Reader's Letter: Guido Schell
05.10.1996, Auf dem Stocke 37, 32584 Löhne, Germany
Hello Tigerkralle!
Thank you very much for the many Scene+ disks. How can I ever make it up to you? I can't even fill that many disks reasonably just to send them back. Therefore, enclosed is just one disk with Part 3 of the +D corner. A small error crept into Part 2 of the +D corner. It's certainly too late for a correction now, so there is a note about it at the end of Part 3.
Has Scene+ No. 9 come out yet? I've "worked through" all the Scene+ disks. I especially like the index. Definitely keep that!
Regarding Scene+ 8, one more thing: The rotating LCD logo at the beginning is really great! What I don't find so great is that my computer crashes on page 5 of the +D corner. Since Wolfgang from the Proficlub has already tested this issue (see Proficlub magazine 9.96), it seems it's only happening on my end. I tested it on two machines. Everything else runs fine as far as I can remember.
What I find even less great, however, is that you published my last letter. You really stirred up some trouble there! Now I have (involuntarily) commented publicly on the "dispute" between the two German clubs. I actually wanted to stay out of it. Wolfgang picked up on it in his test report too; I was immediately quoted. The Userclub committed something similar in their September issue, even if my statement didn't sound quite as harsh there. Well, nothing can be undone now. But I stand by my opinion! Whoever wants to speak their mind to me should write to me personally. Period, end of story.
One thing I'd like to urge you to do, though: As a rule, you shouldn't publish personal letters from me to you. Unless it's specifically meant as a contribution for Scene+, like an "open letter" such as this one. In that case, I send it on disk anyway. All clear?
Alright, enough complaining. To find something positive in all this: after the initial excitement, I believe that my harsh words might prompt the gentlemen concerned to do some thinking. I recently sent a long letter on this topic to Wolfgang. Roughly the same went to the Userclub. Now we have to wait and see how things develop.
Now I'll wrap it up. I hope you remain active in the scene for a long time to come — meaning both SCENE+ and the Spectrum scene in general. Keep up the hard work! Bye,
— Guido.
Hello Guido,
Thanks a lot for the letter. Alright, here are the answers:
It is indeed too late for a correction, but it doesn't really matter much if a few errors creep in here and there. I'm not infallible either, so mistakes still happen. Well, moving on in order:
Which index do you mean? Perhaps the half-year overview? It will be time for another one soon!
Regarding the logo: My LCD logo is much easier to draw in VU3D than the one for SCENE+; I really messed up the design there, but maybe with a bit more time I can manage to design a 3D logo, since the ones I used at the beginning were made on an Amiga.
How to fix the crashing bug in the +D corner was already described in the last issue. The fact that Wolfgang didn't read that part doesn't really surprise me; after all, apart from my remarks, it was already in his magazine.
At the meeting in Filderstadt, I was already reprimanded for my interference and other crimes against humanity. Well, I already apologized to you in a private letter, and I do so again here. However, you could have noted that the letter was not intended for publication. Thomas also has his own views regarding readers' letters, which I share. Once again for everyone who doesn't know yet: I received Guido's letter both on paper and as a text file, so the blame doesn't rest solely on me.
Generally speaking, I removed quite a few things from your last letter that could have harmed you and had no place in a letter to the editorial desk. Alright, that's that.
As for your hopes that I will stay in the scene: I hope I have enough stamina. Actually, half a year ago I thought about buying a PC and handing all the Speccy stuff over to my successor. But after all, the scene is my home — not for very long yet, but still. There are indeed some things here that bother me, but what gets on my nerves even more are those arrogant PC and Amiga overusers; they are complete lamers, yet consider themselves the absolute best. Aside from that, what would I even do with a PC? Programming? (Must be a joke!), gaming?, working? I do all of that and much more on the Speccy, and it doesn't make me want to throw up like the last time when a PC I was working on simply crashed for no apparent reason.
Alright, enough harsh words about scrap metal and the like. I hope you enjoy the issue when you receive it. And write some more articles for us, the club leaders.
— Tiger's Claw of Illusion
Hello LCD,
Thank you very much for the last issue, I enjoyed it very much, and the title picture was finally something different from the monochrome images used before. I also liked Shadow Nemesis; bring on the next installments, I'm burning to find out more.
The real reason I'm writing is the printer I recently bought second-hand: a Citizen Swift 24 with the color option. I tried the codes described in the manual, but it only prints in black. I know you have the same printer — could you help me?
When will there be more games from you?
— Cat's Eye
Hi Cat's Eye,
Thanks a lot! The next installments of Shadow Nemesis will appear soon in SCENE+, and there will also be a few more color pictures.
Regarding the printer problem: on the display menu, you first have to install/activate the color option, and you have to do this every time after switching it on. The exact option description is at the beginning of the manual. By the way, it's one of the few manuals that actually takes Sinclair computers into account.
As for my games: I'm still working hard on Legacy, constantly adding improvements. Since it will still take a while, I will soon start work on a patience/solitaire program — yes, another one! Working title: Indian Patience. I want to include an autoplay option for the first time, and I hope it will be quite fast. Naturally, options like Undo and RAM-disk won't be missing, and the graphics are to be improved; otherwise, everything in the usual LCD design quality with mouse control, etc.
Well, now I've written too much already; it's not like me to announce programs before I've even started writing them.
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