Oberon #04: From the Editorial: Oberon #4 Insights

         Samara City Court          
                                          
               Case N68040                
                                          
      "On the Publication of the Magazine OBERON#4"       
                                          
Excerpt from the meeting minutes:          
                                          
"Stand up, court is in session!                        
                                          
The verdict in the case "On the Publication of the Magazine OBERON#4". The court has deliberated and found the following individuals guilty:                      
                                          
              Milun Evgeny               
   A hardened recidivist, known by the  
           nickname Paul Atrides           
Guilty of founding the magazine "OBERON", flaming, and professionalism!                
Sentenced to hard labor for SPICE extraction on the planet ARRAKIS for 10,000 years!                               
                                          
                                          
                                          
            Korolev Alexander             
   A juvenile delinquent, known by   
               the nickname ALK                
Guilty of creating the magazine's shell down to the last BIT, undoubtedly the author of all barbaric innovations in the shell.                                    
Sentenced to life-long use of the assembler ZEUS 128 in an emulator UKV on an IBM PC with an EGA VIDEO CARD.      
                                          
                                          
                                          
             Kurzanov Alexey             
A young wayward student, known in criminal circles by the nickname Alex Noman 
Guilty of assisting in writing articles and creating tools for the exhumation of the OBERON corpse.                            
Sentenced to life-long connection at 1200 baud with a possible replacement of the sentence to a life-long UPGRADE.         
                                          
                                          
                                          
              Munchkaev Maxim             
A die-hard gamer, signing in the records tables as BioMax            
Guilty of placing more than 1,286,386 pixels for creating graphics for the magazine.     
Sentenced to continuous gaming in CARMAGGEDON for the entire year.     
                                          
                                          
                                          
              Muchkaev Maxim              
   A vicious maniac, also known by   
the nicknames M.M.A, UnBELIEVER and Leader
Guilty of writing 90% of the magazine's text, inciting inter-platform hatred and distorting the native language in the most perverse form.                                    
Sentenced to 60 installations of a licensed copy of WINDOWS'95 OSR with floppies on an IBM PC purchased at his own expense, as well as to life-long imprisonment (of thought) for five years.                       
                                          
                                          
                                          
  The above-mentioned also collaborated 
            DAGMA and PMS SOFT.             
They are accused of creating musical works for the magazine that tarnish the honor and dignity of the nation.                      
Sentenced to serve in the Armed Forces of Russia for the legally established term.                             
                                          
In Moscow, the creation of OBERON#4 was facilitated by an extremely motivated local "musician", known by the nickname VISUAL.  
                                          
Accused of creating a large amount of high-quality music for the magazine, which led to unjustified demand for it.                                      
Sentenced to victory in the MUSIC COMPO at the nearest ZX PARTY.                       
                                          
Accomplices of the above-mentioned are recognized as:
                                          
MAXSOFT, DR.DEATH, MAGIC/MS/XTM, V.Mednonogov, CHIP&DAIL, but due to lack of evidence, they are released from custody.                                   
                                          
The verdict is final and not subject to appeal!
                                          
The defendants are granted the right to make a final statement..."                          
                                          
               From the editorial office                
----==================================---                                          
  Hello. We are glad to see you reading the fourth issue of the magazine after a prolonged nearly nine-month break. To be honest, we ourselves no longer quite believe that we managed to release another Oberon into the world. Too many circumstances prevented us from starting work a bit earlier. This includes the participation of Stars of Keladan and M.M.A/SC/XTM in Enlight-97 and the recently formed (thanks to the efforts of Evgeny Milun and some other individuals) electronic network S-Net in Samara, etc.                  
  Unfortunately, we have to inform you that we are going to "freeze" the project "Electronic Magazine Oberon" for an indefinite period. This is mainly due to the authors' desire to pursue their own larger projects for Spectrum, and Oberon takes up a lot of time from each of us. Nevertheless, we hope that this issue of the magazine will not be the last and want to say that the further existence of Oberon depends only on you, dear readers. Write to us, tell us what you like about Oberon, what you don't like, and, in general, whether you need SUCH a magazine. And we, in turn, will try to please you. :)  
                                          
-----------------------------------------                The editorial team of the Oberon magazine.
                                          
Editorial addresses.                          
                                          
Please write the address according to the format below and do not add anything unnecessary.    
                                          
                                          
443010 Samara, Krasnoarmeyskaya St. 23-68.
              Evgeny Milun              
                                          
FidoNet:                                  
                                          
         2:5057/18.73, Evgeny Milun       
                                          
InterNet:                                 
                                          
         noman_@chat.ru, Alex Noman       
                                          
To the Leader:                             
                                          
443074 Samara, P.O. Box 9966, M.A. Muchkaev   
                                          
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Date of last editing: 29.11.97. 
Volume of the issue: 3.134 Keladan.

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.