus checkers like Virus-
Check (which won the gold medal last bronze medal). for all those MS-DOS users who ask if
year) and its predecessors were sufficient we have something similar to the world-
if you were only concerned about checking System Utilities famous Norton Utilities, it is even nicer
a particular disk via the startup-sequence. (told: Machll by Brian Moats to be able to benchmark various Amiga
However, they were useless once your sys (AmigaZone file #11741) systems' performance capabilities versus
tem had booted up, since no one would run You know a program has improved tre stock Amiga and MS-DOS machines (and
VirusCheck every time they inserted a mendously when it jumps from an honor to all those who feel that Dhrystone tests
new disk into the system (and once you able mention last year to a gold medal are so great, all I have to say is how come I
stop checking disks, you're system is no award this year. The latest MachU not never see Dhrystone values quoted in ads
longer secure). only has dozens of features, but its con for MS-DOS clones?). I still feel that
VirusX was also the first virus utility to figuration requester also makes it very Cramden's SI should take the graphics co
support the Workbench, which made it easy to change the various settings and processing of the Amiga into account, but
possible for every Amiga user to guard see at a glance what the current settings that's the only glitch with Cramden's SI at
against viruses. And VirusX is still the are. Machfl allows you to save multiple this point.
only virus checker that protects you from configuration files on your system disk
non-boot block viruses, namely the IRQ (you can even load multiple settings at Honorable Mention: Qmouse
virus. (Fortunately, no other non-boot once!, and instantly change between con by Lyman Epp
block viruses have appeared!) figurations with a click of the mouse. (AmigaZone file #12670; Shareware: $10)
Awarding a gold medal to VirusX was Machll is still the best multi-utility pro Qmouse seems to have replaced Matt
all too easy. Placing VirusX in the PD gram available for the Amiga today. Dillon's Dmouse as the second favorite
Hal 1 of Fame next year may not be too multi-utility of choice by Amiga users.
tough either. Silver Fix_l by Bryce Nesbitt Qmouse's tiny size (a result of being writ
While many of us were pleased when ten in assembly language) makes it a fa
Silver: ViewBoot by Brian Meadows Commodore first released Kickstart in vorite among those who have very little
(AmigaZone file #10176) ROM with the introduction of the Amiga disk space to spare on their system disk.
ViewBoot added a new defense against 500 and 2000, we expected to pay a price
viruses in 1988. ViewBoot was the first for this convenience. Bug fixes were cer Honorable Mention: SetCPU
program to allow users to easily view a tain to become much harder for Commo by Dave Haynie
floppy disk's boot blocks in ASCII form. dore to accomplish, and bugs that showed (AmigaZone file #15868)
(Of course, you could have looked at them up in Kickstart after 1.2 would likely lin SetCPU is considered important only
with some disk editors, but that meant ger for longer periods of time. (This has by those with 68020/68030 boards. If.you
you first had to become proficient with the also affected A1000 owners, since Commo had a program that made certain oper
disk editor program, unlike ViewBoot dore doesn't release Kickstart disk up ations in your Amiga up to four times as
which makes it as painless as possible.) dates unless they will be updating the fast, you'd think it was pretty great too,
This makes it possible for the user to de ROMs as well.)
termine if a virus is indeed hiding inside Well, that theory was blown away when Honorable Mention: RemLib
the boot blocks. Bryce released Fix_l, which was able to by Heiko Rath (Fish 139)
Of course, ViewBoot couldn't help you patch two important bugs in Kickstart. If you ever have problems with running
to eliminate the virus, but at least it made Commodore now has adopted this pro low on memory, RemLib can heip you to
you aware of the fact that your system gram in 1.3 as SetPatch, but we would free up memory whenever possible. Sure,
had t>een infected. have had to wait six more months for there is the FlushLibs option from the
Once Steve Tibbett's VirusX included these bug fixes if Fix_l hadn't been writ Workbench (now that the -Debug option
the option to view the boot blocks, View- ten. for LoadWb is documented in 1.3, every
Boot was relegated to the attic, but it was body knows about it), but if you don't have
the first program to bring this option to Bronze; PathAssign by Anders Lindgren Workbench loaded to begin with, then us
the Amiga community. (AmigaZone file #15282; Shareware: $10) ing that is rather self-defeating. (You do
PathAssign has made life much easier know that not having Workbench loaded
Bronze: BootBack by David Joiner for those who wished they could break saves memory, right? Yet another reason
(Fish 157] their Fonts: directory into multiple parts, to become proficient with the CLL)
While Discovery's VIP program was either because of disk space or programs
supposed to be very powerful in terms of that couldn't handle large directories. It Disk/File Utilities
helping the average Amiga user protect can also help to better organize your sys Gold: DiskSalv by Dave Haynie
himself against viruses, its only unique tem directories. This is especially effective (AmigaZone file #14684)
feature (the ability to back up the custom if you have a hard drive, since you no DiskSalv first appeared way back in
boot blocks on a floppy disk) was quickly longer need monster-sized C and Font: 1986. While the initial release showed us

82 AUGUST 1989
Best of Amiga Public Domain
seconds to copy one disk, compared to the away floppies that won't format under
all that there was a better way to salvage commercial disk copy program ProjeetD AmigaDOS's Format command, you now
a disk than allowing that professor of bi which takes 134 seconds. have an alternative. Although a disk for
nary medicine, AmigaDOS's DiskDoctor TbrboBackup will even try its best to matted with BFormat can never be copied
to perform malpractice on your floppies, it copy onto a marginal disk, attempting to via any type of track copier (including
was unusable by many people, and was in write a track five times before notifying Diskcopy), at least it can be used!
convenient for others. (It was still better you that the destination disk is bad (and
than DiskDoctor, but we all know that then you can tell TurboBackup to try
isn't saying much. 1 again). CLI Improvement/Replacement
Two years and zillions of trashed disks The program also multitasks extremely Programs
later, Dave Haynie was able to dramati well and signals you via visual screen Gold: ARP
cally improve DiskSalv so that Amiga us flashes and audio beeps when the copy is by Charlie Heath (and many others)
ers finally had no reason to ever use Disk- done. All in all, TurboBackup is a user AmigaDOS isn't exactly one of the shin
Doctor. The single biggest problem with group librarian's best friend. ing features of the Amiga (although the
the original version of DiskSalv was that situation is improving), but at least in
it required two floppy drives. That was Bronze: Warp by MADD terms of the commands inside the C
first solved by allowing DiskSalv to out The only real change in archiving pro directory, you don't have to put up with
put salvaged files to other devices like grams for the Amiga in 1988 was the ap AmigaDOS anymore. Although I didn't
hard drives and the RAM: device. pearance of Warp. Warp was not the first give an award to ARP (AmigaDOS Re
For people with expanded Amigas that track archiver to appear (that award goes placement Project) last year—mainly
was enough, but what if you're a poor to Tracker), but unlike Tracker, Warp was since it wasn't finished at the time—it was
Amiga user with just one floppy drive and the first safe track archiver for the Amiga. only a matter of time before ARP showed
512K of memory? No problem! DiskSalv's Warp was safe in that it would not allow up here.
Ask command allows you to choose which you to warp a disk that had a virus con Not only have the programmers behind
files should be salvaged, making it possi tained in the boot blocks. ARP done a great deal to eliminate the
ble to salvage a damaged disk one file at a Needless to say, until Warp (version problems caused by running the Amiga-
time. (Of course, if you're trying to salvage LIZ that is) appeared on the scene, it was DOS BCPL-written programs, but they
a 450K file with only 512K of memory you possible to transmit boot block viruses via have also improved the replacement pro
won't be successful, but if you just walk a modem. Thanks to Warp though this is grams compared to their AmigaDOS
down to your local dealer and pick up an no longer possible. (This does not apply to counterparts while still maintaining back
A501, you'll be able to salvage the file.) the IRQ virus!) wards compatibility whenever possible.
Since DiskSalv will also read from other Unix-style wildcards, multiple operations
devices, you can easily salvage a hard Honorable Mention: FFSFlop and easy-to-understand templates are
drive (even if it's FFS) in case you haven't by Martin Taillefer only u few of the major features of the
bought a hard disk backup program yet or (AmigaZone file #14149) ARP commands.
don't back it up as often as you should! For those who are desperate to increase By the way, as I'm writing this article,
DiskSalv has many new features that the file capacity and read/write speed of version 1.3 of ARP has been released (look
made using it even more convenient, like their floppy drives (and don't want to wait for a review of ARP version 1.3 in the
filter options and adding filenotes to files for 1.4), FFSFlop allows you to use FFS on October installment of "Amiga Public
that may be unrecoverable. The only rea your floppies now. Problems can still hap Domain"). The new version is fully com
son you should even refer to DiskDoctor pen when using FFS on floppies via patible with all the new changes in
these days is if you're writing a letter to FFSFlop, but at least now you can use Workbench 1.3.
Commodore asking them to replace Disk- FFS if you really want to.
Doctor with DiskSalv in Workbench 1.4. Silver: LS by Justin McCormick
Honorable Mention: I'cPatch (AmigaZone file #15133)
Silver TurboBackup by Werner Gunther While LS received this very same
by Steffen Stempel and Martin Kopp (AmigaZone file #13973) award last year, there are two good rea
(Fish 139) Speaking of waiting for 1.4, if you would sons why the program wasn't supplanted
Until floppy disks are replaced with a like to be able to transfer files to/from by another program this year. First of all,
more advanced storage device (or until 3.5-inch MS-DOS disks (without having LS has been improved greatly since it was
everyone has a modem), copying floppy to buy DOS-to-DOS), you would expect to first released. Now you can print out list
disks is a fact of computing life. Tlirbo- have to wait for 1.4. Instead PcPatch ings created by LS, since its multi-color
Backup is simply the most efficient pro makes it possible to read/write/format feature is now shut off when the output is
gram available today—PD or commer- 3.5-inch disks (although only in 360K for being redirected. LS now supports resi
cia!—for copying AmigaDOS disks (and mat). These are binary patches designed dency, the new Workbench 1.3 protection
no, it doesn't copy protected disks). for the Workbench 1.2 version of PCCopy bits, international dates and new sorting
Why is TurboBackup worth it? Well, for and PCFormat, but since the sizes of these options.
one thing TurboBackup forces you to use files haven't changed in 1.3, PcPatch While I personally use most of the ARP
verify mode when copying disks. After all, should still work. commands, I will never use any version of
why bother to copy a disk when you can't Dir again. LS now is almost as superior to
be sure that the copy doesn't have errors Honorable Mention: BFormat Dir as DiskSalv is to DiskDoctor.
on it? TurboBackup is also extremely fast by Bob Bush
when copying disks. It only takes 103.5 If you are annoyed with having to throw Bronze: Re/, by Jim Goodnow II

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 83
Best of Amiga Public Domain depth, viewpoint and mountain height. complain. Now with the newest version of
Rez was the first truly freely distributa The foreground of the picture can look SetFont (2.5), not only can you change
ble program that added residency to blocky at times, but the back is perfect for fonts, but you also have the power to de
AmigaDOS. (The ancient Resident com use as a background for a picture you are cide which portions of the Workbench/CLI
mand from Commodore you might have working on in DetuxePaint or other paint display are affected. This is yet another
seen on a few BBS's way back in '86 was program. You can't modify images once command that Commodore should give
not an authorized release.) Although resi they are saved, but at least the author did serious consideration to adding to Work
dency is now supported by both ARP (ver include a save to IFF option in the menus. bench 1.4.
sion 1.1 of ARP, which was the update
that added residency, just missed beating Honorable Mention: Contoura Bronze: MacFont by Rico Mariani
Rez to the punch) and Workbench 1.3, Jim by A.G. Kartsatos We all know the Macintosh is still the
Goodnow gets the award for doing it first. (AmigaZone file #12218; Shareware: $15) top dog in the desktop publishing arena
For those who don't have the time for (unless you want to print in more than
Graphics Creation Programs Mandelbrot programs, this program can two colors!). Since there are tons of fonts
Gold: BezSurf by Eric Davies serve as an adequate substitute. Contoura for the Macintosh, why not borrow some
(Fish 170) works in 32 colors, and has some interest from that environment and use them in
If you thought working with Bezier ing (and unconventional) methods to al Amiga DTP programs?
curves (in Professional Draw, for example) low you to control the color palette used. If you hate having to duplicate another
was nice, wait until you try Bezier sur Contoura uses formulas of the type person's work (not to mention being able
faces in BezSurf. Not only can you pro Z=F(X,Y), and allows you to input your to spend more time laying out your pages)
duce wonderful images in gray scale, but own formulas. Contoura's best feature when you really shouldn't have to, you
in color as well. BezSurf doesn't support may be its Sample gadget, which allows should take full advantage of MacFont.
HAM graphics directly, however, you can you to easily render a rough view of any Besides, don't you think computer users
send the output via BezSurfs Mergergb function in seconds, so you can decide should be able to help each other out, even
program to the RAY2 program that is whether to devote more time to that scene. if they don't own the same system?
used in DBW-Render and QRT to produce The program's big drawback is the lack of
HAM images. Perhaps the wildest part of a save option, so be sure to have ScreenX Honorable Mention: ShowFont
the package is the ability to wrap IFF im or another screen-saving utility handy by Arthur Johnson, Jr.
ages around any 3D object created with when you run Contoura. (AmigaZone file #16011)
BezSurf (making it an alternative to Speaking of desktop publishing, assum
Photon Paint for this capability). The nu Graphic Utilities ing you haven't memorized every font in
merous control functions help to make all Gold: ScreenX by Steve Tibbett your Fonts: directory, doesn't it make
of this easy to do and just as easy to alter (AmigaZone file #12151) sense to have a program like ShowFont?
if you change your mind. Considering how very successfiil Dis Just because you have used a font before
covery's Grabbit utility was back in the doesn't mean you'll always want to use it
Silver QKT by Steve Koren early days of the Amiga, it's only natural (especially if you happen to find out that
(AmigaZone file #11733) to award the top honor in this category to the design of one letter in the font leaves
While DBW-Render came along early the program which makes Grabbit look something to be desired). ShowFont is
in the Amiga's history and produced very crude indeed. fast, easy to use, scrolls nicely and can
amazing results, it had one big drawback ScreenX adds many useful options re even tell you which key(s) you need to
in that it was very unforgiving of errors in lated to saving screens. First of all, by list press to render a non-ASCII character in a
the input file. QRT doesn't make the user ing all open screens and providing many particular font. Pagesetter users (who
pay for his mistakes. QRTwill check the functions that can be performed on each know it's not fun having to load a new
input file's parameters instead ofjust as screen, it makes it pathetically easy to font) will really appreciate this program.
suming that the user knows what he is do grab a screen no matter how tough it is to
ing. The program also emulates the get to it Honorable Mention: Peel
Sculpt line of ray-tracers in that it allows ScreenX also gives you plenty of infor by Andy Lochbaum
you to build any object from one primitive mation on each screen, so those who are (AmigaZone file #12079)
(quadratics in this case). QRT is the per low on memory can make sure that they Peel is perhaps the best known PD
fect choice for those who want to dabble in have sufficient memory before they at video effect program for the Amiga. Al
ray-tracing before they decide whether to tempt to grab a screen and then send to though it works only on lo-res pictures, it
commit serious money (in the form of soft the RAM: disk. Plus ScreenX's sleep mode is still very useful. Commodore thought
ware and accelerator boards) to this meth makes it easy to load it up during the enough of it to feature it in their Amiga
od of graphics creation. startup-sequence and start using pro 500 videotape entitled "Bringing the Pow
grams without it getting in the way (while er Home," and that's a pretty powerful tes
Bronze: Scenery by Brett CaseBolt always knowing that ScreenX is ready to timonial as far as I'm concerned.
(Fish 155) be called upon in an instant).
Considering how quickly this program Picture Display Programs
operates, the graphics rendered are very Silver SctFont by Dave Haynie Gold: SuperView by David Grothe
impressive. You cannot alter the various (AmigaZone file #10685) (AmigaZone file #14510)
colors used to render the mountains, fo Before SetFont, if you didn't like the To I had a tough time deciding between
liage and water created in each scene, but paz font when using Workbench or CLI, SuperView and Showiz for top honors in
you do have control over lighting, water you couldn't do anything about it except this category. I decided to give the gold to

84 AUGUST 1989
Best of Amiga Public Domain
If you're still using ShowANIM, you er's graphics are very nice indeed, it's the
SuperView, since it offers a more versatile don't know what you're missing. Display's animation of the graphics that make a
display. In addition to supporting all file requestor makes running ANIM for person's jaw drop. The fact that this is an
graphics modes with or without overscan, mat animations very convenient. The pro animation of a familiar object (an AT-AT
SuperView also supports blanking the gram is impressive for checking out the Walker) helps non-Amiga fans relate to
mouse pointer as well as color cycling (and latest ANIMs at home, as well as for and therefore be impressed with this ani
will automatically turn any color cycling showing off the Amiga to those who don't mation. The multiple scenes, each with a
on unless you tell it not to). own one. different perspective, keep the viewer on
It also supports the new ILBM author To run animations from the Workbench his toes and interested the whole way
chunk, which allows artists to add a short screen you just click on Display's icon and through. The great sound effects and the
text file to each picture they create (which type in the name of the animation. (I do introductory animation (which really is
seems to be more efficient than having the wish, however, that Martin hadn't hard impressive in its own right) add to the
text information in a separate file). You coded the device gadgets, so that I didn't package as a whole. There's more to say
can use the mouse to scroll through a su- have to type in the name of the hard disk about Walker, but once you've seen it, it
perbitmap display. There are options for partition where all my animations are speaks for itself.
using a batch file to create a slideshow, in stored.)
cluding separate options for each picture Display's many keyboard and mouse Silver: Walker II: The Trailer
as well as a loop option if you would like to options give you plenty of control over the by Brian Williams and Imaginetics, Inc.
run it forever. Or instead SuperView will animation, especially the speed options Although this is only a preview for the
display any and all pictures in a given via the function keys which I couldn't live real Walker II demo that has not been re
directory. without. (Please refer to the listing for leased yet, it still is more than worthy of
While the other displayers in this cate MarsFlight below.) an award. Walker II: The Trailer's individ
gory are also quite powerful, SuperView is ual animation sequences aren't quite as
slightly superior to the rest overall. astounding as Walker's, but the overall
Silver MakeANIM author unknown
(AmigaZone file #11903) effect is very impressive, especially if
Silver: Showiz by J.L. White
While DeluxePaijit III has eliminated viewed on a large projection screen.
(AmigaZone file #12844; Shareware: $10)
the need for this program, back when I can't wait to see the finished version,
While Showiz is quite powerful, it basi
MakeANIM came out there was no simple although I won't be surprised in the least
cally has two main features. First of all, it
way to turn a bunch of IFF pictures into if Walker II takes 2.5 or even three mega
supports an impressive number (23) of dif
an animation (at least not without shell bytes to run.
ferent transitional wipes, while only tak
ing up 23K of disk space. Its other main ing out some money).
Bradley Schenck might not have been Bronze: DrZorb II
feature is its ability to display text. Not
able to even enter, let alone win the by Timothy Hanna
only will it display text in any color, but it
BADGE Killer Demo Contest with his (AmigaZone file #15820-23)
also adds a shadow to the rendered text
Charon animation if not for this program, The first two-megabyte animation by
which looks quite nice. These two impor
and we would all be the poorer for it. someone other than Imaginetics, DrZorb
tant features alone make Showiz more
II is also an amazing animation, but for
than worth the shareware fee.
different reasons. This bizarre animation's
Bronze: ShowANIM by Gary Bonham
Bronze: MultiView by Wayne Houge best quality is its two-minute digitized
(AmigaZone file #13661) soundtrack, (those who have audio digi
(AmigaZone file #12346;
This program deserves an award of
Shareware: amount not specified) tizers know how big an accomplishment
some type, even if it is no longer the best
While MultiView may not seem very that really is). And the large-scale land
ANIM displayer available. ShowANIM
appealing if you only care about IFF synchronized) animation sequences are
still has one big advantage over Display,
ILBM files, the program definitely sup superb in their own right.
however, in that it supports icons. While
ports more picture formats. In addition to As for the combined effect, what can
you have to create the icon for each ani you say about full-model skeletons danc
IFF and ACBM plus two other Amiga-
mation first (and many people like myself
BASIC formats, MultiView supports two ing to Christmas carols? "Incredibly
don't have the time or the talent), icons
Atari ST formats (Degas and NEO- weird" seems to fit the bill nicely! The
are simpler and friendlier to use than a
chrome) and Macintosh formats. only thing I have to say about the author
file requester for non-experts.
MultiView also has the unique ability (besides his being just a bit insane) is that
to pull out an image from within an ex Timothy is the only programmer who
ecutable program. As if this weren't Director Animations even came close to challenging Imagine
enough, MultiView will also convert pic Gold: Walker tics' total supremacy in this category.
tures from one format to another, which is by Brian Williams and Imaginetics, Inc.
something you wouldn't expect in a dis Needless to say Walker was a break Honorable Mention: Charon
play program. If you have to deal with pic through in Amiga animation, and it's per by Brad Schenck
tures that aren't in IFF format, Multi- haps the most famous Amiga demo, fol The BADGE Killer Demo Contest
View is what you need. lowing DemoReell (1987) and Juggler grand prize winner for 1988, Charon
(1986). Amiga users are a fairly jaded lot, couldn't overcome any of the two-mega
Animation Display but when I was running this demo at an byte giants in this category, but maybe
Programs/ Utilities Amiga show in Boston when it first came that's expecting too much. Charon is simi
Gold: Display by Martin Hash out, many Amiga users looked at this lar to the famous Probe animation in that
(AmigaZone file #12785) demo in sheer disbelief. Although Walk it is not really eye-candy, but rather a

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 85
Best of Amiga Public Domain and he won't feel so smug anymore! In ing sight for any jaded Amiga owner.
demo that must be watched patiently in a steps a mere mortal animation, and sud
distraction-free setting in order for it to denly MarsFlight turns into 'The Mac II Silver BoingThrows by Marvin Landis
work its magic on the viewer. There isn't Killer"! If every Amiga were equipped (Fish #134)
much animation in Charon, but its beau with an A2620 card, MarsFlight would This animation doesn't sport the same
tiful music and stunning graphics (which easily have won the gold medal. level of animated movement as Gymnast,
are even more stunning when you find out but between its fantastic ray-traced
that none of the graphics were digitized— Bronze: Twilight graphics, nicely done digitized sounds and
they were all either hand drawn or gener Another huge and impressive Video- smooth animation, BoingThraws turns
ated internally with The Director) create a Scape 3D animation. While Twilight plenty of heads. Plus every now and then
wonderful effect. After seeing Charon, you doesn't benefit from faster processors as you come across a person who says some
won't be surprised to find out that Brad- much as MarsFlight does, it doesn't need thing like "Wow, this guy's pretty good...
ley's art has been on the cover of" two more speed, since it is quite impressive on he never misses!" Of course, Marvin's two
Amiga publications (AmigaWorld and a stock Amiga. The one truly remarkable animations had to be fairly fantastic con
AmNews). thing in Twilight is the simulated light sidering he was able to deny the legend
beams from the light poles, but overall ary Dr. Gandalf the top two awards in this
ANIM Animations Twilight is still very nice, even on an un- category.
Gold: Glass by Allen Hastings enhanced Amiga.
(AmigaZone file #11286) Bronze: GhostPool by Dr. Gandalf
If you had only ten seconds ta show Honorable Mention: Giobus by Ker Baer This is the first of many animations
someone why the Amiga is so special, (AmigaZone file #12289) that has made the Doctor a household
what would you show him? This question This Animator: Apprentice animation of name in the Amiga community, and I still
is important, since some people simply a rotating, three-dimensional polished consider it his best effort to date. Not only
don't have the time or the patience to sit piece of granite is most impressive when does GhostPool last for quite a long time
and watch a multi-minute demo like you consider that it only took 90 minutes compared to most Amiga animations, but
DemoReell, never mind wait for a large to render on a stock Amiga. While the it also astounds non-Amiga owners (i.e.,
demo like Walker to load. If I had to make granite's subtle curves might be tough to those who can't understand how the pool
this decision, I would load Allen Hastings' duplicate with line/point-oriented pro player is turned invisible) by the nature of
Glass animation. Why? Because it shows grams like VideoScape 3D and Sculpt 3D, the animation itself.
many of the most important qualities of the creators of this animation stated that
the Amiga. they only needed to draw two silhouettes Honorable Mention: 4I)Anim
In the background you have a beautiful of the shape in a paint program, and then author unknown
digitized HAM photograph, which not Animator: Apprentice did the rest of the If this is merely a simple example of the
only shows stunning Amiga graphics but work. capabilities of Sculpt-Animate 4D, Fm
also the fact that the Amiga can receive While VideoScape 3D and Sculpt 3D impressed. While there isn't much color in
visual input from the colorful world we seemed to always grab most of the atten this animation, the incredible gray-scale
live in, and then display the image with tion in the 3D animation realm in 1988, shading of a spaceship orbiting a glass
barely any degradation at all. In the front there are a growing number of alterna sphere (which contains inside itself an
you have a three-dimensional multi- tives in the Amiga market, and Globus other glass sphere) is amazing, not to
shaded goblet (which helps to emphasize helps to prove that Animator: Apprentice mention the countless reflections off the
that the Amiga is great for creating three- is worth serious consideration. two glass spheres. This animation also
dimensional graphics) that is quickly ro shows off the power of Syndesis' Inter-
tated over the background, which shows Sculpt Animations Change program, since the spaceship is
the power of the graphics coprocessor Gold: Gymnast by Marvin Landis instantly recognizable as Allen Hastings'
chips inside the Amiga. Not bad for an (AmigaZone file #14388-9) VideoScape 3D spaceship from the famous
animation that can be loaded from a hard Marvin Landis' newest creation is simi Infinite Loop videotape.
drive in under six seconds! lar to Walker; while its graphics aren't
that impressive (compared to most ray- Honorable Mention: Walk
Silver: Marsflight by Jim Robinson traced animations), the animation portion by Eric Daniels
This is the best animation to date by of Gymnast is incredible. (AmigaZone file #12981-2,13061)
that master of monstrous VideoScape 3D BoingThraws premiered Marvin's fa If reflections off chrome surfaces in
animations, James Robinson. MarsFlight mous computer-rendered friend AmiGuy, Amiga graphics fascinate you, Walk has
lasts for 15 seconds, but that's on a stock but in Gymnast AmiGuy really gets to got to be one of your favorite animations.
68000-based Amiga. While MarsFlight is show off some major athletics! It's quite a While the accompanying new-wave
a "nice" animation on a 68000-based feat to even create a realistic 3D render soundtrack may not suit everyone's taste,
Amiga, on an Amiga 2500 it is trans ing of a human and then try to make him the animation itself is admirable.
formed into a totally different beast. walk, never mind have him performing
If you have a friend with a Mac II who daring release moves on a highbar. Emulation Programs
loves to boast about his computer's in Now I wish I could see the original wire Gold: IBM by David Donley
credible (static) graphics capabilities, just frame version of Gymnast (which made (AmigaZone file #12686)
show him MarsFlight on an A2500 (using Amiga users left and right drench them Amiga users can't help but take pot
the Display viewer so that you can easily selves in pools of their own drool) fully shots at MS-DOS machines at times, and
run the animation at maximum speed], ray-traced. That would really be an amaz this emulator is perfect for when you're in

86 AUGUST 1989
Best of Amiga Public Domain
a joking mood. Not only are there a vari bland pointer can be, 1 suggest you take That's it, ladies and gentlemen—the
ety of puns in this program, but the fun some time from your usual Amiga activi best Amiga PD programs of 1988. Assum
starts when the program loads. Upon ties to show them some animated pointers ing that Fll be around Tor another year, I
loading the program nicely simulates a (and maybe a few other programs men will be picking from among these pro
Guru, and then simulates the loading se tioned here), as just a small taste of what grams for possible entries into the Amiga
quence of an MS-DOS machine. Unlike today's most advanced computer can do. PD Hall of Fame next year. Ifyou'd like to
the 64 emulator below, this MS-DOS emu have a say in nominating next year's
lator does allow you to return to the Gold: AmyToday by John Rydell Amiga PD Hall ofFamers, please attempt
Amiga environment if you type "GO (AmigaZone: various file numbers) to contact me either via PeopleLink (ID: G
AMIGA". A fresh alternative to the flood of print KTNSEY), or on the HXMP BBS (617)
magazines for the Amiga. Not only is 769-3172,24 hours a day, or through
Silver CGI by Eddie Carroll AmyTbday free, it also conies out twice as Commodore Magazine.
(AmigaZone file #12590) often as most magazines. Of course you do Until then, I hope you'll be keeping up
This emulator doesn't have as many need a modem (or a source of PD pro with the newest in Amiga PD programs
funny remarks as the MS-DOS emulator, grams with a really quick turnaround every month in my regular column right
but it is still very humorous. In addition to time) to be able to receive AmyTbday here in Commodore Magazine.
the commands, C64 also emulates the while it's still fresh off the word processor,
screen cursor keys in order to fool the but with today's dirt cheap 1200 baud mo Fish disks: For a catalog, send a SASE
unsuspecting onlooker. dems, is that so much to ask? and four hose stamps, or $1 to: Fred Fish,
1346 W. 10th Place, Tempe, AZ 85281
Miscellaneous Awards Gold: WBRexx by Willy Langeveld 7b sign up to PeopleLink and their
Gold: Pointer Animator by Tim Komp (AmigaZone file #14642) AmigaZone, call them at: (800) 524-0100
(AmigaZone file #13174) The AREXX language has a large (voice) or (800) 826-8855 (via modem).
This is one program you'll never find on number of supporters, and today it's as For information on obtaining programs
any other machine besides the Amiga. well known in the Amiga community as not listed on PeopleLink (or for those who
Where else could you find a program that any other language. With that in mind, don't have a modem), please write asking
can turn the boring arrow pointer into an why shouldn't Workbench-only users be for a program by name (or semi $2 for an
exciting 16-color animated masterpiece of able to benefit from the power of AREXX? Amiga PD catalog disk; no blank disks,
your own creation? While your MS-DOS Hate off to Willy for opening the AREXX please!) to: SMAUG, 1015 S. QuineyAve.,
friends are finding out what a pleasure a environment to all Amiga users. #112, Quincy, MA 02169. a

Technology/Changes in U.S. Copyright Law


Continued from page 48 fects foreign nationals. Now there is a two- fib'ng an infringement lawsuit. This re
if copies of their works were first publicly tier registration system, one applicable to quirement was eliminated as of March 1.
distributed simultaneously in the U.S. foreign nationals and one for American However, recordation is still necessary for
and in a Beme Convention country, such copyright owners. Prior to March 1, the other purposes. It can safeguard an own
as Canada. Public distribution in the U.S. registration requirement applied equally ership transferee in the event of a conflict
alone was not sufficient. Simultaneous to American and foreign copyright own ing transfer. If an ownership dispute
publication was variously interpreted to ers. Both were obligated to register a co arises because ownership of the same
mean first publication in the U.S. and a pyrighted work to enforce their exclusive work has been transferred to different
Berne Convention country on the same rights. transferees by the same person, the trans
day, or first publication in a Beme Con American copyright owners still must fer which is recorded first may prevail.
vention country within 30 days of the date register their works in the U.S. Copyright There are other changes in the Act that
of first publication in the U.S. Office if they desire to file a copyright in should be noted. Compulsory licensing for
Simultaneous publication is no longer fringement lawsuit. Otherwise, registra jukeboxes is eliminated. Architectural
necessary for American copyright owners. tion is not necessary. This requirement drawings are now specifically listed as
As a result of the U.S. signing the Berne has been eliminated for foreign nationals. protectible works in the category of picto
Convention, works created by U.S. nation They do not have to register their works to rial, graphic and sculptural works. And
als automatically qualify for national enforce their exclusive rights. definitions for "Berne Convention works"
treatment under it. Eligibility is effective To encourage registration by everyone, and "country of origin" have been added.
immediately on the date a work is created. the statutory damage amounts in the Act They are used to determine whether a
Nothing more need be done. It is not nec have been doubled. After March 1, the work is eligible for national treatment un
essary to place a notice on works, and minimum award increases from $100 per der the Berne Convention. In most other
there is no waiting period. Furthermore, infringement to $200, and the maximum respects, the Act remains unchanged. B
works that have not been publicly distrib increases from $50,000 to $100,000.
uted (unpublished works) are eligible for Another amendment to the Act con David A, Weinstein is an attorney with
national treatment as well as those that cerns the recordation of documents evi twenty years' experience working with cre
are publicly distributed. This was not the dencing copyright ownership transfers. ative people in copyright, trademark and
case prior to March 1 under the Berne Prior to March 1 a person who acquired related matters. He is the autlior of How to
Convention or the UCC. ownership from someone else was re Protect Your Creative Work: All You Need
Amendments to the Act also change the quired to record the transfer document in to Know About Copyright, published by
registration requirement, but only as it af the Copyright Office as a prerequisite to John Wiley & Sons, 1987.

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 87
HOW TO ENTER PROGRAMS
The programs which appear in this brackets. Refer to this chart whenever you zero to 255 to be poke-able. For example,
magazine have teen run, tested and aren't sure what keys to press. The little the statement POKE 1024,260 would pro
checked for bugs and errors. After a pro graphic next to the keystrokes shows you duce an illegal quantity error because 260
gram is tested, it is printed on a letter what you will see on the screen. is greater than 255.
quality printer with some formatting Most often, the value being poked is a
changes. This listing is then photo SYNTAX ERROR variable (A.X...I. This error is telling you
graphed directly and printed in the maga This is by far the most common error that this variable is out of range. If the
zine. Using this method ensures the most encountered while entering a program. variable is being read from data state
error-free program listings possible. Usually (sorry folksl this means that you ments, then the problem is somewhere in
Whenever you see a word inside brack- have typed something incorrectly on the the data statements. Check the data
eta, such as I DOWN I, the word represents line the syntax error refers to. If you get statements for missing commas or other
a keystroke or eeriee of keystrokes on the the message "TSynlax Error Break In typos.
keyboard. The word | DOWN I would bo Line 270", type LIST 270 and press !f the variable is not coming from data
entered by pressing the cursor-down key. RETURN. This will list line 270 to the statements, then the problem will be a lit
If multiple keystrokes are required, the screen. Look for any non-obvious mis tle harder to find. Check each line that
number will directly follow the word. For takes like a zero in place of an 0 or vice- contains the variable for typing mistakes.
example, | D0WN41 would mean to pi^ess versa. Check for semicolons and colons re
the cursor-down key four times. If there versed and extra or missing parenthesis. OUT OF DATA ERROR
are multiple words wifbin one set of All of these things will cause a syntax This error message is always related to
brackets, enter the keystrokes directly error. the data statements in a program. If this
after one another. Ebr example, [DOWN, There is only one time a syntax error error occurs, it means that the program
RIGHT2] would mean to press the cursor- will tell you the "wrong" line to look at. If has run out of data items before it was
down key once and then the cursor-right the line the syntax error refers to has a supposed to. It is usually caused by a prob
key twice. Note: Do not enter the commas. function call (i.e., FN A(3l), the syntax lem or typo in the data statements. Check
In addition to these graphic symlwls, error may be in the line that defines the first to see if you have left out a whole line
the keyboard graphics are all represented function, rather than the line named in of data. Next, check for missing commas
by e wore! and a letter. 'Hie word is either the error message. Look for a line near between numbers. Reading data from a
SHFT or CMD and represents the SI IIFT the beginning of the program (usually) page of a magazine can be a strain on the
key or the Commodore key. The letter is that has DEF FN A(X) in it with an equa brain, so use a ruler or a piece of paper or
one of the letters on the keyboard. The tion following it. Look for a typo in the anything else to help you keep track of
combination ISHFT E] would be entered equation part of this definition. where you are as you enter the data.
by holding down the SHIFT key and
pressing the E. A number following the ILLEGAL QUANTITY ERROR OTHER PROBLEMS
letter tells you how many times to type This is another common error message. It is important to remember that the 64
the letter. For example, ISHFT A4,CMD This am also be caused by a typing error, and the PET/CBM computers will only ac
B3] would mean to hold the SHIFT key but it is a little harder to find. Once again, cept a line up to 80 characters long. The
and press the A four times, then holti list the line number that the error mes VIC 20 will accept a line up to 88 charac
down the Commodore key and press the sage refers to. There is probably a poke ters long. Sometimes you will find a line
B three times. statement on this line. If there is, then the in a program that runs over this number
The following chart tells you the keys to error is referring to what is trying to be of characters. This is not a mistake in the
press for any wort! or words inside of poked. A number must be in the range of listing. Sometimes programmers get so
can-ied away crunching programs that
r|HOME]--UNSHlFTEDCLR/HOME I they use abbreviated commands to get
1 -IGREENI1 -CONTROLS more than 80 (or 88) characters on one
' = SH1FT£DCLR/H0ME

[3 '[BLUEr-CONTROLV
line. You can enter these lines by abbrevi
K iYELLOW|" " CONTROL S
ating the commands when you enter the
n "[upt-cursor up ■[F1| - F4
line. The abbreviations for BASIC com
Q ■'IHIOHTl" -CURSOR RIGHT . J ' IORANGE]11 -COMMODORE 1
mands are on pages 133-134 of the VIC 20
9 11[BPOWNr1-COMMODORE2
I! "ILEFTI'-CUBSORLEFT
R "(L BED]" -COMMODORE 3
a •(FBI1 - F6 user guide and 130-131 of the Commodore
R [FtVSr-CONTROL9 64 user's guide.
B "(RvoFFr-cowrnoLo Q "IQFAY1I1- -COMMODORE i If you type a line that is longer than 80
j
j] "BLACK]-1 -CONTROL 1 H 1!GBAV2]--COMMODORES UNDV - ENGLISH (or 88) characters, the computer will act as
[I "IWHiTEl" -CONTROL 2 V] "[L GREENr-COMMODORES POUND if everything is ok, until you press RE
H "HEDI"-CONTROLS Ti'% BLUE|"-COMMODORE7 "ISHFT ■]"=PI SYMBOL TURN. Then, a syntax error will be dis
fflrr "UP ARROW played (without a line number). Many
jH CONTHOL4 R !GRA«|--COMMODORE8
people write that the computer gives them
GRAPHIC SYMBOLS WILL BE REPRESENTED AS EITHER THE LETTERS a syntax error when they type the line, or
SHFT (SHIFT) AND A KEY ("|SHFT Q.SHFT J.SHFT D.SHFT S]") OR THE that the computer refuses to accept a line.
LETTERS CMDR (COMMODORE) AND A KEY ("1CMDR Q.CMDR Both of these problems are results of typ
G.COMDR Y.CMDR H]"). IF A SYMBOL IS REPEATED, THE NUMBER OF ing a line of more than 80 (or 88) charac
REprrmoNS will be directly after the key and before the ters.
COMMA ("[SPACE3.SHFT S4.CMDR M21"1.

88 AUGUST 1989
How to Enter Programs"

You can't get the program to run and you The name of the program
THE PROGRAM WONT RUN!! can't find any errors in your typing. What The issue of the magazine it was in
This is the hardest of problems to re do you do? As always, we suggest that you The computer you are using
solve; no error message is displayed, but try a local user group for help. In a group Any error messages and the line
the program just doesn't run. This can be of even just a dozen members, someone is numbers
caused by many small mistakes typing a bound to have typed in the same program. Anything displayed on the screen
program in. First check that the program The user group may also have the pro A printout of your listing (if
was written for the computer you are us gram on a library disk and be willing to possible)
ing. Check to see if you have left out any make a copy for you. All of this information is helpful in an
lines of the program. Check each line of If you do get a working copy, be sure to swering your questions about why a pro
the program for typos or missing parts. Fi compare it to your own version so that you gram doesn't work. A letter that simply
nally, press the RUN/STOP key while the can learn from your errors and increase states "I get an error in line 250 whenever
program is "running". Write down the line you understanding of programming. I run the program'' doesn't give us much
the program broke at and try to follow the If you live in the country, don't have a to go on. Send your questions to:
program backwards from this point, look local user group, or you simply can't get Commodore Magazine
ing for problems. any help, write to us. If you do write to us, 1200 Wilson Drive
include the following information about West Chester, PA 19380
IF ALL ELSE FAILS the program you era having problems ATTN: Program Problem
You've come to the end of your rope. with: Have fun with the programs! Q|

HOW TO USE THE MAGAZINE ENTRY PROGRAMS

The Magazine Entry Programs on the SYS4867 on the 128. to fix them.
next pages are two BASIC machine The checksums for each line are the NO CHECKSUM: This means that you
language programs that will assist you in same for both the &4 and 128, so you can forgot to enter the apostrophe and the four
entering the programs in this magazine enter your fi4 programs on the 128 if you'd letters at the end of the line. Move the
correctly. There are versions for both the like. cursor to the end of the line you just typed
Commodore 64 and the Commodore 128. and enter the checksum.
Once the program is in place, it works its Typing; the Programs QUOTE: This means that you forgot (or
magic without you having to do anything All the BASIC program listings in this addedl a quote mark somewhere in the
else. The program will not let you enter a magazine that are for the 64 or 128 have line. Check the line in the magazine and
line if there is a typing mistake on it, and an apostrophe followed by four letters at correct the quote.
better yet, it identifies the kind of error for the end of the line ie.g., 'ACDF>. If you KEYWORD; This means that you have
you. plan to use the Magazine Entry Program either forgotten a command or spelled one
to enter your programs, the apostrophe of the BASIC keywords (GOTO,
Getting Started and letters should be entered along with PRINT..) incorrectly. Check the line in
Type in the Magazine Entry Program the rest of the line. This is a checksum the magazine again and check your spell
carefully and save it as you go along (just that the Magazine Entry Program uses. ing.
in case). Once the whole program is typed Enter the line and the letters at the end # OF CHARACTEKS: This means
in, save it again on tape or disk. Now and then press RETURN, just as you nor that you have either entered extra charac
RUN the program. The word POKING mally would. ter or missed some characters. Check the
will appear on the top of the screen with a If the line is entered correctly, a bell is line in the magazine again. This error
number. The number will increment from sounded and the line is entered into the message will also occur if you misspell a
49152 up to 49900 (4864-5545 on the 1281 computer's memory (without the charac BASIC command, but create another
and just lets you know that the program is ters at the end]. keyword in doing so. For example, if you
running. If everything is ok, the program If a mistake was made while entering misspell PRINT as PRONT, the 64 sees
will finish running and say DONE. Then the line, a noise is sounded and an error the letter P and R, the BASIC keyword
type NEW. If there is a problem with the message is displayed. Read the error mes ON and then the letter T. Because it sees
data statements, the program will tell you sage, then press any key to erase the mes the keyword ON, it thinks you've got too
where to find the problem. Otherwise the sage and correct the line. many characters, instead of a simple mis
program will say "mistake in data state spelling. Check spelling of BASIC com
ments." Check to see if commas are miss IMPORTANT mands if you can't find anything else
ing, or if you have used periods instead of If the Magazine Entry Program sees a wrong.

commas. Also check the individual data mistake on a line, it does not enter that UNIDENTIFIED: This means that you
items. line into memory. This makes it impossi have either made a simple spelling error,
Once the program has run, it is in ble to enter u line incorrectly. you typed the wrong line number, or you
memory ready to go. To activate the pro typed the checksum incorrectly. Spelling
gram type SYS49152 (SYS4864 on the Error Messages and errors could be the wrong number of
128), and press RETURN. You are now What They Mean spaces inside quotes, a variable spelled
ready to enter the programs from the There are five error messages that the wrong, or a word misspelled. Check the
magazine. To disable the Entry Program, Magazine Entry Program uses. Here they line in the magazine again and correct the
just type KILL | RETURN | on the 64 or are, along with what they mean and how mistake, B

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 89
Magazine Entry Program—64
1032 DATA 02,4C,74,A4,4B,49,4C,4C
The Magazine Emiy Programs artjiailablt on disk, slung wihmhi:i programs in iftii magazine,
1033 DATA 91,91,0D,20,20,20,20,20
for S9 15. To order, toniatl Loadnai ai I ■B0O-831-2694
1034 DATA 20,20,20,20,20,20,20,20
1035 DATA 20,20,20,20,20,20,20,91
10 PRINT"[CLEAR]POKING -"; 1036 DATA 0D,51,55,4F,54,45,00,4B

20 P=49152 :REM SC000 (END AT 1037 DATA 45, 59,57,4F,52,44,00,23


1038 DATA 20,4F,46,20,43,48,41,52
49900/SC2EC)
1039 DATA 41,43,54,45,52,53,00,55
30 BEAD AS:IF AS="END"THEN 110 1040 DATA 4E,49,44,45,4E,54,49,46
1041 DATA 49,45,44,00,4E,4F,20,43
40 L=ASCtMIDS(AS,2,1)) 48,45,43,4B,53,55,4D,00
1042 DATA

50 H=ASC(MIDS(A5,1,1)) 1043 DATA C8,Bl,7A,D0,FB,S4,FD,C0


1044 DATA 09,10,03,4C,84,Cl,88,88
60 L=L-48:IF L>9 THEN L=L-7 88,88,88,Bl,7A,C9,27,D0
1045 DATA

70 H=H-48:IF H>9 THEN H=H-7 1046 DATA 13,A9,00,91,7A,C8,A2,00


1047 DATA B1,7A,9D,3C,03,C8,E8,E0
80 PRINT"[HOME,RIGHT12]"P; 1048 DATA 04,D0,F5,60,A9,04,4C,CA

90 IF H>15 OR L>15 THEN PRINT 1049 DATA C0,A0,00,B9,00,02,99,40


1050 DATA 03,F0,F0,C8,D0,F5,A0,00
:PRINT"DATA ERROR IN LINE"; B9,40,03,F0,E6,99,00,02
1051 DATA

1000+1NT((P-49152J/8):STOP 1052 DATA C8,D0,F5,20,96,C1,4C,12


1053 DATA C2,A0,0 9,A9,00,99,0 3,C0
100 B=H*16+L:POKE P,B:T=T+B:P=P+1
1054 DATA 8D,3C,0 3,8 8,10,F7,A9,8 0
:G0TO 30 1055 DATA 85,02,A0,00,20,58,01,20
1056 DATA 89,C1,20,ED,C1,E6,7A,E6
110 IF TO86200 THEN PRINT
1057 DATA 7B,20,7C,A5,A0,00,20,80
:PRINT"MISTAKE IN DATA --> CHECK 1058 DATA C0,F0,D0,24,02,F0,06,4C
1059 DATA A8,C0,4C,CE,C1,C9,2 2,D0
DATA STATEMENTS":END
1060 DATA 06,20,8D,C0,4C,CE,C1,20
120 PRINT"DONE":END 1061 DATA BA,C0,4C,CE,C1,A0,0 0,B9
1000 DATA 4C,IF,C0,00,00,00,00,00 1062 DATA 00,02,20,74,C0,C8,90,0A
1001 DATA 00,00,00,00,00,0D,00,21 1063 DATA 18,6D,07,C0,8D,0 7,C0,4C
1002 DATA C1,27,C1,2F,C1,3F,C1,4C 1064 DATA EF,C1,88,A2,00,B9,00,02
1003 DATA C1,EA,EA,EA,4C,54,C0,A2 1065 DATA 9D,0R,02,F0,04,E8,C8,D0
1004 DATA 05,DD,19,C0,95,73,CA,10 1066 DATA F4,60,18,AD,09,C0,69,41
1005 DATA F8,60,60,A0,03,B9,00,02 1067 DATA 8D,0 9,C0,3 8,AD,0A,C0,E9
1006 DATA D9,04,C1,D0,F5,88,10,F5 1068 DATA 19,90,06,8D,0A,C0,4C,1C

1007 DATA A0,05,B9,A2,E3,99,73,09 1069 DATA C2,AD,0A,C0,6 9,41,8D,0A


1008 DATA 88,10,F7,A9,00,8D,18,D4 1070 DATA C0,AD,03,C0,6D,05,C0,48
1009 DATA 4C,EF,C0,E6,7A,D0,02,E6 1071 DATA AD,0 4,C0,6D,0 6,C0,8D,0C
1010 DATA 7B,4C,79,00,A5,9D,F0,F3 1072 DATA C0,68,6D,08,C0,8D,0B,C0
1011 DATA A5,7A,C9,FF,D0,KD,A5,7B 1073 DATA AD,0C,C0,6D,0 7,C0,8D,0C

1012 DATA C9,01,D0,E7,20,2B,C0,AD 1074 DATA C0,38,E9,19,90,06,8D,0C


1013 DATA 00,02,20,74,C0,90,DC,A0 1075 DATA C0,4C,52,C2,AD,0C,C0,69
1014 DATA 00,4C,A9,C1,C9,30,30,06 1076 DATA 41,8D,0C,C0,AD,0B,C0,E9
1015 DATA C9,3A,10,02,38,60,18,60 1077 DATA 19,90,06,8D,0B,C0,4C,67
1016 DATA C8,B1,7A,C9,20,D0,03,C8 1078 DATA C2,AD,0B,C0,69,41,8D,0B
1017 DATA D0,F7,B1,7A,60,18,C8,B1 1079 DATA C0,A0,01,AD,09,C0,CD,3C
1018 DATA 7A,F0,37,C9,22,F0,F5,6D 1080 DATA 03,D0,20,C8,AD,0A,C0,CD
1019 DATA 03,C0,8D,03,C0,AD,04,C0 1081 DATA 3D,0 3,D0,17,C8,AD,0B,CB
1020 DATA 69,00,8D,04,C0,4C,8E,C0 1082 DATA CD,3E,03,D0,0E,AD,0C,C0
1021 DATA 18,6D,05,C0,8D,05,C0,90 1083 DATA CD,3F,03,D0,06,20,CC,C2
1022 DATA 03,EE,06,C0,EE,09,C0,4C 1084 DATA 4C,4B,C0,98,48,68,4C,CA
1023 DATA CE,C1,18,6D,08,C0,8D,08 1085 DATA C0,A9,20,8D,00,D4,8D,01
1024 DATA C0,90,03,EE,07,C0,EE,0A 1086 DATA D4,A9,09,8D,05,D4,A9,0F
1025 DATA C0,60,0A,A8,B9,0F,C0,85 1087 DATA 8D,18,D4,60,20,A9,C2,A9
1026 DATA FB,B9,10,C0,85,FC,A0,00 1088 DATA 81,20,DF,C2,A9,8O,20,DF
1027 DATA A9,12,20,D2,FF,B1,FB,F0 1089 DATA C2,4C,D9,C2,20,A9,C2,A9
1028 DATA 06,20,D2,FF,C8,D0,F6,20 1090 DATA 11,2B,DF,C2,A9,10,20,DF
1029 DATA BC,C2,20,E4,FF,F0,FB,A0 1091 DATA C2,A9,00,8U,04,D4,60,8D
1030 DATA 18,B9,08,C1,20,D2,FF,88 1092 DATA 04,D4,A2,70,A0,00,88,D0
1031 DATA 10,F7,68,68,A9,00,8D,00 1093 DATA FD,CA,D0,FA,6ti,END E||D

90 AUGUST 1989
Magazine Entry Program—128"

1036 DATA 4 3,54,4 5,52,53,00,55,4E


5 TRAP 200
1037 DATA 49,44,45,4E,54,49,46,49
10 PRINT"[CLEAR]POKING -";
1038 DATA 45,44,00,4E,4F,20,43,48
20 P=<J864 :REM 51300 (END AT
1039 DATA 45,43,4B,53,55,4D,00,C8
5545/S15A9)
1040 DATA B1,3D,D0,FB,98,3 0,04,C9
3« READ AS:IF A$="END"THEN 110 1041 DATA 06,30,IE,88,88,88,88,88
80 PRINT"[HOME,RIGHT12]"P;
1042 DATA B1,3D,C9,27,D0,13,A9,00
100 B=DEC(A$):POKE P,B:T=T+B:P=P*1
1043 DATA 91,3D,C8,A2,00,B1,3D,9D
:GOTO 30
1044 DATA 00,0B,C8,E8,E0,0 4,D0,F5
110 IF TO59382 THEN PRINT
1045 DATA 60,4C,5C,15,4C,C5,14,A0
:PRINT"MISTAKE IN DATA —> CHECK
1046 DATA 09,A9,00,99,06,13,8D,00
DATA STATEMENTS":END
1047 DATA 0B,8 8,10,F7,A9,80,8 5,FD
120 PRINT"DONE":END
1048 DATA A0,00,20,3F,14r20,AE,14
200 PRINT:PRINT"DATA ERROR IN LINE";
1049 DATA 20,0D,43,84,FA,A0,FF,20
1000 +1 NT ( (P-4 864)/8) :END
1050 DATA 67,13,F0,D8,24,FD,F0,06
1000 DATA 4C,IE,13,4C,3A,13,00,00
1051 DATA 20,8F,13,4C,8F,14,C9,22
1001 DATA 8E,00,F7,00,42,41,51,57
1052 DATA D0,06,20,74,13,4C,8F,14
1002 DATA 0D,00,0D,43,08,14,0E,14
1053 DATA 20,9F,13,4C,8F,14,A0,0 0
1003 DATA 16,14,26,14,33,14,A9,00
1054 DATA 89,00,02,20,58,13,08,90
1004 DATA 8D,00,FF,AD,04,03,8D,12
1055 DATA 0A,18,6D,0A,13,8D,0A,13
100B DATA 13,AD,05,03,8D,13,13,A2
1056 DATA 4C,B0,14,88,60,18,AD,0C
1006 DATA 4A,A0,13,8E,04,03,8C,05
1057 DATA 13,69,41,8D,0C,13,38,AD
1007 DATA 03,60,AD,12,13,8D,04,03
1058 DATA 0D,13,E9,19,90,06,8D,0D
1008 DATA AD,13,13,8D,05,03,60,6C
1059 DATA 13,4C,CF,14,AD,0D,13,69
1009 DATA 12,13,A5,7F,D0,F9,AD,00
1060 DATA 41,8D,0D,13,AD,06,13,6D
1010 DATA 02,20,5B,13,90,F1,A0,00
1061 DATA 08,13,48,AD,07,13,6D,09
1011 DATA 4C,6F,14,C9,30,30,06,C9
1062 DATA 13,8D,0F,13,68,6D,0B,13
1012 DATA 3A,10,02,38,60,18,60,C8
1063 DATA 8D,0E,13,AD,0F,13,6D,0A
1013 DATA B1,3D,C9,20,D0,03,C8,D0 1064 DATA 13,8D,0F,13,38,E9,19,90
1014 DATA F7,B1,3D,60,18,C8,B1,3D
1065 DATA 06,8D,0F,13,40,05,15,AD
1015 DATA F0,35,C9,22,F0,F5,6D,06
1066 DATA 0F,13,69,41,8D,0F,13,AD
1016 DATA 13,8D,06,13,AD,07,13,69
1067 DATA 0E,13,E9,19,90,06,8D,0E
1017 DATA 00,8D,07,13,4C,75,13,18 1068 DATA 13,4C,1A,15,AD,0E,13,69
1018 DATA 6D,08,13,8D,08,13,90,03
1069 DATA 41,8D,0E,13,A0,01,AD,0C
1019 DATA EE,09,13,EE,0C,13,60,18 1070 DATA 13,CD,00,0B,D0,20,C8,AD
1020 DATA 6D,0B,13,8D,0B,13,90,03
1071 DATA 0D,13,CD,01,0B,D0,17,C8
1021 DATA EE,0A,13,EE,0D,13,60,0A 1072 DATA AD,0£,13,CD,0 2,0B,D0,0E
1022 DATA A8,B9,14,13,85,FB,B9,15
1073 DATA AD,0F,13,CD,03,0B,D0,06
1023 DATA 13,85,FC,A0,00,8C,00,FF 20,89,15,A4,FA,60,98,48
1074 DATA

1024 DATA A9,12,20,D2,FF,B1,FB,F0 1075 DATA 68,4C,AF,13,A9,04,4C,AF


1025 DATA 06,20,D2,FF,C8,D0,F6,20 1076 DATA 13,A9,00,8D,00,FF,A9,20
1026 DATA 79,15,20,A3,15,20,E4,FF
1077 DATA 8D,0 0,D4,8D,01,D4,A9,09
1027 DATA F0,FB,A0,1B,B9,EF,13,20
1078 DATA 8D,05,D4,A9,0F,8D,18,D4
1028 DATA D2,FF,88,10,F7,68,68,A9
1079 DATA 60,20,61,15,A9,81,20,9C
1029 DATA 00,8D,00,02,4C,B7,4D,91 15,A9,80,20,9C,15,4C,96
1080 DATA
1030 DATA 91,0D,20,20,20,20,20,20
1081 DATA 15,20,61,15,A9,11,20,9C
1031 DATA 20,20,20,20,20,20,20,20
1082 DATA 15,A9,10,20,9C,15,A9,00
1032 DATA 20,20,20,20,20,20,91,00
1083 DATA 8D,04,D4,60,8D,04,D4,A2
1033 DATA 51,55,4F,54,45,00,48,45
1084 DATA 7 0,A0,00,88,D0,FD,CA,D0
1034 DATA 59,57,4F,52,44,00,23,20 FA,60,END
1085 DATA
1035 DATA 4F,46,20,43,48,41,52,41

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 91
Software Reviews/ Galactic Frontier between the sun and Earth—about 93 choosing planets and stars to explore,
Continued frum page 24 million miles. A light year is the distance there is a chance in every jump to wind up
tion about the planet has been revealed. that light travels in a year at the speed of in a sector with your ship in some sort of
In Galactic Frontier you start out on 186,000 miles per second—about six tril danger. If this happens, a message ap
Earth, and you have to take off into outer lion miles. If a star that you encounter is pears on the screen indicating the specific
space before you can jump to galactic sec 50% the temperature of our sun, look for a problem (meteor storm, black hole, alien
tors. Unfortunately, to get off the planet planet about .5 AU away to have a good ship, etc.), along with a letter or key that
Earth you have to sit there while the com chance for supporting life forms. This dis is on your keyboard. These keys are ran
puter increases your ship's altitude for tance is the equivalent distance of Earth domly chosen, and you have to hit the key
about two or three minutes. This phase to the sun for that star. Remember, the to avoid losing your ship. The amount of
should be eliminated. Eventually, you are comparisons that you are given in the time that you are given to hit the key var
confronted with the choice to jump to a data about the stars and the planets are ies from situation to situation. You have
new sector or quit the game. Jumping be very important. Once you get used to it, only three ships to lose before the game
tween sectors takes place quickly; travel you'll be able to tell a life-supporting pian- ends, so stay alert while you are playing.
ing between stars or planets within a sec et from a barren one. There are four types of life forms (hu
tor takes 20 or 30 seconds at most, but The program's graphics are simple but man, humanoid, non-humanoid and
usually less than ten seconds. The target effective. As you approach a star or planet, alien), and you get different points for
sector that you jump into is chosen ran a colored circle representing the heavenly each type according to how civilized the
domly, so the chances are slim that you body fills the center of the screen. After a type is. In my first try at Galactic Frontier,
will enter the same sector again. Sector "Lowering Filters" message appears, you I played for 45 minutes before I found
numbers are eight-digit integers. With as get to see what the planet really looks something alive. And after all that, it was
many as 99,999,999 different sectors, you like, with any other colored depressions, only some amoeboid creatures.
will never see them all in your lifetime. If bodies of liquid or terrain features of the The only complaint that I have with the
you happen upon sector 11,303,437 Ithe planet shown on its representation. Land game is that you can't exit the exploration
sector that contains our sun), make sure masses, lakes, clouds and hills are all phase of a planet a iittle bit earlier to
that you try to explore Earth and to see if shown. I was surprised to see that each avoid wasting time reading all its data.
the program included life on the planet or planet I explored had a different look. The Other than that, I found Galactic Frontier
killed us off. looks match the planet's description. It to be a pleasant surprise in a sometimes
Important measurements in Galactic must have been a real challenge to pro stagnant world of software. Now excuse
Frontier are Astronomical Units (All's) gram such detail in Galactic Frontier. me while I go search for Elvis—maybe
and light years. The AU is the distance In addition to finding life forms by he's in one of those sectors! H

Tips & Tricks


Continued (rum page U
width of three and a height of eight.
:FOR C=C TO 6 (M,E)=DS(M,E)+Z$ You are next prompted to enter the text for your sign. Signs
:Z=Z+1 can be printed in uppercase/graphics or uppercase/lowercase. Si
200 ZS=STR$ (Z) :Z$=RIGHT$(ZS, multaneously press the SHIFT and COMMODORE keys to
LEN(ZS)-1)+" ":IF LEN(Z$)=2 THEN switch character sets when entering your message. What you
ZS=Z$+" " see on the screen is what you will get.
210 IF Z>K THEN Z$="[SPACE3]" Be sure that your printer is turned on before you press RE
220 NEXT:C=0:NEXT:NEXT:FOR Q=l TO 12 TURN after entering your sign text.
STEP 3:READ MS,N$,OS:PRINT#1 Your banner will be printed from the last character to the
:PRINT#1
first, with the current character being displayed in the upper
230 PRINT#1,S$MSY TAB(11)N$Y
right-hand corner of the screen.
TAB(11)O$Y:PRINT#1:PRINT#1,
Richard Penn
S$L$S$LSSSL$
Montreal, Quebec
240 FOR E=l TO 6:PRINT#1,D${Q,
Canada
E)DS(Q+1,E)D$(Q + 2,E) :NEXT:NEXT
100 PRINT"[CLEAR,L. GREEN,RVSJ
:CLOSE 1
64 SIGN PRINTER - RICHARD PENN
250 DATA 31,28,31,30,31,30,31,31,30
[RVOFF]"
31,30,31,"JANUARY[SPACE2]",
110 PRINT"[DOWN2]THIS PRINTS BANNER
"FEBUARY[SPACE2]","MARCH
SIGNS."
260 DATA "APRIL[SPACE4]","MAY :space6:
120 PRINT"[DOWN]PRESSING [RVS]RETURN
","JUNE","JULY[SPACES] ' "AUGUST
[RVOFF] AT THE PROMPTS DEFAULTS"
[SPACE3]"."SEPTEMBER
270 DATA 1IOCTOBER[SPACE2] " 130 PRINT"TO WIDTH 3, HEIGHT 8."
"NOVEMBER "/'DECEMBER 140 PRINT"[DOWN]USE SHIFT+COMMODORE
KEYS TO SWITCH"
61 Sign Printer: Here's one of the most powerful short programs
150 PRINT"BETWEEN GRAPHICS AND
you'll see. It makes it easy to create large, eye-catching banners UPPER/LOWER CASE."
for events like garage sales, user group meetings or children's 160 PRINT"[DOWNJWHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT
parties. YOU GET![DOWN]"
Operation of the program is simple. First you select the width 170 CLOSE 1:OPEN 1,4:POKE 53280,0
and height for characters, which can range from 1-9. If you tPOKE 53281,0
press RETURN without entering anything, letters default to a 180 W=3:H = 8:X = 55296:BS = " [SPACE9] "

92 /UJGUST1989
Tips & Tricks—"
150 GOTO 130
: P$ = "*•*****■**"
160 PRINT TAB{9);"INPUT WINNING
190 INPUT"[GRAY3]WIDTH (1-9)";W NUMBERS[DOWN]"
:PRINT"[UP]"TAB(22); 170 FOR Z=l TO N:INPUT"LOTTO #";W(Z)
:INPUT"HEIGHT (1-9)";H :NEXT Z
200 PRINT"[D0WN2,WHITE] 180 INPUT"[DOWN]BONUS #";W{Z)
ENTER COPY FOR SIGN ... [DOWN]" 190 INPUT"[DOWN]ARE THEY CORRECT Y/N";
:INPUT MS RS
210 IF PEEK(53272)=21 THEN X=53248 200 IF LEFTS(R$,1)O"Y" THEN 160
:M=H/2 210 PRINT CHR$(147);TAB(12);
220 FOR T=LEN(M$)TO 1 STEP-1 "WINNING NUMBERS";TAB(33);"BONUS"
:PRINT"[HOME]"TAB(38)MID$(M$,T,1) 220 FOR A=l TO N:PRINT W(A);"[SPACE2]
:C=PEEK (1062) ";:NEXT A
230 FOR Y=0 TO 7:FOR R=0 TO 7 230 PRINT "[RVS]";W(Z);"[LEFT] [DOWN2]
240 POKE 56334,0:POKE 1,51
:Q=PEEK(X+(C*8)+R)AND 2"Y 240 PRINT TAB(10)"YOUR NUMBERS";
:POKE 1,55:POKE 56334,1 TAB (33) ;"MATCHES"
250 IF Q=2"Y THEN AS=A$+LEFT$(PS,H) 250 FOR A=l TO V-1:FOR B=l TO N
:D=1:GOTO 270 260 FOR C=l TO N
260 A$=A$+LEFTS(BS,H) 270 IF T(A,B)=W{C) THEN PRINT "[RVS]
270 NEXT:CV=(80-LEN<AS))/2 "T(A,B)"[LEFT] [RVOFF] ";
:FOR 2=1 TO W:IF D THEN PRINTH, :T(A,0)=T(A,0)+1:NEXT B:GOTO 290
SPC(CV+M)AS; 230 NEXT C:PRINT T{A,B);" ";:NEXT B
280 PRINT#1,CHR$(8):PRINT#1,CHRS(15); 290 IF T(A,0)=N-1 THEN 320
:NEXT:A$="":D=0:NEXT:NEXT:PRINTS1 300 PRINT TAB(35);"[RVS]";T(A,0);"
:CLOSE 1 [LEFT] "
310 NEXT A:END
290 PRINT"[DOWN19,YELLOW]
ANOTHER SIGN (Y/N)?":WAIT 198,1 320 FOR B=l TO N:IF T(A,
300 GET AS:IF AS="Y" THEN RUN B)OW(Z) THEN NEXT B:GOTO 300
330 PRINT TAB(35);"[RVS]";T(A,0);"
[LEFT]+":GOTO 310
Lotto Ticket Checker: This program is for those of you who buy 340 REH
many lotto tickets at once. It will tell you how many matches
350 REM *** ENTER YOUR TICKETS BELOW
you have on each ticket, saving you a lot of manual tomfoolery. ***

As written, the program is for the popular "six number plus 360 DATA 11,12,13,14,15,16
bonus" games such as California Lotto. It can easily be changed 370 DATA 99
to other lotto systems by changing the value of N in line 110.
Change it to the number of numbers you pick on the ticket. Idea Book: The primary use for my computer is printer graph
If you match all but one number, the program will check the ics. Whenever I finish a project, I print out an extra copy and
bonus number. If it's a match, a plus sign will appear after the save it in a top-loading vinyl protector sheet in a three-ring
number of matches on the screen. If your lotto doesn't have a bo notebook.
nus number, just enter a non-playable number like 99 to void it. Now when I start a new project, I can refer back to my old ones
To use the program, enter the numbers on your lotto tickets for ideas, formats and general inspiration. I've categorized my
into DATA statements at the end of the program. End the last binder by Business Forms, Greeting Cards, Posters, Flyers and
DATA statement with a 99. One sample ticket has already been soon.
entered in line 360. C. Douglas Wtfeox
If you buy more than ten tickets, then you'll have to add this Martinsville, VA
line:
115DMT(X,Y+1) Larger Labels: Like most computer users, I am aware of the
where X is the value of N in line 110 and Y is the number of 3 W x 15/iG" address labels available for pinfeed printers. I often
tickets you have bought. use them for mailing labels.
When the winning numbers are drawn, just write them down I recently discovered the 3" x 4" pinfeed labels that are com
and run this program. Enter the winning numbers at the monly used for shipping labels, and I've started to put them to
use.
prompts. Check them for accuracy, then enter Yat the last
prompt. Then sit back and let the computer check the tickets. The larger labels are the perfect size for printing short mes
John Lauman sages which can be affixed to post cards. I've had good results
Chatswortk, CA with this by using geoPaint and spacing the text and graphics so
the labels can be printed three at a time. The labels must be re-
100 PRINT"[CLEAR,RVS,SPACE3] positioned after each set of three are printed, but the results are
LOTTO TICKET CHECKER - JOHN worth it.
LAUMAN[SPACE3]" I've also found that most disk directories print out perfectly on
110 N=6 these larger labels, especially when I use the tiny compressed
120 Y=Y+1:X=0 type on my printer. No more gluing or taping for me.
130 READ A:IF A=99 THEN 160 C. Douglas WUcox
140 X=X+1:T(Y,X)=A:IF X=N THEN 120 Martinsuiile, VA

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 93
Tips & Tricks Gold Mine
Continued from page 13
Strings in BASIC 7.0 Filenames: As has been pointed out be he rounds first base, pick up the ball and throw it to second.
fore, many of the BASIC 7.0 commands don't respond well to You'll nail him every time.
string variables used as filenames. For example, BLOAD F$ Mike McDermott
will return a Syntax Error. Tucson, AZ
One way around this is to enclose the string variable in paren
theses. BLOAD (F$) will BLOAD the file named F$. F-19 Stealth Fighter; If only a few pixels appear on the fuel
Tom Hartley gauge, don't panic. Empty your weapon bays of all missiles and
East Aurora, NY bombs. When the fuel (including any in reserve) runs out, adjust
the F-19 to a pitch of seven and roll of zero. This will give you
level flight.
PaperClip III: This popular word processor has some advanced
You may ascend slightly with a higher pitch, but watch for the
features such as spell checking and checking spelling as you
type. But according to the documentation, you must check your stall speed. If you want to adjust your heading, I suggest a level
document before loading the dictionary. flight at pitch and roll of eleven.
If you can't achieve level flight as described above, check that
After some experimenting, I found that if you load the spell
your flaps are retracted, that your bay doors are closed, and that
check overlay as soon as you load the program, you can turn on
all the spell-checking features. You load the overlay with four your speed brakes are off.
Try to line up with your designated airfield as soon as possi
presses on Fl.
When you press the RETURN key with the highlight bar on ble. When you've done so, extend the flaps and adjust the plane
to a pitch of nine. Roll to zero for level flight. Note that this
the overlay on "check spelling," the dictionary will be loaded
into RAM even without any text to check. Now you're ready to slows the F-19 to under 200 knots, which is a useful speed for
landing.
use the advanced features.
Descend steadily as you get closer to the airfield. When you're
Patrick J. Dashnaw
over the airstrip, your altitude should be under 100 feet.
South Glens Falls, NY
You'll never have to worry about getting back to base with
enough fuel, since you can just glide back without it. With this
Star NX-IOOOC Tips: The manual for this popular and powerful landing procedure, you can rearrange your flight plan to go over
printer states that while the NX-1000C is Commodore compati
4000 points on your mission. Just bomb that extra depot or
ble, not all its features are available in Commodore mode. The strafe that SAM radar bunker!
most notably absent feature is high-density graphics. Lt. Col. Iticiiard Bersalona
On many commercial programs, however, it's possible to ac Philadelphia, PA
cess some of these features. Here are some of the secrets.
• GEOS: I use GEOS 128 on a regular basis and was disap Falcon: Always be aggressive, never showing fear to your en
pointed by the printed results at 60 dpi. I got better results by emy. Attack first. Never disengage unless you're out of weapons.
following this procedure: If the enemy is in front of you, don't try a guns or missile kill.
1. Before booting, turn off the printer and set DIP switches 1 Always attack from behind. You can't collide with the enemy,
and 5 to the down 'OFF) position. The remaining switches and he can't shoot back.
should be up (ON). Dion Slaga
2. Turn on the printer and boot GEOS. Go to the SELECT Marinette, WI
PRINTER menu and select the STAR NX-10 driver (not the
NX-10C). Your documents should print at 80 dpi. Ghost busters: The PKE meter tells you how much energy there
• PrintMasler: You can also get 80 dpi printing with this pro is in the city. When the reading is around 5000, it is a warning of
gram. The improvement is especially noticeable when printing an attack by the vicious Marshmallow Man.
greeting cards. Also, for some strange reason vertical lines When you're at a job busting a ghost and the meter shows
printed with a Commodore driver are jagged. This problem is anything above 6000, have your finger ready on the B (for Bait)
corrected with the Epson driver. Here's the complete procedure: key when you finish the job. Most of the time he will come right
1. Before booting, turn off the printer and set DIP switches 1 after the job.
and 5 to the down (OFFI position. The remaining switches Howard Weisbaum
should be up (ON). Addman Unknown
2. Go to the SETUP menu and select the EPSON FX driver.
3. Set the EOL (End Of line! character to carriage return Ghostbusters: When trying to catch a ghost, superimpose your
with line feed. men so they look like only one. When the ghost is overhead, fire
• CADPAK-128: This will give you terrific printouts with all your beam and you've got him!
proportions correct: Be sure to buy these items: PK Detector, for determining the
1. Before booting, turn off the printer and set DIP switches 1 city's PK; Marshmallow Sensor, for turning the building white
and 5 to the down (OFF) position. The remaining switches when the Marshmallow Man is near, Ghost Bait, for use with
should be up (ON). the Marshmallow Man; Ghost Vacuum, for sucking up yellow
2. Load the CONFIGER program (nice spelling, eh?) and se ghosts before they reach Zuul,
lect the EPSON FX driver. Contributor Unknown
• Other programs: Try similar set-ups with any and all soil-
ware you use. You'll start turning out better output in no time! Gimship: The weapons you choose to carry can make a big dif
John M. Proctor ference in determining your success or failure, and the standard
Madison Heights, Ml Q armament isn't always best. In Southeast Asia, it's sometimes a

94 AUGUST 1989
Gold Mine
good idea to carry Hellfires, but don't carry any Sidewinders. In es the path, then push your joystick forward while pressing the
Central America, always carry Hellfires, FFAR rockets and button. Repeat this step until you get to the other side.
Sidewinders. Tri-Tech
In the Middle East, all the weapons are usually necessary. But Richmond, VA
if it's really hot, leave the Sidewinders at home and use the
30mm cannon instead. In Western Europe, carry two sets of Master of Lamps: If you watch the place where the gates appear
hellfires, because the lack of soft targets makes the FFAR rock and keep it in front of your man, you should make it through all
ets unnecessary. the gates.
Charlie Sammons Jamie Tatton
Hew Haven, CT Wetumpka, AL

High Rollers: [f you're playing a game against the computer Master of Magic: Tb kill the Vampire, you need the Wooden
and you don't know the answer to a question, press the left ar Dagger which you'll find on a defeated enemy's body. He'll be on
row key at the top left of your keyboard. This will return you to the large open level. Just move around and kill creatures until
the Menu. When you return to the game, a new, hopefully easi you find him.
er, question will show up. Michael Denman
Ricky Wotkkwkz Katy, TX
Virginia Beach, VA
Mercenary 11: If you go to location 08,01 and don't know how to
Hardball!: If you swing low, your hit will be a fast grounder. If get in, just press E. To get out of your jet, press L. Tb take your
you swing high, you'll hit a slow bouncer to second. medical supplies or a key, press T. Tb get back into a jet, press B.
If the ball goes near either foul line, the infielder won't catch Alex Bartonek
the ball and you can get at least a double. FloresviUe, TX
Ben Ford
WestBoylston.MA Micro league Baseball: When the computer pitches out, you
should steal or hit and run on the next pitch—the computer nev
Hunter Patrol: Go to the very bottom of the screen and keep er pitehes out twice in a row. Also, when there's a man on first or
yourself tilted to the extreme left or right. You cannot get hit or second with 12 or fewer stolen bases, always press 2. Pressing 1
run into anything. will almost always get him thrown out.
Eric Snay Joe Doktorczyk
Montpelter, VT SanPedm.CA

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: When you're in the Micro League Wrestling: To get your move off, wait for someone
mine tunnels, keep turning the mine car to the left. It's much else to do his, then press the button as fast as you can.
easier this way, and there's a lot less traffic. Ernie Deahyne
Cory Moore Upper Montcfair, NJ
Westhck, Alberta
Canada Mission Elevator: After getting the first key from the reception,
examine doors until you find the Porter. He'l! give you a second
Infiltrator III: Always show guards your papers. Even if they key. Go to the white emergency doors and you will be able to
are in order, the guards will call an alert if you don't show them. open them. This procedure repeats with every level.
If you want to search for something in a guarded room, use a For more points, look behind paintings to find money. If you
{,'as grenade when the guards ask you to show your papers. like betting, find the table, bet $500, pick the number four, wait
Search quickly, though, because the guard will wake up in a few five seconds and press the fire button. You will win every time!
seconds. Eric Egenhoefer
Sam Sundquist New Berlin, WI
Edmonds, WA
Superstar Ice Hockey: When someone is trying to steal the
International Basketball: The fastest way to the hoop is by puck from you, shoot it over the boards. You will go back to the
passing. Always pass to the open man, letting him take the ball coaching screen and start with a face-off.
down the court. Contributor Unknown
I don't think much of three-pointers, since you only make
them about ten percent of the time. Also, only two three-point Superstar Ice Hockey: Want to win again and again and again?
ers can be made by each team per game. Always work for the in Learn this shot: Skate right up center ice, and when the goalie
side shot. moves forward to block you, jerk down quickly and shoot the
Wes Miner puck. He has a very hard time jumping down in time to block
Merrimack, NH your shot. Once you get this shot down, you can remain pretty
much undefeated.
The Last Ninja: On the first level, you'll find a river and a Michael Denman
marsh. Don't cross the river, because you'll end up going in a cir Katy,TX
cle and meeting the other side anyway. When you get to the
marsh, it's easy to jump it. Just walk onto the timber that touch Test Drive: To get the fastest possible speed, shift up on 7000

COMMODORE MAGAZINE 95
Gold Mine "ADVERTISERS INDEX
rpm in the first three gears, and on 6000 rpm on the last two.
Pressing V will give a digital display of your speed and rpm, Render
which helps greatly in making precise shifts. Sesponse P-J'JC
Advertiser No. No.
Matt It. Schaeffer
Fond du Lac, WI
Berkeley Saltworks 1 5,33
Test Drive: Always pay attention to the road signs. They will
tell you if the road is about to turn, and in what direction. The
squiggly arrow means that there is a series of turns coming up,
one right after the other. 21
CompuServe 2
Contributor Unknown

Test Drive: If you're having trouble getting to Level 5, try this:


Go as fast as you want on the first two levels, at least if you're
Computer Direct (Protecto) 3 62,63
any good on these levels. On levels three, four and five, go the
speed limit. With practice, you should be able to take every car
to the top.
Billy Truitt
Pleasant Plain, OH Data Eost USA 4 2,C3

Wasteland: If you've found valuable items or weapons in a city


and you require more of them, use the Copy option to format a
blank disk according to which game disk the item is located on. Epyx, Inc. 5 C2
When prompted, insert the new copy instead of the original.
Jason Spears
Harrison, TN
Leum Inc. 6 49
Wasteland: The Savage Village is one of the easiest places to get
automatic weapons. It's located at the lower-left corner of the
Wasteland map. You'll need some plastic explosives to enter the
gate.
Loadstar 7 1
When at a store, remember to purchase a Geiger Counter. It
will help you avoid stumbling into a Waste Dump.
It's important to raise your IQ, because it lets you learn new
skills such as Doctor and Toaster Repair.
When you're in Las Vegas, go to the High Rollers Casino. Kill Melbourne House 8 9

everybody and search the loot for Antitoxin.


In the Darwin Village bar, you'll find two sick people in a
room. Heal and hire one of them.
In the sewers, you can use the rope to cross pits and the sewer Montgomery Grant *
31
rapids.
David Mathias
Address Unknown
NRI/McGrow Hill

49
Wasteland: Go to the Trading Car in Nomad's Camp. Buy an
engine and put it into the water purifier at Camp Highpool. You
will be rewarded!
AtexStoddard
P.A.V.V. Sottware 9 73
Napa,CA

Zak McKracken: To get the Cashcard under the desk, you must
first pull the loose wallpaper and rip it off the wall. Then use the
Strategic Simulations, Inc. 10 C4
torn wallpaper on the green card. After this, you'll have your
Cashcard.
Billy Best
G!enaak,NY
World of Commodore 11 17

Zak McKracken: In London, have Annie give the Whiskey to


the Sentry. When he moves, turn off the lever and use the wire
cutters on the fence.
Brett Prescher "No Reodar Response NumDer given at Advertiser's Request.
GainesviUe, TX a

96 AUGUST 1989
THERE'S FH
MORE THAN ONE WAY TO 1
f
TRIM A MOHAWK. L
Nothing like a well-delivered flying
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Those scuay guttersnipes have resurfaced, This time they're wreaking havoc on
K
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As Vigilante, yoj must take the power into your own hands—and stop these
maniacal mohawks—before it's lap late.
k—.- «-v »
Only you can defeat the skinheads, deliver justice, and rescue your babe. Use
cneT
your fists, your feet, or rail 'em with your numchucks, because these punks only fight
No pain, no dame! Better get a one way-dirty!
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