(C) M.M.A/SPEED CO.
ENLIGHT 97: DISK ERROR: Track 0, Sector 9
"ART OF TRACKMIN' IZ A REASON OF RESPECT"
ROM DA SEAMAN/PGS
Suspicious phenomena began early in the morning of August 23rd, when I and ALK were peacefully standing in line for return tickets to Samara. Young people from various strata of society (from skinheads and ravers to satanists and Tolkienists) were constantly entering and exiting the ticket office, all with a similarly strange expression on their faces. It was joy mixed with the anticipation of beer. However, many were quickly betrayed by one fact - unlike ordinary people who strained all their consciousness to get information about available seats from the terrifying computerized machine (clearly INTEL INSIDE!), these individuals pressed the keys with suspicious ease and received answers from the machine in a matter of seconds. There was little doubt - they all had come to ENLIGHT'97.
I gradually got used to these comrades, as I was one of them. And my first encounter with the "enlightened" ones happened yesterday, on Friday, when passing through the glorious city of Rybinsk by train, ALK noticed from the window a group of three people dressed clearly not for a business trip. We were traveling in the train manager's carriage, and therefore at all stations, people gathered here in a desperate attempt to board the train.
Stepping out for a breath of the glorious Rybinsk air, we saw those three again, desperately pleading with the conductor for something. The train supervisor sent them away... tomorrow, and upon hearing the response: "Tomorrow will be too late," I approached and, gathering my courage, asked about the purpose of their journey to St. Petersburg. Although just a second later, my question turned out to be foolish and stupid - on the turn of the jacket of one of the beggars was "nailed" a chip with the large inscription "MOTOROLA". The guys turned out to be a well-known local group "AURIN". After chatting with them about the trends of the upcoming E'97, as well as discussing the problems of publishing electronic magazines, I had to board the train, as the time allocated for the stop was running out...
Finally acquiring tickets, ALK and I headed to the metro. In general, I was intimidated by the fact that the metro in St. Petersburg was supposedly different from that in Moscow, but at first glance, there were no differences. After standing in an immense queue for tokens, we finally managed to descend and make our way to the "TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE" metro station. Strangely enough, the station turned out to be quite close to the station, but despite this, during the time spent underground, I managed to come up with a nickname for it - TECHNOLOGICAL DEATH (after the name of a classic demo for A600), which quickly caught on. Moreover, in light of all subsequent events, we came to the conclusion that this station was the center of the entire local universe.
I prudently left the ENLIGHT map, obtained via FIDO, at home, assuring myself and Sanyok that the entire route from the metro to the building where ENLIGHT would take place should be marked with various arrows, markings, graffiti, and other rock art. Strangely enough, my hopes were not destined to come true.
Standing at the exit of the metro station, we found ourselves at an intersection with the option to go in four different directions. With about two hours left before the party started, we had already grown quite tired, having walked three streets in search of "VoenMech". And just when ALK suggested we finally check the last remaining street, two people of clearly "enlightened" format appeared before us.
Catching up with them, we managed to find out that they too were not quite sure about the location of ENLIGHT. With four of us now, we managed to catch a very fierce Tolkienist, who was clutching a local map. Our search concluded with the study of this drawing. It turned out that for the last ten minutes we had been standing right next to our goal. An absolutely inconspicuous building, located directly across from the metro, turned out to be the "VoenMech" building. And there was no need to search for anything..... However, our wandering with ALK clarified that a little further
down the street was a large market, and sizable crowds of people were periodically passing in complete bewilderment between the growing crowd of E'97 participants.
Soon ALEX RESEARCH appeared with a considerable crowd of Moscow ZX-NETters. Although ALEX had a rather criminal look, he turned out to be a person of the kindest soul and began to treat those gathered with various sandwiches and some beer with full dedication. It is hard to say who came next and in what order, as soon the crowd grew to threatening sizes. However, the well-known "sceners" were in no hurry to appear - apparently, they were recovering "after yesterday".
The time approached 10:00, but no one thought of opening the PARTY. From the conversations of those gathered, it was felt that more than 80% of them were not indifferent to SPECCY. Representatives of other platforms could hardly be distinguished. Here I almost paid with my life for the first time! Deciding to go to the kiosks near the metro for another dose of "BALTIKA", I unexpectedly encountered the full assembly of DIGITAL REALITY right in the middle of the roadway. Reflecting on how the Leader of the Samara Hackers would act in such a situation, I did not notice a couple of cars driving towards me. Only the deep thirst for beer pulled me out of the hypnotic influence of ARTY and his team.
Returning with beer, I found a table that had been brought out of the premises and a certain queue at this table. It turned out that ENLIGHT had seemingly started, but first, one had to fill out a questionnaire and receive a pass for it. People, filling out questionnaires on each other's backs, hurried to grab the coveted pass and get inside. In one of the queues, I finally met the first EXTREMEists. They were NOY and DWARF from BEERMANS. A little later, MEGACODE representatives TOX and SAT appeared. Actively filling out the questionnaires, we jointly began to penetrate the building.
At the entrance, we were met by a fierce old lady of the guard type, who let people in solely based on the presence of a paper with ENLIGHT and drawn clocks. Our papers had the desired effect on her, and we stepped under the arches of "VoenMech".
It turned out that all the events would take place on the fourth floor, and of course, there was no elevator. Climbing the stairs, I noticed a mass of approving inscriptions "Smoking Area" and people bringing these inscriptions to life. On the fourth floor was a large assembly hall.
Inside, there were far more people than it seemed from the outside, but there were even more seats. Deciding to sit closer no matter what, we took our places in the 6-7th row from the stage. The tension was rising....
What worried me most was the absence of MAGIC and all of MAGIC SOFT, as well as the fact that no one was accepting our works. Trying to find a place to submit our creations, I stumbled upon the demonstration of a creation by Mr. NEMO called KAU-256. No one was allowed behind the stage.
Despite all the chaos, soon the organizers came out from behind the scenes and, asking everyone to be silent, began the party. Having told the gathered crowd a little about the sponsors, the organizers introduced themselves and handed the floor to some adult comrade. This comrade, apparently a big boss at "VoenMech", began to talk about the delights of enrolling in this university, mistaking everyone for potential applicants.
Despite all the nonsense that the man was saying from the stage, almost everyone listened. Finally, he concluded his "speech," and someone from the organizers appeared again. Everyone was asked to behave decently and, without panic and haste, to start submitting their works. Without any ulterior motive, I took the final "release" of our demo from ALK and began to make my way to the stage, soon finding myself second or third in line. Meanwhile, the queue was growing and multiplying.
From behind the stage, people were called according to the platform on which they were submitting works. SPECTRUM was overloaded, and no one was called for a long time. Therefore, betraying the interests of my native AMIGA, I pretended to be a "PCer" and slipped to the computer where works were being accepted for PC. Submitting 64K INTRO by BRUCKINSON and music from G-ELAY MC (works from the Samara group -=QUEEN=- SOFT for IBM PC), I managed to get to HACKER CRIS, who was accepting works for ZX COMPO.
Leaving copies of our creations (DEMO and a picture with music) on CRIS's disks, I crawled out from behind the scenes and discovered that the queue not only had not diminished but had even taken on threatening proportions. By the estimates of some comrades, the submission of works lasted at least another 3 hours.
Meanwhile, Viktor Moskalyov finally appeared with part of MAGIC SOFT and EXPLODER (ex-VAV). It turned out that all this time they had been on the other side of the city, where EXPLODER was putting the finishing touches on POWER UP. In general, there were many works at ENLIGHT that had been completed at the very last moment. As a result, a lot of things glitched and froze right during the show.
Finally gathering all EXTREMEists, we took several places in three rows at once and began to engage in various activities. Meanwhile, from the stage, they loaded everything that came to hand, starting from the "super" SPECTRUM called SPRINTER and ending with GENERAL SOUND. On the monitors, demos recognized by the organizers as the best were glowing. It is worth noting that the demos showed new ones and such "classics" as LYRA II and SHOCK, to my delight, were absent. A great interest was sparked by the demonstration of several parts from IRIS ULTRADEMO, long promised by the Novosibirsk group FLASH inc.
More and more people passed by, clutching shirts with the inscription AMIGA and ENLIGHT'97. Inquiring from one of them how much the rulez cost and where it could be bought, ALK and I headed to the end of the hall, where a mini-market had unfolded. The rulez cost only 35 thousand rubles, and people were actively buying it. Deciding that delaying was akin to death, I handed over my money and chose a shirt with the AMIGA logo. Sanyok, hesitating a bit, did the same.
In addition to shirts, right here one could stock up on various literature and video courses on Amiga programs. Noticing MAX IWAMOTO nearby, trading official releases of MORTAL KOMBAT and TECHNODROM, I approached and asked him a few questions. Max was reticent and, speaking about SPECTRUM in Kharkov, expressed extreme skepticism. However, he answered my questions about AMIGA specifically and in detail. In conclusion, I managed to take a photo with him, but at the very last moment, Max Polyntsev/MAXI G.I., a major Samara BBS-er, winner of the recently held BBS-MANIA'97 in Moscow, rushed up.
In the photo:
MAXI M.M.A MAXI G.I.
The crowd was still arriving! SPECTRUM on the monitors was replaced by AMIGA and PC. The best demos on these platforms were also good. They also showed several works that had won at the recent ASSEMBLY'97. However, for most of those hanging out, all this was "no big deal". People walked around, made new acquaintances, drank beer, and did business. Remembering that I also needed to sell someone the distribution of the fresh ZXWINWORD, I began to look for potential buyers.
The first person who caught my eye was the director of the WELCOME company (as written on his identification paper). He was radically different from the rest of the public, as he was clearly not young. Even on the street, I heard mentions of a cunning local trader with the code name "grandpa". Apparently, he was indeed that.
However, I barely sat down next to him and introduced myself when "grandpa" abruptly reached into his wallet. I did not expect such energy from him and didn't even know what to think. Soon, becoming the owner of an unexpected 50 thousand (for "OBERON#3), I became a humble listener to a lecture on copyright software and pirates. Rising from the chair and bidding farewell to "grandpa," I sincerely wished him success in his difficult endeavor and headed to ALK to share the sudden profit from OBERON.
Suddenly, Viktor Moskalyov appeared and called us all to give interviews regarding EXTREME. Stepping into the corridor and lining up in a chain under the watchful eye of the video camera, each confessed to all his cunning plans. At the end of the "interrogation," RUSTER presented us with two copies of ZXFORMAT#6 as a gift. Viktor did not hesitate and accepted
The next interesting event did not take long to arrive. Through the hall and straight into the corridor walked Sergey Zonov with his comrades, KANO, RST#7, MAXI, and trailing behind RUSTER from ZX-FORMAT + a person with a video camera. Anticipating another cool showdown regarding SCORPION, the "flame" enthusiasts rushed after this group.
Few of the gathered 15-20 people managed to listen to the conversation of the "giants of computer thought" to the end. To be honest, I couldn't even catch any meaning. They say that Zonov was silencing KANO with prepared arguments from home, while RST#7 was trying to draw some scheme on a piece of paper. There are even rumors that the conversation ended with swearing, but those are just rumors. The truth is preserved in the video recording of the event. Unfortunately, the photo I took of this process turned out too dark and did not undergo conversion on SPECTRUM.
Shortly after this epochal dispute, all works were finally submitted, and the first COMPO began. First, there was one work for the 4K AMIGA INTRO, and then three works for the 64K INTRO COMPO. From the 64K INTRO, REST 2 by CODEBUSTERS and a work from the LooKERS HOUSE group stood out. Although many hardened Amiga fans believed the intro from LooKERS was cooler, the audience in the hall preferred the familiar CODEBUSTERS. I also voted for REST 2, but for different reasons - I simply really liked the music.
With that, AMIGA had exhausted itself, and the boundless SPECTRUM began. First on the agenda was GFX COMPO, and it did not take long to start. However, it was not without AMIGA, as all the images were recorded on the hard drive and displayed from DOpus. This was the only correct decision made by the organizers. Already during the demonstration of the best "demos," many noticed the terrible dirty gray color that appeared in places where black should have been with increased brightness.
The images were shown at a quite acceptable speed, and people, intently staring at each "masterpiece," began to vote. Some works were met with enthusiastic applause and shouts, while others were vociferously criticized. To be honest, it was difficult to distinguish from a distance of 5-10 meters what was on the screen - rulez or sux. Finally, an image from BioMaX appeared on the screen, and I was able to fill in the first place slot, guided by the thought - if not me, then who? The candidate for third place did not take long to arrive. Soon I filled in the third slot with the number of the image depicting a crushed tin can. I knew who would be in second place on my voting paper even before ENLIGHT!
The first work of TeeRay was number 49. Although the author himself admitted that THE SHADOW deserved first place, the audience did not perceive this piece. However, the next work not only bore the number 50 but also achieved complete victory. As Anton Markin himself told me, the picture THE X-FILES was drawn with the popularity of the TV series of the same name in mind. However, even this calculation did not prevent Anton from creating a true masterpiece with absolutely fierce color transitions.
The hall simply shook with applause, and all subsequent works went over with the audience somewhat sluggishly. Following one dozen came the next, and some of those gathered began to wonder: when would all this end? A cheerful voice from behind the stage, announcing one of the 80s works, uttered the phrase: "Half have been shown, there is still as much left...".
Of course, no one believed him, and when a few minutes later a break was finally announced, those gathered, feeling a sense of duty fulfilled, went to inhale fresh nicotine, thinking that GFX COMPO had already ended. However, there was indeed still that much left...
The break ended without warning, images lit up one after the other on the monitors, and the process began. The remaining 60-70 works were shown exactly as long as it took to announce the number of the next one. However, sometimes the voice of the announcer was lost in the gust of his own laughter or stretched in drunken delight. It was during these moments that it was possible to glimpse individual works. For example, I was touched by the intro with the album PIECE OF MIND from my favorite IRON MAIDEN, but I could neither remember the number of the work in this frantic pace nor vote for it (all three places were already filled).
The graphics ended, and the music began. Here things were much worse... The first few melodies were apparently from DIGITAL REALITY, as they were played from FAST TRACKER. There was nothing special about them, probably because there was no sound as such. One after another, well-known musicians (I personally noticed the furious KSA and MIC) took to the stage to help set up the equipment. VISUAL, sitting nearby, kept complaining that the surround sound was not audible. I, meanwhile, tried to understand how badly my ear was pressed if everything sounded more or less to me. The only valuable piece that played at the beginning of COMPO was MIC's music.
Somewhere around the 8th or 9th, TRANQUILLITY played, translated from AMIGA by our Samara musician DAGMA. It was then that I realized the complete inadequacy of the equipment! Even at home on the hissing monophonic ELECTRONIKA-302, it sounded better. Retreating to the very back of the hall, I came to even more terrible conclusions: if in the front rows the music could still be listened to, at the back my ears were simply splitting from the sound overload. After listening to our melody to the end, I went... for beer. By the way, during this trip, I found out that the MUSIC COMPO could be heard quite well from the street, as at least within a radius of 50 meters from the institute, the melody was quite distinguishable.
I had barely returned and taken my place when the MUSIC COMPO ended! Without any explanations, they began showing DEMO works. Only later did it become known that playing all 80 melodies was simply impossible. People would not have endured! And there was catastrophically little time left for the DEMO show. In short, the music "fell through."
First among the DEMO was a very "interesting" work with the impressive title INFARCT. I only remember that everything was very drawn out, monotonous, and unimpressive. In any case, this work served as a test. The audience finally saw how the effects looked on a dirty gray background instead of black with increased brightness. Many finally understood how dual-screen effects would work on monitors, where two nearest frames collapse and are shown as one. In short, many realized that their works would not be shown in the best light.
Meanwhile, INFARCT finally ended. The screens lit up with the PC, where someone was running the cursor around in the DOS NAVIGATOR window.
Practically everyone began discussing what they had seen: some said it all suxx, others began to shame the organizers, while others settled in more comfortably to eat their food supplies... And at that moment, the most, most happened. The DN window disappeared, and on the screen, without any announcements, the "demo" SHIT 4 BRAINS began. Moreover, the first effect was skipped, and since no one saw the PROGRESS inscription at the beginning, there was complete bewilderment in the hall. Throughout the entire time the INTRO was running, many, puzzled, asked their row neighbors why the ZX DEMO COMPO had ended and why some cool "demo" from another platform was showing on the screens. For many, it was a real shock to realize that all THIS was just a regular SPECTRUM.
The viewing of SHIT 4 BRAINS took place in the most lively atmosphere. Practically for every effect, the hall simply exploded. At first, there were weak applause, but starting from HiRes Radial Mapping, the audience greeted each new effect with cheers. According to many witnesses, after the S4B showing, ROM ran out of the hall shouting that half was missing. He meant the chaos that occurred with the two screens. However, few saw the moment when, already in the middle of the DEMO COMPO, one of the PROGRESS members (KOLVER?) entered the hall and, stopping ROM, said: "I just watched S4B on a normal PENTAGON - the last part is in the shit!".
Indeed, in that version of S4B that was shown at E'97, the ending was spoiled, and closer to the end, the frames in the animation jumped up and distorted. In short, there was no hand of ROM with the letters S4B. And if it had been there...
DEMO COMPO continued. The work of CODE BUSTERS was watched with interest, but again the entire rulez was not visible. But even despite this, many sitting nearby sighed heavily, seeing "their" effects in other demos. Ahead were DIGITAL REALITY.
BINARY LOVE from DR did not last long. The audience barely made it through the intro with very lifelike drummers, when during the next loading, the demo froze. MEGACODE's POWER UP was on the way! Naturally, not everything went smoothly here either. Half of the effects were in a pathetic color palette, a couple of times the screen was completely dark, and of course, the coolest RBG picture from AMIGA looked like a piece of garbage. Fortunately, the disk drive did not fail, and the loaded animation went smoothly. In any case, EXPLODER was completely shattered and depressed.
The remaining works did not differ in variety, although it must be acknowledged that each demo had at least one interesting effect. However, there was also one amusing moment - work number 13. It was launched five or six times, and all unsuccessfully. So think after that...
The demo show came to an end. Right from behind the stage, someone announced the first day of E'97 closed, and the crowd began to slowly disperse. As a final note, they played S4B and EYE ACHE 2 once more.
MAGIC decided to go behind the stage to find out the fate of MUSIC COMPO and the like. It was there that the ongoing events were captured by my camera.
┌-------------------------------┐
│ │
├---┐ ┌---┐ │
│ 1 │ │ 2 │ ┌---┐ │
│ │┌---┐ │ │ │ 3 │ │
├---┘│ │ └---┘ │ │ │
│ │ 4 │ ┌---┐ └---┘ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ └---┘ │ 5 │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └---┘ │
│ 1. The remains of RUSTER │
│ 2. MAGIC/MAGIC SOFT/XTM │
│ 3. Unidentified comrade │
│ 4. KANO │
│ 5. Tired Larykov │
└-------------------------------┘
Upon returning, Viktor announced the sad news: there would be no MUSIC COMPO, as ENLIGHT'97 was closed! Tomorrow's day is canceled, and the reason for everything was the drunkenness, littering, and the graffiti-covered toilet. No one cried for long and, deciding that tomorrow might be better, everyone went for the night. Well, just in case we don't see each other again, several frames of film were shot.
Contents of the publication: Oberon #04
- From the Editorial
This editorial discusses the legal 'charges' against the creators of Oberon #4 as a humorous narrative, highlights the challenges faced in publishing this issue, and announces a potential hiatus for the magazine.
- Scroll
Analysis of the game 'Chaos' by Julian Gollop. Simplified gameplay mechanics and strategic elements. Description of creatures, spells, and tactics.
- Scroll - Unbeliever
Description of a mathematical game for ZX Spectrum where players collect formula symbols while navigating gears.
- Scroll - M.M.A
Discussion of 'Doc the Destroyer', a unique fighting and adventure game for ZX Spectrum. The article covers controls, character customization, and game mechanics. Compatibility issues on different ZX Spectrum models are also addressed.
- Overview - M.M.A
The article provides a review of games for ZX Spectrum, including KOMANDO 2, WRESTLING SUPERSTARS, TAG TEAM WRESTLING, and CAPTAIN PLANET. It highlights the features, graphics, and gameplay of each game, noting both strengths and weaknesses. The review concludes with recommendations and comparisons to other platforms and games.
- Overview
Overview of various ZX Spectrum games, highlighting their unique features, gameplay mechanics, and design elements. Includes critique on sound effects, graphics, and technical issues. Discusses games like 'Stryker in the Crypts of Trogan', 'Phileas Fogg's Balloon Battles', and 'Survival'.
- Overview - Alex Noman
The article reviews games for the ZX Spectrum, including BOOVIE, MOTOR MASSACRE, SOCCER PINBALL, and HUXLEY PIG 1 & 2. Each game is detailed in terms of gameplay, graphics, and unique features. The discussion includes comparisons to other games and highlights specific technical aspects.
- Review
A review of various games, including Little Computer People and Lost Caves, highlighting their features and versions. It also discusses 75Occ Grand Prix by Codemasters with its limitations. The article provides insights into game mechanics and versions.
- Review
Detailed review of various assemblers like Alasm 3.8, TASM 4.12, and others, highlighting their features and shortcomings.
- About Everything
Announcement of the creation of the SamZxNet network in Samara and the challenges of setting it up with HAYES modems. Explanation of the modems' power requirements and potential difficulties. Invitation for technical advice from experienced readers.
- About Everything
Description of travel to ENLIGHT'97 and meeting various demoscene participants. Observations of event organization and issues. Insights into participant experiences and scene discussions.
- About Everything
Report on the second day of ENLIGHT'97: events, challenges, and reflections. Describes voting results and organizational difficulties. Highlights future prospects for Spectrum demo parties.
- About Everything
The article features reader feedback on Oberon #04, critiquing design and content choices and discussing issues with software protection and game enhancements.
- About Everything
Discussion of the adventure game KAYLETH with gameplay tips and advice. Includes a game dictionary and suggestions from the author and their team. Calls for a local artist for future RPG development.
- About Everything
Reflection on the closure of the 'ZX-REVIEW' magazine and the adaptation of its article for 'Oberon'. Discussion on the development of ultra-short boot loaders. Optimization techniques for writing one-sector boot loaders on ZX Spectrum.
- About Everything
Exploration of amateur contributions to electronics, music, and computing history, highlighting figures like Faraday and Babbage. The evolution from handmade instruments to personal computers. Discussion on jazz, blues, and rock'n'roll's informal origins.
- About Everything
The story of Lieutenant Edward Roberts' journey from radio kits to creating the first PC, the Altair 8800, overcoming skepticism and challenges.
- About Everything
The article explores the rise and evolution of the computer industry, highlighting the transformation from passionate hobbyists to corporate dominance by giants like IBM and Microsoft.
- About Everything
An exploration of Sir Clive Sinclair's project after selling the Sinclair brand, detailing the features of the Cambridge Computers Z88 laptop.
- About Everything
Discussion of software market problems in 1997 for ZX Spectrum, highlighting lack of new software and user reluctance to pay.
- Announcement - M.M.A
Announcement of 'Black Raven' game by V. Mednonogov, focusing on gameplay, technical challenges, and upcoming features.
- Announcement
Discussion of the decline in ZX Spectrum development, reviews of new games and utilities, and announcements of future projects.
- Educational Program
The article provides an overview of FidoNet, a non-commercial computer network often considered the predecessor of the Internet, detailing its origins, growth, and unique cultural aspects.
- Hardware
Instructions for connecting the 'ALEGRO' modem to computers with normal port #FF, detailing hardware modifications required for proper signal handling.
- Hardware
Connecting Hayes-compatible modems to ZX Spectrum, focusing on Scorpion and Pentagon models, detailing hardware modifications. Specific instructions for internal port blocking and signal alignment provided. Step-by-step process and technical intricacies explained.
- Hardware
Discussion of the transition from 5.25' to 3.5' floppy disks for ZX Spectrum, including installation issues and solutions for compatibility with existing software.
- Let's Feast
A satirical story about a Rabbit who lost his house to a cunning Fox and how a Rooster helped him reclaim it.
- Let's Gourmet
A humorous tale about Malysh and Karlson's adventures with technology, drawing parallels between computers and everyday life, culminating in a comic mishap with an AMIGA computer.
- Advertising
Article discusses free advertising policy of Oberon, catalog of programs and hardware for ZX Spectrum, and adventure game engagement.
- Advertisement - Kano
Promotional campaign by Magic Soft and RPSG in Russia for Amiga multimedia computers, offering exhibitions, sales, and consultations. They highlight Amiga's advantages over other systems, describe various models, and provide price lists. Collaboration with 'Computers for Population' for distribution and services.
