ZX Format #4.5 29 августа 1996

Интервью

Interview - Yuri Matveyev (STEP).

ZF> Share your impressions of ENLIGHT'a.
Yuri Matveyev> In general - positive. Organizational part
podkachala. I really do not know
as it was last time, but
could be better. But, of course,
mostly for me there was interaction with people. Nice to see
almost all of Spectrum's elite
all those working on
Spectrum, socialize and make
conclude that he has a certain power Yeshe.
ZF> Your opinion about the future
prospects Spectrum'a?
JM> Well, of course, the traditional question. As I have said,
Spectrum - a long time underground.
This sort of "thing in itself,
which may remain so
for many years. For many it is already
just a hobby. People who are here
all this brought such freewar'noe, they show their passion. 
It's like at the meetings numismatists: bring the collection 
something changed, they simply interesting to communicate. And 
about the future of the Spectrum, as the machines have I was 
quite skeptical opinion. He can not develop.

For me, Spectrum - 128k + beta
disk, and all the other gadgets
turn it into "not Spectrum.
ZF> How do you think, can change the position statement
Spectrum as a school
machines?
JM> It should have been done
earlier. Now - if the interpretation of
elementary grades. PC now gets cheaper and cheaper. More
likely that schools will be
they and not the Spectrum. We must not forget that now there is 
a rapid development internet'a, network revolution. Ideally, 
schools will equipped not only with local

networks "teacher-pupil, and network
with access to the internet. This uzhedealetsya in 
institutions. On Spectrum are only primary school, but a place 
in series of children's gaming consoles.

So, it seems, the train left.
ZF> Can I now work for
Spectrum'e with material gain?
JM> Yes, definitely. Now we
work is not the enthusiasm. If the Spectrum did not bring
money, he would long ago have left for
our memory. I belong to
it as a means of earning.
On the enthusiasm it can be
move before, but now we must
to live somehow. Because, in fact,
we are on it and sit.
ZF> Tell us how you started
its deytelnost.
YM> Getting this story probably in the 90 th year, when my
friend bought a computer
"Byte". In those days it was
very cool. I came to see him
play. Then of course I learned
that this spectrum-compatible
computer. At that time, I was struck by "ELITE". She was a 
friend on tape, he recently bought her

and could not understand well and offered me a look - seems to 
be interesting game ... Well, with this, in fact, it all 
started. Although earlier in the institute, I had to meet 
personal computers. Then, who studied with

We Poles were taken with an Atari. We came to the hostel and 
watched some games. Atari then cost fantastically expensive -

1200r - as the Soviet VCR. Once gone
Wave Spectrum I bought at
market some homemade pentagon, then sold, then bought
something else ... As a result, now
me is Moscow. " In the beginning
I naturally play with toys, it all started with this hobby. I 
literally took avidly toys, then poured into the market. Later, 
a hefty podnakopit luggage passed games, I came to

Inforkom and offered to cooperate, in the sense that I like the 
magazine, I can write a description. Greeted me with joy, as to 
cover all necessary There were many people. We started our 
joint deytelnost. I immediately made its contribution by 
offering do not describe the style

"Insert item A to B and achieve regime C", but in the form
Computer novels. Seems
It was in our conversation
Editor ZX Review, appeared
this term. In late 1992 I
gave them some of his works,
soon to be published. I do not know how good
were my first work, but it seems that people liked. 
Approximately half of the year I supplied the Revue novels 
himself, but later they became readers to send in their work. 
Well, as if being on the P editor of this section, I realized 
that here without me everything will be okay. While

I have matured a new project -
e-zine. It was in
the end of 1993, when it became
real opportunity to implement it. (Disks became cheaper, and
program has become more expensive and profitable trade is ON) K
end of the year, I found a man who took up the cause, it is
was Sergei Shishliannikov, and wrote a shell and a system in 
which the magazine was made. And getting somewhere In February 
1994 came the first demo-issue, which we

called Spectrofon. Name it
behind him and stuck. Many people try to look at it some
sense, but in fact it was
so: we discussed this issue at
phone, and somehow merged two
words - Spectrum and telephone.
ZF> Ie name arose almost by accident?
JM> Yes. Before appeared
This miserable zero number project
called "electroforming". Someone
liked it, someone - no.
But, we have a spectrophone and
the word was so corrosive,
pizhilos.
ZF> And now, as is the case with
your other projects?
YM> About Special Forces better
rassazhet Fanatic Stas, and as Heritage - Yes, we live in
normal conditions, to be
organize soft'ovuyu firm
such as in the 19 SP has been described
rate of release of new toys was
least once a month. Ie once a month
would go a new "Heritage". Y
We've got a ready system
to create a "Legacy", we did
vyustit planned at least two parts, and the next was
would "virtualny syndrome." This
full bells and whistles in the development, regarding legacies. 
There space alone would be 4'h

dimensional - at each step would change not only the time and
spatial position, but
positions of all monsters, all the goodies, etc.
ZF> Ie game would be closer to
Pure RPG
JM> Yes, a sort of virtual theater. For example, went on to
north, but the Panthers have not, or
who ate it, and maybe in another
place to meet. Part of this
approach is already implemented in the "Legacy 2".
ZF> ie program is designed to
repeated use - lay a month and we can again begin.
JM> Yes, but a global story all
there is, because you can not write
game in which even the author does not
knows the final. Even if
several options for the finals of their
need to calculate.
?> How do you think of the clones
"Heritage"?
YM> TimeCop?
?> Not just in general with the legacy
altered storyline.
JM> Yes, for God's sake. It turns out
that we have created a new genre. If
is well done, and himself with
pleasure to play. True, I
now playing is not so. Already
slips saying, here it is
lohanulsya, there had not
and etc. Even on pc, watch
Warcraft_II and are thinking - yes
If I was there a designer ...
Well, the programmers is too familiar.
<Koment. Y-y-y ... That's exactly
noted. Novice coders, please note you will soon be watching
not movies, and jerking captions
"Curve" installation.>

ZF> Well, what can you say about
fate Spectrofon'a?
Will it be issued, whether
change the shell?
YM> Spectrofon experienced no
best times at the beginning of this
year. We released this year
only three numbers. We have had problems with the team. Out
it is us, our artists - Usmanov
Pravda has recently returned.
But still very difficult to work when people leave. Because
Spectrofon and curved. We worked, of course, but very slowly. 
In addition, we have undertaken for their Projects - Nasldie 2 
and S. Force. In fact we are now has three

- I, and Sergei Stas Shishliannikov.
KSA, however, helped with music,
As for the prospects - I
to be honest, the summer has already thought about that enough 
already for us there was a heap of new magazines ...

But on the other hand, it was a pity
Journal of throwing. But here at ENLIGHT'e, I received a certain
energy charge. It can be said
definitely. I saw people
still working, but we
once thought so ... Shell?
Yes, it will sovershenstvovatsya
and the first outline can be seen
already Sp.20. We abandon
poknopochnoy download articles and
make management a la the cursor line, like interfreysu
"Heritage".
About the prospects for the magazine in general - I can tell 
you that Sp. will be published before the end of 1996,

and there - depending on the effect
our projects.

...

Fanatic Stas> My name is Stanislav Yefimov, I'm more known as
Fanatic Stas. Computer I
appeared 10 years ago - it was
1986, collected by his father to me. For
these years, much has changed, and
Last year I, as part of STEP,
write a toy Special Forces. It was conceived as a cross between 
strategy type and Laser Squard Wolfensteen in terms of visual 
representation of space. From this game "Dragon Country"

it would differ entirely
color graphics. At the moment, to estimate the percentage of 
its readiness difficult because No final plan. Ie Now the game 
is appended, and must be rewritten when will be visible to any 
final or exhausted resources of the machine, there will come 
the final. Now we have brought a beta-version

where you can walk, watch heroes, to evaluate color
3D perspectives ...
ZF> Ie Now I can not say
when will the final?
FS> Not yet, it is unfortunately
not depend on me, but from the Jura, he
gives the script, but I do. Now
developed the visual part,
remains to refine the logic of movements of the enemy, as 
something to decorate it ... And then it will be product, which 
will be release as an integral. ZF> Tell me, what means do you 
use when writing program, you have done some

editor for the maze for
characters or is it all done
en masse?
F.S.> The game is 90% done under
emulator. To generate code
used products of the companies vetcom and Rational, it vetcom C,
virtually the entire assembly is obtained by using the compiler 
C. The resulting code is finished on Spectrum'e.

ZF> That is, in fact, this game is not written on the Spectrum 
and not on assembler?

FS> Spectrum code sufficiently licked, but does he
pc. Since I do play one
me hard enough to write all
in assembler. By
instruentalnyh funds for pc
it turns out much easier.
ZF> In your plan is to release
continue playing the game?
FS> Yes, of course, but you need to see how to get the first
game. But I think she will - STEP bad things will not produce. 
And some elements that are designed today, in the first game 
will not be included. Need leave some for the future. Plans to 
play on the modem, and if in the future will local area network

Spectrum, we will support
network game, it will be possible
Support General Sound, if
developers to provide information. Opportunity to play on the 
modem - it's very good, but in the first part of the game plan 
only against the computer. Just if you do everything at once - 
it takes too much time

You can starve to death, making
super cool game.
ZF> This is clearly a commercial product?
F.S.> Yes, definitely. On the enthusiasm of today not last long.
It turns out that money plays
here an important role, albeit
Of course, inspiration is more important.
After ENLIGHT'a I have risen
and inspiration, we can say
hands itch with a vengeance. I'll take it More
seriously.
ZF> Ie, in the case of commercial
Success S.Force-I sinkeristy can count on an endless
show?
FS> It is likely, but guessing hard to know what
will be tomorrow. Maybe get a new modification of computer
with more memory and widely raspostranitsya may be prikrutat to 
Spectrum'u new modem - Then we try to maintain and

these funds. It all depends on the emergence of new models.
ZF> You did not think about the co-
project with other groups?
FS> There is a problem
distances - you need enough
rapidly exchange information.
And More problem - a talented
different areas people usually
tude work together. In group
should always be a leader. And now had enough mnogotalantlivyh 
artists, programmers, musicians ... People have to choose on 
how to long they poop involved, because

less likely that they cause
cast. Allocation of responsibilities - difficult enough, you 
need a producer, a leader. A to choose the leader of a group of 
talented ... Yet there is a problem of sponsorship. Easier for 
people to work when they feel that all this

not in vain. If you already
feel some benefit from the work that has to complete, then
You are further stimulated. Do you feel that you need to 
release a product to your sponsors and mutual benefit. ZF> You 
are not thinking about moving to other platforms?

FS> Well, I can repeat what I
I do S.F. on the pc, but
stay on Spectrum'e; difficult
tear off something from the heart. And then,
that can be made Spectrum
by 2 - 3 people on pc
can not be done because too
heavy workload. Yes, and it is difficult konkuririovat with 
zagrantsey. There are currently products on the Spectrum is 
much simpler and the overall return is greater. That's one of 
the problems associated with the transition to another

platform. Well, I believe that
platforms can coexist, ie, for something used Spectrum, it is 
now well supported, in

Industry Business - pc; Amiga
used in the video.
Say that the pc can not replace everything. Each machine has 
its own niche. You can not just so destroy the machine, 
especially car with history. Why

Spectrum in Russia we know much more than the C-64 or Atari? 
Because the machine is very correctly constructed, it many

noted. Policy support
much more. Prozvoditeli all
properly understood.

  Generally machine live until the available programs. When they
perkraschayut produced comes
decline. Spectrum for decay in the west began in the 91-92 
year, when closed last magazines that supported manufacturers. 
The last closed Sinclair user, wrote in his summary that

Spectrum became stranded and they
go to the Amiga. Since then, the program produces very little.
The only thing that can support Spectrum now - it's
old and new domestic programs. Moreover, with regard to
old - not everyone here is so tragic - judging from the log 
directory so we heard just the crumbs from software, written in 
91 - 93 years. They may be long enough ostavatsya competitive,

1992 - is not 86, there
a ceiling of game design'a,
above which is to rise
difficult and in 1992 he was practically achieved in the west. 
Toys they have, just a question where are they? In Poland, the 
Amiga began booming in 1991, and she is the main channel. Now 
Spectrum is in Slovakia, Hungary.

ZF> Ie, you believe that multiple platforms can peacefully 
coexist infinitely long time?

FS> No, everything in this world has
its end. But, in principle, yes.
But to say that the Spectrum is bad
machine and go all on pc
impossible. Take a look here for demo
Spectrum can be compared with the XT and
come to the conclusion that the Sp. just a great opportunity. 
There some interest to him because

that new programs
and since there is interest
- There are new programs.
ZF> "Porochmy circle
FS> Yes, and there are no reasons which may break this cycle.