■/JL-'.'':'i'.'JI.',,
%
The Magazine for Commodore and Commodore Amiga Users
Epyx Strikes
>j
July 1988 $2.95 U.S. $3.95 Cano
l/USA^
^•^co**!'
Software Reviews
fAun Skate or Die ...and more
u '*;
Alonzo Babers
1984 Olympic Gold Medal Winner ^
WHAT'S A TAITO. ?
That's a very good question. Taito (pronounced Tie-toe) is one of the oldest and biggest names in the arcade industry. We're the world's largest manufacturer and operator of arcade games. Taito's been in the business since 1953.
And that's just the beginning. Taito practically started the
r-vm MEMCT
video game industry with our classic arcade hit,
ARXANOID: 33 semens of space-age aKOtament. Award winning Space Invaders'." And coin-op hUOvetlmilUonsold in Japan. "One of the tesl ever."
—Blecironic Game Player M^gaiine.
over the years, Taito has created more than 7,000 other great action games for arcade and home play.
Taito has something equally exciting for you to slip into your home computer. Taito brings the same pioneering spirit, technical
RENEGADE: This is the one and only. Don't settle for invitations. . , ^ i ^ j.
Blistering, fast paced end real i>fesiraei-siyie Karate action. One of quality and excitement that made US the arcaOo leader to your
the tjottest games in Europe.
Commodore, Amiga, IBM, Apple and Atari computers. Your computer won't be the same again.
Taito is the arcade industry leader for a very good reason. We consistently make great video games that bring more action, thrills and value to the people who play our games. And literally millions of people play our games in arcades and homes all over the world.
Our strength comes from the massive development effort we put into creating the kind of games that satisfy the ever-growing arcade appetite and the research gathered from the more than 100,000 arcade machines Taito operates in Japan. (The money in
, . . , ^ X I- t It ' 1 t •£ t ALCQN: The ultimate in inter-planetary combat. Battle aliens with
the com boxes at the end of the day tells you quickly it you Ve got lasers, homing missHes. tombs and shmlOs. Fantastic vertical scromng
future-world landscapes.
Taito Software Int. 267 West EsplanadaNonhWrcouver.aC. Canada V7M1 AS Tel: 604-934-3341. Sky Shark™ and Giadiaior™ are trademaiks of Taito America, Ina Copyright ©1986 All nghis Taito? ArkanoidJ" Renegade'" AlconJ" Rastan/" Bubble Bobble/" Operation WolfT'^ rBserved. Am'hga. Commobora Apple IBM and Aiari are trademartis respectively of Commodore-
a good game or not.) And Taito is always working hard to develop the most exciting new video games that push the technology to its limits* We don't rest on our laurels.
Because arcade games are the benchmark for home video games, Taito's leadership in the arcade industry means that when you buy Taito products you will be getting more home video thrills —more mesmerizing arcade quality graphics, spell-binding sound and above all, action!
RASTAN: One of the biggest corn-op hits of 1987. Stunning graphics. Non-stop, mythical super hero action with muftipls weapons, ene- mies end levels of pley.
That's why nobody but Taito can bring you more of what you're looking for in home computer video games. You don't get to be the biggest in the arcade business by making run of the mill video games.
When you buy Taito games you're getting more than just ^ "^1 fun. We bring you games that test your nerve, your skill and your strategy. Games that make you laugh and put you on the edge of your seat, games of adventure and excitement. Taito takes you on incredible mind voyages to places you've never been before—to brave new worlds of imagination and fantasy. And after all, isn't that what great video games are all about?
BUBBLE BOBBLE: Laugh-pecked addictive action. Up to 100 favels of arcade quality play. One or 2 player action. The number one game in Europe for three months in o mw.
And every action game we put our name on is more than
just competitive confrontation. Taito games are all about the values of good triumphing over evil, of being the best you can be— games like Arkanoid/" Renegade^ Alcon]" Rastan'" and Bubble Bobble:" And we have more arcade block-busters like Operation Wolf/" Sky Shark'" and Gladiator'" coming soon to soft- ware formats for play on your home computer. Taito's home-bound hitparade of video fun has just begun.
Who but the arcade leader could bring you so much? That's Taito! Aren't you glad you asked?
Buy Taito products at leading computer stores everywhere If no stores are near you, Visa/MasterCard
holders can order direct from anywhere in the United States by calling 1-800-663-8067. \=JA|T^J^
Amiga, Inc, Commodore Electronics. Ltd., Apple Computer Inc., International Business Machines gol the lechnieal and cmaiive aMitv to develop mind-btowtng video games, vmie to Taito, and Awn Coeporalion. Advertisement t)y QuaBy 81 Company Inc (Cfticagol "If you think you've Anemion: Prodjct Development at she above address.
Prepare for the ultimate fantasy when the
"^"^"^ Advanced Dungeons^^taagons
Game Product comes alive on your computer!
OOT proudly presents OOi Pool of Radiance, the culmination of its collabo- ration with TSR to bring the legendary ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® fantasy role-playing system to your home computer.
Pool of Radiance is set in the huge,
complex world of the Forgotten (_^ Realms, a world brought to life by "" the combined talents and skills of top designers and programmers from both companies. Its game system adheres faithfully to AD&D' standards. Its state-of-the-art graphics push the very limits of the computer's capabilities. The only way to believe it is to experience it for yourself — wherever game software is sold.
Look for the entire line of AD8cD computer products coming soon from SSI.
Rail up your
characters
and see their
portraits
and cbarae-
ttristics.
(C.64/128
screen
display.)
Every single monster type is individu- ally drawn by superb computer jjraphia. (IBM PC
Commodore
M A G A Z
JULY 1988, Volume 9. Number 7
N
FEATURES
SCIENCE AND THE AMIGA 54
From Astronomy to Zoology, scientific research is no longer limited to the laboratory. Anyone with an Amiga and the right software can explore his own personal frontiers. by Gary V. Fields
HOW TO WRITE PROGRAMS FOR PUBLICATION 58
It takes more than talent, brains and creativity to get published. We'll tell you how to use your computer and a little market savvy to get your program or article published. by Mark Jordan
COVER STORY
EPYX AND THE QUEST FOR OLYMPIC GOLD 50
Believe it or not, Epyx has outdone themselves with the latest offering in their best-selling Games line. This year the company released The Games: Winter and Sumiver Edition as an official licensee of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. Here's how the Games series came to be and how Epyx got involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee, by John Jermaine
COVER PHOTO: David Madison Software: The Games: Summer Edition by Epyx Alonzo Babers appears with the approval of The Athletics Congress of the USA. Authorized by the U.S. Olympic Committee.
DEPARTMENTS
LETTERS NEWS
TIPS & TRICKS
Hints for Fun and Utility
Compiled by Louis F. Sander Gold Mine
Compiled by Louis F. Sarrder
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Skate or Die by Scott A. May
Gauntlet tiyMarfrCofone
Street Sports Basketball by Scott A. May
geoCalc by Jim Esch
Home Designer 128 by Gary V. Fields
Border Zone by Russ Ceccola
AMIGA SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Vyper and Footman by Jeffrey Scott Hall Destroyer by Steve King Robot Readers by Gary V. Fields Roadwar Europa by Jeffrey Scott Hall Blackjack Academy by Russ Ceccola Calllgrapher by Gary V. Fields
INSIDE Q-LINK
Just for Fun by Robert W. Baker
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Subliminal Communication byJolm lovine |
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ADVENTURE ROAD |
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Fastest Access in the West by Sl)ay Addams |
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PUMPING GEOS |
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geoPublish— Now this is a Program by lAark Jordan |
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PROGRAMMING |
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BBS Lister by Theodore H. Lewis |
66 |
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Smush by Edward Rohr |
72 |
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Modulation Wedge by RIcliard Curcio |
76 |
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128 MODE |
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SPRDEF -Plus by Mark Jordan |
80 |
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AMIGA UPDATE |
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The VCR Connection by Matthew Leeds |
82 |
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30 |
Amiga Public Domain by Graham Kinsey |
84 |
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32 |
AmigaBASlC Tutorial by Tim Jones |
87 |
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34 |
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HOW TO ENTER PROGRAMS |
108 |
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38 40 |
MAGAZINE ENTRY PROGRAMS |
110 |
ADVERTISERS' INDEX
112
42
COMMODORE MW3AZINE 3
LETTERS
To the Editor:
This is an open letter (re: "Tkking Com- puter Flight to New Heights," January 1988) to John Jermaine, Ned Lemer, et al., fix)m an ex-military and current civil- ian pilot and flight instructor. Chuck Yeager is undoubtedly the world's greatest living test pilot. Lindberg, Yeager, Bob Hoover and John Young have been, and are, my heros.
Now the gist of the matter. There is no flight simulator program on the market, including SubLogic's, that gives realistic proportional control — a dii-ect relationship between control input and aircraft reac- tion. My question is WHY? The C64 has pot inputs that feed an AD converter. The Radio Control Hobby has had proportion- al joysticks for years that would be ideal for this. ( JiKt change the 6K pots for 500K pots.) For about the same price as a "digi- tal" joystick, you can have a proportional, realistic control.
Not only does Lemer, et al., ignore this advantage, they encrypt the code to make it difficult for anyone else to make a real simulator out lofl their programs.
One question: has the General really flown the Advanced Flight Simulator on the 64? ff so, what were his comments re- garding the lack of pitch down on power cuts in the prop planes and tail-tuck on the jets on power cuts, lack of immediate deceleration on power cuts, no constant rate turns except in a 90-degree bank, no roll or pitch instability in power on or off stalls, no spins unless you pull the wings ofl?
Frank T. Cox Austin, TX
Electronic Arts' Response:
During development of Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer we used a pro- portional control. It was nice, and all other versions of AFT (Apple H, IBM, Tandy) have proportional control as well. For the Commodore 64 version we had to make some tough decisions to shrink the simu- lation from 256K on the IBM to 64K on the C64. We didn't know anyone else who had a proportional control device so we took the feature out to make room for oth- er goodies. I regret it is difficult for you to put this feature in for yourself.
Chuck Yeager developed and test flew the original version of the simulation. I did the programming for both the IBM and C64 versions. General Yeager left it in my hands to make sure the C64 version is the most careftilly constructed of all the versions of AFT. Even so, it is not the
same as a multi-million dollar simulator. Some of the million dollar simulators I've flown can't do everything you and other people have asked for And no million dol- lar simulator has Chuck Yeager teaching you how to fly, the SR-71, death defying races or many of the other features we've added.
Your letter shows that you have spent a lot of time and effort flying AFT. Thanks for writing. Edward Lemer Developer of AFT Electronic Arts
To the Editor
As a software developer, I am very much aware of the large amount of pirat- ed software floating around. Most of it is known by the end user as illegal but is used anyway. I wrote, packaged, adver- tised and distributed a program called Dominoes. Some people knowingly, and some unknowingly, archived and upload- ed it to various bulletin boards, I have been trying to notify the BBSs that Domi- noes is a commercial product, but there are many boards. I was very distressed to see Dominoes listed in your magazine in "Amiga Public Domain Update" by Gra- ham Kinsey. Although I realize that you are not actually distributing the program, this does not help in slowing down people who are. Sincerely, Brian Moats Polyght Software 10431 ArdyceCt Boise, ID 83704
EcUtor's Response: We apologize for inad- vertently indicating in our February issue that Dominoes was in the public domain. It was not our intention to condone or con- tribute to the piracy of your program, and we encourage our readers to contact you di- rectly to obtain a legitimate copy ofDomi- noes.
Correction: There is a correction neces- sary to the schematic of the Digital Cam- era project as published in the January 1988 issue of Commodore Magazine. The batteiy, B2, in the bipolar power supply schematic is shown backwards. Batteiy B2 should have the negative end connect- ed through R4 to Pin 1 of the camera chip. John lovine was able to contact Images (the camera chip supplier) and had them send out a note to all the readers who pur- chased the D-CAM chip.
Commodore
M
I N
Publisher Julie Bauer
Assistant to the Publisher Amanda K. Wappes
Managing Editor Jim Gracely
Assistant Editor Susan R. West
Assistant Technical Editor Mike Rivers
Art Director Gwenn Knapp
Assistant Art Director Wilson Harp
Production Manager Jo-Ellen Temple
Circulation Kenneth F. Battista
Advertising Coordinator Rebecca Cotton
Advertising Representatives
SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST AND WESTCOAST
Warren Langer, Spencer 0. Smith
Warren Longer Associates
9320 NW 2nci Street
Coral Springs, FL 33071
Advertising Inquiries Only
305/753-4124
MIDWEST, NORTHEAST AND CANADA
Pamela Stockham
700 River Road
Fair Haven, NJ 07704
201/741-5784
Commodore Mggame. Volume 9, Number 7, July 1988.
Commodote Msgazine is published monltily by Commo- dae Magazine Inc., 1200 Wilson Dnve. West Chester, PA 19360. U.S.A. U.S. subscriber rate is $35.40 per year; Canadian subscnbsr rate is $45.40 per year; Overseas sub- scriber rate is $65.00 per year. Questions concerning sub- scription should be directed to Commodore Magazine Sub- scription Department, Box 651, Holmes, Pennsylvania 19043. Phone (800) 346-8112. In Pennsylvania (800) 662-2444. Copyright © 1988byCommofiOfe Magazine Inc. Allri|titsresenred.
CBM, PET. VIC 20, and Commodore 64 are registered trademarks of Commodore Electronics Ltd. Super PET and Commodore 128 are trademarks of Commodore Electronics Ltd. Amiga* is a registered trademark o1 Commodore-Amiga.
ABC Membership applied tor.
4 JULY 1988
OBllTIRATOR
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SPREADSHEETS Swiftcak; 128 w/sdwys $38.95
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MISC. HARDWARE Estes pwr supply for C-64 $54.95 Naverone3 Slot eirpder .,.$24.95 UTILITIES
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SUPER GRAPHIX GOLD w/Pfinler from Tussey |
.$94.95 , .$84.95 ' |
RGB/COMPOSITE COLOR MONITORS FOR THE 128 COMMODOR£ 1084
640 I 400 ResolulrOD
4 0{Mrasir>fl Modes
...$299.00
MAGNAVOX 8762
640 K 240 Re&olL)l»Ori
3 Wodes 1 yf *afranTy
THOMSON 4120
560 1240 ReSoMwri
4 UcKles 1 yr warranty
$249.00
$219.00
AJI3 mor^loj'sincluda cabled loCommodora MB
[1 Berkeley
Softworics
n
NEW!!... GEO PUBLISH (64/1 28) .......$44.95
GEOS128 $44.95 GEOS
Geo Calc 128 $44.95 Geo Calc .. ,
Geo File 128 $44.95 Geo File ....
Geo Programmer ..$47.95 Geodex
[>eskpack 128 $44.95 Deskpack..
Geo Write 128 $44.95 Fontpack...
Geo Spell $22.95 Geo Write .
..$36.95 ..$31.95 ..$31.95 .524.95 ..$21.95 ,.$19.95 ,.$31.95
Software orders over $100 and Accessories under 6 pounds will be shipped Federal Express
(Even at these prices) You only pay TCP's standard shiipping charge of $4.00 per order. Orders arriving before 3:00 PM our time will be shipped out same day. I! part ol your order is backordered the remain- der will be shipped UPS Ground FREE!
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■ Your Credit Card is not cttarged uni-l your order is shipped.
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■ Tussey is a fioanclaily strong afid well established company.
m
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sollware FOR ALL HARDWARE ANDANYACCESSORyQVFflBI>» Call cur
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m*
SAMSUNG
RGB MONITOR 1 14" Anti-Glare Screen 1 640 X 24Q Resolution I Tllt/Swivel
only«P I UU
Panasonic.
Office AulorTiation#=^^V3\
lOSOill Printei
■ I44cps(<!ra'
■ NLQ Mods
■ 2 yr Warrinty
O COMMODORE
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$79
OcoMMOoom 1764
2S6K RAM EXPANSION
$119
O COMMODORE
1581
3vr DISK DRIVE
$197
CMS
ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS
Pkg. Price lor all Modules:
C128 version $124.95
C64 version $119.95
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ftC|>
NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS
Paperclip Publisher
Jjlectronic Arts has released Paperdlp PutUsher for the Commodore 64. The program allows users to pul)lisli multiple- column newsletters, flyers, menus, resumes, and price lists of up to 50 pages. You can also import text, graphics and fonts from most popular Commodore 64 programs. PaperClip Publisher retails for $49.95. For details contact: Electronic Arts, 1820 Gateway Dr., San Mateo, CA 94404. ^,_^^ Phone:(415)571-7171.
Tetris and ZIG ZAG
Dpectrum Holobyte has released two new titles in its International Series. The flrst entertainment software to reach the west from the Soviet Union is Tetris for the Commodore 64. Designed and programmed by Soviet computer ejcperts, Tetris is the ' 'Ruhik's cube" of sofWare games. The player needs quick reflexes to rotate and manipulate four squares that make up different shapes as they descend from the top of the screen. Tetris retails for $24.95.
ZIG ZA.G represents the United Kingdom in Spectrum Holobyte's series. In ZIG ZAG the player maneuvers his star fighter through narrow passageways while trying to avoid disappearing barriers, traps and timelooks. Suggested retail price is $24.95. For details contact: Spectrum Holobyte, 2061 Challenger Dr., Alameda, CA 94501. Or caU: (415) 522-3584.
Ebonstar
JSlbonstar from MicroIUusionB is a gladiator space competition for the Amiga. You and your opponents (up to four players) try to hurl each other into a ^thetic black hole while evading obstacles exploding on the game Mi Suggested retail price of Ebonstar is $39.95. For details contact: Microlllusions, 17408 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, CA 91344, Phone: (800) 522-2041.
C
C Ltd. to "Fill the Gap"
Ltd. has joined with several software manufacturers to "fill the gaps that have, untU now, kept the Amiga out of the small business market." New product releases wiU include a networkable SCSI- based 300 dpi laser pruiter for under $2500, a networkable SCSI- based 300 dpi page scanner for $1500, and a Zorro bus-based 9600 baud modem card with FAX transmission capabilities for under $600. A new hardware controller will allow multiple user access to the laser printer and scanner as well as other SCSI devices.
Software developers involved In the project include: General Computer Corp., Waltham, MA; SoftLogic Corp., St. Louis, MO; Professional Automated Resources (PAR) Software, Inc., Vancouver, WA; Avant-Garde Software, Piano, TX; Associated Computer Services Software Division, Springfield, MO; and Soft Circuits, Boca Raton, FL.
For more information contact: C Ltd., 723 E. Skinner, Wichita, KS 67211. Phone: (316) 267-6322.
iiit
Station Manager
, the National Association of Broadcasters' convention in April, Associated Computer Services (ACS) unveiled a complete and affordable Amiga-based video graphics system for medium-market broadcasters, cable operators and production houses. For as little as $3000 (hardware included) Station Manager offers video graphics capabihties comparable to systems costing $40,000 or more. The module tncludes: DeluxeProductions, graphics animation
software; Weather Graphics Map Generator for creating weather map graphics anywhere on earth; Weather Graphics Weather-Lini:, which downloads maps and data from weather services hke Accu- Weather; a Graphics Library; a Character Generator and a Teleprompter. For more information contact: Associated Computer Services, 1306 E. Sunshine, Springfield, MO 65804. Or call: (417) 887-7373.
DeluxeProductions
E
ven if you don't own your own television station you may want to use DeluxeProductiojis, developed by Associated Computer Services for Electronic Arts to generate business or educational presentations with your Amiga, DeluxeProductions allows the user to work in overscan and chain productions together to create
long or looped presentations. Forty different special effects are available and three art disks are included. For more information contact: Electronic Arts, 1820 Gateway Dr., San Mateo, CA 94404. Phone:(415)571-7171.
8 JULY 1988
BRUTE FORCE
ihc 22nd century. Aircraft Carrier , , more than launch incs. At close range or way, its ability to ifliet damage is staggering. Breakthrough propulsion systems put its top speed at over 60 knots. Space age Lietense and 360-degree turret mounted laser cannons make it virtually invincible.
From the bridge of the future you
control the ship itself, a squadron of remote fighters, an imphihious assault division, and a huge array of
onboard weapons systems.
• Protect your ship with defense drones and 36Q-degree turret- mounted laser cannon with tclephoto tracking.
• t^onduci your war maneuvers in a huge territory that includes 64 islands. Your goal is to capture the enemy comple\ and destroy it.s forces.
• Take on the enemy carrier, run a jaunilct of missiles and confront uturistic naval threats.
• Dispatch the amphibious assault division to establis \ beachheads, capture airstrips and missile silos.
• 3D soiid-fil ed graphics, smooth scrolling land and sea-scapes, and great sounds and special effects.
Carrier Command, A step ahead of
simiiUtiom.
Available now on Atari ST. Coming soon on Amiga, C64, Mac and IBM.
REAlllMf '
Screcnshots from Atari ST. Telecom Soft, P.O.Box 2227, Menlo Park, Calif omia 94026.
Kiinbird .ind K^ilnliini i-i»^;<i -la- rt;;isti:Ttd irjJ^.-m.irks of Uriiish Tt'lL'ain!niiiiiii;jtion.s PLC
AMri ST'' AutiCufpitrjiiim. Amij;j;' and C(i4^" Cfimmodtirc Biuinc^H. N!j.k;hinf I Mji.' JnJ Apple \V Apple Compuicri Inc. IBM' Intfrnjtitmjl iiusim:** NUcbirtcCorporJiio
NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS
A-Drum
XXaitex Resources has introduced A-Drum, a full-featured rhythm maker for the Amiga. The four-voice drum machine is capable of stereo output using sound samples loaded from disk in IFF format. A-Drum can accommodate up to 26 sounds in memory at once I (depending on available memory), and any parameter of each sound can he altered. A-Dmm retails for 179.95. For more information contact: Haitex Resources, 208 CarrolltonPark, Suite 1207, CaiTOlIton,TX 75006. Or call: (214) 241-8030.
Quick Brown Box
JDrovm Boxes, Inc. has released a series of Qalck Brown Boxes
for the Commodore 64 and 128, The battery-backed cartridges come in 8K, 16K, 32K and 64K into which you can write or load programs, games, utilities or data for almost instant access. Even when the computer is turned off or the cartridge is unplugged, the data you store will remain intact. No programming knowledge is necessary to use Quick Brown Boxes. List prices are:8KS39,16KS69,32KS99, and 64K S129. A 30-day money back guarantee and one-year repair/replacement warranly are included. For farther information contact: Brown Boxes, Inc., 26 Concord Hd, Bedford, MA 01730. Or call: (617) 275-0090.
Crazy Cars
T
itus Software Corporation's new Amiga release, Crazy Gars, lets you test your driving skill in four prestigious automobiles. Players caji choose a Mercedes 560 SEC, Porsche 911 Turbo, Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari GTO on six different courses. For more information contact the distributor: Micro P Technologies, 24 Yawl St., Suite 2, Marioa Del Rey, CA 90292. Phone: (213) 823-1622.
TAB Books
xidv
ivanced Commodore 128 Graphics and Sound
Programmlnl by Stan Krute is now available from TAB Books. Stan Krute is also the author of TAB'S best-seUing (Jomraodore 64/188 Graphics and Sound Programming. This 400-page volume provides the tools for solving any sound or graphics programming chaDenge that a 128 user might encounter. The paperback version is available for $15.60, the hardbound version for S21.95. For more information contact; TAB Books, Inc., P.O. Box 40, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214. Phone: (717) 794-2191.
Happy Spell, Happy Math
S
hannon Software, Inc. has combined Happy Spell and Happy Hath on a single program disk. The programs, for children ages three through seven, teach the basics of spelling and addition. Available for both home and school, the program retails for $22.95. For more information contact: Shannon SofTware, Inc., 11926 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 1 17, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Phone: (213) 82S-1138.
Pete Rose Pennant Fever
Xictivlsion has announced a new release for the Commodore 64 in its Gamestar line: Pete Hose Pennant Fever. Players will have to give 1 10% in the ' 'Charlie Hustle" tradition to guide their expansion team through a ten-season, 24-team-league race for the Pennant. The game enables players to pitch, hit, run, field, throw and steal to the accompardment of digitized sounds and graphics. In addition you as act as manager, calling pitches and plays and as general manager by drafting and trading players. Pete Hose Pennant Fever is scheduled for a November release. For more information contact: AotivisionyCamestar, 2350 Bayshore Pkwy.. Mountain View, CA 94043. Or caU: (415) 960-0410.
Under Fire!
i he Avalon HUl Game Company has released a WWII mfantiy combat simulation for the Commodore 64. Under Fire! puts the user ia charge of paratroops, engineers, mountain troops, tanks and assorted artillery. The program incorporates nine scenarios and a construction set that allows the user to determine weather, scale, general orders and victoiy conditions. Suggested retail price is 334.95. For further information contact: The Avalon HiU Game Company, 4517 Harford M, Baltimore, MD 21214. Phone: (301) 254-9200.
Ferrari Formula One
E
lectronic Arts puts you behind the wheel of a 8360,000 Ferrari Fl/86 in Ferrari Formula One, The Amiga simulation, which is the second release in their Sports Legends line, features high-speed action on 16 international racecourses. The driver can also choose the length of the race and weather conditions. The program retails for $49.95. For details contact: Electronic Arts, 1620 Gatevfay Dr., San Mateo, CA 94404. Or caU: (415) 571-7171.
10 JULY 1988
THE NAME OF THE GAME IS SURVIVAL.
n Vietnam, an American soldier soon learned that ■ there were no winners in this deadly game. To survive each mission with his morale and sanity intact, and return to base safely, was all he could hope for. This was cap- tured in the award-winning film, Platoon.
In Data East's Platoon, you will experience the full impact of the film as you lead your platoon into the jungles, villages, bunkers, foxholes, and underground tunnels
fwut ^M^ fSnn* o
'*'»«4
tar -
ir^/
DATA
DATA EAST USA, INC.
470 NEEDLES DR., SAN JOSE, CA 95112, (408)286-7074.
UCENSED BY
GAME DESIGN * 1987 OCEAN SOFtWABE LTD. PIATOON: TM S
e 19SeHEMDALE FILM CORP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
COMMODORE, APPLE. ATARI. IBM, AND OCEAN ARE REGISTERCO
TRADEMARKS OF COMMODORE ELECTRONICS LTD . APPLE
COMPUTERS, INC., ATARI CORP., IBM CORP.. AND OCEAN
SOFTWARE LfD., RESPECTlVaY.
of war-torn Southeast Asia.
There you will encounter guerilla fighters, snipers, „_ ' booby-trapped trip wires, *'^J armed patrols, and napalm -!
air strikes. You must pick up food, medical supplies, and ammunition along the way.
Attimes, the odds may seem insurmountable. But don't think about winning - to survive is enough.
FOR COMMODORE 64/128'" ANDAMIGAT ATARI'»ST. APPLE II SERIES? AND IBMf
■'■'> '%
NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS
xiig
Aegis Video Contest
egis Development lias announced their second annual Desktop Video Contest open to aU Amiga owners who use one or more Aegis products to create an original video. Winners will receive prizes ranging from an Amiga 2000 computer system to gift certificates. Contestants may enter as many 1/2' videos (no longer than five minutes) as they want hy September 1, 198B. The two categories (amateur and professional) will be judged by
video professionals not associated vrith Aegis on animation, special effects, computer and software use, artwork, creativity, editing, story line, sound and overall quality and ingenuity.
Winners will be announced in September, and an awards ceremony wUl be held at COMDEX in November in Las Vegas, NV. Entiy forms can by obtained at your local Amiga dealer or from: Aegis Development, Inc., 21 15 Hco Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405.
SoundWare Releases
DoundWare has released several budget-priced music programs for the Commodore 64: PaBsport Sequence Editor ($14.95) allows step-editing of the MIDI 4-i-andMIDI6- sequence files. The Studio One Editor ($14.95) is for use with Syntech's popular Studio One program. 0X81/87/100 Librarian ($14.95) stores banXs and individual voices from Yamaha's 4-operator FM synthesizers. Juno 106 Librarian ( $14.95) stores 128 sounds in memory and includes a random patch generator. The Generic Lltrarlan ($19.95) is a 32K System Exclusive recorder that works with any instrument capable of bulk Sys-Ex dumps. For more information on these programs contact: SoundWare, P.O. Box 1913, Nederland, TX 77627.
Survey-IViaster
Otrateglc Marketing Resources has introduced Survey-Master for the Commodore 64. The program is designed to tabulate answers to market research or survey questionnaires and provide a printed report summarizing the data obtained. Snrtrey-Haster calculates averages, standard deviation, standard error and confidence level. For details contact: Strategic Marketing Resources, Inc., P.O. Box 2183, Elliaville, MO 63011. Or oaO: (314) 256-7814.
Alien Destruction
Monster Power and More
Jj ree Spirit Software, Inc. has introduced three new games for the Commodore 64. MoMter Power is an arcade game for one to four players which simulates tractor pulls, mud bogs, and monster truck competitions. Monster Power retails for $14,95.
SIxategic Playground Football simulates playground-style football for one or two players and sells for $9.95. Universal Robots is a strategy simulation in which the plajfer takes control of manufacturing in a futuristic robot factoiy. The program has a suggested retail price of $9.95. For more information contact: Free Spirit Software, Inc., 905 W. Hillgrove, Suite 6, La Grange, IL 605S5. Phone: (800) 552-6777.
Accolade Moves
xVccolade, Inc., publisher of many popular entertainment titles for Commodore computers, has relocated to larger ofSces. After reporting record profits for the first quarter of 1988, Accolade has doubled their office space by moving to a 12,000 square-foot facility at; 550 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose, CA 95128. Their new office phone number is: (408) 985-1700. Customer service can be reached at: (408) 296-8400.
K
Jow available from Scorpion, .Alien Destruction Set
challenges arcade game players with four unique adventures in space. Different missions require varying skills such as quick puzzle-solving logic or fast spaoe- oombat reflexes. Available for the Conunodore 64, the suggested retail price for Alien Destruction Set is $29.95. For more information contact: Scorpion, 19 Harbor Drive, Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849. Phone: (201)663-0202.
12 JULY 1988
Yl
4«>K-«;
Welcome To CompuServe. The Largest Computer Information Service In The Universe. M
(As Fai^ As We Know.) I ^
More people use CompuServe than any other online computer information service on Earth.
Over 380,000 members access hundreds of information, communications and entertainment services online.
Thousands with similar interests and special expertise converge regularly and exchange ideas on an ever-expanding list of special-interest Forums.
They have access to a combination of more financial information, a greater variety of shopping services, and deeper research resources than any other online computer service. Anywhere.
Of course, it's conceivable that there's a service like ours somevk^ere that could give you more for your money But you may have to travel a few light-years to find it.
Instead, all you have to do is visit your nearest computer dealer today. To order CompuServe direct, or for more infor- mation, write: CompuServe, 5000 Arlington Centre Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43220. Or call 800 848-8199. In Ohio and Canada, call 614 457-0802.
CompuServe'
A.N HIR BLOCK COMRUflf
Compiled by Louis F. Sander
I get many requests for simple material on programming. This month, we're catering to the readers who have made that re- quest. By recapping some computer history and by presenting sonm of my own ideas on learning BASIC, we'll try to make pro- gramming more accessible to those who may never have tried it.
This month's programs are in plain iwulla BASIC and should be easy for beginners to follow. (The whole column has only one PEEK and one SYS!) Our lone machine language offer- ing includes an assembly listing for ML beginners to pore over.
If you have an interesting item of your own, either simple or complex, why not write it up and send it in? If it's chosen for pub- lication, you'll get at least $10, plus a lot of pride and fame. Send your ideas, one per sheet, please, to:
Louis F. Sander P.O. Box 101011 Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Burrow: In personal computing's early days, much emphasis was placed on one-line programs. Not only did they use little memory (when 8K was thought to be a lot), but they also showed programmer's virtuosity in a very restricted format.
Back in 1978, (when you could buy an 8K PET for S795I, this active and amusing program appeared in The PET Gazette, one of the earliest newsletters for Commodore owners. Over the years it has been used and reprinted by hundreds of user groups. Type it in and tiy it— the little critter hasn't grown stale v\'ith age. Louis F. Sander 1 A$=" [UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT] "
: PRINT MID$ (A$,RND(.5) *'3 + l,l) ;"* [LEFT]";:FOR J=l TO 30: NEXT :PRINT"(RVS] [LEFT ]";: GOTO 1
Batting Averages: Baseball and Softball are back, so batting averages are again a topic of interest. Tfell this program a play- er's at bats and number of hits, and it will tell you his or her average. Can you figure out line 50?
As it stands, the program is a bit more sophisticated than the previous one. You might also want to add printer output, or make it respond properly if 'TES" is entered instead of "Y." Shane Clark Winchester, IN
10
20 30
60 PRIWT" [3PACE4] BATTING AVERAGE ='
70 PRINT
80 INPUT" FIGURE ANOTHER (V/N)";A$
90 IF A$="Y" OR AS="[SHFT Y]" THEN
;AV
20
PRINT'
INPUT'
(CLEAR, SPACES]
OW MANY TIMES AT BAT";AB 40 INPUT" [SPACE8]H0W MANY HIT3";n 50 AV=INT(l0Cy* (H/AB) +. 5)/100O
Fahrenheit to Celsius: Here's a handy science utility that will convert any Fahrenheit temperature to the more standard Cel- sius form. Be prepared for some long answers, since the conver- sion will be made to the ten millionth's place on some numbera.
Although the program is user fiiendly, it's rather unsophisti- cated. You might want to experiment with i'eatures like kwping (for more temperatui'es) or reverse conversion fix>m Celsius to Fahrenheit.
It's always wise to do exhaustive testing with programs that do calculations. (How else will you know if the answers are right?) For temperature converters, I like to use 32, 212 and -40 degrees Fahrenheit, which nicely convert to 0, 100 and -40 de- grees Celsius. Brett Meyer Rota, Spain
30 1NPUT"TEMP IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT";
TF 40 TC = 5/9* CTF-32) 5 0 PRINT 60 PRINT" THE CELSIUS TEMPEl^ATUKE IS";
TC
The way we were: In the early days of personal computing, ev- ery computer owner needed to progi'am. Since commercial soft- ware was nonexistent, if you wanted your system to do some- thing, you had to program it yourself
There were very few books on programming and almost no courses or magazines, so most of us became self-made men, at least where programming was concerned.
Everyone learned BASIC right away, usually from a book fea- turing timesharing versions of the language, with nothing like the flexibility of the Commodore dialect. Each month the news- letters revealed new wonders of Commodore BASIC, and we waited for every issue to expand our computer horizons.
In those days a newly-discovered PEEK or POKE was cause for international excitement, as programmers around the world incorporated it into their creations.
As our collective knowledge advanced, BASIC no longer satis- fied our need for increasingly better programs. Many of us got a monitor program and began wTestling with machine language.
Continued oil puge 101
14 JULY 1988
128 NEWS !«.
PAGE ^'■'•IJSTRATcm PA^E BUILDER 128
Here's an 8Q-column high-resolution drawing package that's powerlul and easy to use,
Create colorlul graphics or have Page Illustrator assist you in drawing simple geometric figures. Create clip-arl from any portion of the screen, then mirror, reverse, or Hip it.
Imporl graphics from popular drawing packages for your own creations. Add the finishing touch by using a variety of fonts.
Bring the power 01 personal puDiisning to your C-12e or 128D, Integrate text and graphics to construct everything from high quality newsletters to profes- sional business forms.
layout and design is quick and straight- forward. Import text created with your word processor. Wrap it around graphics from Page Illustrator. Then change the look by using a different font or repositioning graphics. Add Extended Video HAM and 1700/1750 RAM Expansion for higher performance.
M ■
jjiif-ifrny ^iiiitlf f ^!
TWO CONSTRUCTIVE PROGRAMS From Patech Software, Inc.
You don't need a new computer to join the desktop publishing revolution! With PAGE BUILDER and PAGE ILLUSTRATOR from PATECH Software, your C-128 (or C'128D) can compose professional-looking pages, using your own dot-matrix printer!
PAGE BUILDER and PAGE ILLUSTRATOR are stand-alone programs; each with a specific function to perform. Whether used singly or as an unbeatable team, these Two Constructive Ideas are designed to make maximum use of the C-128's native power. They were created by publishing professionals who put that power where you need it most — into real performance and utility, not bells and whistles.
PAGE BUILDER Suggested Roail Price $49.95 PAGE ILLUSTRATOR SujjKesieJ Retaii Pricr $39.95
Dealer &. distributor inquiries For ordering and information
201-545-1571 201-238-5959
P^
P.O. Box 5208 Somerset, NJ 08873
Add $3.50 for
Shipping and
Handling
n
iirmrcii
Compiled by Louis F. Sander
If you have nuggets of your own to contribute, write them up and send them in. Successful contributors will get real and re- warding fame, plus a grubstake of $5 upward.
Each submission should combine all the tips for one game, and your name and full address must be printed on every sheet of pa- pen Mail your nuggets to:
The Gold Mine
P.O. Bac lOlOll
Pittsburgh. PA 15237
Aliens: When fighting the alien queen, keep her to one side and keep hitting her to diminish her energy. Ramming her into the sides of the screen is a good tactic. W'hen the bar at the bottom is fblly green, put your power-loader arms to the opposite side from the queen. Wait for her go get close to you, then put the arms under her, push up, at the same time pushing and holding the joystick button. Wait for the airlock to open, then release the button, and it's Good-bye, Queenie!
Also, if you cannot make it to the last screen, type "ABCDE" at the Enter Code screen. When you defeat the queen, you'll be able to see all the picture screens. Nathan Jones Baltimore, MD
AutoDuel: lb get an infinite amount of money, buy a car and put everything on it until your money and weight have all ques- tion marks next to them. Save the game. When you load it again, you'll have an infinite amount of money.
The IRS will fine you for your first couple of moves. Don't wor- ry, because they'll quickly stop harassing you. Ron Garrison Hatfield, PA
The Bard's Tale II: Although the Dream Spell can be used to
get to the entry of any dungeon, it's also helpful during combat, where:
1. It acts like an advanced Heal All spell, even resurrecting stoned characters.
2. It acts like a Mangar's Mallet spell.
3. It gives each character eight additional attacks.
4. It lowers the party's armor class to L -t- . Nick Karfonta
Pinckney, MI
The Bard's Tale II: If you're going door to door looking for the Maze of Dread, look no further. It's in the NE section of Thessa-
lordca, in the fourth house on the right.
lb go in the Desting Stone without using the Di^eam Spell (ZZGO), not to mention wasting 100 spell points, just go to the Strange Mage in the NW comer of Colosse and say "freeze please." Kkoa Nguyen Philadelphia, PA
Black Hawk: lb get any number of lives from 0 to 255, type this after you load the game (N is the number of lives you want):
POKE 8290,N <RETURN> lb get to any level N fhim 0 to 255 type:
POKE 8294,N <RETUEN> lb start the game type:
SYS 8192 <RETURN> Juan J. Rodriguez Abington, PA
Bruce Lee: Tb get past the last screen, just push the joystick to the right. Don't stop for the fireballs, because they can't hit you. Cheuk Chau Address Unknown
Championship Soccer If you have trouble beating the computer
at higher levels, this will guarantee you a goal almost every time. When you get the ball, take it to the bottom comer of the field on the computer's side, turn toward the net and shoot. If you're in the correct spot, the computer can't stop it fitim going in. (It may help to move a little bit closer to the net.)
Also, when it's your kickofi', dribble until you're right behind the teammate who was with you during the kickoff (he should be right m fttint of you). Pass the ball to him, and continue in a straight line until you reach the penalty box. Kick the ball to- wards the net. The goalie will block the ball back toward you, probably by diving to the ground. If he does, immediately take another shot. He will not have had time to recover, and you'll have an easy goal. Unknown Contributor
Championship Wrestling; If your enei^ is about to be depleted, take refiage on the top tumbuckle, where your opponent cannot harm you. When your energy returns, wait until your opponent starts running around just below you. Jump on him, and his en- ergy will be depleted by half or more. Khang Nguyen Tocoma, ^A
Continued on page 92
16 JULY 1988
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64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS'
Reviewed by Scott A. May
Skate or Die
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Computer: |
Conimwlore W |
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Publisher: |
Electroiiic Ai1s |
|
IJQU Gateway Drive |
|
|
San Mateo, CA M404 |
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Medium: |
Disk |
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Price: |
$29.95 |
So much for nice, friendly computer games.
Electronic Arts' Skate or Die is rude, gross and do\vninght unibrgiving. It's also one of the iunniest. most challenging sports games available for the Commo- dore 64. This one wasn't released — it was unleashed. Catch it while you can.
]i' Skate or Die seems like a gonzo ver- sion of Summer Gumes. it could be be- cause two of its designers — Michael Ko- saka and Stephen Landnim — worked on that original Epra classic. But unlike the civilized nature of organized sport, Sto/c or Die is not afraid to break a few rules or a few bones. This is a high-powered tri- bute to — and panxly oi— free-fomi skate- boarding, California style.
The game begins at Rodney's Skate Shop, kind of a second home to the neigh- borhood punks. Behind the counter' is Rodney, an aging ex-suifer who's now land-based and balding. Rodney can set you up with just about im>thing you need, including hints on how to skate. Admire his purple mohawk, just don't stai¥ at his ugly face.
Rodney allows up to eight players to sign up for competition or merely practice. Check out the high score lists or change board color When you're ready, hit the pavement and prepai^e to skate or die.
Stepping into TowTisquare, you are con- fronted with a main menu in the form of six side streets, each leading to a different event. Instead of a cui'sor. players move a skater in the desii-ed direction. Events in- clude the Pool Joust, Downhill ]-?ace. Downhill Jam, High Jump and Freestyle i Ramp. The sixth option allows playei-s to , compete in ail events.
The Tbwnsquare setting introduces players to Michael Kosaka's truly phe- nomenal gi'aphics and animation. The on- screen skater moves with uncanny preci- sion and lifehke detail. The skater's intri- cate 3D movement also reveals the game's finely- tuned joystick control. This is only ; the beginning; it gets much better.
The first event is the Pool Joust. This radical version of the familiar medieval
tournament takes place in an empty back- yard pool. Tivo skaters enter this concrete arena and play tag with a single boffing stick. The player with the stick is allowed five passes to knock the other down. If he fails, the stick changes hands for another five passes. This continues until one play- er has scored three slams on the other skater
Mutti-player jousts are performed round-robin until only one skater re- mains. The solitaire version pits a player against one of three computer opponents (skill levels): Poseiu" Pete. Aggro Eddie and Lester. The stiffer your competition, the more points you can score.
Players skate to opposite sides of the pool, passing each other in the middle. Pressing the joystick button causes the boffing stick to briefly flash. Touching the othei- skater with the flashing stick scores a knockdown. The tactics of sui-vival dic- tate that each skater move quickly, changing dii^ection as often as possible. Changing the tempo of your movements will also throw the other skater off. This can be accomplished by performing var- ious stunts — rail slides, kicktums, and ol- lies— on the edge of the pool.
Moving on, we come to the Downhill Race, a wild and wacky dash thixiugh the park. Playere race against the clock for the best time, avoiding obstacles and per- forming stunts for bonus points. This fast- action event dazzles the eye with remark- able animation and colorful graphics.
Players ai^e given the choice of regular or "goofy' foot" control of their skater With regular control, pulling the joystick down moves the skater forward; pushing up slows him down. Goofy foot works the op- posite way, controlling the board fTX)m the skater's point of view. In either mode.
pressing the joystick button also allows players to duck, jump or perform sharp turns.
Points are scored for pinpoint skating over ramps, through tunnels, across grav- el and many other obstacles. Players can also earn points for performing ISO- and 360-degree mid-air turns.
The Downhill Jam features two skaters in a dark-humored demolition derby through a cluttered back alley. Two play- ers (or one against a computer skater) bat- tle it out in this concrete jungle filled with trash cans, bottles, open manholes, stair- wells, fences and clothes Unes. The con- trols are the same as in the Downhill Race, only this time you get to push, kick and punch your way to victory. Skate or die, for real,
The Downhill Jam is, in a word, hyster- ical. The graphic thrills and spills are both amazing and painful to watch. Ride your punk skater through a chain-link fence, for example, and he emerges on the other side seemingly intact. Moments later he falls to the ground in several dozen pieces. The cartoon animation is perfect.
The Freestyle Ramp is a large U- shaped structure where anything is possi- ble. Skaters are allowed ten passes through the ramp to perform outrageous daredevil feats. Control is more complex here, requiring players to maintain sideways momentum with the joystick while executing precise movements at the top of the ramp. Tricks include kicktums, rock-n-roll, footplants, rail slides, hand- plants, ollies and aerials. Points are scored for level of difficulty and chaining several tricks together
Exact timing is crucial in this event. Execute your moves too soon, and you'll be sliding down the ramp headfirst. Wait too long and you'll literally go splat on the bottom (which is not a pretty sight).
The High Jump is another ramp event, only much easier to control. Players are given five passes to achieve the highest aerial jump off the right side of the ramp. Simply move the joystick rapidly in any direction to build speed, and press the but- ton at the height of your highest jump to make it official.
Skate or Die is a surprisingly versatile game, considering the rather limited na- ture of its sport. Supplemented with above-average graphics and bizarre hu- mor, this challenging collection is an abso- lute joy Highly recommended. 9
18 JULY 1988
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64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS-
Reviewed by Mark Cotone
Gauntlet
Computer: Commodore 64 Publisher Mindscape. Inc.
■iiM Dundee Road Northbrook, IL 60062 Medium; DLsk
Price:
$M.%
Not too long ago, when a player got the itch to hit the video dungeons for a Httle role-plajring action, one of the last places he'd think to lug his sword and shield was the local arcade halls. Not that the genre didn't have an eager and recep- tive audience willing to punch in a healthy share of tokens. Popularity charts would suggest the opposite. It's just that the pay-for-play, quick-turnover climate of the coin-op environment wasn't designed to support the time consuming, intricate plodding of the classic Dungeons and Dragons-style adventure. Video warriors were continually forced back home to their faithfiil computers to get their need- ed fix.
Then, early last year, an innovative Atari coin-op arrived on the scene to change the situation dramatically. The name of the game was Gauntlet, and it would emei^e to completely bridge the gap between these "incompatible" con- tests by successfully borrowing fixim each. A host of the more popular D&D ele- ments— like personal character growth, treasure hunting, dungeon exploring and dragon dueling— were all gathered and placed upon an easy to learn, lightening- paced arcade foundation. The result was a unique multi-player coin-op adventure that quickly attracted a tremendous fol- lowing irom both sides of the fence. And now, in a final step that brings this game's development fiill circle, Mindscape has re- leased a Commodore rendition of this pre- cedent-setting contest. Welcome home, Gauntkt.
The game opens with a character selec- tion phase, where one or two players are given the chance to choose their on-screen surrogates. Four different heroes are of- fered: Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wiz- ard, Questor the Elf, and Thyra the Val- kyrie. Each of these able combatants is rated according to armor strength, shot potency, hand-to-hand ability and magic power Depending upon how you wish to ronfront the enemy or complement your partner, the characters are selected and the quest begins.
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s;p' |
"^tI |
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^ |
^% |
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ds: |
The Gauntlet play field is a seemingly endless group of maze-like dungeons which have been jampacked ftill of dan- gerous obstacles and connected via a se- ries of doorways. The goal of the game is to search and survive long enough to lo- cate and exit the final dungeon, getting yourself out of this mess of a labyrinth be- fore the elements do you in. It's a mission that will force you to fight, avoid and de- stroy a wide assortment of deadly crea- tures as you comb each vault in an at- tempt to find the well-guarded passage- way to the next level.
The game offers a bird's-eye view of the action, tracking the waniors fittm above and panning about to follow them as they slash, mash and trash their way around. Fans of the arcade version will feel com- fortable and familiar in these transposed surroundings. Everything's the same. Brick walls fonn the labyi-inths that sti-etch out in every direction to outline a dangerous fioor plan of pathways, cham- bere and dead ends. Objects litter the grounds waiting to be discovered and col- lected, including the good, such as food for physical energy, keys to open doors, and potions to increase fighting strength; as well as the bad. like the various, well-dis- guised poisons that can be extremely harmful if not fatal to the touch. And of course, lurking in every comer, tense and ready to spring, is a diverse cast of deadly monsters, headlined by such notorious en- emies as sorcerers, demons, ghosts, and yes, even the dreaded Dark Pj-ince of Death.
The overall size of this gauntlet is not mentioned in the documentation, and as a re\iewer who has only made it to the forti- eth level before succumbing to finger fa- tigue. I'm afraid I don't hold the definitive blueprints either. What is known is that no two dungeons are exactly alike. Even
though each is composed of the same com- ponents—walls, treasures, pitfalls and monsters— the number and placement of these elements make every level a unique puzzle.
One of the more innovative ingredients that separated Gauntlet irom the typical adventure, giving it its definite arcade slant, is the incredible number of evil be- ings you'll meet in your travels. They come in waves, dozens of them swarming at once like starving pack dogs fighting over a rare piece of steak. The battles are fast and furious: a shot or two is all that is : needed to kill a foe. Nevertheless, the as- sault can be viewed as relentless thanks to a group of hideous inventions called "Monster Generators." These demonic j mechanical wonders have been designed , by the evil gods to create and spew forth deadly villains at the rate of one every two seconds. So as soon as one villain drops, it's as if another is there to instantly take its place. If you don't fight yom- way for- ward and destroy these creature factories, you can literally stand there and swing your sword ftx)m dawn to dusk, killing multitudes of offspring, without ever mak- ing any progress. The bloodthirsty mob will just keep on coming. Unlike most role-playing contests, shaip reflexes and a quick trigger finger will be a necessity to overpower Gauntlet's e\il forces.
At the screen's base, a countdown clock keeps track of your surrogate's strength, slowly ticking its way down to your inevi- table demise. Certain treasures and po- tions can be used to add valuable seconds to your life expectancy, with poisons and lost battles taking away time in large chunks. If you delve into the dungeons alone, as soon as your life meter hits zero, the game will end. However, in the two- player game, as long as either one of the two heroes is alive, any lost soul can be easily resurrected witti the tap of the fire button (a rejuvenating technique equiv- alent to inserting another quarter at the arcade). It's easy to see the tremendous advantage to traveling in pairs.
Discerning fans of Gauntlets pay-for- play version have probably already spot- ted the one glaring difference between this contest and its predecessor At the ar- cades, the game cabinet supplied enough room and controls so that four players could simultaneously explore together Due to the obvious joystick limitations, only two players can participate at one
20 JULY 1988
64 and 128 Software Reviews/Gauntlet ■
time, cutting the potential team size in half. As unfortunate as this is, it shouldn't be viewed as an oversight, but rather a matter of the designers realizing and working mthin their restrictions. I sup- pose some will point to the fact that the computer keyboard could have been ac- cessed to direct the additional pair of war- riors, but in a game with action as furious as this, I think the programmers made the wise choice by not crowding the par- ticipants and complicating the controls.
If you're an adventurer who deUghts at the chanc» to explore the unknown and battle the unmentionable, and you don't mind the action accelerator being pressed down a notch or two, then Gauntlet should certainly earn a high spot on your future role-playing travel plans. It's a test of physical endurance and strategic prowess that will leave you exhausted, yet hungry for more. If by chance you do happen to crawl out iktm the opposite end of this deadly obstacle course, you'll be happy to leam that Mindscape has already re- leased Gauntlet: The Deeper Dungeons, a follow-up package offering five hundred new dungeons to "daunt the most daring."
Alright, arcade warrior, it's time to prove yourself. How low can you go?
Battle Acts
In Gauntlets high-speed environment, swift sword swinging will prove to be a warrior's mcst valuable asset. That's not to say that there aren't strategic ap- proaches that can give your swordsman the winning edge. Read on to find out how to become a cut above the rest.
• Even if you're taking a solo shot at Gauntlet, set the game for the two-play- er option. As mentioned in the review, the one-player contest simply ends when your life meter runs dry, but the two- player version allows for unlimited res- urrections as long as one of the warrior pair is still alive. So even if you are trav- eling alone, tell the computer that you want a partner, and keep him in reserve. Then, when your initial explorer is on his last legs, puU in your fi«sh. unin- jured backup to continue the qu^t As long as you are careftJ not to let both surrogates die at the same time, you can keep shifting back and forth between joysticks, plimging deeper and deeper without losing any progress.
• When battling Gauntlets villains, nip the problem in the bud by attacking the Monster Generators first. This will halt creature creation, allowing you to then
double back and fmish off any of the re- maining diabolical ofispring. ■ When a player dies in the two-player mode, even though he can be resurrects ed with a simple tap of a button, he will lose all of the personal belongings and treasures he gathered before his demise. With this in mind, always have the healthier of the two heroes pick up any of the keys, potions or other magical items that the team spots along the way. This will keep the valuables accessible for a longer period of time. Don't feel obligated to kill off every vil- lain in a dungeon level before you move on to the next. Unless there is a specific treasure you are searching for, and you're willing to sacrifice time and ener- gy points to track it dovm, jump into the dungeon exit as soon as it is located. In the two-player mode, neither player is allowed to niake a move that will force the other off screen. For this reason, and to facilitate progress, it is better to ap- point one player as the 'leader," putting him in charge of choosing the route that the others will follow. This will help to avoid having both heroes spUt off in op- posite directions, preventing either from making any headway. g
PART
"Find Red Square" Contest! , Find Red Square in Moscow and enter to win a real trip for two to Europe, courtesy of SubLOGIC ond TWW See She SubLOGIC Product Chart at your deaier or write SubLOGIC for complete details and contest rules.
ESTERN EUROPEAN TOUR"
Scenery Disk is so beautiful to fly. you'll want to make it the centerpiece of your Scenery Disk collection! This is port two of a five-part guided tour fronn London to r?ed Square.
This month we fly to Paris, city of lights Few sights can compare with the Eiffel Tower
Now off to our left you can see Notre Dame cathedral, situated on on island in the Seine. Other Paris highlights include the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, Con- corde Obelisk, and the Louvre.
Next month we'll finish our tour of Paris and
^ continue on to Germany.
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COMMODORE MA3AZINE 21
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS"
Reviewed by Scott A, May
Street Sports Basketball
|
Ck)mputer: |
Commodore 64 |
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Publisher: |
Epra. Inc. |
|
600 Galveston Di-ive |
|
|
Redwoofl City, CA 94063 |
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|
Medium: |
Disk |
|
Price: |
S39.95 |
Up for a fiiendly game of hoops? Feel- ing nostalgic for yom* old neighbor- hood teammates? The gang's all here in Epyx's Street Sports Basketball, a lively contest that's sure to open a vault full of memories.
Most adults will find this game to be like stepping into a time machine, recall- ing golden days of impromptu competi- tion. This is a masterful tribute to the joys of unorganized spoils, which any kid will tell you is the only way to play.
Despite all this romanticism, Street Sports Basketball has its feet planted firmly in today's youth. The neighborhood courts look sort of familiar. But that rag- tag collection of irregular kids will never change. Even hightops are still in style.
The first decision to be made in the game is where you'd like to play. There are four courts available, each with its own advantages and drawbacks.
The school playground offers a nice, fenced-in asphalt court free of obstacles. Games played here tend to be fast and fia- rious. This is the pi-eferred court for "ofB- cial" neighborhood tournaments. It's al- most like the real thing!
The back alley court is a place where dares are made and reputations are upheld. This is a tough setting of trash cans, rocks and oil spills— perfect for a gang fight, something these pick-up games often resemble. Watch out for the curb that forms the boundary of this court. One false dribble and the ball is out of control. Those oil spills also require some fancy footwork to avoid. Step in one and you'll be watching the game ftx)m ground level.
The suburban street court offers a much cleaner environment, free of city grime, but not without its obstacles. The court here stretches across a dead-end street be- tween two driveways. The playing surface holds a variety of challenges: curbs, trash can Uds, garden hoses, grass and sidewalks. You never know how the ball
will respond as you dribble for that game- winning basket. Just stay out of the rose bed and keep an eye out for your pesky lit- tle brother
The final court of choice is an inner-city parking lot. This somewhat giimy court is fenced in for privacy, but flill of oil spills from parked cars. A ticket booth juts out slightly into the playing area, so watch where you're running.
The next choice deteniiines if the game will be played head-to-head with a human opponent or against a computer-controlled team. Nothing beats a two-player basket- ball game, and this one is very good. The computer team, however, is no slouch.
Sohtaire games can be set for three skill levels — ^Easy, Intermediate and Tbugh. The Easy level was obviously designed for very young playere. Those with any amount of experience will bi-eeze thi-ough this level as if the computer team never showed up. Players with street savvy should begin with Intennediate to get a feel for the game, then step right into the Tbugh level.
Each side then picks three players to represent their team, fium a lineup of ten neighborhood kids. They may look young, but these are not mere street urchins. Rather, they are polished pros of the roundball circuit, each with his own strengths and weaknesses.
Highlighting each kid calls up a brief personality — some you might recognize fitim your own neighborhood — which af- fects his or her performance.
Butch is a hotdog, but he has the best jump shot on the block. Radar is slow, but reliable under the hoop. Julie has been known to drop the ball on several occa- sions, but she's always in the action. Me- lissa is the one to throw it to on a fast break. Ralph is fast, but sometimes his cap falls down in his eyes. "Vic is the team's precision shooter — call on him to make crucial baskets. Brad isn't known for anything other than being a really nice guy. Magic boasts the neighborhood's
best hook shot. Kevin is another long shooter who rarely misses. Finally, there's Dana, whose biggest claim to fame is hav- ing the only ponytail on the team.
When all ttie preliminary details are worked out, it's time to hit the court and stir up some action. The rules of street basketball are more relaxed than orga- nized sports. There are no quarters, nor any time limits for that matter. Instead, players choose what score will end the game, up to 100 points per match. Like- wise, there are no timeouts and definitely no penalties or free-throws. This is rough- and-tumble basketball, fidl of skinned el- bows and knees.
Following the opening jump ball, the action is non-stop until one team emerges victorious. The on-screen player under joystick control is identified by the Hghter- colored uniform (either green or blue). Control requires moving the joystick in the direction you want your highlighted player to go. Dribbling the ball is auto- matic, lb shoot simply face the basket and press the fire button. Your player will choose the best shot for the moment — jump shot, hook or slam dunk.
Joystick control automatically changes to the player with the ball, lb manually switch control to another player (on de- fense only), press and hold the fire button. When the desired player is highlighted, release the button and assume control.
Passing the ball is a tricky maneuver that requires timing and finesse. Players will not question your command to pass the ball, often throwing it out of bounds, into trash cans or to the other team. Use this to your advantage for long passes and fast breaks.
Stealing the ball is easy. Due to the size of the court, it's often unintentional, lb steal the ball, simply walk into an oppo- nent and rip it from his hands. Fast play- ers can also intercept passes and jump for rebounds. These players are not perfect, however. Eveiy game is filled with dropped balls and stumbling kids. Players can knock one or two others down by run- ning at them full steam and jumping on them. Tkckling is allowed (and often nec- essary).
Street Sports Basketball is a dehghtfiil tongue-in-cheek action game that should appeal to a wide audience. Most fans will find the on-court antics both entertaining and challenging. If you can't go back to the old neighborhood, bring it home, g
22 JULY 1988
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I In the US A add $4.00 for S & H . Foreign add $1 2. IX} per Item Michigan residents Include 4% sales tax I Total amount encloaed (US funds)
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= ' ""> 59,95
16,95
DslaRe Super U PI Super C 126 GEOS T 4 T
Dept. MC7 ■ 5370 52nd Street SE • Grand Rapids, Ml 49508 Phone 616/698-0330 • Telex 709-101 -Telefax 616/698-0325 Call or write for your free catalog. 30-day money back guarantee on software. Dealer inquiries welcome — over 2400 dealers naJionwide.
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64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS"
Reviewed by Jim Esch
geoCalc
Computer: Publisher:
Medium: Price:
Commodore 64 Berkeley Softworks 2150 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA ^4704 Disk $49.95
After a while, all spreadsheets start to look the same. There's not much you can do to spruce up rows and columns of numbers. But geoCak, though no radical departure from the norm, has combined the power of numt)ers with the beauty of graphic presentation. And the results are what we have come to expect bxim Berke- ley Softworks: reliable, professional qual- ity output for the humble 64.
GeoCak's graphic orientation fits com- fortably into the GEOS environment, which creates an icon-based system for a fraction of the price of other popular com- puters. But don't let its slick appearance fool yon— geoCalc is a serious spread- sheet, sophisticated enough for the home office or small business. At your disposal lie 112 rows and 256 columns for a total of 28,672 cells (the intersection of a row and column). Basic arithmetic functions per- form to 12 places of accuracy; more ad- vanced functions calculate to nine places. GeoCalc uses a unique "smart" recalcula- tion feature, which recalculates only those cells affected by a modification.
For those who have been intimidated by the thought of a spreadsheet and number management, geoCak is made for you. Why? Because it's easy to use. The mouse lets you accomplish things fast without troubling your tentative fingers on the keyboard. With the mouse you can point to any cell on screen, defme ranges, and even enter formulas. You can change the format, alignment, column width and text style (plain, boldface or italics) of a single cell or a range of cells, and it doesn't take long to learn how. You never have to leave your worksheet screen; all activities are accomplished by pull-down menus and pop-up dialog box«s.
GeoCalc gives you the option of creating formulas with the mouse or keyboard commands. You can click on each cell you want included in your formula (addition is the default function) or enter eel! address- es by hand. It's up to you to decide which way is fastest and easiest. Even a spread- sheet beginner like myself created a
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checkbook account balance in about twen- ty minutes (after reading the manual). Once you've entered values into your cells, you can specify them as either abso- lute or relative values, which makes it handy to repeat formulas in successive columns without retyping the formula.
lb get started you'U need the GEOS sys- tem disk. The manual details the start-up procedure for booting, making backups, and tailoring work disks. I suggest you in- clude the following on your workdisk: geo- Calc, desklbp 1,3, your printer driver and the calculator. If you have the 1764 RAM expansion unit, you should copy your workdisk into RAM and use your disk drive for file space. Any GEOS application will work faster in BAM than if it has to constantly read from the disk drive. If you don't have the RAM expansion, I highly recommend that you purchase it. With it, geoCalc will perform vrith lightning speed and elegance; without it, the software will feel clunky and slow. The RAM expansion lets you use your disk drive exclusively for your files, which ^eoCaZc calls worksheets.
The geoCak manual provides a valu- able tutorial that takes you step by step through the creation of a hypotiietical monthly business budget. It introduces you to the basic capabilities of the system, and lets you get hands-on experience right away. This tutorial is followed by a chapter which completely details all as- pects of the software. The manual is easy to read and covers just about everything necessary for high-powered spreadsheet management.
One problem I have with geoCak is its scrolling speed. When you scroll horizon- tally or vertically off to the edge of the screen, there is a time lag, so you have to wait for the new cell to appear or stop scrolling. You also have to wait for the in- formation to flow into the new grid. This can be annoying and even confusing. You can avoid this to some degree by effective- ly managing your worksheet into screen- size blocks. The manual suggests you
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work in four to eight block areas to avoid packing your worksheet too densely with formulas and values, thereby requiring time-a)nsuming memory swaps. Another way to reduce scrolling problems is to use the cursor icons at the bottom right of the screen. These advance your worksheet right, left, up or down one screen. You still have to wait for the information to pour mto the grid, but it will be less conftising. GeoCak also includes a split screen func- tion, so you can view two separate por- tions of your worksheet at once.
Once you've entered text and values, formatted and revised your worksheet, it's time to get some hard copy. The print op- tion lets you print your worksheet in High Quality, Draft or NLQ modes, with or without grid hnes and headings. Though printing time is slow (especially vrith grid lines and headings), it's worth the wait. You'll get a polished, professional-looking copy that's attractive to the eye. If your spreadsheet is wider or longer than the printed page, it will advance to the next page and print the remaining data.
Most of the time, you'll want to print common borders on every page (like month rows, expense columns, etc.). Use your cut and paste functions to create page-size blocks and continue your spreadsheet in a different sector When you go to print, define the range you want to print on the first page, then define the range for your next block of information to go on the next page, and so on until you've got a well organized output. For a normal-sized column, geoCak prints about seven columns across the page be- fore it advances to the next page. Obvious- ly, you can fit many more rows on a page than columns, so lay out your worksheets accordingly.
In geoCak you'll never work in a vacu- um, because it's fiilly compatible with oth- er GEOS software. You can copy informa- tion fixim geoCak and paste it into a geoWrite or get^ile document, and vice
Continued on page 88
24 JULY 1988
ITS THE NEXT BEST THING TO SKIING THERE.
Or figure skating. Or cross-country skiing. Or even iuging. In short, The Games: Wm(er Edition is one game tliat can bring you the thrills and glories of historj'-making athletic competition. It was designed with the help of former U.S. Olympic Team athletes. /!/?(/ //i the only computer game to earn an official license from the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team.
Find out what it's like to be a human shock absorber in the Ski Jump. Double your blood pressure shooting down the chute in the Luge.
Behold the goies ofgfary. Now watch em whszz by.
Lean into a 30-mile-an-hour turn in Oval- TVack Speed Skating. And then cross your threshold of pain in the Cross-Country event.
There are seven Herculean events in all. For one, two or up to eight players. With graphics so crisp and accurate you'll be tempted to bundle up. Plus, thanks to the game's unique camera angles, you can view the Downhill and the Ski Jump events from I the first-person or camera-angle points-
Jusl vau and your sftadow about r • r\ i
topuiioifodoutiie-axiesu-ipin- ot-view, Unc momenl
you're looking over your ski tips. And the
next, you're watching your performance from the sidelines.
Tlie Games- Winter Edition. Incredible graphics. Network-style camera angles. Excellent
athlete control options. And opening and
closing ceremonies modeled after those
at Calgary Now you can get
the thrills without
the chills.
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THE GAMES: WDNTEREDmOV
Commodore S-i/128 Apple ti & compatibles, IBM A corjtpaUbles AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO 36 US C.SECnOi^:i8f)
YSiEP/X
64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS"
by Gary V. fields
Home Designer 128
Computer: Publisher:
Medium: Price:
Commoflore 128
Briwall
P.O. Bo.x 129
56 Noble St.
Kutztown, PA 19530
Disk
S39.00
TTome Designer 128 is a powerfiil yet XX easy to master CAD (Computer- Aid- ed Design) program for personal use. With its help you can create ai-chitectural or en- gineering drawings or sketches which can be saved to disk or dumped to either a ma- trix printer or plotter
The program is ideal for designing house plans, woodworking projects, elec- trical devices, machine tooling, etc. Pro- viding you have the patience to master its command sequence, it can do the work of CAD programs costing much more and re- quiring more memory than the 128 has.
If you've never used a CAD program be- fore, Home Designer will take a little prac- tice before you'll fee! comfortable with it. Although most of its commands can be ac- tivated with a mouse or joystick, it uses a command sequence similar to CAD sys- tems designed for the MS-DOS market. Thus, all commands can be issued directly fix)m the keyboard, using three-letter words. For instance, to insert a line you can either highlight the word "Insert" on the screen menu and then point where you want it to appear on the screen or is- sue the command directly from the key- board. From the keyboard the same com- mand would be ENS LIN: followed by the X and Y coordinates. Those who are ac- customed to traditional graphic design programs will probably prefer the easy-to- use joystick controls, but keyboard com- mands give you much more precise con- trol over the drawing's detail. With time the unique values of both input methods became obvious, and I found myself switching between the two intuitively.
The program's impressive options in- clude most of the standard drawing fea- tures like; lines, boxes, circles, arcs, mir- rors, etc. But to make the program more useful and more professional, it allows you to insert small objects you have saved to disk (or those from a clip art library) di- rectly into the drawing without having to recreate them each time (perfect for elec-
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The program is ideal for
designing house plans, woodworking projects,
electrical devices, machine tooling, etc.
tronic component or building fixtures). You can also zoom in and out of a drawing to adjust detail. You can pick up and ro- tate objects and then relocate them or simply duplicate them elsewhere. The pro- gram supports most of the standard ma- trix printers but (if you can afford one) will work with plotters as well. You can even merge text created with the Paper- clip word processor directly into a drawing.
Drawings created vrith Home Designer can be traced on screen or printed using an easy-to-change scale. For instance, if you tell the program that one inch on the drawing represents one foot on the screen, the program will automatically formulate your input to comply to this scale. So if you set the scale to 1/4 inch equals one foot and then tell the program to insert a line four feet long, it would inset a one- inch line on the screen. Yes, the program allows the use effractions as well as whole numbers.
I was especially happy with the pro- gram's print quality. Because screen pix- els and matrix print heads are always deeper than they are wide, circles are of- ten displayed and printed as ovals instead of true circles. That's not a problem here — circles are displayed on screen as circles and, more importantly, are dumped to pa- per as true circles as well. The print pro- gram also lets you adjust the print scale, so small drawings can be printed larger and large drawings can be reduced to fit the paper width of your printer.
Home Designer is able to produce draw- ings that include very minute detail be- cause of the way it stores the information about each drawing. Like higher-priced professional CAD packages (costing ten or
20 times more), Home Designer stores the information which defines each drawing as separate objects. Thus each line, circle, text string, etc. is stored in memory ac- cording to its coordinates, not the number of pixels and their location in reference to a monitor screen.
There are pluses and minuses to this method. On the positive side, drawings can be created with an amazing amount of detail, and individual objects (lines, cir- cles, textl can be moved, copied, rotated or discarded without disturbing other parts of the drawing. For the same reason. Home Designer drawings can be created with up to five different layers. This means you can draw one layer and over- lay it on another Again this is a profes- sional feature any architect would expect in a CAD program. By using layers, one could be used to display a building's foun- dation, the next could display its floor and wall detail while the third might show only the electrical requirements and the fourth the building's plumbing. These lay- ers make it simple to separate detail for easier examination, refining or printing.
On the negative side, saving drawings as individual strings of information and layers causes a short but noticeable delay (usually only a few seconds) when major changes are made to a drawing or the dis- play is resized, lb minimize these replot- ting delays the program's creator, James Kendall, decided to have the computer shift into its fast 2MHz mode to halve the time required to map a display. 1 personal- ly appreciated the logic of this solution, but because 'Tast" mode causes the VIC 40-column screen to be turned off until the work is finished, some users may be an-
Continued on page 89
26 JULY 1988
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64 AND 128 SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Reviewed by Russ Ceccola
Border Zone
Computer: Commodore G4
Publisher: Infocom
125 CambridgePar-k Drive Cambridge, MA 02140
Medium: Disk
Price: $34.95
Ever thought atiout going behind the Iron Curtain to experience what it's all about? Well, pick up Border Zone from Infocom and your curiosity will be satis- fied. Border Zone will give you such a taste of Eastern Bloc countries, the Iron Curtain and the meaning of the word "border," so that you'll never again want to visit any of those places. This is the first game &x)m Infocom that deals with spies and intrigue and is one of the few in that genre in the gaming world.
Border Zone is the first game since En - chanter from Infocom veteran Marc Blank. After leaving Infocom in 1985, j Blank went to California, where he's been j working on GDI (Compact Disc Interac- tive) technologies and projects on a con- sulting basis, as well as projects and games for Infocom.
In a recent interview Blank explained how Border Zone came to be: "One of the things that we've seen at Infocom over the years is the consumers' desire for a game in the espionage/intrigue genre. Back in 1984 or 1985, 1 had a conversation with Mike Dombrook, Vice President of Mar- keting at Infocom, who mentioned that In- focom was interested in working with 'out- side people' on games. I told him I had a kernel of an idea in my mind for a spy game, and it turned out that was exactly what Mike was looking for"
Truly, that conversation was fortuitous not only for Blank, but for text adventure fans as well. Border Zone is the most ori- ginally designed work of interactive fic- tion from Infocom since Beyond Zork. If this is an indication of the future direction of Infocom, their games will only get bet- ter. Border Zone has new features that en- hance the way you play the game and con- tribute to the storyline. The most obvious feature is the division of the story into three chapters or episodes.
Each of the three chapters is played fit)m the vantage point of a different char- acter. This division brings a freshness to the game that inspires you to finish it, while allowing you a convenient and well-
There are a lot of
experiments in this game to help make the story more
enjoyable.
placed time to rest (between chapters) be- fore getting bored or bogged down. The story has many plot twists and minor goals for each character, but all three chapters revolve around the rumored as- sassination of an American ambassador in the neutral country Litzenburg,
In the first chapter, you play the part of an American businessman traveling on a train out of the Eastern Bloc countiy Frobnia to Litzenburg. An American in- telligence agent drags you into the action when he knocks on your compartment door and hands you a secret document that you must deliver to his contact at the train platform in the border town of Ost- nitz. He disappears, leaving you to formu- late a plan of action.
In the second chapter, you take the role of the intelligence agent, code-named Tb- pa2, who is hurt and freezing. As Tbpaz, you must cross the border between Frob- nia and Litzenburg, while avoiding guards, searchlights and dogs.
In the last chapter, you are the bad spy. whose mission is to make sm-e that the as- sassination takes place without any con- nection to his country.
All three chapters are thrilling and challenging, causing you to alter your mindset to fit the situation and character. I found this division oi Border Zone into three chapters more entertaining than I ex-pected because of the unique goals in each chapter Although the chapters can be played independently and in any order, I strongly suggest (almost command! I that you play them in order (1, 2 then 3) to get the full enjoyment from Border Zone.
Each chapter will take you a fair amount of time to finish and wilt include a lot of experimentation. Blank explained the purpose of dividing Sortfer Zone; 'The short stories were put in so that people could do a piece of it and feel as if they had finished something and gotten that sense of accomplishment that's hard to get in most Infocom games, because you have to
work all the way to the end." This works well and is a refreshing change in text games that can sometimes seem to take forever
Another unique feature oi Border Zone is the use of real time in the game. No longer can you sit in one place for a long time, trying to use everything in your in- ventory and thinking about how to solve a puzzle. Even if you don't move, the clock in the upper-right comer of the screen constantly counts the minutes while you try to complete the goal. The clock speeds up for the second and third chapters, but you can stow it down with the SLOW com- mand. You can also speed up the clock in the first chapter with the FAST command, making the game more challenging for veteran Infocom players. The use of real time is a plus in Border Zone, bringing thrill and suspense to the game in a genre where such elements are necessary.
Blank explained why he decided to put real time into Border Zone: "Real time had been in [Infocom's] game develop- ment facility since 1984, but no one had used it. It was put in to give a sease of sus- pense and make the players sit on the edge of their seats, wondering what's go- ing to happen next. The thing that was tricky was trying to set it up so that the amount of time certain moves took would I allow enough time so that people could finish everything and not make it a typ- ing race, but at the same time make it tight enough so that you couldn't sit around for a long time and think about what you were going to do."
The last feature o( Border Zone that really sets it apart from the pack is the in- clusion of on-line hints in the game, a fea- ture that Blank hinted might become a standard for Infocom products of the fu- ture. Using on-line hints is easy— just type HINT and follow the on-screen direc- tions to select a question that deals with a problem you are encountering. The use of hints is entirely up to the individual. I
28 JULY 1988
64 and 128 Software Reviews/Border Zone"
personally used the hints only once — when I was really stuck and wanted to fin- ish the game before writing this review.
Although the temptation is there, using the hints too much will catch up to you. The game isn't any fun if it's played only using hints and not unagination. Howev- er, hints are a welcome relief— to be able to finish a game without spending more money on a hint book is nice. You just have to control yourself.
Blank told me about his reason for re- questing on-line hints and the other fea- tures in Border Zone, "I wanted people to be able to finish the game and get fixim one scenario to the next. I put the hints in so that people wouldn't get stuck and irus- trated and would be able to see what hap- pens next. There are people who wiU suc- cumb to the temptation very early on and will then kick themselves, but they shouldn't kick us. There are a lot of ex- periments in this game — short stories, real time and on-line hints — all put in to help the player, make the stoiy more en- joyable and enhance the story itself and give it a new feel."
If an exciting plot, hints, real time and three characters weren't enough, the in-
clusions in the game package are just as impressive. Along \vith the disk and man- ual are some atmosphere-enhancing gim- micks unique to Infocom games. A busi- ness card and pack of matches are similar to those canned by the bad spy in Chapter 3 of the game. A map of the general ai-ea of the game is also included. Finally, the most humorous gimmick in an Lifocom game since the G.U.E. Tech school guide in Tlw Lurking Horror is the Probnian tourist guide and phrase book. The book- let consists of pictures from the fictitious country and phrases in the Frobnian lan- guage with their English translations. The phrases act as a form of copy protec- tion in the game.
When asked for his favorite Frobnian phrase, Blank related some additional history on the making of Border Zone: '1 actually wrote the booklet before any of the game. I wanted something Eastern European, but silly. There's a joke about 'Gormnash floogle nomnetzl' ['All aboard!']. Back in 1984 or 1983, a game writer came to Infocom for about thi'ee months and wanted to vmte a spy game. It started on a train. He began to write it, got all bogged down, got another job and left. It was going to be called 'Check
Point.' Then Stu Galley took over and wrote for about eight months on this game, and it was all going to take place on a train. In a very eai'ly vei"sion, Stu had this conductor on the train who said, 'Gormnash floogle nomnet2!' before it left the platform. What was interesting to me was trying to find out what it meant and incorporate some other phrases like it into what would become Border Zone."
In any case, Border Zone is a veiy tense game, with the emphasis more on finish- ing the chapter rather than achieving a certain score. The text is white on black, which is easier on the eyes than the black on gray characters of the most recent games. The HINT option indicates how many hints ai"e left for a particular ques- tion, giving you an indication of how much you have "cheated" in revealing an answer. The HINT option also shows some neat things to try in the game to get fun- ny responses, in keeping with typical Info- com humor. Ultimately, Border Zone is an exemplary work of "interactive fiction" in that you have a challenge that provokes you every second of game play and in- spires split-second timing and sneaky thinking. Now get to it — you have an as- sassination to stop! Q
COMMODORE MAGAZINE 29
^^MJG^SOnWARE REVIEWS
Vyper and Footman
Reviewed by Jeffery Scott Hall
|
Computer: |
Amiga |
|
Publisher: |
TopDowTi |
|
100 Acacia Lane |
|
|
Retlwwxl City, CA 94062 |
|
|
Price; |
$29.95 each |
TopDowTi Software has recently re- leased two new arcade games for the Amiga: Yyper and Footman.
Vyper
Has it been a long time since you have had the chance to blast space scum? Is your trigger finger itching for some fast- paced, laser-blasting excitement? If so, then you need to look no farther! Vyper by 1 TbpDown is a shoot-'em-style game sure to win you over
The game displays two title pictures as it loads. The first is a company logo, and the second is a beautiful outer space scene. The options screen then allows the following selections: Initial Level, Start : 1-Player Game, Start 2-Player Game, and See Score Tkble. Starting the game is as simple as selecting the Initial Level, or starting level and then selecting either a one or two player game. Vyper has 100 amazing levels of play! However, you may only select Initial Levels between 1 and 80. You may select from the options screen j using either the keyboard or a joystick in port 2. If no user action is detected in this screen, then the game will enter demo mode. Now comes the fun part — blasting them!
Blasting Space Scum
Grab your joystick, and prepare for some non-stop shoot-'em-up excitement! Your space ship will appear at the bottom of the screen, while a 3D star background scrolls vertically. This is perhaps the best special effect for a game I have ever seen, and best of all, no 3D glasses are required! Your ships' status window will appear at tiie far right of the screen. The status win- dow simply displays the High Score, Cur- rent Score, Current Level and a graphic display of the number of ships you have left. The space scum, otherwise known as Yarks, are out to penetrate the Federation planet line and then conquer your world. It is up to you to stop them, for you are their last chance of survival! The Yarks will enter the screen in many different
ways, but beware— they will always fly in formation. Such formations include figure eights, spirals and various other combina- tions. You may move your ship from left to right, and of course, you may fire lasers. Tb do this, you use the keyboard or joy- stick. There are 100 different designs and colors of Yarks, depending upon the level you are in, and each has its own unique attack formation. As you advance from level to level, you will find the speed at with the Yarks attack to increases. When you first start the game you will be pro- vided with three ships, however, you may obtain bonus ships throughout the game. During game play, you have a choice of several keyboard ftinctions: pause, toggle sound offion, and quit game and exit to op- tions screen.
Summary
vyper combines bone-chilling stereo sound, excellent graphics and enough lev- els to keep the most advanced shoot-'em- up player coming back for more. The prod- uct is very solid, and I found no errors in the program or the manual. Movement, firing and selections can be made by ei- ther keyboard or joystick. Vyper takes place in real time, updating the screen 60 times a second. This is the best, and I do mean the best, shoot-'em-up style game I have ever seen either in the arcade or on a home computer!
Hints and Tips
• Never keep your space ship in one posi- tion for a long period of time. If you do, you make a nice sitting target for the Yarks! IVy to move your ship every five seconds at least, this makes you much harder to hit.
• If you happen to get your ship in the left or right comer of the screen, move out of there as quickly as possible. The Yarks will trap you and there will be no way for you to escape without being killed.
• Try to keep an eye on the lasers and an eye on the Yarks space ship. This may seem hard to do, especially in the higher
levels of play. However, if you can man- age to do so, you can dodge in between the laser fire and become a much more formidable opponent for the Yarks. • In between levels of play, or after you have been killed, your space ship wiU appear on the screen about five seconds before the Yarks start firing. Position your ship so when both you and the Yarks start to open fire, so you can have the maximal chance of hitting the most targets.
Footman
Our round yellow friend is back, and he is hungrier than ever! You might think I am talking about PacMan, but actually I am talking about Footman. Put on your running shoes and prepare for some excit- ing maze-munching thrills.
The game starts by displaying two pic- tures while it finishes loading. A company logo is followed by a modest picture of our hungry friend. After the game has loaded, a menu will appear at the bottom of the second picture. The options are: New Tkste, Classic and Maze Editor To make a selection use either the joystick or key- board to scroll up and down the options then press the fire button or RETURN key. The New Tkste option gives a differ- ent version of the classic game PacMan. If this is chosen, the maze in which you will play vriU have a topdown (and that's not the company) view of everything that is happening. The ghosts and our fiiend Footman will look very different. Perhaps one of the most distinguishable differ- ences is the fact that you can see arms and legs on Footman. The Classic option lets you play an almost exact duplicate of the game PacMan. This option is so real, it brings back memories of spending quarter after quarter. The final option, the Maze Editor, will be discussed later.
Once you have chosen the tyjie of game you want, either New Tkste or Classic, you will be presented with the selection screen. On this screen, you may choose the following selections: Initial Level,
30 JULY 1988
8619 Wcstwood Center Drive • \ icnm, \'A 22180
Amiga Software Reviews/Vyper and Footman
Start 1-Player Game, Start 2-Player Game, See Score Tkble, and return to Main menu. Starting the game is as sim- ple as selecting the Initial Level, or start- ing level, and then selecting either a one- or two-player game, lb make a selection from the options screen use either the key- board or a joystick in port 2. If no user ac- tion is detected in this screen, then the game will enter demo mode.
Munching Out
Once you have chosen the type of game you want to play, the number of players, and the initial level, then comes the fun part — eating! The rules are all too famil- iar, but for those of you fix)m another plan- et, here's the scenario: The object of the game is to eat up all the food in the maze, which is represented by small blocks. However, things will not be all that sim- ple, for you will have to avoid ghosts which chase you, while maneuvering around in the maze. Tb help you are four 'Power Capsules" in the maze which will turn the ghosts into food you can eat (get the picture?). At different times while in the maze, you will find bouncing fruit to eat, which will give you bonus points. You
can also earn extra lives throughout the game to help increase youi' chances.
Movement can be controlled by either a joystick or a keyboard. If you decide on a two-player game, one player will control I the yellow Footman while the other player ' controls the green Footman. This provides , for a unique two-player competition to see ; who can get the highest score. Even though you might be able to complete more mazes this way, your soire will be a lot lower since your friend is playing too. During game play, you have a choice of several keyboard hmctions which pause, toggle sound offion, or quit game and exit to options screen. As you advance from level to level, the mazes will change along with the speed at which the ghosts move. There are 65 different mazes and levels in which you can play, or you may create you own maze!
Creating Your Own Food
So, you're tired of eating food in the maze? Then how about creating your own? This is what makes Footman so unique: you can create your own customized maze in which to eat your food! You can either load a maze and change a few things, or you can create one of your own design.
Building the maze is almost like using a popular paint program. You position the mouse on the piece you want, click on it, then place it anywhere in the grid you want. By doing this, you can build your maze piece-by-piece and save it to disk. Don't be afraid to experiment or to create your own maze, because at any time you can go back to the original set of mazes. If you ever get tired of playing in a familiar environment, then this is the perfect solu- tion. All of the procedures for building your maze are described in the manual with great detail.
Summary
Footman combines stereo sound, superb graphics and lots of excitement to make it a sure hit. There were no errors encoun- tered in this game, the sign of a verj' solid product. The manual is very detailed ex- plaining all the options in the game, in- cluding lots of information on the Maze Editor Whether or not you are an ace at eating food, chasing ghosts or maze ma- neuvering, this is one game that will keep your interest for quite some time. Foot- man will take you to new heights in maze- munching excitement, and it is sure to fill your hungry spot! B
COMMODORE MAGAZINE 31
SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Reviewed by Steve King
Destroyer
Computer: Amiga
Publisher: Epj-x
600 Galveston Drive Redwood City, CA 940^
Price: ^9.95
After spending months beneath the seas in the cramped, claustrophobic quarters of submarine simulators, Epyx brought me the light of day in Destroyer, a simulation in which you command a World War 11 Fletcher Class destroyer. As the Captain's Notes in the game indicate, this ship performed a v^ide variety of tasks ^ during the war, fh)m dropping scouts on I islands to supporting an invasion fleet. j Equipped with five-inch gims, torpedoes, | depth charges and anti-aircraft batteries, they were ready for almost anything.
The opening screen lets you select one of seven different scenarios, ranging from hunting a single submarine or fending off enemy aircraft to leading a convoy to safe- ty or rescuing a downed pilot on a small enemy-controlled south seas island. You can also select the difficulty level which controls the number of enemy attacked in each scenario. Each scenario begins ran- domly in that the placement of the islands and time and place of enemy attack are different each time you play. Next your or- ders are displayed on the screen, and i you're ready to sail. The objective, of course, is to complete the mission without being sunk.
The simulation is controlled by a combi- nation of keystrokes and joystick move- ments, and unfortunately, the mouse is not used. There are ten separate screens — one for each station on the ship. These are accessed by typing a two-letter abbrevia- tion. The first station that appears is Navigation. This screen is a grid which displays your position as well as the place- ment of islands, friendly ships and home base. Using the joystick, you can set as many as four sequential course segments. At any time you can change your course, and a recond is kept at the bottom of the screen.
Probably the most important station is the bridge, depicted as a control panel with lots of nice flashing lights, switches and dials. From here you can obtain sonar, radar and damage repoits, switch ^m manual to automatic pilot, put the crew on various stages of alert, and activate
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your automatic weapons systems. There is even a switch which places the ship on an erratic couree to avoid the enemy. At the bottom of the screen is the Helm section (which also appears on several other sta- tion screens) which provides dials display- ing your heading and speed and allows you to steer the ship and control its speed. As you change the speed, a digitized ship's bell clangs. Placing the crew on general quarters sounds the klaxon. One worth- while feature of the simulation is that you can automatically activate the weapons, and in essence the ship fights off the at- tackers automatically, giving you the lei- sure to attend to the mission. Of course, if you want the arcade thrill of battling the enemy yourself, moving to that particular weapons station places it under your man- ual control.
The ship has two sensing stations— ra- dar and sonar. The Radar station displays a moving radar screen showing the loca- tion of any enemy ships and aircraft, as well as nearby islands. The Sonar station is quite similar but shows the presence of enemy submarines. If you spot one, you can move to the bridge and throw the pur- suit switch. This allows automatic track- ing of a submarine, so your efforts can be devoted to destroying it. The Helm con- trols are also available on these screens so that you can maneuver the ship when re- quired.
The Observation Deck screen gives you a 360-degree view of your surroundings, regardless of the direction your ship is fac- ing. You can see the islands, enemy ships and attacking aircraft, and the Helm con- trols are available here also. The Damage Control screen shows a broadside view of your ship, and the various mechanical
and weapons systems are designated in text above and below it. When the name of the system flashes, it indicates damage. There are four repair teams which seem to be constantly at work. Some are better than othere, and you can re-assign teams to different areas. Tbggling the team name and color will give you a status re- port on their efforts.
The remaining screens are the various weapons stations, the most sophisticated of which are the two that control the fore and aft guns. These screens display either the bow or stem of the ship with the ocean in the background. At the bottom of the screen is the control panel. By moving the joystick up and down, left and right you aim the gun. Pushing the joystick button fires it. While this is not veiy accurate, you can choose to lock your radar on the target, use the joystick to Une up several tracking pointers and then fire the gun. After successfully hitting an enemy ship several times, it disappears fixim the screen and a message flashes that it has been sunk. If the enemy ships are out of gim range, move to one of the two torpedo stations and launch torpedo^. Unlike other weapons, torpedoes are not resup- plied. Once used up, there are no more. Firing is simple. Activate the torpedo you select, use the joystick to move the range marker over the tai^et ship, and push the button to fire. Don't forget to take into ac- count the movement of both your ship and the enemy vessel, othenvise the twain shall never meet.
The next two screens are the port and starboard (left and right for you landlub- bers) anti-aircraft guns. With no radar or computer controls here, you must use your Continued on page 88
32 JULY 1988
Brian Z)ouGHERTY
Software Designer/CEO Berkeley Softworks
L
nd Q-Link, the dynamic telecommunications service for
;M Commodore owners, does just ttiat!
(X As the developer of GEOS, the graphics environment operating system for Commodore 64s and 128s, I know how good Q-Link is. Personally and professionally. Here at my company, we recommend Q-Link to all our customers. We use it ourselves, too, for online customer service ... so you can get help when you need it, We've also found it's a very efficient way to provide upgrades and patches and to announce new GEOS-compatibie products.
With just your Commodore, a modem and Q-Link software, a new world of persona] computing options opens up; thousands of programs you can download and keep; advanced graphics (thanks to GEOS); an exclusive help line to experts at Commodore; online educational courses taught by real teachers; fun; games; friendship, you-name-it. Q-Link lets you realize the full potential of Commodore computing- right at your fingertips.
Do I use Q-Link? Absolutely! And what's really impressive is that when you join Q-Link, you get a modem and Q-Link Software free! To my mind that's a tough offer to turn down. But don't take my word for it. Find out for vourself. Call . , .
Call today to get your free modem and software. ;
•■^(•19 We-slvvcuid Center :.'nve
SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Robot Readers
Computer: Amiga
Publisher: Hilton Android Conwration P.O. Box 7-i:]7 Huiitiiigton Beach, CA 92615-74:37
Price: S29.95 each
J^obot Readers is a series of computer- Xvized stors' books which use sjnthe- sized speech, text and graphics to teach by bringing simple stories to life. The result is a ver\' eflfective, ven,' friendly teaching tool which lets young readers learn at their own pace.
As a parent, I am always on the lookout for good educational software for my chil- dren. In fact, one of the main reasons I be- came involved with computers was to give my children an educational advantage (or at least keep them from suffering a disad- vantage). In the years that have passed, Fve seen educational software which ran the gamut from excellent to useless and every description in between. It's always a pleasure to report on those w'hich fall in the "excellent" category, and Robot Read- ers definitely qualifies.
Each disk-based book in the series (which currently includes Chicken Little, Time Little Pigs, Little Red Hen and Ae- sop's Fables) is the electronic translation of a paper-based parable. The screen dis- play looks exactly like the page from a book. But the comparison ends there. The books are so simply structured (the disk is self-booting I children can use and learn with them without adult supervision. Be- cause the software is completely mouse controlled, it can be handled by children as young as three years. The top of each page (screen display) includes a requester which the child can activate by pointing at and clicking the mouse. The options here are: (1) play the reading game, (2) read the page, (3) adjust the speech rate and (4) turn the page, lb turn the page, the child needs to point to the word "PAGE" and click.
The books in the series are all extreme- ly friendly, letting the reader do whatever he wishes. If the child just wants to flip pages (average 25-30 per book) and look at the pictures, that's fine. Later when the child wants to hear the text with the page, he simple points and clicks on the word "READ," and the Amiga's built-in synthe- sized voice will speak each word in the text, lb help the child associate spoken
Reviewed by Gar/ V. Fields
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soimds with written words, each word is underlined as it is spoken. This action parallels the way you would point to words in a book if you were reading them to your child so he or she could associate the sound of the woi-d with the letters which form it.
The ultimate goal oi Robot Readers is not just to entertain the child, but to help him learn to read the books themselves. For a child to learn to read he needs some- one working with him to identify and pro- nounce new or difficult words. This is where the program really excels. If the child does not recognize a word, he can simply point at it and click, and the pro- gram will pronounce it. If the child clicks on the same word twice, the program will first pronounce the word syllable by sylla- ble, then letter by letter and finally as an entire word. Perhaps best of all. Robot Readers has the patience of Job. Regard- less of how many times the child asks it to read the same word over and over, it com- plies without complaint in the same car- ing tone of voice.
The power of the software is the game option. "When it is selected the program will quiz the child. Using synthesized speech, it will ask the child to locate a spe- cific word in the currently displayed page. The child then reads through the text un- til he recognizes the word and signals the program by pointing to the word and clicking the mouse button. The game con- tinue imtil all the words are identified or the reader turns the page.
lb top off an already worthy oflTering, Robot Reader can also identify objects in the picture for the child. Young children will really get a kick out of this, For in-
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stance, if the child is reading Chicken Lit- tle and points to the acorn which fell from the sky, the software voice will respond with "acorn," and the acorn will begin to flash. If the child points at the chicken, it will be identified as "Chicken Little," and if he points at the bump on the chicken's head caused by the acorn, the voice will respond with "Chicken Little's bump " Kids love it and I applaud the feature's in- clusion in the program,
The single complaint 1 have is the qual- ity' of the voice, or should 1 say voices, the program uses. Each character in the story speaks with a different and distinct voice, some of which are not as easy to under- stand as others. 1 would have given the program a standing ovation if the people at Hilton Android had used digitized voices instead of the Amiga's synthesized one. Admittedly, only a few veal's ago, software which used speech at all de- served and got rave reviews, so others may argue that I'm off base with this com- plaint. But as good as the Amiga's on- board voices are, they are not as pleasing as a real human's. I recognize that digitiz- ing 400 to 500 words for each story would have consumed a great deal of memoiy and required time to recall, but I think the end results would have been worth the ef- fort. Despite that complaint, I would still give the Robot Reader series high marks.
These are quality educational software offerings which every teacher and parent of young children should consider, I think any teacher wotild agree each of these "books" are quality learning tools with real value. I only regret Robot Readers and the Amiga weren't arotmd when my children were younger. g
34 JULY 1988
The new Commodore* Amiga" 500 is everything you never expected from a home computer. That's because we designed it to excite you. lb dazzle your senses with 4096 colors and stereo sound, lb unleash your creativity. To allow things you never dreamed possible in a home computer. Because until now, they really weren't.
Like built-in speech synthesis, so you'll always have someone to talk to. Pro-quality 3-D animation that lets even beginners put their ideas in motion. Colorful educational programs that make lessons fun and mem- orable. A complete home office with powerful spreadsheet and database [jrograms—even word processing with WbrdPerfectf And unlike any other home computer, the Commodore Amiga 500 can multi-task, so you can run several programs at the same time.
Hook it to your VCR with an optional RF modulator, and the Commodore Amiga 500 becomes a home video production center. Paint graphics over video images. Create moving 3-D titles. Produce your own animated feature.
And for pure fun, enter the incredible world of stereo Amiga video games. With graphics so good, major video game makers use them in their coin arcade machines. AND NOW YOU CAN SEE IT ALL, FREE.
We captured the excitement, beauty, and power of the Commodore Amiga 500 on a special VHS video cassette called The Amiga 500 Video Test Flight, if you're ready for the ride of your life, call 1-800-343-3000 or contact your Commodore Amiga dealer to find out how you can get your free video demonstration.
1-800-343-3000
.talks.
.t animates.
t educates.
It's a home office.
It's a video studio.
It's arcade games in stereo.
it's the new Commodore Amiga 500 home computer.
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SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Reviewed by Jeffery Scott Hall
Roadwar Eviropa
Computer. Amiga
Publisher: Strategic SimulatioiLs, Inc. 1046 N. Itetigslorl'f Avenue Mountain View, CA M(M3
Price: $44.95
jnoadwar Eumpa from Strategic Sirau- jfVlations, Inc. puts you in the middle of a post-doomsday Europe which is held hostage by tenxirists who threaten to deto- nate five nuclear bombs acros.s the conti- nent. Before Europe decides to accept de- feat and agree to the demands of the ter- rorists, tliey will send in one man who might be able to save them: you.
The title screen opens with a map of Eu- rope while music plays in the backgitiund. Click the left mouse button, and you will be presented with three options: continue a saved game, start a new game, or trans- fer a Roadwar 2000 game. When .starting a new game, you must build your gang from the ground up. Your first job is to se- lect six different vehicles (from a list of nineteen) you wish to use for transporta- tion, then re-build them. These range from motorcycles to oiT-road trucks, and each has its own advantages and disad- vantages. (All vehicles and their attri- butes are described in the manual.) Once you have selected your vehicles, you must choose the men who will make up your gang. There are five different ranks of men in your gang: Armsmasters, Body- guards, Commandos, Dragons and Es- corts. Now that you have chosen your ve- hicles and manpower, you name your gang and start the mission.
The Mission
If you think your mission will be an easy one, you had better think again! Your gang will have to find and deactivate all five hidden bombs, pinpoint the en- emy's headquarters and annihilate the terrorist leaders. But wait, that's just the easy part! As your gang explores Emiope, you will have to battle mutants and can- nibals and challenge other road gang.s. Tb help you maximize your chance of .sui-viv- al, you will need to fight for new reciuits, vehicles, supplies, weapons and medicine, not to mention your own life.
You will find the scre-en split almost in half (vertically ). The left side of the screen
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displays the map of Europe along with your present location, and the right half displays the gang's status. You will also find four different menus, which do basic Uisks for your gang (i.e., fix flaLs, send out search parties, display status of each car, etc.). All menu options are described in the manual, lb move your gang, simply click the left mouse button in the direction you want to move. While in a town or city, you may search for new recruits, loot sup- plies and hunt for more vehicles.
If you encounter a group of people who wishes to join your gang, they will be di- vided into four classes: Soldiere (heavily armed and very self disciplined), Hood- lums (well led, but poorly disciplined). Home Guard (not well led, lacking many fighting skills), and Civilians (inoffensive people). You will then have a choice of ei- ther accepting or reflising their offer to join your gang. But be warned, many of them do not like to be tiimed down and may attack you if you reject them.
You may also encounter several special people wanting to join your gang, and it will be veiy worthwhile to accept them. These special people ai"e: Debtor (helps the wounded and the sick), Diill Sergeant (helps keep morale up in your gang), and Politician (.serves as an envoy for recruit- ing people and can talk the gang out of many dangerous situations.)
WTien yoLU' gang decides to send out city scouts, they will report back with the current stjitus of the tov\Ti (who controls it), and whether or not they have located a nuclear bomb. If your gang docs encoun- ter a nuclear bomb, it will automatically be disabled. Sooner or later in voui- travels
6:0D a.M. Day 24 282
you will have to battle other road gangs (see Combat). Tlie better your gang gets, the more rewards you get. For example, if you defeat another road gang, you may be able to add more vehicles and gang mem- bers to your gnjup, and many of your cur- rent gang member will be promoted.
Combat
When your gang rivals another road gang, you will have a choice of Abstract, Quick or Tactical combat. In .Abstract combat, you have no control of the vehi- cles themselves, and all fighting is done for you. Tliis type of combat is based on your vehicles' mass and condition, and the winner is the one with the better equip- ment and fighters. After selecting Absti-act combat, you I will have to choose which tj-pe of deploy- I ment you want: auto or manual. If you . have decided on auto deplojTOcnt. all men will lie placed in the vehicles, and guns will be distributed. This type of deploy- ment is done as evenly as pos-sible, mixing men and weapons for the best fighting ad- I vantiige. In manual deployment, you must distribute all yoiu' men and weajxins to each vehicle in the oitler you wish. This type of deployment gives you more control and lets you deploy any way you want.
The next combat method is Quick. This is a simplified vereion of Tactical combat, in which vcliicles are considered to be driving at top speed. This method allows you to .specify the ram ratio (the speed at which your vehicle will hit the opponents') and the target priorities ttire's, interior and topside). The difference between this Continued on page 39
36 JULY 1988
C' Commodore
AMIGA
••"^ ^I commodore dOO
100(1
2000
M I
WHEN YOU BUY A COMMODORE COMPUTER, YOU
AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE OUR LATEST COMMODORE
OR COMMODORE-AMIGA BUYERS' GUIDE.
The Buyers' Guides continue to be your best resource for finding out about the hottest Commodore and Amiga Hardware, Peripherals and Software. With 3 Commodore and 3 Amiga computers, more and more are becoming available all the time.
If you already own a Commodore and would like to get your copy of the latest Commodore or Amiga guide, pick one up at your Commodore Dealer's store.
Commodore
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The Commodore and Commodore Amiga Buyers' Guides are published under the auspices of Commodore Magazine.
/vM I GA^ SOFTWARE REVIEWS""
Blackjack Academy
Computer. Amiga Publisher: Micro Illusions
17408 Chatswwth St.
Granada Hills. CA 91344 Price: $39.95
Blackjack is the most popular and common card game translated to pei'- sonal computers. There are numerous blackjack programs for ever>' type of com- puter, but until now none has been much more than an implementation of the rules \ for blackjack with some simple graphics to show playing cards and perhaps a dealer Blackjack Academy from Microlllusions takes the card game further, offering a complete treatment of all of the rules and options of blackjack, coupled with the i graphical excellence and menu-based power of the Commodore Amiga.
Blackjack Academy is by far the easiest blackjack game that I've ever played on any computer. The strength of the game is concentrated in thi^ee areas: the vast wealth of information about blackjack through menus (adding the word "acade- my" to the game's title), the large number of options for game play and the intelli- gent translation of the power of the Amiga into an interface that even my computer- illiterate father picked up iastantly. The amount of detail and care put into Black- jack Academy is immediately evident after loading the disk. This extends from the carefU wording of rules and informa- tion in the help menus to the use of a spade icon as a pointer in the game.
A mouse is all you need to play Black- Jack Academy. You never have to touch the keyboard or joystick. This feature makes working against the computer dealer much smoother Playing Blackjack Academy consists of moving the pointer around the screen, clicking on boxes and pulling down menus. All of the standard blackjack options like STAND, HIT and BET are assigned their own boxes above the game table. The rest of the screen shows the table, with as many as five peo- ple allowed to play the game.
Pressing the right mouse button brings up the five menu headers at the top of the screen. These menus are the controls for altering the game setup to fit your desired playing rules and environment as well as
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the locations of help files to give you ad- vice on everything from card counting to money management. In the SETUP menu, the player setup option lets you se- lect the number of players, give each of them a starting total and toggle a feature that wiites the total for your hand on the screen. All of these choices are made on a screen that looks just like the game ta- ble— making them more unlike routine selections and more like the actual game environment in which you'll be playing.
Another feature that makes Blackjack Academy unique is the freedom with which you can choose the rules by which you'll play the game. Included on the game disk are rules for Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City casinos, as well as a set of liberal rules and the option to play cus- tom rules. By setting up your own rule system to play by, you can test your black- jack abilities and add new life to the pro- gram if you get tired of the three major ca- sino cities. You can alter such things as the dealer's rule on a soft 17, surrendering on a two-card hand and doubling down on two-card totals.
The Preference menu offers a number of other choices to increase your enjoment of the progi'am. One of thse choices tog- gles writing the cai-d count to the screen, a very uaefiil featui-e for users of the game to practice casino skills. If the cun-ent card count is selected fitim the Strategy menu, the number of caixls left in the shoe (cai"d resen'ei is also shown. You can al.so choose the speed with which the program responds to your inputs from the Pi-efer- ences menu, as well as the coloi-s for the game. Choosing colore is as easy as mov- ing three slidere d'ed. gi«en and blue) for each color used in the game.
Reviewed by Russ Ceccola
If you know absolutely nothing about playing blackjack other than that "hit" means to a.sk the dealer for anothei' caitl. "stand" means that you want no more cards tuid that your cards need to add up to a number as close to 21 as possible without going over while getting a higher totiil than the dealer to win, don't won-y about it. The designee oi Blackjack Academy kept eveiybody who would be playing blackjack in mind, fi-om nonce to expeil. The Help menu offers aid for every majoi- element of blackjack, fi-om a simple card counting method to how to comectly double down or split. What you have is ba- sically a complete tutorial on blackjack condensed into one menu.
I strongly recommend that ever>'one, including the expert player, read all ten topics in the Help menu before pla\ing the game. The tips and descriptions con- tained in the menu are succinct; so read cai-efuliy If the Help menu is digested fii-st . then it won't have to be touched again during play, unless? a particular point needs re-clainfication. The designee oi Blackjack Academy should be com- mended for the Help menu, for they have kx;alized, together with the game, every- thing you could ever want in a blackjack treatment all on one disk.
Ijct's suppose that you still are a little bit leery about whether to hit or stand on a hand total of 12 when the dealer is show- ing a King. Again. Blackjack Academy takes care of you in a couple of ways— vvith the Sti'ategy menu and the Optimal Play Quick Reference Guide. The Sti-ate- gy menu offers two help files on pla\ing strateg;\' and totting strategj'. as well as a description of the cuiTent rules and the cunvnt card count. Most importantly, an option in the menu tells you the best thing to do given the cuiTent cards shown on the tiiblc. This is probably the most- used feature of the game, for it helps to de- velop your own strategy and undei-stand the relationship between the cards left in the shoe and the way you should play your hand.
The Reference Guide is a small card that depicts in matrix form the optimal play for youi' hand's total. Youi' card total is along the left side of the matiix and the dealer's showing cai-d value is along the top of the matrix. Where the two intei"sect is a square that is colored blue, green, yel- low or pink, tellmg you to spht. hit. double down or .stand, respectively. There ai-e
38 JULY 1988
Continued from page 36
method and Ikctical is the inability to
board and capture other vehicles.
Finally. Tactical combat gives the most control over the outcome. Each \'ehicle is graphically represented on the tactical map, and you have control over dinving, firing and boai-ding enemy vehicles. Wliile this method of combat takes the longest of all three, it provides the player with absolute control over what takes place.
Summary
Roadwar Europa takes good advantage of the Amiga through the use of request- ers, menus, stereo sound and gi'aphics. The manual provided mth the game is ver\' complete and includes a map of Eu- rope to help you find your location and travel along the roads. Rmdwar Eiimpa gives you a choice of using either the mouse or keyboard for menu selection. The option to transfer a Roadwar 2000 game is veiy useful for those who have al- ready created a gang in the previous game. You will find Roadwar Europa to be veiy challenging and also \e\y tactical. If you like strategy' mixed in combat, then you will love Roadwar Europa!
Software Reviews/fllackJack Academy — Amiga Software Reviews/Roadwar Europa-
three matrices too: one for hand totals, one for soft totals and one for pairs. I found the card easier to use than the sti'ategA' menu — only because you just ha\'e to glance at the cai-d to get help; otherwise, the menu box would have to be chosen and the optimal play text read.
An impoitant part of placing blackjack is knowing how much to bet at any given time. Because the money is not real in Blackjack Academy, you can be as care- less or as careful as you want, lb assist betting experimentation, minimum and maximum bets can be set to youi' need- stiabits. A minimum of $2, $5, $25 or SlOO and a maximum of $100, $300. SIOOO or $3000 can be set. Also, you can play with one, two. foui- or six decks. If you go to a casino and examine the house rules, more likely than not, you can dupli- cate that placing en\ironment with Blackjack Academy and put the pi-ogi-am to some realistic use — making back the money you spent on it. I suggest tiying this out, especially if you live close to a ca- sino and visit it often. No longer do you have to lose at blackjack!
The user interface is what makes the Blackjack Academy package complete. Menus that need no description on how to use them and a game system that re- quires no more than pointing and clicking a mouse make any game better. However, Blackjack Academy takes this interface one step further and adds color and posi- tionalh' fiinctional boxes for the choices in the game. HIT, STAND and DOUBLE DOWT^J are assigned larger boxes than SPLIT PAIR and SURRENDER because the latter are used less often. Changing betting amounts doesn't require tj'ping in numbere. Instead, a CLEAR box resets the amount to $0 and clicking on the numbered boxes increment the bet by that amount. This intelligent layout of game commands was the final "plus" that makes me praise Blackjack Academy.
Microlltusions has put out some fine programs for the Amiga, but none is as complete as Blackjack Academy. The pro- gram is tiTily the best blackjack game available for Commodore computers. The only possible complaint that I can think of is that you can't choose an ai'bitraiy num- ber of decks with which to play, for many casinos use seven decks at some tables. But this is not a complaint— just an after- thought. After playing Blackjack Acade- my for several hours, I felt as if I had de- veloped my skills in the game gi^eatly. I'm sure that the same will happen for anyone who spends any time with this progi-am. Q
Hints and Tips
• The more vehicles and manpower your gang has, the more Hkely you are to suc- ceed in your mission.
• Armsmasters are a gang leader's best friends! They are very strong and power- ful, and they have a deadly aim. Two Armsmasters can take out five or more enemies!
• Watch out for mutants when you do bat- tle, for their deadly disease will spread to your gang if you make contact with them. The only way to heal your gang when this happens is to find healers and buy antitoxin from them.
• Bodyguards are an excellent life saver, and it pays to have many of them in your gang. These guys are very loyal and will sacrifice themselves in ex- change for you!
• A doctor in your gang can prove most usefiil and can save many lives both during and after combat. If you don't find your doctor usefiil, you may find another one and banish your current doctor for the new one.
• Send out scouting parties to eveiy city you visit, for this is the only way to find out if there is a nuclear bomb in that city and whom the city is controlled by. Q
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COMMODORE MASAZINE 39
,^MK^ SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Calligrapher
Computer Amiga (1MB recommended) Publisher Inter Active Softworks 2521 S. Vista Way
Carlsbad, CA M)08 Price: $129.95
Chlligmpker is a font editor which lets you design professional-quality fonts for use with your Amiga. Once created, the fonts can be used by any software package which supports IFF disk fonts. You can design entirely new fonts or modi- fy existing fonts to suit your needs. These fonts can range in size irom as small as one pLxel or as large as 160 pixels high by 256 pixels wide and can be displayed us- ing up to 16 color combinations.
Fonts are a series of pictures, usually letters of the alphabet, punctuation, nu- merals and other symbols. Each font comes in a single size, described by the font height fixim the top of the character space to the bottom of the character space,
Some Hints To Using And Adding Unique Fonts:
Creating imique fonts is one thing- getting your software to recognize and use 5iem is another, hi using Calligrapher 1 learned more about how the Amiga uses fonts than I really expected. I think any- one who has ever wanted or needed to add new fonts to Workbench's directory will benefit fit)m what I learned (from trial and error and Ccdligrapher's excellent tu- torial/manual) developing this review.
Each time you boot your Amiga, assign- ments are made which determine where the system looks for information. FONTS: is one of those assignments. Unless you diange this assignment, the Amiga Oper- ating System will default to the Work- bench boot disk, to a directory named fonts. If you are versed in AmigaDOS and using the CLI interface, you can direct the system to look elsewhere for fonts with the j ASSIGN command. Another, but simpler method is to use InterActive Softworks' utility program called FontAssign (part of Calligrcpher's tools) which allovre a new font home directory path to be assigned from the Workbench screen. But there is still another, easier, more flexible method. Rather than reassign the path for FONTS, simply move all the fonts which will fit in the program's pull-down menu
SgrTRSRKS
A font set can contain up to 256 charac- ters. On the Amiga there are two "FiOM- fonts," Tbpaz 8 and Tbpaz 9 which aj-e al- ways available. But the second, more ex- citing type of font is called a disk font (like Workbench's Emerald, Sapphire, Garnet, etc.) stored on disk and loaded into mem- ory only when required.
This is where Calligrapher becomes useful; it lets you create and add to that li- brary of fonts. Anyone who has ever at- tempted to design a typeface (font) from scratch vAW appreciate Calligrapher's sen- sible design. Rather than having to start from scratch, you can import a font design and size (from Workbench, other comraer-
to a separate disk and name it FONTS. Because disks are given a higher priority than directories, when the system loDks for fonts to use, it will use the FONTS disk rather than the FONTS directory. As soon as a disk named FONTS is insfirted, the fonts stored on it become the usable fonts. You can have many FONTS disks, with different collections of fonts. This is far and away the easiest way to use large collections of diJBferent fonts. But as always there are some dangers when simple solu- tions are used.
Problem One: If you were to insert two disks, both named FONTS, into two disk drives, your system will become complete- ly confused and crash. The solution— don't do that.
Problem Two: If you aren't careful, your fonts list may grow too long to be dis- played by a pull-down menu. Some pro- grams, including DeZioePain///, will sim- ply blank the screen if the pull-dovm menu touches the bottom of the screcin. Even if the program does not crash, the information presented in the menu is. use- less, since you cannot see to access it. This aimoying possibility increases each time you add a new font to your font direcMry. The solution— lunit the number of fonts on each disk to the number the screen window can hold.
Reviewed by Gary V. Fields
cial or public domain fonts, or one of the samples on the program disk) and change only those characteristics you wish. Using powerful graphic editing tools, you can make universal changes (size, fill pat- terns, color, shadows) which affect all the letters and symbols in a font or edit indi- vidual characters. The editing tools (all mouse activated) include tools for defin- ing, stamping and rotating brushes, cir- cles, boxes, arcs and the always-welcome "undo" option. Using the fill pattern tool, you can create unique fonts for special needs.
This is a program you can boot and be- gin using, but I would advise against do- ing that. % minimize the time required to create or alter all the characters in a font (up to 256), you need to know about and how to use all oi Calligrapher's short cuts and tools before you start. For instance, you could simply draw each character on the screen and be done with it. But doing an entire character set would be tedious Continued on page 64
Problem Three: The last problem occurs if the font to be used is on FONT (disk b) and the software has already recognized FONT (disk a). With some software you can get it to look for a new FONT by changing the screen display. Here's a tip from InterActive Softworks on how to get DebaePaint II to load a new list of fonts after it has already aoessed a set: "Sim- ply access the Screen Format selector. Each time you change bit-planes and/or resolution, DelwcePaint U flushes all its buffers including the one which contains the fonts list. So afl^r you select 'Screen I Format' you can switch font disk and use j the new collection. Just clicking 'OK' (no : change of screen resolution is required) ] without changing anything about the size or colors of your screen is enough to flush the buffers." Other software may respond differently and allow you to introduce new fonts using different avenues. In an ex- treme situation, you might have to save the screen (with the used fonts in place) to disk, quit the program and begin again to get the software to recognize new fonts.
One Last Hint: If you are annoyed with the delay caused by accessing the disk each time you switch fonts— copy them to RAM. Providing you have enough RAM (512K or more) you can keep fonts in memory.
40 JULY 1988
Make GEOS work for you
Introducing BeckerBASIC — Now you can write BASIC applications to work with GEOS.
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1 0 commands can be used for easier cursor control. Tum the cursor on and off. Set how quickly it flashes. Set it to any location on the screen.
20 commands are available for all your Hi-res programming needs.
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INSIDE Q-LINK'
by Robert W. Baker
Just for Fun
Explore the inner workings of the Q-Link telecommiinications service with network pro Bob Baker.
Even after all the coverage we've given to the message board and E-Mail edi- tors in the past, a few useful hints are still coming in from users. Here's one finom Jay Levitt that I think is really super, and I bet not too many people have really tried.
When in the People Connection, if you want to talk into a room but you're in the ariddle of sending an on-line message or E-Mail, just press F7. While your message is not displayed on the screen, anything you type will be sent to the room instead of being entered into your message. When ready to resume your message, simply press F5 to continue composing the text as normal.
As I mentioned, your text will be divert- ed from the message editor as long as your message is not displayed on the screen. While the various layers of help messages and function menus are displayed, instead of your message, your text will go into the room when you press RETURN after en- tering each line. Note that this only works in People Connection and not in the con- ference rooms. It should work in the Audi- torium although I haven't tried it yet.
The only side effect of interrupting your message creation is that whatever mes- sage line you were typing at the bottom of your screen will be erased when you press F7. But that should be much better than having to cancel an entire message to re- spond to someone's question or comment. Thanks, Jay, for your great tip I
Here's another user tip that has to do with displaying and printing sequential text files. I mentioned a few columns back about the SPRINT and ULTRA utilities that most people use to handle download- ed text files or saved screens finm Q-Link. Well, don't forget the Memo Pad fimction in Timeworks' Partner 64 and Partner 128 will do the same thing. Just use the de- fault settings for quick and easy access to text files. Thanks for this one to whom- ever sent it to me, unfortunately I forgot to save your screen name.
If you're one of the Q-Link users who did not get copies of the various online
games on yom- Q-Link disk, don't forget that you can download the missing gsmes in the Just for Fun section. Everyone should have copies of the Hangman and Sea Strike games on their disk. The other six games (which you may not have) i\re all available for downloading.
You need to start wth a freshly format- ted disk. Then download the needed game programs to that disk. You'll also need to download a special ADDGAME program that is also available in the same area of Just for Fun. The ADDGAME program must be saved to the same disk the indi- vidual game programs are saved on. Lk> not save the files onto your working Q- Link disk!
After you have the needed files, sign off from Q-Link as usual and return to BA- SIC on your system. Now insert the disk you saved the ADDGAME program tC', then load and run the ADDGAME pro- gram using the following command: LOAD "ADDGAME",8,1
Follow the instructions on the screen, indicating what games you want to add. You can add one or more games, but keep in mind that you can only add whatever games that you dovmloaded fiiim Q-Link. When the update piwess is done, you'i^e ready to play the new games online.
While you're in the Just for Fun section you might want check out the assorted, help and information messages covering the online games. You'll find general game instructions that explain how to se- lect and start a game, how to choose play- ing partners, and other functions relating to playing or observing the online games.
Don't forget there is a way to remove yourself from being asked to play games when others are looking for partners. The game invitations can be annoying if you're busy in People Connection, so you
can turn the messages on and off.
You can also observe a game in progress without actually paiticipating. This can be a great way to learn more about how the games are played and what they actu- ally look like. If you want detailed infor- mation on any of the individual games, there are game instructions available in the Fun and Games section of Just for Fun for all the online games, You'll even find information on using the RabbitJack Casino there too.
Another interesting area in Just for Fun is the QGraphics section in the re- cently created QSociety. Here you can learn how to create online graphics in the message boards and People Connection areas. There are "How Tb" areas along with Drawing Boards, weekly and special graphics contests with special prizes, plus a wide assortment of downloadable utility programs to aid your artistic endeavors.
You'll also find information on the smiles and other "expressions" that every- one uses on the system, plus a list of vai'- ious common abbreviations used in People Connection and elsewhere on the system to save typing. Much of this infonnation is contained in online text messages that you can read in the QGraphics Gallery, while more detailed information is avail- able in downloadable files that you can view or print offline.
If you browse through the QGraphics download library you'll find the collection of tips on creating QGraphics along with an assortment of sample artwork. You'll also find interesting design aids and util- ity programs for creating graphics in Peo- ple Connection. They let you practice your QGraphics offline and then save or print your results. Now you can learn how to handle the word wrap feature of the Peo- ple Connection text buffer so your graph-
42 JULY 1988
nside Q-Unk/Just for Fun
ics come out the way you plaimed them.
Most People Connection QGi'aphics can only be made by using a format that takes advantage of the message word wrap func- tion. When entering text oi" graphics in a message for People Connection, the [wint of division for word wrap is 29 chai'acters. This means that if a word extends beyond 29 chai-acters in a line, that whole word is moved to the beginning of the next line where the message continues when it's displayed. All multiple-line QGrapliics use this word wrap function in one way or another.
The tutorial on QGraphics in the QGi-a- phics Gallery shows you how to create a simple "block" QGraphic, one oi' the most popular forms used in People Connection. These are generally created by entering six lines of characters, with each line be- ing 15 characters long, lb enter the graphics data you type each line as a "word" and separate them with a space. The entire graphic is then entei-ed as one message in the buffer to appear as one block on the screen when displayed.
Check the online tutorial for full details along with examples; it's really not as dif- ficult as it sounds. For even more help, download the QGraphic Tutorial file for a
simple program that will teach you what QGraphics are and how to use them, plus how to type them in. It also has an accom- panying design program and some sam- ples of what others have created.
One last thing to point out in the Just for Fun area is the Family Center created early last spring. This area is staffed by professionals in family health, fitness, pet care, home care, and more, all dedicated to serving a very special interest group — youi' family.
The Family Health & Fitness area fea- tmies message boards for various relevant topics and is staffed by a number of medi- cal professionals. The Lyte Bytes Club also joins this ai^a for those who might need the weight loss support gix)ups help.
The Disabilities Club finds a new home in the Health Area, along with the special Issues in Mental Health ai-ea. Joe Can-a of the Univereity of Pittsburgh'.^ Depart- ment of Psychiatiy contributes special features each month on timely mental health issues. There are message boards where you can post comments on his arti- cles plus dfscuss various topics like Pai-- enting. Substance Abuse, and Divorce or Sepai'ation. The Q-Link chapter of Alco- holics Anonymous offers additional sup- port and infoiTnation in this area as well.
For guidance and hints on pet care, Dr. George Brodsky's Animal House is the place to go. For help with your home itself, you can Ask Doctor Fix in his message board and get handy tips or usefiil infor- mation from a real life contractor.
Other areas in the Family Center in- clude the Food & Wine Club, where The Cook can teach you the difference between wines, or you can download gourmet rec- ipes. You'll also find the popular Your Family TVee Club, where you can find in- formation and conferences on tracing your family roots.
Q-Link is constantly changing and evolving, as I've mentioned countless times before. Be sure to watch for special messages in the Don't Miss section of Cus- tomer Service, plus armouncements in your monthly Q-Link Update newsletter You might also want to take a quick poke around the system to see what's happen- ing every once in a while, just so you don't miss out on something interesting.
That's about it for another month. As usual you can reach me almost daily via E-Mail to RBAKER if you have any com- ments, questions or suggestions concern- ing this column. Also, don't forget that previous columns are now available online. g
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COMMODORE MAGAZINE 43
PROJECTS'
by John lovme
Subliminal , Communication
This month we will begin to explore the world of subliminal phenomena. I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with subli- minals. For the uninitiated, subliminals consist of information (usually audio/visu- al) presented in such a manner so as to not be consciously perceived. Therefore, the person listening to or viewing the sub- liminal is not consciously aware of its presence. Subliminal techniques are tar- | geted to motivate a person's behavior or Urought.
We will construct a video switch that works in conjunction with a VCR and your Commodore 64 or 128. Essentially what we will do is create a message screen on the computer's monitor and flash this , message screen subliminally onto the | VCR's monitor (asually a TV set). The i VCR can either be playing a tape or, by using the built-in TV tuner, receiving broadcast tele\'ision. The subliminal switch will work in either configuration.
Using subliminal techniques you can explore the prospects of self progrdmming , the human bio-computer— your brain. You may want to try this technique to shed a few pounds or to help you relax. Til , go into greater detail on the mechanics of ' the message screens later. I
History
As far back as 1894, Dr. W. R. Dunham wrote commentaries on subliminal com- . munication.
Subliminal communication was first publicized in the 19503 when a New Jer- sey theater owner subliminally flashed a refi^shment advertisement over Kim No- vak in the movie Picnic and reported a 58% increase in the .sales of Coca-Cola.
More recently, .subliminals are found in advertising, popular music and theater
Orwellian Mind Control
Subliminal techniques are feared be- cause they effectively bypass our normal conscious mind. For instance, let's suppmse someone wants to sell you a widget. After you listen to the sales pitch, you make a conscious decision on whether you want to purchase the widget by analysing whether it will perform as claimed and is worth the cost. OK, no problem here. But if your subconsicous mind is bombarded with
subliminals that tell you tlii.s widget will make you wealthy, sexy, popular and in- telligent, your conscious decision-main ng process is short circuited. If your subcon- scious mind becomes convinced of the sub- liminal affirmations, you find yourself wanting to buy this widget. You may think it's your own idea that you need or want it.
Various advertisements and their pro- genitor agencies have been accused of making use of subliminals to generate a greater profit per advertising dollar. 1 wilt not try to justify this Orwellian concept of mind control by media, but I have sup- plied a bibliography for those who wi.sh to pursue this interesting topic further
Audio
Another ai^ea currently utilizing sub- liminal techniques are self-help audio cas- settes. The.se tapes have sul)liminal mes- siiges masked in the backgnamd of music. The tapes an; designed to help the list^sner stop smoking, lose weight, rcl;L\, gain self
BYPASS SWITCH r-O
confidence, etc. I don't know how eff'ecti\'e the ta[x^s are at helping people accomplish their goals, and I am not advancing their use.
However, there may 1» something to it .since this lyix; of subliminal is also being used in industiy A ca.so in [Mint: .some large de]3ai1ment sloR's use subliminals to help i-educe customer and employee theft, and naturally, to increase sales. You may have heai'd nmsic being played in stores and malls; what you ctm't hear i,s whether there are subliminals enccxied in the masic. Also some ]X)pu!ar i-ock groups insert subliminal messages in their music.
Visual
Visual information can be enctxltxl with two basic methods. The iii"st is the sub- liminal cut and paste operation. Wien the movie is shown the suliliininal images pass too quickly for them to registei- con- sciously, but our sulx'on.scious picks them up. This is the method that we will te us- ing, and although we are working with \'ideotape and'or broadcast T\^ the basics are the .same. This is the taehistoscopic method.
The second method is more advanced and much harder to detect. Here an image or phi^ase is overlaid onto the film image. The phrase is held at a slightly lower illu- mination level than the overall picture. Again this image or phrasi^ is not con- sciously pickcxi up, This is the method of choice; it's technologically more advanced, harder to detect and effective.
PDWER SWITCH
Diagram 1
44 JULY 1988
Projects/Subliminal Communication
Subliminals and the Law
Currently there are no laws to prohibit the use of subliminals. There are no laws that require anyone using subliminals to inform those subjected to the messages. Although many people believe that such laws have been enacted, they would be nearly impossible to enforce as detection is so difficult.
The FCC has a regulation concerning deceptive advertising on television, but it relies on the FTC to make the determina- tion on what's deceptive. The bottom line is that ads are not checked for subliminals except for a cursoiy look see for the most basic tachistoscopic images.
Circuit Construction
First check your VCR for video and audio output jacks. Most VCRs have sepa- rate video and audio input and output (see photo). If your VCR doesn't, stop; you can't use this circuit. (You cannot use the RF out that is connected to the TV antenna leads.)
The circuit is quite simple and inexpen- sive. We are using a 4066 quad bi-lateral switch to block and steer our video image to the monitor. The program takes the video signal from the computer and dis- plays it on the screen for 1/60 of a second every three or four seconds. Whatever you put on your computer screen will be flashed to your subconscious mind. The rest of the time the standard picture fi-om the VCR will be playing.
Look at diagram 1. Our two control lines PBO and PBl are cormectc^ to the electronic switches. The lines control the
Qty
2 4 2 1 1 1 1 1
From:
1
|
', - . |
^ ___^ |
|
|
3 List |
Radio Shack |
|
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Item/Description |
Part Number |
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Submini switch |
275-645 |
$ 1.79 ea |
|
Phono jacks |
274-246 |
1.99 pkg/4 |
|
Phono plugs |
274-339 |
1.49pkg/2 |
|
Box w/ PC board |
270-291 |
3.99 |
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4066 Quad bi-switch |
276-2466 |
1.19 |
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IC Board (optional) |
276-159 |
1.49 |
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6 foot audio/video cable |
15-1537 |
6.95 |
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RF Modulator |
15-1273 |
26.95 |
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Mouser Electronics |
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11433 Woodside Ave. |
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Santee, CA 92071 |
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(619) 449-2222 |
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CaM Connector |
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switches' on and off operation. When we output a binary "1" on the line, that switch will turn on allowing that video signal to be transmitted. It's important that only one switch be turned on at a time, or you will display a rather messy picture.
The entire circuit is constructed in a small circuit box. (See parts list.) The cir- cuit board that comes with the box may be a little difiicult to construct the circuit on. I purchased another board that made the construction much easier and fit it into the box. (See parts list.) First drill all the holes required for the switches and phono jacks. Cut a slot in the bottom of the box large enough to fit the user port connector terminals inside. I used crazy glue to mount the card connector to the box. Sol- der your wires to the card connector before you mount it.
C-64
AutMOJ'Wlta
C-128
ConDP!'!^^ VKJfo Connfctor
Diagram 2
stuHDAog noes cable
Hook-Up
Look at diagram 2 for the hook up. The RF modulator (Radio-Shack PN#15- 1273) accepts video and audio inputs. Use standard phono cables to coimect the switch to the VCR and RF modulator. You will have to make a short cable for the computer to the switch. I tried using an 8- pin din plug to connect to the video-out of my 128; it didn't fit. I had to insert two wires stripped about 1/2-inch into the ap- propriate socket holes and tape them to the computer, lb the other end of the wires I soldered a standard phono plug. (See parts list)
Circuit Operation
Before installing the circuit in the user port, make sure both switches are in the off position. After installing, turn the com- puter on and configure the port with a POKE56579,255. This, as you should know, turns our port into output bits. Now turn on the subliminal circuit power switch. One reason the switch is included is that upon power up the user port, al- though configured as an input device, out- puts enough cuirent through its pull-up resistors to turn the subliniinal circuit svritches on, (See "Interfacing Commo- dore's User Port, Part 1" in the April 1987 issue of Commodore Magazine for further information.)
POKE 56577,1 turns channel one on.
POKE 56577,2 turns channel two on.
By asing the two pokes above, you should be able to switch screens between the computer video and the VCR video. If you encounter a problem at this point, see the section on Trouble Shooting.
Another reason the power switch is in- cluded is so you can operate your comput- er without turning on the subliminal cir-
COMMODORE MAGAZINE 45
Projects/Subliminal Communication
cuit. This is where the bypass switch also comes into effect. Rather than constantly switching cables, the bypass switch allows you to bypass the circuit and feed directly into your RF modulator, lb bypass, simply turn the switch on, for subliminal oper- ation keep the switch in off position. (Note: when you bypass make sure your power switch is off also, i
I have included two programs for each computer One is written entirely in BA- SIC. This program is to show how the sys- tem works. In using it you'll see a notice- able flicker when the screens change. The problem is eliminated in the second pro- gram which contains a short ML program that does the screen cut.
The ML progi'am switches the computer video onto the monitor for 1/60 of a second everj' three or four seconds. With the pro- gram up and i-unning. if you find youi-self looking at the computer \ideo, switch the VCR and computer cables. At any time you can stop the progi-am and by using the appropriate poke command get back to your computer screen. Of course this command will be given in the dark.
I Message Screen
You have as much latitude as you v/ant, TVy to convey j'our message in a positive tone. For example, suppose you wanted to use this technique to lose a few^ pounds. Instead of a message like "You're Fat!" use a message like "Not Hungiy" or "I I like to exercise."
Whatever you have printed to the screen will be flashed \'ia the circuit switch. Using a program that prints to the screen in lai-ge lettere would be beneficial, or you can design your own using Commo- dore graphics.
For 64 users the video out screen is the same as the RF out sci^een. For 128 users with an 80-co!umn RGB lor monochjxime connected to the RGB) your video out is the graphics screen. I suggest you use the Graphics 0 screen to print type.
Trouble Shooting
You would think that such a simple cir- cuit wouldn't require any trouble shoot- ing, and for the most pait it doesn't. But there are a few points to keep in mind. First and foremost, keep the ground wires
straight. If you inadvertently cross these wires, that portion of the \ideo won't work. If this happens on the video out, the entire circuit will not work. The gi"ound wire is connected to the outside of the jacks and also to the outside of the plug connector you'll be using from the computer I ad\ise you to buy standard phono cables for the rest of the hook-up rather than making the cables. Q
Bibliography
Subliminal Seduction by Wilson Bryan Key Signet Books
Subliminal Communication by Eldon Thy lor JAR Books Salt Lake City
Applications of Subliminal Video and Audio Stimuli in Therapeutic. Education- al, Industrial, and Commercial Settings Eighth Annual .Northeast Bioengineering Conference
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (1980)
Before typing this program, read "How to Enter Programs" ind "How to I'sc the Magazine Enin- Program."' The BASIC programs in this rajgarinc are available un disk from Loadstar, P.O. Box 300(18, Shieveport. U ■ll.WOOO-. l■800■B.il■2(>9^.
BASIC Program
10
15
20
25
30 35
REM BASIC PROGRAM FOR C-64 &
C-128'BAAD
REM SUBLIMINAL SWITCH'BQFH
POKE 56579,255: REM SET UP USER
PORT'CXBF
POKE 56577,1: REM PUT CHANNEL ONE
ON MONITOR 'CFYM
REM ** FOR C-128 ADD GRAPHIC0,
1 COMMAND **'BHXH
PRINT"PRINT YOUR MESSAGE OR
GRAPHIC SCREEN" 'BABO 100 POKE 56577, 2:P0KE 56577, I'CPMY 105 FOR T=l TO 9999:NEXT T :G0T0 100'FMNF
64 ML Version
10 DATA 120,169,255,141,003,221,169,
002,141,001'BOTE 12 DATA 221,160,006,162,202,202,208,
253,136,208'BOBG 14 DATA 248,206,001,221,088,096,
062'BCOG 16 FOR 1=49152 TO 49178:READ A
:POKE IjA'FRLJ 18 B=B-fA:NEXT'DEUH 20 REM IF BO3902 THEN PRINT "ERROR
IN DATA STATEMENT" 'BSYJ
24 POKE 56579, 255'BJKE 26 REM POKE56577,l AND ,
2 TO CHANGE SCREENS 'BGGM 30 PRINT" [DOWN6,RIGHT7]
PUT YOUR MESSAGE HERE"'BAWG 32 PRINT"PRINT ANY GRAPHICS YOU'D
LIKE" 'BAHJ 34 SYS 49152'BFME 36 FOR T=l TO 9999:NEXT T:GOTO 34'FLVK
128 ML Version
10 DATA 120,169,255,141,003,221,169,
002,141,001'BOTE 12 DATA 221,160,008,162,202,202,208,
253,136,208'BOBG 14 DATA 248,206,001,221,088,096,
062'BCOG 16 FOR 1=4864 TO 4890:READ A
:POKE I,A'FPIJ 18 B=B+A:NEXT'DEUH 20 REM IF BO3902 THEN PRINT "ERROR
IN DATA STATEMENT" 'BSYJ 24 POKE 56579, 255'BJKE 26 REM POKE56577,l AND ,
2 TO CHANGE SCREENS 'BGGM 28 GRAPHIC 0,1'BDGH 30 PRINT" 1D0WN6,RIGHT71
PUT YOUR MESSAGE HERE"'BAWG 32 PRINT"PRINT ANY GRAPHICS YOU'D
LIKE" 'BAHJ 34 SYS 48&4'BEPE
36 FOR T=l TO 9999:NEXT T:GOTO 34'FLVK
END
46 JULY 1988
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News and opinion from a leading explorer of those fantasy realms called adventure games.
I just finished verifying a walkthrough for Dark Lord, which means playing a step-by-step solution to make sure it's cor- rect. Tlaying" an adventure this way is no fun, but somebody's got to do it for each solution and set of maps we publish in QueslSusiers~-a.t least I got to see and hear everything in this graphic adven- ture, which has some of the fastest-load- ing illustrations I've seen in such a game.
Accolade recently sent me a stop watch to promote a racing game, so I've been us- ing it (the stop watch, not the game) to time disk access in adventures. Pro- grammed by Kyle Freeman, Dark Lord paints the screen with a fresh set of color graphics in 3.127 seconds on the 64, which is right up there with the access time for most graphic adventures on an Apple He. On top of all that speed, the program prof- its from stylized spot animation that looks better than similar effects seen in other graphic adventures.
The quest begins when you run across your grandfather's journal and read about his discovery of the Afterworld, a land of forests, bridges and volcanos. Though many had tried and failed, he finally de- feated the evil Lord Nequam who ruled there. But the journal says that years lat- er your grandfather's nightmares con- vinced him the Dark Lord had arisen, so your quest becomes clear: Wipe this guy's name off the "Tbn Most Wanted List" of Evil Wizards.
It has three skill levels: Normal, Easy