$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$".aa."""""""$$".aa."""""""""$$".aa."$$$".aa."$".aa."""""""$$$$
$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $ $$$$$$$$$$$$a $ $$$a $$$ $$$a $ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$
$$ $;;$$$$$$$a $ $;;$~~~~~$;;$ $ $;;$ $$$ $;;$ $ $;;$ aaaaaaa$$$
$$ $~~$ aaaaaaaa $~~$.$$$.$~~$ $$ $~~$ $ $~~$ $$ $~~$$""$$$$$$$$
$$ .aa. $$$$$$$$ .aa. .aa. $$$ .aa.~.aa. $$$ .aaaaa. $$$5$$$
$$ :$$: $$$$$$$$ :$$: $$$ a$$a $$$$ :$$$$$: $$$$ :$$: $$$$$$$$$$
$$ $$$$ $$$$$$$$ $$$$ $$$ aaaaa$$$$$ a$$$a $$$$$ $$$$$"""""a$$$$
$$ a$$a $$$$$$$$ a$$a $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$aaaaa$$$$$$ a$$$$$$$$$a $$$
$$aaaaaa$$$$$$$$aaaaaa$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$aaaaaaaaaaaaa$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$ -=- - B - Y - S - P - Y - -=- $$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$D-Man
(C) Svistunov "SpY" Tohа
Oh you goy esi, Buzz'o'readers!!!
───────────────────────────────────
It's been a while since we last saw each other, and finally, I have blown a valve :-) I apologize in advance for the lack of coherence in my writing - everything written below will be (and for you has already been) stuffed "in a sound mind and solid memory", just completely randomly. Hence the mess :-D So, where to start? I'll start with impressions from FunTop. There will probably be impressions of this in every "mass media", at least one piece, so if they are already sticking in your throat, feel free to skip the next few paragraphs ;-) As for me, overall everything was quite good. The organization was at a decent level, the image was good, and the sound was quite tasty. Although, after two months of musical hunger (and I burned AY "somewhere, somewhere in the middle of summer"), I can call any mono-fart tasty, the sound was indeed killer - during the second music compo my ears were almost melting. Now about what I did NOT like (if someone disagrees with me, feel free to send me away - I won't be too offended :-) √ I didn't like the fact that people, for some reason, are more excited about demos with animations than with FX (more or less cool ones). Either people can't tell FX from animation, or what? Sair00s was right, FX reflects the capabilities of the computer and, to some extent, the coder, while animation is completely devoid of such a possibility. √ I also didn't like that some crap (excluding TeeRay's and Ash's screens ;-) took the prize places in the GFX compo. If this is really the objective opinion of the whole crowd, which I seriously doubt, then, to put it mildly, I'm offended for the truly good artists. √ Perhaps this is just my opinion, but the music compo could use a little (say, by half) trimming - I think very few people were present at the _entire_ compo, and even fewer came away with an objective opinion. I can't say anything bad about the music, I just think that listening to two hours of continuous rave (or its fairly good semblance) on not the weakest speakers ;-) is not something everyone can endure. Jurassic and I ran for beer somewhere after the 15th sound :-) √ I was completely done in by the isay. For almost the entire GFX and 4k intro compo, he stood in front of the monitor, blocking the view of normal people, making faces, and suffering from other who'yn.
As you can see, my complaints are mainly aimed at the voters (look who's being picky), not the organizers, so, Wlodek Black & Co., keep it up, you're doing great!!! Maybe you'll pull off FunTop'99? I also want to send greetings and thanks to Evgeny Buder and the entire Welcome team - to seriously engage in Speccy at his age, especially to sponsor events like FunTop, is VERY commendable. A little about the demo "BlAME", or rather about how Billy Gates got hit in the face with a pie :-)) Today I was given a chance to flip through the February issue of "Computerra" (it's a bit outdated, but if you're interested, you can read it), and here's what it says. "...In Brussels, before a meeting with representatives of the European Union, Microsoft’s head was met with an unpleasant surprise - a piece of cake, generously covered with cream, was thrown at him. The incident occurred as Bill Gates was entering a government building to deliver a speech on education. The hooligan who smeared Gates' face with the cake quickly disappeared, and the guards only caught his accomplices and the photographer. However, they were soon released after the cake thrower appeared on television, taking full responsibility. He turned out to be Belgian Noel Godin, a very well-known figure in his city. ... Of course, from our point of view, Godin's act may seem offensive. However, it is necessary to consider the differences between Russian and Western (...) mentalities, from the perspective of which throwing a pie in the face is quite a witty joke. And it can be said that Gates did not understand it. Recently, Bill Gates has been creating an image of "one of the guys" who loves to joke and laugh, including at himself. In his numerous appearances, he has shown videos with parodies of himself, and during one of the recent interviews, he even sang (he must have really lost it - note from Spy). However, jokes are good when Gates himself tells them. He perceived the foreign act with indignation (here Spy's malicious grin comes into play :-)) and rushed away from the scene of defeat. It is said that the richest businessman in the world reacts painfully even to the accidental touches of strangers." I can add that when we were watching BlAME at Crazy's house, throughout the entire video, the air in the room was shaken by "stormy applause (from three people :8)), turning into an ovation".
Well, it seems I've talked enough about FunTop, now I'll give a speech about the next party - Artcomp'98. This event is still upcoming, but not nearly as cool as FT. What, or rather who, makes me think so? None other than Mr. Gura (aka Eagle Soft) - one of the main organizers of this virtual party. Judge for yourself: a person who wrote one of the most clueless articles I've ever seen (ZF#7/Post/ Masterpiece), who believes that the vast majority of Speccy software was, is, and will be complete crap, suddenly decides to organize a compo. The question is: why the hell does he need this, and will he be able to organize it well? And the idea of selling works from Artcomp may not be Gura's, but in my opinion, it is completely unrealistic - well, please tell me, who will buy them? People, besides Gura (shading ;-), organizing Artcomp, as well as all its potential participants, I kindly ask you not to hold a grudge against me - I have absolutely nothing against you, and all this shit is exclusively directed at Mr. (interpret as you wish) Gura, let him feel how it is to mess up excellent (and good) software of normal people. I'm waiting for unflattering reviews ;-) And why am I so worked up?! To cool down, let me tell you a dirty little joke about Buratino. If you thought it was about how they hammered a nail into him, you are mistaken.
Once Buratino comes home, sad - sad. Papa Carlo asks him: - Well, how's it going with Malvina? - Yeah, he says, a little knotted. - Well, here's some sandpaper for you. The next day Buratino runs in - joy is bursting out of him. Papa Carlo asks him again: - Well, how's it going with Malvina? - To hell with Malvina - I've got sandpaper.
Must die, right? By the way, I remembered another tale. On Friday, the day after my birthday ;-) our fourth class was supposed to be a seminar on philosophy. A few days before that, we were told that on that day and in our class, there would be some scientific discussion (what a coincidence), a bunch of smart guys would come, and, I quote: "the talk will be about subtle matters." Already that made me suspicious, but not listening to my inner voice, I decided to come, to be present - it's interesting, after all, what they will be pouring into our heads (I picked up some words from Crazy :-)) But how could I have known that they would be so hanging!!! The first to take the floor was, it seems, a candidate of some sciences. What he was rambling about for the first half hour, I didn't get at all. Then it began to dawn on me that he was trying to load us with the idea that the Russian language is the coolest and all that. "The great prophet Pushkin," he droned on - "predicted everything. What does he write in 'Ruslan and Lyudmila'? Chornomor and 33 heroes. Chornomor - this is obviously Chornomyrdin. And the 33 heroes - who are they? They are nothing else but the 33 letters of the Russian alphabet!!!" Can you imagine, to give birth to such nonsense :-) However, the rambling continued. Why, do you think, do Muslims not eat pork? It turns out, it's very simple - if you assign each letter in the word 'sow' its number from the Russian alphabet, and then add these numbers, you get the number 7. And it is, as you know, sacred :-))))))
As luck would have it, these #$%&@ decided to take a break 15 minutes later than usual. Listening to such nonsense, I tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't :-(. As you can imagine, during the break, I left for the house with a clear conscience, although not to my own, but to Paracels' with D-Man :8). As it turned out later, about 80 percent of those present left with me.
So, jumping from topic to topic, I got to the topic of electronic publications, and more specifically, e-magazines. I won't come up with much here and won't criticize anyone (I've already been too rude), I just want to name the magazines that, it seems to me, are currently the best. There are two of these magazines: Deja Vu #5 by Playgear/BD and Adventurer #8 by CPU. I wish these people further development of their offspring :-) and all sorts of creative successes. Well done!!! As for the recent "my" leader - ZX-Format, in my opinion, it has somewhat lost its position. I can't explain what exactly, but the overall impression has somehow worsened. However, I hope that this is just a temporary phenomenon. Don't think that I consider all other magazines complete rubbish - there are also quite a few worthy "individuals" among them, but I won't talk about them, as I believe that this should be done, after all, in the "Review" section, and not here.
And to somehow finish this, if I may say so, narrative, here’s another, so to speak, sketch :-)
One morning I wake up and discover that there are no fresh socks in the house :-( Out of despair, I decided to wash a couple - three pairs. There was a piece of some soap in the bathroom, and that's what I started rubbing the socks with. A couple of hours later, the Scoundrel (aka my younger brother) came in and found out that I had washed the socks with Camay soap. Cool, huh?! I should sell the patent to the new Russians :-)
With this, I have exhausted my supply of idiocy. See you on the e-pages of our e-paper :-) Good luck to all.
Spy, Eternity Industry, Kovrov Cool City. 25.09.98. 20.05. msk.
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.
