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Spectrofon #15
04 октября 1995 |
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Warm greetings - the collapse of the original project "ELITE-3". The story of a scandalous stories associated with this game.
Warm greetings
"S": After a long break
returns to the pages
our magazine section of "HOT
HELLO. "For our new readers to inform you that in this section
We publish articles from the electronic magazine "PC-REVIEW".
When selection of subjects published
articles, we try to consider
sinkleristov interests.
Today there will be about the program "ELITE". Most computer
owners "ZX-SPECTRUM" know a great many versions of this
wonderful program. But perhaps few people know that the author
of the first Spectrum "ELITE", has already managed to publish
two sequels "ELITE-2" and "ELITE-3". On a grand scandal that
erupted after the third part
"Life programs" will tell the following articles. It seems to us
that fans of "ELITE" it will be
interesting.
*
Translations from English,
Inforkom Press, 1995
Published with the permission re
daktsii magazine "PC-REVIEW".
ELITE 3: Chronicles of the crisis.
To our deepest regret, recently learned that a long-awaited
game "Frontier: First Encounters", in
vernacular referred as ELITE
3, grasped at the output of a resounding failure, and is now
around this game in Europe is growing
a major scandal, equal which has not happened in the history of
gaming software.
It is a pity that
we are talking about the game, which is expected
millions.
Ever since the very first
ELITE, which was called and the "Programme of life in space"
and "Best game of the decade," in the world developed fixed
clans pilots who have dedicated themselves not so much game in
this program how the study of the universe that
program. This game is far ahead of its time.
The second game "Frontier: Elite
2 "had to wait very long -
almost ten years. Many of the
this time, waiting for desperate and changed the hobby and
lifestyle. They not to fly in space and not
prior to the study of galaxies. Many
game "did not have" because of outdated graphics.
And with that great looking
old and good fans waited for the first ELITE "Frontier: First
Encounters ", which, together with
modern graphics are continuing the tradition of development of
galaxies, another favorite from the first
"Elite".
And now about this
program is growing scandal.
The fact that it was found
so many mistakes, but simply
can not be a commercial
software. Editorial foreign computer magazines, the reviewed
this program and gave her the highest rating points, piled with
sacks mail from readers, in which
They write that nothing ever
no longer buy from the company
GameTek, which distributirovala this game.
Western reporters have intensely cleaned because they
advertised a game that simply can not play. Now they write that
In fact to them for review and have not heard the finished
version, because it always does,
that the reviews are being prepared for the game
is in production, and then
otherwise, then do not have time. Yet they
write, that is the unfinished version they liked, but
Of course, they did not have many
flight hours to get to
special missions, built in
game and, of course, they wrote about them on the basis of
own view, but on the basis of what they were told
developers.
In general, all of a heap, and
In order to somehow wash the reader, the renowned British
magazine PC-GAMER has published an interesting report by titled
"The Diary of Accidents", we are here for you and offer.
The story begins in April
this year.
Week 1
GameTek firm announced a program "Frontier: First
Encounters ~ for the IBM PC and
"Amiga". For an advertising campaign
was released a poster on which
showed a couple of midwives,
leaning over the box with the game.
Accompanying the text was
this: "Like any newborn,
This gives you sleep at night. "
If GameTek knew not
sleep at night now it will be
itself?
Among computer fans in
networks, Usenet, Compuserve and CiX
reigns exalted status
expectations. Teleconference overcrowded joyful greetings.
Week 2
The shops appeared HD-version of the game and the
CD-version, but just a few days
showered with messages from users that the game "collapses"
with a message:
"Unhandled Exeption Error"
A small trickle of disturbing news in the networks becomes
current. There are no reports of Users who managed to
would normally run the game!
"Support Line" company GameTek
advises users experiencing this problem,
off and the music and sound.
Users do. Game
somehow starts, but immediately
begins a new message flow
that the game reset "
the following events:
- When you upgrade your space ship;
- When charging the fuel from
stars with Fuel Scoops;
- At the reception to the execution of a classified mission;
- At the request destination
Met the ship;
- And even at the entrance to some
planetary systems;
- Joystick connected displays
Users of the ship under
control;
- Lasers enemy ships not
may cause harm;
- The use of military engines
(Military Drives) distorts
action of the gravitational field
nearby planets;
- Saved games too often
refuse to boot;
- At the start of the game user
receives some money tenfold
more than you need;
- Subscribe to newspapers and magazines
given for 20 years instead of two;
- The player may receive a 10 percent loan as many times
and to bring their capital to any size;
- Endless amounts of money can be
receiving ships and resells
engines;
- It is impossible to perform military
mission, since the camera for their
You do not give commit;
- Dialogues in video sequences are mixed;
- Missiles are not targeting the
satellites;
- Disappearing world;
- A lot of mistakes in combat mode;
- Sometimes the ships refuse
move;
- When you perform custom
murder, on-screen pop-up
system messages in hexadecimal code;
- In the courier missions, you can
wring any amounts for mail delivery;
- Autopilot suddenly stops
work even when the opponents do not have a visible area;
- Damaged engines is not fully repaired.
Besides a huge number of
own "bugs" program
retained and those who pass it by inheritance from
"Frontier: Elite 2":
- Divides the ship on autopilot
planet;
- Police vehicles explode
during startup;
- Ships, flying with a huge
speed, can instantly change the direction of movement in the
opposite.
Gone are some good
features of the previous program, and
Some "improvements" turned
reverse side:
- Saturn's rings have disappeared;
- Vanished right of the Earth;
- New design makes the cabin
maps are very difficult to read.
Expected compatibility
shipped files "Frontier:
Elite 2 "and" Frontier: First
Encounters "is missing. Despite the fact that the requirements
equipment worth 386 and above, even on fast machines 482nd
Textured graphics slow and intermittent. And this time,
"Frontier: First Encounters" among the top twenty best games on
Gallup's list (the list includes all computer platforms)
No. 6.
Week 3
The scandal is gaining momentum.
Community furious. That's what
writes "Computer Trade
Weekley: "Traders software
Enablement overwhelmed returns
game. The Internet is awash with
complaints and grievances. Editors of computer magazines get a
lot of phone calls from Angry users.
Stores begin to shoot game from sale. An authorized
distributor said in the press: "Good work, Geymtek! Prize
for worst-case release of 95-year
Your almost certainly! "
CEO of Geymtek "Kelly Sumner
made a statement to the press
which denied the "rumors
errors in the program. "According to her:
- Yes, the program was one
problem, which was reduced to
incompatibility with some
sound cards. The game is very
popular ... therefore, it is to
attention ... and therefore
everything about it - strongly
exaggerated ... "
Meanwhile, the number of installed error has already reached
fifties, and continues to grow.
As soon as users with barely get
to special missions in the game
either they are faced with nonsense, or to hang
machine, or the inability
mission to fulfill.
In the Gallup program
remains at the 6 th place.
Week 4
"GameTek" released a patch to fix, as they say,
"compatibility issues" but users will quickly discover that in
order to its use, you must have the RAM to 8
megabytes.
Now, when sound and music
are finally available, it is found that they have their
"Bugs" and even "patch" added to them yet new.
"Patches" between work contains a copy of the program and
does not check whether the user has a legal version. So now
Anyone who adds to the "patch" some system files may have a
copy of the game for free.
Playing up the list
Gallup to 5 th place.
Week 5
Meticulous users "dug" on the disk on which you receive a
game, the original program file size of 2 megabytes, and with
interest revered This "source". It found the comments and
observations David Brebena that he did
its programmers, detailed
data on all spacecraft, present in the program and uncoded text
all the missions, which, in fact, is the main game scenario.
Miraculously from the study of this text, it follows that
incorporated into the game just is not more than half a dozen
missions that the mysterious ship "Mirage" is not exists and
none of the "promises" of alien races in the game is not
present.
"Gametek" released a patch number 2.
But for her, as it turns out,
need a lot of disk
space on your hard drive even
for those who bought the CD-ROM-version. Users quickly
understand why this is happening. It turns out that this
"patch" done to it "without demand "pohozyaynichala on your
hard drive the user has found there the very controversial
file-source and remove it. A "manage" it is not very
competently. Removing the "no demand" those most two criminal
megabyte This "patch" left on the hard drive with 8 MB user
debris, resulting in showered with messages about the lack of
disk space.
One of the computer magazines
refers to the firm with GameTek
Please clarify the situation and
receives the answer: "Errors occur in only 20 percent of copies
and owing to defects arising in
result of replication.
The program rises to the position 3 in the list of Gallup.
Week 6
The representative GameTek Simon
Little apologized to users on the network CompuServe:
- As you know, we are constantly
working on the problems encountered after their manifestation.
The company Frontier Developments continues to work on patches,
which will eliminate all of the identified shortcomings and
failures that have found the discussion in this network and
others. Unfortunately, there are indeed cases of sudden death in
entrance to the space station or
when you exit it. The game uses a very complex system and
sometimes math
errors.
The program goes down to position 8 in the list of Gallup.
Week 7
Comes from the firm Gametek
Three "patch", which is
it turns out, does not work on
floppy version of the game. Interestingly,
that is attached to her file with the history of the
elimination of errors, and it implies that at least 13 errors
were well known firm already in the third week (compare that
claimed Kelly Sumner).
All in all, boldly declares firm eliminated 29 errors. But
ANY PRICE!
"This program should be run on machines with no less than
4M of RAM.
This is clearly an underestimation. After
the third "patch" program is running unbearably slow even
A 4-megabyte 482nd, and for
In order to work more or less
smoothly, she needed a "Pentium" with
more RAM.
And for those users who have been waiting almost two months
for dealing with a joystick
received the following joyful
message: "Disabling the joystick
should solve all problems.
(The program was developed in
based on the work with the mouse).
Incidentally, the company reported that
Saved games can dispatch
be incompatible with the program
after the third "patches". So
that those users who
managed to somehow break through and achieve something, you
must start the game from scratch. (Maybe for some other games
it is not scary, but those who played
ELITE, know what a tragedy
it is in this game. -
Ca. i-PRESS).
Many users and
done - started from scratch and
quickly found that a third
"Patches" can not pass the first
mission!
The program fell to 16-e
place in the list of Gallup.
Week 8
Released a new "patch"
(Fourth), but users
continue to fester in error.
GameTek states that produced and
went on sale a new version
game. Vendors and Distributors
did not know about it.
The program has left a list of 20
best games of Gallup.
*
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