Party - How Prokhima Hackers Team went to FunTop'98.

                                          
                                          
(C) VEL / PROXIMA                         
(C) SERGIUS PUZZLER / PROXIMA             
                                          
 Special edition for e-magazins.       
                                          
                                          
As Proxima Hackers Team         
             we went to FunTop.            
                                          
                                          
   For a trip to the International Festival
Computer Art FunTop we,
Proxima, we prepared for a long time, even when
we saw the first info.  Bye until 22
August, we saved money (collected
bottles, swept the streets and took out
trash containers ;-)))                 
   Well, the long-awaited 21st has arrived
number. From the very morning through my house began
people walk. In the evening there is a little traffic
stopped, Viky Monster taxied in,
Uncle Sam and Sergius. Together they tore me away
from interplanetary battles in Elite Z, friends
decided to pass the time playing a logic game
(with two difficulty levels! ;-) - Ugolki.Our time was inexorably approaching
departures :`-) We began to persuade
Viky Monster will come with us. Ho at Vitka's
there was a pretty good reason to turn down
from the trip ;-) Next time he has this
an excuse won't work...                   
       ......................             
 We liked Arbat, even though
deserted, empty and lonely. Well it came up
time to rush to find the venue
Sinclairist parties.  The city was waking up
after a cool night (it will soon be autumn,
to someone and to school :-) By 8 o'clock we
ended up near school 91. Before entering
a dozen participants were already hanging out in the yard
festival   We humbly joined them
rows. Not even five minutes passed and we started
make new acquaintances, especially in
represented by the representative of St. Petersburg
WELCOM CORPORATION by Evgeniy Buder.  
 Around nine o'clock everything is together
rushed into the school yard and went there
the rest of the Sinclairists are catching up,
coming up later.  It should be mentioned that
that the delegation is from our city of Kovrov
turned out to be the largest - 11 people.     
   Somewhere after 9 o'clock, when everything is already
We managed to chat and take pictures,
everyone was allowed into the school building. On the stairs
between the fourth and fifth floors started
people were gathering - was goingregistration
participants and guests.                      
 Having registered and taken forms for
voting and personal cards, we went to
a medium-sized assembly hall filled with
chairs.  They also stood near the windows.
There were five monitors in total, which were quite
enough.  Three monitors stood in front of the first
nearby - one in the center and two closer to the windows.
One b/w monitor was intended for the needs
the organizers themselves, and therefore stood lower
others.   Well, the last monitor was
placed approximately in the center of the hall - for
back rows. Much to our chagrin
it turned out that business cards were not issued
there will be.   This made the process very difficult
identifying people we know through correspondence
personalities.    Although there were some
resourceful people who are home early
We made these cards for ourselves.           
 We decided to settle closer to the so-called.
podium and sat in the second row.  Later
it turned out that the guys from
CPU, and in the third row are the guys from Rage
Creative Group, from Belarus.              
 First, as always, we scrolled
several demos and after a short
The festival itself began waiting.           
 At the very beginning with a short informal
The message was given by Alex. He told us
what's inthis time passes at school itself
some other important event and
asked to be more restrained in emotions and not
disturb public order.            
 Wlodek Black himself spoke next,
which, in fact, solemnly opened
International Computer Festival
Arts FunTop`98. But here Wlodek surprised
everyone with the following message: at school
The electricity was turned off due to debts! Like this
bummer - everyone probably thought. Ho and right there
calmed down.    All equipment succeeded
connect to a neighboring private house, for
that they - thank you very much (not free,
of course :-)                               
 After this, the floor was passed to the President
Welcome Corp. - Evgeny Buder.     
 Here on the monitors there was some
video with a painfully familiar plot.
“The pussy was tampered with,” many thought and were
wrong. It turns out that this is the company "Peters"
brought my new one to the presentation
computer - Sprinter with 4 megabytes, screw
and other bells and whistles - horror! Video
lasted 4 minutes and took approximately 15OMB.
Naturally, after such a grandiose
started to the representative of the company Peters started
people with voice recorders burst in and began
ask a wide variety of questions.
Having withstood all the questions withhonor, Peter's
once again we scrolled through part of what was already shown
roller By the way, I’ll say that the prices are in advance
prepared by the company, they were not taken so well.
At least they weren't too ostentatious
these same prices. Or maybe the company itself
don't care about it?                         
 Now it’s the Captain’s turn
NEMO.  He talked about his computer
KAU-1024 and showed the motherboard. How
It’s not strange, but there are practically no questions
it was. In conclusion, NEMO reported that Slava
Mednonogov could not come and reports
Warm greetings to everyone.  After these words
The captain took out a large stack
various prices, from which through
for a few seconds there was no trace left. B
this stack was so very interesting
price list of A5 format, the contents of which I
I quote it verbatim.                         
                                          
 Forthcoming          
          new game for Spectrum        
              "Black Raven - 2"          
                                          
 The game will be a continuation
real-time strategy "Black Raven".
The action moves forward two thousand years
forward to the future, where people and kungs
to come againmeet in an unequal battle for
justice.                           
                                          
 Get ready for the release of the full version!
          Always yours, Vyacheslav Mednonogov.
                                          
 All other price space was
filled with gorgeous pictures.           
   Various Sinclairists performed further,
presenting their new developments in the field
software, both system,
and gaming.                           
 A in general was present at the festival
a lot of different people: strangers, acquaintances and
not really. PC'yuchnikov spotted on FunTop'e
there weren’t, but there were representatives of the platform
AMIGA (how could it be otherwise? :-) In particular
AMIG'niks sitting nearby from time to time
time they said something like "at
AMIGA is better for me."  Well, their favorite
Everyone has known the phrase for a long time - “sux `n` must
die".                                     
 Well, the time has come for the first one
nominations.   It turned out to be GFX compo.
The pictures were very diverse and there was
there are a great many of them.  Bo show time
pictures, the organizers made an announcement
those who brought pictures with them, but not
managed to registertheir.   And such
found!   At the very end of the viewing
Two more pictures appeared.  Ho, how am I
I understand, the final collection included more
more pictures.    When voting
it was necessary to select three pictures from
69.   Much to our surprise,
The prizes were not won by the best
pictures.  And it's strange.  But even more
I was surprised by the fact that it turned out to be on compo
several pictures by the same authors!
 The next compo turned out to be 4K intro. 
Not many works were presented -
14, just like the demo.  The works turned out to be
truly the most diverse (according to
at least that's what it seemed like at first
times).  There were also quite memorable ones
work, there were works with enough
unexpected humor, and there were also just 4K
intro :-) Personally, we didn’t like the fact that
the authors of some intros didn’t bother
yourself with extra work. It's enough just
take some part from your demo - here
to you and 4K intro. Actually the prize money
the people who deserve the places are not the ones who deserve them
received.                                  
After looking at it for quite some time
graphics and 4K intro took a break.
Some comrades immediately went to smoke in
space reserved for this, others left
just to chat from the audience,well, and the third
generally remained in place. Particularly far
They weren’t allowed to run away, because... time is money,
especially considering that electricity
"Downloaded" from a neighboring house. Of course, for
they didn’t start running around with everyone, but just
warned about the imminent start of the next
compo.                                    
 Well, it's time for music.
There were a total of 39 registered works, of which
the numbers of which we chose the best. you
would you say that this is not so much?
Judge for yourself, it turns out to be 39x3 minutes
about 2 hours.  And all these two hours are needed
listen carefully and then choose
the best!   Yeah... There was work here too
quite different, but some of them
frankly bored.  In the beginning everything was
Quite calm.   Well let's go here
several killer rave music, under
who, without hesitation, rushed to dance
several guys.  And so there were several
once... The most unpleasant thing was that
this roar woke up Uncle Sam, before
moment of sleeping peacefully on a chair ;-) Via
for some time part of the hall was joyful again
buzzed, clapping and whistling.
It turned out that the music came from
Moscow musicians.  The result can be
was foreseen with 100% probability of the first
place was taken by Ilya Abrosimov/EA-Soft/Antares
 Upon completioncompo people are tired, but
satisfied, they fell into the corridor, although,
again some remained in their places.
In the corridor itself they have already hung several
sheets of sheets glued together - if
you have a marker, but a bigger one, keep it for yourself
memory.   It was also possible to purchase
licensed software from Welcome and T-shirts with
with cute FunTop symbols.  I don't know
what colors were used to make these inscriptions?
but already in Kovrov I learned from Mongol that
the inscriptions are erased almost with moisture
finger (well, such a “pleasure” was worth it)
initially 30, and later 25 rubles). Also opened
selling used books, former Sinclairist,
I am now a happy owner of an AMIGA. Also
it was possible to purchase licensed copies
magazines Adventurer #8, Deja Vu #5,
Spectrum Expert #2, Voyajer #1 and others.
Branded versions of games were also sold:
Monstarland, Mirror, Ufo 2, etc. Except
all these people just gave freeware soft
on used floppy disks :-)                       
 Well, the break is over and the 
demo compo.  By this time I noticed
a small row of empty beer bottles
"Baltika", and some spektrumists with
the happy faces were not empty
bottles.   Maybe I'm wrong, but
it seemed that they were mostly
Moscow Sinclairists. And so they launched
first demoshki.   In general,as on
Enlight`e, in some demos they are the same
themes or the effects themselves. Well let's go here
demos from MegaCode and Digital Reality. Hall
literally exploded with applause and
screams.  As it turned out later, for the demo
The Exploders shouted louder :-) Themselves
the demos were very diverse and the audience
reacted to them differently.  For example
the phrase "vodka+beer=speccy rulez" was
met with laughter.   And here, for example,
video (which, by the way, first
filmed on a video camera, then transferred to
PC'yuk and then to our beloved Speccy)
the public accepted it almost with such
roars like the prize demos. That's why
the point is that the cameraman captured that moment,
when one resourceful guy stopped by Billy
Gates with a sponge cake in the face...      
 At the end the compo was scrolled
non-competitive work and three times
tried to show to no avail
unfinished parts of the demo on FT from Antares.
Finally, having collected all the voting forms,
organizers left for counting
votes.   By the way, we managed to find out
approximate number of participants and guests -
150-160 people.  Not that much, but
if we take into account that not everyone came,
and those who arrived were from different parts of our
beloved country, then it becomes
Really great. The votes were being counted, and behind the b/w monitor
someone was busy fiddling around and copying something.
We also wondered what they had there.
on disks and calmly stood in line.
But here it is finally and irrevocably
The electricity was turned off.  But we're not very
upset.  The vote counting was going on very
for a long time, about an hour.  Some don't
endured and left...                  
   But now the solemn moment has come
announcement of winners and presentation
diplomas, cash prizes and gifts.     
                                          
 4K COMPO                               
                                          
1. GOA VU EXPLODER/MEGACODE/EXTREME 
2. DIZZY VU SERZH SOFT                
Z. NEVERLAND VU SENAT/ETERNITY INDUSTRY   
                                          
 GFX COMPO                              
                                          
1. POLESJE VU ARTHUR BURN/ELSSLAND      
2. TRASSA VU ANTON SURANOV             
Z. ALF 1Z VU DEMIURGE ASH/ETERNITY     
                                          
 MUSICCOMPO                            
                                          
1. I MUST WIN A COMPO VU EA-SOFT/ANTARES  
2. ZX-SOS VU IGOVAL/ANTIQUE   
Z. ... VU IMP              
                                          
DEMO COMPO                             
                                          
1. REFRESH VU MEGACODE                  
2. FOREVER VU DIGITAL REALITY           
Z. BLAME VU STARS OF KELADAN AND      
 SPEED COMPANY             
                                          
   By the way, Exploder, in addition to the diploma and
received a cash prize as a gift
motherboard KAU-1024, the same one
which NEMO showed.                   
(C) MITCHELL / HWC                        
                                          
 The Fun Top`s 98 Party members list:   
                                          
Wolf/Rage, Mythos/Rage, Spirit, Recalder,
BOS/LOSW/GE/vP, Wlodek Black, Kano/RP,
M!7cHe11/HWC, SerzhSoft, Mr.Z/HWC, SD/HWC,
Frunze/SG/Logros, Captain/SG/Logros,
ALK/Stars ofKeladan,    L-Graph/VVG, GPV,
RCL/VVG,   Rom Corp./VVG,   High Lord/VVG,
Mic/VVG,    Dr. Мах/Global,   Twin/Global,
Alex Kerman/Global,        Dan!!l/PGC/BDA,
Mic/Progress,  Rom/Progress, Fux/Progress,
KLR/Progress,  Sauron/DR,  OZ/DR, AR7У/DR,
Flying/DR,  John/VB,  Calev/Ris,  Alex(R),
ZX-Shadow,         Antares,        Sister,
Chazm/InfoSoft/CPU,         Elf/Auryn/CPU,
Shaitan/Surdakar/CPU,         Dr.Dash/DGN,
NSS/DGN,  Dude/DGN,  Balbes (Last Zahary),
Sand  and  his  friend from Mayhem, Peters
Software,    Welcome Corp.,    OOPS group,
Siv Blader/Excess,      Hacker Gri/Excess,
Lion/Excess,     Magic/Magic Soft/Extreme,
Мас Buster/Magic Soft/Extreme,  ХРЕН/Magic
Soft/Extreme,  E.I., Gladiator, Die Crups,
M.M.A./Speed Co./Extreme,   Exploder(VAV)/
Megacode/Extreme, Ilya Komandin/ZXManiacs,
Sergius Puzzler/PROXIMA,      Vel/PROXIMA,
Uncle Sam/PROXIMA, Mr.John/JS, MAXWELL/JS,
Art Soft... and many others...            
                                          
                                          

Share your thoughts about the article