Over the hill - An interview with John Ritmanom.

<b>Over the hill</b> - An interview with John Ritmanom.

Translation: Alexander Bazhenov (The Pagan).
According to the newspaper Emulate # 06, 1996.
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 We waited and waited for the promised transfer of
Flash'a, but did not wait ... That's why we have decided to try 
his hand in this field. What came of it - judge you, dear 
readers! I just want to highlight some points: First, I

tried to do literary translation,
Believing that it is more udobovarim, and secondly, I allowed 
myself a few cut translate the original text, omitting minor 
points, and all kinds ideomaticheskie (God, what is the word!) 
statements. Today we bring to your attention an interview with 
John Ritmanom. Well, begin, and forgive me the descendants!



                                  Pagan ...


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       Interview with John Ritmanom.
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 Back in the good old days, when
everyone knew the lead programmers, and often it was they who 
wrote the play more than doing their sale, and lighting. One of 
these geniuses of programmers has been J. Ritman, behind which 
the classics such as Match Day, Batman, Head over Heals and 
others had the pleasant duty unto Me ask him some questions ... 

Me: How did your fascination with my computer?
Jon: I have repaired TV's, working on Radio
Rentals. They are sometimes passed me a computer
for repair, because I was a good engineer.

Me: When you first saw the Spectrum and
what was your impression?
Jon: I do not remember - pretty cool!

Me: Can you remember the first game you've written?
Jon: Sure, it was called Namtir Raiders
and was released by Artic Computing at
ZX 81 - it was a moving ship at the bottom
screen.
(Retro-fans who have emmulyator ZX 81, can make a copy Namtir 
Raiders of the NVG.) ftp://ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/sinclair/zx81/

snap/packs/ZXPRG10.ARJ
This file is called "NAMTIR.P"

Me: What's your game was the first commercial?
Jon: Namtir Raiders.

Me: Which one of you write games that was really good?
Jon: I can not let games are not successful, of course,
Each must be better than the previous one.

Me: On the creation of 3D games, you inspired Knight
Lore or was it your idea?
Jon: Knight Lore!

Me: Did you use an isometric graphics from Monster Max at 
Gameboy, as its for your games on the Spectrum?

Jon: No, it has been completely rewritten.
(If you do not know, under the pseudo Monster
Max hiding Jon and Bernie's, making
games for Nintendo Gameboy. )

Me: Head over Heals, probably one of the
best games on all machines and is marked
many people in the lists of top games. A
What were your favorite games on the Speccy and
Why?
Jon: Match Day - I won; Knight Lore -
provided the impetus to write more sophisticated games.

Me: What was the last game you've written on
Speccy? Do you have something that is not polytechnic? (If yes, 
is it possible to see this in the future?) Jon: I'm afraid to 
be wrong, but it was either Head over Heals, or Match Day II! 
Now I started a new game called Starship

- The working title. But, unfortunately,
number of reasons, it is almost not moving and
Hope to see it in the near future are small! (Pozor!!)

Me: Were you unhappy with poor performance Spectrum?
Jon: Of course, more powerful machines better!

Me: Do you feel nostalgic for the old
times?
Jon: Yeah, it was a great time, but we
like to work on bigger and better, and this
it was not real.

Me: You have a new company, Cranberry
Sourse. What other recognized names
work with you? What happened to Bernie
Drummoud, you work together?
Jon: My business partner John Cook works in Mirrorsoft, it is 
not programmed more, and engaged in office administration. 
Bernie works with me. 

Me: What does Cranbery Sourse now?
Jon: done 3 games on the PC: Playstation
and Saturn - Q.A.P. - Flight over the spectacular landscape, 
the goal of the game release Hostages (2 players); The 
Net-football; Redemption-epic game.


Me: Do you feel the need for programming or happy to move away 
from this? Jon: The company is growing and we have a lot

learn and gain experience, but I will
always have the pleasure of programming. I still look through 
the different machine code to improve them. So I'm not really 
tied programming.


Me: Are there any plans to move some of your
old games on a PC or other platforms? I
I remember saw Head over Heals converted to 16-bit computers. 
What do you think about conversions? Jon: 16-bit conversion 
Head over Heals was done by the guys from Ocean, they have any

The conversion makes a very neploho.Chto As the old games, of 
course, The Net-football, but if he is not much better, than 
Match Day, I convert it will not. For fans of the genre HoH at 
the end of next year's game will be released Redimption.


END ...