Introduction: LCD

Introduction: LCD

As promised, the mastermind behind SCENE+, ASC, and numerous programs introduces himself — that is, me, LCD.

Hello! The abbreviation LCD stands for the initials of my name: Leszek Chmielewski Daniel. Strictly speaking, I should add "von Korvin", but my noble title has little to do with me and more with my ancestors, so I usually leave it out.

Many of you also know me under the handle Tiger's Claw, under which I used to write for CF (Computer-Flohmarkt), as well as code games and demos.

My adventure with the Spectrum began in the summer of 1986, more than ten years ago. Back then, my mind was made up: a home computer had to enter the house! Before that, I didn't know what to do with my life: school, girls, alcohol, books, TV, cinema — I even wrote books, or rather short stories, but nothing truly fulfilled my life, with girls being the only exception.

So, a real color computer with lots and lots of games had to be acquired immediately. To that end, I raided my savings account and started thinking about which machine it should be. Since the ZX81 seemed too "cheap" to me, there were only two alternatives: the well-advertised C64 or a ZX Spectrum 48 (without the Plus). I had almost decided on the C64, but then a friend of my father came over with his Spectrum and lent it to me with a few games for a couple of days. What that triggered inside me, I still ask myself, but ever since, I was captivated by the machine. When I had to return it, I immediately bought my own copy.

Naturally, all my savings were gone, because I also needed a TV set, a cassette recorder, and blank tapes (for obvious reasons). Jetpac, Manic Miner, Beach Head, Cauldron — I played everything I could get my hands on and even joined a computer club.

As the next step, I took my first programming attempts, after I had played Jetpac to death and even the final boss in Beach Head was no longer a challenge. I started simple: drew an Enterprise using block graphics, and then typed in listings from Happy Computer. I made my first modifications to the code, and after a while, I had become quite a skilled coder. Not only because of that was I finally able to slay the dragon in the game Journey's End. Well, programming is fun, but I didn't despise games either.

My first two games followed shortly after: Triff mal and Akakor were both programs I feel ashamed of today, although the line graphics in Akakor were quite elaborate. I quickly realized that more sophisticated games required much more time. Despite attending secondary modern school (Hauptschule), I started my biggest project: Luzifers Träne (Lucifer's Tear), an adventure game with enormous graphics, sampled sound, and a lot of content. But after a short while, I noticed that the Spectrum didn't have enough memory for it and that I lacked the skills to finish it.

Then I started writing utility programs: Hellprint, a hardcopy program for the Seikosha GP 500AS that could also print posters, and a Disklabelmaker for the SGP500AS, which still holds up quite well in terms of quality. But then...

I bought an Amiga 500, which made me almost completely withdraw from the Speccy. Well, the games were good, even if not entirely bug-free, but after a few years, I realized that the Speccy was simply more fun. After some time, I mothballed the Amiga completely and let it gather dust.

Returning to the Speccy was smooth, thanks to my ongoing subscriptions to Sinclair User and Your Sinclair. Thanks to a friend traveling to England, I even got a Crash subscription. These three magazines brought me joy right up until they ceased publication (sheer madness when compared to the current circulation numbers of some other computer mags).

From a user who was quitting the Speccy, I bought another machine: a Speccy 128K and a Disciple with a 180K disk drive. Soon after, I upgraded the system to 3.5" and copied many games to disk; magazines had versions on their cover tapes that were particularly easy to copy.

After they folded, I surveyed the magazine market and discovered Computer-Flohmarkt, which I contributed to from then on. It earned me several great contacts, as well as probably my best step: joining the SPC (Speccy Club). That motivated me to code, and soon I wrote my first demo. The positive feedback on Mad Cat eventually inspired me to make Demo-Lition, my best demo so far, and finally, I started coding games again. It culminated in Indian Patience, which received my best reviews.

I launched SCENE as a paper magazine in September '95, but it didn't last long; the workload became too much, so SCENE+ eventually emerged as a diskmag. The idea was to encourage users to program so that the scene wouldn't die out.

That was the abridged story of my rise in the scene. A lot of time has passed since then, and I have upgraded my Speccy to the point where working comfort almost matches that of a PC — though I must add that I hate Windows from the bottom of my heart!

Now, for some info about me:

Softography

• Demos: Pac Man Vector (SAM - Fred 33), Space War (SAM - Fred 34), Mad Cat, Demo-Lition, Second World, Star Trek TNG Slide, Not for Children.
• Games: Triff mal, Akakor, Reflect (SAM), Heavier Than Metal (SAM), Reverse Side (SAM), Fishvaders (SAM), Advanced Patience, Ultra Reflect, Godzilla, Pyramid Patience, Indian Patience.
• Books: Untergang der Erde (1985), Verlorene Welten (1986), Shadow Nemesis (1989–1990), Lords of Zer (1992–1994), Vortex (1997). So far, I haven't published any of these books, except Shadow Nemesis in a slightly abridged version, and soon Vortex as well.

I won't even count utility programs, as their number is enormous and mostly for internal use, such as cracking tools for original games. One of my best-known programs was the rather simple INOF, along with its Plus version.

My Preferences

• Favorite music: I like almost everything, from classical (Bach) to the seventies (ABBA, Boney M.) to techno and almost the entire pop spectrum (3-O-Matic, E-Rotic), but most of all electronic synth (Jean-Michel Jarre).
• Movies: I liked horror when I was young, but now only if it's exceptionally well made (A Nightmare on Elm Street), and naturally anything related to science fiction. I also love fantasy and anime, but German television is particularly sparse in these areas, so I have to rely on VHS tapes.
• Books: Before getting a computer, I loved reading books; afterwards, barely at all, as I preferred being creative myself. My favorite book is PROXIMA by Trepko, written in the 1960s. I must have read it at least 30 times!
• Sports: Ha! My weak point — I don't like sports at all. Occasional table tennis against my brother, billiards against Jaxon Hollis, and golf on the computer can hardly be called sport. I don't care for football either, in case anyone wonders.
• Politics: I only recently started taking an interest in politics. My motto since: never trust a politician, regardless of the party. Even though I am a car driver, I lean toward the Greens.
• Favorite games: I play Indian Patience whenever I find the time; Boulder Dash I–II is also quite nice, and on the Amiga, I waste my time with Civilization. I harbor a strong dislike for poorly ported 8-bit games on 16/32/64-bit machines. On the Speccy, there are no bad games at all — below average at worst, but never bad.
• People I admire most: Pete Cooke (for obvious reasons!), and anyone who opposes war. Wars should only take place on computers, not in reality.

Well, that's about it. If anyone wants further information, feel free to write to the following address:

L.C.D., Pragerstr. 92/11/12, A-1210 Wien, Austria.