Adventurer #08: Гости: Обзор Eternity Industry и ее будущих проектов

(C) D-Man/Eternity Industry

Hello to everyone we know and don’t know. First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to the authors of the magazine "Adventurer" for the opportunity to tell about us, i.e. about Eternity Industry (hereinafter EI), our plans, etc. We formed not so long ago, specifically on October 11, 1997, so this date can be considered as the birthday of EI. By the way, we will soon be a year old, and it’s time to summarize some results of our activities over the year and outline new plans. So, first I will provide a complete list of all members of EI. I will just say one thing: since the foundation, the stuff list has practically not changed - it has remained at 11 people.

full stuff list of Eternity Industry (ABC order):

ZX-Division:

Crazy ..........beta-tester  
D-Man ..........swapper, main BUZZ editor  
Demiurge Ash ..........coder, artist  
Paracels .......... artist  
Senat .......... coder  
Spy .......... coder  
SaiR00S (aka Syrus) ........ coder, musician  

PC-Division:

Dark Lion .......... coder  
Digital Brain .......... coder  
Hexmaster .......... coder  
Pyrodex .......... coder, algorithms  

Unfortunately, we don’t have an Ammy-Division yet - there is no Amiga in Kovrov, but I hope this won't last long ;-) So you have familiarized yourself with our composition, and now about what we have done over the past year... First of all, our electronic newspaper "BUZZ" is published, in which, I hope, you can find a lot of interesting things. Unfortunately, our newspaper has no regular release schedule - as soon as we gather enough interesting information, we release it immediately. The 15th issue has already been released, and we plan to release the next issue right after FunTop, which will contain a detailed report on FunTop and our trip there. Also, in the 16th issue, there will be all our graphics and music that we plan to showcase at the compo, as well as there will be a 4K intro in the appendix. Most likely, by the time you read these lines, the 16th "BUZZ" has already been released, so look for it and read it. We are also happy to receive any articles for our newspaper, so write to us. We made a couple of demos, or rather, the first of them (the first under the EI brand) is "Climbatize", well - the first pancake, as they say, is a lump, so don’t judge it too harshly, after all, this is our first work in terms of demo, especially since it was done quite a while ago. It was created by ardent fans of "The Prodigy" Spy and Paracels, and I helped a little, and, of course, the demo turned out to be entirely on this theme, even the name of the demo is the title of one of The Prodigy’s compositions. The second demo was released quite recently, it's "Black Fury". This demo features good effects and bloody animation from the PC. Demiurge Ash worked on creating this demo in collaboration with Senat. In general, "Black Fury" is a pretty cool thing, look for it. Demiurge Ash also made his first slideshow, which included 13 of his pictures. We created two gifts - one is a gift for D-Man (that's me) & Paracels, which was made by Spy, for which I, on my own behalf and on behalf of Paracels, thank him very much. The second gift was created by Syrus (or SaiR00S, as he now calls himself, basically, it’s the same thing), and it is intended for Paracels. Also, Paracels recently created the first commercial release of EI - a protection called TRiCK v2.000. The working beta version of this protect, TRiCK v1.3b, is included in the appendix. We also made a bunch of various disk versions of games, including a remix of an old but quite interesting game "Nether Earth". Now it has been renamed "Advanced Nether Earth". This game has become more colorful and more enjoyable, specifically, what’s new in this version. Well, first of all, the game now has a lot of graphics (by Paracel & Demiurge Ash), music (by X-Man & SaiR00S). There are also beautiful Final Cut & Dead End in the game. NORMAL loading and unloading procedures for saving states to disk have been made. And there is also detailed help for the game and a beautiful intro. Well, it seems we have dealt with the old works, now it’s time to talk about our current works and future plans. First of all, at the moment (i.e. 01.08.98), we are intensively preparing for FunTop. Namely... We are making a demo under the working title "The 5th Element", and since we are practically not going to finish it by August 8 (the last day for registering works), we will take it directly to the compo. As for graphics, music, and 4K intro, everything is ready, and an application for participation in the compo has already been sent. Again, I will clarify, most likely, when you read these lines, FunTop has already passed, so you probably saw all the aforementioned works, and surely they took some place, at least, let’s hope ; -). Also, the first mission for Demiurge Ash’s RPG "12 Secret Books" is almost ready, which will be much cooler than the demo version. This mission will be ready for FunTop, and it will be distributed there. Spy is currently working on a TR-DOS MSDOS copier, which will have a nice interface and a bunch of useful features. Paracels is currently working on a new version of his protect "TRiCK v2.500", which will be much cooler than the previous version. Also, after FunTop, he wants to resume the "Mandarin" project. I remind you that "Mandarin" is a turbo copier. Unfortunately, its first version was not very successful - it had a lot of glitches (copied incorrectly), so if you have an old version lying around, it’s better not to use it. The new version will be completely different from the previous one. And Paracels is also drawing a bunch of graphics for our, and not only our needs. So in this issue of the magazine, you can see one of his creations. According to SaiR00S, he plans to release another demo after FunTop and start working on a game. "What kind?" - it’s still a secret. Well, that seems to be all I wanted to say. Once again, a huge thank you to the authors of the magazine "Adventurer" for the opportunity provided. Greetings to everyone we know and don’t know. And also to the entire FunTop.

C Ya !

SPECCY RULEZ !

Contents of the publication: Adventurer #08

• От автора - Shaitan
  Technical details of a new program interface for ZX Spectrum. Discusses improvements and features like scrolling and color change. Provides keyboard and button navigation instructions.
• От автора
  Introduction by the author and editorial team details.
• Presentation
  The article presents a software installer for creating autorun disks and introduces a new adventure game created with QUILL by Dr. Laser.
• Presentation of TRICK Software
  The article presents TRICK, a new software for program protection developed by Eternity Industry, and discusses its beta and commercial versions. The author, Alexander Kalinin (aka Paracels/EI), addresses previous shortcomings in the software and emphasizes its improved interface. It includes purchase details for the software and invites readers to request it.
• Presentation
  The article provides a detailed user manual for HELP_Z80, a free utility for ZX Spectrum that serves as an electronic guide for Z80 microprocessor commands. It outlines how to load and use the software, including command explanations, search functions, and integration with assemblers. Additionally, it includes memory distribution, operational features, and references for further reading.
• Interface
  The article discusses reader feedback on the magazine's interface, addressing concerns about pricing and software trends in the ZX Spectrum community. It features a letter from a reader expressing thoughts on game pricing and the declining number of users on the platform. Additionally, there are discussions on software developments and user engagement.
• Interface
  The article shares the author's experiences after purchasing an Amiga, comparing it with a PC, and discussing its usability for games, graphics, and music, while noting some software limitations.
• Interface
  The article discusses user support issues faced by hardware manufacturers SCORPION and NEMO for ZX Spectrum devices. It critiques SCORPION for poor customer service despite being a market leader, while praising NEMO for responsive support. The author expresses concerns about the overall market direction for ZX Spectrum hardware.
• Interface
  Article discusses the future of the Spectrum platform, addressing user demographics, software production challenges, and hardware evolution possibilities.
• Interface
  Article discusses the frustrations of a Speccy user regarding hardware issues, the challenges of modern computing, and the dedication to maintaining the Speccy platform.
• Interface
  Статья рассматривает жизнь и судьбы пользователей ZX Spectrum, включая личные воспоминания автора о друзьях и их взаимодействии с компьютерами.
• System
  The article reviews various software for ZX Spectrum, including text editors, audio players, and graphic utilities. It provides independent opinions on their features and usability, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. The piece emphasizes the evolution and improvement of software tools available for this classic platform.
• Overview of Games
  Overview of notable games for ZX Spectrum, highlighting their graphics, sound, and gameplay mechanics. Each entry includes a brief summary and rating. Recommended for fans of retro gaming.
• Review of Demos
  The article reviews demo versions of various games, highlighting their potential and unique features. It emphasizes the scarcity of such releases in the market and evaluates the quality and gameplay mechanics of selected titles. The author shares insights into the progress and expectations for future full versions of these games.
• Guests
  The article discusses the formation and activities of the Eternity Industry group, its members, projects, and future plans for releases and competitions.
• Гости - Dr. John
  An interview with Felix from Virtual Brothers discusses his transition from ZX Spectrum to PC, development of the game 'Winnie the Pooh', and future plans.
• Guests
  Interview with the musicians Mарат and Демон from the band 'Disgust', discussing their musical evolution, influences, and perspectives on life and creativity.
• Promotion
  The article provides a detailed manual for the game 'ENCYCLOPEDIA of WAR', explaining army selection, unit types, and battle mechanics.
• Promotion
  The article provides a walkthrough for the game, detailing necessary items and strategies for progressing through various challenges, including dealing with dinosaurs and navigating villages.
• Promotion
  Статья представляет собой обзор arcade adventure игры 'ELOPEMENT' от Omega HG, выделяя ее особенности и советы по прохождению.
• Promotion
  Статья описывает текстовую адвентюру 'Остров тьмы' на QUILL, предлагая советы для игроков. Упоминаются механики и персонажи, включая загадки и взаимодействия. В конце представлена карта острова.
• Promotion of 'Knightmare'
  The article describes the game 'Knightmare', detailing its commands, gameplay mechanics, and initial quests. Players control a knight who must interact with characters and solve puzzles to progress. It serves as a manual for navigating the game's environment and objectives.
• Experience Exchange
  The article critiques the adventure game 'Island of Darkness' by Paul Moskow, highlighting its illogical design, lack of detailed item descriptions, and absence of helpful hints for players.
• Experience Exchange
  The article provides a detailed manual for enhancing the ZX ASM 3.0 assembler, introducing debugging features and functionalities for better program execution control on ZX Spectrum.
• Experience Exchange
  The article describes a phenomenon observed with the ZX Spectrum video controller, where switching between two screens can create unexpected visual artifacts. It outlines a specific program that demonstrates this effect through rapid screen toggling. The author discusses the implications and potential applications of this behavior.
• Обмен опытом - Иван Рощин
  The article is a programming guide on porting the 'iris.ss' screen saver effect from Dos Navigator to ZX Spectrum, including source code and modification tips.
• Обмен опытом - Иван Рощин
  Description of the OPEN_W procedure to create window borders. Includes details on customization of symbols and dimensions. Utilizes PRSYM for symbol printing.
• Обмен опытом - Maximum
  Introduction to long integer operations for game development on ZX Spectrum, including addition, subtraction, and conversion to ASCII.
• Experience Exchange
  The article discusses the customization of the ART STUDIO graphic editor by creating additional modules that enhance its functionality, including features like music playback and cursor coordinates display.
• Experience Exchange
  The article describes a program developed to improve the visual quality of a pixel-by-pixel moving attribute message on ZX Spectrum. It provides details on the implementation, including the use of data arrays for motion trajectory and image rendering. The program includes comments for easier understanding and can be modified for different effects.
• Оттяг
  The article features humorous sketches and commentary on various aspects of life and technology, including anecdotes about a fictional character's experience with a Pentium processor.
• Pharmacist Test
  The article presents humorous tests designed to identify whether someone is a real pharmacist or a fraud, featuring situational questions and scoring to gauge knowledge of pharmacy.
• Oddities and Self-Reflection in 'Оттяг'
  The article 'Оттяг' presents a humorous and critical self-reflection of the author, exploring various life experiences and quirks that highlight his unusual personality traits.
• Humorous Quiz: Assess Your Sense of Humor
  The article presents a humorous quiz to assess one's sense of humor and sexual attitudes through various situational questions, revealing absurd and comedic perspectives.
• Student Types Quiz
  The article presents a humorous quiz to determine what kind of student you are, ranging from a party animal to a diligent scholar. It features a series of questions regarding typical student activities and responses. The results categorize students based on their score, from carefree to nerdy.
• How to Properly Torture Windows 95 - Maximum
  Статья описывает иронический подход к установке и эксплуатации операционной системы Windows 95, включая способы ее 'мучения' и троллинга. В тексте используются гиперболизированные примеры взаимодействия с ОС для создания комичного эффекта. Это развлекательный материал с элементами юмора.
• Ottyag
  The article is a humorous narrative featuring Winnie the Pooh and his friends returning to the Hundred Acre Wood, where their carefree life turns chaotic. It describes their antics, including drinking and misadventures, as they reunite and encounter various challenges. The story showcases the characters' personalities and interactions in a comedic light.
• Novella
  The article describes a humorous novella featuring Corporal Johnlan recounting his first military mission and his interactions with a young grandchild over beers.
• Novella
  Novella recounts an adventurous escape from a Glot base using a vintage spacecraft, highlighting the protagonist's encounters and clever maneuvers.
• Novella
  The article describes a whimsical story about two hedgehogs, Pukhly and Zaraza, who, after a strange event, develop wings and must navigate their new reality. The story blends fantasy and humor as the characters face unexpected changes and challenges. This is a novella showcasing imaginative storytelling.
• News
  The article discusses recent updates from Rybninsk related to the FunTop party, detailing contributions from various individuals and teams for the 'Adventurer' magazine and demo competitions.
• News
  Статья сообщает о событиях в сообществе Спектрумистов Ярославля, включая информацию о разработчиках программного обеспечения и их текущих проектах.
• Advertisement
  The article is a collection of advertisements and announcements related to ZX Spectrum, inviting collaboration from programmers, artists, and musicians, and detailing how to acquire the journal and software.