Spectrofon #21 04 декабря 1996

Интервью

Mirror - an interview with Mike Singltonom, author of such well-known games such as "Lords of Midnight", "Doomdark Revenge", "War in the middle earth", "Dark Scepetre ", etc.

   Today we offer
interview with Mike Singltonom, author of such well-known and 
very popular games such as: the trilogy of "Lords of Midnight", 
"Dark Sceptre "and many others. However, at the end of the 
section you can read the full softografiey Mike. 


Translation (c) STEP, 1996


   MIKE SINGLTON - MASTER OF MIDNIGHT



          MIKE ENTERS INTO BATTLE.


   Night reigned over the world. Saving for
those few who make their way
among the dead, peering into their faces, looking for friends 
and brothers. Rest for the weary soldiers. 


   But still wary Lunar Luxor
Prince. Chilling sobs and sharp
whistling arrows to hear it from all over the world. The smell 
of death, the stench of decomposition hang above the ground. 
And when at last the dawn, before the citadel will face new 
legions of evil. Rank for the ranks of the warriors a deaf 
black helmet covering the face, emerge from the shadows of 
night. 



   So, what do you do? Meet
them face to face and, perhaps, shall fall glorious death? Or 
back away from those who have can go in search of new allies in

great war with darkness?


   Luxor Lunar Prince will make his choice. Will it be done and
You if you play the game adventyurnuyu
"Lords of Midnight". Since the days of "The Hobbit"
none adventyure not combined because
successfully imagination and the art of programming. And the 
result - one of the most exciting and spectacular Games in 
1984. But fighting has flooded the world of darkness, do not 
forget: present Lord of Midnight, Lord of

Midnight - it is not Luxor, not his friend
Korlet Fey, none of the powerful Lords, whose citadel stand in 
your way. He - a former English teacher from the Wallace

(Wallasey) Mike Singlton.



   In the first program, Mike prevailed unhealthy excitement, 
did not like the noble and heroic atmosphere of "Lords." "I 
started to program four years ago, and My first program was a 
game-jumps for the Commodore "- he said. However, this

was not an ordinary game with jumps;
it was written specifically for use in sportbetting store. 
Fellow teachers endorsed the idea, knowing the interest Mike's 
in mathematics. Mike taught himself to programming in BASIC. 
His first serious attempt has been accounting

program, but he quickly moved on to things
interesting.


   "We have teamed up with the Liverpool bookmaker firm and 
launched a full- version of the game "- says Mike." But the 
very process of game problems, and they were the difference 
between the game and these races. Under the rules of betting 
businesses are not allowed to entice customers with no other 
entertainment, 

except the actual race. Program Mike
was prohibited by judicial order.


   When your first success in the professional programming 
ruthlessly crushed by the judicial machine, this can not 
discouraged. But Mike persevered. His first programming proved 
to be successful arcade Games for Commodore Pet - Old Faithful 
workhorse dospektrumovskih times. Through kommodorovskuyu firm 
Petsoft Mike got in touch with Clive Sinclair and wrote a 
series of games for the ZX80, the predecessor ZX81.



   "The contract ended when I wrote
six programs in one Kilobyte "- said Mike." But Clive likes, 
and me interested in the Sinclair Research ". In

Cambridge, where Mike went at the invitation of the company, he 
was shown secret version of the computer ZX81. The operating 
system for it was then written only "First approximation". 
"From all this 

pieces no one knew, and I was asked
convert my game under the new car. "
The result is a Gamepack 1, set
odnokilobaytnyh programs in BASIC, the first commercial program 
for the ZX81. "I worked on them two weeks before school

have a vacation - said Mike - and received 6,000 pounds fee. I 
do not think that ever been even better. "



   Mike Singlton always been an avid player. As a teenager, he 
cut his desktop strategy games like

"Avalon Hill" or "SPI". Complex systems
rules of such games that provide the realism the game had a 
great influence on computer games. "It all started with

wargames (strategic form games in which the emphasis is on 
fighting. - Trans.). I myself came up with a few board games, 
although they have not produced boom. I think I went to the 
computer it was after the table games. " 



   Spending is not gone together since childhood. Making
teaching career, Mike both took part in the game in the mail "" 
Starweb " ("Star Web"), which held

American company "Flying Buffalo" -
writers role-play in the fantasy genre
"Tunnels and Trolls". "Starweb" was a special game for partners 
in different sides of the ocean. "We played by airmail,

between passages held monthly. I won, and
it took me two years! "Win, Mike
in late 1981 he decided to hold such a multiplayer game. He 
called it "Star Lord", and in judging him really helped him 
"Commodore Pet" with a hard disk. The game was attended by 700 
people. Their moves processed by the computer. Multiplayer Game 
"Starnet", played on the network Micronet, based entirely on 
the game Mike "Star Lord". 



   At this point, appears on the scene, Terry
Pratt, now a managing director
"Beyond Software", and then editor of the magazine "Computer 
and video games" ("Computer and Video Games "). Terry met with 
Mike, collecting material for an article about games by mail. 
As a result, Mike has written a game specifically for this 
journal. Game called the "Seventh Empire", and played

her about a year. At the same time, Mike had a hand in "a 
concoction of arcade toys," as he put it. 


   When the owners of the journal "Computer and
video games, "founded the company" Beyond
Software ", Terry Pratt resigned as editor and entered the 
leadership of the new company. "Terry started pushing at me, so 
I wrote them to the program - says Mike. - It was then that we 
have conceived of "Lord". " 



   Of course, this idea was not just a flash of insight, as the 
result of careful deliberation. "I saw the direction in which

develop things. I was curious to try their hand at adventyurah. 
It has long been I was drilling the thought that the graphics 
in the so-called graphic adventyurah can be improved. Yes, the 
pictures in the conventional adventyurah look good, but they 
are not so much talk to you. I wanted to do

something very functional. "


   And the graphics are "Lords of Midnight" was really 
powerful. Every detail of the screen layout has some meaning 
for the game. In fact, these pictures is a game in the truest 
sense of the word. You can see the landscape through the eyes 
of any of the protagonists. Gorges, forests, mountains, towers,

Wolves and many other details appear on the screen and affect 
the course of the game. 



   The game was developed in some detail before writing. The 
fact that the technical reasons, the game manual

should be sent to the printer in advance.
In addition, it was necessary to elaborate layout of keys, 
because that all teams should have been taken

simply pressing the appropriate keys.
"So, I started making the game more
without interfering with specific programming tasks. The main 
problem was the memory. With one or two extra kilobytes work 
would be completed earlier. Believe Or not, I had three times 
to optimize the code! I managed to stay within, just pack it. "



   In fact, all the writing game took
six months. Incredible, but Mike wrote
all on a normal Spectrum, without mikrodrayva.
"Mikrodrayvy not arrived," laconically
explains Mike.



   He was quite satisfied with obtaining the
graphics programs that can
provide 32,000 screens of 4,000 locations. "The code is written 
very carefully," said Mike, and it is still a strong 
understatement. "Control procedure takes less than 1K, and even 
17K to display the individual objects. The images are stored 
ordered in size, and it allows so quickly display images. Write 
a special procedure to increase or decrease the facilities It 
would be very inconvenient to the same in this method greatly 
reduced images would look bad. "



   The game actually has no text input
There is only entering commands by pressing one
keys. This is not simply a matter of saving
memory. Text input is not suitable for
such a game - said Mike. - In her so much
just happens that the text entry would only slow down the whole 
action. " 



   Thus, the graphic procedure in the "Lord"
- An entirely new word, something that has not been on the 
Spectrum. No less impressive plot, well-designed map of the 
country at midnight and the whole game in general. 


   "The plot is entirely designed by me - says Mike." - I began 
to write history with the main characters - Luxor, Morkina and 
Dumdarka. "Luxor has a moonstone, which allows him to 
communicate with its allies in the distance. Thus, the player 
can control directly many characters. Morkin, son of Luxor -

hero without fear and without reproach. He has to find
Icecrown - the source of the power of evil Dumdarka. By 
developing these basic heroes, Mike started drawing the maps.

Of course, much more detailed maps than
one that is sold with the game, with all
objects and names. "I worked for card details and returned to 
the writing itself history. Instead of just writing



the whole plot, I played with his eyeballs. I
allowed her to develop on their own and surprise me. I knew 
myself, why strive only very roughly. "



   It is interesting that Tolkien, the father of
the entire modern fantasy, has worked in a similar manner, 
allowing the plot to behave and not always knowing what must 
now happen. Many elements of the game resemble the novels 
Tolkien. Hiking in the heart of the citadel of the enemy, 
battle in an almost hopeless war - that basic features like 
games, and "The Lord Rings. "



   "I am familiar with the literature in this direction. And, 
of course, the influence of Tolkien's simply impossible to 
avoid. I wanted to write a play about the war, to be precise - 
History Defense plus long quest magic

subject. And when the theme of "military
quest, here it from Tolkien's nowhere to go. There is in the 
game, and other elements in the spirit 


Tolkien. For example, Fawkrin the Skulkrin
something like Gollum.


   "Lords of Midnight" had a huge effect. Just when you're 
reading this, is preparing to release continued - "Doomdark's 
Revenge "." We always keep in mind the possibility of 
continuing, - said Mike. - But Terry wanted to take a break to 
prepare for the writing of the second game. And I started 
working on it immediately after the "Lords of Midnight". "



   Action "Doomdark's Revenge" unfolds in Aysmarke (Icemark), 
region northeast of the main events of the first

game. Charette Pohititelnitsa Hearts (Shareth
the Heartstealer) kidnapped Morkina and you have to release 
him. Helping you Rortron Wise (Rorthron the Wise), already 
familiar to you in the first game, and his beloved Morkina 
Taritel (Tarithel the Fey), which appears in the game for the 
first time. 


   The game is considerably more extensive "Lords." In
her 2000 more locations and entire 128
characters (in the "Lord" was 32).



        Doomdark's Revenge (1985).



   "I learned a lot, programming
Lords of Midnight, - said Mike. - Closer
the end of the work I have found ways to rationalize the 
structure of data to save memory. The situation in the Dumdarke 
"is more complicated. Now this is not just a standoff Good and 
Evil, supplemented by many other factors, and the characters 
become more independent. Land Aysmark divided between five 
races. In the far north-east people live under the control 
Charette - complete scoundrels. And then there are the giants, 
gnomes, fairies and barbarians. All of them are independent and 
can fight with each other. 



   Independence of distribution means that the Luxor
must demonstrate outstanding ability,
to get support in their endeavors. For example, he may go to a 
separate campaign to garner the kind of object, the right race, 
or perform any task. This creates a fertile ground for 
inclusion in the main story mini-adventyur. 


   Another new feature - the emergence of female characters: 
the evil and the good Taritel Charette. "I wanted to make 
female characters More in "Lords of Midnight", but left it

for the next game. "The reason for this - not
sexism, and lack of memory.
Inclusion in the game both sexes means adding to the dictionary 
definitions and a new factor - Sex - in the characteristics of 
heroes. Both are Other devours precious bytes. "The legend is a 
cursory mention of a female character, and I left the way 
open," - explains Mike. 



   While the bulk of his time to absorb the work of Beyond, 
Mike Singlton retains its independence. He continues to remains 
"free hunter." Two years ago he gave up his teacher's work to 
devote full time to computers and no regrets about it. "I 
thought I would regret leaving teaching, - he said - but it 
turned out that it is not. I miss the kids - they inspired me. 
I was able to bring their games to the school club and a "run" 
them. But finally I had to do choice - I was working all the 
time that he sent Lord unto me. "



   He also believes that to remain "free
hunter - the right solution, at
least not yet. "It's certainly not bad - to own his own 
company. But it would be greatly curtailed the time that I could

devote to programming. Me it's not attractive. The days of 
"home companies passed. Perhaps if you have a network



administrators who can be trusted ... "


   This position fits well with the views of Mike's on himself. 
He sees himself more as a game designer, rather than as 
programmer, though, and has first-class programming skills. 
"Truly, I would like to manage team of programmers - just toss 
them ideas. Terry has provided for me something similar in the 
Beyond, but I decided that I earn more by working for himself 
currently. " 


   Now that Mike wrote the strategic
games, he has rarely play them. But he
often played in the first, the Japanese board game, which casts 
a real challenge for programmers already mastered the territory 
of checkers and chess. "I play wargames every three

month or so, and in the first - often. And,
Of course, I spend a fair amount of
time in the pub, "he adds.


   Like Mike and the work of the writer. He
welcomed the opportunity to write a legend
for the booklet to the "Lords of Midnight". "This
similar to the feedback from the legends of the program - he 
says. - At the university I wrote a short novel - an English 
teacher always write something like that. It was called 
"Eternal Empire". Remember, There were six or seven versions of 
it. When Terry suggested the idea of ​​a novel based on the 
"Lords" as a prize, I said that gladly would have written it. 
But time running out. "



   When they went "Lords of Midnight", was
announced that for the first prize winner will be 
romance-fantasy, written in based on his moves in the game. 
Whatever was in the end this book, we can at least say that the 
loss to literature in the person of Mike's was to win game 
world. 


                Sinclair User Annual 1984.



     SOFTOGRAFIYA MIKE SINGLTONA.


Gamepack 1 (ZX81) - Sinclair, 1981
Shadowfax (Spectrum, C64, Vic 20, BBC) - Postern, 1982
Snakepit (Spectrum) - Postern, 1983
3-Deep Space (Spectrum) - Postern, 1983
Lords of Midnight (Spectrum, C64, Amstrad) - Beyond, 1984
Doomdark's Revenge (Spectrum, C64, Amstrad) - Beyond, 1985
Throne of Fire (Spectrum) - Firebird, 1986
Dark Sceptre (Spectrum) - Firebird, 1986
Whirligig (Amiga) - Firebird, 1987
War in Middle Earth (Amiga, ST, PC, ZX) - Melbourne House, 1988
Midwinter (Amiga, ST, PC) - Rainbird, 1989
Flames of Freedom (Amiga, ST, PC) - Rainbird, 1990
Ashes of Empire (Amiga, ST, PC) - Rainbird, 1991
Starlord (PC) - Microprose, 1993
Lords of Midnight (PC) - Domark, 1995


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