Echo #05 31 августа 1998

Игры

Technodrom-2 - The history of the game Technodrom'a.

             TECHNODROM 2?


(C) Pawel / RS


   In this article I will briefly discuss the history of
create TECHNODROM'a its distribution and
who's to blame: (as well as problems
create TECHNODROM'a 2 were announced
More in HELP'e first. And now briefly about
how our group formed.

   Group REAL SOFTWARE was established in May
1996 and originally consisted of two
man, me and DENIS'a. Having been recognized by some software 
programs, we entered into a prosperous then "NEW" corp.


   In August 1996, podnatorev in assembler
we started the project "TECHNODROM". As
states quickly tale tells, yes
long time before it is done, we wrote before the game
May 1997 with variable intensity, but
without long breaks. I did not
had a permanent job and I used to sit in the assembly for 12 
hours a day. When to complete the game remained a week 2-3 
DENIS bought PENTIUM, I understood everything and sorry, no 
begged him build upon to me the game. It took another two weeks 
to disassemble the code DENIS'a, correcting and bringing "to 
the mind." And two more on the final completion of the game, 
testing, design map editor, writing HELP'a.


   And finally came the most important
time - how to sell the game? "NEW" corp. already
then drawing to a finale and VfNG earlier promised to do less 
and distributes less concerned Spectrum Affairs. Zapasshis his 
list of phone numbers, I became known to ring up SPECTRUM'e

people. It should be noted that in May 1997 was
significant decline Spectrum. The first thing I of course 
called the famous Saint-Petersburg firm LOGROS, Michael told me 
that more than $ 25 per game promises can not be greater than a 
15-minute conversation, I never achieved. VfNG rung a little 
bit later there same over the sale of ECHO 3 somehow managed to 
convince Michael that the game is expensive and has raised the 
bar to $ 40. You probably surprised that the newspaper was once 
sold, although the ECHO was then the only its kind, Vlad then 
managed to push it for $ 10, though the money it still does not

received, Michael said that the money is sent in
premise (which in general is prohibited rules address). Let us 
return again to the TECHNODROM'u, the next call was to the MAGIC

SOFT in Moscow, where it turned out that they do not
saw the demo, and refused to appoint
price for a pig in a poke, "had to send
them a demo. Then there was a call to JOKER'u of
Mafia, but he was not home, then I
called to MAX'u IWAMOTO, not knowing that it will be the 
destination. K By the time I was about to get even

$ 150 per game, that would somehow compensate for labor costs. 
And iWAZhMOTKA promised me the very same $ 150 with the 
condition that distributor would only deal with it,

and yet within 20 minutes of a penny booted me about loaders 
and protection. Agreed on the fact that he put the protection 
and will sell copies of the game in bulk and get it for that 
50% of the profits. Well, that sent him TECHNODROM,

10 days later received a call. This was
first and last of his call, promised to send 10 copies for 
distribution to secure friends, and the money promised in a 
month. Through month I have not received any CDs or money

only the phone bill the equivalent of $ 10.
Then again were dozvonki, but it all the time not come under 
the house. I tried to get by mail and FIDO, but to no avail.

When I was all still managed to "catch" it
learning work phone, he said coldly
I used the money that I addressed in LOGROS, type it there and 
sent a batch of copies all the money they were supposed to send 
me. I do not waste money on international calls. In LOGROS send 
the game I could, and without his help, how should I

worry about getting their money making calls to companies that 
iWOMATKA sent copies, I'll "give" him 50% of the profits for 
his "Works". Get it now and try it

Kharkov, swear in the newspaper
I will not. But at ENL'97, who had gone there with
their demos IMPERIO, asked him to
expense money, so he pounced on him with
words like saying the game did not justify itself and
etc. etc. Report IMPERIO on ENL'97 can
read in the past (before death) of Minsk room of the newspaper 
LPRINT. 

   After that, I make up for phone calls, he decided to sell a 
few copies in the Brest region and, at this was earning about $ 
40, $ 10 went to through telephone conversations and the rest

distributed in accordance with the promised
interest and co-workers play. I want to thank everyone who 
bought a legal copy of the game directly from me, perhaps it is 
because you are a group of REAL SOFTWARE with a new team 
continues to delight you with its new developments. By the way 
TECHNODROM, distributed me, works on 48k, but for the version 
with izvratskuyu incomplete decoding # 7FFD and other glitches 
as amended during the installation of protection iWOMATK'oy I 
do not bear any responsibility. 

   Yes ... Sad story ... I think it
deprived of many illusions. How ironic sounds
phrase in the ZX-FORMAT'e 8 "nice happy that
In addition to hacking and demomaking'a this famous team 
decided to take the help of young authors. "Yeah ... Well, I 
can advise the authors of future games? Sell their offspring 
only themselves and just copies (Wholesale and small wholesale).


   What about TECHNODROM'a 2? Theoretically it is developing 
for a long time, but to translate it into code I can not 
decide, the lasting consequences of the sale the first part. 
REALTIME STRATEGY unfortunately have to reject because it would 
require too much software costs although in theory I thought of 
him, then would refuse to work with objects, animated 
explosions, and many others, on 3.5 megahertz does not go far. 
And in turn-based strategy has its advantages, such as the 
ability to play not only against the computer, but also with 
other player, there is a time for careful consideration of each 
action, whereas in REALTIME have to frantically fingering

unbelted units to order.
What does the "would be
TECHNODROM 2? Again, this is a turn-based strategy with the 
development of the plot of the first game. Introduction of a 
new type of resource, the new robots a bunch of different 
equipment and weapons. Must recognize that the first TECHNODROM 
not well thought out, a little boring to produce a crowd of 
robots and play off them enemy. The second part is planned to 
make the ability to configure devices based robots, complete 
their systems such as: SPEED DRIVE, DNK SYSTEM, ENERGY BLOCK 
and others. In addition, during the fight robot will now gain 
experience and dimmed its own characteristics. It is also 
possible to play on the modem, and of course as support for the 
mouse. In our group now have your own artist, so graphically

design will be much richer than the first
part. With its existing strengths creation
TECHNODROM'a 2 may take 4 - 5 months.
But before you start coding I would like to "feel" the 
situation, see how successful will sell games

MONSTERLAND Minsk Group RAGE, as we
them good luck. If there will be pre-application TECHNODROM 2, 
we just glad it will help us finally make a decision.



                                  10.08.98