Adventurer #08: Интерфейс: Воспоминания о пользователях ZX Spectrum

(C) Svistunov Anton  
(Spy from Eternity Industry)

Originally, this text was intended for the Kemerovo magazine Deja Vu, however, closer ties with Auryn/CPU made me hope that this article would find its place on the electronic pages of ADVENTURER (not a bad wrap, huh?!). The beginning turned out to be standard, and the rest - it's up to you...

I was prompted to sit down at the keyboard by Cav's/Auryn/CPU call, which sounded in Deja Vu #3. I want to say right away that I completely agree and support Cav. Perhaps what follows will seem nonsense to you, perhaps I will repeat myself, but still, I will try to write something worthwhile.

Describing the merits or demerits of SPECCY and other machines is not my plan; I will simply give a couple of examples from my life, express, or rather, write down some of my thoughts, and try to make the readers draw some conclusions from all this.

When I was in school, there were 2 guys in my class who had SPECCY. Both of them started with 48k + tape, later one of them (Volkov Sergey) upgraded his computer to 48k + 2FDD, and the other (Kozhurin Misha) bought a Pentagon 128k+1 FDD+AY. Both of them, especially Misha, were quite knowledgeable about SPECCY at that time, and Misha was the first among us to start studying assembler. I had to follow his example, for which I am still immeasurably grateful. So, about 2 years ago, I visited Sergey and saw something metal with a monitor on his desk. This "something" turned out to be a 286 PC. At first, Misha and I were happy, thinking we would load a bunch of graphics and digitizations, but we were in for a huge disappointment - Sergey completely didn't understand his PC, and we certainly didn't...

Now Sergey has a 166 Pentium, which works at the speed of a 75-486. When I asked him what the problem was, Sergey replied that we would either have to settle for this or give up 2 hard drives (he has 4). The disassembled SPECCY of Sergey is lying under the table, moreover, he has COMPLETELY forgotten even such a simple thing as the structure of the Spectrum screen, and I won't even mention the rest. Once, coming to Sergey and watching how the 95 Windows were "working", in a fit of indignation, I said (if I can put it this way) that Bill Gates is an idiot. How surprised I was when Sergey asked: "Who is Bill Gates?". Can you imagine reaching THAT!!! For the last few months, I only visited Sergey to transfer something from 3.5" to 5.25", but recently he disconnected the 5.25" drive, and now I have no desire to communicate with him...

As sad as it is, something similar happened to Misha :-(. After finishing school, he gave me his computer, enrolled in RGGU in Moscow, and is currently studying there. It seems he has forgotten about SPECCY, although he thinks it’s just right for a hobby. I maintain quite weak communication with him and hope that in the summer, when he comes to Kovrov for vacation, things will improve, although it's unlikely : -(((

After such events, I thought that SPECCY was finished, but there were people who convinced me otherwise; and, strangely enough, these people turned out to be the same PC enthusiasts ;-)

On December 30, 1997, I invited the guys from my subgroup to my home - to celebrate New Year and just to drink some beer. Fortunately, not the whole subgroup came, but only three people. SPECCY was on my table, and at first, I didn't want to turn it on, anticipating a negative assessment. However, I had to do it (I don’t remember now why). I loaded Klademiner (cool game, cool muzak) and started playing. My guests were just blown away by the music. Seeing their genuine interest, I showed them all the cool demos from Enlight'97 (S4B - best, Binary Love, Power Up) and some others. The guys clearly didn’t expect such from SPECCY. Then I started showing them different pictures and playing AY music. All this impressed them a lot (and the pictures were not scanned, but only hand-drawn - mostly, I showed masterpieces by Parcels/EI - really cool pictures). They couldn’t believe for a long time that all this was drawn "dot by dot", and the music, starting from samples, was not digitized but written "by hand". And this with my crappy monitor and mono amplifier. In short, the New Year celebration was a success!!!

What am I saying all this for? To say that SPECCY, having become a Russian (Belarusian, Ukrainian, etc.) people's machine, is still ALIVE. And it is not worth looking at the fact that there are almost no people left on Mitino selling SPECCY - software. We need to unite, maintain communication (at least by mail), use devices from other platforms (Cav is absolutely right - replacing 5.25" with 3.5" FDD, etc.) and, when buying Ammy or, at worst, a PC, not to forget what we all started with and what we are now doing almost all our free time...

I conclude my patriotic opus and once again:  
S P E C C Y  R U L E Z  
A N D  A L I V E  F O R E V E R

P.S. I read the above nonsense, then loaded ADVENTURER #7 and read Clear's article... The balance is clearly not in my favor, but still, I hope that the article will make it into ADVENTURER.

P.P.S. A couple of messages and greetz.

Message to all progressive SPECCY - people:  
We'll B glad 2 see U at Fun-Top'98!!!

Message to Auryn and everybody from CPU: Guys! Don’t pay attention to all sorts of Craks (and especially from Myshkin) and similar types. Such idiots have been, are, and will be (they are ; -)).

Eternal greetz: Extreme, Accept, Phantom Family, CyberPunks Unity, VVG, Rush, Playgear, Flash, Laser software, C. I. C., Excess, Global, Progress, E-Mage, Stalker, XL-Design, X-Trade, Digital Reality, Max Petrov (XAS rulez!), Virtual Brothers, D. J. Cont/JVC (da best muzik maker out of EI), 3SC, Concern Chaos and other guyz, who've been forgotten.

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.