News - At the threshold Inlayta.
In anticipation of the "Black Crow" and "Dragon Country".
Sprinter: Super Spectrum or another mistake?
The content of the magazine "Spectrofon-22
The collapse of Inforkoma "?
NEWS
Life Spectrum recent flows calmly and methodically. Someone
produces a regular DeMouy or game, but nothing comprehensive,
interesting is not happening. It seems that all were waiting
Inlayta, which will be held according to tradition, the last
week of August. Very, very many are ready to come to him,
moreover, we can expect visitors from abroad, unless, of
course, Organizers time will tell them at least the exact date
Enlight'a. In the yard in June, and almost nothing is clear at
100%.
At the August "party", I hope, will come more people than
last year. I recall that while more than half of those present
were sinkleristy. In addition to visitors from Eastern Europe
and CIS, will arrive in Peter participants from all over
Russia. Expected Samara demo (which, respectively, will present
Stars of Keladan and Speed Co.), Progress must come from
Moscow, from which we are all waiting for the new masterpiece.
In Chisinau inlaytovskuyu demo prepared Sirius Soft, but at the
last data from the youngest to Peter Still no go. From
Krasnoyarsk plans to arrive Famous Faces Factory (see Zx-News
33). Pribaltiyskaya group ZER0 prepares Inlayt Excess Megademo.
Well and in Peter, I hope, will not forget to take part with
his Rambo megablokbasterom DAPA Fantasy (DAF 2);)
Wanted to come Lemming, once again to carry off in Moscow
first place in the chart:) well, and the visit of such
authorities as Rush, can not speak. I hope that was coming back
Code Busters, Although chances to enter the three leaders have
very little, I would say almost none. Unlikely to perform at
Music Spectrum components KSA. While you can expect anything
and anyone. Nobody is able to in that year imagined X-Trade in
the first place of the podium! It is therefore useless to make
any forecasts. But, as I it seems we shall be among the victory
over Rush'em.
At E'97 can finally compare the best examples of western dem
with its own, domestic. While it would be good not Overseas
deme, winning her I would not have foretold: we have a well
developed sense of patriotism: on E'96, mostly voted for "Us",
the same will be and at this time. And to vote abroad Deme ...
In short, there is nothing to worry about, but here is to
compare the West to work with our - very tempting!
And yet: as long as organizers Inlayta "sleep", why would
those who going to come to the party, do not write me a line on
this? And much of this to become known throughout the country,
take care of me. Yes, do not forget even specify what your work
you are planning to exhibit, and who from your group will come
to Peter directly - in a word, as detailed as possible.
Another highlight of the year promises to be a "black
raven". The game, which was planned for the spring, at best, I
think, released in August. And no wonder: because now we are
working on the most difficult part of any program - an
artificial intelligence. And the problem is how to make people
think a computer, but the fact how to get it to do it quickly.
There already is a struggle for each cycle: in fact because, if
I can curb the machine depends Future Spectrum real-time
strategy.
For those who have not seen a demo version of "Black Crow",
I would say that the game is clearly superior to the demo Dune
2 from spectrophone 20 and 21. Thank schedule draws himself,
while the idea is borrowed from PCshnogo Warcraft'a. Game
considerably decorate excellent cartoons, occupying almost the
entire disc. According to the author, the game will hold two
discs, with the price of toys, some distributors may be any
high level for 50 thousand (eg, Inforkoma dear:) as a tentative
sale price ... just do not fall into a swoon, 30000! Of course,
with such scenario, protection of the crow would not last long,
as not everyone is able to pay for a game of such a sum - that
is enriched by pirates! : (
By the fall promises to end the "Land of the Dragons" Virt
Group, but "Star Heritage 2", we seem, and not wait. : (Work
above it have long been frozen, and continue it does not make
sense - can did not pay off. Nevertheless, this is what told in
the Fido about this Yuri Matveyev (Matthias / STEP):
... The other day pupils (Andrew Schoolchildren spetskorr
spectrophone - SN) played a rough version of the ZN-2 ... The
reaction was interesting ... People forgot about all sorts of
Daggerfoly and Diablo, which he torments recently and threw me
a bunch of questions, and then we have another two hours
discussing the subject. Anyway top ZN-2 seemed to him so
unexpected that he would not let me for a long time:) And this
despite the fact that he played in that piece, which was
written a year ago even with Sergei Shishlyannikova (fevralmart
1996) ... And I experienced the same feelings that I had had
after the release of the first part. It is a pity that the
second part of the incredible now, perhaps, no one append ...:(
Even more desperate situation with the Special Forces.
Fanatic Stas, who was involved in its codes, "meet" left on the
PC, and understand foreign coding is unlikely anyone would - it
is easier to write all over again. These are the sad thoughts.
But not all that bad. In St. Petersburg, for example, are
working diligently to creation of the new Spectrum-compatible
computer. His name is already given: Sprinter, a firm hand in
such an ungrateful thing - Peters. Characteristics of a new
computer is impressive:
Hardware capabilities.
1. Processor Z84C15 - 14MHz/3.5MHz
2. Main memory - up to 4Mb. The scheme of memory allocation
predysmat regarded compatibility for organizing pages on the
ZX-Spectrum 48
to Scorpion ZS 256 and Peters 256. Additionally, a new
memory allocation scheme, which has four paging port
lyubyyu people connecting from the 256 pages of memory in
any of the four
16K processor units.
3. High-speed video RAM - 192Kb.
4. Video mode:
- Standard ZX Spectrum 256x192 pixels dvymya flowers
A familiarity;
- Text advanced mode 80 characters on 25 lines with quality
PTO IBM CGA text specifying color for each character;
- Graphical G256-8 - 320x256 with 256 colors on the job
each pixel is chosen from a palette of 16 million colors;
- Graphical G16-1916 - 640x256 (512 mode INTERLIVE) with
task 16 colors for each pixel selected from the palette
16 million colors;
- Programmiryemy screen size (change the number of pixels
vertically and horizontally from the standard 256x192 up to
640x256);
opportunity to split the screen into regions with different
regimes atoms and various palettes.
Modes can be mixed!
- Multiple screen pages: 2 mode G256-8 to 22
Conventional spektrymovskih screens.
5. Flexible allocation of ports to override con
figyratsiyu ports pytem reprogramming ROM and does not change
neniem computer's circuitry. At the present moment can be
recorded in
Rom four different konfigyratsy (for example, PENTAGON, SCOR
PION, etc.) and call them by the user.
6. Ability to connect a 5.25 "drive mode 720Kb,
and 3.5 "drive mode 720KB/1.44Mb.
7. Klaviatyra IBM-AT.
8. Built-in IDE-controller, which allows the presence of
drivers to connect hard drives and CD-ROM.
9. Two built-in serial ports, you can connect
serial mouse, modem or drygie ystroystva.
10.Dva built-in parallel port for connecting type Centronix
radiation printers.
11.Sistemnaya tire in the standard ISA-8 (3 slot), provide an
opportunity
vnytrennego modem connection, Sound Card or other ystroystv.
Software capabilities.
1. When my computer zapyskaetsya program written in
Sprinter-ROM 97 and enables:
- Work in all graphics and text modes;
- Organize from 1 to 16 RAM-drives of any size in
ranging from 16Kb up to 3,5 Mb;
- Ypravlyat scheme of distribution ports;
- Dealer service tools to use memory allocation up to 4Mb;
- Work with the floppy and hard disks in the format MS-DOS,
the representation Substituting the MS-DOS files as
virtyalnye TR-DOS, which leaves owls patibility with TR-DOS
and removes the restriction to 1Mb ROM drive;
- Work with klaviatyroy IBM-AT, mouse, printer.
2. The transition to the regime of ZX Spectrum ROMs Sprinter-97
is replaced by
pages of RAM are written in standard programs
BASIC and TR-DOS, which allows polychit maksimalnyyu
compatibility dence with the old software.
3. Currently under development for the new full OS
On the computer.
Bydet computer offered in several prodazhy konfigyratsiyah:
Base includes materinskyyu platy with built-in peripheral
controllers ystroystv, RAM 1Mb, korpys mini-tower, drive 5.25
"or 3.5" klaviatyra IBM-AT. On request pokypatelya can
yvelichit RAM up to 4Mb, just make the hard drive or drygyyu
periphery.
Of course, the firm could and should be contacted if you
encounter any suggestions, comments, or just ideas. Here
her address:
In your notebook
198320 St.-Peterbyrg, Lenina 77, office. 332, "Company" Peters
" tel. (812) 132-05-86, 327-35-31. FidoNet: 2:5030 / 435.12
The computer could not have been interested in people.
Received many positive feedback. Moreover, he liked to even the
most (!) Hacker'u Cris'u! :)
But while Peters basking in applause:) and are prepared to
expose her child at E'97, received and negative feedback. Here,
for example, believes Yury Matveev:
... I do not share vostorgov.Poezd long gone, unless Peters
did not receive any government orders and money for him. Even
so - sponsors will put up a long time. For promotion to the
machine, two _minimum_. For two years, PC will step so far that
the current pisishnye graphics modes will seem ridiculous. A
what about sprinter? Or will it be able to keep up with all
increasing needs and requirements of the standards? At our base
in our spread out on a cog society?
Okay. Discard the comparison with all sorts of "Big Blue" and
a sober look at this question. Have a car. Imagine that
she is ready, Serial production (as I understand it, none of
this are not). But, as I said - any computer without a program
- piece of iron, but any piece of iron with the program - the
computer. "Our native old Speccy to a hair falls under the
second part of this definition. And only through this lasts.
How many would not be criticized for squalid organization
Speccy screen for kleshing attributes for dwarf RAM, etc.,
etc., etc. - our "piece of iron" will remain a computer, as
today, according to conservative estimates, under the Speccy
wrote more than 10,000 programs and various applications such
as gaming and system. It is this fact (of course, not only it)
explains the existence of a long computer 1982 (!) Of release.
15 years for any computer - an incredible life.
But back to the Sprinter. Even if it will have 100%
Compatible with our old man - it will not save it from complete
collapse. And it is precisely because of the price. Because the
same old Spectrum software can drive on normal Speccy - people
do not go buy Sprinter. Large capacity (speed, graphics) of the
computer itself may not be for the layman (and the Who else is
designed Sprinter?) defining a moment of choice platform. For
the layman a defining moment will be the availability software.
So, you need software. Who will write it? Firm Peters?
Alone? Hard to believe. Imagine for a moment that the firm can
provide the output of a full program (not necessarily gaming)
per month (say "complete" I mean some serious things, not a
"tic-tac-toe" or "boa", let even the VGA-Shnogh). So, for the
year they write at such a pace (very good, I must say, the
rate) - a total of 12 programs. For the second year - 12 more.
Total - 24 programs. Much? One could argue that, they say, but
Peters to write under the Sprinter will be the "best people"
country. Maybe. Only theoretically. By setting such high rate
of release of the program, I "scored" in them and those coders
from the side that will work for Sprinter. Well, okay, let's
say, and remote places to write. But for the beginning of the
"best people" need to provide iron. How many sprinters are
ready to give Peters suffering coders? But the question is an
edge - a little program - not enough buyers - the car is dead -
the project and money for wind. Let's say around St. Petersburg
and Moscow had accumulated a person, say, 20, ready to take in
addition to Peters for developing software. They will need to
allow 20 cars. And this is the moment when the forces on end,
the need for profit organization of production, we need new
attachments. Will be hard. Or offer to write on the PC, and
then compile the code under the Sprinter? And if people do not
have PC? The same Still Spectrum world ... In short, problems
arise sea, and all did not immediately say. While these
problems will be solved - the train goes even further. As
sports commentators say "the time is now not in our favor" ...
But that's not all. As always happens in new machines, early
or later vskroyutsya such glitches, after which it is necessary
to change the architecture of the machine part, which would
entail not complete compatibility of already released software.
Com problems, unable to grow, giving even the most courageous
"the germs of enthusiasm" and on this all over.
I think only one thing can save this venture: if developers
computer turned his gaze to the Spectrum on the Amiga and try to
make Amiga-compatible computer, but much cheaper than the
original. Then meager chances of survival appear if account *
increased interest in mass to the Amiga as an alternative to
the Spectrum and PC. But anyway, this would be very, very
difficult ... Practical - unbelievable.
I disagree with just two things:
1) games on the Spectrum is no more a 6-7 thousand. I looked
many directories, but each of them recruited from the Power
3 you syachi games, while the mention of the very, very
much. Well
well, our, Russian authors have written a thousand more
games, more
couple thousand was not included those same directories that
I mentioned.
Think.
System software on the strength of two thousand, roughly the
same
(Or slightly more) demos. And of 9000. Although, of course,
not bad, but hasten to disappoint you - one-third of that
number can be
safely discarded: it is useless and Nomad'y Decathlon'y,
and horror stories such as Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner'a.
2) The chances of survival for the PC is, although bad. After
all, as
happened with General Sound'om: This is almost unsupported
soft musical board now is in great spro
catfish, despite a decent price ($ 40 in the price of firm
Scorpion).
Thanks to good advertising (which was at GS), can not sell
less than a hundred machines.
Although the company itself and is not going to write
software for your kids schA, but the basic tools, I think,
would be written "by the authors of
people as it goes with the GS. And will all the scraps
you - and boils work. After all, if well publicized (in the
same ZX
Format'e) people will be attracted to the new car, also more
and is compatible with the Spectrum). In short, worth a try.
Worse
this does not become, that's for sure.
All was not yet twenty-second spectrophone. It can be
expected at the end June, where a number of 25-th.
Who still does not know this number will represent the first
time on two discs (due to increased material and not annex). In
addition, it is likely that the twenty-second number will be
the last one for the magazine. , ((But, nevertheless, will wait
for its release. Inside you will find a new cool game genre
Bloodwich RPG! I saw her at work and I can say that made it
great: three-dimensional graphics, lots of monsters, weapons,
items ... Magic of different levels, locked doors that open,
natural keys, and a lot more then. By nature, I It seemed to
her something like Lands of Lore on the PC: the same the view
from the eyes, but with Spectrum characteristics. In short, do
not I know how to exciting, but the graphics, it bypasses the
Bard's Tale so that even makes no sense to compare them. And
all this decorated with colorful full-screen images depicting
some monsters. More unfortunately I can not say, because the
description did not read it. , (
Promising and supplement to the journal: it will 3D
Construction Kit - a program with whose help were created games
such as Driller, Castle Master, etc. And you will be able to
create their own masterpieces in no way inferior to Western
standards ... Here truly are no limits to creativity!
The only thing I know for sure - this is my content ;-)
articles in the SPF-22. Total thereof no less than 6, that's
about them and now it will go.
The first, if I mistake not - a good article about the quest
called Spooked. Does anyone remember him? But the game was
released by Premier back in 1989! And it's nice to play it
until now! Excellent graphics and nice interface - it is only
the beginning. And you have to deal with a huge maze (324
rooms!), Stuffed with enemies and traps of not less than gaming
space Death Stalker'a! You can choose from several types of
weapons + 6 interesting spells, the spectrum of which are very
wide (from invulnerability to freeze all life for some time: a
time you will not be disturbed, which can not be said about the
normal gameplay. Poultry, dwells in a labyrinth, not too little
(10 species), so bored will not, I'll guarantee you. And, of
course, scattered all over the map many interesting things:
teleportatory, magic boilers (where the same without They,
after all spells must first boil!), various "items exchange,
where you can easily swap a second-rate cast on the most
powerful, etc. Of course, all that I have described here - is
only a drop in the ocean, and to tell everything, I It took
40Kb (that is how much is my article). For comparison: the size
of one number on-line does not exceed 36Kb!
But the most useful information for gamers is in the section
cache. Here, finally, you'll learn how to activate the cheat in
the second UFO 2! Not forgotten and Winnie the Pooh - in short,
you will find many interesting things. Here, for example, have
you heard about the company cheat In the first Dizzy? And there
he is! Or, for example, a cunning technique as can be fun to
get rich and at the same time make a lot of lives in Bubble
Dizzy ... Pile pokov and password will add corporate cheat in
Olly 'Lissa 1 (but you knew before, as you can get Ollie move 2
times faster?) I will not tell everything at once, more
surprises, good and different. =)
More of the same article, you learn a lot about the firm
Hewson Consultants and its founder - Andrew Hewson. You'll read
interviews with him (pretty old, but no less interesting). A
finished article fully softografiey Hewson Consultants ...
No less interesting interview with the guys from Odin
Computer Graphics (creators of games such as Robin of the Wood,
Heartland, Nodes of Yesod). They will tell about the activities
of the firm, which had once steep residence in Liverpool. And,
of course, full softografiya Odin'a also present.
It is likely that you already know the outcome of the
survey, which I conducted in Fido in the month of April. If
not, then there spectrophone Another article for you. From
there you will learn about the mood in the Spectrum world: some
listen to music, they read, what to play. The results of the
poll even more interesting that it took part lion's share of
local celebrities (LAV, STEP, Felix, Hacker Cris / VBS, MAD MAX
/ XL Design, Arno / Omega Group, Copper Feet and many others).
Even readers great articles in Fido will find many interesting
things: the volume of material increased considerably!
Well, last article is devoted to the firm CodeMasters. Her
name speaks for itself, but it will tell what will be discussed
here. Although what to tell something: everything! First a few
words about the company's founder - Darling brothers, then
excursion into the world Dizey - I talk about almost every game
series, as well as give company history to them. That is not
necessary to invent something new or read the novel - the
authors themselves tell how everything was really:) And, of
course, a couple of lines to each of the remaining games will
not hurt, right? But this is not the most valuable. In end of
the article I present a table that included all known I
kodmasterovskie game! I have used many sources, but in the end
I managed to scrape together information about 112 (!) games
this firm. And in most cases given year, and very
more often and the rating of the toys in a variety of sources.
As stated in a hurry to see!
Well, sort of, and all I wanted to tell you about the 22nd
Spectrophone. In my opinion, this number will be the best ever
spectrophone ... And when will the ZX Format 6 will be
interesting to them compare. By the way, about the latter. The
fifth issue was published on December 21, and the new has not
heard. According to Max Romanov (RML / XLD), the number can be
expected no earlier than the beginning of July ... Then He has
really come out sometime in August: ~ (And there are already
Inlayt on the nose ...
About the contents of rooms, too, nothing is clear, but the
glory Mednonogov reported that the application will include a
demo, "Black Crow" ... That would be cool if the game will be
released early demos! ;)))
Came about that from the scene came another major
writer and distributor - the company Inforkom. ; ~ (According
to this hour data, the firm ceased operations in all areas
except program distribution by mail, at least 2
months. , (Here we have lost another major distributor and
single publisher Spectrum printed magazine. That
next - neizvetno. The only hope - that some kind of St.
Petersburg's firm will take its place and establish trade by
mail. : ((
In their misery IFC blame primarily myself: instead of
to invest in the development of Spectrum (the release of new
books spread of computers and accessories, etc.), he started
publication of literature on the PC, Amiga and consoles. But in
the ZX IFC made a few mistakes: distributed defective and
unwanted software on high prices for Russia, has ceased to care
about the content Revue (which each number becomes all the
uglier and uglier), etc. It makes no sense to list all failures
of this company - each of not a few - but fail in the company's
activities, which are known sinkleristam across the country -
it must be able to!
About Inforkoma plans for the future is known only that he
"Revue going to continue to publish on the disks. Well this is
just funny: in any case a new, electronic Revue can not be
compared in popularity with those magazines, which he himself
IFC and distribute! After all, a computer magazine - is not
only the articles of readers, but also music, pictures,
interface. Will master a Inforkom all this or magazine will be
published in the form of text files with the viewer - time will
tell.
That is all! The development of these and other events, read
the next issue of the newspaper.
Other articles:
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News - At the threshold Inlayta.
In anticipation of the "Black Crow" and "Dragon Country".
Sprinter: Super Spectrum or another mistake?
The content of the magazine "Spectrofon-22
The collapse of Inforkoma "?
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