From the world of bat - the hit parade of games based on Poll Odessa Sinkleristov.

<b>From the world of bat</b> - the hit parade of games based on
Poll Odessa Sinkleristov.

(C) AcashiSoft


                HIT PARADE


   Hello to all fans of the Spectrum! Not
Recently, we (the group AcashiSoft), our
Colleagues and competitors (other distributors of software) and 
some volunteers have conducted a survey users of Odessa on the 
popularity of games and software programs and electronic 
publications. We think that it will be interesting for 
everyone, but particularly for authors programs to know that 
now in vogue. 


   Questions covered the full range of programs, both old and 
new, and not just data for the last week, when invariably leads 
new drive appeared, despite the quality of its content 
("Pirates," "War of Ember," etc.). We believe that our proposed 
method is more accurately reflects the real situation of one or

other programs.

100 people were questioned on three points:


    a) Three best game programs

    b) Three electronic edition

    c) Three systems programs

According to these data formed a dozen of the best games, 
software programs and magazines (Of those that were on sale).



   The survey will clarify the percentage of users who only 
play, but the software programs and electronic publications not 
interested in (mostly one and the the same people).



   We will try to send this information
several electronic publications, but not
confident that there will publish them because of the poll 
results. As freely expressed opinion Odessa can catch the 
ambitions of certain individuals and groups. 



   The consequence of which may again rise cry over the fact 
that the "STEP" again touts the "Star Heritage", "SPECTROFON" 
and scolds the others, although "SPECTROFONe" and says "those 
of the authors individual articles do not always coincide with

views of the editors ... "(having eyes yes
see, and not having forms a yes).


   Therefore, a big request in "STEP" "do not throw stones", 
the rating of programs - an opinion from Odessa, and the 
comments - our personal. 

The results of the survey is given in Table where:

1 - a place occupied by the program in the hit parade;
2 - the program name;
3 - the number of people who called the program in
the first three;
4 - occupied the first places;
5 - occupied the second place;
6 - occupied third place;
7 - number of people who would not give the program the first 
three; 

C0 +------------------------------------------------ 
-----------+  | N | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 1 | Star Heritage-1 | 48 | 30 | 14 | 4 | 52 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 2 | ELITE (idea) | 28 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 72 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 3 | UFO. ENEMY UNKNOWN | 25 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 75 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 4 | LAST BATTLE | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 80 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 5 | LASER SQUAD | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 87 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 6 | LORD OF CHAOS | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 89 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 7 | DIZZY (collection) | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 90 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 8 | SPACE CRUSADE | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 94 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 9 | BATTLE COMMAND | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 95 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 10 | TETRIS (idea) | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 94 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+ 
B0 



   We hasten to stipulate that at the time of the survey, the 
city still had no program "Prince of Persia", "UFO-2 'etc. Of 
course, called the program to something change at the top of 
the table, but judging from indirect data (sales), demand for 
these programs are good, but before the boom, when to sell 
"Star Heritage far (three times). In our view, the main cause 
in a large park with computers RAM 48 KB. This is probably and 
the reason for the third place of the UFO-1. 


   1-e place game "Star Heritage", in
our opinion, naturally. This is a very high quality product. 
Deep thoughtful script, short story, a beautiful

graphics and music, and almost complete lack of bugs (the more 
visible), as in Prinse of Persia (about UFOs, see below). All

it allows so cool to get used to the role
that when the pass game, already longing takes.



The texts do not contain phrases such as distracting
"... Travel naked in Japan ..."
(TIME COP demo) or "... where to shoot from
finger !?..." (can not remember the name of this adventyury), 
smacks of hitting "too smart "authors" too stupid "users.



   Besides "Star Heritage" is a game
for all - 48/128k any TR-DOS.


   2-e place ELITE. We did not find out
which version of the game is most popular. People interested in 
the idea of "ELITE". 


   It seems the program rating should be evaluated when the 
first shlynet hype. And then watch how fast it will be 
forgotten. Practice has shown that the supply of "ELITE"

lasting already many years. "UFO-1" and "Star Heritage" is also 
almost a year on the market and popular.




   3-e place - "UFO. ENEMY UNKNOWN". Excellent program. 3-e 
place, possibly due to 128k ONLY. In ZF N4 Mr Mednonogov 
resented "SPECTROFON" over the fact that there are only 
published bad reviews about UFOs and the editorial praises a 
his "Star Heritage". 


   From the author of this "caliber" interesting
communicate at least in the pages of the magazine.
So, UFO-1 In very interesting and exciting program, and many 
wonder, "throw in She rocks (it would be better in some 
pseudo-hackers who broke it so). But in UFO-2 v 2.00 is hard to 
believe that the obstruction - this is a glitch you unnoticed, 
it would have been seen at the first test, therefore, assume 
that it was done on purpose. The same applies to hang the 
program (sorry if that does not so).




   But in general we see the dominance of strategic games that 
scrape through representatives of other genres.



   Now we proceed to review the electronic
publications. The rules are the same, except that participants
the race is much less.
C0 +------------------------------------------------ 
-----------+  | N | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 1 | SPECTROFON | 48 | 36 | 14 | 0 | 52 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 2 | ZX-FORMAT | 27 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 73 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 3 | ONLINE | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 97 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 4 | ZX-MAGAZINE | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 96 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 5 | SINCLAIR TOWN | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 97 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 6 | FAULTLESS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 98 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 7 | SPECCY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 99 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+ 
B0 


   According to a survey revealed that 46%
users do not read any
electronic media, about the same
(45%) do not work with software programs in almost all cases - 
this one and the the same people.


Attention! At the time of the survey:


      ZX-FORMAT - had 2 rooms

      SINCLAIR TOWN - 2 rooms

      ZX-MAGAZINE - 2 rooms

      FAULTLESS SPECCY and one number;


   Other journals were not on the market in general, so the 
results slightly outdated (it concerns the distribution of seats

in the table), but with the advent of new journals
demand for them, in principle, not increased.



   Pleasing to the eye magazines "ZX-FORMAT" and
"FAULTLESS", but here came "WELCOM-PRESS" and
it became evident that the height of the design has not yet 
been conquered. Making "SPECTROFON" and therefore a kind of 
standard for magazines (for except the three above mentioned, 
they has his own idea, not the crumbs). In our

glance, the design of "SPECTROFON" a bit old (the information 
is certainly good, but beautiful wrap or anyone else not 
harmed). In connection with this matter with the editors - can 
be we expect fresh ideas in this area. Now (by sales), the 
popularity of magazines is approximately as follows: 


     ? SPECTROFON =? ZX-FORMAT

           3. FAULTLESS etc.

                .........

   It is noteworthy that in the table included
Newspaper "ON-LINE" from Moscow. In this edition does have a 
lot of interesting things. In addition, some really interesting 
modems and the problems associated with work on the BBS. 


  We turn to the system software:
C0 +------------------------------------------------ 
-----------+  | N | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 1 | BELOUSOV COMMANDER 128 | 21 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 79 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 2 | ART STUDIO | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 80 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 3 | GENS + MONS | 11 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 89 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 4 | STS 3.3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 93 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 5 | HONEY COMMANDER | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 94 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 6 | IS DOS EDITOR | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 95 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 7 | FUT?? | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 95 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 8 | DCU 2.32 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 96 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 9 | MC DONALD COPY | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 97 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+
 | 10 | TASM 3.01 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 97 |
 +------------------------------------------------- ----------+ 
B0 


   The results were quite interesting:

1-e Address took BELOUSOV COMMANDER (written in Odessa). Good 
design, usability, disassembler, and thus good copy buffer (320 
sectors). According to Odessa users, it is better than others 
(CONVER, MONSTER, JEMMINI and etc.) and they wonder how in 
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kharkov can work with these products. 

2 nd place ART STUDIO - the explanations are not
needs.

3-e place GENS + MONS - clearly out of date packages. Most 
likely, many early in his work to use it, and then rushed and

mention it sooner, so as not to seem
Only the players and the rest have moved on
more serious things such as STS (4 th)
TASM (10 th). The situation with the DCU (8-e
place) is the same. More progressive

switched to FUT (7 th). There are lovers
HONEY COMMANDERa (5 th). From the editors most often mentioned
only IS DOS EDITOR (6-e place).


   There are fans of copy-protected
program and therefore respected MC DONALD COPY
(9 th).


   Summing up the results, we note that the tastes of our users 
very different: many programs do not gain the required number 
of votes not included in the top ten. 


   This applies mostly to games and software programs. On the 
difference of tastes can be judged from the fact that no 
program get 50% of the vote, only "Star Heritage" is almost 
close to this digit.




   Well that's all. We apologize for the delay of some 
information due to not very high activity of the masses and 
long data processing and drafting of this message. 


   We thank the authors for their programs, the right thing and 
everyone who helped us in collecting and information processing.



            Respectfully, AcashiSoft
 Odessa, tel. (0482) 33-71-71 (Sasha, Stas).

"S": The editorial board of "spectrophone" to thank our 
colleagues for their work. 


                *