The Future Of Computer Games: Software That Thinks For Itself
COMPUTE'S
$2.50
June 1984 <S
Issue 12 Vol. 2, No. 6
02220 £1.95 UK $3.25 Canada
For Owners And Users Of Commodore VIC-20"And 64" Personal Computers
The Frantic Fisherman
Battle the darting sharks and stay out of the rain in this lively action game for the VIC and 64. '
Therapy
What kind of counselor is your computer? "Therapy" might surprise you.
Also In This Issue:
The Beginner's Corner
Machine Language For Beginners
Home Telecommunications
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06
Power BASIC:
One-Touch Keywords
Fingertip control of 52 BASIC keywords. For the VIC and 64.
Castle Dungeon
Defuse the ticking time bombs and avoid the guardian monsters in this dark dungeon maze. A challenging all- graphics adventure
game for the VIC and 64.
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Commodore Is a trademark of Commodore Electronics. Ltd.
Panther Computer Corporation
The Assembler for the Commodore 64
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Dealer Inquiries Invited 1-800-222-7105 InCA 1-800-821-7644 |
Panther Computer Corporation
12021 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025
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Commodore Is a trademark o! Commodore Electronics, Ltd. VIC 20 is a trademark ol Commodore Electronics. Lid.
Commodore 64 disc retail price: $29.95 VIC 20 cassette retail price: $15.95
Dealer Inquiries Invited
1-800-222-7105 In CA 1-800-821 -7644
Panther Computer Corporation
12021 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90025
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AAWWIIIIEEE!
The legend of Bruce lee lives on in the imagination and memory of millions of fans throughout the world. And now, through the awesome power of the computer, you too can relive the power of Bruce Lee.
Bruce Lee,H combines state-of-the-art technology with the masterful moves of the martial arts. From devastating^ lethal kicks and staccato thrusts to the unrestrained fury of every reflex, the Bruce Lee game explodes with action. All the force and controlled discipline of Bruce Lee is at your command. You'll see it in his smooth and graceful leaps. You'll feel it in your heart as you prepare to do battle with his ominous adversaries. Take on the Green Yaino and Ninja in hand to hand combat as you fight your way through 20 mysterious oriental settings. Unexpected dangers loom as you make your way past exploding bushes and the fire wizard in your quest for the ultimate treasure.
Bruce Lee. It not only lives up to the expectations of the best programmers and players around. It lets you live out the life of a legend. Even in your spare time.
Available now for Atari and Commodore 64 Computers, coming soon for the Apple II series and IBM PC and PC/JR.
Contact your local dealer or send check or money order with $3.00 postage and handling. California residents add 6.5% sales tax to Datasoft.
Suggested retail $34.95.
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TM Dstgnties i tradtmirk of Linda l/r © TO ftru« Lee til rt|*h.u rtserod. Unreal by Ziv Iriicnuuonal trie C 1983 [ Mlacf ( lot
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Ratasofl. Inc. 1980S Nordhoff !>!:ice. Chatsworth. CA 91311
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SAUE HEW YORK
It was as peaceful a day as New York ever gets, when suddenly the sky went dark and a monstwus droning noise lilted the air. Hordes ol grotesque aliens were swooping down from all sides, biting into the Big Apple as if they hadn't eaten for days. They were laying eggs. too. Horrible slimy things thai gol down into the subway tunnels and began clawing their way up. If anyone was going to save the city, it would have to be me I leapt into my rocket and began blasting away I thought I stood a fighting chance, but fuel s running low... another wave of invaders on the horizon , . . signing off. . .
SAVE NEW YORK!" For the Commodore 64.
CREATIVE SOFTWARE
MSCtHAJM MMIWAHl
June 1984 Vol. 2, No. 6
The Future Of Computer Games: Software That Thinks For Itself Setby Bateman , 16
Inside View: The Designers Behind M.U.LE. Kathy Yakal 28
GAMES
3-D Tic-Tac-Tae Mark Doyle 50
Castle Dungeon Dave and Casey Gardner 52
Revenge Of Cyon Mike Reinman 56
The Frantic Fisherman David Lacey 58
V/64 V/64 V/64 V/64
Arcade-Style Games For The VIC-20: Skramble! And Cridder Harvey B. Herman 62 V
Easy Script: Word Processor For The 64 Shelby Neely 64 64
Worms? For The 64 Gregg Keizer 66 64
IFR (Flight Simulator) For The VIC-20 David Florance 70 V
EDUCATION/HOME APPLICATION
Computing For Families: New Standards In Home Learning, Part 2 Fred D'lgnazio 74 *
Therapy Steven Rubio 78 V/64
Spelling Critter Bob Nickel 82 V/64
Shape Match Michael Reich 84 V/64
Word Scramble Mike Salman 86 V/64
PROGRAMMING
The Beginner's Corner: Planning A Game Program C Regena 88 V/64
Inside Random Numbers Dan Carmichael 98 V/64
Power BASIC: One-Touch Keywords Mark Niggemonn 112 V/64
Machine Language For Beginners: indirect Addressing Richard Mansfield . , 114 V/64
File Copier Martin Engert ..118 V/64
Hints & Tips: Appending Sequential Disk Files John S. Winn 120 V/64
Scroll 64 Peter Marcoity 127 64
Tape Data Files For VIC And 64 Brian Prescoll 130 V/64
VtC 5K Emulator Glen Reesor 133 V
Tape Protection For VIC And 64 Victor Chan 1 38 V/64
All About PRINT For VIC And 64 Julie Harris 144 V/64
Editor's Notes Robert Lock 6
Gazette Feedback Editors & Readers 10
Simple Answers To Common Questions Tom R. Halfhilt 26
Home Telecommunications Robert Sims 38
Horizons 64 Charles Brannon 92
VICreations: Software For The VIC Dan Carmichael 124
User Group Update Kathy Yakal 135
V/64
64
V
OGRAM LISTINGS
News And Products 1 50
A Beginner's Guide To Typing In Programs 1 54
How To Type In COMPUTED GAZETTE Programs 1 55
The Automatic Proofreader 156
Program Listings 1 57
Bug-Swatter 1 88
Product Mart 1 89
Advertisers Index 192
* = General, V = VIC-20, 64 = Commodore 64.
V/64 V/64 V/64
COMPUTE!'* GAZLTTLii published monthly by COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. Past Office Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA. Phone (919)275-9809. Editorial offices arc located at 324 West Wendover Avenue, Greensboro. NC 27408. Domestic subscriptions: 12 issues, $20. Send subscription orders or change of addrcsn (P.O. Form 3579) to Circulation Dent., COMPUTE!'* GAZETTE. P.O. Uox'Jhl, Parmingdale, NY 11737. Second class application pending at Greensboro, NC 27403and additional mailing offices, Entire contents copyright t> 19S4 by COMPUT1! Publications, Inc. Alt rights reserved, ISSN 0737-3716, 33(Kd.
COMPUTE! PubllMllonj, Int., On* u( Iht ABC Publishing Companies: ABC Publishing, President, Robtrt G. Burton; 1330 Avenue of the Americas; New York. New York 10019
THE EDITOR'S
A Word of Thanks to you readers and authors . . . with this issue the GAZETTE is 12 issues old, and is one of the most phenomenal growth stories in the consumer publications industry. We've achieved a paid circulation in excess of 300,000, making the c .A/rm7 one of the halt-dozen largest magazines in the entire industry. Our parent publication COMPUTE! was the fastest grow- ing computer magazine in the Audit Bureau of Circulation numbers comparing the six months ending December 1982 with the six months ending De- cember 1983. The next closest competitor grew bv 106 percent compared with COMPUTE!' S 247 + percent. Looks like next year, we'll have two of our own publi- cations competing with each other. Now that's a nice problem to have.
Our newly launched GAZETTE DISK is doing nicely too, thanks to you; we appreciate your continued support. You'll notice the disk is still unpro- tected. While we've touched on this issue in recent editorials, this time we're starting your additional feedback. The letter that follows is representative of many of the letters we've re- ceived on the topic of protection:
Dear Mr. Lock:
I read your April 1984 editorial with great interest. As a retailer in .software, I believe the presence of copy-protected software directly effects [lie saleability of my stock. Customers tend to shy away from heavily protected software. They feel (and rightly so) that once they lay their money down, they should be able to make backup copies should disaster strike their original. (Or more commonly, m a ke a nd u se b a C k u ps a n d keep their original in a safe place.) Vari- ous service schemes by software makers
who have backup-restricted products don't appease the customers much. If a disk crashes, why should they have to wait a few weeks for a new copy to arrive in the mail?
In trying to answer the question of whether or not to protect, we should first address the question of why people steal software. 1 lere, we begin to deal with motives and human nature. For the software pirate, the motive is greed. A low overhead means high profits, lor this kind of person, there is no viable software-protect remedy. No matter- how sophisticated the software-protect features are, ways can be found to defeat them. Also, development costs of these features are lacked on to the cost of the software, thereby raising customer prices. The higher the price of software, the more likely people will find a way to pirate. The disparity between true value and customer cost gives the pirate room to operate. Carried to the extreme, one can think that the development cost of software-protect features exceeds the cost of the product it's protecting. Would you be willing to pay the premium on a homeowner's insurance policy if it exceeded the cost of the house?
Another motivation for software piracy, less malign, is software copied and given in the spirit of friendship. A user group operates to raise the com- puter literacy of its members. One of the finer things in life is our ability to learn, and learning about a subject we're interested in satisfies a need . On the other hand, teaching what we know gives us a better feeling about ourselves. Successful teachers can tell you firsthand how great the ego feels after a class. When teachers and learners combine as they do in a user group, it's magic. When the teacher gives something to the learner that doesn't cost anything, as in copied software, this magic reaches higher plateaus. Sharing can never be overrated when it comes to building friendships.
We all like extending favors that cost us nothing. I lowever, when others pay the cost, the favor becomes less than altruistic. Here again, with the abundant availability of backup protect ion- over ride software, high cost software with backup protection is readily defeated. Nothing is gained by the software seller. I feel that by and
large, people are basically good. Any businessman has to have this attitude if he is to succeed. In areas of commerce, distrust only slows things up and ends in costing both parlies much in the long run. The only thing needed is a little caution, not total distrust.
In matters concerning professional software pirates, there is legal recourse. Though irritating, 1 think their impact is small. By giving them more motivation (high software costs) to steal, software houses who use copy protection only hurt themselves. I also feel that software pirated for reasons of friendship would be less prevalent at lower costs. People would be more likely to expand their libraries with money out of their own pockets. Also, a little public education concerning copyright laws would go a long way.
In closing, I feel that you would do better serving the public and yourselves by offering quality products at the lowest possible cost. You've indicated that you're opposed to excessive software copy protection. The fact that you allow a so f t wa re co m pa n y that s e 1 1 s a backup override program (Microware) to adver- tise in your magazine seems to support this. If you are soliciting votes, then I vote that you keep your software inex- pensive and backup unlimited.
By the way, keep up your high magazine standards. It must do your egos good knowing you're doing such a great teaching job.
Sincerely yours, Ron Bosse
Until next issue, enjoy your GAZETTE.
Editor In Chief
d COMPUTE!'* Gaiollo Juno 1 98-1
f5 5* r-" Q
COMPUTE! Publicationsjnc©
One ol the ABC Put>rslilng ComponKij ^fff
Publisher i.. it v K. Ingersoll
Editor In Chief Robert C. Lock
Director of Administration Alice S. Wolfe
Senior Editor Richard Mansfield
Managing Editor Kathleen E. Martinek
Editor I., i nee Elko
Production Director Tony Roberts
Editors
Tom R. Halfhitl, PC and PCjr Editor; Stephen Levy, Editor, COMPUTE! Books Division; Gail Walker, Production Editor; Ottis R, Covvper, Technical F.dilor; Charles Brannon, Program Editor; Selby Ba toman, Pea hires Editor
Assistant Editors
Dan Carmichael (Submissions); Gregg Keizer, Steve Hudson (Books); John Knuise, George Miller (Technical); Todd I ieimarck, Robert Sims, Blake Lumber! (Publications); Kathy Yakal, Editorial Assistant (Features), Randall Posner, Assistant Managing Editor (Books)
Editorial Programmers
Patrick Parrish (Supervisor), Gregg Peele (Assistant), Jeff Hamdant, Tim Victor , Kevin Martin, Chris Poer
Programming Assistants
Mark Puttie, David Flora nee, Kevin Mykytyn
Copy Editors
Juanita Lewis, Joan Rouleau
Proofreaders
Becky Hall, Ethel Silver, Dwight Smith
Administrative Staff
Vicki Jennings, Laura MacFadden, Julia Fleming, Susan Young, Susan Booth
Production
lima Swain, Production Manager; Janice Fary, Art & Design Director, Lee Noel, Assistant Editor, Art & Design; De Potter, Mechanical Art Supervisor; Terry Cash, Debi Thomas, Typesetting; Mindy Kutchei, Promotion Manager
Artists
Leslie Jessup, Cindy Mitchell (Publications), Debbie Bray (Books); Harry Blair, Illustrator
Associate Editors
Jim Butterfield (Toronto), Harvey Herman (Greensboro), Fred D'Ignazio (Roanoke)
Operations/Customer Service
Patty Jones, Subscriber Services Supervisor; Assistants: Chris Patty, Chris Gordon, Sharon Sebastian, Rosemarie Davis; Fran Lyons, Dealer Sales Supervisor; Assistants: Gail Jones, Sharon Minor, Rhonda Savage
Customer Service Staff
Dorothy Bogan, Supervisor; Judy Taylor, Lisa Flahartv, Anita Roop, Debi Goforth, Jenna Nash, Elizabeth While, Sybil Agee; Jim Coward (Warehouse Manager), Larry O'Connor, Dai Sees, Jack McConnell, Eric Staley, Eddie Rice, Sam Parker, David Hensiey, John Archibald; Mary Sprague, Mail Room Coordinator
Data Processing
Leon Stokes, Manager; Joan Compton, Chris Cain, Assistants
Accounting
Paul J. MeglioJa, VI', Finance & Planning; R. Steven Vetter, Director, Finance & Planning; Assistants: Linda Miller, Doris Hall, Jill Pope; Staff: Anna f larris, Emilie Covil, Anne Ferguson, Tracey Hutchins; Gregory L. Smith, Purchasing Manager
Advertising Sales
Ken Woodard, Director of Advertising Sales; Path Williams, Production Coordinator; Bonnie Valentino, Accounting Coordinator; Joyce Margo, Production Assistant
Jules E. Thompson, Inc. National and Canadian Sales Representatives 1290 Howard Avenue, Suite 303 Burlingame, CA 94010
Address all advertising materials to:
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COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., publishes
COMPUTE! COMPUTE! Books COMPUTE!'* Gazette
Corporate Office:
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Mailing Address:
Post Office Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403
Telephone: 919-275-9809
Office Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday-Friday
Chief Executive Officer Robert C. Lock
President Gary R. Ingersoll
Vice President, Finance & Manning Paul J. Megliola
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(12 Issue Year): US (one year) S20. Canada, Mexico and Foreign Surface Mail $25. Foreign Air Mail $45.
The C0MPUTE!'s GAZETTE subscriber list is made available to carefully screened organizations with a product or service which may be of interest to our readers. If you prefer not to receive such mailings, please send an exact copy of your subscription label to: compute's gazette, P.O. Box 961 , Varmfngdale, NY 1 1737. Include a note indi- cating your preference to receive only your subscription.
Authors of manuscripts warrant that all materials submitted to coMPUT£f'<i gazette are original materials with full ownership rights resident in said authors. By submitbng articles to COMPUTE! s GAZETTE, authors acknowledge that such materials, upon acceptance for publication, become the exclusive property of COMPUTE! Publica- tions, Inc. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Entire contents copyright •: 1984, COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. Rights to programs developed and submitted by authors are explained in our author contract. Unsolicited materials not accepted for publication wilt be returned if author provides a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Where programs are included in an article submission, a tape or disk must accompany the submission. Printed listings are optional, but helpful. Articles should be furnished as typed copy (upper and lowercase, please) with double spacing. Each article page should bear the title of the article, date, and name of the author. COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., assumes no liability for errors in articles or adver- tisements, Opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of COMPUTE! Publications, Inc.
PET, CUM, V1C-20, and Commodore 64 are trademarks of Commo- dore Business Machines, Inc., and/or Commodore Electronics Limited. Other than as an independent supplier of quality information and services to owners and users of Commodore products, COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., is in no way associated with Commodore Business Machines, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries.
8 COMPUTE!'; Gazelle June 1984
WordPro 3 Plus/64
The #1 Selling Word Processor for the Commodore 64T
*. *l A A
WordPro 3 Plus'764 and SpellRight Plus'" provide a total word processing solution for the Commodore 64™ which gives you;
* Sophisticated Word Processing
* Built-in Mail Merging for Form Letters
* Math Functions for Column Totals
* Fast and Complete Spell Checking via SpellRight Plus
* A Super Value (two programs) for Only $99.95!
WordPro and SpellRight are both specifically designed for the novice user with no computer or word processing experience whatsoever. And with over 40,000 WordPro versions sold, you can be sure that WordPro is a very sophisticated word processor loaded with powerful features including: Transfer, Insert, Delete, and Rearrange Text, Auto Page Numbering, Math Functions, Headers, Footers, Global Search and Replace, the Ability to Create Multiple Personalized Letters and Documents, and much more. WordPro can create documents of virtually any length and will print up to 165 columns wide. You get all of this PLUS fast and complete spell checking using SpellRight Plus!
SpellRight Plus locates and highlights misspelled words and then allows you to quickly correct the misspellings — improving the quality of your letters and reports.
And, best of all, WordPro and SpellRight's powerful arsenal of features can be put to use almost immediately — by even the novice user. So whether you're a student, professional writer, in business, education or a hobbyist, you'll quickly become a WordPro Pro!
Both WordPro and SpellRight Plus are also available separately at popular computer outlets nationwide.
Invest in the best . , .WordPro Plus. En a class by Itself.
Professional Software Inc.
51 Fremont Street Needham, MA 02194
(617) 444-5224 Telex: 951579
Dealer and Distributor inquiries are invited.
WordPro 3 Plus'"/64 and SpellRight Plus™ are trademarks of Professional Software Inc.
The WordPro Plus Series was designed and written by Steve Punter of Pro-Micro Software Ltd.
SpellRight Plus was designed and written by Dwight Huff and JoeSpatafora of SpellMaster Systems. Inc.
Some printers may not support certain WordPro 3 Plus functions and/or require an interlace. Please check with your dealer.
Commodore 64™ Is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Ltd.
GAZETTE FEEDBACK
EDITORS AND READERS
Do you have a question or a problem? Have you discovered something that could help other VIC-20 and Commodore 64 users? Do you have a comment about something you've read in computes gazette? We want to hear from you. Write to Gazette Feedback, computed gazette, P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403.
Mysterious Numbers
I'm curious about lines like: SYS 12*4096 + 12*256
and BB = PEEK(44)4-27 in your magazine. Why don't you just write: SYS 52224 or BB = 35? Wouldn't this be quicker than having the com- puter perform the mathematical functions first?
Joel A. Brondes
In the first example, you're right. It would havebeen easier (and quicker) to simply write SYS 52224. The reason the Hue was written with the formula ions simply programmer preference. He might have been thinking in fenns of blocks (4096) and pages (256) of memory, and this computation method was easier for him than computing the actual SYS address. In hexadecimal the number translates to SCC00.
In the second example, the BB = 35 statement might not work. In this case, memory location 44 indi- cates the start of BASIC program memory. But the start of BASIC can be changed by POKEhig values into byte 44. in this case, if the start of BASIC were changed, the value i)i BB would also change.
PEEKing Joysticks On The 64
I am a VIC-20 owner and am considering switching to the Commodore 64. I went to a store to compare the two, and found that the 64 had two joystick control ports. Can two joysticks be plugged in, or just one and a light pen? If two can be plugged in, does a program read both ports or just port 1? If it reads them both, then two players can play at the same time, but how does this work?
Todd Wolfe
Yes, joysticks can be used in botb ports. You can check the joystick positions by PEEKing two memory loca- tions. Each time you push the joystick in one direction or press the fire button, various values are placed in these locations. The values indicate which operation was performed with the joystick, paddles, or light pen. The location to PEEK for port 2 is 56320, and port 1 is
10 COMPUTE!'* Gazette Juno 1984
56321 . Plug a couple of joysticks into ports 1 and 2 and run this short BASIC program. While the program is running, push the joystick and firebutton and watch the values in these memory locations change.
10 A=56320:B=56321
20 PRINTA;PEEK{A) ,B;PEEK(B) iGOTO20
Each operation performed on the joystick sets a bit (a byte is composed of eight bits) in the memory locations. The normal bit values are one, but when joystick activity is detected, the bit is set to zero. The bits are arranged as follows:
Bits Operation
3-0 joystick direction
3-2 paddle fire buttons
4 joystick fire button
7-6 read paddles on port 1 or 2
Reading individual bits is done by PEEKing with an AND. To PEEK bit 0, you would AND with I; to check bit 1 , AND with 2; the number used for the AND doubles with each succeeding bit, up to a value of 128 for bit 7
Here's another short demo program. Run this program with a joystick plugged into port 2. Run it a few times, changing the value of B to 1,2,4,8, and 16 to see how the individual bits are detected. When you push the joystick, the corresponding bit will change to a zero, and the zero will be displayed on the screen.
10 A=56320:B=1
20 PRINTPEEK{A)ANDB:GOTO20
As for a program being able to read both joysticks at the same time, it's up to the programmer. There are many tioo-player games available. Some game programs might use both the joystick ports plus the keyboard. It depends on the individual application.
Double-Sided Floppies
1 have a tip for your readers and a question for you. Some programmers like to cut a new write notch on their single-sided diskettes so they can use the reverse side. However, there's no need to spend your money on a special tool to cut the notches. As long as you measure accurately, a half-circle cut with an ordinary paper punch will suffice.
Now my question: Since I have been using the backs of my floppy disks for additional storage, I have come across a most annoying problem.
About ten percent will fail to format correctly, and will give me the message:
These are the haws of a master typist.
(Jonathan Pandotf i, age 7)
MasterType— the best-selling program that turns learning into child's play.
Given the choice of learning a skill or playing a game, most kids go for the game.
So how has MasterType" gotten so many young kids to sit still long enough to learn to type?
By being fun. By bringing the fast action of video games to each of Masterly pe's lesson program segments.
Kids get so caught up in zapping spaceships, Jthey-hacdly-realizeihey-vemasteredthe-keyboard.
Warning; Parents like it, too. And may find themselves unwittingly becoming expert typists before they know it.
Disks: Apple? Atari? Commodore 64* $39.95 IBM-PC $49.95 Cartridges: Atari' Commodore 64" $39.95
Try the other programs in the Scarborough System— Songwriter," PictureWhter'," Phi Beta Filer'," PatternMaker'" and Run for the Money'." All Scarborough software utilizes your computer's capabilities to the fullest. And perhaps more importantly, all are easy to use.
Apple, IBM and Atari are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., International Business Machines Corp. and Atari, Inc. respectively. Commodore 64 is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Limited.
■ ■■ ^flfe M m fl' M You'll grow with tn.
The Scarborough System.
Scarborough Systems, Inc., 25 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, New York 10591^^ M
. Broadway, Tarrytown
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21, READ ERROR, 75, 01
This never happens when formatting the front side of the disk. What is the problem?
Philip A. Grimes
Thanks for the tip. However, here's a stro}ig caution which is also ail answer to your formatting problem.
When most diskettes are first manufactured, they are intended to be double-sided . The magnetic coating on both sides is subjected to rigorous tests, if both sides pass the certification tests, it is sold as a double-sided diskette. If one side fails, but the other tests OK, it is sold as a single-sided disk. When you use the reverse side of a single-sided floppy, it may have already been tested and proven to be faulty — thus a probable cause of your formatting problem.
Another strong point to consider when using the reverse side: dust contamination. Manufacturers put a special lining inside the diskette jackets. The lining acts like a broom, sweeping the dust off the magnetic surface. Because the diskette always spins in the same direction, the dust has a tendency to be swept into one corner of the jacket. When you turn the diskette over and use the reverse side, the diskette spins in the opposite direction. This can spin the dust out of the corner, and back onto the delicate magnetic coating, possibly causing irrepar- able damage.
Using commercially available double-sided disks doesn't necessarily solve the problem. Double-sided diskettes are meant to be used on double-sided disk drives. These drives have ttoo read/write heads, one on the top and one on the bottom. This means that the diskettes don't have to be turned over; they always spin in just onedirection. When you use double-sided floppies in the 154J and 1540, you still have to reverse the disk- ette to reach the second side. So even though the diskette was tested safe on both sides, you still face the dust contamination problem.
gazette Double-Talk?
I'm an avid reader of your magazine, but your March issue leaves me puzzled.
In the Feedback column you reiterate advice to avoid using the SAVE@0: (SAVE with replace) command with the 1541 disk drives. Yet, you feature a utility on page 120 which is based on just that function.
What gives? As they say, it appears that you're talking out of both sides of your mouth.
John Pre mack
An interesting point. We still maintain that you should avoid the SAVE with replace command to be on the safe side.
However, in our judgment, the article and program were worth publication on their own merit. The author chose to mf this command in his program. It is possible rem ae "(a0:" (SAVE-with-replace) from the rog , out you would have to change the program
ach time.
1 2 (.OMPUTEI's Gazelle J un e 1 984
Cleaning Disk Drive Heads
I recently purchased a head cleaning kit for my Commodore 1541 disk drive. The instructions included with the cleaning kit state that I must insert the cleaning disk into the drive and then start the drive to engage the head for 30 to 60 sec- onds. Does the head engage when you first turn on the drive (the red light turns on for about 5 seconds). How do I engage the heads so that the disk drive is properly cleaned?
Jerry A. Coy
Don't depend on the brief spin when the drive is first turned on to do the cleaning. After inserting the cleaning diskette, you can make the drive spin any number of different ways.
Try loading the directory (LOAD "S",8), initial- izing the diskette (OPEN 15,8,15,"!"), or using the format command (OPEN 15,8,15:PR1NT#15,"NO: TEXT,T1":CLOSE 15). Any command that forces the drive to either read or write can be used when cleaning.
Colliding Sprites
I am trying to write a machine language game using sprites and am having trouble with the col- lision register ($D01E). I've found out that if I read the register a second time in machine lan- guage, all I get is a zero, not any current collisions as I do when I PEEK the register in BASIC.
It is a great waste of time to return to BASIC just to PEEK the collision register. Certainly there must be a way to get the computer to reset this register in machine language. How do I overcome this?
Sean D. Wagle
The problem you describe occurs because a small amount of time is required for the collision registers to reset after they are read. Any time you read these registers, whether from BASIC or machine language, they are automatically set to zero afterwards. Since it takes a brief moment for these registers to reset themselves, reading them over and over at machine language speeds tvill produce some zero readings even though collisions are still occuring. The best zoay to deal with this problem is to add a delay so that the collision registers arc read at longer time intervals. Store the results of the read in a separate storage location, then use this storage location to check for either sprite-to-sprite or sprite-to- backg round collisions .
The collision registers are two memory locations $D01 E (decimal 5327S) and $D01 F (decimal 53279). The eight sprites (0-7) register collisions by setting the corresponding bits (0-7) in each of these registers. The first location (SD01E) signals collisions between sprites by setting to 1 the appropriate bit for each sprite involved in the collision. Since sprite-to-sprite collisions must always involve at least two sprites, txoa or more bits in this register turn on for any contact between sprites.
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The second locution (SDOJF) signals contact be- tween a sprite and a nonzero portion of the background. Like the first register, bits are turned on for each sprite which "touches" a nonzero part of the background.
Collisions occur only when solid portions of the sprite occupy the same spot on the screen as another solid portion of a sprite or background.
Renaming Disks
I have many programs now collected on disk. T find that my disk names and numbering system have become a Mulligan Stew. I would like to retitlc and number them in a proper and orderly manner.
Do you know of a way to retitle and number them so that the contents of the programs are not harmed in any way?
James R. Maloney
White it Is simple to rename a program on disk, it is more complicated to rename the actual disk. If done incorrectly, it may ruin the disk directory. If you want to rename a disk, it is best to format a new disk with the desired name and ID number, then copy all the programs from the old disk to the new.
Changing the names of the programs on your
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diskettes is easy, however, and can be done with one command. Here's the format:
OPEN 15,8,15: PRINT#15,"R0:«ew/t«ime= oldname": CLOSE 15
where RO: means rename, new name is the new name you wish to give to the program, and oldname is the current name.
if you wish to rename more than one program, enter and RUN this program (for both the VIC and 64).
10 CLOSE15:OPEN15,8,15
20 PRINT" IcLRH DOWN} RENAMING PROGRAMS"
30 PRINT" ENTER OLD NAMfis " I INPUTOS
40 PRINT "ENTER NEW NAME: " : INPUTNS
50 PRINT#15, "R0!":NS; "=";0?
60 PRINT" {DOWN} PRESS (RVS)Fl(OFF} TO REP
EAT" 70 GETA$:IFA?=""THEN70 80 IFA$<>"fFl}"THENEND 90 GOTO 20
Useful POKEs
Here is a data table showing some useful POKEs. We use it here at our school, 100 Mile Junior Sec- ondary, British Columbia. 1 am sure there are others who could benefit from this compilation.
Dave Schneider
|
Fund ion |
VIC |
64 |
|
"Cold" Start |
SYS 64802 |
SYS 64738 |
|
Uppercase/Graphics Lowercase/Uppercase |
I'OKE 36869,240 I'OKE 36869,242 |
POKE 53272,21 POKE 53272,23 |
|
Disable STOP |
POKE 808,127: POKE 788, I'M |
I'OKE 788,52: POKE 808,239 |
|
Enable STOP |
POKE 808, 112: POKE 788,191 |
POKE 788,49: I'OKE 808,237 |
|
Disable STOP, RESTORE, and LIST |
POKE 808, 100: POKE 802,0: POKE 803,0: POKE 818,165 |
I'OKE 808,225 or POKE 808,234 |
|
Enable STOP, RESTORE, and LIST |
POKE 808,1 12: I'OKE 802,243: I'OKE 803,243: POKE 818,133 |
POKE 808,237 |
|
Disable RESTORE |
POKE 792,90 |
POKE 793,203 |
|
Disable SAVE |
POKE 818,73 |
I'OKE 819,245: POKE 818,32 |
|
Enable SAVE |
POKE 818,113 |
POKE 818,245: POKE 818,237 |
|
Disable Repeal |
I'OKE 650,0 |
POKE 650,0 |
|
Enable Repeal |
POKE 650,128 |
I'OKE 650,128 |
|
Disable LIST Enable LIST |
POKE 775,200 POKE 775,199 |
I'OKE 775,200 I'OKE 775,167 |
|
Clear Keyboard Buffer |
POKE 198,0 |
POKE 198,0 |
|
Disable Keyboard Enable Keyboard |
POKE 649,0 POKE 649,10 |
POKE 649,0 POKE 649,10 |
|
Restore Keyboard |
POKE 650,0 |
I'OKE 649,10: POKE 808,237 |
14 COMPUTEI's Gazelle June 1984
Thank you. We're sure our readers will find the table helpful. When using the POKEs to disable LIST, note that RUN/STOP-RESTORE will not reset the computer. Q
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■
M^/m even Cities of Cold is an attempt ^^^ v\ i th thi' computer medium to do ^^^ lor I lie sixteenth century and the H^F Spanish conquistadors \\ ha! Shogun did for sixteenth-century Japan," says David Grady, publica lions manager lor Electronic Arts.
the fact that Grady can say that with a straight face is due in no small sense to his company's remarkable track record in producing some of the most innovative and well-conceived computer games on the market.
And the new game he's referring to, Seven Cities of Gold, is a good example of several trends in game software we'll see in the future — more depth of play, greater background research, sophisticated humor, and increased emphasis on human qualities.
I ike James Clavell's hook, Shogun, Seven Cities is an attempt to recreate a past world lull of rich detail. But in this world, you decide how almost every phase of the plot will be carried out.
"It's like writing a historical novel," continues Grady. "And when that is what vou set out to do, you've got to make it wink like a historical novel. You've got to immerse yourself in the period, and think about what you can do with the medium to give people the kinds of emotions that you're discovering existed in the period as you do your research."
A brief description of the game only hints at its depth: As a sixteenth-century Spaniard, you lead an expedition to discover the new world, first outfitting your ship, getting (he king's blessing, and then sailing off to — -who knows where? There are thousands of miles of ocean in which to get lost and the prospect of a mutinous crew. There are natives who may be hostile, friendly, or just wary. And there is the entire new world lor vou to explore, settle, and — as in history — to plunder. But beware. Hie new world holds penalties tor too rapacious an attitude.
The game, created for Electronic Arts by Ozark Softscape (which also developed M.U.L.E.) is expected to be available for the Commodore 64 and Atari machines by the time you read this, aiul for IBM and Apple computers later this year.
"As vou get computers which have more memory available and more speed, programmers are going to take advantage [of these] to do more richly complex things," says Gradv. "And build- ing models of things that work in the world is one of the neat things you can do with a computer."
18 COMPUT£l's Garplle Juno 1984
There is a focused attention among computer game producers today, much like the concen- tration that would come with the prospect of being hanged at dawn. Why? Millions of dollars can be won or lost by software developers and the dealers who sell ihe software. And all of that potential profit or loss hinges on correctly anticipating what games the public will want a year or two from now,
What will the consumer buy tomorrow? "It's like trying to aim at a moving target," says Ken- neth Williams, president of Sierra On-Line, one of the industry's most successful software man- ufacturers. I lis comment was made during a spe- cial seminar on computer games at last February's Softcon, the international conference and trade fair for the software industry.
Words of warning came from writer anci game designer Roe Adams III, another participant in the seminar: "People are becoming more finicky about software. Game designers will have to bring people into the game.
"The software companies that will succeed are the ones which put human values in their software," he added.
That prescription will be important for the games of the future, whether they are fast-action, arcade-style games or the increasingly popular text adventures.
In B.C/s Quest For Tires ($34.95), Sierra On- Line features Johnny Hart's internationally popu- lar cartoon strip, B.C., to add humor and a human touch to a colorful, fast-action contest.
As software manufacturers reach for a larger audience, they are using familiar names, faces, and situations to help consumers identify with their games. HesWare's Minnesota Fnts' Pool Chal- lenge, Broderbund's Choplifter (remember the Iranian rescue mission?), and Datasoft's The Dallas Quest (J.R. Ewing and the rest of the family) are examples.
The growing popularity of adventure games holds another key to the future of computer soft- ware— more sophisticated use of natural lan- guage. Early adventure games allowed the player only a limited number of commands — -usually two-word orders such as "Get lantern" or "Kill dragon." The newer games, and those still on the drawing boards, use far greater vocabularies and more powerful parsers, which are used to interpret your commands. Full sentences can now be inter- preted by game software.
Sierra On-Line is a company which pioneered
Start A Tradition With Advanced Ideas
Bnng the whole family together with programs that are educational, flexible, extendable and fun. As the years go by you'll be glad you did.
Families like yours know programs aren't all the same. And that a computer is only as good as the software that runs on it.
So go ahead. Demand programs flexible enough to fit your children's abilities as they grow. Insist on features that extend subject matter as far as you want to take it. And be unimpresed if the whole thing isn't great fun. Then watch as your family keeps coming back to Advanced Ideas. You'll discover that you've really started something.
How to Choose Software for Your Home
"As an educator with over a decade of experience using computers with child- ren, I've found there are key features in a well-designed learning game. One is extendability.
Look for enough variety to hold your child's attention over time. Some games are appealing in the short run, but are quickly mastered. Supplementary materi- als such as disks of added lessons can continue your child's interest and enjoyment.
The ability to modify a program is another form of extendability. Authoring systems can let you create lessons on your own topic areas for any age level and allow children to create and save original work, giving a sense of completion and pride vital to learning."
Software of Choice
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The expedition ha* landed on an uncharted island in Electronic Art*' Seven Cities of Gold.
B.C.'s Quest For Tires by Sierra On-line features a popular cartoon character.
the use ul graphics in text .id venture games. "We have to lay out an adventu re game like we're doing ten different games in order to get people to play it over and over again," says Williams.
King's Quest {IBM PC, S49.95) a new adventure game from Sierra On-Line, was almost two years in the making, he says. Using the keyboard and an optional joystick, you guide Sir Grahame through a series of adventures, using full sen- tences. There is more than one ending to the game, and a player is given points for the cleverness of a particular solution.
But, with King's Quest, colorful three- dimensional graphics accompany the text. Char- acters are animated to a greater degree than in past adventure games. They run, talk, and swim, for example. The ultimate goal for the future, Williams says, is realtime animation. You type in a command for your character to open a door and walk to another room. The door will then be seen to open, a creaking sound will be heard, and your character will walk through.
Infocom, Inc., a software company that is already something of a legend in its own time, avoids adding graphics to the complex and cap- tivating text adventure games it produces. A vari- ety of different games, such as the Zark trilogy, the murder mystery Deadline, and the science fiction adventure Suspended, has gained Infocom a fiercely loyal following. The Zork games sparked a Zork User Group (ZUG) which boasted more than 20,000 members. ZUC has since disbanded, but interest in Zork remains strong.
A new game, Sorcerer ($49.95), is a sequel to the company's popular Lnehanter, and a part of In- focom's interactive fiction series in the mystic arts. Sorcerer c,in understand a vocabulary of more than 1,000 words, which allows you a much more nat- ural dialogue with your computer. As a neophyte wizard, you depend on spells, potions, and other
70 COMPUTE!'* Gazelle June 1984
magic powers to find treasure and solve puzzles.
"Ultimately, the nicest thing would be to Itilk to your computer and say, 'OK, now I'm going to interrogate this suspect about where he was when the murder was committed,' something like that," says Marc Blank, a vice president at Infocom and one of the guiding lights in the company's success.
"We've always felt that sound and graphics are pretty much irrelevant, and in a way detract attention from other parts of the story'. Those things are really bells and whistles," he says. "We've spent our time working on the plot and the writing, the puzzles, and the parsing — things that are much more re le van I."
Text adventure games also allow great leeway in the use of humor, another part of computer programming that game developers will continue to explore in future games.
Tell Sinus's Blade of Blackpool that you wish to do harm to an innocent bystander, for instance, and the game's response is likely to be "My, we're feeling violent today!" Type in the word "Sneeze" in Infocom's Planeifall. "Gesundheit" flashes on the screen of your computer. Humor and an un- derstanding of human foibles are facets of adven- ture games thai the best programmers bring to their craft.
"All of us like to laugh a lot," says Electronic Arts' Grady. "We like to play. And humor just naturally flows from that situation. So we quite naturally found ourselves wanting to publish games that would make people laugh."
Infocom's Blank agrees, "Inevitably, if you're giving the player a tot of open-ended possibilities, some of them are just inherently humorous or absurd. And we all have the sense of which things we should consider when we're writing the games, and which things we shouldn't bother. I
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Introdueinga new generation of computer games. Family Learning Games from Spinnaker.
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Where do monsters lurk? Ana which islands have treasures tolirlKiliSVHi't'rtlhftni.ic.li/:, words, foi only Ins clues can lead you to riches and a safe return. Ages 8 - Adult.
What makes our Family Learning Games so special? Well, for one thing they're designed to challenge and excite everyone in the family, from grade schoolers to grownups. Their unique combination of chance and strategy makes them perfect for young players, yet challenging enough that everyone will want to play them again and again.
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quite a bit more than they'd learn from a typical board game (if you could even get them to play a typical board game).
So next time you want to get every- body together, don't get discouraged - get Spinnaker's Family Learning Games.
You'll find the biggest challenge in family fun won't be on the refrigerator. It'll be on the computer.
SpinnaKer games are available for ColecoVision* and for Coleco Adam," Commodore 64 " and Atari1 home computers.
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Cartridges for: Co lecoVision. Coleco Adam, Atari 3nd Commodore 64.
CotKoVowi mo Ann ire t cgsttfM IrMWiarto of Cowto ImVMria and Man. I nc. nwettwrty. Cofetn Adam ma Commodore 64 art uonwta of cokto iMustnn and Commoaort Dearoracs Ltd (rspfttwHy c 1 963,
Sfwwi4k*r Software Corn. All rxtfits ftscnml.
Graphics and text are combined in Sierra On- Line's adven- ture, King's Quest, for the IBM PC.
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/I typical screen from the all-text adventure, Infictel, by Infocom.
think the humor is very important. It's a way of making the machine less visible, by making it a little more human."
How revolutionary will the changes be in future games, as humor and human touches are added to other improvements in programming and computer capabilities? "My guess is it's going to be more evolutionary, with some reasonably large steps every once in a while. But I don't expect anything revolutionary," says Blank.
"On each game, what we're really working on is to add something new. And then every year or so to come out with something that's different, that puts all that together with other things to create a product that's more than the sum of all these improvements," he adds.
The popular success last year of a new video disk arcade game called Dragon's Lair, leads its creator, Don Bluth, to believe that laser-driven video disks are the wave of the future. And that includes home computers as well, he says.
Bluth, a former Walt Disney animator who now heads Don Bluth Animations, is producer and designer of a similar video game, Space Ace, which made its debut earlier this year.
Like Dragon's Lair, the new game features colorful motion-picture style animation, a cast of zany characters, stereophonic sound, and a fast- paced multiple-decision scenario for the user.
Slightly more than 25 minutes of classical animation have been programmed onto the pitted surface of a video disk, which is about the size of a record album. A laser reads the pits. "Pioneer has come up with a new machine which is a very, very fine player," says Bluth. "It has a random access which is much faster. Itcan randomly access several things consecutively up to about five feet of film, and you will sec no search (the half-second
17 COMPUTE!'-; Gazelle Juno 1984
blank-screen delay caused when the laser jumps from one part of a disk to another).
"It still uses one laser, but it's done with a mirror action. The laser is refracted and instan- taneously thrown across the disk. So the only time you will see a tiny search is when you have failed to make a correct move and you access to a death scene. But if you're playing successfully, you'll see no search time," he says.
Space Ace cost about SI .8 million to develop, says Bluth. And a sequel to Dragon's Lair, called Dragon's Lair II — Time Warp is being created at a cost of about $2,3 million.
"The laser disk is a very delicate instrument, and when it's used properly, the game will be exciting to look at and to play," says Bluth. "When those two elements work in tandem, 1 believe you will make obsolete the traditional arcade game because we'll leave the arena of big dots and enter the arena of motion picture entertainment. If Space Ace works very well, then we'll know that Dragon's Lair was not a fluke, and that the laser disk future is very bright."
Coleco has reportedly purchased the rights to both games for possible introduction into the home through its Adam computer system, al- though no details about the plans have yet been announced.
"The laser disk industry will start to blos- som," says Bluth. "And when that begins to hap- pen, the price will come down. Sitting there in everyone's living room, with all the other players that they'll have, will be a laser disk player."
A unique enterprise started this spring in Orange County, California, which — if suc- cessful— will bring a television-based games ser- vice to the nation. Called The Games Network, this system offers 20 different computer games
E£31
Mcwfif
S
You bought a computer to cultivate your kids'minds. Make sure it's bearing fruit, not growing vegetables.
Introducing a whole crop of Learning Adventure games from Spinnaker.
When it comes to cultivating adventurous young minds, the computer's potential is endless.
Unfortunately, the search for software that makes the most of that potential has been endless, too.
That is. until Spinnaker created the Learning Adventure Series. A unique collec- tion of games that reward curiosity with
It's New! TRAINS.'"
Ybu're in charge of an old-time railroad - and whether it turns into a bonanza or a bust depends on how well you run It. But either way you'll find that working on this railroad is a challenge - and a lot of fun I Ages 10- Adult.
hours of adventure and learning. So the time kids spend with our games will help them develop valuable skills. Instead of just tired thumbs.
But what really makes our Learning Adventure games unique -educational value aside- is how much fun they are. Which isn't too surprising when you consider you can do things like bargain with aliens, search a haunted house, or bu ild your own railroad empire.
It's New!
ADVENTURE
CREATOR."'
Design a challenging adventure game that you or a friend tan tackle - or let the computer design one for you. It's complex. exciting - utterly addictive! Ages 12-Adult.
In fact our games are so much fun. kids will really enjoy developing some very impor- tant skills. Deductive reasoning, note taking. and problem solving, for instance.
So. if you're in the market for software that will truly cultivate young minds, pick the Spinnaker Learning Adventure Series.
It's the best way to be sure your search will be fruitful.
Spinnaker Learning Adventure games are available for Apple. ■ Ata ri. " I BM * and Commodore 64 '* home computers.
IN SEARCH OF THE MOST AMAZING THING.'"
It isn't easy to find - even in your B- line r. But you" 1 1 have help from your Uncle Smoke Bailey as you search the universe to find the Most Amazing Thing. Ages 10- Adult.
SP//Y/M/f£fc
We make learning fun.
Disks for: Apple. Atari. IBM, and Commodore 64. Cartridges for: Atari and Commodore 64 -
(ADVENTURE CREATOR only)
Apple, mm anil IBM arc register M trademarks of Apple Compuier. Iric . nun. Inc. arid international BiKircess Machine Corp. Commodore 64 b a trademark of Commodore Electronics Lid. o 1 984, Spinnaker Software Corp. aH i igMs reserved.
Classic animation produced by a laser disk is a feature of Don Bluih's neiv Space Ace arcade same.
which can be downloaded from your television screen into a specially leased 64 K microcomputer (not a stand-alone) named The Window. The Net- work will offer a variety of educational, arcade, and adventure games. Five new games will be added and five old games dropped each month by The Network.
For a suggested one-time installation fee of $30 and a monthly suggested user fee of $15.95, you can play any of the games night or day, seven days a week at no extra charge. Downloading to personal computers would present the problem of software piracy, which is not a possibility with The Window, says Randy Wise, director of sub- scriber services for The Games Network.
"We're a programming service similar to HBO or Showtime, except that we need special hardware to run," he says. "There is no up-front cost to the cable operator. We put in the head-end hardware, and release the hardware to the cabie operator to put into the subscriber's home. All of the payments for that are based on subscriber fees, so we've made it as easy for the cable operators to get into The Games Network as it is for subscribers."
A test of the system over a year ago in Fuller- ton, California, resulted in a very good response, says Wise.
"There arc some interesting concepts here which no one has had a chance to explore vet. People can look at a program and get used to it on The Games Network. If it's something they like, then thev're more likelv to want to go out and buy it," he says.
The Games Network plans to coordinate its
2A COMPUTEI's Gazette June 1984
offerings with software com- panies. New software may be previewed on the system, and classic computer games might be given new life when millions of new users see them for the first time, he notes.
"We feel many millions of people will be exposed to com- puters who right now don't know anything about them. And once they gain some familiarity through the painless procedure of playing games on The Games Network, they'll get interested in buying hardware and soft- ware," says Wise. "We feel it's going to actually speed up the whole computerization ol America."
As the world becomes more computerized, it's certain that games will continue to hold a special fascination for millions of com puter ow ners . And softwa re ma n u fnctu re rs are making it clear — by their new products and their plans for the future— that they're doing far more than just playing games. (£J
TELECOMM-20 TELECQMM-64
METAPHASE SOFTWARE has produced an extremely powerful yet simple la use terminal program for the Commodore 64' and VIC 20r computers. Compare this fist ol features to those of any other terminal program:
• Compatible with all modems which connect to user port. * Completely menu driven. * Downloads text, program^ or data files. Saves i.or saves transmitted Informal ion continuously. Stores downloaded fJtes on cassette or disk, or dumps to printer. * Uploads text or program file*. Reads Nles from cassette or disk, • Connect time clock.* ■ • ASCII or Commodore character codes." " Captures and displays hlgh-resotutlon bitmapped graphics flies/* * Full support for auto-dial and auto-answer moderns.'* ■ Color selection menu. Set border, screen, and character colors,
* User sefeciable communication protocols
" Baud rate . . . 50-240X3 * Word length ... 5^ bits * Parity . . , even, odd, none " Stop bits ... 1 or 2 " Duplex , . . full or half * Echo . , . local or remote
* Comprefiensive documentation in 3-n'ng vinyl binder.
AND NOW COMPARE OUR PRICE. ,, ONLY 29.95 {disk or cassette)!!!
FEVER BLACKJACK
(OS-a only)
want to learn to win at CASiNO BLACKJACK, or. il you simply enjoy
- ihe game, [hen FEVER BLACKJACK la for you. Learn the basic rules CKJACK or learn sophisticated card couminpj techniques. The higtwes color graphics or FEVER BLACKJACK will make you think you are Silling at the table. Play against the computer as you would a real dealer, vary the number of decks, bet sue, or dealing speed, or learn by waichmg the computer play itself. More advanced players may/ practice card counting. Two different card-counting systems are preset, or you can medify ihem with your own system FEVER BLACKJACK will play thousands ol hands according to your own system and then display |h& WINJLOS5 ratios as a (unction of Ihe card count THERE'S NO LONGER ANY EXCUSE NOT TO WtN AT BLACKJACK! • >"C Jo *"d ConwettKiP ** *■• 'tfliiii'iii ('iW#-nj'"» pf Cm— '"'"*>'* Bvi"*t4 ««"»f*i ►*<
SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE ... $19-95 {disk or cassette) Check, money order. VISA, MASTERCARD accepted VISA Add S2Q0 handling per program (CA residents add tax). MC • * ' ' Dealer Inciuiries Invited " " *
=-=i^& METAPHASE SOFTWARE
■ ^»M -^^M P.O. Box 7263 San Jose, CA 95150 Wl^# 408-268-3498
The Commodore Connection
More Easy to Read Books and Software
— — — — — from 0J dilithium Press ^ — — — —
MORE THAN 32 BASIC PROGRAMS FOR THE COMMODORE 64 "
Tom Ruftfi, Phil Fcidman and Western Systems Group
BOOK:
ISBN R8056- 111-2 354 Pages
134 Must rail on*
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Here Is a collection of programs for your entire family. Both books are chock-full of programs with practical applications, educational uses, games, and graphics too! Type in programs from the books or use ready to run programs provided in the book/software packages.
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friers frre wtbject in r.hange
KEEPTRACK '" : File Manager for Personal Computers Norm Church
This book and software package turns your Commodore 64 or VIC 20 computer into a personal filing cabinet! It's designed for easy access and will "keep track" of everything from birthdays to tax deductions.
BOOK:
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ISaftwarr — either disk or cassette — contains program* tor Commodore 64 computer* on one side, and programs for VIC 20 computers on the other!
KEEPTRACK" REPORTER
Norm Church and Bruce Schneider
Now you can quickly and accu- rately custom design and formal reports and mailing labels from KeepTrack files. For home, business, or education, KEEP- TRACK REPORTER enables you to select data based on any category, and easily sort it on multiple categories.
BOOK:
ISBN 0-88050- 142-4 IOJ [nigra 89.95
55 ILLn-ttrallrm*
BOOK-SOFTWARE PACKAGES;
ISBN 0-88050-1 00-3 5'/t"lll»l(
ISBN 0-880.18- U17-1 , ,ivj-tlr
A PET* FOR KIDS
Sharon Borcn
fA/sn for file Commodore 64 and VIC SO)
A fresh, fun. and Instructive approach to teaching kids pro- gramming and computer opera- tion. Illustrations and examples motivate children ages 8 to 13 to higher learning levels.
ISBN 0-88050- 1 0C- 8 20Op«gra 09, (15
HO 111 Lirtlrn Manx
Activity Worhtmoktmti Teacher's Guide also available
SEND TO: dlllthitun Press P.O. Box E
Beaverton, OR 97073 1
flrjsrscnd tnc the lx»k[s] 1 hawchwKrt] tun- '
rtmMnll lhal it I'm not fully samded. I can re- turn the hooklft] wllhlti 10 *Ja>-* [of AjU Aliii [.rumpl refuHcJ
HOKE TltAK 31 PROGRAMS FOR THE COMMODORE 04 COMPUTER
I 1 HOOK 610 05 n HOOK/DISK 839 05 n UOOKjCASSETTE SM05 MORE THAN 33 PROGRAMS FOR THE VIC 30 COMPUTER
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dilithium Press books are available at your local bookstore or computer store. You can also call us to charge your order on VISA or MC — 800-547-1842 outside of Oregon, or 646-27 13 In Oregon,
SIMPLE ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS
TOM R. HALFHILL FEATURES EDITOR
Each month, COMPUTEI's GAZETTE mil tackle some questions commonly asked by new VlC-20/Commodore
64 users and by people shopping for their first home computer.
^DC« I've been rending a little about machine language, and I'm confused about the difference between machine language and assembly lan- guage, and machine language monitors and as- semblers. Can you explain?
XX m A thorough discussion would require much more space than we have here, but essentially machine language and assembly language are the same thing. The terms are used pretty much in- terchangeably these days, although we prefer to say "machine language."
The term assembly language comes from assem- bler. You can think of an assembler as a utility — a tool— for putting together (assembling) a machine language program. You don't need an assembler to write machine language, but it makes the job a lot easier.
The earliest computers could be programmed in machine language only. They lacked enough memory to hold a language such as BASIC (which itself is just a large machine language program). The first kit-built personal computers didn't even have keyboards. Instead, there were eight toggle switches on a front panel, one for each bit in a byte. To write a program, you had to toggle the switches in hundreds of different patterns. (If you think typing in a BASIC program listing is laborious and error-prone, you ought to try this.)
An assembler is a utility program which au- tomates this process. You type in a three-letter abbreviation for a command, called a mnemonic or opcode, and the assembler sets the internal "switches" in the correct pattern for you.
A monitor (not to be confused with a display screen) also is a tool to make machine language programming easier. A monitor is like a window into the computer's memory. You can examine sections of memory, change their contents, move them around, and search for certain numbers.
2<5 COMPUTE!': Gazelto Juno 1984
Many monitors even include mini-assemblers.
Machine language programmers are divided into two camps: those who write their programs with monitors, and those who prefer assemblers. Beginning machine language programmers whose backgrounds are in BASIC probably would feel more comfortable starting with an assembler. But monitors are useful too, especiallv for debugging programs created with assemblers.
^db ■ // / send a command to the disk drive and there is no disk in the drive, does this cause any damage?
**■ Absolutely not. The disk drive's red LED
"busy light" will glow for a few seconds as the drive attempts to access the nonexistent disk, and then it will start blinking. A blinking busy light indicates an error condition. But the drive will not be damaged in any way. The LED will stop blink- ing the next time you access the drive, or when you read the error channel (see your user's man- ual).
In fact, there is no way you can physically damage your computer or any of its peripherals by entering any kind of command at the keyboard. At worst, you might issue a series of commands which could lock your printer into an "endless loop" and cause a paper jam or eventual burnout. But even this is highly unlikely, and would happen only if you left the printer running unattended for a while.
Occasionally an erroneous series of com- mands will trap the disk drive in an endless loop. This might occur if you're writing a program which accesses the disk drive and you forget to provide an escape from the loop. If left alone, the drive might continue spinning indefinitely and eventu- ally overheat. But again, -you'd have to be ignoring the situation for quite some time before this happened.
In any case, no matter how badly you goof up, you can always completely reset the computer system by turning everything off for a few seconds and then back on again. Anv program or data stored in the computer's memorv will be wiped out, of course, which is why it's important to save copies on disk or tape. (Bf
All the hits
your computer
is missing
■M I
JUNGLI HUNT MS.PAC-NMN
poupomtwn *—sa
PROTECTOR II MCttK FA* JMOM
DOHKCT HONG
MS.PM-MftN '.""'
moon patrol s
jumgu hunt ••:.■■':"
sattieioni s —
DONKEY KONG ".■
HOBOtnOM:10Sfl '
COMMODORE
64
'I1 Tl-rttTI-WB
Bg ebb C
If you thought you'd never find fun games for your hardworking home computer, happy days are here. Because now ATARISOFT" has all the great hits. . . Pac-ManJ Donkey KongJ by Nintendo;' Centipede'; Defender; Joust; Jungle Hunt; Moon Patrol; Pole Position; Galaxian1, Ms. Pac-ManJ and Battlczone!"
And we've got them for all the hit computers . . .Apple, IBM, Commodore 64, Vic-20, Colecovi- sion* and TI 99/4A. We've got Pac-Man, Centi- pede and Defender for Intelli vision too.
So dust off vour joystick and ask your dealer for all the ATARISOFT hits. It's the software your hardware's been waiting for.
aimisoft:
All the hits your computer is missing.
ATARISOFT products ate manufactured by Alan. Inc (or use wrft varous computers and vdeo game consoles ATARISOFT products am not made, licensed or approved by tiro manutadurerg oi these ™X; and^eo earn consoles -Donkey Kong and Battlc/one not available on Cotocwwn 1 Trademarks ol Bally Mta Co SufcJrcensod to ATARI. Inc by NamcoArwrica Inc 2 Trademarks and CNmlenoo'lSat 1983 3 T.ademarksandOWtfliamsigBO. 1982. manufactured under ncensc from Williams Floctron.cs 4. Tnidemart and ODlTa.lo America Corporate! 1982 5 Engineered and designed by Narnco Ltd manufactured under licenw by ATARI. Inc Trademark and ID Nomco 1982. Alan* O A Watnet Communications Co O 1984 ATARI, inc All rights rtsefvad
unnssm
The Designers Behind
MULE.
Dan Bunlen, head of the design team behind M.U.L.E.
They're all over 30 — "old men in the computer field," by their own admission. But they've written a game with enough depth and charm to keep the most discriminating videogame players happy for hundreds of hours. They're the design team behind M.U.L.E.: Dan Bunten, Bill Bunten, Jim Rushing, and Alan Watson.
28 COMPUTEI's Gazette June 1984
ENTER THE ELEPHANT SAFARI
EPSTAKES
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An exciting two week adventure for two to a wild game preserve in Kenya, Africa. The trip includes airfare, luxurious accommodations, meals, tips, and taxes.
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A Bell & Howell 35mm camera. The 35J complete with fine Lumina lens completely elim- inates complicated focusing.
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Camouflage Nylon Duffle Bag. This handsome bag is water repellent and double reinforced at all stress points.
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HOW TO ENTER
No purchase necessary. Just come into a participating Elephant Safari Sweepstakes dealership where you'll find free entry blanks and official rules. While you're there, checkout our full line of quality Elephant memory disks and accom panying products. Entries must be received by July 31, 1984. Void where prohibited.
For the Elephant dealer nearest you, call 1-800-343-8413. In Massachusetts, call
collect 517-769-8150. ELEPHANT NEVER
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: I " ■ ! -''-
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HAVE YOU EVER REALLY
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A HOME COMPUTER?
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Most people have never really figured out why they bought a home computer. That's because most people have never figured out what their home computer can really do. There's more to it than balancing a checkbook or zapping aliens.
But how do you learn enough about your computer to figure out what it can really do? You could buy one of the thousands of computer books on the market. Or you could buy one of the thousands of pieces of educational software. But the problem is that the books and software
don't go together. So when you use one, you can't use the other. And you really should have both.
SOFTEXT has the solution. We have a selection of intelli- gent, stimulating, integrated, software/book packages. The software and booKs can be used alone or in combina- tion. And each software/book package also includes an easy-to-understand User's Guide.
So don't sit around trying to figure out why you bought a home computer. Instead, figure out how you can get your hands on a SOFTEXT package.
AT THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN Th.s package leaches children and adults to program in BASIC by invoking them in a fascinating adventure story. Join the characters in a journey of discovery as they too learn about computers tor the first time.
EASY PROGRAMMING WITH THE TI-99WA
Get the most out of your TI-99/4A. learn efficient, professional programming techniques even if you re a beginner.
THECOMMODORE64 MUSIC MASTER
This is the only true "teaching" package of its kind, Learn to": compose and create music while exploring sophisticated programming skills
DISCOVER YOUR VIC-20
Using specific examples, this is a n advent u re- ba serf pa ck- age that goes beyond the traditional BASIC introduction.
THE COMMODORE PUZZLE MASTER
This package contains fifty brainteasers and their programmed solutions. Leam how to design your own puzzles with color, sound and graphics.
— WWHU 1 U ! I. J* - AN INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMODORE 64
This is a thoughtful, entertaining, self-paced guide to programming. An important investment for any Commodore 64 owner. {Shown with book and tape)
YOU BOUGHT A HOME COMPUTER.
SOFTEXT INC., 380 Green Street, P.O. Box 2007, Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 876-2334
The ship has just dropped you off on an unsettled planet, and won't be back for months. You have some money to buy supplies at the local store. You have the assistance of three companions. And you have a multiunit labor element- — a combination robot/ telephone/toaster/ radio/best friend, affectionately referred to as M.U.L.E. — that tends to run away occasionally and break down eventually.
He's basically a good little guy. Maybe a tad klunky and weird-looking, especially as he lopes across the screen before the game begins, but he's got a tough job. Some consider him endearing.
Settling the planet isn't easy. Acid rainstorms may ruin your solar collectors. Insect swarms threaten your crops. A fire in the store could de- stroy all the supplies. A random meteorite pro- vides more crystite — a valuable rock substance — but obliterates whatever was in its path. If you decide to mine ore, you risk losing every thing to space pirates. Whatever you choose to cultivate — food, energy, crystite, or smithore — can make or break you, depending on the supply and demand, and on how daring you are during the game's 12 auctions.
And you can't do it alone. You need the help of your companions. You need nerve. You need your M.U.L.E.
Millions of miles from that imaginary planet, in a residential district in Little Rock, Arkansas, sits a house, rather homey and comfort- able. Across the street is a park and a little lake.
This is the home of Management Systems Engineering, otherwise known as Ozark Soft- scape. Otherwise known as Dan Bun ten, Hill Bun- ten, Jim Rushing, and Alan Watson, the designers of M.U.L.E.
Dan, head of the design team, has a back- ground in industrial engineering, and has worked in a number of "traditional" careers, including a stint as an assistant city manager.
He wrote his first microcomputer program in 1979. Named Wheeler Dealer, it was a business simulation for the Apple. "It was really very primi- tive," says Bun ten. "Looking at it now, I say to myself, 'Did people really do those kinds of things?' It contained a lot of real klutzy things that I wouldn't do anymore."
32 COMPUTE !'s Gazette June 1984
Wheeler Denier was published by the now- defunct Speakeasy Software and cost $50, which was an "outrageous price," according to Hun ten. "I think it sold 150 copies," he says.
Though it may not have had appeal, Bunten's first program did have something that would later become an important element of M.U.L.E.: It had four players. "I had to design my own hardware device that allowed four different input lines," he says.
Next came Cartel* And Cutthroats, another business simulator, and Cytron Masters, a "nonwar war game," according to Bun ten. Computer Quarterback, which was converted from a main- frame, was his best seller (6000 copies) before M.U.L.E,
Cartels piqued the interest of Tripp Hawkins, president of Klectronic Arts. "Tripp was a real Cartels fan," says Bunten. "Initially, he wanted my brother Bill and me to do another game like that, a business simulator. The problem was that it was a little too cerebral, not as playable as M.U.L.E. It did have the kind of depth that Elec- tronic Arts was interested in, though."
About this time, Jim Rushing and Alan Watson got involved. "Alan had been a salesman at a com- puter store," says Bunten. "He had written an arcade game and sold the rights to it. He was look- ing for some way to be able to design games full- time, but didn't think it would be possible for another couple of years. He was glad to jump at it.
"Jim Rushing' had finished his M.B.A. 1 le was looking for jobs, but didn't find anything that really interested him. In the meantime, he was learning programming on his own. His cash flow needs were so reasonable that we were able to bring him on real quick."
Ozark Softscape also has some part-time help which includes Roy Glover, who wrote the de- lightful theme song for M.U.L.E.
MU.L.E. was the result of Ozark Softscape's ■ first effort to design a game as a team, though Bill and Dan had played and designed games together all their lives. When Dan was 12 and Bill 10, they drew a complete naval war game on their basement floor.
"Bill and I did the main design of M.U.L.E., though the initial brainstorming process involved
COMPUTE'S
DISK
COMPUTED gazette DISK will premier with the May "984 issue of compute i 's gazette. When you subscribe to computers gazette disk, each month you will re- ceive a fully tested 5 '/4-inch floppy disk which will run on eitheryour Commodore VIC-20 or 64 personal computer. Each issue of computei's gazette disk will contain all of the programs which appear in the corresponding issue of COM PUTEl's GAZETTE. You'll save hours of typing time and be able to enjoy all of the high quality software found each month in computed gazette.
Here are just a few of the quality programs which will appear in the May 1 984 issue:
> Props — a fast-paced, nonviolent game for the Commo- dore 61. Animated with machine language, the game puts you in control of a pigeon lost in a dangerous sky filled with whirling propellers. Your goal is to make it across the sky to find your skittish mate, who moves un- predictably from coop to coop.
> SuperSpnte — an unsteady flyer depends on you to guide him down through a series of unfriendly kryptonite bar- riers. For the Commodore 64, SuperSprite makes effective use of sprite animation and sound.
i PRINT Sound — a utility for the ViC-20 which translates letters into musical notes. All you supply is a simple PRINT statement.
» Sound Story — an exciting demonstration program that illustrates the sound capabilities of the VIC-20. A story with screen text comes to life with the sound of crickets, lightning and thunder, a UFO in flight, and Morse code.
and many more!
Ordering Information
To Order:
To reserve YOUR copy of the premier issue of the gazette disk and enter your subscription, return the attached post- paid card or call computei's gazette TOLL FREE 800-334- 0868 fin North Carolina 919-275-9809). AN orders must be prepaid— send check or money order or charge to VISA, MasterCard, or American Express.
Subscription Rates:
Srx month subscription S39.95
(add 318 shipping and handling outside the US and
Canada) One year ( 1 2 mo.) subscription S69.95
[add $36 shipping and handling outside the US and
Canada]
Individual Issues:
individual issues of the gazette disk can be ordered for $7.95 (in the US and Canada add S 1 per issue for shipping and handling. Outside the US and Canada add S3 per issue}. Individual issues can be ordered by calling TOLL
FREE 800-334-0868 (in North Carolina call 919-275-9809). or by sending your prepaid order to: gazette disk, P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403.
everyone," says Bunten. "Bill doesn't program, so I translate the ideas into program design.
"Alan essentially takes care of the graphics and animation, how things are going to be pre- sented. In M.U.L.E., we wanted something that revolved around an auction, and some kind of pressure to get people to buy and sell to each other. We wanted some kind of creature that was going to be the mule, and creatures to represent the players. Alan took those ideas and made them into graphics and attractive screen design.
"Jim Rushing docs the most serious chunks of programming. He'll take one big piece, like all of the auction dynamics in M.U.L.E. In his case, it's not so much design that's needed as very involved programming, a lot of effort, and flexibility."
Remember the first time you played Monopoly? It didn't take more than a few minutes to read the rules printed on the inside of the cover's box, but you probably had to keep referring to them in certain situations until you had played the game enough times to remember.
M.U.L.E. presents the same problem to many people. "It has a difficult learning curve," says Bunten. "That's a real dilemma. M.U.L.E. is aimed at a pretty critical audience.
"But we were a little surprised to find out that it's not as small a group as we were afraid it would be. It cuts across all kinds of boundaries that we wouldn't have expected. One of those that's quite pleasing is that quite a few women piny M.U.L.E.
"I don't know why that is. I don't know what we did. I do know that we didn't include any overt violence, and we didn't make the game cutthroat to the point of hurting each other. There's competition, but it's within a framework of cooperation to ensure success. That's an ap- pealing concept.
Appealing as M.U.L.E. may be, its designers feel that it could be more so. They're working on a Gold Edition. "You always wish you had another month to add some more depth to a game," says Bunten. "But it's a problem of diminishing re- turns. Each little piece of additional stuff adds a significant amount of time. The publisher has to take it away from you at some point. Electronic Arts calls it creeping elegance."
34 COMPUTERS Gazelle June 1984
In M.U.L.E,, Ozark Softscape allows you to step forward in time, to aid in the colonization of a planet. Their new game, Seven Cities Of Gold, takes you back to the sixteenth century, on an expedition to the New World.
"Ah ha!" you might think. "I know where the incas are. I'll just go down there and take all the gold and head back to Europe."
It can't be done. "We want to convey the feeling that the Spaniards must have had, standing on the deck of a ship, not knowing anything about what was to the west," says Bunten. "Most of us know too much about geography to be able to experience that feeling. So our game is built on the sense of wonder and awe at the size of the world that the conquistadors were discovering."
To try to accomplish that ambitious goal, Rushing wrote a random world generator, which took about four months. "We tried to do some of the more difficult state-of-the-art graphics stuff," says Bunten. "I guess it will be up to the market to decide if we succeeded.
"A lot of strategy games are still keyboard - oriented. They leave it up to you to create an am- bience. I don't think you should expect people to do that. I really think you must present them with as complete and visually appealing an environ- ment as you can."
An important element of Seven Cities is inter- acting with the natives. That's done through a joystick for two reasons, savs Bunten. "In the first place, it's easy to be nonverbal with a joystick. That's the design reason. The other is that the natives and the Spanish didn't share a language and pretty much had to live off what they per- ceived the other to be attempting."
Bunten fears that Seven Cities may be offensive to some people's sensitivities. "Many of the conquistadors treated the natives horribly," he says. "Theirs was an arrogant and prideful approach to a society that had its own history and roots .
"But to be historicallv accurate required that we had to include violence. 1 don't like the idea of players hurting other things, but there's no alternative or you're forcing your own moral deci- sions on an audience that ought to have the choice themselves.
Prentice-Hall speaks a language other
publishers have forgotten.
English.
PROGRAMMING YOUR COMMODORE 64 IN BASIC by Mano J Eisenbacner An easy- to -digest mlro thai includes. at each level, new vocabulary
IrveEy sample programs, and exercises "answers Two
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GRAPHICS FOR THE COMMODORE 64 COM- PUTER by Jeff Knapp This collection ol easy- to-master programming techmquc$ and 8ASIC programs unleashes amaitng graphics 512.95
SPRITE GRAPHICS FOR THE COMMODORE 64 by Sally Greenwood Larsen Shows how To produce high resolution, color, animated graphrcs TweniyW
read-lo-run sample programs. SIS 95
.BiwiSi:^
ODORE
MUSIC AND SOUND FOR THE COMMODORE 64 by Bill L Behrcndt How to use (he Commodoffl 64 s Sound Interface Device and how To write programs mat malch me sounds of various hand irstrumenis SM95
USING THE COMMODORE 64 IN THE HOME by
Hank Libra-ch and William Behrenrjl Home of the fulure' Twenty ongmai programs For check book keep- ing, loan paymenls, family nuUMion. oducalion, games and much more Book 'disk available $10 95
EASY INTERFACING PROJECTS FOR THE VlC-20 by James Downey, Don Rind sborg, and Wiiuim Isher wood Do; ens of mlorfacing propels wMten m BASIC and specilicaliy designed lo maximize the VlC-2Qs power S12 95
PRENTICE-HALL/THE LEADER IN COMPUTER PUBLISHING
For more information about our computer books and software, write to us at the address bclmv. DlmIlt inquiries welcome. Prenlict-Hall. General Publishing Division, En^lewood Cliffs, N.J. 07632
'We guarantee ctiai all our guides are easy to read and simple lo apply without ibo aid ol a celoronco horary a computet salesperson, or a niece who just graduated Iroin Ml T
Still the Best!
Rated THE BEST educational program lor the VIC 20TM by Creative Computing magazine.
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In dally use by schools across the USA.
"Computer aided Instruction at its best" Commander magazine
TYPING TUTOR + WORD INVADERS
The proven way to team touch typing. COMMODORE 64 Tape $21.95 COMMODORE 64 Disk $24.95 VIC20(unexpanded) Tape $21.95
tfB#l
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CARTRIDGE FOR THE VIC 20 $39.95
JOYSTICK REQUIRED
Put yourself in the pilot's seat! A very challenging realistic simulation of instrument flying in a light plane. Take off, navigate over difficult terrain, and land at one of the 4 airports. Artificial horizon, ILS, and other working instruments on screen. Full aircraft features. Realistic aircraft performance - stalls/spins, etc. Transport yourself to a real-time adventure in the sky. Flight tested by professional pilots and judged "terrific"! Rated "Excellent" by Midnite Software Gazette.
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The laws of supply and demand affect whether players buy or sell and at what price.
"Bill and I were real Indian sympathizers when we were growing up. We always sided with the Indians instead of the cowboys. It just seems like such a neat, romantic culture to us, so in tune with the earth. Then to write a game where at least part of the game is wiping out Indians — that's problematic."
Bun ten believes that players will face the same moral dilemma that they did designing the game. "The player will know that they have the power to beat these people, so why not?," he says. "Actually, conquest is efficient, inexpensive, and so tantalizing that it's tough to avoid it. But the optimal solution is to trade with the natives."
If M. U.L.E.'s mules and other odd-looking characters are endearing to some, they're gems in the rough to Dan Bunten. "It's a little fatuous to say that we're really hitting home with the things we're trying to deliver," he says. "How much impact can a klutzy cartoon character have on you?
"We're in such primitive stages of develop- ment. We have a message that we may be at- tempting to deliver to the audience, but we don't yet have the mechanics of delivering it. We don't know the grammar yet.
"What we're trying to accomplish in any par- ticular game is to create such an attractive vision or fantasy that people just get sucked into it. One of the neatest accomplishments is when people start taking metaphors from your games and ap- plying them to situations in their own lives. "<Bf
^ I
}*1<Z .
-' e *> fe o r - r :
A TUTORIAL
A Learning Experience on your Commodore 64
.0. Box 948. Watertjury, CT 06720 (203)621-9361
Canrmhx' ■
111 Cur
^COMMUNICATION!
ROBERT SIMS, ASSISTANT EDITOR
Navigating The Networks
Of all the information utilities and data bases avail- able to home computerists, four are best known to Commodore computer owners: Dow Jones News/Retrieval, Delphi, CompuServe Information Service, and the Commodore Information Net- work (accessed through CompuServe).
Commodore owners are usually introduced to these companies when they buy a modem and find that the package contains offers of free mem- berships or reduced membership fees for these networks.
With a modem and these bargain member- ships, a user has access to an incredible array of information and services. Also, you onlv pav for what you get. There are no minimum use require- ments, so if you need to be online for only 30 minutes a month, that's all you pay for. (There is a $3 monthly charge if you choose direct billing instead of using a credit card.)
From Stocks To Poetry
Dow Jones is oriented almost exclusively to busi- ness and finance. With services such as The Wall Street Journal on-line, and current stock quotes, il is the leader in business services.
Delphi offers the fewest services because it's new (about a year old). But its newness has ad- vantages. It's not crowded with established ser- vices, so there are plenty of opportunities for en- trepreneurs to enter the home telecommunications market under its network umbrella. And, since newer services tend to be more experimental and innovative, the more adventurous computer users are likely to find something of interest and value on Delphi. For example, Delphi has a feature called Writer's Corner, where authors can publish their works and receive royalties when other users read them. Also, Delphi maintains a much more informal atmosphere, both in its menus and home computing services.
CompuServe offers the advantage of size, with the widest available range of business and home services. In addition, it has a whole library of documentation at reasonable prices. And
38 COMPUTE I's Gazelle Juno 1984
CompuServe sells Vidtex terminal software tail- ored for the special capabilities of most com- puters.
Special Interest Groups
CompuServe members can access Commodore's Information Network without extra charge. Oper- ated by Commodore Business Machines, Inc., the network contains Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for the VIC-20, 64, PET, and Commodore's busi- ness computers. There's also a separate SIG for programmers.
Each SIG comprises a bulletin board, confer- ence lines, and several data base access areas in which you can upload and download public do- main programs. Commodore operates an on-line Computer Club and user group which is separate from the other SIG services. There is a $10 mem- bership fee, for which you get a newsletter, a quar- terly catalog for ordering computer supplies and software at a discount, and a club access area where you can upload and download special club programs.
Accessing The Networks
All the networks provide their subscribers with documentation on how to log on (connect to the network), with a toll-free 800 telephone number to call if users have problems making the connec- tion. Access to Dow Jones and Delphi are provided through third-party value-added carriers. These companies maintain phone numbers in most met- ropolitan areas. Users call these local numbers and type in the special code sequence which the carrier uses to connect the caller to the network.
Dow Jones is accessed through the carriers Telenet, Tymnet, or Datapac (for Canadian sub- scribers), Delphi uses only Tymnet. To access CompuServe (and the Commodore network), you can use CompuServe's own telephone num- bers, as well as Telenet, Tymnet, or Datapac.
Most networks include the carrier costs in their regular charges to users. However, if there is a CompuServe number available and you choose
your Commodore comfortable at home
Now your home computer can help you cook, keep your accounts, find an address or keep track of your record and book libraries — with first-class software specially tailored for the home environment.
The Home Organizer'" series includes a wide range of separate and individual programs for different activities like stamp collecting, personal banking, or home photo and movie collections. Each one is pre-programmed with a "page" format planned out by experts to make it easy for you to store and retrieve the information you'll want for your special activity. You don't have to program anything yourself. Just load the disk and start feeding in your data.
If you're used to run-of-the-mill home computer software, the speed and simplicity of the Home Organizer™ series will surprise you. Each program is written entirely in "machine language", the most basic computer code. So they search, sort and analyze your data with amazing speed.
The Home Organizer'" is fast enough to sort through your household belongings in seconds, yet so simple the children can use it to look up a phone number. Choose any or all program modules that fit your needs. They make ideal gifts, too!
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COMMODORE 64 IS A REGISTERED TRADE MARK OF COMMODORE BUSINESS MAC WES
l.rH^^f4:hJ<rnH«Llni'J<M«'J-LHl"l'ff(rJ-LilTjil3fJjTirJ"lJl'J)JjJtJPj-4.1...Jri-JM|^<K|l*+i*i«MMf4.|l|.J.UJ.J.JPli|*|*J.JH
H|l nnuHMllMHMilililWUtllltmUlMHiUUMIIlllJl imill»mllUttltH»iHWjH»^i^
Real MMsic mm
HI
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^itm%tit*iUiMUUUtiHtmi
Uli^lM* ilMWMHHtHMllttmHIIHttltUI ltHH«ll*l«lU ||| |*l »l«iHHIH4lllH4Nl«MlAUBM*l«tn»l«H*IH4 i«4i*J JHi«M*tM 41 »HHatMM»HMBUftMH«a«l»*i»-
nLl*i!tmiliHiHMiMMlm'M"'HHi • n 'i<T+mti't»<
jteterCompo&r;
and fulfillment ol composing your own classical or roc!
I
• offers you the Joy I rock songs, or even imitating your favorite "Top 40" music. Real "Get-Down-Get-Funky" music at the tip of your fingers. With Master Composer™ you'll have full control of the Commodore 64's * sound synthesizer and be able to produce all types of music from simple melodies to Intricate compositions.
CAUTION: Although Master Composer™ from ACCESS may be the easiest way to compose yourself, continued use has proven it s difficult to stay that way! Features:
• Music files (songs) are easily added to a Basic or Machine Language program.
Q25 East 900 South SLC
• Voices are developed in the "Audition" mode. (Your song plays con- tinuously while adjustments are made to the different computer voices)
• Help Screens
• Tuning Function
• Standard Metronome Speed Control
• Hard-copy of your song.
• Full library of preset voices for the most common musical In- instruments.
• Full song library
• Comprehensive user manual with over 60 pages of Instructions. examples and information.
SOFTWARE INC.
, Utah 84105 (801)532-1134 "Commodore 64" Is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Ltd.
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Take command of the hottest new strategic war game ever, BEACH- HEAD™ from ACCESS. The battle action Is filled with spectacular 3D realism and sound effects that would even make Hollywood envious!
Six separate sequences take you Into the heart of battle. Meet each one with calculated skill and with a little luck, you just might survive long enough to knock out the enemy fortress.
* Nominated (or BEST GRAPHICS AND SOUND award "Billboard Magazine, 1984
MASTER COMPOSER™ r,„i music
that you compose. Imitate your favorite 'Top 40" or compose your own, taking full advantage of the sound synthesizer of the Commodore 64™
SPRITEMASTERr Spritem aster Is the finest utility available for multicolor sprite animation and game programming. It will have you making full color animated objects In Just minutes. It can also be used as a teaching tool for developing artistry and creativity.
NEUTRAL ZONE:™ Neutral Zone takes you to the outer edges of the galaxy, to ALPHA IV. a long range early warning station whose mission Is to detect alien intruders from other galaxies.
SOFTWARE INC.
925 East 900 South SLC. Utah 84105 (801)532-1134 "Commodore 64" is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Ltd.
to use Telenet or Tymnet, you may be assessed a surcharge for using the alternate carrier.
Each of these numbers is a local call, even if you're in California calling a computer complex in Massachusetts. (If you live outside a metro area and must call long distance to a carrier number in a nearby city, you are charged the long-distance rate to call that number.)
Facing The First Menu
All four networks are menu-driven and allow the user to choose the service he wants. Delphi, CompuServe, and Commodore also offer the op- tion of verbose (complete) or brief menus. You can choose a menu with or without explanation of menu items and commands, or you can simply receive a prompt. Experienced users save time by switching to the abbreviated menus or prompts.
Dow Jones has a different procedure from the others in that it doesn't automatically send a menu when you log on. After your password is verified, you are prompted to ENTER QUERY. At this point you can go directly to any service, ask for an introductory menu, or go to the main menu. A new user would best benefit by typing //INTRO for the introductory menu. A welcome screen appears, then a menu like this:
PRESS FOR
1 Closing Dow Jones Averages retained
2 Weekly economic update revised on Fridays
3 News/Retrieval operating hours expanded
4 Customer Service Information
Type 4 to get the basic information needed to use the network, change your password, and perform other recordkeeping chores. When that's com- pleted, type //MENU to get the main menu:
TYPE FOR
//CQ Current Quotes
//DJ NEWS Dow Junes News
//HQ Historical Quotes
//UPDATE Economic Update
//WSJ Wall Street Journal
I lighlighlsonline
//DSCLO Disclosure II
//EARN Corporate Earnings Estimator
//FTS Free Text Search of Dow Jones News
FOR MORE CHOICES PRESS RETURN, FOR 1 IELP, TYPE DATA BASE SYMBOL AND HELP. (EXAMPLE: //CQHELP)
This is only the first page of the main menu; to see the rest, simply press RETURN.
To select a data base, type two slashes and the data base code.
Dow Jones provides a comprehensive manual (without extra charge) which contains all the in- formation and sample menus required to use the network.
42 COMPUTE!'; Gazelle June 1784
Delphi's Guided Tour
Delphi provides a free manual to each member, and also offers an on-line guided tour to give the subscriber necessary information. Printed docu- mentation consists only of general information and a quick-reference card of network commands. During the guided tour, instructions are given on how to change your password, how to use several control characters to move around Delphi, how to set screen length and width, and how to choose either the brief or verbose prompts. Then the main menu is presented.
Main Menu:
Bulletin Boards
Conference
Delphi-Oracle
l:\it
Financial-Services Games Guided Tour Help Infomania
Library
News
Online Markets
Profile
Scheduler
Travel
Writers -Corner
MAIN> What do you want to do?
To go to any Delphi service, type the name from the menu. The service you select will then offer other menus from which you choose particular sections of the service.
CompuServe Uses Numbers
CompuServe's menu system is more complex, with numbered menu items and system page numbers. After you log on, the main menu appears:
CompuServe Page CIS-1
CompuServe Information Service
1 Home Services
2 Business and Financial
3 Personal Computing
■I Services for Professionals
5 User Information
6 Index
Enter your selection number,
or H for more information. !
The exclamation mark at the bottom of the menu is a special prompt, called a command prompt. A GO command typed at a command prompt sends you directly to any area of the network, bypassing the usual path through several menus.
The Information Menu
New users should choose item 5, User Informa- tion. This menu appears:
CompuServe Page CIS-4
USER INFORMATION
1 What's New
2 Command Summary & Usage Tips
3 Feedback to CompuServe
TTieENDofDINKETY DINK-DINK
.nnouncing the first computer music program that actually sounds like
music
LET'S FACE IT. Up till now, music programs for your home computer have all sounded, well, pretty lame. There were the ones that resembled little electronic music boxes, remem- ber? And then there were those that sounded like so many burps.
Enter Music Construction Set™ It's the first music program that really makes use of the power of that ma- chine you've got. If you're a serious student, this means you'll be able to work with an intricacy and range of sound quality you've never heard be- fore on a computer. And if you know nothing about music, you'll find some- thing even more important. Namely, that this thing is simple enough to be a lot of fun.
Take a good look at this screen because it, you, and a joystick are the whole story here.
That's you at the right end of the staff of notes — the little hand. Move the joystick, and you move the hand. Use it to carry notes up to the staff. Lay in rests. signatures, clefs, then point
to the little piano in the lower right and listen, because you'll hear the whole thing played back.
Move those litdc scales in the mid- dle up and down to vary the music's speed, sound quality', and volume. Use
the scissors to cut out whole measures, then use the glue pot to paste them in somewhere else. Got a printer? Great. Print the score out and show it off to your friends.
But what if you're not up to writing your own stuff yet? No problem. There are twelve pieces of music al- ready in here, from rock 'n roll to baroque. They're fun to listen to, and even more fun to change. (Apologies to Mozart.)
The point is, the possibilities are endless. But if you're still skeptical, visit your nearest Electronic Arts dealer and do the one thing guaranteed to send you home with a Music Con- struction Set in tow.
Boot one up. Point to the piano. And listen.
ELECTRONIC ARTS'"
MUSIC CONSTRUCTION SLT n iuiw .u JiLiblc for Apple ][.]!-. [[(. J«»i C..nimi>li.;e M n-mpiitro. The Apple venum wild J M. * k irfclio.iT d7 plays ihnrji i.t i;p w.n ikiii .- 1, It Itii- (k.mniuiirr V1TSM1 pl.iyi rkmli
L,f up to three note* each. Apple I* n ttgUtvftd tradrfflttk of Apple Computet Commodore: i* ■ Kgbteifidtft&mtficofComrnaSerc &>»SnmMirfetoei>lnc. fa nioKlfifbfinitkn about Efettnxdc* Aeu, write in .ir 2751 Cwnpw Drtw.Sm fcfaWh CA WW3 « nil I4U> 571-717!
4 Order Products, Guides, etc.
5 Change Terminal Settings
6 Change Your Password
7 Billing: Your Charges, Rates
Options, Making Changes
8 Logon Instructions & Numbers
9 Electronic Bounce Hack
Last menu page. Key digit or M for previous menu. i
If you're a new subscriber, you'll go to this menu often to refresh your memory about commands and prompts, to check on how much money you're spending, and to ask CompuServe questions about confusing aspects of network services.
Select item 5, Change Terminal Settings, to have CompuServe configure its output for your computer. For example, choose 22, 40, or 80 char- acters per screen line, or have the text displayed in all capitals or in upper- and lowercase.
Changing Your Password
Select item 6 to change your password. You should do this at least once a week. A password is like a credit card number. If other users find out what it is, they can use your account and you'll get the bill. So never type your password while on-line, except when logging on or changing it here.
Another important selection on this menu is item 4, used for ordering CompuServe's manuals.
The Commodore Network
After you've finished with these recordkeeping chores, you may want to visit the Commodore net- work. The simplest way to get there is from the main menu. Let's suppose you have finished chang- ing your password from the User Information menu (Page C1S-4). At the ! prompt, type M to get back to the main menu (Page CIS-1). When you see the main menu ! prompt, select item 3, Personal Com- puting, then press RETURN.
You will receive the Personal Computing SIGs menu (Page PCS-50). At the prompt, type 15, the selection number for Commodore. You will receive the Commodore main menu, Page PCS-160. Use this menu to access any of the Commodore SIGs.
Another, more direct, route to the Commodore network is to type GO PCS-160 at any ! prompt. This goes directly to the main Commodore menu from anywhere in CompuServe. To go directly to the 64 SIG, enter GO PCS-156, and for the VIC SIG, GO PCS-155.
The Bulletin Board
The most popular services for beginners on the SIGs are the bulletin Board and the Conference line. On the Bulletin Board are several hundred messages on a wide varietv of subjects. Areas are set aside for general messages, messages from and to software and hardware vendors, and for Hotline questions to Commodore, which are then
AA COMPUTEI's Gazette June 1984
answered on the Bulletin Board.
Commodore provides on-line instructions and a simple line editor for users who want to leave messages.
Control Characters
There are several control characters which are helpful for typing in messages and other text. Most are common to all telecommunications; a few are used differently by different systems. Control characters usually show on the screen as an up-arrow and a character. For example, CTRL- V, represented by ! V, is sent by holding down the CTRL kev ^nd pressing V. The control charac- ters cause the network software to interrupt what it's doing and take some other action. Some of the most frequently used:
I A Tells the host computer to slop transmitting at the end of the current line.
1 O Aborts whatever is being transmitted and jumps to the next prompt. Used on Delphi, instead of CTRL-P.
1 I' Aborts whatever is being transmitted and jumps to the next prompt. You can use this to jump past the intro- ductory bulletins on CompuServe.
1 Q Tells the host computer to resume transmitting.
I R Displays the line you are currently typing (Delphi),
1 S Tells the host computer to stop transmitting immediately.
I U Deletes the line you are currently typing.
t V Displays the current line you're typing (CompuServe).
The Conference Line
The Conference service (CO) is very popular, but it can be confusing until you learn the quirks and commands. Although formal conferences are held on CO, the name is misleading because most subscribers use CO as a kind of chat service, simi- lar to a CB radio band.
When you select CO, you see a series of short bulletins on what's happening on CO in the near future. CO also offers some pointers on frequently used commands, and outlines the etiquette to be used on-line. It's good practice to download these bulletins and command descriptions, and keep them handy while you're on-line.
Next month we'll discuss downloading and uploading in detail. For now, let's look at two simple ways to download this information. If your terminal software has a feature that dumps the screen contents to the printer, you can wait until your screen is nearly full, then press CTRL- A. Next, press the proper key to print the screen. When the transfer is completed, press CTRL-Q to resume transmission, press CTRL- A again when the screen is nearly full, dump it to the printer, and continue this process until all the information is printed.
The second method is a simple matter of open- ing the buffer in your terminal software before accessing the CO. (Consult your terminal software
"The Home Accountant even fags transactions for tax lime.
And that's a big time-saver
because I can transfer Information
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and easily figure out what I owe."
• Pnpuljr C,m>pu[UtK, S'livember, I9HI t Apple .Sufullc, April, 19B2
Everyone's talking about The Home Accountant;
Is it because it's the #1 bestselling home finance package in the world? Or because it's extremely thorough and powerful and easy to use? Or because it's great for home and business use? Or because it has up to 200 budget categories and handles up to 5 checking accounts?
Yes. But there are a lot more reasons why people buy The Home Accountant. And why you will, too.
Because The Home Accountant can literally save you hours of time. And take the headache out of handling your finances, Whether it's selling up a budget, cataloging your expenses, balancing your checkbooks or handling your credit cards and money market funds. For personal or business use.
The Home Accountant will even print net worth and financial state- ment. Not to mention being a lifesaver at tax time. Especially when you're able to transfer information onto Continen- tal's The Tax Advantage'" program and figure out what you owe. Quickly.
In short, The Home Accountant is the most effective software program there is for managing your money. And man- aging it easily.
Stop by your Continental Software dealer today and pick up The I lomc Accountant. You'll see what everyone's talking about.
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documentation for the proper procedure,) Every- thing that appears on screen will also be stored in the buffer. When all the information has been transmitted, close the buffer. Depending on the capability of your software, save the information to disk while on-line or after logging off.
But before trying either of these methods, read your terminal software manual carefully. Any good program will include a feature that automat- ically sends the control characters, captures in- coming data in a buffer, and stores it to disk.
Learning To Talk
After receiving this introductory CO information, you will find yourself on Conference Channel 30. If anyone else is on-line, messages like this will scroll up your screen:
(30, Blackfoot) I see what you mean. Bui can you use
the cassette recorder...
(30, Blackfoot) and the disk drive at the same time? ga
(30,SamR.) Yes, no problem, ga
(30,Blackfoot) Thanks. I'll try it. ga
In this conversation between two users, the information in parentheses is the conference chan- nel number and the user's name. Users have a choice of using the name listed in their Compu- Serve account or of using a handle (pseudonym), as most CB radio operators do. This option is also useful when two or more people share an account on the network. Each person can use his or her own name while on-line. (To change your handle, type /HAN on a new line. At the prompt, type in your chosen name and hit RETURN.)
On-Line Etiquette
Blackfoot has typed ellipses (three periods) in her first line. This means she has more to say. At the end of her second line, she has typed GA (Go Ahead). These codes are simple but essential for other users to know whether it's OK to send their comments without interrupting the current "speaker."
When several users are on CO, it's common to see several conversations carried on at the same time. When that happens, users tend to start a remark with the name of the person they're talking to, like this:
(30, Blackfoot) Sam R. = > I sec what you mean. But can you use a cassette...
Talking Back
The most confusing aspect of CO tor beginners is in trying to type in their comments while other com- ments are scrolling up the screen. Whatever you type will appear mixed up with the incoming com- ments. For example, if you try to type:
Hello, my name is Clyde
your screen might look like this:
A6 COMPUTE! S Gazette Junc)9B4
He(30,Blackfb«I)llo,Sam R.my = >I seenawhat me isynu mean. Clyde
All this gibberish is only on your screen; other users can't see what you're typing until you hit RETURN.
There is no real remedy for this jumble. The best solution is to avoid looking at the screen while you're typing. If you get lost and can't remember what you typed last, type CTRL-V to redisplay your line, free of the gibberish. If you get hopelessly confused, type CTRL-U to erase the incomplete line. When you finish typing your comment (less than 80 characters), press RETURN and your message will be transmitted to the other users.
It doesn't take long to gel the hang of this unorthodox communication method, and the reward of instant communication with other users is well worth the initial confusion.
Conference Commands
Another tricky area for beginners is the use of commands in the CO section. There are three modes of communication on Commodore's CO. The default mode is open communication; every- one can see everyone else's comments. The second mode is /TALK, for private conversations between two users. The third mode is /SCRamble, in which several users can have a private conversation.
To use these commands while in CO, type them on a line alone, then press RETURN. If you put any character, even a space, in front of the slash, it won't work. (It will be sent as a comment rather than a command.) If you find this con- fusing, just type a CTRL-U before typing the com- mand. This will delete anything you may have typed by mistake. Then type the command and RETURN, and you should get the desired result.
Conferencing modes on Delphi are different from CompuServe. The default mode is private. To join a conversation you must /PAGE one of the members of a group and get the group scramble code. Then you must /JOIN the group. There is no open conferencing on Delphi, and the com- mands are different, but the results arc the same.
A Few Quirks
Besides the special conditions on individual ser- vices, the networks have a few general quirks which can be confusing if you're not expecting them. The strangest is a tendency for the charac- ters on your screen to suddenly stop scrolling for no apparent reason, then start up again. This happens because thousands of people are using the system at once, and sometimes it gets a second or two behind. This occasionally happens on all the networks, but is most noticeable during peak evening hours on CompuServe.
CompuServe has become so popular that it's
SEE THE LIGHT!
Quality Software that Outshines the Rest
Programs for the Commodore 64
dMOS"
Database Management Operating System
The BEST data base management for the collection, arrangement and display alphanumeric data. A unique pattern matching and searching capabilities make dMOS™ the easiest DB system available on the market. Features:
• Map search technique to achieve a "logical AND", while searching between fields.
• Display records-found, or NOT found by a search.
• Rearrange fields.
• Suppress fields and field titles.
• Insert short (10 character) text.
• Selectively print records. $3995
nenttool
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SoftLoc"
The Program Security Systei
Set up program security in minutes up your personal, financial or business records 3 types of protection:
• Re-encodes program.
• Modifies diskette directory.
• Selectable and reassignable 7 digit access code.
$2995
Missing Key
and announcing.
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A reset System Restores your BASIC Program.
After programming tor hours you press RUN for a final check of your work — the computer locks up. You press RUN, STOP. . . nothing — you press RESTORE. . . nothing — you look for the missing key but it isn't there. You have to turn off your computer and lose hours of work!!
Now Add the Missing Key™:
• Press the "Missing Key1"" and the computer resets itself from any lockup, and your BASIC program is restored.
• Load and run the program included.
• Takes nothing away from your computer, neither memory nor a piug-in port.
• Attaches to your C64 keyboard or any other convenient location.
• Will not void your CBM warranty. $2995
Phone Boss'
Personal Phone Directory Program
Designed to store and organize your personal phone listings.
A PptjonnUred Prions Directory Ptopfprrt
The user has complete control of 15 category titles and entries.
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Software by SoftPeople u Programs for the Commodore 64 m Connecting People with Great Ideas.
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Dealer Inquiries Invited 1-800-447-3273
Special P.O.P Packages & Prices Available
in a constant race with its users, trying to expand its capacity to keep up with the growing numbers who log on every evening.
When the network falls behind, you may experience a delay in moving from one service to another. Delays of up to five minutes are not uncommon.
No Dead Ends
Another problem for new users is the sense of wandering in a labyrinth. Many beginners worry needlessly about getting Lost in the maze of menus, of wandering into a service that charges extra for access and running up a huge bill. Or, they worry about what happens if they accidentally hang up without properly logging off.
First, it's difficult, if not; impossible, to get into an extra -charge area without knowing it. Many of the services require users to sign up sepa- rately from their network membership, and un- authorized access is not possible. There are ser- vices, such as the Academic American Encyclo- pedia (AAE), which can be accessed without prior arrangement. However, the AAE menu includes a notice that the service involves a $2 per hour surcharge.
There are no dead ends on the networks. Even if the network software crashes {a very rare occurrence), or if a user gets nothing but garbage
scrolling up the screen, the option is always there to simply disconnect the modem from the phone line.
If a user disconnects from the network with- out properly logging off (either by mistake or if the connection is broken by a telephone line mal- function), CompuServe's software will wait for up to seven minutes, then log the user off. During very busy periods, this may take up to 20 minutes. The user is charged for this time.
Ifi/ou have questions or ideas about subjects you'd like to see covered in this column, write to: Home Tele- communications, COMPUTE!'* GAZETTE, P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403. Or you can send me electronic mail. My CompuServe ID is 75005,1553. For Delphi, it's BOZART.
Dow-jones News/Ret rieval P.O. Box 3Q0 Princeton. Nj 08540
Delphi (General Videotex Corp.) 3 Blackslone Street Cambridge, MA 02139
CompuServe Information Service 5000 Arlington Centre Boulevard P.O. Box 20212 Columbus, OH 43220
Commodore Computer Club
P.O. Box 69
Wood Dale, 1L 60191 ffl
Commodore owners: THE FUTURE IS HERE
if
Will your printer intortaca pass tho Commorforo' printer lost? Wo don't think so!.' Ours will.
The CONNECTION™ is truly me ultimate parallel interface lot the VIC2Q™/CQMMODORE 64™. This lulty intelligent
interface plugs into the dtsk (senal) socket |ust like the standard printer and you can easily assign it any device
number. It will provide viriuaiiy TOTAL EMULATION ol Ihe Commodore* printer including all standard graphic
characters {normal or inverse), column tabbing, dot labbmg, graphic repeat, dot addressable graphics, cursor
uptown mode, and more. It responds to all of the standard commands [PRINT ■#, OPEN. CLOSE, etc ) lo
insure software designed for the Commodore* printer will operate with the CONNECTION™. Use it in the
TOTAL TEXT MODE, or purchase ouf Universal' CONNECTION that works with virtually EVERY DAISY
WHEEL OR MATRIX PRINTER with standard Centronics Parallel conliguration. To take full advantage ol
your printer's special features, please specify the printer lypo. Available for STAR MICRON ICS, BXBO.
EPSON, OKI, NEC. PROWRITER. BANANA, SEIKOSHA, RITEMAN, GEMINHOX and others.
ONLY SI 19.00 Complete. (Additional ROMs are available il you should ever change printers).
THE CONNECTION PROVIDES:
1) A 2K Printer buffer.
2) Full LED Status indicators.
3) Complete Built in self test.
4) Printer reset switch.
5) Adds Skip over pert, margin set, programmable line length, program list format commands to your printer.
6) No need (or extra cost, special tape loader for graphics.
7) All features easily accessed from software. B) ASCII conversion, TOTAL TEXT, EMULATE, and TRANSPARENT Modes.
•Mote: Only the Universal CONNECTION will not provide 100% Commodore graphics.
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For Owners And Users Of Commodore VIC-20 And 64" Personal Computers
More fun
More programs
Programs to help you balance your checkbook, store your addresses, keep lax records, manage your personal business. You can create your own pro- grams and games, improve your word- processing, spreadsheets and data base management, load and run faster with 64 Searcher, VIC/64 Program Life- saver, Quickfind, Word Hunt, Disk Menu, VIC Timepiece, Automatic Proofreader and more.
MJ.t J-: I ^I=TC» tTM
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Martian Prisoner, The Viper, Skydiver, Snake Escape, Demon Star, Cyclon Zap and Oil Tycoon are just a few of the ready-to-run gomes you'll find exclusive- ly in COMPUTEVs Gazette each month. Just type in the programs and watch your screen explode with colorful new computer game excitement.
More challenge
Ready to tackle more advanced projects? In COMPUTEI's Gazette you'll learn How to Use Tape and Disk Files. How to Pro- gram the Function Keys. Writing Trans- portable Bosic. How to Make Custom Graphics Characters. New Ways to Enliven Programs with Sound. One Touch Commands for the 64. How to use Machine Language. Speeding up the V|C 20 — and much more!
Children will learn and develop new skills with States & Capitols Tutor, Wordmatch, Munchmath, Wordspell, Connect the Dots, Aordvork Attack and Alfabug. Computing for Kids, a regular monthly feature, will uncover new ways to involve your children in computing.
More buying guidance
You'll profit from comprehensive reviews of everything from dota-quality cassette tapes to software to graphics plotters and modems. Virtually anything that's compat- ible with your Commodore is reported on in COMPUTEI's Gazette. With this kind of expert help, every computer pur- chase you moke con be the right one!
"mT-
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CALL TOLL FREE
000-334-0868
RO. Box 961, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11737
J
Mark Doyle
This two-player game for the Commodore 64 or VIC-20 with memory expansion (any amount) makes tic-tac-toe a real challenge. Joysticks are required.
Sound, color, and a three-dimensional playing board add new excitement to this old familiar game. After the title screen is displayed, both players enter their names and how many games they want to play. A multicolored three-dimensional tic-tac-toe board then appears on the screen.
The player with the joystick in port 1 (64 ver- sion) goes first. Since the VIC has only one joystick port, players must take turns with the joystick in the VIC version.
To move the cursor, at the top left corner of the board, push the joystick left or right. When you get to the desired location, push the fire button and your marker will appear under the cursor. If there is already a marker in the space, a low noise will be heard and you will have to go elsewhere.
Winning Combinations
To win, you must get three of your markers in a straight line before your opponent does. They can be on one of the boards, or a combination of the three boards going diagonally or up and down.
When you get a tic-tac-toe, your three pieces flash different colors and the winning sound is heard. The board is then cleared, and, if you specified more than one round in the beginning, you play again. If not, the score is displayed and the game is over.
If you don't want to type this program in, I'll be glad to make a copy (64 version only) for you. Send $3, a blank cassette, and a self-addressed stamped mailer to:
Mark Doyle 3755 Lemire Imhc Sebastapol, CA 95472
50 COMPUTEVs Gazelle Juno19B4
Anna is about to win this round (64 version).
3-D Tk-Tac-Toe challenges you to think in three dimensions (VtC version).
See program listings on page 177.
Software artists?
TO MAKE THE FIRST BASKET- BALL PROGRAM that feels like the real tiling, it helps to start with two guys who know what the real thing feels like.
Enter Larry Bird and Julius Erving, Bird — the hustler, die strong man, deadly from outside. Erving —The Doctor, maybe the most explosive player in the history of the game.
We talked to them, photographed them in action, studied their moves and their stats and their styles. Then we set out to create on computer disc an event which may never happen in rea life. We put the two of them together on a dream court of light, for an elec- tronic afternoon of one-on-one.
It wasn't easy. When they talked, we listened. When they criricized, we made big changes. When they gave sug- gestions, we took them.
And it shows. This thing is absolutely un- canny. You actually take on all the skills and characteristics of Bird or The Doctor — their own particular moves, shooting abilities, even strength and speed.
You'll meet with fatigue factors, hot and cold streaks, turn- around jump shots, and 360 -degree slam dunks. But there's some whimsy in here, too — a funny referee, a shattering backboard, even instant replay.
It's called Julius Erving and Larry Bird Go One- on- One." You're Bird. Or you're The Doctor. And that's the last deci- sion you'll have plenty of time to make.
How we got this years hottest sports game out of two rather inexperienced designers.
JulLua Ervinv and Lury Bird Go Onc*cnvOnc h now jmLbblt on dlVkciif m«t Appl? II. 11+,, and lie QMnputfi
u * Jen ur k of Appk Coin pu ccr. To f i n J mil more iKiut Elrtfmnic At i un d jt» p t l*J lk t\. wt itc m M 2 7 55 O mpm 1 3 c n c intjUHlSI 5^^7171- FittifrvFeiulo&ttrid a sj^mrvd.K^^ IhSt and Aran Immf nimfurcn.
l Applf it a rruiMfrtd 5»M*ttO»CA.94«J
ftr 64. t'l'Tinimum uh
ELL CI HON [CARTS
Bombs with short fuses and blind monsters add urgency and danger to this all-graphics adventure game for the unex- panded VIC and the Commo- dore 64. Joystick required.
Dave and Casey Gardner
Your quest is to find three bombs It id den in the rooms and corridors of the castle dungeon. They were placed by the evil wizard who is trying to destroy the castle.
He also put nine beasts in the rooms to guard the bombs. Luckily for you, the beasts are blind and will attack only if you bump into them. If you are carrying the en- chanted sword when you fight the beasts, you can defeat them. You will also need the magic key to open the locked doors.
A Light And
Levitation
On your search through the dun- geon you will be carrying a light which is only bright enough for you to see the area immediately around you. If you move too fast, you might fall into a bot- tomless pit and be lost forever. By standing next to a pit and pressing the L key, you can in- voke a levitation spell which will allow you to cross over the pit without tailing in.
The fuses on the bombs will burn for only five minutes (three minutes for the 64 version). If you haven't found all three by that lime, they will explode and the castle wilt be destroyed. Each time you play, the wizard will place the various objects in dif- ferent locations.
To save memory, the VIC version of the program is in two parts. The first part (Program 1) displays the title page and in- structions and defines the pro- grammable characters used in the second part.
WHY WATCH THE OLYMPICS WHEN YOU CAN BE IN THEM?
aim
You're an Olympic athlete competing in eight key events at the Summer Games. How well can you score in track, swimming, diving, shooting, gymnastics and more? So realistic, there's even an opening ceremony and awards presentation after each event.
Unlike other "Olympics-Like" games, Summer Games has incredible realism, superb state-of-the-art graphics and sound effects (including national anthems from 18 countries), and it is a true action-strategy game. In each event you must plan and execute your game strategy in order to maximize your score. It is not just a matter of how fast you can move the joystick.
So change into your running shoes, /$W
grab your joystick and GO FOR AX%
THE GOLD! ™r/
One or more players; joystick controlled. Strategy Games tor the Action- Game Player
A Special Filename
Type in Program 1 and SAVE it. If you are using a Datassette change ,8 in line 28 of Program 1 to ,1.) Then type in Program 2 and SAVE it as "D". Here are outlines of the VIC programs:
Program 1 (VIC Loader) Line(s)
1 Clears the screen and lowers the top of memory
2 Defines variables for sounds and the screen 3-5 Display the ti tie page
6-7 Play a tune
8-10 Complete the ti H e pa ge
11-22 Display i ris tru c ti on s
23 Randomizes (so each game will start differently)
24-25 Store character information in high memory
26-29 Start LOADing Part two
30-43 Title page DATA
44-49 Character DATA
Program 2 (Main VIC Program)
Line(s)
Initialize variables
Fills the screen with black spaces
Place She maze
Places doors
Places room floors
Places bombs
Places beasts
Places key
Places sword
Places pits
10 11 12 13
14
15
16-20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31-33
34
35
36-37
38
39
40-43
44
45
46-47
48-55
56-62
63
64-66
67-69
70-72
73-74
75
76-77
78-81
82
Chooses starting point, sets the clock to zero
Reads joystick
Checks if time is up
Set direction
If wall in way— stop
Sword?
Beast?
Door and no key?
Key?
Levitation spell?
Pit and no spell?
Pit and spell?
Bomb?
I f n o t mo vt ng j u mp a hea d to Line 44
Light up area around player
If key or sword found — make sound
If player fell in pit— jump to ending sequence
If player levitated over pit- — redraw pit
Cancels levitation spell
Makes player movement noise
Darken area just vacated
If third bomb found — jump to ending sequence
Do it again
Successful quest ending
Unsuccessful quest ending
Maze DATA
Door DATA
Room floor DATA
Subroutine for randomly placing objects
Sound subroutine for s%vord and key
Sound subroutine for locked door
Sound subroutine for bomb found
Sound and ending subroutine for falling in pit
Subroutine for fighting beast
Sound subroutine for levitation spell
The dungeon is dark and you've encountered a monster (VIC version).
if you lose, the maze is reveaied (64 version).
We would like to thank Don Brunner and Todd Andrews of Rose City Computer Associates, Newark, New York, for their technical assistance in preparing this program.
The joystick reading routine is from "The Joystick Connection" by Paul Bupp and Stephen Drop (COMPUTE! magazine, May 1982).
If you would like to save the trouble of typing in and debugging the programs (VIC version only) send S3, a blank tape, and a stamped, self- addressed mailer to:
Dave Gardner 2342 Barnes Road Walworth, NY 14568
See program listings on page 157. ©
COMPUTE Ts Gazette
Toll Free Subscription Order Line
800-334-0868
In NC 919-275-9809
54 COMPUTE I's Gazette June 1984
PUZZLEPANIC. KEN USTON THINKS HE CAN DRIVE YOU CRAZY.
^K
- : • .
t'tfv''
1
'AL*-%
RBEC
-
VStf
So you think there's no puzzle too tough for you and no video game you can't beat. Welcome to PuzzlePanic— The computer game that's sure to have you crying "uncle." Designed by Ken Uston, blackjack and arcade game player extra- ordinaire, PuzzlePanic takes you through 49 increasingly difficult screens based on seven different games of action, logic,
strategy and challenge. Compared to PuzzlePanic, Rubik's Cube""is child's play. So put on your thinking hat, grab your joystick, get ready for the contest of your life, and let Ken Uston drive you crazy.
One player; joystick controlled.
„, EflYX
Strategy Games for the Action-Game Player
Revenge Of Cyon
Mike Reinmcm
Save Earth from the invading Cyon ships. Originally written for the VIC-20, we've added a version for the 64. A joystick is required.
"Revenge Of Cyon" is an action game for the VIC and 64 in which you try to save Earth from the invading Cyon Empire. Using the joystick, you must intercept the Cyon ships before they reach the ground. Do this by moving the cross hairs over each ship and pressing the fire button. You are given seven shots at each ship. When a ship is destroyed, the number of shots used and the number of seconds you took to get it will be displayed.
At first, the ships descend one at a time. But after the first six ships, the Cyons get smarter and send down two ships at one time. If you clear 11
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screens, Earth is saved and you win the game. If the ships reach the ground three times, Earth will be destroyed and you will be rated on your performance. Six difficulty levels are available, ranging from simple to impossible.
A point of interest to beginning programmers is that FOR-NEXT loops will execute much faster if you omit the variable in the NEXT command.
See program listings on page 161. IB
It took two shots and four seconds for a direct hit in the VIC version of "Revenge of Cyon."
WITH NIGHTMISSION
JT7TTTITJ
You deserve the best. You've earned it. Now reward yourself with a session of Night Mission PINBALL, the most realistic and challenging arcade simulation ever conceived! ■ Stunning graphics and dazzling -\ sound effects put Night Mission PINBALL in a class by itself. Game features: multi- ball and multi-player capabilities, ten different professionally designed levels of play, i ^a . and an editor that lets you create your own custom modes. ■ So take a break with » •'." j : I Night Mission PINBALL from SubLOGIC. Winner of Electronic Games magazine's "'fl M 1983 Arcade Award for Best Computer Audio/Visual Effects.
See your dealer . . .
or write or call for more information. For direct orders please add $1 .50 tor shipping and specify UPS or first class mail delivery. Illinois residents add 5? sales tax. American Express. Diner's Club, MasterCard, and Visa accepted.
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The
Frantic
Fisherman
David Lacey
Idly floating in your boat, waiting for the fish to bite, is a fine way to relax. In this game, however, an angler's dream becomes a night- mare when sharks get the notion that you're the bait and thunderclouds threaten you with gargantuan raindrops. It's good you remem- bered to bring your shark swatter and an um- brella. For the VIC and 64.
The fish are biting, and you've managed to catch a few. But suddenly you notice the sky is clouding, over, and to make things worse, ravenous sharks begin to circle your boat.
The object of "Frantic Fisherman" is to sur- vive. You score points by clubbing the sharks with your bat and blocking raindrops with your umbrella. You start with three fishermen. Fach time a shark or raindrop hits the boat, you lose, the boat and one fisherman. However, a new fisherman is awarded for every 2,00(1 points. -xa^
Three keys are used to control movement. Re- move back and forth, use the less than ( < ) £md — -— greater than ( > ) keys. The space bar serves two functions. When sharks approach, it controls the club. If a raindrop is falling, it controls the u,rn^ brella. You can use the shark swatter as many times as you like. The umbrella, though, can b lifted only three times for each raindrop.
Controlling The Frenzy
If you think the game is too fast or slow, you <$fi make the fisherman more (or less) frantic.
VIC users can alter the speed by changing the variable DE in line 30 of Program 2. To add more fishermen, increase the value of GL in line 100.
The bulk of the 64 version is written in
58 COMPUTE I's Gazelle June 1 984
miitom^^
r survival. But the talons of a screaming harpy may seal your doom. Life harTgsJj^a-fhread in the challenging world of the gods.
Pegasus, and all the Tymac Talkies, provide speech without expensive add-on hardware. Combine that with dazzling graphics, lifelike animation, and 3-D effects— and you have sights and sounds like never before. See and hear all the Tymac Talkies, for the Commodore 64™ VIC 20™ Atari" Home Computers, IBM PC or PC Jr. at your local computer retailer.
Tymac Talkies: the most fun you've ever heard.
Type Snyper
First Strike
Flyer Fox
Gandalf the Sorcerer Codename; DEADZONE
TYIYIflC
TYMAC INCORPORATED
129 Main Street, Franklin, NJ 07416 • 201-827-4050
Commodore 64 and VIC 20 are trademarks of Commodore Business Machines, Inc. Atari is a Irademark of Atari, Inc.
The fisherman raises his umbrella, but is standing on the wrong side of the boat (64 version).
machine language and the speed controls are built- in. The four function keys give you four speeds, from very slow (fl) to frustratingly frantic (f7). The first speed (fl) is rather easy and is recom- mended only as practice. You can also pause the action by pressing the SHIFT/LOCK key. {Pressing it again restarts the game.) To end the game (64 version only), press the back arrow («— j key.
STOP PLAYING GAME
^
■ Calculate odds on HOflSE RACES with MY COMPUTES using BASIC.
■ SCIENTIFICALLY DERIVED SYSTEM really ywuki TV Station WLKY ol Louisville, Kentucky used this system to predict the odds ot the i960 Kentucky Derby See Popular Computing (February, 1984} tor a review ol ttiis program. This system was wniten and used dy computer experts and is now doing made available to home computer owners This method is based an storing dala Irom a large dumber ol races on a high speed, large scale computer. 23 factors taken Irom [he "'Daily Racing Form" were then analyzed by Itic computer to see how itiey inlluenced race results. From Ihese 23 lacls. ten wore iDiind to be the mosi vital in determining winners NUMERICAL PROBABILITIES ol each ol Ihese 10 factors were (hen computed and Ihis lorms the basis ol this REVOLUTIONARY NEW PROGRAM
■ SIMPLE TO USE Obtain "Daily Racing form" the Bay before Iha races and answer the 10 questions about each horse Run me program and your computer will print qui trie odds tor all horses m each race COMPUTER POWER gives you Ihe advantage'
■ YOU GET
1) Proof am on cassette or disk.
2) Listing ol BASIC programs tot use wrtn any rampuiet
3) Instructions on now to gel It* needed Bala from It* "OaJy Rating Form " 4| Tips on using the odds generated by hie program
5) Sample lorm to Simplify enlerirvg data lr/ each race MAIL COUPON OR CALL TODAY
3G COMPANY, INC. OEPT.GA (503) 357-5607
P.T. 3, BOX 28A, GASTON, OR 97119
Yes, I want to use my computer lor FUN and PROFIT Please send me "Play Ihe Horses" lor S29.95. Circle the casselle you need. PET/CBM. VrC-M, Color compgisr, IRS'SO. Sinclair Tirn** 10OQ. Atari Con-.macsri! 64 loisk v casselle).
Apple ICisii or casseitel Enclosed is: □ check ot money order □ MasterCard Q Visa
£P
;:.-!■;■,:
:.; date
NAME
ADDRESS . CITY
START USING YOUR COMPUTER FOR
FUN and PROFIT!
60 COMPUT&'s Gazette June 1 984
In the VIC version, a shark is about to be hopped.
Special VIC Instructions
The VIC version runs on an unexpanded VIC, but requires two programs. The first redefines the character set, the second is the main program.
First enter Program 1. If you are using a disk drive, add the following lines:
700 PRINT"LOAD"CHR? ( 34 ) "FRANTIC2 "CHR$ ( 34 )
" , 8" 710 P0KE198,4:FORT=631T0633:POKET,145:NEX
T:P0KE634,13:END
Cassette users should add this line:
700 P0KE198, 1:P0KE531 ,131:END
Next, type in Program 2 and SAVE it as FRANTIC2. To play the game, LOAD and RUN Program 1 and it will LOAD and RUN Program 2.
If you don't want to type in the programs, send me $3, a cassette, and a self-addressed stamped mailer, and I will make a copy (VIC ver- sion only).
David Lacey 3708 1 Street Lincoln, NE 68510
See program listings on page 182, 9
FREE OFFER! FREE OFFER!
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THE CAME IQRDS OFB/MA/N
COMMODORE 64"
PURPLE TURTLES Authors: Mark & Richard Moore
A fully animated arcade game withLoveabla Turtles, Cuddly Graphics and more Cuteness than you'll find in any other Commodore 64 gamelA game for trio young at heart and people who have tired of alien bashing.
UlTISYNTH Author: Naltn Shatma Turn your CBM 64 into a sophistics ted synthesiser,
a piano, violin, organ, guitar or harpsichord. Woodwind, drums orcymoals and play along with your own or any of the preset rhythms.
Also available Bugaboo 'Aquaplane • Ring o! Power 'Sting • Ouintic Warrior
TIMEX/SINCLAIR 2068 m
BUGABOO Author: Indescomp
Jump your way out ol the caves with Bugaboo the flea but beware of the fearsome Dragon as you Jump around the exotic vegetation
Also available Xadom • Astro Blaster • Games Designer * 3D Strategy * Ant Attack • The Chess Player * Smugglers Cove * Vetnors Lair • Trader • Traxx • Time Gate
WMEX/SINCLAIR 1000 & 1500" 3D BLACK STAR Author. M. Sudworlb
Explosions mushroom around you and the rear scanner shows following craft, you Increase speed and fire at the ducts, dodging from side to side of the narrow corridor.
Also available
Damper S Glooper • Croaka
Crawta * Pioneer Trail *
Munchees
ATARI 400/800'"
VIC 20"
ULTI-SKETCH Author: M, Walker INCREDIBLY VERSATILE CHARACTER GENERATOR Define characters onB x8 grid. Save to tape. Load from tape. Freefymerges character sets into existing programs. Hex i Dec. O/Ps. Character manipulation. Minor, rotate. Invert, left, right, up down. hold, wipe, cancel. Redefine whole character set. Also works in colour mode. Excellent examples supplied.
SKYHAWK Author: Chaiiec
A quiet European village is attacked, pilot the jet fighter Skyha wk against the attackers
Bugaboo
QUICKSILVAINC426WestNakoma San AntonhTexas 78216. (512)3403684.
REVIEWS
Arcade-Style Games For The VIC-20: Skr amble! And Gridder
Harvey B. Herman, Associate Editor
What makes a great computer game? I suppose it's like invest- ing in the stock market. If the brokers had all the answers, they would be millionaires in- vesting their own money rather than cither people's. And it' game designers knew all the secrets for producing great games, they would never make a false step.
Since no one can know all the secrets, some people consis- tently do better than average in the stock market, and so do some game designers in competition for our software dollars. 1 don't know what a good average might be, but in the opinion of my fam- ily, Microdigital is hatting .500 on Skrtwiblc! and Crititler.
My youngest son almost immediately formed strong opin- ions on the quality of each game. Perhaps you can use his insight in your evaluations of other games. However, we don't have all the answers, or we would be writing games rather than re- viewing them.
Skramble!
The game begins with instruc- tions and a chorus of "Yankee Doodle." You are in command of a moving spaceship. Your only options are to bomb, shoot, or maneuver around enemy de- fenses. You have a limited amount of fuel, not enough to
62 COMPUTEI's Gazette Juno 1984
complete the mission. You have to earn additional fuel by de- stroying enemy oil tanks. Points are scored by destroying their rockets and helicopters. You lose if you collide with anything or run out of fuel. Points and remaining fuel are displayed in a panel at the bottom of the screen.
There is plenty of variety — the game offers eight different challenges (screens) before you reach the Homing Slot. The first screen has varying terrain filled with storage tanks, rockets, and helicopters. With the joystick, you maneuver up and down, forward and back; and you bomb and shoot with the fire button. At first it seems easy, but then the rockets are launched and the subsequent screens become much tougher.
As far as my kids are con- cerned, this game is a real win- ner. The variety and level of difficulty keep their interest much longer than the average game. They keep coming back to it, but still haven't made it to the end. Perhaps therein lies the secret of a successful game.
However, I would not have predicted this from my first im- pressions. Although they may feel differently next year, they like it now and are still trying to reach the Homing Slot.
Enter CompuServe's Electronic Mall u and shop at your convenience in these exciting departments.
The Micro Mart The Department Stores The Trawl Agent The Book Bazaar The Record Emporium The Photo Booth The Software Shop The Financial Market The Magazine Kiosk The Gardening Shed The Newsstand
A sample of the companies participating in CompuServe's Electronic Mall "includes:
Amdek
American Airlines
American Express
AST Research
Bantam
CBS Publishing
CDEX
Colonial Penn
Commodore
Computer World
Digital Equipment
dilithium Press
800 Software
Heath
Hertz
E.FHulton
Inmac
Innovative Software
Magazine Supply House
Manufacturer's Hanover Trust
McGraw-Hill
Metropolitan Life
Microsoft
Miracle Computing
Misco
Newsnet
Official Airline Guide
Pan American Electronics
Peachtree Software
Practical Peripherals
Program Store
Professional Color Labs
RCA Record Clubs
Record World
Sears
Select Information Exchange
Sim Computer Products
Software Advisor
Stark Brothers
Supersoft
MaxUle
Vanguard
VisiCorp
Ziff-Davis
Merchants and manufacturers who want to participate in the Electronic Mall" may contact: Stephen A. Swanson, L.M. Berry & Co.. P.O. Box 6000, Dayton, OH 45401. (513)296-2015.
3BI
May Catch Up With The Way
CompuServes New Electronic Mall
Lets You Shop Today.
Introducing the first computer shopping service that brings you convenience, savings and enjoyment
Here's your chance to expand the practical uses of your personal computer.
Sign up for CompuServe and shop in our new Electronic Mali, it's easy to use. ft tells you more about the products you're buying. It lets you order faster. And it's totally unique.
CompuServe's new Electronic Mall" offers you all these shopping Innovations,
- It's fi lormous! So it gives you in-depth information on thousands of goods and services, and lets you buy even hard-to-find merchandise - Its unique "Feedback" serv- ice lets you ask the merchants themselves specific questions. - It's incredibly efficient in Ordering the products and services you want
- Its special discount opportunities make it ecoi M ffnicat purchase after purchase. - And its name-brand merchants assure you ol lop-quality merchandise
Make the CompuServe Electronic Mall 1 5-Minute Comparison Test
What you can do in 15 minutes shopping
tin ■ Eln tronic Mali way:
•Gallup on your computer screen full
descriptions of the latesl in computer
printers, for instance.
• Pick one and enter the order command
• Check complete descriptions of pfecesti i stay on your next vacation.
• Pick several and request travel brocluin-s « .V ! essa department store catalog and
I ) k k i >nt a wine rack toots, toys. . . any I hint;!
• Placeyoar order.
What you can do in 15 minutes shopping the old way.
• Round up the family and gel in the car.
The Electronic Mali, a valuable addition to the vast world of CompuServe.
CompuServe's Consumer Informal ion Service brings you shopping information, entertainment, personal communications and more
Yi h i can access CompuServe with al most any computer and modem, terminal ' ii i otnmunicating word processor.
To receive your illustrated guide to CompuServe and learn how to subscribe, call or contact...
CompuServe
Consumer Information Service P.O. Box 20212
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800-848-8199
In Ohio call 6M -457-0802
1 1 1" Elcclronlc M.ill"
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1. 1 1. M Berry & D
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REVIEWS
Gridder
A painter, indicated by a happy face, is moved around a .square grid. When he boxes a given square, it is painted (indicated by changing color). At the same time, lethal chasers are after the painter. The painter — controlled by your joystick— must paint all the squares on the screen with- out getting caught by a chaser.
The next grid appears when the previous one is painted; there are 256 different grids (screens) in all. The score, including cur- rent high, is shown at the screen bottom.
A few complications are offered. You may create holes in the grid which neither the painter nor the chaser can cross. This stops the chaser for only a short time, however. The chasers ordinarily cannot sec through obstacles, but at higher screens the obstacles are transparent, which increases the challenge.
You get three extra painters in addition to the unused ones when a grid is completely painted. Up to nine painters are allowed at one time.
My youngest son reacted negatively to this game. He feels that there is not enough variety in spite of the 256 grids. In his words, "terminal boredom" set in long before the game became more difficult at the higher grids. Almost every other game was at least fun at first; not this one, he claims. Again, I would not have predicted this response from my first impression of the program.
For The Unexpcmded VIC
Skramble and Gridder are offered on tape for the unexpanded VIC, and have the option of either
44 COMPUTE ''s Gazette June 1 984
keyboard or joystick play. The front of each box has an artist's conception of the game (poetic license as usual), but the back has a small photograph of the actual screen. I applaud this last step and wish more software packaging was this honest.
The question remains: Why did my children like one program so much and not the other? Skramble! was fun for us and Gridder was not. Your experience maybe different.
The common thread of good games is true variety and chal- lenge. They must hold your in- terest by offering sufficiently different situations, At the same
time, they must challenge even the best players so winning will not be routine.
If a game meets the twin requirements of variety and chal- lenge for you, by all means buy it. As always, I recommend that prospective buyers first try games at a local store.
Skramble!
Gridder
MICRODIGITAL
Distributed by:
Tech! Softieare
P.O. Box 1110
Webster, NY 14580
(716)372-0647
$14.95 each on cassette
$19.95 each on disk Qf
Easy Script: Word Processor
For The 64 sheiby Neeiy
Easy Script, from Commodore, contains all of the standard word processing features: the ability to relocate or duplicate para- graphs, store files on disk or tape, and move easily around the screen using the cursor con- trol keys. You can also jump to the top or bottom of the screen or your text, to the bottom of the file, to the next or previous word, or to any line, and to the next screen. In addition, you can pan in any direction.
Easy Script allows you to directly insert text while the rest of your document wraps around and realigns itself automatically. Likewise, you can delete charac- ters, words, lines, and para- graphs. You can also erase words, characters, lines, or all of your file. Erase differs from Delete in that it leaves space on the screen
in place of the erased text.
Easy Script boasts another useful feature that is found in many, but not all, word proces- sors. With only a few keystrokes, you can search for every occur- rence of a word or phrase throughout your document and replace it with a different word or phrase.
It can also search through any linked files on the disk. Linked files are files with a spe- cial marker that tells the com- puter to connect them when you view or print them. Since any computer's memory limits the number of pages you can hold in one file, you may have to divide your school paper or your year- end report or your first novel into many different files or chap- ters. The ability to link those files can be very useful.
Special Features
The table of contents in the man- ual is eight pages. Contained within are a very large number of features. The major ones are:
1. decimal tabs that automatically align your columns of numbers,
2. soft hyphenation which lets the computer decide whether to hyphenate a word or not,
3. margin release which lets you temporarily override the margin setting,
4. conditional forced page which lets the computer decide if the remaining number of lines is too few to print on the current page,
5. automatic page numbering,
6. headings and footings, and
7. tab settings that are easy to set, easy to use, and easy to view; and can also be saved and recalled.
You can also change the color combinations of the screen, text, and border, include com- ment lines in your text that will appear on the screen but will not be printed, and easily change uppercase letters to lowercase and vice versa. You can specify the number of blank lines in the text without the space ap- pearing on the screen. (This saves memory.)
You Get What You See
Easy Script offers a conve- nient feature which allows you to see what the printed docu- ment will look like. While the program is not 80-column com- patible, it Sets you scroll horizon- tally up to 240 columns on the screen. In the special View Mode, what you see is what you get. If you specify double spac- ing, you'll see it, and if you want the right margin justified, you'll
Unique Software For The COMMODORE64 Computer
The ULTIMATE Thoroughbred Handicapping System
After you enter selected portions of past performance information from THE DAILY RACING FORM*. MICRO'CAPPER does the rest. Dozens ot racing factors are evaluated, including cla33, consistency, fitness, distance, surface, post position and running style. Hundreds of calculations are condensed into a SINGLE RATING NUMBER for each horse.
MICRO'CAPPER is a commercial quality menu-dnven software system witfi powerful full-screen data eitry arid editing Us error (rapping facilities provide friendly and foolproof operation, even Ijr the novice computer user The MICRO'CAPPER package consisls of nine programs un one diskelle. plus a user's manual II is available in Iwo versions one 'or use w<lh the EASTERN EDITION of THE DAILY RACING FORM, and one for use mlh the WESTERN EDITION
Hardware requirements CQMMOOORE-64 with one disk drive
Check or money order Florida residents add 5%,
CopitolComp, inc. $%&
Microcomputer Software U^r
SU, P.O. BOX 290485 DAVIE, FLORIDA 33329
COMPU TEl's Gazette J u n e 1 984 65
REVIEWS
r
see that, too, along with centered headings.
Many word processors re- quire that you purchase a sepa- rate mailing list program if you wish to send a form letter lo many different people, but Easy Script includes a mail-merge pro- gram. You type a list of names and addresses, create your form letter, and then sit back while the computer merges the two and prints your letters.
If you have a need for stan- dardized forms, Easy Script can accommodate that, too. You can save several standard para- graphs as separate files and then insert them into your form letters or merge them all to create one document.
Very Few Weaknesses
As with everything else, East/ Script isn't perfect. The manual is only fair. While it explains most features in detail and in- cludes exercises and recaps at every step, it is sometimes diffi- cult to understand, even for an experienced user. The only part of the manual that is really well organized is the Reference Sec- tion. You should read it first.
In addition, it is unfortunate that Easy Script does not include a Quick Reference Card. You can create your own, but many word processing programs sup- ply them and they are quite useful. Since Easy Script is not menu-driven (another draw- back), there are many commands lo remember.
It is also disturbing to see words at the ends of lines cut in half in the Edit Mode. Most word processors wrap the entire word around to the next line if it will not fit. Easy Script does this in
66 COMPUTE!'* Gnicllo June 1 984
the View Mode only. Unfortu- nately, the View Mode does not allow all the cursor movement and editing commands found in the Edit Mode. Preferably, these two modes should be combined. In the View Mode, you never know where you are, there is no page number indicator or even line or column indicator, and you have to learn a different set of cursor movement commands.
In spite of these weaknesses, Easy Script still rates near the top of the list of word processors for the Commodore 64. It's power- ful, professional, and easy to use. And the price is reasonable.
Easy Script
Commotion' Business Machines, Inc.
1200 Wilson Drive
West Chester, PA 19380
Disk $49.95 W
Worms? For The 64
Gregg Keizer, Assistant Book Editor
Worm training? The idea sounds ridiculous at first. Images of riding and roping worms momentarily cross your mind. No, Worms? isn't really a game about training worms, but that's part of the process. Ele- ments of connect- the-dots are hidden in the game, but Worms? isn't a children's game, nor an arcade game that moves at light- ning speed. This game is hard lo pin down, for it fits in no conve- nient category. It's not "just like PacMan" or "close to Defender." Worms? is different.
Mathematical Worms
David Maynard, game designer and programmer of Worms?, first came up with the idea after reading a Martin Cardner col- umn in Scientific American. The column discussed the patterns of idealized mathematical worms and it gave Maynard ideas. The result is Worms?
A one- to four- player game, Worms? moves slowly at first, picking up momentum as each worm becomes better trained. The colors, graphics, and sounds
are up to the usual high stand- ards of Electronic Arts. But all this is secondary to the delight you find in just experiencing the game.
You're On Your Own
When you open the game pack- age, you see a disk, a four-page instruction booklet, and a warn- ing not to read the directions. That advice is well-taken.
After a rather long delay in waiting for the game to load, the screen shows the playing field, worm selections, and instruc- tions on how to change the worm types. You have four worms and five worm types to choose from. Press the f5 key to select one of the four worms, the f3 key to change the worm type.
The four worms are color- coded as green, red, blue, and purple. The worm types are:
• NEW. This is the worm type you'll normally select when you play. It's untrained, and you're the trainer.
• AUTO. Similar to the NEW worm, this one is trained by the computer to make intelligent moves.
• WILD. Another computer- trained worm, it's programmed randomly before the game be- gins. Not as smart as the AUTO worm, it's easier to beat.
• SAME. The worm that played this color during the last game is used again. It's already trained.
• . The worm is dormant and
doesn't play. Use this worm type to play with less than four players when you don't want the computer interfering.
The playing field, before you begin the game, is a screen- ful of dots. Each dot lies in the middle of its own territory, which extends to the six do'ts surrounding it.
Figure 1 . Territories
S\
-»••
The object of the game is to cap- ture as many territories as pos- sible by drawing worm trails from dot to dot. You capture a territory and receive one point when you draw the last trail in the territory. To win, accumulate more points than anyone else. It sounds ter- ribly simple when you first read it, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Your worm may draw five of the six possible lines to a dot, and then another player's worm may come along and claim the terri- tory. Or vour worm may be lay- ing trails in a perfect pattern, only to rim into another worm.
Worm Trainer
As you play, train your worm to make specific moves in specific situations. It leaves a trail of light behind as it moves, drawing the
NOTHING CAN UPGRADE THE KEYBOARD OF YOUR C-64 LIKE THE MAGNACOMP-64 INTEGRATOR CONSOLE __
149
THE C-64 IS LITERALLY TRANSFORMED!! YOU INSERT THE ENTIRE KEYBOARD INTO THE LARGER, MORE SUBSTANTIAL HOUSING, NUMERIC DATA-PAD IS BUILT IN (HARD WIRED, NO SOFTWARE REQUIRED.) . -A FULLY ENCLOSED COMPARTMENT HIDES WIRES. ROOM IS PROVIDED FOR 80 COLUMN CARDS. EXPANSION, ETC.
SIX SURGE/SPIKE PROTECTED AND GROUNDED RECEPTACLES ARE INTERNALLY PROVIDED, WITH A HEAVY-DUTY CORO.
UNIT IS COLOR-MATCHED TO THE NEW MSD HIGH SPEED DISK DRIVE. TO PROVIDE A HANDSOME COMBO. „ „ ,
SEND FOR FREE 6-PAGE CATALOG • COD. or prepaid, only. • California residents add 6.5% sales lax. Please allow 3-5 week tor delivery n to-day money back guarantee. OAKWOOD COMPUTER PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM: 3421 Burbank Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505 • (21 3) 841-0964
No Lookin' Around
We know. You've been looking everywhere for 64 software, INSTA's interactive line of software is just a phone call away.
COMPUTE!'* Goalie June 1964 67
REVIEWS
lines from dot to dot. If you create a pattern that quickly draws lint's and claims territories, you get points fast. If your worm's pattern is inefficient, it doesn't claim territories as quicklv, and the other player's worms may capitalize on your work.
The space bar lets you choose the direction your worm moves in. Sometimes the direc- tions are restricted because paths have already been filled in by your worm or other worms. When you're satisfied with the new direction, press any key to set the worm in motion and lay its trail.
The worm moves automati- cally once it recognizes a pattern in your training. It continues to move until it runs into an un- known situation. The worm then flashes and you are able to give it a new command. This process continues throughout the game. As you give more commands to the worm, you train it. It re- members all your previous di- rections and moves in that way as long as it recognizes the pat- tern. Training is a cumulative process. Eventuallv, your worm recognizes every situation, and you don't have to do anything but watch it move around [he screen.
There are dangers to your worm, however. If two or more worms try to move to the same dot at the same time, they collide and die. You hear a nasty sound and see a small flash as your worm expires. Your worm dies if it cannot move from its present dot as well. This usually happens only near the end of the game when the screen is filled with trails and your worm's trapped.
Patterns And More Patterns
Creating a good pattern is one of the kevs to the game. You'll find yourself training your worm to make all kinds of patterns, from girderlike constructions to zig- zags to complex hexagon clus- ters. Many times, you'd like to duplicate a pattern you used in a previous game, but you can't because another worm is in the way. Each game is different from the last. You have to adapt In the situation.
It can be frustrating, espe- cially when other players inter- fere with your worm's training, but that's part of the joy of Worms?. It's not all skill, how- ever. Luck plays a part in the game. Imagining what your worm will do is almost impos- sible at times. Sometimes the only thing you can do is train your worm and see how it all works out. If you're lucky and the other player's worms happen to create patterns that yours can exploit, so much the better.
It's difficult to visualize how a worm is trained, and how pal- terns are created by just reading about it. Seeing is everything here.
You're starting to train your worm, and want to create a pat- tern. I low do you do it?
Figure 2. First Move
.^.
to choose from. You decide to move it southeast and press the space bar until that direction is indicated. The worm moves to the dot below and to the right. Now it wants another command, for it doesn't recognize the pat- tern of a trail leading from the northwest.
Figure 3. Second Move
¥
You tell the worm to move northeast. Anytime your worm sees the pattern of a trail to the southeast, with five directions open, it will now move up and to the right — nil the time.
Figure 4. Third Move
• • • • •
Your worm has six directions
Now your worm moves west, closing in the triangle. You still haven't earned any points, how- ever, since there is no dot with all six trails drawn to it. From now on, when your worm starts out on a dot which has one trail to the southwest (created in the second move), it will want to move to the west.
Your pattern is just begin- ning. As you continue to train your worm, the pattern will emerge. If you've trained your worm well, it will con tin Lie the
68 COMPUTEI's Gazelle June! 98-1
same pattern, over and over, until it either fills the screen or cannot move further, in which case it dies. Of course, playing with only one worm on the screen is considerably different than when there are four com- plex patterns developing from four worms.
Other Options
There are several interesting options also included in Worms?. You can freeze the game's action at any time, turn off the grid's dots, flash claimed territories throughout the game, and even save and load previously trained worms. Changing saved worms is also easy to do. These options are useful if you want to analyze a particular worm's pattern to see how to improve it, or to stop in the middle of a game and re- sume it later.
Unique And Interesting
Worms? is one of the most fas- cinating games I've played in a long time. It's so different from anything else that it quickly capti- vated me. Worms? tournaments became popular among the staff of COMPUTE!. We soon had our favorite patterns and worms, from girders to vast encircling patterns that became apparent only after half the screen was filled.
The game is hard to master. It's easy to play, but seems almost impossible to play well time alter time. There are just too many factors over which you have no control such as the other player's worms and peculiar patterns you may have inadvertently created. You can't really become an expert
w
Educational Software That Works
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We know our software WORKS because we developed and tested it in the classroom. Let our software WORK for your children too!
For Apple, IBM PC, and Commodore 64.* Ask your dealer.
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Grades 1 through 6 2 disks $49.95
Grades 4 through 12 2 disks $49.95
High School, College, and Adult Students 2 disks $69.95
davidsoiftgssociates
6069 Groveoak Place #12 Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90274
MasterCard and Visa cardholders may cal[ collect to order: (213) 378-7826 / (213) 378-3995
'Apple, IBM, and Commodore 64 are irademarks of Apple Compuler, Inc., Interna- Honal Business Machines Corp., and Commodore Business Machines, (nc. respect Ivnly,
REVIEWS
Train your worms well and you will capture more territory.
at this game in the same sense as you can with arcade games like PacMan or Robotron, where you practice the same system of move- ment and lire over and over. That's not to say this detracts from Worms?. Instead, I think it's one of the reasons we play the game so frequently. A novice can play and have an excellent chance of winning, even with only the briefest explanation of how the game works. Each game is differ- ent from the last, so even the most experienced players enjoy playing game after game.
Worms? is as much fun to watch as it is to play, and when your worm dies, you may stay in front of the screen just to see how it all turns out. At game's end, when the different patterns are revealed, along with the point totals, there will be oohs and ahs at the geometric precision or ran- dom inefficiencies of each worm.
Worms? is a strange game in a lot of ways. Even though it consists of lines and dots, you can be easily drawn into the game's world. Some arcade games do this with cute charac- ters and elaborate animation. Neither of these is used in Worms?. Yet you do fall into the worm's mentality quickly, think- ing about how to train your worm faster, or in better pat-
70 COMPUTEFs Gazette June 198'!
terns. Sometimes the planning, such as it is, pays off; other times it doesn't because another player's worm interferes or crashes into yours.
Don't read the directions that come with the game. You probably won't understand them anyway. It's not a matter of clar- ity, but one of visualization. Worms? is almost impossible to imagine without seeing it on the
screen and experiencing the game. Even when you've played the game for a time, reading the directions doesn't seem to help. There are just too many pos- sibilities to explore. But you'll have fun trying.
Worms? Electronic Arts
2755 Campus Drive San Mateo, CA 94403
$40 m
IFR (Flight Simulator) For The VIC-20
David Florence, Programming Assistant
You are on the runway ready for takeoff. Throttle full, you begin to accelerate. Airspeed is rising — 20, 30, 45, 53. You pull back on the stick and begin your ascent. You retract your landing gear. Heading 000- north, you are on your way. Now you are Charles Lindberg or Amelia Earhart.
You have entered the world of flight — a domain of mountain ranges, high and low altitude forests, canyon passes, and thin landing strips.
Academy Software's IFR (Flight Simulator), written by Ron Wanttaja, joins a long list of other flight simulators for various computers. But, it stands apart in several ways.
First, it is written for the VIC-20. (A Commodore 64 ver- sion is also available.) Second, the instrument panel displays read- ings in digital form. This makes it easier to understand the status of your flight. Third, you can choose from ten levels of skill and turbulence. This adds to the challenge and enjoyment of test flights.
Getting Airborne
When you begin, you are prompted for a choice of skill level and air turbulence factor. It may be wise to set these at zero until you earn your wings.
The program contains a use- ful editor with which you can set your flight conditions. When you are prompted to press T for take- off, you can press E instead, for the editor. Should you choose this, you can customize the flight conditions of altitude, north and west coordinates, airspeed, throttle, fuel, and heading.
Use the map to determine where you would like to be, and remember to set your airspeed above the stall speed or your flight will be a short one. The editor is more useful as you learn to control the aircraft.
To take your first flight, you need to increase throttle, {labeled T on the lower left of the screen) to full by pressing the fl key until the indicator is fully lit. When your airspeed reaches about 50, gently pull back on the joystick to start your climb.
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When your altitude is above 80, you can pull up your landing gear by pressing G,
As the airspeed reaches about 105, pull back on the joy- stick a little more to level your speed. Your altitude starts to increase at a faster rate, and your north coordinates are increasing rapidly while your west coordi- nates are relatively stable.
Begin a turn to the west, heading 270 (the compass is in the top center of the display), by moving the joystick to the left. Make the turn before your north coordinates reach 75, or you will crash into a mountain cliff (un- less your altitude is above 600 feet). When you make your turn, the artificial horizon (middle center of the display) and your turn and bank coordinator (mid- dle left of the display) reflect your turn to the west.
Don't turn too sharply. As your heading reaches 270, level off your turn by easing the joy- stick back to the right and getting even with the horizon. You have now made it into the sky with success.
An excellent feature of the program is the sound, the roar of your engine. If you are not yet an ace you hear other sounds like the screeching of a landing with gear up, and the fearful crash. These sounds do a good job of enhancing the realism of the simulation.
Using The Map
Included with the software is a map, which is based on two co- ordinates, north and west. Both start at 0 and end at 250, To get your position, check the INS (Inertial Navigation System) readout at the bottom of the dis-
17 COMPUTEI's Gazette June 1984
Flying through the mountain pas IFR Flight Simulator.
in
play panel. Trace up the map's vertical axis until you reach the north value, then trace horizon- tally until you reach your west value. Where the two meet is your location on the map. Each unit on the INS readout is the equivalent of one-tenth of a mile.
There are four airports, only two of which have fuel and re- pair. There are different altitudes and terrains, a mountain range and forests, as well as high and low passes through the moun- tains. The aircraft flies at any heading between 000 and 359. Compass headings are 000- north, 090-east, 180-south, and 270-west.
Precision Landings
Airports 1 and 2 have installed the ILS (Instrument Landing System) for precision landings. As you approach these airports, you see on the ILS instrument (center of display) two bars, one horizontal and one vertical. The horizontal bar is the glidescope. It shows the vertical position of the aircraft in relation to the run- way. Fly towards the glidescope to make precision landings. The vertical bar is the
localizer. It shows the position of the aircraft relative to the center of the runway. There are front course and back course local- izers. Fly towards the bar on the front course and away from the bar on the back course. Below the ILS instrument there are three indicators labeled O, M, and I, for outer, middle, and inner markers. They light at miles 3, 2, and 1 from the airports, respec- tively. These enable you to make very precise landings.
Helpful Hints
There are some things, not im- mediately apparent, that will help you make successful flights.
When taking off, be sure to keep your airspeed above the stall speed. Stall speed with flaps up is about 56 mph. If you hear a tone shortly after takeoff, it means that you are going up too fast for your airspeed, so bring the nose down a bit by pushing forward on the joystick.
Your landing gear is deli- cately balanced so it may not function normally if you are rapidly losing airspeed or al- titude. Be sure to get the gear up and down while your indicators are relatively constant. A good time for gear up is just after leav- ing the ground, and a good time for gear down is just after making your turn towards the runway.
Flv the aircraft so that one of your coordinates is constant. This is difficult to do. You'll find that "crabbing," or flying a little to the left or right of your desired heading, helps immeasurably.
When flying at high al- titudes, be sure to remember that a lot of fuel was burned to get that high. You may make it to the desired altitude, but you
could run out of fuel before you are able to get back down.
On the other hand, the air- craft needs limited fuel to make a descent, so if you have used a lot getting up, cut back the throttle to 0 or "dead stick" for your descent.
Should you run out of fuel, remember that it is still possible to land the aircraft. Also, if you are low on fuel, you may find it preferable to make a safe landing somewhere in the fields rather than waste what little fuel you have trying in vain to reach an airport. Fueled landings are more easily made than dead stick landings.
Land from the east and make a swift turn to the south after takeoff at Airport 4.
Use the nosewheel steering to get back on the runways should you run off. You won't need very much speed to taxi, so keep it slow, around 6 or 7 mph.
Your brakes work better if your throttle is at 0.
IFR (Flight Simulator) has a quality of realism which sets it apart from others of its kind, even those I have tested at a flight school. The controls in this program respond very much like actual aircraft controls. They arc not overly sensitive, but give you what you ask for, even if it is flying right into a cliff.
This program does not serve as a substitute for real training, but it does familiarize you with some basic flight terminology and theory, and it's tremendous fun.
IFR (Flight Simulator)
Academy Software
P.O. Box 6277
San Rafael, CA 94303
VlC-20 cartridge $39.95
Commodore 64 tape or disk $29. 95 ©
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