(C) Kotov A.V. (CAV Inc.)
(C) Music D.J. Music
It has already become a tradition to open this section of mine with an address to the people. Yes, dear readers, you are not very active, especially in the native city of Rybinsk. Although, probably, there are the most programmers per capita in Rybinsk. Therefore, probably, no one is itching to do anything. Everyone considers themselves cool (or rather, either very cool, or thinks they are still users). Dear readers, who are we working for? For ourselves, perhaps? Is it really that hard to sit down and scribble a couple of lines, like "...the whole editorial team are lamers, you don't know anything. This is how it should be done..." What do you think, we won't listen to your advice? I also have a question for the readers: do you think it's easy to create a computer magazine in a provincial city? Those who think it's easy should try it themselves, and not just two or three issues, but at least six. And so that it is read across the country. Well, okay, that was all lyrical digression, let's start our review of new and old items :-).
Free Format version 8.3
───────────────────────
author: K.Teterin
ETC GROUP 1996
Yes, brothers, the version number has changed and the number of authors has changed, but the program itself has not suffered from this, rather it has even benefited. The most significant difference from version 8.0 is the presence in the Format option of one line, which I was very pleased about. This is a command to create a system sector, or rather, a switch that allows you to create or not create the 8th sector on TR-DOS disks. There are no more differences from the previous version. (Not counting the background image...)
STEALTH MACRO ASSEMBLER-DEBUGGER
(ALASM v 2.8)
─────────────────────────────────
(C) ALEM
We waited... No, not for the end of the world, but for the "coolest" assembler, according to Stalker (I wonder what he meant...) Let the author and the crew from Ukraine not be offended by me, but this product is not cool. Let's get to the point. After reading the ads in "ZX-Review" and the help for STS, I really wanted to see the newly minted wonder and possibly switch to it from XAS. The miracle did not happen; I did not like the system much. Launching ALASM, I hoped to see something cool-windowed, like the new assembler for Scorpions, or at least XAS. Aha... I dreamed. A harsh splash screen appeared in the style of Tasm with Masm, with inscriptions made in a font that looked too much like Tasm's. Some will say, happiness is not in the shell... Well, have you ever written in GENS? But okay, that's not the main thing. Entering the editor, I quickly discovered that it looks just like the one that was in the second Tasm. No differences at all! Deciding, I typed a program of a hundred lines and assembled it... (that's exactly what I did). It took about ten minutes to argue with ALSAM about the INCBIN command. I typed the command in full accordance with the instructions:
font INCBIN "size.fnt"
As you can see, I just wanted to load a font file. Who knew that this... ALASM does not digest the dot in the filename (rather it digests, but ONLY for texts in ALASM format, see the instructions). I was too lazy to rename the file... But a way was found. It turns out that ALASM supports the asterisk (*) in the filename!, and only in this, in my opinion, perverse way was I able to load my font. In general, my impression of ALASM is not very good...
Well, you can change the font (64-42 characters) and the number of lines is different. Well, it works with 512 K. So what? The control is still inconvenient. And why was the word DEBUGGER inserted in the title if this DEBUGGER is external? And what is meant by the word STEALTH? That it sits on pages, while only resident in main memory? That was already the case in TASM. Macros... So macros are made in it just like in MASM, and what I think about that you could read in previous issues. That's such a sad story... But honestly, ALASM is much cooler than TASM with Masm and more convenient to work with. A lot of service functions (spreading across pages during assembly is only in ALASM).
My opinion is this: ALASM will appeal to fans of TASM and Masm and possibly to people who switched to ALASM from GENS. But I like XAS more. When working, it (XAS) does almost everything for you (that's why sometimes something like LD B,(ADDR) is born) and marks errors. And ALASM does the same with errors as TASM (and that's sad). So let's drink to good and different assemblers!
Supplement ELF: When the final editing of this article was going on, we already had ALASM 3.8, and in this regard, I would like to express my opinion about this program. First of all, it should be noted that CAV Inc. apparently did not read the instructions for ALASM well: when INCBIN is used, what is after the dot in the filename is considered the file extension, which is why it could not load the file size.fnt. In general, this is more of an advantage than a disadvantage. Now regarding the fact that ALASM can be on pages 128 (and more) of memory - this is not the same as in TASM. I have a PENTAGON 512 and, therefore, I dump the system pages of ALASM and STS onto 512 memory, while the 128 memory remains completely free. By placing text on the 512 pages, I can exit ALASM, work, for example, in ZX-WORD, and then re-enter ALASM and work with the old texts without reloading them. In general, it seems to me that ALASM is currently the most powerful assembler. Of course, it does not have such a fancy interface as XAS or ZX-ASM, but I am completely satisfied with what is available (if only it had support for binary numbers). So far, I have only found one glitch in ALASM 3.8 - working with multiple drives occurs normally only on TR-DOS 5.04T (maybe higher), and on my old 5.03 it glitches (it seems that when switching to another drive, it is necessary to perform additional disk configuration).
Omega COMMANDER v 1.05
────────────────────────────────────
(C) HACKER GREY of OMEGA HACKERS GROUP
This program presents another view of "commanders". This time there was yet another attempt to make a resident boot. The author's description states that this gadget sits resident on any machine with 128-1024K of memory, although on 128K machines a small refinement is needed... a lock for upper memory. The "commander" belongs to the class of dual-panel, i.e., one panel is drive "A", and the other, say, "C". The functions of the commander are selected in "drop-down" menus. Honestly, controlling this commander is not very convenient: there are quite a few functions and they are spread across different menus (although there are only two function menus - on Caps Shift + 1 and on Caps Shift + 2). I haven't worked much with "O.C.", maybe I missed something interesting. I have nothing more to say about it.
Perfect Commander v1.52
─────────────────────────
(C) by James Advent
Probably, many have already seen PC (not to be confused with IBM PC!), so they can compare their impressions with mine. Honestly, PC is somewhat similar to RC_128 (by RST #7). Those who have seen will understand what I mean, and those who haven't will have to take my word for it. I'll immediately list the shortcomings of the version that I have. The first drawback is poor performance with two drives on TR-DOS 5.03. The second drawback is a small font (it seems 64 characters). The advantages include:
1) file selection during operations, i.e., when copying from already copied files, the mark is removed (the same applies to all other file operations).
2) The presence of the "gluing" files option is pleasing to the eye. This is not often found in commanders.
In general, PC is packed with functions (much more than Jemmini), but as they say, "to each their own..." So, I don't like 64 characters in a line. I think it's high time to accept 42 characters as the standard, as not everyone has good "displays" (monitors, TVs). In conclusion, PC is a good thing, it can be used, although it copies sectors a bit less at a time than Jemmini and the built-in help crashes in some cases (though it warns about it).
F Commander v 4.02
─────────────────────────
(C) 1993 Vadim Eremee
(C) 1996 Max Vasilyev
I present to you FUC..., I'm Sorry, "F-commander". Why "F"? So that no one guesses! In general, one line about this boot would have sufficed, but I decided to get creative. The first thing that catches the eye is that the commander strongly resembles Instrument 2.x in its interface! It is similar in almost everything (including icons). It has the standard set of functions for commanders. Honestly, the control is not very conveniently implemented: constantly navigating with the arrow keys over the icons is not very convenient. But overall, the program is nice, but most likely made just to make something, there is nothing new.
ChemneBase v 0.6
────────────────────────
(C) ChemneSoft 16.06.96
How many good and different... I'm talking about disk databases, or rather, databases about disks. Here is another program of this class that caught my eye. In general, version 0.6 can be considered a beta version of the system, as some functions are not implemented and there are quite a few of them. I was very pleased with the description of this system with separate tips for improving work and cheerful notes almost at every command "not implemented". No, the system is really cool, (especially if everything will be done). You can quickly get used to the management, and the small font too (?) Now let's talk about the pros of the system, although everything is in the description. The standard set of commands for capturing data about programs, i.e., new disk, new file, etc. A NEW feature: editing data about the program: name on disk, real name (up to 255 (!) characters), what version, whether there is a CHEAT and AY accompaniment, and much more. Moreover, this is done quite simply. I was pleased with the directory viewing mode. File names were issued with a three-letter extension, which means that this program will not confuse its files with others (there's no need to look far for an example "M" for Digital Studio and Pro Tracker modules). A mode for resetting the entire database as a text file is declared but not implemented. As I said earlier, the system is very, very good, so look for the full version (maybe even from us).
Now let's move on to compressors, atmospherically about 40-80. In winter, however, it's hard to launch them. So, I was not talking about those compressors...
MaxSoft SCREEN PACKER v 1.0
────────────────────────────────
(C) 1996 MaxSoft/SPEED Co.
As you probably guessed from the title, this program compresses screens much like ASC Crasher, and can be said to be somewhat similar to ASC (in ideology). As a result of this program's work, a fully relocatable module is produced, which starts from the loading address and, theoretically, does not spoil anything. You are probably interested in the phrase about "theoretically not spoiling"? Most likely - yes. It happened like this: I usually packed screens with ASC Crasher... And so, while preparing the fifth issue for release, I had to create a menu (almost entirely). As usual, I packed the image with ASC, and then I hit a snag! The first time everything went well, but upon unpacking it again, the table got corrupted, and the cursor went haywire. Remembering that somewhere on the disks with "new stuff" there was another compressor with the parameters I needed, I found MSP. It compressed the screen a bit worse than ASC Crasher, but at least without glitches (I repacked that "Predator" with ASC about five times and it was the same every time). So now there is an alternative to old ASC and it would be a sin not to use it.
We will conclude our discussion of compressors with a small comparison of various code compressors. The comparison, to be honest, is not complete. A code file of 31828 bytes was compressed. The structure of the file was heterogeneous. It contained: a screen compressed by ASC Crasher, sprites, tables, and code (there was the least code). All this was well mixed, resulting in the following data:
filename length time
compressor
───────────────────────────────────────
PACK 2.2B 17664 less than a minute
LZSS NEW
(ASC LZPACK) 16543 more than a minute
LZH PACKER*1 13855 more than a minute
LZH PACKER*2 14147 longer than LZH P*1
TRUSH 12355 more than 5 minutes
KSA LZSS
(C.C.) 13144 about a minute
DSQ-4 12145 more than 30 minutes
MS-Pack 12563 more than 10 minutes
As can be seen from this table, TRUSH compressed the best. But in the end, I settled on MS-PACK. "Why?" - the user who has not seen MS-PACK will ask. Because MS-PACK has the most convenient, in my opinion, interface, and it does not scare anyone with incomprehensible messages about window sizes or similar, and at the same time packs quite well.
At the time of writing this article, there was still no PCD (by KSA), and it can pose worthy competition to DSQ-4 and MS-PACK.
SpriteLand v 1.9
─────────────────────────────
(C) by Flying/Digital Reality
What can be said about this program? Cool! No, really cool. Of all sprite rippers, this one is truly cool. And there is so much in it (except for the mask generation mode by sprite)! Why has no one made a COMPLETE sprite editor with such capabilities yet? Everyone is doing their best, and as a result, we have a bunch of "pieces" of sprites and only one decent sprite editor, seemingly from 1992. This is to say that I rarely draw sprites in ART Studio; I mostly use SPRITE Editor... Well, okay, we got off topic. So, you drew sprites in ART Studio, Artist (I/II), or with chalk on asphalt (:-) ) and are wondering how to shove this mess into a cultural block for further use. The best (except for one case) choice might be SpriteLand. It captures sprites by rows, columns, and character positions (for those who like to print everything through RST #10), with attributes and without, generates a mask/sprite sequence (mask byte, sprite byte), and performs sprite rolling by 1, 2, or 4 pixels (needed for fast graphics). There is the possibility of both manual and automatic capturing of sprites and masks. Captured sprites are marked. In general, a lot of cool features are packed in and done quite well. There is a detailed instruction, which only adds weight to the program. Look for SpriteLand, or better yet, order it from the authors (that will be better for everyone).
Independent FARAON (STEEVIS) Music Bank
version 1.01
────────────────────────────────────────
(C) 1996 -QUEEN- Software Inc.
Here is another advanced player that has appeared. It looks fine (mode indicators, scroll, a window for info about the music, etc.), but it doesn't work very well. No, it plays all types of compiled files that are declared and identifies them correctly (almost). But it did not identify ASM v 1.11 files for me, nor did it identify all Sound Tracker files, but everything else is fine. And there are quite a few types: ASM (v 1.12), Pro Tracker 2.xx, Sound Trackers, and even Super Sonic :-). I have nothing more to say about the player. A player is a player, even in Africa.
And now I will introduce you to something terrible. The ripper for Microprotector! According to the author - a super-duper....
AntiMicroprotector v 1.00
──────────────────────────────
(C) 1995 Alexander Korolew
As the author of this thing writes: "hold on, protection, we have come" or something like that. And the protection, to be honest, does not care about this ripper. I do not know against which version of Microprotector this ripper was written, but logically reasoning, it should have removed version 2.02 from 1994. The ripper, along with the author, messed up! And how much bravado was in the info, like "SHRSoft, you can throw your computer away, I can take out your Microprotector with one hand...". Meanwhile, in our city, there are either three or four rippers that actually do this, and their authors do not show off. And the rippers remove not one version, but at least three, or even more. Therefore, I can give advice to my namesake (even if they throw bananas at him later): "Only after figuring out the issue, don't act cool, there will always be a man or woman cooler than you". And before saying that MP should be thrown into the dustbin of history, do something equally useful and reliable (most disks with protections cannot be restored, but a disk locked by MP can!). I hope this admonition will be useful to everyone.
And now I will introduce you to a program that had no analog on Speccy. It appeared to me quite a while ago, but somehow I didn't get around to it...
Disk Level
──────────────
(C) John Doe
The main complaint about TR-DOS from users who write (draw) is the limitation of 128 files on a disk. With the help of this program, the limitation is lifted. That is, with a lot of short files and significant free space, you can use Disk Level and write another 126 files on the same disk. Why so many? Because DL creates a file where it saves the directory data. I want to immediately draw the attention of people who are rushing to find DL and expect to work with both directories. A disk processed by Disk Level can be considered archival. In the second directory (formed after the Level on command), you can safely write, delete, and compress (except for the RETURN.R file), but as soon as you make the MOVE command with deleted files in the first directory (Level off), after switching to the second directory, you will not be able to restore the first one again (I could not do it). In general, the program can be used, just remember what was said above.
And now I will tell you about a new (?), in any case, little-known editor for Speccy. I stumbled upon it in the fifth ZX-Format, and then a full (?) version appeared.
MicroEditor
──────────────────
(C) Yuri Kovalevsky
The first thing that catches the eye when loading the editor is its resemblance to Tasword or TLW. But, on the whole, it doesn't matter much. Moreover, the description states that this package has the ability to print text with illustrations. However, I couldn't test this function, as I had nothing to test it on. The editor has a ton of features, much more than ZX Word and certainly more than the Ukrainian editor. There is formatting, a calculator, bookmarks, line break checking during formatting, and auto-formatting while editing. Well, it does everything, except it doesn't sing or dance. After browsing through the description texts and slightly scolding the author for the not-so-convenient way of working with the disk (I am more used to windows, like in ZX Word 2.xx), I decided to load this article into MED and finish writing it there. Immediately, nothing could be loaded. And not because of the extension (especially since MED reads files with any extension), but because the file turned out to be in the wrong format for MED. I never expected that a TEXT editor would have its OWN format! "What kind of format can an ordinary (ASCII) file have?" - you may ask. Well, here's one - I'll tell you. Usually, at the end of a line, the code #0A, #0D, or #0D is placed, and this is the WORLD standard, while in MED (not to be confused with MED, these are two different products) the end-of-line code is #09! This is just ridiculous! No printer will understand that. However, I want to note that MED issued a table with a request to convert the text. This prompted me to some searches that were successful. In MED, by pressing EDIT+X, I discovered the command I needed. The list of proposed formats impressed me. Only one question arose: WHY THE HELL was it done differently than people do (after all, #09 is something else)? In conclusion, I can say that MED is a powerful text processor (feel the difference: ZX WORD is just an editor), but the fact that it has SUCH a text format I absolutely do not like, as well as the disk menu and control (and in response to "if you don't like it, don't use it", I will say "and I don't use it"). I hope that Kovalevsky will see this article and listen.
May Be My Bank v 5.1
───────────────────────
(C) Atlantic Group
I want to present to your attention yet another universal Player for everything that exists in the world. What distinguishes this player from I.F.M.B. is the normal playback of ASM music from version 0.xx, as well as the possibility of "quick" listening to melodies. Of all the players I have seen, this one is the most convenient to work with (at least for me). Control is carried out with just five buttons or one joystick, everything is clear and cool. This player has one function that greatly amused me, namely - sequentially iterating through files in search of music. When working with the disk, a trendy mode has been implemented, borrowed from Amiga, namely: auto-detection of the disk (which is generally a simple operation). In general, lately, everything that is dragged to Speccy comes from other platforms. Demos increasingly resemble some effects from Amiga demos from 1993, and with systems, it's a real mess: both Amiga and IBM. And if tomorrow someone steals an idea from MAC, I wouldn't be surprised. As for this player, I liked it more than the MAFIA one.
FLOPPY FORMAT UTILITY v 1.00
────────────────────────────────
(C) Ivan Roshchin
Here is another drag from our enemy - IBM PC. The program itself is quite nice, with wide formatting capabilities for disks both for TR-DOS and for MS-DOS and iS-DOS. There are a bunch of formats for each system (all permissible). In general, there is one joke that I have long wanted to tell the world. All PCs that I worked on (XT, AT 286, AT 386SX, AT 486DX) formatted DS/DD disks MUCH slower than Spectrum did (MS-DOS disks). From which it follows that IBM PC ..... (put the necessary four-letter English word in place of the dots). This is to say that if you need to format disks, say, twenty (or just five), it's better to do it on Speccy (if the disks are DS/DD). And as for the reliability of such disks... If you have a drive, and not a junk for disks, everything will be fine. (I have a MiniDisk at 720K that has been alive for almost two years with constant use on both machines (Speccy and PC), and so far I have no complaints about it). Yes, I got a bit sidetracked, but it was relevant. FFU is a good thing, there is a description (but I have a complaint about it - I don't know what kind of crap was used to make the description shell, but the end was lost in an unknown direction. What is Help without an end? It's some kind of eunuch). I was pleased with the somewhat contextual hint. So, guys, use it for your health and don't format disks on IBM PC.
We will conclude our review with a program from 1994 (?). I looked at it for a long time, but at first, I had no time, then no desire, then...
Afrodita v 3.0
───────────────────
(C) Evdokimov Alyosha
This program, like Free Formats, is intended for formatting disks in an arbitrary way. But this is only one of the functions of this program. It also copies taking into account the given format (the one that is entered into its working tables). There is a disk doctor, editing parameters, etc. When formatting, you can enable/disable error correction. There is an option to save disk data in a file. The program is quite sophisticated, but I still do not quite understand the meaning of some numbers in the pattern editing mode and why data translation from pattern to handle does not always go through, but that is fixable. The main thing is that this program can be attempted to be used. Out of curiosity, I tried to recreate the formatting of the distribution disk of ZX-Format (let the guys from XL DESIGN not be offended, it was just an experiment). Afrodita successfully read the data from the disk (Load pattern). Upon viewing, it became clear what great data was recorded about one of the sectors. When trying to format another disk based on this data, Afrodita tried to adjust the sector data (of course, not in the way I needed). During the second attempt with the already disabled correction, everything went smoothly externally, even the data on the sector was almost the same as on the distribution, but it couldn't recreate the length of the sector. Hence the moral: a fancy copier is good, but buying programs from the authors is even better!
While this article was being written, I came across a few more systems, although part of them was described in the magazines "OBERON" and "SPECTROPHOBY", but as they say, that was there, and we are here...
Digital Studio PLAYER v 1.0
───────────────────────────────
(C) 1996 Kvant Soft
Finally, at least one person thought of making a player for compiled modules of Digital. One thing can be said about this program - IT WORKS, i.e. it plays. There is a description (help). To be honest, I don't keep compiled DS music on my device, it's much more compact to store songs. There's nothing more to say about this program.
ProTracker Player v1.10
────────────────────────────────
(C) Alex Norman/Sliders group
The main distinguishing feature of this player is its work with blocks. Not concrete or any other blocks, but with blocks of ProTracker music. It's much more convenient to load a block into the player and listen to it without rummaging through the disk. If only they made a universal player that could patch in blocks both ASM music and Sound Tracker music, and whatever else exists - that would be cool. To combine music into blocks, the utility ST BLOCKMAKER is used.
UNRECOGNIZED FORMATTING OBJECT V1.01
────────────────────────────────────
(C) A.Korolev Stars of Keladan
And here comes another program designed to solve the problem of replication, as well as restoring and formatting. Simply put, another track copier. What sets it apart from a bunch of similar ones is the ability to specify which tracks to copy (to be honest, I don't recall any other having such a feature). The copier can copy MS-DOS, iS-DOS, and TR-DOS disks, as well as disks with its own structure (for example, something like ASM DOS). There are a bunch of options, etc. The only thing I didn't like about it (and this outweighed all the positive qualities) is that in copy mode with one drive (which is the only one I have, what can I do) it read track by track. That is: it read the track from the source disk, wrote it to the destination disk, read the source disk again, and so on... Such a thing is absolutely useless, it's better to copy with the old MCOPY (or better, Next Copy).
ZX-WinWord v 1.0
(Oberon creative pack)
──────────────────────────────────
(C) Paul Atrides /Stars of Keladan
As you probably guessed from the name - this is another text editor. In terms of design, it is very similar to the Khokhlov editor (ZX/IBM Text Editor). But that's only in terms of design. As stated in the documentation accompanying the editor, 49 kilobytes are allocated for text, and in addition, there are thirty (!) kilobytes for graphics (!) Such a thing works, of course, only on 128 machines. Unlike the Micro-Editor, in WinWord, graphics and text are present on the screen simultaneously, which is pretty cool. Yes, add to this the font 6*8 (42 characters per line) and you get the editor of your dreams. You are probably already eager to get WinWord? I hasten to disappoint you, not everything is great in the editor. So, in order: slow text output to the screen (in the Khokhlov editor it is twice as fast); the end of the line is marked only by the code #0D (preferably, there should be a switch #0D or #0D/#0A (as done in the Khokhlov editor)); it's bad that you cannot choose a file from the directory when reading (as in ZX-WORD). So, that seems to be all the flaws I noticed during my brief use of WinWord.
And now a few comments on the topic of editors in general. Why do I compare almost everything with the Khokhlov editor? Because I type almost all my articles in it. What I like about it is its convenience and typing speed, i.e. it accepts and prints characters at the speed at which I press the keys (with both hands and almost blind method). All the others (except for ZX-Word, perhaps, and Writer on UKNC) couldn't keep up with me (I mean the editors). And as for convenience... That small number of functions available in Khokhlov's Editor may not be enough for someone, but for me, I only lack the ability to format.
ADV: A small addition regarding compressors. We have not encountered such a useful feature anywhere else, except in LZSS NEW (ASC LZPACK) - only in it (it seems) you can load a file, say, from address 27000, and after unpacking it will be placed, for example, from 24500!
* * *
Contents of the publication: Adventurer #06
- Presentation
This is an introduction novel for the game Return to Home 4, featuring space battles and a narrative about pilot Raifus navigating challenges in a military context.
- Presentation
The article presents K.KAV software's new game 'DEATH WORLDS: TORISTAG INVADERS RETURN TO HOME 5', a real-time strategy continuation of 'RTHЧ'. Players will battle against competitors on resource-rich planets while managing technology and military forces. The game's projected release is between late spring and summer of 1997.
- System Software Updates for ZX Spectrum - Котов А.В.
The article reviews various software updates and utilities for ZX Spectrum, highlighting their features, usability, and performance. It provides insight into programming tools, disk management, and database applications. The tone blends critique and personal experience to inform readers about the latest developments in Spectrum software.
- Overview of ZX Spectrum Software
The article provides a comprehensive overview of new software for ZX Spectrum, highlighting various games, their features, and recommendations for players.
- Interface
Discussion of the ZX Spectrum's interface issues and user frustrations with compatibility and modern enhancements. The author critiques the push for users to modify their machines for non-standard features and expresses dissatisfaction with current trends. Reflection on the future of the ZX Spectrum and the need for a more vibrant community involvement.
- Interface
The article discusses feedback from readers regarding games and programming tools for ZX Spectrum. It includes cheat codes for a game, opinions on assemblers, and insights into user preferences for computing. Various reader inquiries about games and software are also addressed.
- Interface
The article discusses issues surrounding the OVER FILE GROUP, a game developer known for mail-order sales, and the impact on user trust in software distribution. It also raises the question of whether to transition the magazine to 128K ONLY, seeking reader feedback. The piece reflects on the importance of user support for maintaining a trusted gaming community.
- Interface
The article discusses recent news in the ZX Spectrum community, including game development updates, personal news about developers, and local happenings in the Rybinsk and Yaroslavl areas.
- Presentation
The article presents new software releases by SURDAKAR GROUP, including a demo of ROAD FIGHTER and updates on FONT EDITOR and RAY DISK MONITOR.
- Promotion of Adventure Games
The article provides a detailed analysis of the adventure games 'APOLLO' and 'ЧУЖОЙ', evaluating their gameplay, challenges, and shortcomings in design.
- Ottyag
Discussion of computer slang and its impact on modern language, highlighting humorous interactions among users.
- Оттяг
The article presents a humorous collection of absurd lists, including reasons for dinosaur extinction, alternative names for Robinson Crusoe's Friday, and more.
- Ottyag
The article presents a test for aspiring demo makers, assessing their skills and commitment to demo creation on the ZX Spectrum. It evaluates their approaches to music, graphics, effects, and their overall engagement with the demo scene. Results determine their standing from novice to expert in the demoscene community.
- What Not to Say or Do When Drunk
The article provides humorous advice on what to avoid saying or doing when drunk, based on personal anecdotes. It emphasizes the consequences of poor decisions and offers cautionary tips. The content is lighthearted and reflects on typical drunken behaviors and their repercussions.
- Friendship Quiz
The article presents a humorous quiz about friendship, evaluating how friends would react in various social scenarios, culminating in a scoring system to assess the depth of one’s friendships.
- Ottag
Статья представляет собой сборник китайских пословиц с юмористическим подтекстом, отражающих различные аспекты жизни и отношений. Она сочетает в себе элементы сатиры и легкого фольклора, используя ироничные наблюдения о человеческом поведении. Текст включает в себя аллюзии на сексуальность, настольные игры и религиозные вопросы.
- Оттяг
Статья представляет собой пародийное евангелие, где события жизни Иисуса Христа изображаются в неформальном и юмористическом ключе.
- Experience Sharing
The article provides a detailed guide on creating a complete disk version of a program for ZX Spectrum, including code examples and practical advice.
- Experience Exchange
The article provides a comparative analysis of the PC and Amiga platforms, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages based on personal experience.
- Experience Exchange
The article discusses the existence and behavior of computer viruses on the ZX Spectrum, particularly the BASIC file infecting virus known as 'Drunken Djinn', first seen in the game Last Battle.
- Code Protection Methods
The article discusses various methods of software code protection, detailing techniques like inversion masking, obfuscation, P-code, cryptographic algorithms, and the use of ISR. Each method is evaluated for effectiveness and application, particularly within the ZX Spectrum environment. The author invites further information and collaboration on information security methods.
- Anniversary
The article celebrates the sixth issue of 'ADVENTURER,' marking one year since the founding of the AURYN group. It reflects on the past year for the Speccy community, including the emergence of new programs and the first demomakers' gathering in the CIS. The author expresses hope for the future of Speccy and encourages readers to support and promote the platform.
- Anniversary
Article celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Spectrum, reflecting on its enduring legacy and recent developments in hardware and software.
- Novella
The article narrates a novella centered on a covert mission involving a programmer named Gerald O'Brien, who is hired by a drug lord called Swede to infiltrate a rival's computer network, leading to a thrilling sequence of espionage and violence.
- Contest
The article discusses a contest related to ZX Spectrum, showcasing submissions and participants' creativity.
- Advertisement
The article is an advertisement section in Adventurer #06, inviting hackers, programmers, artists, and musicians to contribute to the ZX Spectrum community. It outlines collaboration opportunities, offers specific requirements for software submissions, and includes contact information for advertising and game distribution. Additionally, it promotes a range of ZX Spectrum software and services available across various cities.
