Buzz #16: Reflections on FunTop'98 Experiences

IMPRESSIONS ON

@@@@@@@  @@@  @@@  @@@  @@@  @@@@@@@    @@@@@@   @@@@@@
@@@@@@@  @@@  @@@  @@@  @@@  @@@@@@@   @@@@@@@@  @@@@@@@
@@!      @@!  !@@  !@@@ @@@    @@!     @@@  @@@  @@!  @@@
!@!      !@!  @@!  !@!@@!@@    !@!     !@!  @!!  !!!  @!@
@!:!:!   @!!  !!@  !!@@!@!!    @!!     !!!  !@!  !@!@!!@
!!!!!:   !!!  :!!  !!! !!!!    !!!     !!!  :!!  !!!ash!
!!:      !!:  !!:  !!!  !:!    !!:     :!:  !:!  !:!     
:!:      :!:  !:!  :!:  :!     :!:     :!!  :!:  :!:     
::      !::  :!:  :!:  ::!     ::     : :: :::  ::     
:        ::::::   ::    :      :       :: : :    :: 
                  
         ░▒░▒░▒░▒▒▒ /B8BBB\ /BBB8B\ ▒▒▒░▒░▒░▒
           ▒░▒░▒░▒░ (8) (B) (B( )8) ░▒░▒░▒░▒
                ▒░  \88B8B) (B8B88)  ░▒
                 ▒░     (8) (8( )O) ░▒
                    \O8O88/ \888O8/
 _     _     _                             _           _
_■▀ ▀■_■▀ ▀■_■▀ ▀■_■_  by DEMIURGE ASH  _■_■▀ ▀■_■▀ ▀■_■▀ ▀■_

                       "Yes... without FunTop it's not life!"
                                            Chappy-Dog.

Well, FunTop'98 has passed, but the impressions remain, which I will now share with you. First of all, I must say: Speccy lived, Speccy lives, Speccy will live! But! If it weren't for comrade Bulchukey and the other organizers of the festival, Speccy would definitely have perished! So let's say a _BIG_THANKS_ to them!!! THEREFORE, EVERYTHING WRITTEN BELOW CAN BE CONSIDERED NONSENSE. =)

Now specifically about the festival. At the entrance, it turned out that our group's members were NOT on the list, although our works were present in the nominations. And if it weren't for the letter from Bulchukey, we would have had to pay thirty bucks for entry. The first problem solved, I fill out seven participant cards (one for each arriving industry person) bending like the letter "G" and simultaneously holding back the crowd trying to get to the coveted registration. The question: "Maybe it would have been worth preparing the cards in advance?"

The second point. It was not worth trying to send in your works by August 8, they were gladly accepted during the compo itself. As an artist, it was particularly unpleasant for me to watch the gfx-compo. The abundance of lame and ripped-off screenshots from other platforms is simply astonishing. Any lammer who can't code or write music is guaranteed to exhibit in gfx. Because it's not difficult: downloaded a picture from a PC, applied some attributes here and there, and the masterpiece is ready. The costs are minimal, but how much glory. The apotheosis of all this was the disqualification right during the porn-pic viewer show. The question: "Maybe it would have been better to conduct a preliminary selection of works and not torture people with watching crap?"

The third point. The 4k-intro compo was a success! It proved that there are no worse, if not better works on Speccy than on other machines. But some coders apparently did not understand the meaning of 4k and made ordinary whitespace effects, which people had to watch for the entire three minutes allotted for the presentation of the work. Let me remind you once again: 4k-intro is the same as trackmo, just smaller :).

The fourth point. Music compo. I can't judge it, as I'm not very good in this area. But, judging by the half-empty hall during the listening of melodies (even our musician ran away), it would have been worth conducting a preliminary selection of works too. Perhaps it was necessary to display the title of the work along with its number (this applies to gfx-compo as well).

The most important. This is what everyone mainly gathered for. New programming technologies on the Spectrum. As has been repeatedly confirmed in '98 - chanky 2 planar - rulez 4ever! But another unpleasant peculiarity emerged - animation interspersed with codes, absolutely rulez :-( for some advanced coders. However, it can be made even cooler - just create some random effects and then take some AVI and insert it into the demo. But!!! The aforementioned works had one _important_ difference from all other works: their authors have a _sense_of_style_, there is a great _talent_of_design_! Because there were works with cool effects, but with CRAPPY design, all of this looked no better than whitespace demos. The question: "Is it worth exhausting oneself with sleepless nights trying to create an environment on Speccy, if one can render a cool 3D scene on a PC and display it with animation, and people will think what a cool effect? Or would it have been better to spend time on design rather than on an effect that most won't be able to appreciate?"

And finally, THE PEOPLE. Why were there so few of them? Where are the Moscow users, do they really not exist anymore? Why were there twice as many people at Enlight? Maybe this is still the beginning of the end.

No matter what I wrote above, FunTop went very well. At least I had a blast. Communicating with people you only knew from correspondence before - cool! Living legends parading through the hall - like in a zoo! Thoughtfully placed colored monitors throughout the hall - like, like!!! Signs leading to the restroom - nice, and most importantly useful! It's strange that none of the Muscovites thought to make money selling refreshments, chips, and blank disks in the foyer ;-).

___________________________________________________________
|                                                         |
|   ___________________________________________________   |
|  |WWMMWWX;VBVIVVXRRRMMMWWWWWWWMMWWWWMMMBRRBRRRVi     |  |
|  |WWWBRMBYXVVXI+;;+iIXBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMMBBBRBBBBMI    |  |
|  |WWMVRXVt;t+=IXBRRYi=iVMWWWWWWMXVYIYVYVBBBBBBRBMBI  |  |
|  |WBYXXRBR=.=tYVBMMWMV=+RMWWWWBXVIVRRRRViIBBRBXYMWWV |  |
|  |RItRBMMMM::+,+ttIVVMM;iBMWWMRRMMWWMBRRRYiVVtVVRBMY |  |
|  |tX=tMMMMMIt,.:=tYBMRBBIBWWMMMVIItXBMXVVI+tIiI:YRXMB|  |
|  |IiR+YtBBMXRBMMMMMMMBRYRMWMMMMWWXti,.;tItIIYYiRRBBMM|  |
|  |tIRR=,+XBBMMMMMMMMWR:;RWWBRMMWWWMBRXYXBBXYYV+VMWMBM|  |
|  |::BW,  IIRMMMMWWWWX+..,I+:iMMWWWWWWMMMBBRXVXYRMMWMB|  |
|  |:,BX   :RMBMMMWWMMRYVVXMWBXVMWWWWWWWMMBRXXXXYIRMBMM|  |
|  |:tt    tBBRBBMMMMRYtitYYVXMWWWWWMWWMMBXXVYXVi:VMMMM|  |
|  |,;,,   XBRRRBBBt,..:+t=+:..+RWWWWWMBBXVVVXXIiI:IVMM|  |
|  |RBMB=  YXRRRBBBB,..+YBBBBV...=MWWMBBRRVVXXBYXRRBXBM|  |
|  |IXMi    iYXXRXRBRt;.:itt=:=iXMWWWMBBRRVXXRRVRMWWMMM|  |
|  |:Ii      YVVXRBBBMMRRRBMWMMMMMMMMBBRXXXYY+VMXMWMBMM|  |
|  |          iVRBBBBMMMWWWMMMMMMMBBBBRRXVt.iXYRYXMBBBY|  |
|  |            ;tVRBBMMMWWWMMMMBMBBBBXVYt  iXBMWWMRVXY|  |
|  |              ,,;+tIIVXRBBRXVVIIi=,.=  iYYt+;,;iYRM|  |
|   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   |
|             - - = = SPECTRUM FOREVER = = - -            |
!_________________________________________________________!

--- ZX WORD 2.5+
* Origin: Babylonian alphabet stuck to my fingers...

Contents of the publication: Buzz #16

• 12TK info - Демиург Ash
  Discussion on the protection methods used in releasing the game '12 Secret Books: Mission'. Explanation of the decision to use special protection due to unauthorized copying. Mention of future plans for game development based on sales.
• ASCII графика - Spy
  The article explores the history and types of ASCII art, including its advantages over formats like GIF. It discusses different styles such as line drawing, lettering, and 3D images, and explains standard and non-standard ASCII types. Additionally, it provides guidance on creating and viewing ASCII art.
• ASH & Funtop - Demiurge Ash
  Reflections on the FunTop'98 festival experiences and issues in organizing the event. Critical views on various competition categories such as gfx-compo and 4k-intro. Observations on participation, technology, and the future of Spectrum community gatherings.
• ASM vs SNS - Андрей Савичев
  Comparison of ASM and SNS projects in the Spectrum community. Analysis of the need for network connectivity for project coordinators. Discussion on Spectrum's position versus other platforms.
• Bill Gilbert - Dr.Codex
  Analysis of Bill Gilbert's influence on the ZX Spectrum community and his mysterious identity. Discussion on his cracking activities and their impact on software distribution in Eastern Europe. Speculations on his nationality and the myth surrounding him.
• Black Metal - Демиург Ash
  A personal reflection on pagan and satanist influences in music, discussing various bands and their interpretations of themes. The author critiques a fellow enthusiast's understanding of folklore and paganism. A 'dark top-ten' list of preferred music bands is provided.
• FAQ Programs - Tim Kelly, Алексей Летаев
  Overview of upcoming commercial software releases for ZX Spectrum, including games and applications. Details on release dates, pricing, and features. Aimed at helping traders and developers reach potential customers.
• Happy Birthday - Paracels, Spy, D-Man
  The article celebrates the first anniversary of Eternity Industry on the ZX Spectrum scene. It includes birthday wishes to various members and emphasizes the vibrant community spirit. Plans for continued software development and future celebrations are also discussed.
• PC News - Павел Ериков, Digital Brain
  The article discusses humorous stories from the Internet, critiques a 3D accelerator article, and shares insights about Windows 98 and its advantages over the Amiga platform.
• Rants & Raves - Paracels
  Discussion on the support for software authors and humorous anecdotes about group name misspellings. Celebration of the TRiCK v2.000 sale and gratitude towards legal software buyers. Mention of upcoming serious topics to be discussed in the next Buzz issue.
• Rave - Spy
  Reflections on FunTop's organization and preferences in demo competitions. Discussions of peculiar cultural events, such as a humorous incident with Bill Gates. Thoughts on electronic publications and the best e-magazines of the time.
• TOP ZX
  Overview of popular software and media among ZX Spectrum users in Kovrov, focusing on games, systems, magazines, and demos. The survey reveals preferences for various categories, highlighting top-rated selections in each. The results reflect the community's diverse interests and favorite tools for creative projects.
• Windows' 95 info
  The article presents an overview of Microsoft Windows BS Extra, a new product from Microsoft designed to enhance user experience and system capabilities. It details system requirements, changes in user interface, and potential conflicts with existing software. The release reflects Microsoft's direction away from MSDOS principles, aiming to dominate the operating system market.
• ZX News - D-Man
  The article discusses events and outcomes of FunTop'98, including achievements and releases by the group Eternity Industry. It covers the reconciliation between Eternity Industry and Proxima Hackers Team, alongside updates about the group's new projects. Additionally, the transition of their publication to a PC format is announced.
• Ассемблер - J
  Explanation of the method to calculate the number of cycles per line for visual effects. Describes automatic configuration across different computers. Includes program code for practical implementation.
• История Speccy
  Overview of the evolution and impact of the ZX-Spectrum, from its origins under Clive Sinclair's leadership to its popularity in Russia. Details on hardware advancements and the growing community of developers and enthusiasts. Mention of significant events like the ENLIGHT festival and the emergence of networks.
• Novella
  Article presents a previously incomplete computer novella for the game 'Lord Of Chaos' published in Buzz #16. It depicts the protagonist Mazirian's struggle against the dark forces led by Ragaril, filled with magical battles and suspense. The article provides the full story, correcting the prior omission.
• About the Authors
  The article lists the authors contributing to the newspaper BUZZ, published in Kovrov by Eternity Industry since 1997. It provides a brief acknowledgment of each contributor and mentions the editorial stance on correspondence and content responsibility. The piece serves primarily as an authorial overview.
• Обзор игрушек - D-Man
  An overview of new games for ZX Spectrum, covering various genres such as RPG, action, and puzzle. Descriptions of gameplay mechanics and objectives for each game, including 'A Last Hero of the Light Force', 'Operation R.R.', and others. Highlights include unique features, game controls, and production details.
• Обзор системок - Paracels
  Overview of system programs for ZX Spectrum, including Modern WorD v1.00b, Global Commander v1.1s, MacroAdapter v1.1, and ReTRiCK v1.3. Modern WorD offers improvements like faster text printing and music playback, while Global Commander excels in speed and functionality. MacroAdapter creates interlaced images, and ReTRiCK deals with protection removal.
• Programming
  Overview of programming on ZX Spectrum, Amiga, and PC platforms. Discusses the differences in software development environments and opportunities for programmers. Highlights the potential for creativity and quality in software creation on non-PC platforms.
• Advertisement
  The article presents advertisements for various software and hardware related to the ZX Spectrum, including pricing details and contact information for purchases and exchanges.
• Contents
  The article outlines the contents of Buzz #16, featuring various sections including news, programming, reviews, and a novella.
• У нас в гостях
  Overview of the Virtual Vision Group's activities, focusing on software development and community support for ZX Spectrum and Amiga in Voronezh. Discussion on the importance of collaborative work in enhancing the quality and speed of project development. Introduction of key group members and their roles.