ZX-News #20 19 декабря 1996

Люди

about people ... - On the history of education and plans of the group "ZX-Masters".

                About the people ...



  We continue to acquaint you with the known
Petrograd programmers. Today we publish a letter from the guys 
from "Zx-Masters", in they tell about themselves, their

plans for the future.


  Incidentally, in the annex you will find playble
demo of their new mini-toys ...


             (C) Michael Blum



  To begin with, like, a group of
ZX-Masters. When in 93 the year I joined
Tehnolozhku in one of the first lecture was
Lecture on Informatics. It was about azah
BASIC on the "computers" Agate. " Through
Fifteen minutes after the start, one guy
broke down and began to throw the aged
lecturer different unpredictable with podkovyrkami and ironic 
questions. Through Five minutes lecturer vzmok and say that 
today the opening lecture, and so - shorter, picked up his 
suitcase and ran out into the corridor.



   This turned out to be a fan of BASIC Dima Rudovsky. That's 
how we became acquainted with him, and within a few days formed

Group ZX-Masters (while we were ardent admirers of the company 
CodeMasters). 


   Before met, we already owned a little assembler, and then 
became together to invent and optimize different

important routines - because at that time no books on the 
assembler, except for a statement handle was not. That had to 
either come up with something special, or break strange ...



  But the fruitful work, even then, however, as now, prevented 
studies at the institute. In addition, I have at the time was 
not drive, so I'm doing, basically, any nonsense - made 
cassette version of the disc games, racked loader'y etc. 


  Of the programs during the 93rd year, had
make only two byte-compressor
and a number of utilities for hacking. Dima wrote at that time 
some toys, which are then abandoned ...



  Was in our company one more person -
Paul Ryndin, which Dima was a friend before
dating with me. Pasha became our chief designer. In the 94th, I 
finally bought currently drive - is now a reality to deal with 
more serious projects. 


  Our first program were "lines" -
analogue of the same game on the PC. Schedule to
It drew Paul did play a part
Dima and I coded menus. No musicians we did not know why the 
music is taken from other prog ... 


  Dima then proceeded to write the next game, rpg, but soon 
gave up on number of reasons, including because of the fact that

I refused to take part in work on
her - something she did not like ...


  Following deficiencies became adventyura -
codes were written by 65%, the schedule by 5%
and I was already beginning to do its part in this game ... But 
then Paul left the group - it completely engulfed work 
FORMAT'om. 


  Maybe we'll ever finish this
project, but it will only
If any artist draws for this game for more than 60 locations in 
one-third of the screen ... 


  After analyzing all the setbacks, we Dima
decided to make the first editor
maps and sprites, as it became clear that without
It is impossible to create a full-fledged game.
Well done MAP 'SPRITE EDITOR, first
working version of which appeared in the September 95 th year 
since we are constantly improving it and insert all the new and 
new features. Despite the fact that this editor could generate 
income, we use it only for their own needs. 


  With it, made all the sprites and all
For our next game - a game "Double Xinox". It was for us, as it 
were a testing ground for testing construct dynamic games. We 
worked on it during six months from January to June 1996, but 
could finish earlier, if not an institution, and

some delays with the music.


  Incidentally, I have long promised to tell
her immortality: to get into the corporate
cheat mode, you must choose for the second player keys C, H, E, 
A, T, and exit the menu by pressing "E". Yes, I almost forgot 
to get to the epilogue after the 80-th level, you must score at 
least 2560 points. And one more "gadgets" on there

request _nekotoryh_ friends, and only they
know how to use it!


  We are working on the next game
program - HEADBALL. Despite the fact that
At first glance it may seem primitive, it cool ("rzhachno") play
the more so because now you can see the demo version, only 25% 
of the total ... 


  Do not pay attention to glitches and imperfections - _all_ 
are already eliminated and in full version everything will be OK



  Differences between the full version of the demo described in
early playble demo, draw your attention
only some:


  1. Card Support GENERAL SOUND - already
There is an agreement to that effect with the GS of the 
generating company. I must say, it will be full 8-bit music.



  2. Appear more "clownish" species
game. There will be several different landscapes with
animations in the background.


  3. It is planned to insert the hidden part -
Now she is ready for 70%. It can be seen only by those who buy 
the game from the authors ... 


  In parallel with the creation of HEADBALL'a are working on 
writing a multilevel game "BUGS - electronic bugs" - it 's demo

we insert into the finished HEADBALL! Each level will take at 
80K, they will all be different in content - from the 
labyrinths and Race to the text of the strategy.



  While written in only 40% of the first level.
This will be a huge labyrinth in the industrial
building, from where to run, using
Various bugs, bombs, lasers ...


  In addition, we razarabotali and have already started
kodit bitwise compressor with new compression algorithm. 
Without the shell it will be ready for February-March. We 
expect from him good level of compression, at least

higher than that of LPC ...


  On this, like, everything. I'll meet you in our new prog.


             SpbZxNet (812/01.18) @ Mike Blum


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