Special Features: Telegames And Nonviolent Games
COMPUTE
-The Leading Magazine Of Home, Educational, And Recreational Computing
$2.50 October 1983 Issue 41 Vol. 5, No. 10
£'B5UK S3 26 Canada
63379
ISSN 0\9A-347X
M
Two Gripping Games With Excellent ^ Graphics For The Commodore 64, VIC-20, And Atari: Moving Maze And Dragonmaster
Spiralizer: A High-Res Drawing Utility For Atari, Apple, VIC-20, Radio Shack Color Computer And Commodore 64
Merging Programs From Commodore Disks
Atari Multicolor Character Editor
A Sound Tutorial For The Commodore 64
7A470"63379'
1 a
BUY A BANANA. SAVE A BUNCH.
Meet the Banana!" the very tough, versatile, portable, and reliable dot-matrix printer from Gorilla^"
At $249.95 retail it's an ideal and inexpensive companion for personal computers like Apple'' tor Apple "look alikes"such as Franklin" or Albert"), Ti;- Comniodoi-e," TRS-8(),- Kayprof Timex,' Osborne," etc.
Afterthat, it's merely com- parable to other printers that can cost up to three times as much: 10" carriages (to handle standard 9''l'" paper), 80 coliunns, graphics capability', 10 characters per inch ( expandable to 5 cpi) draft-quality print (for perfectly acceptable fomi letters, data processing.
business reports, etc.) tractor feed (for precise alignment and quick loading), parallel or serial interface (take your pick), self- inking ribbon cassette (for long life and easy installation), 10 portable pounds in weight, and compatibility with so many of the most popular personal computers on the market.
Plus its printhead features a unique single-hammer design that eliminates a lot of moving parts, to eliminate a lot of annoying repairs.
That's the Banana: silly name, serious service. It's everything the expensive dot-matrix printers are . . .
Except expensive.
I.eadiriK Edge Products, Inc., 225 Turnpike Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021 Toll-free: 1-800-343-6833; In Massachusetts (617) 828-81.50. Telex 951-624.
FOR YOUR
WORDPROCESSING NEEDS INVEST IN THE BEST
Vroifessional
WordPro' PUIS
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When choosing a Word Processor for your Commodore'" computer, there's no reason to settle for anything but the best — in a word . . . WordPro".
With over 30,000 happy clients churning out letters and documents all over the world, the WordPro Plus" Series is unquestionably the #1 selling soft- ware package on Commodore computers! So when you choose WordPro, you know you're investing in a trial-tested program that's a real winner. And WordPro is NOW available for your Commodore 64" computer— at prices starting as low as S89.95.
Designed for the user who has no computer or word processing experience whatsoever, WordPro Plus brings a new dimension to the term "user- friendly." fulore than just easy to use, WordPro will turn your Commodore computer into a sophisticated time saving word processing tool — loaded with the sanne inventory of features found in systems costing much, much more.
Our nationwide learn of over 600 Professional Software/Commodore com- puter dealers will help you choose the WordPro Plus system that is best for your needs. Our full-service dealers have been set up to provide strong customer support. In addition to helping you choose the right system, many Professional Software dealers also offer WordPro Plus training and system installation.
Professional Software offers a complete spectrum of WordPro word process- ing software for Commodore computers ranging from the Commodore 64 to the more business oriented 8000/9000 series computers. And WordPro 4 Plus and 5 Plus a!so interact with our database management systems includ- ing InfoPro and The Administrator. So whatever your Word Processing needs, there's a WordPro system that's right for you.
WordPro™ and WordPro Plus" are trademarks of Professional Software Inc. Ttie WordPro Plus Series was designed and written by Steve Punter of Pro Micro Software Ltd. Commodore" and the Commodore 64'" are trademarks of Commodore Electronics, Inc. Dealer inquines invited.
WordPro 3 FSia/64'
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Call us today for the name of the WordPro Plus dealer nearest you.
Professional Software Inc.
51 Fremont Street Needham, MA 02194
(617)444-5224 Telex: 951 579
SniMAKER^ LME OF EARLY LEARNING GAMES
IS GROWING
AS EAST AS YOUR
CMLDSMIND.
Watching your kids grow up is a lot of fun. But making sure their minds grow as fast as their bodies is even more rewarding. That's where we can help. With a growing line of Early Learning Programs that are not only lots of fun to play but also educational.
Some of the games you see on these two pages help exercise your child's creativity Others help improve vocabulary and spelling skills. While others
improve your child's writing and reading abilities. And all of them help your child understand how to use the computer.
So if you're looking for computer programs that do more than just "babysit" for your kids, read on. You'll find that our Early Learning Programs are not only compatible with Apple® Atari® IBM® and Commodore 64^" computers, but also with kids who like to have fun.
FRACTION FEVER™ brings frac±ions into play. Ages 7 to Adult.
FRACTION FEVER is a fast- paced arcade game that challenges a child's under- standing of fi-actions. As kids race aaoss the screen in search of the assigned fraction, they're actually developing a basic understanding of what a fraction is and of relationships between fractions. They're even discovering that the same fraction may be written in a number of different ways. All in all. FRACTION FEVER encourages kids to learn as much as they can about fractions -just for the ftjn of it!
Anne. IBM ano A>an' are regtstmd tnUeiTOrtts of Appte ComputEr, Inc., imaratioral © 1983. Spinnaker Software Corp AJI nghts reserved.
aaines Machines Corp. and Atan. Inc respectively. Oxnmakn 64 is j trBdemarti of Commodore Bmrailcs LimltKl.
The story of STORY MACHINE™ Ages S to 9.
STORY MACHINE is
like a storybook come to life. Using the key- board, your children write their own fun little stories. The computer then takes what they've written and animates their story on the screen, com-
plete with full color graphics and sound. STORY MACHINE helps your children learn to write correctly, become familiar with the keyboard, and lets them have fun exercising their creativity at the same time.
KINDERC0MP7" Numbers, shapes, letters, words and drawings make fun. Ages 3 to 8.
KiNDERCOMPis a game that allows very young children to start learning on the computer It's a collection of learning exercises that ask your children to match shapes and letters, write their names, draw pictures, or fill in missing numbers. And KINDER- COMP will delight kids with color
ful rewards, as the screen comes to life when correct answers are given.
As a parent you can enjoy the fact that your children are having fun while improving their reading readiness and counting skills.
PACEMAKER™ makes faces fiin. Ages 4 to 12.
PACEMAKER lets chil- dren create their own funny faces on the screen. Once a face is completed, your children will giggle with delight as they make it do all kinds of neat things: wink, smile, wiggle its ears, or whatever their imagination desires.
Plus, PACEMAKER helps children become com- fortable with computer fundamentals such as: menus, cursors, the return key, the space bar. simple programs, and graphics. PACEMAKER won't make parents frown because their children will have fun making friends with the computer
s^nat^e^
Dbks for: Apple, Atari, IBM, Commodore 64, Cartridges for: Atari. Commodore 64
Wfe make learning fun.
The Rammaster"'32 Introduces you to tt)e world of more powerful computing. Now VIC 20^ owners hiave one of the most advanced memory devices available. It's what you'd expect from mosak meworx. This is a full service memory device. Not only will the RammQster'"give you 7 times the computing RAM power (as much usable memory as the Commodore 64 'J but also many advanced features.
Th e expansion port allows ^ you to use your cartridges without unplugging
EXPANSION . PORT
GOLD EDGE. CONNECTORS
the memory board, saving wear and tear on your computer It's much more effective. With the flexibility the Master Control switches give you, you'll have no need for a mother board. The Write Protect switch protects your programs' subroutines and data from accidental interference from basic language and the automatic erase built into some cartridges. There's a pause switch built In to stop in the middle of a program, plus an external port is
built in for a convenient ^ . optional cable pause/reset switch. You even have a switch to overlay a 3K b. blocl<ofRAMfor
^ MASTER CONTROL SWITCHES
expansion to 4QK. The Master Control gives you complete control over the configuration of your VIC 20-^ ti/lemory Map so it will never become obsolete.
The Rammaster'" 32 is completely compatible with ail the VIC 20 ' products and programs, and will be the most useful peripheral you'll buy for your VIC 20"^ computer. With MOSAK MCMOftr expand your experience into more powerful computing.
$129.95
32KRAM
Built-in expansion port
Pause switch
Write protect
\Master con irol for super flexible
'memory
Cartridge dissabler Blow cost
Gold edge connectors
Picture guided instructions _ Compatible with VIC 20 ' software
and cartridges
And more features
Call your nearest MOSAK MEMOftX cfeotec 1-800-547.2807(653-7885 In Oregon}.
' This is a lower CO
Rammaster 32™. It's a full sen/ice memory device just lii<e
the Rammaster 32'" With 16K less RAM. Expand up to 37K
using the Mosaic Memory Standard 16 cartridge or other
VIC 20 16KRAM cartridge. That will give you37KRAM
usable for programming or cassette/disk based programs
and 21 K for cartridge based programs.
designed to give you a low cost way to expand with Mosaic Memory. This has no expansion port and limited memory flexibility. Use it with the RAMMASTER 16'" to expand to 37K The Standard 16 offers Mosaic Memory's exceptional reliability and performance at a very low cost.
ELECTRONICS. INC. \
■ ■ P.O. Box 708 • Oregon City. Oregon 97045 \
'Vf&AICISNOTArmsATWmHCOMMODORE.COMMODOm64*ANDmZO''MlEl^eisrmE07RADeMAffXSOFclbM
October 1983 Vol. 5, Na 10
FEATURES
34 Telegames: Computef Games By Phone John Blockford
40 Nonviolent Gomes Kathv Vokol
52 Coupon File Ken D.McCann and Dole McBane
EDUCATION AND RECREATION
— 56 Dfagonmaster David Berdan
«-72 Moving Moze Matt Glwer
90 Mosaic Puzzle Bruce Jordan
121 Spelling Quiz Edward Perrin
REVIEWS
150 Jumpman James Trunzo
152 Synthy 64 Richard Mansfield
154VICFORTH Ffefer Busby
156 Flower tower Math Fun Tony Roberts
162 Mothership For Timex /Sinclair . Derel<Stubbs
162 Turmoil For VIC. 64, And Atari Tony Roberts
164 The Commander - A Command Extension Facility Jim Buttertield
166 Picnic Paranoia For Atari James Tajnzo
COLUMNS AND DEPARTMENTS
6 The Editor's Notes l?obert Lock
lO Readers' Feedback The Editors and Readers of COMPUTE!
20 Computers and Society David D.Thornburg
28 The Beginner's Page: Your First Useful Program Richard Mansfield
106 Questions Beginners Ask Tom R. Halfhill
loa On The Road With Fred D'Ignazio Fred D'Ignazio
130 Friends Of The Turtle: Ed Emberiey'sDrowing Procedures David D. Thornburg
132 LearnlngWith Computers: Computers And Teaching Children To Read J.B.Sheltonand
Glenn M. Kleiman
138 The World Inside The Computer: Islands Of iBcrning Fred D'Ignazio
170 INSIGHT Atari Bill Wilkinson
176 64 Explorer Lorn/ Isaacs
218 Machine Language Bagel Break, Part 3 Jim Butterfield
224 Programming The Tl: Playing Music On The Tl C Regena
THE JOURNAL
»144 Merging BASIC Programs From Commodore Disk Jim Butterfield
.182 Spiralizer Chayim Avinor
-200 Commodore EXEC Edwin King
204 Atari Master Disk Directory Joseph M.Apice
208 Runway 180: Using Sprites In Tl Extended BASIC James Dunn
213 How To Create A Data Filing System, Part 4: The Main Program Jim Fovi^er
— <29 Invisible Disk Director/ For VIC And 64 KevinE.Gough
232 A Multicolor Atari Character Editor Charles Bronnon
w242 High Speed Mazer Gary E. Morso
258 Apple Sounds - From Beeps To Music, Part 1 Blaine Mathieu
261 Extro Instructions Joel C Shepherd
-^M Commodore DOS Wedges: An Oven/iew Jim Butterfield
272 Protector For VIC-20 , George Trepal and Doug Smoak
273 USR Sort Walter D. Thompson. Jr,
277 Working With SID . . , JenyM.Jaco
290 Atari Safe RAM ' E.H. Foerster
299 VIC Scaling Bar Graphs James R McCaiiister
^12 64 Character Creator Al J.Ockert
50 How To Type COMPUTE!'s Programs
315 CAPUTE! Modlflcationt Or Corrections To Previous Articles
316 A Beginner's Guide To Typing In Programs 319 News & Products
338 Product Mart 344 Advertisers Index
NOTE: See page 50 before typing In programs
GUIDE TO ARTICLES AND PROGRAMS
P/V/64/AT/T1/A/C
V/64/AT
AT/V/64
V/TI/64/AT
AT/V
P/V/64
AP/64/V/AT/C
P/V/64
AT
Tl
V/64
AT
P/V/64
AP
P/V/64 V/64 AT 64 AT V 64
AP Apple AT Atari, P PET/ C8M,V VIC-20, C Radio Shack Color Computer, 64 Commodore 64, TS Timex/ Sinclair, Tl Texos instru- ments, "AJt or several of the above.
COMPUTE!" Publicationsjnc.®
A SuDiidiOrv Of American ^roodCQSfirig Corrpt!fn-5 ff ^^^
TOLL FREE Subscription Order Line 800-334-0868 (In NC 919-275-9809)
COMPUTE! The Journal ioi Progressive Computing (USPS: 537250) is published 12 limes each vear hy COMPUTE! Publicntions, Ini;., P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA. Phone: (919) 275-9809. Editorial Offices arc located al 505 Edw.-irdia Drive, Greensboro, NC 27-109. Domestic Subscriplions: 12 issues, $20.00. Send subscription orders or change of address (P.O. form 3579) to Circulaliiin Dept., COMPUTE! Magazine, P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403. Second class postage paid at Greensboro, NC 27403 and additional mailing offices. EnlJTe contents copyright © 1983 by COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. All rights reser^'ed. ISSN 0I94-3S7X.
EDITORS NOTES
Our thanks to those of you who recently participated in our subscriber survey. Initial results are being reported now, and we'll share some of those with you. One of the number sets of most interest to me was spouse readership. This industry has quite typically been reflected in readership studies as a predomi- nantly male audience. While this is accurate, we have maintained that, as a "family" oriented maga- zine, we have a high degree of family/spouse participation in computing and compute;. We sus- pected that, in addition to the seven or eight percent female readership that would show up in response to a normal question, analysis of family utilization would show far more general involvement. We're pleased to report that this is, in fact, the case. In COMPUTE! families, we dis- covered that 29 percent of spouses regularly read compute!. Further evidence that our in- dustry is turning into a truly broad-based consumer com- puting marketplace.
Here are some of the other results of the survey that we think youll find of interest: Aee %
How do you use your personal computer? (Check all that apply)
You Spouse Children
|
85.6% |
61.6% |
75.4% |
Recreation and Games |
|
42.2 |
22.7 |
3.6 |
Education for Adults |
|
16.0 |
8.5 |
59.7 |
Education for Children |
|
60.6 |
22.3 |
1.5 |
Personal Business |
|
60.8 |
24.7 |
5.4 |
Other Home Applications |
|
27.4 |
7.4 |
0.5 |
Company Business |
|
under 28 |
25.7 |
|
29-35 |
26.9 |
|
36^3 |
26.6 |
|
over 44 |
20.8 |
And finally, 97.5 percent of you own one or more personal com- puters. Our survey showed the true depth and breadth of our readership. For example, note the variety of uses in the chart. It's obvious that home computing is far more than simply playing games.
Random Bits:
Given the recent acceleration of rumors, well be quite surprised if IBM hasn't announced their new home computer by the time you're reading this .... While avoiding the various issues of rights/wrongs, Kathy Yakal's ar- ticle on nonviolent gaming in this issue presents a variety of inter- esting thoughts on the subject of violence and nonviolence in gaming. It's a good article and shows a bit of the depth of thought that people in our indus- try are putting into one aspect of
our collective future. As always, we're interested in your feedback on the topic.
Next month, among other things, we'll have an article sharing in more detail the results of the sub- scriber survey.
Robert Lock, Editor In Chief
Important Notice
We anticipate that by early spring we may begin to make our subscriber list available to carefully selected marketeers. If you wish to have your name withheld from any non- COMPUTE! mailings by vendors, please send a note, with your mailing label attached, to:
COMPUTE! Customer Service P.O. Box 5406 Greensboro, NC 27403 Attn: Mailing List
Please remember to indicate in your note that you do not wish your name included in any non-coMPUTE! mailings. We will be happy to keep your name off the list, and will continue to respect your privacy.
6 OOMPUrt! October 1933
liUDO
I
29.95
Feel like a devil today? Better adjust your halo. Start the ignition. It's up to you to decide.. . Okay, hit the accelerator. You can be the ultimate speed demon or put wings on your wheels! There's a pedestrian now... will you go for speed, no matter what pedestrians are in the way (for the devilish points)— or be an angel in a challenging obstacle course? The heavenly points may get you to heaven, but the devilish points may get you to... well, better make your decision— the time clock is running!
29.95
So your svyeet tooth has gotten out of hand ageun? Well, this time the sheriff is after you and he's no sweetheart. There he is now! Quick! Grab all the candy in sight and dive for the doorway! Don't look now, the doors are rotating... better be good at getting out of sticky situations, 'cause if you hit the wall you're stuck with it! There's plenty of candy here and many more levels to cross, so get on the move, sugar! „
Aimllahle at finer Software Stores everywhere.
OR CALL (213) 501-5845 FOR THE NAME OF YOUR LOCAL DEALER OR DISTRBUTOR.
-y^Oi-'-^^l
10902 Riverside Drive / North Hollywood, California 91602. (213) 501-5845
e COPYRIGffrHl3!OSgSTWaBCPG*SPEED RACER AND CANDY BANDIT ARE TRADEMARKS OF CHRIS WARLING UCENSED TO T&F SOFTWARE COMMODORE 64» IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COMMODORE COMPUTER, INC.
^^mm'
^3^^^
PuWisner EdJtof-ln-Chief hjblisher's Assistant
GaryR IngersoH Roberl C Lock AJiceSWo+fe
SeniOf Editor Managing Editor Assistont Managing Edifw ProducHon Editor Features Editof Tec tinicdf Editor Program Editor Assistont Edifots
As$i5tont Copy Editor Editoriof Assistant Editorial Piog rammers
Programming Asiistant Technicoi Assistant Administroltve Assistants
Copy Assistants
Associate Editors
Richard Mansfield
KothleenE-Morlfnek
TonyRo&erts
GailWclkef
TomRHoHtiill
OttisR.Cowper
Charles Branr>on
DonCcrmichoel
Lance Elko
Juonita Lewis KathyYakol PatrtckPafristi Gregg Peele
JqnattionByrd Doie McSone Vfcki Jenr^ngs LouroMacFoctden JulJoFileming aecky Ha II Sarah Johnston Linda Stiow Jim Buttertteid, Toronto, Canada HorveyHerrnon, Greensboro, NC
Contributing Editor
Fred D'lgrx^^O.
2117 Carter Rood. S.W.. Roonoke, VA 24015
David TlTomburg,
PO. BoK 1317 Los Altos. CA 94022
Bill Wilkinson
COMPUTEl's Book Division
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Hlusfiotof Promotion Assistant
Irmo Swain DePottef Leslie Jessup Cindy Mitchell Terry Cash Debi Thomos Harry Blair Todd Heimorck
Coming In November
Special
Telecommunications And Peripherals Issue Including:
How To Get Started In Telecommunications
Buyers Guide To Modems
Programs For Your Commodore Modems
Alptiablast
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i?Obert C. Lock. Chiel Enecutrve Officer
Gaiv R. Ingersoll. President
W. Jeriv Dov. Vice President of f inonce
James 1^, Huist, Comptroller
Sonia Wtiltesell. Executive Assistont
Debi NosJi. Assistant
n^» h° ""Jl^^^'fe*^ '1°"°"^ ^°^ °" nioteriols submitted to COMPUTEI are original material with full ^^i.n^^J'f^ '*'''^^"' '" r"^ °V'^°'=- ^^ ='^b"iitting articles to COMPOTE!, authors acknowledge tho such mafenals, ijpon occeptance for publ-cation, become the exclusive propertv of COMPOTE' Pubica fions. Inc. f^o portion of th.s magazine may be reproduced .n onv form without written permission from the publisher Entire contents copvright K 1983, COfVIPUTEl Publications. Inc, Rights to programs developed and submitted bv authors are explained in our author controct Onsolicited maferidls not accepted for publico - t!on in COMPUTE! will be returned if author provides a self-addressed, stamped envelope Programs (on tope or disk) must accompony each submission. Printed listings are optional, but nelpful. Articles should be furnished as typed copy [upper- ond lowercase, pieose) v/ith double spacing. Each page of your article should iDear the title of tfie article, date and name of the author. COMPUTEI assumes no liability for errors in articles or advertisements. Opinions expressed by authors ore not necessarily those of COMPUTE!.
Pft. C8M, Vk;-20 ond CcxTVTioaofe 6J ate froaematia of
Commodore Business Mochjnei Inc. ond/o* Comrriodore Eieclranca Ltrntred
Apple IS a TtodfliTXjrV or AppJe Compuler Company
ATAffl (S a tiodtjmark ol Atari. Inc
TJ99/4A 14 c rrodematk el texoi lns1T\jment!. Inc
IJodio Shock Cotoc Computer iia Irodemo!^ or land/, inc
8 COMPtltEl October1953
WordPro 3 Plus/64'
The Best Word Processor for your Commodore 64™
When choosing a Word Processor for your Commoaore 64 com- puter, there's no reason to settle for anything but the best— in a word. .. .WordPro™.
With over 30,000 happy WordPro clients churning out letters and documents all over the world, the WordPro Plus''"'^ Series is un- questionably the #1 selling software package on Commodore computers! So when you choose WordPro, you know you're in- vesting in a trial-tested program that's a real winner. And Word- Pro 3 Plus/64 is NOW available for your Commodore 64 com- puter at prices as low as $89.95.
Designed for the novice user with no computer or word process- ing experience whatsoever, WordPro 3 Plus/64 brings a whole new dimension to the term "user-friendly." lyiore than just easy to use, WordPro 3 Plus/64 is a commercial level word processor loaded with powerful features including: Auto Page Numbering,
Headers and Footers, Math Functions, Global Search and Replace, the Ability to Create (Multiple Personalized Letters and Documents, Underlining, Boldface, Super and Subscripts and much, much, more.
Best of all, WordPro 3 Plus/64's powerful arsenal of features can be put to use almost immediately— by even the novice user. So whether you're a writer, in business, education, or just a hob- byist, you'll quickly become a WordPro Pro!
Invest in the best. . .WordPro Pius. In a class by itself.
Call us today for the name of the WordPro 3 Plus/64 dealer naarest you.
Professional Software Inc.
51 Fremont Street Needham, MA 02194
(617)444-5224 Telex: 951579
WordPro 3 PIus/64'''m \s a trademark of Professional Software Inc.
The WordPro Plus Series was designed and written by Steve Punter of Pro-f(/1icro Software Ltd.
Some printers may not support certain WordPro 3 Pius/64 functions and/or require an interface. Please check with your dealer.
Commodore 64''''^ is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Ltd.
Dealer and Distributor inquiries are invited.
READERS' FEEDRACK
The Editors and Readers of COMPUTEi
Using An Electric Typewriter As A Printer
After reading an article in the June COMPUTE!, "How to Buy the Right Printer," several readers were in- trigued by the possibility of using an electric typewriter as a printer for their computer. Altliough xve cautioned that mi electric typeivritcr may not be fast or durable enough to tolerate continuous typing, there are several interfaces on the market which let you connect your computer to an electric typezoriter.
Some modern daisywheel typewriters have an RS- 232 serial port, so (assuming your computer can talk to RS-232 devices) if you have the proper cable and software you can attach your computer directly. Other companies manufacture overlays that "press" the keys for you, or have you open up the typewriter to install solenoids which activate levers inside the typewriter. Still another company claims to have a device that converts "computer language" to "typewriter language," but only for cer- tain models. With the price of even letter-quality printers dropping below $400, hoxveiier, you loill have to consider tvhether or not you want to risk modification of your typewriter which could void its warranty or service contract.
Storing Scriptor And Video 80 On Ttie Atari
In your April issue, you published two interesting Atari programs, "Scriptor" and "Video 80." Here are a few questions. How many pages can you store in a 48K Atari 400 when using Scriptor with 8K BASIC? What is the memory required for Video 80? Can Scriptor and Video 80 be merged, and, if so, what changes would have to be made?
In our July 1983 Issue, we inadvertently used the name "Castle Quest." The publication of this article is in no way intended to cause confusion with the commercially available product called "Castle Quest" by Michael S. Holtzman and Timothy Baldwin. In the future, we will refer to it as "Castle Search."
On another subject, how would I "hook up" an Epson MX-80 series printer to my 48K Atari 400 with or without the Atari 850 interface?
Ed Hallinan
Scriptor adapts itself to either 24K, 32K, or48K and will display the number of lines free when you first run it. Each line is 38 characters. Since a printed page (double-spaced) takes about 30 75-column lines, just divide the "lines free" by 15 for a rough estimate.
Video 80 requires about 2Kfor the driver routine and another SKfor the high-resolution GRAPHICS 8 screen. Due to this, there is not enough memory left over in a 40K or 48K to let you store the programs and text.
You can attach almost any Centronics parallel or RS-232C serial printer to the Atari via the Atari 850 Interface Device. The new AtariW25 80-column printer does not require the 850, however.
Fine Tuning Ttie VIC's Audio And Video
For those who might be having trouble with the picture and sound on their VIC-20, I have a solution.
It is essential that the sound and picture be adjusted properly in the RF modulator so that they are synchronized on either Channel 3 or 4. The computer is sold with the audio and video signals adjusted for one particular TV model. This may not work well on yours.
To make adjustments for your TV, carefully follow these steps:
1. Turn the computer off and the TV on.
2. Turn off the AFT (Automatic Fine Tuning) switch on the TV (if your set has one).
3. Adjust the fine tuning knob on the TV to the middle range of that channel. Don't worry if the picture is partly fading or the sound is distorted at this point.
4. Open the RF modulator very slowly and carefully. Be sure your pozoer is off. Remove the casing screw and slowly lift the cover.
5. Turn on your power for the computer.
6. There are two holes which have screws in the metal casing. The one closest to the channel selector switch is the video signal. The other is for audio (see figure). Using only a small nonmetallic screwdriver, adjust the video signal until the TV
10 COMPUTE! October 1983
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But memory isn't the only thing that's exciting about the 64.
Because Tronix is here. Class act. The people who have been bringing out the best in the VIC 20™ (and Atarif too) have graduated to the Commodore 64.
Which means that now you can enjoy fast action, complex strategies, interesting characters, superior sound effects and chal- lenging, play patterns.
Just like VIC 20 and Atari owners. Only faster, more com- plex, and more challenging, too.
More memorable, in other words In a class by ourselves. Of course, if you'd rather not take our word for it, you don't have to, The experts at Electronic Games have called K\6 Grid for Atari "one of the most compul- sive, utterly addictive contests in the world of computer gaming."
They haven't seen any- thing yet.
kinetic android, leads a frustrating life.
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picture is crisp and sharp. This acts like another fine tuning knob. Check the other channel and make sure it is in the middle of the RF signal range by adjusting the fine tuning knob on your TV.
7. Adjust your TV volume to about one-half. Now adjust the audio signal level in the RF modulator until a quiet, clear sound is heard on the TV.
8. Make sure that, on the other channel, both audio and video signals are perfectly adjusted.
9. Turn the computer off and replace the cover on the RF modulator.
RF Modulator
Jack Connected To TV [
Mark Kormendy
We tried your suggestions and they work very well indeed. However, we do not advocate hardumre modifi- cations except token performed by qualified, experiejiced technicians. Readers should be extremely carefid when making internal adjustments on any electrical compo- nent. Also, tampering with the RF modulator will void your warranty. (Later versions of the VIC RF modulator may not have the adjustment screws.)
We tested this also on the internal RF modulator in the 64 but found no appreciable difference in screen or audio quality. If we hear of anything significant on this, we'll publish it in a future issue.
TRS-80 Equipment Needed
I represent a nonprofit, charitable organization which uses TRS-80 Model I equipment in virtually every aspect of its affairs. We would be grateful if your readers would consider contributing addi- tional Model 1 equipment: keyboards, expansion interfaces, drives, and printers would be welcome. AH contributions would be fully tax-deductible, since we hold "public charity" status with the IRS.
If you are in a position to make such a con- tribution or would like more information, please drop me a note or call me (collect, if you like) at (617)495-9020.
Dr. Robert Epstein
Cambridge Center for Beliavioral Studies
II Ware Street Cambridge, MA 02138
PET To VIC Or 64 Transfers
In connection with your article on merges in the
14 COMPim! October 1983
June 1982 issue of COMPUTE!, I stumbled onto something which 1 have never seen reported, although something so simple must have been noticed by someone else. I tried loading programs recorded on a cassette on my PET (Original ROM from 1977) into my new Commodore 64. 1 found that the program appeared to load and would apparently list OK. However, it would not RUN, and one could not list individual lines or groups of lines. Also, on closer examination of the listing, I found that the first line of the original program was missing, and in its place was a 4 or 5 digit number.
I found by experimenting that I could convert the program as loaded into a normal program by a very simple procedure. I started a LIST, but stopped it (with the STOP key) while the tirst line was still on the screen. I then positioned the cursor first over the number which had replaced the first program line, then executed a RETURN, and then a second RETURN when the cursor was over the second line (which now appeared to be the first). After that, the program could be edited and RUN normally (after replacing the first line, if neces- sary). I have now used this procedure to transfer a number of programs from my 1977 PET to the 64, but put a line like:
10 REM JUNK LINE
at the beginning of each program before recording it on the PET. You and others are probably familiar with this, but I have not seen it anywhere, it is a very simple way to transfer programs from one system to the other. I presume this would also work on the VIC-20, and I intend to try this as 1 also do some programming on a VlC-20 at a school for handicapped children.
Myron T. Kelley fim Butterfield replies:
Your letter draws attention to something that is not well known. The very first Conunodore computers - the "Original ROM" PETs - saved programs in a slightly different way from all subsequent Cotnmodore machines.
It worked this way: just before the beginning of your BASIC program there is always a value of zero in memory. This is still true, even in VlCsand Commodore 64s. But the first model of PET saved programs in- cluding the zero. All subsequent Commodore machines saved only the program - not the zero.
This meant that early PETs saved programs with a Load address of 1024; and that all subsequent PET/ CBMs saved with a Load address of 1025. On the PET/ CBM computers, this made little difference: programs did not relocate, and were loaded back to the right place. With the arrival of the VIC and the Commodore 64, however, programs became relocatable; and these neiv machines did not expect the extra zero. Result: a con- fused first line.
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The easiest way to fix up this problem is to LOAD them to any newer PET/CBM and then SAVE them once again. The zero zvill be dropped and everything will become compatible.
Timex/Sinclair Compatibility Problem
I own a Sinclair ZX81 computer and a Memopak 32K RAM. I recently purchased a Timex/Sinclair 2040 printer, and I am unable to get the com- puter to work with the Memopak and the printer attached.
The Memopak works fine with the computer alone or with the Sinclair 16K RAM, and the printer works with the computer and with the Sinclair 16K RAM. However, the computer will not display its cursor when the Memopak 32K RAM and printer are both attached.
Can you tell me what's wrong?
Paul R. Harrison
The TimexiSinclair 2040 printer is not compatible with Memopak for some utibwwn reason. Memotech, man- ufacturer of Memopak, is investigating. Contact them directly for further information. As you have noted, the Memopak works venj well with the ZX82 -and with the proper interface, works well with a wide range of printers.
Apple Programs For Commodore
I would like to know if Apple programs can be loaded into the Commodore 64 from disk or tape and vice versa?
Anthony Tutter
We have published two articles on loading Apple pro- gram tapes into the PET and vice versa. The same pro- cedures which work on the PET should also work on the Commodore 64. These articles are "Feed Your PET Some Applesoft" in COMPUTEI's First Book of PET/ CBM and "Load Commodore BASIC Program Tapes Into The Apple IT' in COMPUTE! (April 1983).
Some commercial software is available for loading 64 programs from disk into the Apple arid vice versa.
PET Monitor Printout
I am an avid user of the PET machine language monitor, but I have never found a way to direct a hexadecimal dump to a printer. Is it possible to do so or am I wasting my time? Please help!
Michael Silano
For 4.0 BASIC PETs, you can print the output by typing X to exit to BASIC, then type:
OPEN 4,4: CMD 4: SYS 54386
then type the monitor command M. For example, if you wanted a printout of the hex numbers between 0400
16 COMPUTE! October 1:983
and 0420, you ivould type:
.M 0400 0420
For Upgrade PETs, you can use the above, but just SYS to 4 (the way you'd ordinarily enter the monitor).
However, the easiest way to control the printer (and many other aspects of machine language pro- gramming on the PET) is a "monitor extension" pro- gram, "Micromon," published in COMPUTE! (January 1982). It's an excellent tool for machine language pro- gramming. It's available for $3 from COMPUTEl's Back Issues Department.
Conserving Your Computer's Power
I have a VlC-20, and 1 want to know which is better for the computer - to leave it on constantly or shut it off when you are done using it?
Bob Weber
This is debatable. Some would say that the initial power surge when turning on a computer is actually more damaging to the electronic components than leaving it on continuously . On the other hand, most electronic parts have a definite life span, and leaving the computer on 24 hours a day could shorten the overall useful life of the cojjtputer.
Commodore has recently changed the power supplies of both the VICIO and the Commodore 64. Some of the new power supplies (especially those with the 64) seem to run someivhat hotter than previous production models. This tips the balance, at least in the case of these machines, so we recommend that you turn off a VIC or 64 and even unplug the power supply after each use.
A New Atari Graphics Mode?
I have been programming with my Atari 400 for almost a year now and have had a lot of fun with it. And recently, 1 have noticed advertisements in magazines about programs written in graphics mode 7.5. Is this a new graphics mode? If so, what does it and the other ".5" modes have over the others or GTIA?
David Brundage
There are no ".5" modes. GRAPHICS 7 is a 4-color mode with a horizontal resolution of 160 and a vertical resolution of 96. GRAPHICS 8 is the high-resolution, oiu'-color (except through artifacting) mode with a res- olution of320h X 192v.
Built into the ANTIC chip is another mode that is not supported by the 400/800 operating system. It is a four-color mode with a resolution ofl59h x 192v, the same iKrtical resolution as GRAPHICS 8. Since it is "halfioay" between modes 7 and 8, it has been called GRAPHICS IVj or GRAPHICS 7.5. You can turn a GRAPHICS 8 screen into this neiv mode by replacing
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all the 15's and 79's in the display list with 14'$ and 78's. (The hexadeciiital code for the number 14, which is this mode's ANTIC number, is E, so GRAPHICS JVz is sometimes called GRAPHICS E.) This will do the trick:
10
2 0
30
GRAPHICS S+16:DLIST = PEEK(560:'+25S
*PEEK (561 ) +4
FDR I=^-lTO2-g0: A = PEEK ( DLIST+ I ) : IF
fi=15 OR A=79 THEN POKE DLIST+I.A-
1
NEXT I: POKE 8 7,7
If you want a text -window, just remove the "+16" from line 10. The POKE on line 30 fools the operating system into thinking that you are in GRAPHICS 7. This lets you use only the top half of the screen with BASIC PLOTS and DRAWTOs, since the OS considers vertical numbers greater than 95 to he in error for GRAPHICS 7. The Atari 1200XL and all the new 600XL, 800XL, 1400XL, and U50XL computers fully support this mode in the operating system and BASIC.
Sprites, SYS, And Storage On The 64
I have several questions about the Commodore 64:
First of all, I know you can check if a sprite has hit a background character by PEEKing (V + 31) when V = 53248. Is there any way to find out what kind of character it hit?
Second, 1 have seen many programs which read: 10 SYS(X). How do they do this? Using Commodore's assembler package, you must load in the machine language program off the disk.
Last, where is there room to insert machine language programs in memory other than COOO - CFFF (49152 - 53247)?
Matthew Price
The sprite-to-hackground collision detection byte (53279) is set up to be a "toggle" switch; in other words, it registers an off/on condition (collision or no collision). It does not offer the option of telling you what character the sprite collided with. Hozuever, you can program this option for yourself . For instance, after a collision has been detected you could branch to a subroutine that -would convert the affected sprite's position to its screen position, and then perform a simple PEEK to see what character it hit.
The SYS command is used to start a machine lan- guage program running. When, in a BASIC program, you see a statement such as 10 SYS XXXX, the progran is simply branching to a machine language routine much the same way that a pure BASIC program would branch to a BASIC subroutine via the GOTO or GOSUB command.
Commodore's machine language assembler is stored on disk. Like BASIC, machine language programs may be stored on either tape or disk and, once LOADed (by the LOAD command, or via a BASIC loader), it may be called or branched to at any time by the SYS command.
18 COMPirrei October 1983
There are many places for you to safely place your machine language programs. Besides the obvious BASIC programming area (2048 to 40959), there are other good locations available: $02A7 to $02FF (decimal 679 to 767, 89 bytes), $033C to $03FB (decimal 828 to 1019- the tape cassette buffer - 192 bytes), and, as you mentioned, $C000 to $CFFF (decimal 49152 to 53247, 4096 bytes).
Can An Atari VCS Run 400/800 Programs?
I just heard that a keyboard will be coming out for the Atari 2600. Are programs from Atari 400/800 compatible with this sytem? Do they have the same programming language, not software?
Frank Martone
Atari's new add-on cotnputer keyboard , previously called "My First Computer," has been rechristened (with a few keyboard changes) as "The Graduate. " The add-on module comes xvith a version of BASIC that is more like Microsoft BASIC than Atari BASIC. The Graduate was designed independently of the home com- puter line, so although some of the graphics are similar. The Graduate has no more in common -with the 400/800 than it has with a Commodore VlC-20.
Atari (Machine Language Graphics
1 own, an Atari 400 and would like to know how to change graphics modes in machine language. Also, I'd like to know how to change the back- ground colors in the GTIA modes.
Bim Feysteryga
All the graphics routines you find in BASIC (GRAPHICS, PLOT, COLOR, DRAWTO, etc.) can be accessed from the operating system. Refer to Bill Wilkinson's "Insight: Atari" in the February 1982 issue. For complete information on the GTIA, you will find a series of illuminating articles in COMPUTEl's First Book of Atari Graphics.
The background color in GTIA modes 9 and 1 1 is, as usual, in color register four (SETCOLOR 4, POKE 712). In mode 9 you can only control the color, not the luminance, and the reverse is true for mode 11. The background color in GTIA mode GRAPHICS 10 is controlled by memory location 704. POKE it with the color multiplied times 16 and then add the luminance. Instead of SETCOLOR n,4,6 use POKE 704,4*16 + 6.
COMPUTE! welcomes questions, comments, or solutions to issues raised in this column. Write to: Readers' Feedback, COMPUTE! Magazine, P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403. COMPUTE! reserves the right to edit or abridge published letters. ©
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Computers And Society
David D Thornburg. Associate Editor
That's Not A Program, That's A Language
In the wild and woolly early days of personal computing (the late 1970s, to be exact), one of my favorite sayings was "That's not a game, that's a simulation!" Implicit in this saying was the idea that games were somehow not worth spending time on, but that the same piece of software took on extra value when viewed as a simulation.
A program to emulate a lemonade stand (in which the player experimented with advertising, pricing, inventory, etc.) could be viewed as a game (see how much money you can make in the short- est time) as well as a simulation (examine the effect of advertising on sales). But as time passed, the game/simulation controversy seemed to die away.
I have seen some recent developments that point the way to new types of software. I am speaking of application programs that are actually computer languages. This "language aspect" is sometimes so carefully hidden that it is likely the programmers themselves may not realize all the implications of their efforts.
This and next month's columns are devoted to a description of a few such "languages." Those of you who think computer languages are limited to BASIC, PROLOG, Pascal, PILOT, Logo, and the like are in for a surprise. I am presenting only a very small sampling of these languages, and by the time we are done you will be able to identify many others.
Before giving examples, it might be a good idea to list the essential elements of a language. A computer language must allow the user to create computer-based activities that are custom-tailored to the user's needs. The language must have a vocabulary and a grammar. The user should be able to edit his or her program and to "run" it. All the languages I will describe interpret the user's programs and are highly interactive both in their programming style and in the types of programs that are created.
VisiCalc As A Language
VisiCalc (a product of VisiCorp) is an example of what is called an "electronic spread sheet." This program allows the user to create tables of data and relationships between certain pieces of data. As the data is entered into the spread sheet, cal-
20 COMPUn! October19e3
culations are made automatically to fill in the areas of the sheet containing the "results." The ability to play "What if?" games by quickly seeing the effect of changes in the data has made VisiCalc and its kin invaluable tools for today's computer- using executive.
Electronic spread sheet programs are com- puter languages.
If you tind this surprising, look at how they are used. The user creates a "mask" for the spread sheet (the program). This mask contains the labels for the rows and columns of the matrix, the re- lationships between data in the various entry cells, and any fixed data that the program might need. This mask can then be saved for later use, or for use by someone other than the programmer. A VisiCalc mask for tax forms, for example, can be used by millions of taxpayers, each of whom would enter his or her own data and let the spread sheet calculate the results.
Interestingly, "programming in VisiCalc" doesn't require a knowledge of anything like a "normal" computer language. It doesn't matter if you program the labels first, or if you create some of the row and column relationships (e.g., making the contents of each entry in column C the product of the contents of each entry in column A and column B) and then till in some data. The pro- grammer has access to the whole program at once and can try out bits and pieces as he or she moves along. If writing programs in BASIC can be con- sidered a "serial" process, programming in Visi- Calc is a "parallel" process.
It is this radical departure from traditional programming styles that makes VisiCalc inter- esting to me as a language. Philosophers have long maintained that what we think is influenced by the choice of language in which we express our thoughts. That many hundreds of thousands of business people seem to be better "thinkers" with the aid of programs like VisiCalc is testimony to the power of this language.
Rooky's Boots As A Language
The Learning Company is well known for its high- quality educational software and for its special emphasis on the development of logical thinking skills. Hidden among its application software packages is a computer language called Rocky's
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Figure 1: or Gate Connected To Clapper Figure 2: Knife Cuts Clapper From OR Gate
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Figure 3: Clapper Replaced By OFF/ON Box Figure 4: AND Gate Connected To Machine
Stiown In Figure 3
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Figure 5: completed Machine In Use
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24 COMPUn! October 1983
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Boots. This language assumes the guise of a pro- gram designed to let the user solve logic problems by building "logic machines." These logic machines are, in fact, schematic diagrams con- structed from AND, OR, and NOT gates, flip- flops, wires, input sensors, and output devices. Through a series of carefully staged exercises, the user is taught how to use the program (or, as I claim, how to write programs in the Rocky's Boots language).
Interestingly, the construction of logic machines (this is the programming task) can be done without access to the keyboard by using a joystick to pick up objects (program subroutines) and interconnect them into a complete machine (program). Incorrect connections can be "cut" with a special knife (the editor). The only frustra- tion I have encountered with this language is that no provision was made for the saving of finished "machines."
The figures show how a program can be edited in Rocky's Boots (remember that a machine is in reality the computer program you have created). Figure 1 shows a machine consisting of an OR gate connected to a clapper. One of the OR gate inputs is a blue sensor, and the other is a green sensor. The remaining items in the picture are "spare parts" (i.e., subroutines available for use). Suppose you want to change this machine into a new one that will turn the word OFF to ON if the green sensor is activated OR if both the blue sensor is activated AND the cursor is touching an input.
To modify the machine, the cursor (shown as the large solid rectangle) is used to pick up the knife shown at the bottom-left side of Figure I . In Figure 2 the blue sensor has been cut, and the knife is shown cutting the clapper from the OR gate. In Figure 3 the clapper has been replaced by the OFF/ON box, and in Figure 4 the AND gate and some wires have been connected to complete the new machine. Figure 5 shows what happens when the machine is used and the proper condi- tions are satisfied (in this case, both the blue sensor and the remaining input of the AND gate are activated).
Rocky's Boots is similar in many ways to Visi- Calc. The user has access to the whole program at once (it is a parallel environment), and the pro- gram (the machine) can be tested as it is being built. Of course, the application areas for these programs are quite different from each other.
The machines created by Rocky's Boots are designed to be used to solve logic problems. Figure 6 shows one such problem in which a machine has been built to identify blue triangles.
One can argue that Rocky's Boots is a game, a simulation, and a language.
No matter what it is called, it is a very powerful
piece of software.
Next month we will conclude this series with the description of yet another powerful program/ language, Dancing Bear from Koala Technologies. We will also discuss the potential impact of these types of languages. ©
COMPUTE!
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26 COMPUTE! October 1983
RESTON
CLOSES
THE GAP
BETWEEN
ART
AND
COMPUTERS
For the Atari 800 with 48k memory.
CONTEST!
For the best compuler animotion sequence created using Movie- Moker'.V.SlOOOpriie. Entries should be submitted on disk by December 31, 1V83. Winning entry will be shown 01 1984 West Coast Computer Foire. For more defoili, con- tact Reston Publisliing Company.
In Reston's new book. Genesis II, Creation and Recreation with Computers, by Dale Peterson, artists, writers and musicians use computers to create new visions, new sounds and new ways of expressing them- selves, all interwoven with stunning illustra- tions. With Movie Maker, an exciting new progrom for the Atari « Home Computer by Interactive Picture Systems, you'll learn how to do these things yourself. You'll compose scenery and shapes, then propel them into continuous, flicker-free action. You'll actu- ally make a short animoted movie, right at your keyboard. Let Reston release the crea- tive spirit in you, MovieMaker is a Creative Pastime'" from
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Available a1 your local bookstore
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Alan is a regis'tered trademarl( of Afari, Inc. Coming soon: 16k ROM cartridge.
THE BEGINNER'S PAGE
Richard Monsfield, Senior Editor
Your First Useful Program
It doesn't take long. Soon after you buy a com- puter, someone will ask what it's doing for you that's useful. You've been learning to program in BASIC, but what practical results have you got to show for your efforts? The questioner might be a friend or even someone in your immediate family, someone you usually love.
Here's a program which can be used in dozens of practical ways. It makes it easy to store and analyze information. We all keep lists and records. If you have a collection of something - recipes, books, stamps, albums, whatever- you can enter all sorts of information into this program and then look things up later in a variety of ways. You can ask for everything starting with the letter A, everything on a particular topic, from a particular country, or whatever specifications you want. This type of program is often called a data base manager. It's one of the most effective, impressive applications for a personal computer.
How To Modify The Program
A similar program was published in this column two years ago and proved popular. I received this letter the other day:
/ would like to ask a favor. I have been using your program "Searching Files" (November 1981) for some time, and very much ap- preciate it. But I've tried without success to add categories like 3. Publication, 4. Date. If possible, could i/ou explain how to expand the program to include additional categories?
Mel Leiseroivitz
That a programmer can make modifications to a program is one of the most subtle, but pow- erful, aspects of computing. Unlike other kinds of tools, a given computer program can often be radically transformed so that it can accomplish a great variety of tasks. Let's take this program apart, looking at each aspect of it, and then explore how to modify it to include extra categories.
Data base management is frequently divided into two phases: the manager program and the actual base of data. A data base would be a list of pieces of information, perhaps in alphabetic or
28 COMPUTE! October 1983
some other order, like the phone book. The data base is often stored on a tape or disk, and the manager program looks up information by opening and closing files on the tape or disk. The second phase, the manager program, can make all kinds of lists for you; it can analyze the data base. For example, if the yellow pages were on a disk, you could write a program which would allow you to ask highly specific questions. You might want to know the phone number of all pizza shops within a five-mile radius of your house. If the data base included map information, the manager program could give you the answer.
A Faster And Easier Way
This program, "The Filer," combines the data base into the manager program in the form of DATA statements, each holding an individual record. The advantage of this is that you can add to and modify the data easily, on screen. It's also faster: the computer doesn't need to bring data in from tape or disk. The program contains the data already. The disadvantage is that your data base cannot be larger than the amount of memory in your computer. You should be able to find many uses for this program, however. If your computer has 32K of RAM memory, you can store detailed information about all the articles in COMPUTE! for any given year. If you want to start a data base for a new year, you can simply use the program again, with a new set of DATA statements. In our ex- ample use of The Filer we'll start a cross-indexed reference file of all COMPUTE! articles.
The program is designed to work on all com- puters using Microsoft BASIC (Commodore, Radio Shack, TI, Apple, etc.). If you have an Atari, there's a version for your machine in COMPUTE!, November 1981.
Let's go through the program to see how it works:
Line Number
1 This lets the computer know the total number of items in our data base. T= 10 because we've got ten DATA lines in this program. The data base starts at line 502 and continues to the
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pfe We just made owning an Atari c^inpvtter
a lot more logical.
^?i
r
:5^;a^^'
Introducing the Rana 1000 disk drive. Itls a whole new game for Atari computers.
This two digit LED readout displays a code that tells you everything you need to know.
This switch tells you your write protect feature is keeping your information safe.
When Rana Systems introduced the Elite Series of Apple® compatible disk drives, we didn't know what a tremendous impact they would make. It turned out to be a line so outstanding in perfor- mance, styling, capacity, and price, that it instan- taneously made us a major force in the market. Well, needless to say, the response was so great that we were forced to create the same highly ad- vanced disk drive for Atari® A disk drive that when coupled with Atari's computer, could perform everything from accounting, financial planning, and stock charting, to word processing, business management, and letting you write your own pro- grams. Plus, we made it simple enough for a child to use, for learning anything from the alphabet to a foreign language.
WDrking with a diskette versus playing with a cassette.
Let's face it. The only reason Atari made a cassette option to their computer was to make it affordable. But now you don't have to settle for less. Because now you can get a diskette for your Atari computer which outperforms their cassette. With Atari's cassette you only get half the functions of a computer compared to what our floppy disk can give you. Their cassette is not only limited in the software available, but it also takes 20 times longer to get the information you need. And Rana's disk
The remaining switches provide readouts on density storage, error status, and drive number.
This switch, when you touch it, tells you what track you're on.
drive offers twice the storage capacity of either their cassette or disk drive.
Why even stylewise our new low profile design not only looks 100 times more spectacular, but it occupies 3 times less space. And our new Rana 1000 also gives you a piece of its mind every time you use it, because our disk drive gives you informa- tion as well as takes it. And we think that says a lot.
Ihe disk drive that has all the answers.
Rana offers you a myriad of features Atari couldn't even conceive of. Like five electronic func- tions on the front panel that give you a LED read- out when touched. Our disk drive tells you what track you're on, and what density and how much information you're storing. And, we have a write protect feature which protects your diskette from being erased. In fact, no other disk drive can offer you that.
As you can see, it was easy to build a disk drive superior to Atari's. Because for every reason you buy a disk drive, Rana has superior technology.
The Rana 1000 disk drive. It brings your Atari computer to a higher level of sophistication for a price one third lower than Atari's. So your choice shouldn't even be a matter of logic.
Just common sense.
iS
Always a step ahead.
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• Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer. Inc. » Atari is a regisiBrod trsOemark o( Man, Inc.. a Wanwr Cofninunications Company
end of the program. If you add 400 more DATA lines, you should change line 1 to read: T = 410.
2 Since reading a large data base might take some time, this statement appears on screen to let the user know that the computer is busy and will return control to him or her shortly.
3 Here we DIMension the three variables which will be holding our data. These tens, too, would need to be changed to 410s if you added 400 more DATAlines.
10 The computer assigns a special variable name to each item of data by READing through the entire list. We've got three categories per rec- ord. A$(? - whatever I = during the READing) will be topic identification for the COMPUTE! articles in our data base. B$(?) will contain the issue number and the page number. C$(?) holds the author name.
15-45 Here the computer gives us a choice. We can look things up either by topic or by author.
50 We now make our request. If X = 1 (see line 35), then we're after the author so we're sent down to line 70, which searches through C$( ). If not, we proceed to line 55 for a search of A$( ), topics. Lines 55-65 and 70-80 are identical searches, except one looks at C$( ), the other at A$( ). Since they're the same, we'll just examine the interesting pattern-matching technique where it appears the first time, in line 60.
60 This is the heart of the program. It's the trick that lets you look things up without knowing their exact names. It also makes possible varying depths of specificity. If you add a data line: 522 DATABASIC MEMORY SAVING, you can then request anything from B to BASIC MEMORY SAV- ING and this item will show up on the list. If you request matches to BASIC, you'll get this one and line 510. If you request BASIC MEMORY, line 510 will be ignored.
How does it work? N$ is the word or words you entered (line 50) and to which you want all matches. A$(I) will scan through the entire data base "topics column." For a match to take place, only the leftmost part of A$(I) needs to match N$. Z does this for us; it's the length of N$ (see line 50). That is, we're looking for matches from pieces of A$(I) only as big as N$. So, you type in your topic DATA with this in mind. Enter each record so that the first word is the most general, the sec- ond more specific, etc.
85 This subroutine prints out any matches which are found. It contains descriptions of the categories. There are a number of ways to format such things. You might prefer, for example, to list the category titles only once, at the top of the screen, and then list everything in columns un- derneath them.
Expanding The Categories
As you can see by following the changes suggested in Programs 2-4, some minor structural modifica- tions are necessary to make Program 1 handle a fourth category. Computer brand. However, it would be simple to add a fifth or more categories to this new version.
One thing to watch out for: the READ state- ment doesn't care what data is on a given DATA line. It reads things verj' literally and checks for commas (or the end of a line) to tell it that a par- ticular item has ended. So, if you get odd re- sponses such as EDUCATION when you're asking for author names starting with E, or an OUT OF DATA ERROR - you've probably left out a comma somewhere in the DATA lines. Also, your DATA lines will be longer with this new, four-category, version of The Filer. They'll now look something like this:
520 DATALANGUAGES PILOT,1/40,THORNBURG,VIC
If you have any questions or topics you'd tike to see covered in this colunui, write to "The Beginner's Page," COMPUTE'. Magazine, P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403.
Program 1: The Filer
1 T=10:REM{8 spaces} TOTAL NUMBER OF ITEMS OF DATA
2 PRINT"{3 SPACES}READING{5 SPACESJCOMPU TE!{5 SPACES }DATABASE
3 DIMA$(10) ,B${10) ,C$(10)
10 F0RI=1T0T:READA$ (I) ,B$ (I ) ,C$ (I ) :NEXT 15 PRINT:PRINT"SELECT A CATEGORY" : T$="TO
PIC" 20 PRINT"{4 SPACES}!. AUTHOR 25 PRINT"{4 SPACES}2. SUBJECT 30 K$="":GETK$:IFK$=""THEN30 35 X=VAL.(K$) :IFX>2THEN30 40 IFX=1THENT$="AUTH0R'S NAME" 45 PRINT"{3 SPACES}PLEASE ENTER "T$ 50 INPUTN$:Z=LEN(N$) :IFX=1THEN70 55 FORI=lTOT
60 IFN$=LEFT$ (A$ (I) ,Z ) THENG0SUB8 5 65 NEXTI:G0T015 70 F0RI=1T0T
75 IFN$=LEFT$ {C$ (I) ,Z ) THENGOSUB85 80 NEXTI:G0T015 85 PRINTA$(I) ;"...IN ";B$(I);" (ISSUE#/P
AGE), WRITTEN BY "; C$ (I ): RETURN
498 REM
499 REM
500 REM *** TOPIC OF ARTICLE — ISSUE/PG
— AUTHOR *** 502 DATABUSINESS, 1/4, SAWYER 504 DATAS0RTING,1/7,HUL0N 506 DATAWORDPROCESSORS , 1/13 , LINDSAY 508 DATASCIENTIFIC INSTRUMEHTATION , 1/24 ,
BYRD 510 DATABASIC TOKENS , 1/29 , HERMAN 512 DATAMODEM,1/30,TULLOCH 514 DATAA-D CONVERTER , 1/31 , HERMAN 516 DATAML MEMORY TEST , 1/32 , MOSER 518 DATAEDUCATION,l/34,BARRETTE 520 DATALANGUAGES PILOT , 1/40 ,THORNBURG
32 COMPUTE! October 1983
HERE'S S.A.MJ
PUT HIM IH YOUR
DISK DRIVE AHD YOUR
COMPUTER TALKS.
S.A.M. is the Software Automalic Mouth"*,
by Don't Ask Software — a complete speech
synthesizer on a disk. S.A.M does what
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FOR COMMODORE 64, ATARI, APP1EII+, He COMPUTERS
From your software dealer.
Bug. retail prices: C64, Atari versions $59.95.
Apple version includes d/a card: $124.95.
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Program 2: Change These Lines
3 DIMA$(10),B$(10) ,C$(10) ,D$ (10)
10 F0RI=1T0T:READA$(I) ,B$ ( I) ,C$ (I ) ,D$ (I )
:NEXT 35 X=VAL(K$) :IFX>3THEN30
50 INPUTN$:Z=LEN (N$)
55 FORI=lTOT:ONXGOStJB60,65,70:NEXTI:GOTO 15
60 IFN$=LEFT$ (C$(I) , Z ) THENG0SUB8 5
65 IFN$=LEFT$ {A$ (I) , Z ) THENG0SUB8 5
70 IFN$=LEFT$ (D$ (I) , Z ) THENGOSUB85
Program 3: Add These Lines
26 PRINT"{4 SPACES}3, COMPUTER 42 IFX=3THENT$="C0MPUTER"
61 RETURN
66 RETURN
71 RETURN
Program 4: Drop These Lines
75 IFNS=LEFT$ (C$ (I) , Z ) THENGOSOB85
80 NEXTI:G0T015 Q
COMPUTEI
The Resource.
COMMODORE
64
by Tim Onosko
A concise, handy guide ttiat offers a complete sUrt-to-finish approach to the Commodore 64 and the new portable version! Designed for users with little or no computer experience, this easy-to-read text explains what the Commodore 54 is all about and how to use it— complete with step-by-step instructions for BASIC programming as well as important information on a wide variety of applications, including word processing . . . color . . . graphics . . . sound . . . music . . . games . . . and much more !
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TELEGAMES
Computer Games By Phone
John Blackford
A new species of game is snddenhf gaining in popularity. It's the tckgamc - played over the phone lines. In some versions, you play against the computer; in others, many players can join in a single game. When one player makes a move, the others see it almost instantly. Such games allow team efforts and that opois up an intriguing new set of possibilities.
In the movie WarGames, a high school student accidentally taps into NORAD's war-game com- puter. The computer, which is equipped with artificial intelligence programs, is prepared to play such favorites as chess, tick-tack-toe, and global thermonuclear war. After the student chooses the latter, the computer won't quit, seizing control of launch codes and missile silos in preparation for a real nuclear strike.
How did the student bring about this near disaster? Practically the same way that people around the country now call up computerized information services and use them to play games: he put his telephone receiver in a modem - a de- vice connecting the computer to the phone lines - readying his computer to call another computer.
Many information serv'ices contain -among other things - a library of games, which people can call up and play. In some, users play against the computer, as in WarGaities. In others - the multiplayer, interactive games - the computer acts as a referee, doing the housekeeping chores, accounting for players' moves, and generally running the game. At present, interactive gaming is available only from CompuServe Information Service, though The Source and Delphi are working to catch up.
Only At Lunch Hour
CompuServe got a head start in interactive games
34 COMPUTE! October 1983
by chance. The company began as a data base for business users, offering stock market quotes, sugar futures quotes, and the like during the day. After a few years of setting up such services, Russ Ranshaw, one of the company's programmers, decided to create a simple space-war game called Space Wars (SPCWARS) for the recreational use of other employees.
"It seemed like a logical thing to do," he says. "But it got so darned popular that people were playing all the time." After looking the other way for some time, company officials eventually lim- ited game access to luncli hour. Even that didn't do the trick, so finally, in 1976, the game was com- pletely banned from CompuServe - and it wasn't to be found in the memory banks for several years after that.
As personal computers began reaching homes in increasing numbers, planners at CompuServe (and other information utilities) decided to make their services available to home users at reduced rates during off-hours. To make the service at- tractive to non-business users, some new features were added. One of the first was SPCWARS, and it proved just as popular as it had been during lunch at CompuServe. In fact, it and two other interactive space games added later are now among the most widely used parts of the system.
SPCWARS is fairly simple to play. The com- mands aren't hard to follow, and a help function permits you to learn the rules as you play. It's an interactive game in which everyone is gunning for any player who signs onto the system. You can hide in clouds, duck around stars, and even display the section of the galaxy your ship is probing. Since true graphics aren't possible, the display consists of various symbols and letters to designate the location and direction of your ship and the other objects in the game. As more people
Last night, 39 musicians Had a CompuServe conference, So did 31 M.D.S, 49 Sports Fans And 640 Apple Polishers,
And No One had To leave home.
The Electronic Forum, Cheaper than Long Distance and Much More Rewarding.
Every night on the CompuServe Information Service, professional and social groups discuss a wide range of subjects. From what's new in medical technology to what's nouvelle in continental cuisine.
And every day more computer owners who share a common interest are discovering this exciting new way to exchange ideas and even transfer hard copy data.
And besides electronic forums, they leave messages for each other on our national bulletin board, "talk" informally on our CB simulator, and communicate via CompuServe's electronic mail.
But best of all, in most cases, CompuServe subscribers get all of these state of the art communications options, plus a world of on-line information and entertainment for the cost of a local phone call plus connect time.
To become part of this flexible communications network, all you
need is a computer, a modem and CompuServe. CompuServe connects uitli almost any personal computer; terminal, or communicating word processor.
To receive an illustrated guide to CompuServe and learn how you can subscribe, contact or call:
CompuServe
Consumer Inlormaiion Se™co PO Sox 20212 5000 Arlinglon Centre Blvd Columbus. OH 43220
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sign onto the game, the size of the playfield ex- pands, and if the number of players gets unwieldy, the host computer starts a new game for the newcomers.
No Help In Sight
Two other currently available interactive games are exceedingly complex. Forget trying to learn them as you go. Before you even iigure out how to move your ship, you'll see a long string of mes- sages race across your screen. You are under at- tack. The help command no longer works. You may notice the coordinates of the attacking ship and attempt to direct some phaser fire his way. But suddenly it's over. As you try to figure out what happened, you'll get a message like, "Sorry, Cadet, you're dead. You didn't cut it in Mega Wars."
Save yourself some embarrassment - and wasted time - and order the instruction book before trying to play this one. You can order on-line (through your computer) or by writing CompuServe direct (5000 Arlington Centre Boulevard, P.O. Box 20212, Columbus, OH 43220).
DECWARS was the first really complex inter- active game. It's actually a revision of a space game that had been residing for some years on a main- frame at the University of Texas. Ranshaw got it and worked obsessively to get rid of all the bugs. The task proved more than he had bargained for, and he now thinks he could have done the whole thing from scratch in less time. Still, reaction was favorable, right from the start. Players signed on again and again to play. A special interest group (SIG) was even formed for DECWARS fans. Users would use a special area of CompuServe to exchange comments and ideas about the game.
Some of these players began suggesting im- provements, and Ranshaw got in touch with them to refine the concept for an improved game. In both games, players can form teams, but the regulars thought Mega Wars - the upgraded version - should also assign ranks based on past performance. This would reward ability, yet allow beginners to fly more durable ships, increasing their survival time immensely.
After a long development - marked by en- thusiastic suggestions from nearly everyone - the game went on-line. Immediately, CompuServe was flooded with suggestions for improvement. People would sign on the DECWARS SIG and fill the screen with criticisms. It became a significant problem.
After that experience, Ranshaw says they all realized that while suggestions are great, there comes a time when the programmer simply must do what seems best, letting others dedde whether the game's fun to play. In spite of criticism by DECWARS fans. Mega Wars went on to become highly successful. At present, it is CompuServe's second most profitable offering - behind a Simula-
36 COMPUTI! October 1983
tion of CB radio that permits people around the nation to sign on and chat.
Old Favorites
Although CompuServe has the only interactive games right now, traditional favorites played against the computer are popular on all systems. Other information utilities, such as The Source, Dialog, and Delphi, also offer single-player games on-line. There are adventure-type classics such as Wiimpus, Star Trek, and Zork as well as computer versions of such popular games as Othello, backgammon, and even chess. Most of the companies also offer card games, roulette, and dozens of other brain teasers.
To supplement such traditional games, The Source and Delphi have their programmers working hard to complete several multiplayer games. The Source isn't saying what titles it's creating, but Delphi is finishing up two space games, Conquest and Parsec, and will introduce more fantasy-oriented fare, too: Scales of the Cods, a medieval adventure, and Tiiiielords, a game which involves exploration of "the fourth dimension."
As Delphi tried to hammer these into shape, its own users beat it to the punch, creating several multiplayer games right on the system. One player, known as the "Dragon," served as dungeon master for a couple of adventure games. The players took advantage of the bulletin board and electronic mail ser\aces to create the games. Now Delphi has made special space available for the game devotees. though these adventures have generated excite- ment, they aren't pro^rrtmmfrf games. Instead, it's the players themselves who make things happen. Users create their own story, using the dungeon master to communicate with others. That's actually part of the idea at Delphi: the service should change to reflect the needs of users. Says president Wes Kussmaul, "Delphi is almost a creation of the users - they are the ones who bring it to life."
Interactive Games
What is it that makes interactive games hard to create? According to Ranshaw - and he's built every one that's commercially available - they require tricky programming with built-in safeguards to protect the game when someone drops out. Says Ranshaw, "What if you are playing a four-card game, and one player's cat knocks his modem off the table, disconnecting the phone? Suddenly the player is gone. Do you step in with the computer and have it play for the missing person, or bomb the whole game?"
The ideal, according to Ranshaw, is to minimize computer involvement. But in a case like the example above, the program would have to take the missing hand. Delphi's Kussmaul has a different philosophy, noting that if you are playing a real game of bridge, and someone walks
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off, the game is over. The same should be true of interactive computer games, he thinks.
A tougher problem arises with muitiplayer games such as Mega Wars. If the program isn't properly done, the game can crash when one player pulls out, destroying what may be hours of effort for some of the players. To prevent this, each player is considered to be a separate "case" by the host computer. The game program controls each player's input individually. Thus, if someone drops out, his or her specific case is closed, but the game data remains intact.
Graphics To Come
All the games currently available through infor- mation utilities are done in alphanumeric charac- ters. Whatever you see on the screen could be typed on paper with a standard computer printer. In the early days of telecommunications, a set of standard characters, called the ASCII code, was developed to improve the service beyond that available on teletype machines. ASCII permits upper- and lowercase letters plus punctuation marks and a few control codes. The graphics characters on home computers aren't standard ASCII. Since information services must be able to communicate with niany different computer brands, they are limited to the ASCII character set.
That could change, however. Developers at CompuServe are trying to create telegames with movable graphics. Besides the differences be- tween computers, the limitations of the phone lines themselves hinder graphics transmission. Although baud (bits per second) rates of 1200 or higher are possible, modems capable of such speeds are still fairly expensive. Most home users communicate with information utilities at a lei- surely 300 baud, far too slow to permit movement of graphics on your screen. But the people at Com- puServe are working on a way to get around this bottleneck.
They are attacking the problem in two ways; first, by creating software for each computer type, and second, by devising wavs to transmit graphics information without actuallv having to transmit the entire picture. Most videogames consist of a background design (the playfield) and objects that move within it. CompuServe's game de- signers hope to define the playfields and graphics shapes and download the definitions to the user. Then, the host computer only needs to transmit enough information to move the predefined shape. Software purchased by each user will make the graphics information compatible with his or her particular computer.
New Directions
Such efforts may be only the beginning. With inexpensive modems and software now available,
38 COMPUTil October 1983
more and more home computerists are reaching information sources. And such organizations have found to their surprise that there's a healthy profit in home-oriented services. A company by the name of Gameline even has a plan to sell plug- in cartridges to allow Atari VCS game machines (11 million are presently in use) to download game software. And parents will have a special code enabling them to limit their children's use of the device.
In fact, activity could become so widespread that phone lines might be filled up with people using personal computers plugged into various data bases, including teletex, on-line bulletin boards, and even users chatting directly to one another. Bell telephone researchers are reportedly concerned that the entire phone network could become overloaded if market penetration of tele- computing services reaches as little as 3'/2 percent.
To avoid these problems, alternatives such as cable TV and local communications networks may be used. The Games Network is planning to offer a cable channel dedicated to videogames. Sytek, in cooperation with General Instruments Corporation, plans to introduce a series of local, high-speed communicatitins networks using cable TV lines. These would be cheaper than comparable ones offered by American Bell, and would be compatible with personal computers. Such a sys- tem could support extensive graphics, because of the large transmission capacity of cable lines.
Whichever specific projects eventually suc- ceed, the prospect is for more and better computer games played over the communication lines. Just as home computers changed in only a few years from hobbies to mass-market items, telegaming is now poised to be the vanguard of a massive up- surge in computing by phone. ©
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NONVIOLENT GAMES
Kathy Yakal, Editorial Assistant
The violence that is inherent in many of today's video games is disturbing to some people. Others don't see it as a negative influence; they stress the positive aspects of playing and programming videogames. In this article, loe explore both sides of this controversial issue, and look at some software designers who are providing alternatives to typical arcade games.
VIDEO GAMES (see Mureler)
This entry can be found in The New York Times Index for January 146, 1983. The article alluded to is a small item in the January 9 Times about a high school senior in Dallas who was "shot to death in the parking lot of an arcade after a quarrel over 75 cents worth of video display games."
It's not so unusual anymore to hear about someone being killed over something rather trivial. But what might make this act of violence significant to some people is its relationship to video games.
Video games embody competition. In order to win (and it's a temporary victory), you have to shoot down spaceships or gobble up something or rescue creatures in perU. Meanwhile, someone or something is always after you, trying to destroy you.
Does this mean that a long afternoon at the Asteroids machine wUl make you want to inflict bodily harm on the first person who gives you a funny look? Some studies have shown that a per- son's blood pressure will rise and pulse quicken after playing video games. But can't the same thing happen when you're up to bat in the big softbaU game or trying to meet an impossible deadline at work or even watching a frightening movie?
Game As Villain
The 1969 rock opera Tommy, by The Who, is the story of a young deaf, dumb, and blind boy who is a champion at the pinball machines. He becomes a cult hero as a result of that and, after he regains his
40 COMPUTE! October 1983
senses later in the story, is worshipped by devoted followers who try to emulate his pinball wizardry.
If Tommy were written today, we might be hum- ming along to "Pac-Man VN'izard," instead of "Pin- ball Wizard." Ever since the introduction of Atari's Pong game in 1972 and the ensuing evolution of the video arcade game, these high-tech pinball machines have been showing up in cameo roles in movies and television. And they're usuaUy the bad guys.
In this year's The Star Chamber, lawyer Michael Douglas can't even get a "Hi, Dad " from the kids because they won't turn away from their home video game. A fight over an arcade game that causes television interference in a restaurant gets a young woman involved with a young boy who does nasty things to people he doesn't like in Twilight Zone: The Movie. And IVflrGames follows the activ- ities of a teenager who almost instigates World War III by tapping into the national defense system with a home computer, a modem, and some big floppy disks. Worse than that, he's flunking biology.
It's not just the computers themselves that are shown in a less-than-positive light. The player's in- volvement with the computer or arcade game, as portrayed by movie makers, usually points out some kind of character flaw that is intensified by his obsession with these high-tech villains.
Movies may not be the best way to gauge a society's attitudes, but the}' often reflect sources of conflict which are easily identifiable. And video games certainly seem to be that right now. You might be hard pressed to find a young person who doesn't have an opinion about Donkey Kong, or who couldn't at least hum the theme song.
Teaching Disassociotion
There does seem to be a degree of backlash against video games. Joseph Weizenbaum, author of Com- puter Power and Human Reason and Professor of
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Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has an explanation for why the back- lash exists. "The video arcade is the modern version of the pool hall. Some people are opposed to them for the same reasons they opposed pool halls. This reasoning is not relevant, and it masks other things that are much more important.
"It's just as Marshall McLuhan predicted: the next medium takes aspects of the previous medi- um. In this case, video games have taken the worst of television: its mindless violence, which is ex- pressed in all the shoot-em-ups." Weizenbaum cites the television show "Knight Rider" as an example. "It's not that that one is exceptionally violent. It just exaggerates the cartoon-type violence."
Then why don't parents get as upset over car- toons as they do video games? Weizenbaum doesn't know. 'It's the same thing you see during the week on regular TV shows. Only the television acts as babysitter on Saturday mornings/' he says.
Some people claim that, even though video games may be as violent as television, they are more interactive. "The advertising claim for video games is that you can actually participate. But what is it that you're actually participating in? Killing. You can't win — all you can do is survive longer than anyone else."
Weizenbaum's chief criticism is that what's be- ing practiced in video games is disassociation. "Video games encourage you to believe that there is no relationship between what you are doing and the ultimate victim of that action. The crucial thing is that these are lessons in what it is necessary to do in order to survive in this society. In some sense, that's really the social purpose.
"It's like women working in a bomb factory. If they couldn't disassociate themselves from what they were doing, if they were really aware of what they were actually doing, they couldn't do it," says Weizenbaum. "The same thing applies to students and teachers who believe that artificial intelligence is possible. It's very necessary in this society to render a great many things abstract, to take them out of context"
Because of this, he believes, the video arcade is a "necessary and useful training ground. The video game is not the cause of this societal trait; it is a reflection of what our society is. It would be a mistake to yell and storm at the reflection."
Lack Of Creativity
Christopher Cerf has been entertaining children for a long time. He founded the nonbroadcast division of Sesame Street in 1970, and has written music and lyrics for the television show. Since the introduction of microcomputers, he has been developing ways of educating and entertaining kids with them; Cerf and Jim Henson of Muppet fame created the video game version of The Dark Crystalior Sierra On-Line.
M COMPUTl! Oc1ober1<?e3
Joseph Weizenbaum, author of Computei Power and Human Reason.
Cerf also developed the original concept of Sesame Place, parks near Dallas and Philadelphia which house computer centers where children can learn to use micros.
And he doesn't believe that kids are being deeply affected by the violence in video games. "I'm certainly not pro-violence," Cerf says. "I don't want to put it in games that I work on. But I think people greatly overestimate the horrible dangers of video games. Unless a chOd is greatly disturbed in some other way, I don't think he's going to go out and kill someone after playing a game of Space Invaders.
"I'm not den3dng that we don't aU have some sort of aggressive instinct. Look at the way dogs will have mock fights — not really hurt each other, but just play. If the violence in a game is sUIy, it's just as good to play.
"Any medium that comes along has a reaction Hke this. Look at how horrified parents used to be that their children were wasting their quarters in movie theaters. And in the fifties, it was comic books. Doing anything in excess is a problem. You need to try to see it in perspective."
Cerf believes that resorting to extreme violence in a video game indicates a lack of creativity on the programmer's part. "I was appalled by the violence in Death Race 2000. In the last year or two, program-
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mers have been designing games that are less violent and more creative. Pac-Man and Frogger are good examples. So are the new interactive fiction games."
''Software companies need
to be innovative about the
uses of computers for
women. And that means producing something that
appeals to what women
traditionaliy have valued
and needed. Not violence."
Mary Row^ assistant to the president, M.I.T.
A Generation Of Loners?
Violence aside, some people argue that video games promote antisocial behavior. Maybe Galaxia won't make you want to shoot everything in sight, but how is a child or young adult going to learn how to interact with other people if he or she spends a great deal of time in an arcade or the house playing games on the home computer?
Christopher Cerf believes that computers foster, rather than hinder, communication. "Com- puters as a medium are one of the most exciting," he says. "They use elements of many other media.
"In schools, kids get excited about computing. They stay after school and compare notes and try to work out programming problems. And services like CompuServe and The Source also tend to bring people together. Kids who spend a lot of time alone with their computers or in arcades would probably be doing something else alone anyway.
"What's really interesting about this whole computer business is that, for the first time, the kids generally know more than the adults. My father was in publishing and he read everything — except science fiction. I loved science fiction and could recommend books to him. In that way, I think computers tend to bring families together."
Nothing For Women
There is little question that men are generally more interested in video games than women are at this point. Pac-Man was a breakthrough game in that sense; lots of women liked it, perhaps because of its apparent lack of violence.
StiU, women are not leaping into the computer
46 COMPILE! October 1983
age with the same fervor as men seem to be. Mary Rowe, Assistant to the President at M.I.T, thinks that this is due to a lack of sensitivity on the part of many software producers. And to the fact that there is a lot of violence and sexism in video games.
'As a feminist, I'm concerned about the male slant of these things," Rowe says. "Why have com- puter companies made so few attempts to produce games that are not violent and sexist?
"Software companies need to be innovative about the uses of computers for women. And that means producing something that appeals to what women traditionally ha\'e valued and needed. Not violence."
Rowe does believe that some software com- panies are taking risks and developing programs that meet these needs. "1 became computer-literate on Infocom's games. We need more games like that that require the player to actually think, not just hit the fire button at the right time."
Subtle Software
Nonviolent games fare very well on lists of best- selling software these days. Br0derbund's success- ful Choplifter is a good example. It's not an abso- lutely nonviolent game — there are terrorists and enemy tanks and guns going off. But the player does not get points for destroying things, only for rescuing people from the terrorists.
However, software companies which are pro- ducing nonviolent games are not necessarily trying
^-i
Christopher Cerf is currently zuorking on a nonviolent video game, Pigs In Space.
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to counteract any backlash against video games. Pat Marriot, of Electronic Arts, believes that people's opposition to video games is "an emotional thing. Parents wondering if their kids should be hanging out in arcades. Donkey Kong and Pac-Man are not really violent. It's just the environment of a video arcade that is disturbing.
"We look for quality and uniqueness in our pro- grams/' says Marriot. "We're not reacting against anything, we're going for quality. We look for authors whose values r.re consistent with those of the company. Each of our designers has a story to tell, and that story becomes the product.
"We don't really consciously try to make our games nonviolent, but because of our authors' basic philosophies, they usually do not involve violence" says Marriot. She points to Hardhat Mack as an ex- ample: "The character is very appealing. There's lots of humor in it. It seems to appeal to younger girls and to people who don't necessarily like games.'
The Adventure AHemaiive
A video game doesn't have to have blasting guns and anguished screams to be violent. Even the pacifist Pac-Man has his own sublimated violence. He's a cute, nonthreatening little guy, but there are four potential killers on his trail. To avoid being de- stroyed, he must turn around and try to destroy them first.
It may be impossible to create a video game that does not incorporate some amount of violence, however unobtrusive it may be. Games involve competition. Even if you're just playing against yourself, you're always trying to overcome some- one or something.
But in some games, you can actually benefit by resisting the urge to commit a violent act. In the text adventure Witness, by Infocom, you play a detective trying to solve a murder case. While you're trying to find the murderer, you have ample opportunity to rough up some of the suspects if you like. The game was designed to anticipate a variety of responses, even violent ones.
A violent response, though, is counter- productive, says Marc Blank, Vice-President of Prod- uct Development at Infocom. If a player reacts that way, the result is not good, and may lead to some- one else getting killed.
Yet the designers at Infocom did not set out to produce games with pacifistic messages. "I don't think violence plays any part in our choices," says Blank. "We're not making a conscious effort to be nonviolent. We're just trying to produce programs of more literary quality."
This may be a contributing factor to Infocom's popularity with women, a market that software producers are sometimes finding difficult to please. 'There is very little software for young women," says Blank. "Women generally read more than
48 COMPUTE! October W83
men, so our adventures cire more appealing to them "
Better Technology?
Maybe the arcade is the monster, not the video game. According to an article in Neiosioeek (August 8, 1983), video games peaked with an average weekly earning of $140 per machine in 1981, but last year it was down to $109. Is this because people are playing games at home on their personal com- puters and don't need arcades anymore? Or is it a result of the backlash against video games?
It may be neither. Dragon's Lair, an arcade game recently released by Bluth Animation, has people lined up around the block in some cities, waiting for their turn to play. Neivsweek says single machines featuring this game are taking in up to $1400 per week. Even at 50 cents a crack, that's about a 500% increase over the current average earnings of arcade games.
Dragon's Lair is anything but nonviolent. Its hero. Dirk the Daring, must battle countless foes in 38 different scenes in order to rescue the game's heroine, Daphne.
But what's attracting people to it is a new tech- nology that combines the use of laser disks and computers. Unlike other arcade games, this one projects a movie-quality image. It's like stepping in- to a cartoon and controlling the characters yourself.
Dragon's Lair, a popularnew arcade game, combines laser disk technology and computers to create a movie-like image. ©
dilithium Press is cooking again. With more than 32 practical, educational, and fun programs specifically for your microcomputer.
Here's what's on the menu :
|
Annual |
Hamcode |
Roadrace |
|
Argo |
Integrate |
Simeqn |
|
Arithmetic |
Jot |
Sortlist |
|
Biorhythm |
Kaleido |
Sparkle |
|
Birthday |
Loan |
Squares |
|
Checlcbook |
Metric |
Stats |
|
Cun/e |
Mileage |
Stopwatch |
|
Decide |
Numbers |
Tachist |
|
Decode |
Obstacle |
Tune |
|
Diffeqn |
Pi |
Vocab |
|
Flasticard |
Powens |
Walloons |
|
Graph |
Pythag |
Wari |
|
Groan |
Quest/Exarr} |
|
|
Written |
in easy-to-understand lan- |
|
|
guage, each book contains |
complete |
program listings plus suggested proj- ects. For only $19.95, we serve up everything from math, to business, to games with color graphics. Plus, you'll receive generous portions of screen display examples to help guide you through each program.
And we have a b!ue plate special! Save your fingers from typing in the program by buying the diskette or cassette for only $15 more ($34.95 for the book/software package.) Fully-tested and machine-specific, our sofhware is backed with a forever replacement guarantee. For questions or problems, call our toll-free cus- tomer service number.
You'll find dilithium Software at your nearest bookstore or computer store. Use our toll-free number for their locations or ask for the latest copy of our catalog, "Brainfood", absolutely free.
If your microcomputer is starving for new projects, call today for the smorgasbord from dilithium Software.
I i
\
dilithium Software
PO. Box E
Beaverton, Oregon 97075 800-547-1842 or 646-2713 inside Oregon
fl«»t*TliannB«*«
'^ilTilliliDIii
dIMEC. ismorgasbord
■!bm Rugg. Ptu FetamaJi
The
Btsic
Clarence S. Wtsoo
Horn
r/'"=-^2 5.su
How To Type COMPUTEi's Programs
Many of the programs which are listed in COMPUTE! contain
special control characters (cursor control, color keys, inverse video, etc.). To make it easy tu tell exactly what to' type when entering one at' these programs into your computer, we have established the following listing conventions. There is a separate key for each computer. Refer to the appropriate tables when you come across an unusual symbol in a program listing. If you are unsure how to actually enter a control character, consult your computer's manuals.
Atari 400/800
Characters in inverse video will appear like: rrrrrmmT-imr Enter these characters with the Atari logo key. [A.] .
Hhm you sbb Typo Sbb
|
tCLE«Wt> |
ESC ESC ESC |
SHIFT < |
n |
CI mmr Scr»en |
|
tUPJ |
CTRL - |
t |
Curmor Up |
|
|
{DOMNJ |
CTRL » |
* |
Cursor- DoMn |
|
|
tLEFT> |
ESC |
CTRL + CTRL » |
*- •* |
Cursor L*ft |
|
tRIQHT> |
ESC |
Cursor Right |
||
|
tBACK 3> |
ESC |
DELETE |
4 |
Backspaca |
|
CDELETE> |
ESC |
CTRL DELETE |
a |
DtflatB charactvr |
|
CINSERTJ |
ESC |
CTRL INSERT |
u |
Insert character |
|
CDEL LINEJ |
ESC |
SHIFT DELETE |
□ |
Delete line |
|
CINS LIME} |
ESC ESC |
SHIFT INSERT TAB |
□ |
Insert line |
|
CTABJ |
» |
TAB key |
||
|
tCLR TAB} |
ESC |
CTRL TAB |
a |
Clear tab |
|
CBET TflB> |
ESC |
SHIFT TAB |
a |
Set tab stop |
|
C^LLJ |
ESC |
CTRL 2 |
Q |
Ring buiier |
|
CESO |
ESC |
ESC |
«. |
Escape key |
Graphics characters, such as CTRL-T, the ball chaiacter • will appear as the "normal" letter enclosed in braces, e.g. (T).
A series of identical control characters, such as 10 spaces, three cursor-lefts, or 20 CTRL-R's, will appear as CIO SPACES!, 1 3 LEFT), (20 R I, etc. If the character in braces is in inverse video, that character or characters should be en- tered with the Atari logo key. For example, t tij means to enter a reverse-field heart with CTRL-comma, < 5ai ) means to enter five inverse-video CTRL-U's.
Commodore PET/CBM/VIC/64
Generally, any FET/CBMA'IC/64 program listings will contain words within braces which spell out any special characters: I DOWN ) would mean to press the cursor down key. ( 5 SPACES ) would mean to press the space bar five times.
To indicate that a key should be shifted {hold down the SHIFT key while pressing the other key), the key would be underlined in our listings. For example, S would mean to type the S key while holding the shift key. If you find an underlined key enclosed in braces (e.g., {10 N}), you should type the key as many times as indicated (in our example, you would enter ten shifted N's). Some graphics characters are inaccessible from the keyboard on CBM Business models (32N, 8032).
For the VIC and 64, if a key is enclosed in special brackets, f; ■>], you should hold down the Commodon' kty while pressing the key inside the special brackets. (The Commodore key is the key in the lower left corner of the keyboard.) Again, if the key is preceded by a number, you should press the key as many times as indicated.
Rarely, you'll see in a Commodore 64 program a solitary letter of the alphabet enclosed in braces. These characters can be entered by holding down the CTRL key while typing the letter in the braces. For example, {A 1 would indicate that you should press CTRL-A.
About the quote mode: you know that you can move the cursor around the screen with the CRSR keys. Sometimes a programmer will want to move the cursor under program control. That's why you see all the I LEFT) 's, tHOM!E)'s, and IBLUl's in our programs. The only way the computer
50 COMPUTE! Octotjer 1983
can telJ the difference between direct and programmed cursor
control is the quote mode.
Once you press the quote (the double quote, SHIFT-2), you are in the quote mode. If you type something and then try to change it by moving the cursor left, you'll only get a bunch of reverse-video lines. These are the symbols for cursor left. The only editing key that isn't programmable is the DEL key; you can still use DEL to back up and edit the line. Once you type another quote, you are out of quote mode.
You also go into quote mode when you INSerT spaces into a line. In any case, the easiest way to get out of quote mode is to just press RETURN. You'll'then be out of quote mode and you can cursor up to the mistyped line and fix it.
Use the following tables v/hen entering special characters:
When You Read; Press:
See-
[BLK] {WHT}
{red}
{cyn}
tPUR}
[grn]
iBLU}
{yel} EniQ
i3i Q B E4i QQ
Q k.
E3
S
When You Read:
E8i
[Fl]
{F2}
[F3]
{F4]
Ef5}
{F6]
lF7}
{P8}
Press: See:
HD □
All Commodore Machines
ClearScreen {CLR) Home Cursor { HOHEl CursorUp { UP) Cursor Down {DOWN) Cursor Right {RIGHT)
Cursor Left {LEFT)
Insert Characrer { INST} Delete Character {DEL) Reverse Field On { RVS ! Reverse Field Off {oFF)
Apple II /Apple II Plus
All programs are in Applesoft BASIC, unless otherwise stated. Control characters are printed as the "normal" char- acter enclosed in brackets, such as 1 D ) for CTRL-D. Hold down CTRL while pressing the control key. You will not see the special character on the screen.
Texas Instruments 99/4
The only special characters used are in PRINT statements to indicate where two or more spaces should be left between words. For example, ENERGY {10 SPACES) MANAGE- MENT means that ten spaces should be left between the words ENERGY and MANAGEMENT. Do not type in the braces or the words 10 SPACES. Enter all programs with the ALPHA LOCK on (in the down position). Release the ALPHA LOCK to enter lowercase text.
Newest VIC 20 and Commodore 64 Arcade Games
Will definitely be on top 10 chart!
Luna Software presents three new gannes for the Commodore '64 and VIC 20 computers: CARGO RUN, PEDESTRIAN, and HYPER-HEN. High resolution, full color graphics combined with state-of-the-art concepts and programming make Luna's complete library of arcade-style software
the games of choice for the '80s.
HYPER-HEN
PEDESTRIAN
An arcade-style, maze configured game, HYPER-HEN challenges even the most proficient joystick jockeys. Five levels of fast-paced play assure that your adrenalin level stays at its peak while starving coyotes, dive-bombing chicken- hawks. and deadly ZOMPIES attack from every side.
Cassette VIC 20. Cassette CM64 Diskette CM64
LUNA $19.95 $21.95 $24.95
PROTECTO $14.95 $16.95 SI 9.95
With your Commodore '64 com- puter plotting the precise coor- dinates for this dangerous mission, prepare for the most engaging video battle of your life. Three separate and highly detailed scenarios mean 48K of memory is required to present CARGO RUN, the most sophisticated game now available for the Commodore "64.
Diskette CM64
LUNA PROTECTO $31 .95 $26.95
Keep your eyes wide open and your wits about you. As the PEDESTRIAN you'll have lo cross the rush-hour freeway and race through the park full of muggers and monsters. If you're lucky you'll be able to keep your balance white jumping from log lo log across the river to your home.
LUNA PROTECTO
Cassette VIC 20 $19.95 $14.95 Cassette CM 64 $21 .95 $1 6.95 ■Diskette CM 64 $24.95 $19.95
Other LUNA products
LUNA
Suggested PROTECTO's
Galactic Crossfire Alien Soccer Warp Runner Cosmic Snake Starduster
Vic 20 Cassette Vic 20 Cassette Vic 20 Cassette Vic 20 Cassette Vic 20 Cassette
Price $19.95 $19.95 $19.95 $19.95 $19.95
Price $16.95 $16.95 $16.95 $16,95 $16.95
^(^^ERPRIZES f^E'-O^EO"" CUSTOMERS}
BOX 550, BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS 60010 Phone 312/302-5244 to order
COUPON FILE
Ken D. McCann and Dale McBane, Technical Assistant
Not only will this program create easily accessible files for disk or tape storage, but also it will run on any Commodore machine. Atari, TI, Apple, and Color Com- puter. And with minor adjustments, you can file nearly anything.
This program allows you to file and search for coupons. Coupons may be located by brand name, product, or expiration date, and you may scan the contents of all the files. "Coupon File" could also help you file a great variety of things.
The use of DATA statements as file structures is one of the things that makes this program so versatile. Because the DATA statements are saved with the program, file retrieval is not a problem, even if you don't have disk capability.
The DATA statements were placed before the main program loop to simplify file insertions and deletions. Because the file number and line number for the DATA statements are the same, those of you unfamiliar with programming will find it easy to create files.
Using The Program On Your Computer
There is room for 499 files, assuming you have enough memory to store 499 files. Because of the search routine, each file must have the same for- mat. This is especially true with the date search. 6/30/83, 6-30-83, and 30JUN83 are all different representations of the same date, but for the com- puter to locate that date, you must choose one format and be consistent.
Coupon File was written to run on any machine which supports BASIC, with one excep- tion. Lines 501, 1000, 1550, 2000, 4000, 6000, and 7100 consist of the statement PRINT "(CLRl". This is COMPUTEl's listing convention for clear screen on the Commodore 64 and VlC-20. You should substitute the statement to clear the screen
52 COMPUIll October 1983
on your particular machine (ESC SHIFT < for Atari, CALL CLEAR for TI, etc.).
To make more room for files, you can leave out the instructions. To do this, delete lines 550- 555, 630, and 6000-7000, and change line 590 to:
590 IF (K$<>"L"r(K$<> "B")*(KS<>"P")*(K$< > ' (K$<>"C") THEN GOTO 570
D")*
This versatile program is very easy to use, and it's easy to adapt for other purposes. With a few changes, you can create a program to file nearly anything.
Special Note To Timex/Sinclair Users:
Because your machine's version of BASIC does not contain READ or DATA statements, this pro- gram will not run on your machine. You may be able to adapt it to your machine using strings for file storage. Program Explanation Lines
1-499
500-650
1000-1700
2000-3600
4000-5700
6000-7000
7100-8610
9000-9600
10000-10300
DATA main menu list all routine brand search routine date search routine instructions product search routine display routine file input routine
Coupon File
DATA 1 DATA 2 DATA 3 1JAN84 DATA 4 DATA 5 DATA 6 DATA 7
8 DATA 8
9 DATA 9 84
10 DATA
11 DATA 84
12 DATA
, OXYDOL , DETE RGENT , FREE , NONE
, PLANTERS, MIXED NUTS, 25C, 31MAR84
,FREE N' SOFT, FABRIC SOFTNER, 20C,
,JELL0, PUDDING, 15C,15MAY84
, JENOS, PIZZA, 1? R,4JULB4
, CHINET, PLATES, 20C, 21DEC83
, PEPPIS , PIZZ.A, 60C, 15MAY84
, CHINET , CUPS , 20C , 20 JUL8 3
, NABI SCO , SHREDDED WHEAT , 20C , 30JUN
10, HEFTY, TRASH BAGS, 25C, 310CT83 1 1 , WHEATSWORTH , CRACKERS , 1 2C , 30 JUN
1 2 , KRAFT , JELLY , 10C , NONE
THIS PRINTER COST JUST
$119.95*
fllphacom"
13 DATA 13, PHILADELPHIA, CREAM CHEESE, 10C, NONE
14 DATA 14,PREG0,SPAGETTI SAUCE, 20C, 30JUN 84
500 DATA END
501 PRINT "{CLR]":REM CLEAR SCREEN
502 PRINT "COUPON FILE"
503 PRINT
504 LET T=0
520 PRINT "<L>[2 SPACES}lIST ALL ENTRIES"
525 PRINT
530 PRINT "<B>(2 SPACES]bRAND NAME "
533 PRINT
535 PRINT "<P>l2 SPACES} PRODUCT"
537 PRINT
540 PRINT "<D>[2 SPACES} EXPIRATION DATE"
545 PRINT
550 PRINT "<H>[2 SPACES} INSTRUCTIONS"
555 PRINT
560 PRINT "<C>{2 SPACES} COMMAND MODE"
565 PRINT
570 PRINT "CHOICE "r
580 INPUT K$
590 IF {K5<>"L")*(K$<>"B")*(K$<>"P")*Ck$<
>"D")*{K$<>"H")*(K$<>"C")THEN GOTO 57
0 600 IF K$="L" THEN GOSUB 1000 610 IF K$="B" THEN GOSUB 2000 615 IF K5="P" THEN GOSUB 7100 620 IF K$="D" THEN GOSUB 4000 630 IF K?="H" THEN GOSUB 6000 640 IF K?="C" THEN END 650 GOTO 501
1000 PRINT "[CLR}":REM CLEAR SCREEN
1010 PRINT "COUPON LIST"
1015 PRINT
1100 GOSUB 10000
1200 IF A$="END" THEN RETURN
1550 PRINT "{CLRJ":REM CLEAR SCREEN
1600 GOSUB 9000
1700 GOTO 1000
2000 PRINT "{CLR}":REM CLEAR SCREEN
2200 PRINT "ENTER BRAND"
2300 INPUT J$
2400 PRINT
2410 PRINT "BRAND: ";J?
2420 PRINT
2430 PRINT
2500 GOSUB 10000
2600 IF A$="END" THEN GOTO 3300
3000 IF B$<>J$ THEN GOTO 2500
3100 GOSUB 9000
3150 LET T=l
3200 GOTO 2500
3300 IF T=l THEN GOTO 3600
3350 PRINT J$;" NOT ON FILE"
3360 PRINT
3400 PRINT "HIT RETURN TO CONTINUE"
3450 PRINT
3500 INPUT K$
3600 RETURN
4000 PRINT "{CLR}":REM CLEAR SCREEN
4200 PRINT "ENTER EXPIRATION DATE"
4300 INPUT J$
4400 PRINT
4410 PRINT "DATE: ";J$
4420 PRINT
4430 PRINT
4500 GOSUB 10000
4600 IF A$="END" THEN GOTO 5300
54 COMPUTE! October 1983
|
5000 |
IF E$<>J$ THEN GOTO 4500 |
|
5100 |
GOSUB 9000 |
|
5150 |
LET T=l |
|
5200 |
GOTO 4500 |
|
5300 |
IF T=l THEN GOTO 5600 |
|
5350 |
PRINT "NONE EXPIRE ";J$ |
|
5360 |
|
|
5400 |
PRINT "HIT RETURN TO CONTINUE" |
|
5410 |
|
|
5500 |
INPUT K$ |
|
5600 |
RESTORE |
|
5700 |
RETURN |
|
6000 |
PRINT " { CLR} " : REM CLEAR SCREEN |
|
6200 |
PRINT "TO ENTER A FILE, PLACE" |
|
6350 |
PRINT "THE COMPUTER IN COM-" |
|
6400 |
PRINT "MAND MODE (THE MODE" |
|
6450 |
PRINT "BEFORE YOU TYPE RUN)." |
|
6500 |
PRINT "TYPE IN THE LINE NUM-" |
|
6550 |
PRINT "BER, ' DATA ' , THE FILE" |
|
6600 |
PRINT "NUMBER, THE BRAND NAME" |
|
6650 |
PRINT "THE PRODUCT, THE VALUE" |
|
6700 |
PRINT "AND EXPIRATION DATE." |
|
6710 |
|
|
6720 |
|
|
6800 |
PRINT "HIT RETURN TO CONTINUE" |
|
6900 |
INPUT K$ |
|
7000 |
RETURN |
|
7100 |
PRINT "{CLR}":REM CLEAR SCREEN |
|
7200 |
PRINT "ENTER PRODUCT" |
|
7300 |
INPUT J5 |
|
7400 |
|
|
7410 |
PRINT "PRODUCT: ";J$ |
|
7420 |
|
|
7430 |
|
|
7500 |
GOSUB 10000 |
|
7600 |
IF A?="END" THEN GOTO 8300 |
|
8000 |
IF C$<>J$ THEN GOTO 7500 |
|
8100 |
GOSUB 9000 |
|
8150 |
LET T=l |
|
8200 |
GOTO 7 500 |
|
8300 |
IF T=l THEN GOTO 8600 |
|
8350 |
PRINT J$;" NOT ON FILE" |
|
8360 |
|
|
8400 |
PRINT "HIT RETURN TO CONTINUE" |
|
8410 |
|
|
8500 |
INPUT K$ |
|
8600 |
RESTORE |
|
8610 |
RETURN |
|
9000 |
PRINT "FILE NUMBER>";A$ |
|
9010 |
|
|
9100 |
PRINT "BRAND {6 SPACES} >";B$ |
|
9110 |
|
|
9150 |
PRINT "PRODUCT {4 SPACES] >"; C? |
|
9160 |
|
|
9200 |
PRINT "VALUE {6 SPACES} >";D? |
|
9210 |
|
|
9300 |
PRINT "EXP. DATE {2 SPACES) >";E$ |
|
9310 |
|
|
9400 |
|
|
9410 |
PRINT "HIT X TO ABORT TO MENU" |
|
9420 |
PRINT "HIT RETURN TO CONTINUE" |
|
9500 |
INPUT K$ |
|
9540 |
IF K$="X" THEN RESTORE |
|
9550 |
IF K$="X" THEN GOTO 501 |
|
9600 |
RETURN |
|
10000 |
READ A$ |
|
10100 |
i IF A$="END" THEN RESTORE |
|
10110 |
i IF A$="END" THEN RETURN |
|
10200 |
i READ B$,C$,D$,E$ |
|
10300 |
i RETURN |
e
mi
e*spss
^#^»V»;.«
«S5^
/#'.■--'*
W-
' ^\^f^ ■
^^^^"^■'V
^t^'
r*:,'
©1983 McnoGRAPHCliuUiee. Inc. Atari 400/800 are registered trademarks ol Atari, Inc.
-.■■:'-'.\^<!, ',•, ■,-;3, \j£ijiT«
v
David Berdan
In this fast-action adventure gatne,
your mission is to maneuver through
the countryside until you reach the
castle and save the princess — if you
call. There are all sorts of dragons
you mustfitst conquer and a wily,
evil wizard in steady pursuit. The game has ~'^
four difficulty levels. Written for the unex-
panded VIC, versions are also included for the
64 and Atari. Joysticks are required.
This game involves tbiree courageous knights who have returned home from war only to find that the countryside surrounding their castle is infested with dragons that were placed there by an evil wizard. Trapped inside the castle is the beautiful princess, who anxiously awaits the first knight who can rescue her. One at a time the knights try to slay all the dragons and enter the castle to save the princess.
The knights quickly discover the many dangers of the hunt. A dragon vvHl eat anyone who comes near its head. The only way to get rid of one is to zap it in the stomach. Guarding the castle is a phantom dragon that can only be eliminated when all the others have been overcome. (The castle drawbridge will remain closed until he is conquered.) At times a dragon will appear from nowhere, and occasionally a dragon you thought you'd disposed of will reappear to have another try at
knight. And last, but certainly not the easiest of the perils, is the ~evil wizard himself, who chases
.-- the knights as they hunt the
^^~ — dragons. If the wizard catches a knight, the knight is destroyed.
;, - How To Play
■■ ~ Maneuver your knight through the
countryside with a joystick. You are
allowed three knights at the start, but
( 1^'*^. jl watch out - the knights can be consumed
T^-^'-*^-^^ - very quickly by a dragon.
When you encounter a dragon, you must act quickly. Using your fire button, aim at the dragon's stomach. This is its oiily vulnerable point.
You have no defense against the
evil wizard except speed. You must
be constantly aware of his distance
from you. Remember if he catches
you, your knight is destroyed.
VIC Dragonmoster
The original VIC version of "Dragonmaster" utilizes a program- mable character set. Since 232 numerical values were needed to create the 29 characters used in the game, it was necessary to create a data ■fife containing the numbers and read them ' ;in at the beginning of the program to build the custom characters.
o
-aas
WHEN YOU BUY AN ATARI" C0^4PUTER, WE PUT OUR EXPERTISE ON THE LINE
There's no limit to what you can do with a home computer... and no way any mere instruction man ual can help you discover all the possibilities.
So ATARI gives you the extra help you need: an ATARI computer expert to answer your questions. Free. He'll help you write your own programs, learn how to do new things, and diagnose problems when the things you're trying to do just don't work out.
It's the ATARI Help Line. A toll free hclp-and-information service to help you get more out
of your ATARI Computer. Just call 1-800-538-8543.*
And if you ever need anything fixed, ATARI has over 1,600 ATARI SERVICE^" Centers nationwide. You'll find the nearest one listed under "Computers" in your Yellow Pages.
ATARI SERVICE isn't the only good reason
to buy an ATARI system. But it's an awfully good reason not to choose any other kind.
MlHlfldClfVlbC
MCTORC AUTH0RIZH3 NETWCfK
1-800-538-8543' THE AIARI SERVICE'HELP LINE'
A.
* |y83 Atari, Inc. All Rights Reserved. O" A Wirner Communications Company
California; 1-800-672-1404
^iVi 3fl C I >:< yu . ^
RAT HOTEL" and SAVE NEW YORK!'- arc IrademotUs of Credlne iof.narf .
"Commodore". "VlC-20'. and -Commodore 64" ore trademarks o( Commodore Etecironics. Lid;
CREATIVE ^SOFTWARE
A Qlvitlon ol ASCI. Inc.
> Sunnyvale. CA 94089
Two Great Game Cartridges for Your Texas Instruments 99/4A^" Guaranteed to work on all present and future versions of the TI 99/4A
/^
I. ,_yi
~\'
,'./,
TM
\?m^
'ftiiii^
,TM
Ambulance^ and Driving Demon" are trademarks of Funw. itrc. Iti<. .
"Texiss In^iTuments," and "I'pxas Instiumetit.s 99/ 4 A" "Tl 99;-* A" are iT.itfeni.ir lis of Tp\a.s Jnsirumfrnis
A SubtldJiry al Crulive SiA\«»n
230 L Caribbean Drive • Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Program 1 is the main game program. Pro- gram 2 is the data file needed to establish the character set used in the game. (Please note that due to the need to protect a block of memory for the character set, the VIC version will run only on the unexpanded VIC, Please remove any RAM expansion cartridges.)
Carefully type in Program 1, check it for ac- curacy, and SAVE it on tape. If you try to RUN Program 1 at this time, it will want to input the data from the data file which has not yet been made. Next, type NEW and then type in Program 2. Be careful while typing in the numbers here, as any slip up will result in ill-formed characters. When you are certain that everything is right, RUN Program 2. Your VIC will ask you to press Record and Play before it starts writing the data on the tape imn^ediately following the copy of Program 1 . After a minute or so the screen will display DATATAPE CREATED and the tape will stop. It would be wise to save a copy of Program 2 a little farther down on the tape so that if you need it again you won't have to retype all those numbers.
Rewind the tape to the beginning of Program 1 and type LOAD. When the program has been read in, type RUN.
Difficulty Levels
The first thing to appear on the screen is the in- structions. You are asked to choose any of four skill levels by pressing the appropriate function key. The degree of difficulty is determined by how fast the wizard pursues the knight. The EASY level (Fl) presents a real challenge to the new- comer. You can expect to be defeated quite often while you are learning the finer points of the game. The next levels, HARD (F3) and VERY HARD (F5), are progressively difficult. The IMPOSSIBLE level (F7) is only for the expert. You must be ex- ceptionally alert and skillful with the joystick to get into the castle at this level.
If you'd rather not type in this program, I'll make copies (VIC version only). Just send a blank cassette, self-addressed stamped mailer, and $3 to:
David Benin n
3W20N.E. Big Rock Road '
Diivall, WA 9S019
BEFORE TYPING... If you're new to computing, please read ''How To Type COMPUTEI's Programs" and "A Beginner's Guide To Typing In Programs."
Program 1: Dragonmaster - Main Program (unexpanded VIC]
100 PRINT " { CLR} " : IFPEEK C 7448 ) =60ANDPEEK ( 7 679)=160THEN125
60 COMPUTf! October 1963
105 PRINT "DATA BEING READ IN"
110 OPENl, 1,0, "DATATAPE"
115 FORD=7448T07679:INPUT#l,A:POKED,A:NEX
T 120 CLOSEl:POKE56,29 125 CLR : PRINT " { CLR ) { BLK } " : U=36a 78 : DR=1 5 : K
=2:JS=3 7154:P=7712:SW=0:S1=U-2:GOSUB2
00;GOSUB280 130 ZZ=7912:POKEZZ,35 135 POKEJS,127:V=PEEK(JS-2)AND128 140 E=-CV=0) 5pOKEJS-2,255:V=PEEK(JS-3) 145 S=-((VAND8)=0) :W=-( CVAND16)=0) :N=-( (V
AND4)=0) :SW=-( {VAND32)=0) : Q=P 150 IFSANDPEEKCP+22)=32THENP=P+22 155 IFWANDPEEK(P-1)=32THENP=P-1 160 IFNANDPEEK(P-22)=32THENP=P-22 165 IFEANDPEEK(P+1)=32THENP=P+1 170 POKEP+30720,0
175 GOSUB420:IFQ<>PTHENPOKEQ,32:POKEP,53 180 IFSWTHENG0SUB375 185 IFPEEK (P+1) =3 70RPEEK(P+1 )=60ORPEEK ( P-
1 )=42THENGOSUB330 190 IFPEEK { P+22 ) =370RPEEK { P+22 ) =60ORPEEK (
P+22)=42THENGOSUB330 195 GOSUB470:GOTO135
200 PRINT"{D0WNH5 spaces) DRAGONMASTER" 205 PRINT" (down) OBJECT; BLAST ALL": PRINT"
{right} DRAGONS AND ENTER{5 RIGHT) CAST
LE TO MARRY 210 PRINT "PRINCESS. 215 PRINT" [down) ZAP DRAGONS FROM THE
[2 SPACES} FRONT WITH FIRE BUTTON 220 PRINT" E DOWN) MUST DEFEAT PHANTOM" : PRIN
T" DRAGON LAST 225 PRINT: PRINT "PRESS; Fl-EASY" :PRINTTAB(
7) "P3-HARD" 230 PRINTTAB(7) "F5-VERY HARD" ; PRINTTAB (7 )
"F7-IMP0SSIBLE" 235 SL=15:GETA5:IFA$=""THEN235 240 IFA?<CHR? { 134 )0RA$ >CHR$ ( 136 ) THENPRINT
"{CLR} ": RETURN 245 IFA?=CHR$ (134) THENSL=1 0 : PRINT " [ CLR) " :
RETURN 250 1FA$=CHR$ (135) THENSL=6 : PRINT " £ CLR) " ; R
ETURN 255 SL=3 : PRINT"! CLR) ": RETURN 260 CL=INTCRND(1)*2)*2 265 CS=L+30720 : POKECS , CL : POKECS+1 , CL : POKE
CS+22 , CL:POKECS+23 , CL 270 P0KEL,M:P0KEL+1 ,M+1 :P0KEL+22,M+2:P0KE
L+2 3, M+3: RETURN 275 P0KEL,32:P0KEL+1, 3 2 :P0KEL+22 , 32 : POKEL
+23,32: RETURN 280 F0RI=1T0126:PRINT"{4 SPACES) "; :NEXT: P
RINT" {home} ":POKE3a905,0 285 POKEU+1,30:FORC=7424TO7431 :POKEC,0:NE
XT:POKEU-9,255 290 L=7888:M=45:CL=7:GOSUB265 :POKE3B629,C
L : POKE7909 , 49 : CL=4 : L=L-3 : M=60 : GOSUB26
5:F=36 295 FORX=7680TO7701 : POKEX, F:NEXT:FORX=770
2T08142STEP22 : POKEX , F : POKEX+2 1 , F : NEXT 300 F0RX=81 64T08185 : POKEX , F : NEXT : F0RX=1T0
X5:Z=INTCRND(1)*2) 305 READA:M=41:L=7726+A:IFZTHENM=37 310 GOSUB260:NEXT:POKEU,15:POKE7712,53:PO
KE7693,53:POKE7694,53 315 DATA 1,15,31,69,101,111,199,206,212,2
68,275,316,353,362,367 320 FORX=49TO52:POKE7909,X:POKES1, (X-44)*
28 : FORT=1TO1000 : NEXT : NEXT : GOSUB325 : RE
TURN
WE INTERRUPT THIS AD TO BRING YOU THIS IMPORTANT PROGRAM...
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325 POKEU,0:POKES1,0: RETURN
330 POKEU ,15: F0RF=1T02 : F0RX=1 30TO200 ; POKE
SI, X: NEXT 335 FORX=200TO130STEP-1:POKES1,X:NEXT:POK
EP,F+53:NEXT:GOSUB325 340 POKE7695-K, 36 :K=K-1 : IFK=-lTHEN455 345 POKEP,32:P=7712 : POKEP, 53 : RETURN 350 L=P-21 :M=56 :CL=0 :GOSUB265 :GOSUB400 :L=
P-21 :GOSUB275 : POKEU, 15 355 FORX=52TO49STEP-1:POKE7909,X:POKES1, (
X-44 ) *28 : FORT=1TO1000 : NEXT : NEXT : GOSUB
325 360 FORX=7907TO7909 : POKEX-1 , 32 ;POKEX+3072
0,0: POKEX , 53 : FORT=1TO1000 : NEXT :NEXT : P
OKEX,32 365 POKEU+1 , 59 : POKEU-9 , 240 : PRINT " { CLR} " : P
0KE214, 22: PRINT: PRINT" {4 RIGHT} AND TH
EY LIVED" 3 70 PRINT" {down} {2 RIGHT } HAPPILY EVER AFT
ER":GOTO460 375 CL=0 :X=PEEK ( P+1 ) : Y=PEEK ( P-1) : IFX=62AN
DDR=0THEN350 380 IFX0 39ANDY0 44THENRETUEN 385 IFX=39THENI,=P-21:M=56:GOSUB265 390 IFY=44THENL=P-24:M=56;GOSUB265 395 DR=DR-1 400 POKEU, 15 :FORX=250TO128STEP-1 :P0KES1 ,X
:NEXT:GOSUB325 405 IPPEEK{P+l)=5BTHENL=P-21:GOSUB275 410 IFPEEK{P-1)=59THENL=P-24:G0SUB275 415 RETURN 420 H=INT ( RND (l)*414)+7726: BB=INT ( RND ( 1 ) *
2) :X=PEEK(H) 425 IFX=37THENL=H:M=41:GOSUB260: RETURN 430 IFX=41THENL=H:M=37:GOSUB260: RETURN 435 IFH<>7731ANDH<>7822ANDH<>7874ANDH<>80
05ANDHO8106THENRETURN 440 IFX<>320RPEEK(H+l)<>320RPEEK(H+22)<>3
20RPEEK(H+23)<>32THENRETURN 445 I FBB=1THENL=H : M=3 7 : DR=DR+1 : G0SUB265 : R
ETURN 450 L=H : M=41 : DR=DR+1 : G0SUB26 5 : RETURN 455 POKEU-9 , 240 : POKEU+1 , 59 : PRINT" { CLR} " : P
OKE214,22:PRINT:PRINT"[3 RIGHT}THE DR AGONS WIN" 460 FORX=1TO23:PRINT:FORT=1TO150:NEXT:NEX
T 465 POKEU+1, 27 :GOT0125 470 CW=tCW+l)AND7:IFCW=lTHENCW=2 475 POKEZZ+30720 , CW: CC=CC+1 : IFCC=SLTHEN48
5 480 RETURN 485 I2=INT( (2Z-7680}/22) :IP=INT( Cp-7680)/
22);NZ=INTUIZ+IP)/2)*22 490 N2=NZ+(P-IP*22+ZZ-IZ*22)/2:CC=1 495 IFPEEK(NZ)=32THENPOKEZZ,32:POKENZ,35:
GOTO510 500 IFPEEK(NZ)=53THENGOSUB330 505 RETURN 510 ZZ=NZ ; IFPEEK( ZZ+1 )=530RPEEK( ZZ-1 }=530
RPEEK(ZZ+22)=530RPEEKCZZ-22)=53THENGO
SUB330 515 RETURN
Program 2: Dragonmaster - Data Fire (for VIC)
1 OPENl,l,2, "DATATAPE"
2 READX: PRINT* 1,X:IFX=-1THEN4
3 G0T02
4 CLOSEl: PRINT "DATATAPE CREATED"
5 END
10 DATA60, 66, 165, 129, 153,165,66,60,170,85
62 COMPirtS! October 1983
,170,85,170,85,170,85,0,56,108,254,15 20 DATA15, 3 1,3 1,0, 0,0, 0,1, 6, 12, 152, 255, 63
,63,31,31,15,31,61,176,17 6,152,216,220 30 DATA252, 248, 224, 0,0, 0,0, 128, 96, 48, 25,0
,28,54,127,240,240,248,248,13,13,25,27 40 DATA59, 63, 31, 7, 25 5, 252, 252, 248, 248, 240
,248,188,0,0,84,124,108,56,56,189 50 DATA21, 31, 27, 31, 14, 14, 14, 94, 255, 255, 25
5,255,170,255,255,0,254,254,254,254,17
0 60 DATA254, 254, 0,0, 0,0, 0,0, 0,25 5, 0,0, 0,0,
32,24,6,1,0,0,0,16,8,4,2,1,0,0,8 70 DATA4, 4, 2, 2, 1,0, 24, 126, 90, 2 19, 24, 36, 66
,195,0,24,60,90,24,36,0,0,0,0,0 80 DATA24, 24, 0,0, 0,16, 0,2, 72, 2, 21, 75, 21,1
30,16,64,162,72,160,90,224,7,42 90 DATA133, 18, 5, 32, 4, 0,168, 210, 168, 64, IB,
64,8,32,0,40,68,82,5,10,21,10,0,0,0,0 100 DATAl, 2, 4, 16, 85, 42, 21, 10, 21, 10, 21, 40, 128,144,0,144,72,164,80,160,-1
A dragon turns to dust in "Dragonmaster," VIC version.
Program 3: Dragonmaster - 64 Version
Translation by Chus Metcclf, Programming Assistant
1000
1010
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1030 1040
1050 1060 1070 1080
1090 1100
1110 1120 1130 1140 1150 1160
PRINT" { CLR } E7 3 " : POKE53 280 , 14 : POKE5 3281,6
IFPEEK( 14846 )=80ANDPEEK{ 14847 )=160TH EN1070
PRlNTTAB(14)"l8 DOWN} PLEASE WAIT": PR INTTAB(11}"DATA BEING READ IN" F0RI=1T024 : READA : NEXT
FORD=14616TOl4847:READA: POKED, A:NEXT POKE52,57:POKE56,57
REM RESTART PROGRAM
CLR : PRINT " { CLR} E 7 3 " : DR=24 : K=2 : P=10
84 : 51=54276 : 32=54283 :GOSUB1260 : GOSUB
1490
P0KES2-1 , 3 : P0KES2+1 , 8 : POKES2+2 , 0
ZZ=1446:POKEZZ,35:GR(0)=1;GR{1)=12:G
R(2)=11:GR(3)=0:GRC4)=11:GR(5)=12
V=31-PEEK(56320)AND31:Q=P IFVAND2 ANDPEEK ( P+40 ) =3 2THENP=P+40 IFVAND4ANDPEEK ( P-1 ) =32THENP=P-1 IFVANDIANDPEEK ( P-40 ) =3 2THENP=P-40 IFVAND8ANDPEEK ( P+1 ) =3 2THENP=P+1
^Mm
WARNING 1'.
This Q--- y^iett as strategy as v»
•^■SlfiVi'^TSS
y^
.■r&Ol 400/600/800'
r
CASSETTE DISK
3^,S.MAX^NELL-"^ T. LYNDON
'Jrif-'i;, ^Sii^?;
T-^''"??;?!'^
32K-DISK o <E24.95
Games are 100% machine 'ana^Bfle
,or supeHBSt
action-
rffl
^>
-r!^s":s';5'
roptice'orc«uec.u.-
Dealer inquiries'
nuited-
CA S'iSO'i
•Atari'', "Commodore", and ■TRS-BO" are trademarks ot Atari Inc.. Commodore Inc.. and Tandy Corp. respectively.
1170 POKES2,8:POKEP+54272,GR(GR) :GR=GR+1 :
IFGR=6THENGR=0 1180 GOSUB1930:IFQ<>PTHENPOKEQ,32:POKEP,5
3 : P0KES2 , 65 : POKES2-3 , 3 1190 IFVAND16THENGOSUB1800 1200 IFPEEK ( P+1 ) =370RPEEK C P+1 ) =60ORPEEK ( P
-1 )=42THENGOSUB1640 1210 IFPEEK ( P+40 ) =370RPEEK ( P+40 ) =60ORPEEK
( P+40 ) =4 2THENGOSUB1 640
GOSUB2090 : GOTO1120
1220 1230 1240 1250 1260 1270
1280
1290
1300
1310 1320
1330
1340 1350
1360
1370
1380 1390 1400 1410 1420 1430
REM INSTRUCTIONS AND SKILL LEVEL PRINTTAB(8) "*** 64 DRAGONMASTER ***" PRINT" {2 down} OBJECT: BLAST ALL DRA GONS f^D ENTER"
PRINT" {2 SPACES} THE CASTLE TO MARRY {space} THE PRINCESS."
PRINT" {2 down} zap THE DRAGONS FROM {space} THE FRONT WITH"
PRINT "{2 SPACES] THE FIRE BUTTON, BU T STAY AWAY":PRINT"C2 SPACESJFROM TH EIR HEADS J "
PRINT" {2 down! you MUST ELIMINATE PH ANTOM DRAGON LAST"
PRINT" [2 DOWN] [2 SPACES}PRESS: Fl — EASy":PRINTTAB(9) "{doWN}F3 — STAND ARD"
PRINTTAB(9) "{D0WN}f5 — VERY HARD":P RINTTAB(9)"{D0WN)F7 — EXTREMELY HAR D"
SL=15 : GETA$ : IFA$=" "THENl 340 IFA? < CHR? ( 1 34 J ORA$ > CHR$ { 136 ) THENPRIN T"{CLR] ": RETURN
IFA$=" { F3 } "THENSL=10 : PRINT" { CLR} " : RE TURN
IFA$= " { F5 } "THENSL=6 : PRINT " [ CLR} " : RET URN SL=3 : PRINT " I CLR] " : RETURN
REM DRAW AND ERASE DRAGONS, ETC.
CL=INT ( RND{ 1 ) *2 ) *2
CS=L+54272:P0KECS,CL:P0KECS+1,CL;P0K
ECS+40 , CL : POKECS+41 , CL 1440 POKEL , M: POKEL+1 , M+1 : POKEL+40 , M+2 : POK
EL+41,M+3: RETURN 1450 POKEL , 32 : POKEL+1 , 32 : POKEL+40 ,32: POKE
L+41, 32: RETURN 1460 : 1470 :
1480 REM INITIALIZE PLAYFIELD, DRAGONS 1490 POKE53265,0:POKE53280,6 1500 POKE53281 , 0 : PRINT " { CLR} " : POKE532B1 , 1
5 : FORC=145 92T0145 99 : POKEC , 0 : NEXT : CL=
11 1510 L=1404:M=45:GOSUB1430:POKE1443,49:L=
L-3 : M=60 : GOSUB1430 : F=36 1520 FORX=1024TO1063:POKEX,F:NEXT:FORX=10
64T01 944STEP40 : POKEX , F : POKEX+39 , F : NE
XT 1530 FORX=1984TO2023 : POKEX , F : NEXT : F0RX=1T
024 : Z=INT ( RND ( 1 } *2 ) 1540 READA:M=41:L=1106+A:IFZTHENM=37 1550 GOSUB1420:NEXT:POKE53272,31:POKE1084
, 53 :POKE1047 , 53 :POKE1048, 53 1560 DATA 1,30,65,82,91,138,203,222,234,3
01,329,345,401,412,424,456,536 1570 DATA 550,567,632,690,706,724,734 1580 P0KE54296, 15 :POKE54277 , 138 :P0KE5427a
,0:POKE53265,27 1590 F0RX=49TO52:P0KE1443,X:POKE54273, (X-
M COMPUTE October 1983
Dragon master For The 64 And Atari
Chris Metcolf, Programming Assistant
Tlie Connmodore 64 version of "Dragon- master" runs much the same as the VIC ver- sion. However, the colors are somewhat different. You will find that you are a flashing figure in shades of gray, a feature which could not be implemented on the VIC due to the memory shortage. The pursuing wizard flashes all the colors of the rainbow (magic!) and, by his mystic powers, pursues you by always halving the distance between you. If at any point his leap brings him to within one square of you, you're finished.
The dragons are the main obstacle in your chivalrous adventure. To eliminate a dragon, you have to move directly in front of his stomach and press the fire button. The dragon will disappear. The phantom dragon guarding the gates must be dispatched last. You will find that the dragons do move about and change color now and then, but this is only restlessness. In addition, a dragon will occasionally appear from nowhere to test your mettle.
The programming techniques involved in this version, as in tine VIC version, are fairly straightforward. Programmable char- acters are used for dragons, castle, walls, knights, wizard, etc. The data for these char- acters is stored from 14336 to 16384, although the program uses only a part of this. The characters are put on the screen by POKEs, as are their colors (the color screen on the 64 is from 55296 to 56295). Simple sounds are created using two voices of the SID chip. Voice one controls dragon and the knights elimination as well as drawbridge noises; voice two maintains the movement noise.
The Atari version also employs pro- grammable characters (the same data, in fact), located in the block of 512 bytes below the top of your available memory. The colors used are somewhat different. The castle and outside walls, the dragons, the wizard, and the knight each use different color registers, Graphics mode 1 is used to simulate the VlC's 22-column display as closely as pos- sible. The sound used is simple Atari sound. However, the program is basically the same as the VIC version in terms of play.
f^^ '>>>^. uinE Y"^^ vo«
Yo&j Won't Just Sit There
ARCADE ACTION AT ITS VERY BEST
Snow Cave
Ice Lasers
When you help SNOKtE rescue his girlfriend CARA, the action really starts! CARA, held captive by the GRODIES, needs to be rescued - now! It won't be easy. SNOKIE will face all the natural perils of the arctic including snow-boulders, glacier crevasses, moving ice-blocks and falling icicles. Also there are ice lasers and cold rays, installed by the GRODIES. Take the challenge. Go for itj
ATARI
400/600/800/1200/1400/1450
1BK TAPE or 3ZK DISK
S34.gS
by: Y. LEMPEREUR
Game design: A. Marsily
^
ainsoFT
i^^
28611 Canwood St., Agoura, CA 91301 [213] 991-6540
Dealer inquiries inuited.
"Atari" and -'Commodore" are trademarks ol Atari Inc., and Commodore inc. respecliveiy.
COMMODORE 64 Tape or Disk
534.95 by: T. Lyndon
If unavailable from your local dealer, send $34.95 plus 52.00 shipping.
WW0^-:.C
48)*10:POKES1,8!POKES1,17 1600 FORT=1TO800: NEXT: NEXT :GOSUB1680;RETU
RN 1610 : 1620 : 1630 1640
REM PHANTOM DRAGON DIES, VICTORY
FORF=lT02 : POKES! , 8 : POKESl , 33 : FOEX=0T
O40STEP.8:POKE54273,X:NEXT
POKESl , 8 : POKESl , 33 : FORX=40TO0STEP- . 8
:POKE54273,X:NEXT
POKEP , F+5 3 : NEXT : POKESl , 8
POKE1049-K,36:K=K-1:IFK<0THEN2030
POKEP , 3 2 : P=l 084 : POKEP ,53: RETURN
L=P-39 : CL=1 :M=56 :GOSUB1430 :GOSUB1860
:L=P~39:GOSUB1450: POKES 3272, 31
POKE54277 , 138 :POKE54278, 0
F0RX=5 2T049STEP-1 : P0KE1443 , X : POKESl ,
8:POKESl,33:POKE54273, (X-4B)*10
FORT=1TO800 : NEXT : NEXT : POKESl , 8
FORX=1441T01443:POKEX-l,32:POKEX+542
72,1:POKEX,53:FORT=1TO800:NEXT:NEXT
PRINT" ICLR] " : POKE53280 , 7 : POKE53281 , 7
POKE53272,21 iPRINT" [CLRJ £2^ "TAB{13
)"{22 DOWN] AND THEY LIVED"
PRINTTAB(ll) "{DOWNJHAPPILY EVER AFTE
R":GOTO2050
1650
1660
1670 1680 1690
1700
1710
1720 1730
1740 1750
1760
1770 1780
1790 1800
1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860
1870
1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
1940
1950 1960 1970
1980
1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040
2050
2060
2070 :
2080 REM THE EVIL WIZARD MOVES
2090 CW= ( CW+1 ) ANDl 5 : IFCW=1 5THENCW=0
2100 CC=CC+1 :POKEZZ+54272 , CW: IFCC<>SLTHEN
RETURN 2110 IZ=INT( (ZZ-1024)/40) :IP=INT( (P-1024)
/40) :NZ=INT( (lZ+IP)/2)*40 2120 NZ=NZ+(P-IP*40+ZZ-IZ*40)/2:CC=1 2130 IFPEEKCNZ)<>32THENRETURN 66 COMPUTE! October 1983
REM ELIMINATE A DRAGON
CL=0:X=PEEK(P+1}:Y=PEEKCP-1J :IFX=62A
NDDR=0THEN1690
IFX0 39ANDY0 44THENRETURN IFX=39THENL=P-39 :M=56 :GOSUB1430 IFY=44THENL=P-42 :M=56 :GOSUB1430 DR=DR-1
POKESl , 8 : POKESl , 129 : FORX=20TO0STEP- . 25 : POKE54273 , X : NEXT : POKESl , 8 IFPEEK(P+1)=58THENL=P-39:GOSUB1450 I FPEEK ( P-1 ) =59THENL=P-42 : GOSUBl 450 RETURN
REM TURN DRAGON / CREATE A NEW ONE
H=INT(RND(1J*835)+1106:L=H:BB=INT(RN
D(l)*2) :X=PEEK(H)
IFX=37THENM=41 : GOSUB1420 : RETURN
IFX=41THENM=3 7: GOSUBl 420: RETURN
IFRNDC1)> .033THENRETURN
FORI=-80TO120STEP40 : FORJ=-2T03 : IFPEE
K(H+I+J) 0 32THENRETURN
NEXT : NEXT : M=41 ; DR=DR+1 : IFBB=1THENM=3
7
GOSUB1420 : RETURN
REM THE DRAGONS HAVE WON
PRINT"[CLR)":POKE53280,2:POKE53281,2
POKE53272,21:PRINT"{CLR]g33"TABCl3
)"{24 DOWNJTHE DRAGONS WIN"
FORX=1TO23:PRINT:FORT=1TO150:NEXT:NE
XT:POKE53280,14:POKE53281,6:GOTO1080
A knight zaps a dragon in "Dmgoivnaster," 64 version.
2140 POKEZZ, 32 : POKENZ, 35 : ZZ=NZ :P0KEZZ+542
72, CW 2150 ZZ=NZ:IFPEEK(ZS+1)=530RPEEK(ZZ-1)=53
ORPEEK( ZZ+40 )=53THENGOSUB1640 2160 IFZZ> H03ANDPEEK( ZZ-40 ) =53THENGOSUBl
640 2170 RETURN 2180 : 2190 : 2200 DATA60, 66, 165, 129, 153, 165, 66, 50, 170,
85,170,85,170,85,170,85 2210 DATA0, 56, 108, 254, 15, 15, 31, 31, 0,0, 0,0
,1,6,12,152 2220 DATA255, 63, 63, 31, 3 1,1 5, 31, 61, 176, 176
,152,216,220,252,248,224 2230 DATA0, 0,0, 0,128, 96, 48, 25, 0,28, 54, 127
,240,240,248,248 2240 DATA13, 13, 25, 27, 59, 63, 3 1,7, 255, 252, 2
52,248,248,240,248,188 2250 DATA0, 0.84, 124, 108, 56, 56, 189, 21, 3 1,2
7,31,14,14,14,94 2260 DATA255, 255, 255, 255, 170, 255, 255, 0,25
4,254,254,254,170,254,254,0 2270 DATA0, 0,0, 0,0, 0,255, 0,0, 0,0, 32, 24, 6,
1,0 2280 DATA0, 0,16, 8, 4, 2, 1,0, 0,8, 4, 4, 2, 2, 1,0 2290 DATA24, 126, 90, 2 19, 24, 36, 66, 195, 0,24,
60,90,24,36,0,0 2300 DATA0, 0,0, 24, 24, 0,0, 0,16, 0,2, 72, 2, 21
,75,21 2310 DATAl 30, 16, 64, 162, 72, 160, 90, 224, 7, 42
,133,18,5,32,4,0 2320 DATA168,210,168,64,18,64,8,32,0,40,6
8,82,5,10,21,10 2330 DATA0, 0,0, 0,1, 2, 4, 16, 85, 42, 21, 10, 21,
10,21,40 2340 DATA128,144,0,144,72,164,80,160
Program 4: Dragonmaster- Atari version
Translation by Chris Metcolf, F'rogramming Assistant
1000 GOSUB Z270:PQKE 77,0;POKE 752,1
: SC = PEEK <8B) +PEEK (89) »256 1010 CH=PEEK (742) *2S6-1024 1020 IF PEEK (CH+24) =60 AND PEEK(CH+2
55)=160 THEN 1060 1030 POSITION 4,9:PRINT #6; "PLEASE W
AIT":PRINT #6sPRINT «6;" DATA B
EING READ IN"
'VE GOT TO DIG DEEP TO FIND
A MORE EXCITING GAME
THAN MINER 2049ER:
Now, Reston brings Commodore VIC-20" and Commodore 64" owners one of the hottest home computer games ever created — Miner 2049er" Help the legendary Mountie, Bounty Bob'" chase the dastardly Yukon Yohan through an obandoned uranium mine — all ten levels of it. But you've got to avoid the deadly radiooc- tive mutants. And watch out for pulverizers, explosives, slides ond foils. And grab all the treasure you can along the way. And beat the clock. Any computer game you've played up to now has just been practice for Miner 2049©^'" It's fast and furious, a gold mine of action for the serious computer gamer. And Commodore VIC-20'" and Commodore 64" owners can get it only from Reston. A Creative Pastime " from /i
Ke^tot :>o^ytfan.t
A Prentice-Hall Company
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Available at your local computer retailer or call us at
(800) 336-0338.
Commodore VIC-20 and Commodore 6^ ore registered -trademarks of Commodore Computer, inc.
Miner 2049er and Bounty flab are registered trademarks a( Big Five Software.
,^.M:..u.,. ...... .msmms&m mi- ^.i^c^ius^:.
RINT #6:
tS SPACEB>
-t*^iir-Mir
'Dragonmaster , " Atari version.
1040
1050 1060 1070
1080 1090 1 100 1110 1 120
1130
1140
1150
1 160
1170 tlB0 1190
1200
1210 1220 1230
1240
1250
1260
1270
1280
1290 1300
AND PEE
PEEK (P+1
P,53
AND PEE 1490
FOR 1=1 TO 15:READ A:NEXT I : FOR
D=CH+24 TO CH+255:READ fl:POKE D,A:NEXT D REM
REM l;iife*rf:l:>J::;ftM;T;1g RESTORE : DR=15:K=2: P=BC+30: GR=0 ; CW = 0
GOSUB 1240:6OSUB 1450 ZZ=SC+212:POKE 22,35+192 REM
V=15-STICK (0) : Q=P: V=V/2 IF V<>INT<V) AND PEEK(P-20)=0 T HEN P=P-20
V=INT CV) /2: IF V<>INT<V) K<P+20)=0 THEN P=P+20 V=INT (V) /2: IF V<>INT(V) K(P-1)=0 THEN P=P-1 V = INT (V) /2: IF VO0 AND )=0 THEN P=P+1
IF OOP THEN POKE Q,0:PDKE +12B:S0UND 1,100,6,15 GOSUB lBa0:SOUND 1,0,0,0 IF STRIG(0)=0 THEN GOSUB 1760 IF PEEK(P+1)=37 OR PEEK(P+1)=60 +64 OR PEEK(P-1)=42 THEN GOSUB 1590
IF PEEK (P+20) =37 OR PEEK(P+20)= 60 + 64 OR PEEK (P + 20) =42 THEN GOS UB 1590
GOSUB 2020:GDTO 1110 REM REM H:fe*<;llI^**iJ.i-M:i;i>^fc>:*i<WiWW=t.'Ja
I!
GOSUB 2270: POSITI DN 4,i:PRINT # 6: "P!IJ^t-t.1t':.T^t--4TJB" : PRINT #6: PRINT #6
MiHlsOii BLAST ALL": ■■ DRAGONS AND ENTER" ■• CASTLE TO RESCUE"-. PR PRINCESS. ": PRINT #6; PR
1310 PRINT #6;"<:3 SPACES!
BT": PRINT #6;"<3 SPACES>|
EE^a?IE" :SL=15: GR = 0 1320 A=PEEKC764) : IF PEEK ( 764 ) =255 TH
EN GR=GR+0. 4; GR=GR- (eR>=256) *25
6+( INT(GR)=198) ;POKE 711,INT(GR
) : GOTO 1320 1330 POKE 764,255:GOSUB 2270:POKE 75
6,CH/256:IF A=30 THEN SL=10:RET
URN
IF A=26 THEN SL=6: RETURN
IF A=24 THEN SL=3: RETURN
RETURN
REM
REM
DRHW flMD ERRSE DRflGOMS . ETI
CL = 0
caL=CL»64
POKE L,M+COL:POKE L+1,
OKE L+20,M+2+COL: POKE
COL; RETURN
POKE L,0;POKE L+1,0;POKE L+20,0
:POKE L+21,0:RETURN
REM
REM
|
1340 |
|
1350 |
|
1360 |
|
1370 |
|
1380 |
|
1390 |
|
1400 |
|
1410 |
M+l+COL: P
L+21,M+3+
1420
1430 1440
1450 1460
1470
1480
PRINT #6; PRINT #6; PRINT #6; INT #6; INT #6 PRINT #6; RINT #6;"
Barn: dragons from":p
FRONT WITH BUTTON.":?
RINT #6:PRINT tt6
PRINT #6;" ELIMINATE HmEIEE" : PRINT #6;" lJ:T:Trfii: LAST. "
PRINT #6:PRINT #6
PRINT #6;"C3 ■^ParFRi iM-MJ.tar" : P
1500 1510
1520
1530 1540
1550 1560 1570 1580 1590
1600
1610 1620
1630
1640 1650
1660 1670 1680
1690
IHITIHLIZE plrvfj:ei-i> drrgo
a
GOSUB 2270:POKE 756,CH/256
FOR C = CH TO CH + 7:POI<E C,0:NEXT
CiCL=l
L=SC+190: M=45: GOSUB 1400:POKE S
C+209, 49+64: L=L-3j M=60: GOSUB 14
00: F=36+128
FDR X=SC TO SC+19:P0KE X,F:NEXT
X:FOR X=SC TO SC + 460 STEP 20: P OKE X,F;POKE X+19,F:NEXT X FOR X=SC+460 TO SC+479:P0KE X,F iNEXT X:FOR X=l TO 15:Z=INT<RND ( 1 J «2) READ A: M=41 : L=SC+42+A: IF Z THEN
M = 37 GOSUB 1390rNEXT XsPOKE 756,CH/2 56:P0KE SC+30 , 53+ 1 28 : POKE SC+13 ,53+128:P0KE SC+14, 53+128 DATA 1,14,31,69,101,111,200,206 ,212, 268, 274, 314, 353, 362, 367 FOR X=49 TO 52:POKE SC+209,X+64 FOR T=l TO 75:S0UND 0,(S4-X)«40 , 10, 15-T/5:NEXT TiNEXT X GOSUB 1630 RETURN REM
REM m^>*^^ii;i.M:l;; Wh^W M |i| I FOR F=l TO 2:F0R X=150 TO 80 BT EP -1:B0UND 0, X , 1 0, 1 5 : NEXT X FOR X=80 TO 150:SDUND 0,X,10,15 :NEXT X:SOUND 0,0,0,0 POKE P, F+53+ 12B: NEXT F POKE SC+15-K, 36+128: K=K-1 : IF K< 0 THEN 1970
0: P=SC+30: POKE P, 53+128:
PHOMTOM DRHGOH DIE3 J UICTOl
POKE P,
RETURN
REM
REM
D
L=P-19: CL=0: M=56:G0SUB 1400
GDBUB 1820: L=P-19: GOSUB 1420
FOR X=52 TO 49 STEP -1:P0KE SC+
209,X+64:FOR T=l TO 75
SOUND 0, (54-X) «40, 10, 15-T/5: NEX
T T:NEXT X
68 COMPUTl! October 1983
AiGSoftwcae
fiihosthe , ^ iGomeWon
' 11 : riw's defense ^orcej-JJe^^^^^^^^ ^.^^ ^,gh, leve^s^^^^^ ^^^^^
0. 600, 12C
1 yourself. , for hours.
thef^exttimeyourerea for you! ,
, TO outmoneu-
NlGHTSTRll^E
CAToriVersionl
Oneortwoployers i6K Required
. ^ •'•«5!^
„.HT.T.mEcn.0.O,CSo.e.
.VJ^
DROIDS
S^ieS^ofploy Oneo'tv.oployers
.^,ori 400.600 «'^'* i^!;
ol Aiori. inc. .»VlC20i3atTode(tiarkof Com«.odOTe0ec.ro.^ics.
1700
1710
1720
1730
17A0 1750 1760
1770 1780
1790
1800 1810 1820
1830
1B40
1050 1860 1870 1880
1B90
1900
1910 1920
1930
1940 1950 1960 1970
1980
1990
2000 2010 2020
2030
2040
2050
2060 2070 2080
2090
2100 21 10
FOR X=SC+ ,0:POKE X NEXT T:Ne GRAPHICS LOR 2,2,6 POKE 756, NT "AND T PRINT : PR
EVER AFT REM REM CL-0Z X=PE
X=62-t-64 IF X<>39 IF X=39 T 1400
IF Y=44 T 1400 DR=DR-1 REM
FOR X=200 5:NEXT X: IF PEEK(P UB 1420 IF PEEK<P UB 1420 RETURN REM REM H=INT (RND INT(RND(1
207 TO 5C+209:POKE X-1
,53+12a:F0R T=l TO 75:
XT X
0:SETCOLOR 4,2,6:SETC0
: SETCQLOR 1,1,2
224:P0SITIDN 13,23:PRI
HEY LIVED"
INT "<9 SPACES>HAPPILY
ER":GOTD 1990
ELXMINHTE R DRRGO
EK <P+1 ) :y = PEEK(P-l > : IF AND DR=0 THEN 1660 AND Y044 THEN RETURN HEN L=P-19: M=56: BDSUB
HEN L = P-22: M=56: GOSUB
TO 255:S0UND 0,X,10,1 SOUND 0,0,0,0 +1)=58 THEN L=P-19:GOS
-1)=59 THEN L=P-22iGOS
TURN DRRGON, CRERTE HEH ON
(1) t396)+SC+42:L=H:BB= ) «2) : X=PEEK(H)
IF X
TURN
IF X
TURN
IF R
FOR
2 TO
RN
NEXT
B=l
BOSU
REM
REM
GRAP
LOR
POKE
NT "
POKE
: FDR
TO 1
REM
REM
CW = C
6
POKE
HEN
IZ=I
> /20
NZ = N
s IF
1590
IF P
POKE
IF P
+ 20)
8 TH
IF Z
128
RETU
REM
=37 THEN M=41:G0SU
=41 THEN M=37:B0SU
ND ( 1 ) >0. 033 THEN R
I=-40 TO 60 STEP 2
3: IF PEEK (H+I+J>
J:NEXT I:M=41:DR= THEN M=37 B 1390: RETURN
B 139a:RE
B 1390:RE
ETURN 0:FOR J=- THEN RETU
DR+1 : IF B
2120 2130 2140 2150 2160 2170 21B0
2190 2200 2210 2220 2230 2240 2250 2260 2270
THE DRRQONS HRUE HO
HICS 0:SETCOLOR 4,
2, 4, 4: SETCOLOR 1,4 756, 224: POSITION
THE DRAGONS WIN" 752, 1 : FOR X=l TO T=l TO 35:NEXT T:
060
4, 4:SETC0
,8
13, 23: PRI
23: PRINT NEXT X:GO
THE EMIU HXZRRD MOUE3
W+7:1F CW>255 THEN
71 1 ,CW:CC = CC+1 : IF RETURN
NT ( ( ZZ-SC ) /20) : IP = ) : NZ=INT < C I Z + IP) /2 Z+CP-IP»20+ZZ-IZ«2 PEEK (NZ) =53+12B TH
CW=CW-25
CCOSL T
INT < fP-SC ) »20
0) /2: CC=1 EN GOSUB
iN
92: 2Z=NZ )R PEEKCZZ 1 ) =53+12
EEK(NZ) THEN RETURI ZZ,0:POKE NZ,35+1 EEK ( ZZ+ 1 ) =53+ 128 Ol =53+12B OR PEEKCZZ EN GOSUB 1590
Z>SC+39 AND PEEK CZZ-20) =53+ THEN GOSUB 1590 RN r.l!M:r;T.H4:1>T:^J:
DATA 60, 66, 1 0, 170, 85, 170 DATA 0, 56, 10 ,0,0,0, 1,6, 1 DATA 255,63, 76, 176, 152, 2 DATA 0,0,0,0 54, 127, 240, 2 DATA 13, 13,2
52, 248 DATA 0,0,84, 1 ,31 ,27, 31 , i DATA 255,255 5,0. 254, 254, ,0
DATA 0,0,0,0 ,24, 6,1,0 DATA 0,0, 16, ,2,1,0
DATA 24, 126, , 0, 24, 60, 90. DATA 0,0,0,2 2,2,21,75,21 DATA 130, 16, 4, 7, 42, 133, 1 DATA 168,210 0, 40, 68, 82, 5 DATA 0,0,0,0 10,21, 10,21, DATA 128.144 0
GRAPHICS 17: COLOR 0,0,0: COLOR 2,4,25
65, 129, 153, 165, 66, 6
, 85, 170, 85, 170, 85
B, 254, 15, 15.31,31,0
2, 152
63, 31, 31, 15,31,61, 1
16,220, 252,248, 224
, 128,96, 48, 25, 0,28,
40, 248, 24B
5, 27, 59, 63, 31,7, 255
, 248, 240, 248, 188
124, 108, 56, 56, 189, 2
4, 14, 14, 94
, 255, 255, 170, 255, 25
254, 254, 170, 254, 254
,0,0, 255, 0,0, 0,0, 32 B,4,2, 1,0,0,8,4,4,2
90, 219, 24, 36, 66. 195 24, 36, 0, 0 4,24,0,0,0, 16,0,2,7
64, 162, 72, 160, 90, 22
8,5,32,4,0
, 168, 64, 18, 64, 8, 32,
, 10,21, 10
, 1 , 2, 4, 16, 85, 42, 21 ,
40
, 0, 144, 72, 164, 80, 16
SETCOLOR 4,12,6:SET SETCOLOR 1,0,10:SET RETURN O
ATARr40(r AND 800* OWNERS
Question #6:
How can you have 64K RAM and complete compatibility with all Atari products?
A. Weld 3 computers together
B. Drugs
C. The Mosaic 64K RAM Select
D. Exercise
E. All of the above
ZOfiE-ZtS-OOS-l
]\e3 'is\esQ 3IVSOW I^WE'Iu jnoX pup uoni'uijojui
3JOIU joj agqeiieAE puiif sji jo uia)sXs Xjouidiu paouPApp
70 COMPUTE! October 1983
Let your Atari experience the
mpp
iViPP-1150 Printer interface
Replaces Atari 850™ Interface Module.
Compatable with all software [including Visicalc™,
Text Wizard™, Rlemanager 800™, etc.].
5 foot cable with Centronics plug [compatible with Epson,
NEC, Prowriter, etc.].
2 year warranty.
Connects to serial bus on connputer.
Supports serial printer with additional cable.
Works on ALL Atari Computers.
only
MPP-1
III
IVioclem
• No Atari 850™ Interface Module needed
• Smart Terminal Software on Cartridge.
• Direct Connect to Phone Line.
• Connects to Joystick Port.
• Works on ALL Atari Computers.
Smart Terminal Features:
• Multiple Buffers
• Off-LJne Editing
• Upload/Download of Text and Programs
• Rjil/Half Duplex
• Supports XMODEM Protocol
9viitpJiO^
MPP-1000C
Mod am
qO Q o L.
• ASCII/ATASCII Translation
• Allows Transfer of RIes Larger than Memory
• Variable Baud Rate
• Parity Options
• 1 00% Machine Language
new
lo\A/ price
miCROBITS PERIPHERAL PRODUCTS
225 W. Third Street • Albany, Oregon 97321 • (503] 967-9075
Moving Maze
Matt Giwer
Can you maneuver through "Moving Maze" while fighting time and avoiding the relentless pursuit of the Rover? Impossible? Try it and see. Written for the Atari with joystick, versions are included for the unexpanded VIC (joystick optiottal) and the 64 with joystick.
During a stop for refueling on an out-of-the-way planet, you meet a mysterious old man who offers you the key to a fantastic treasure buried deep within a mountain. Many have tried to get to it, but all have been stopped by the unspeakable Rover of the Maze. The old man has the master control to a moving maze which guards the treas- ure. With his dying gasp he puts it in your hand. It looks like an antique Atari joystick. "Push the button," he says, "and you will control the maze." Never being one to pass up an adventure, you start off toward the mountain.
When you get there you find yourself on one side of a slowly moving maze. Every once in a while the dark red Rover passes your way. If you push the button on the joy- stick, the maze speeds up; if you release the button, the maze slows down. Armed with that secret you enter the maze. To get the treasure you must move as far as you can to the right side of the screen.
Game Movement
"Moving Maze" uses Player/Missile Graphics with string manipulation. The heart of the game is the technique in lines 2210 and 2217. This routine scrolls the dimensioned PM$ RAM that is devoted to Players 1, 2, and 3. In
72 COMPUTE October 1963
A ship is about to enter the maze in the VIC version of "Moving Maze."
this game the vertical yellow lines that form the maze are these players. The speed is controlled by lines 2400 and 2410, where the scrolling is in- creased or decreased with each pass through the loop.
You move verticall)' and horizontally with a joystick. The difference in the two motions is that you can move horizontally only one increment at a time. This is controlled by setting and unsetting the flag (Fl) in lines 2300, 2301, and 2305, and is necessary due to the speed with which the pro- gram executes and the lack of sensitivity of the Atari joystick. Without this flag, it is too easy to move two steps at once and crash into a wall. Hitting a maze wall costs you one life and sends you back to the start. If the Rover runs over you, it costs you two lives (but sometimes you will be lucky and lose only one and not be sent back to the beginning). You have five lives to lose. Your final score will be 300 points, less one point per second it takes you to get through, plus 100 points for each life you have left when you finish.
The maximum score is 800 points, but it is impos- sible to achieve. A good score is 750.
Obstacles
The first difficulty is maneuvering through the walls of the maze, which are set up in the subroutine at the 5000 lines. Note that in line 55 the PM$ was not cleared to all blanks but was set to 146. This turned on bits 1, 4, and 7, which are those cor- responding to 2, 16, and 128, respectively. Thus their sum, 146, is put into
frtmBf:-^^^^0^1'^:0^^^^
In the flash of one second,
Delta-10 can print
the alphabet six times.
At 160 cps, 100% duty cycle, Delta-10 is built for speed. It's the dot matrix printer that quickly strikes up an intense working relation- ship with your computer.
There's no nonsense. Delta-10 performs with serial and parallel interfaces as standard. The 8K buffer gives Delta-10 the 1 1
power to instantaneously store and print data as it frees your computer to continue its job. Turn Delta on
m
microoici'inc
THE POWIR BEHIHD THE PRINTED WORD.
Computer Peripherals Division P.O. Sox 612186. Dalias/FI. Wof Ih Airport, TX 75261
and it can print three crisp copies simul- taneously at the continuous speed of 160 cps.
And Delta-10's performance isn't only meas- ured in swiftness. There's the diversity of its character fonts, its true descender matrix, and its underlining ability 3/ Star's new Delta-10. Designed ^ for red-hot efficiency And isn't that what you need?
|
fn |
i |
n
JS&DDOS
\iasi^
FORCE
^-p-
BusGard^
NEW!
BusCard allows you to expand the capabilities of your Commodore 64. It gives you. easy to use "BASIC 4" commands and the fast IEEE interface for access to the Commodore Business Machines line of peripherals, including high capacity dual drives and hard disk systems, irnlike other interfaces, BusCard is fully compatible with software. Wo need to buy a printer interface — BusCard Includes a Centronics printer port. Serial and user po]7ts remain available for modem and serial peripherals. Plus: machine language monitor, complete documentation and a one year warranty.
S199
Paperclip^**
Professional Word Processor
For Commodore 64 and CBM/SuperPet
"Absolute^ t±Le most veraatUe word processor I
have seen." Midnight Software Gazette March/April, 1933
"... a veiy powerful word processor, with so many features that most people only need a ; fraction of them" compute' ApriLlgsai"
So easy to use that even novices can get professional results.
Paperclip has every standard word processor function, plus many exclusive features, including horizontal scrolling for charts and wide reports, up to 250 columns, colunm moves, alphanumeric sorts and arithmetic. Works with 80 column cards and every popular printer, with Instant printer set-up. Professional handling of form letters, mail list merge, and large documents.
Complete, professional and easy to use. No where else win you find PaperCUp's capabilities at this hreakthroiigh price.
SI25
NEW! Delphi's Oracle '^
Professional Data Base Management
For Commodore 64 and PET/GBM
Delphi's Oracle is a powerful Information handling program that allows you to enter, retrieve and update data with incredible speed and flexibility.
• Large record size (over 8000 characters) • Up to 99 fields and 9 display pages per record • Indiides report writer and mail label printing • Design, your own forms on the screen or on printed reports
Delphi's Oracle brings power and versatHLty usually found only in mainframe or minicomputer systems, with provision for safeguarding accurate data entiy, and excellent flexibility in searching for records.
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all of the string characters. In lines 5000 through 5040 I set some of these lines to other combinations of 2, 16, and 128, specifically, 18, 130, and 144. This sets up a random series of openings in the lines. However, since this is random, there may never be an opening in some walls, so lines 5050, 5060, and 5070 create such openings. Line 5073 puts blanks into the Missile and Player 0 pages, and lines at 5080 read in the shapes for Player 0 and the Rover which are the combination of the four missiles. Player 0 has two shapes, the normal playing shape and the explosion shape.
The next difficulty is avoiding the Rover, who sweeps the corridors of the maze. Its move- ment is not totally random, however. In the routine at 5200, the range of the random variable for the Rover depends upon your location in the maze. If you are outside, all corridors are equally likely. However, the farther you get into the maze, the less "choice" the Rover has. When you are in the last corridor, the Rover roams only the last two corridors. Thus, the closer you get to exiting the maze, the more likely the Rover is to attack you in that corridor. Since the Rover (the com- puter) knows where you are, it can attack you more frequently when you are closest to winning. The Rover is not a typical adversary.
Colliding with the maze wall is handled in the 5100 lines. This routine writes in the explosion shape, provides an audio effect, decreases the lives, does some housekeeping, and then puts the player back to the beginning with the original shape. The 5400 lines handle being run over by the Rover.
Other Game Features
The routine at line 5700 handles the timing and scoring for the game. Line 5700 calculates the number of seconds since the internal clock in re- gisters 18, 19, and 20 was reset. When the game first comes on, it has measured the time since the GRAPHICS 0 call in line 30018, which resets them automatically. These are reset within the game in line 5790. Register 20 is read first and reset last since it changes the fastest. This method also gives the most accurate time measurement.
Line 5710 determines the score, and the sec- ond statement in that line requires that you com- plete the maze to get any score at all. Therefore, winning requires completing the maze and moving your player to the right. The rest of the lines are resets for a new game.
Finally, the data for the player, the Rover, and the explosion are in lines 10000-10020.
The string manipulation technique in this game uses scrolling to good advantage. It permits the user to control the speed of the motion and to employ it in the game as an additional control variable. This adds complexity and requires more
76 COMPUIB OcSober1983
than a little getting used to in order to play the game well.
The technique also permits a very compact game. The program requires a bit over 5K and, when running, well under lOK. Further, I made no use of the unused 2K in PM$ but rather DIMen- sioned another array B$ for convenience. As to the power of this technicjue, it would be difficult to find another game using full P/M graphics in single-line resolution with as much motion and challenge that uses so little RAM. This is why I urge you to examine and master the technique.
Program 1: Moving Maze -Atari Version
S0 DIM PM* (4096) , E* (250
55 PM* C 1 > =CHR* (146) :PM* 46) :PM» (2) =PM* ( 1 )
56 B* ( 1) =CHR« (0) : B« (250 2) =B* ( 1 >
90 SP=0
1900 GOSUB 30000: BOSUB
00:GOSUB 5800
2100 FOR 1JI<: = 0 TO 1 STE
2120 IF S1=0 THEN BOSUB
2210 PM« (ST-76a,ST--768 +
24 + 25 5- SP, ST +1024+
67+SP, ST-1 >=PM* (ST
SP)
PM*(ST+2«256+l+SP, (ST-767+SP, ST-1 ) : P 512+SP) =PM» (ST-768 T=STICK (0) : IF T=15 TO 2350 IF Fl=l THEN Fl=l : IF T>12 PX=PX+6* (T=7) ) -6* (PX>199) PX=PX+6* <T = 7) ) -6* (PX>200)
2350 PY=PY+10»(T=13)-10 Y<35) -10* (PY>225> : , ST+2B3+PY) =B« (1,5 PMY=PMY+10: IF PMY> B 5200
PM» (ST+4a6-PMY, ST+ 1 ,78)
IF PEEK (53260) <>0 00 IF 00 IF
2217
2300
2301 2305
2310
2314
2320 THEN
-6« (T POKE
-6» (T POKE
2320
2350
2360
2365
2370
2400
2410
2500 2501 2900 4999 5000
5010
5020 5030
PEEK <5325B) < >0
THEN
STRIG (0) =0 P>200 THEN SP=200 IF STRI6(0)=i THEN P<0 THEN SP=0 IF PX>ia0 THEN Sl= IF LIVES<=0 THEN S NEXT UK
REM SET UP MAZE & FDR I=ST+512 TO ST
32 T=INT (30«RND (0) ) +1
IF T<28 THEN FDR ( I+a , I + J > =CHR* ( IB) IF T>27 THEN IF T< =0 TO 31:PM* ( I+J, I :NEXT J
IF T>2S THEN FOR J I+J, 1+J> =CHRt (144)
)
( 1096) =CHR« ( 1
) =CHR« (0) ; B* (
5000: GOSUB 52
P 0
5700 SP) =PM« (ST+10 255) : PM* (ST-7 +512, ST+1280-
ST+5*256) =PM» M* <ST + 512, ST + , ST-76a+SF) THEN F1=0:GO
2320
= 1 1 ) +6* (PX<55
53248, PX
= 1 1 ) +6* (PX<56
53248, PX: GOTO
« (T=14) +10* (P
PM* (ST+236+PY
7)
506 THEN GOSU
513-PMY) =B* (5
THEN GOSUB 51
THEN GOSUB 54
SP=SP+1 : IF S
SP=SP-2: IF S
0: WIN=1 1=0
PLAYER +5*256-1 STEP
: IF T>25 THEN 3=0 TO 31:PM* :NEXT J 29 THEN FOR J +J) =CHR* ( 130)
=0 TO 31:PM*( :NEXT J
JUMPMAN'SAGREATGAME. BUT YOU'VE GOTTO WATCH YOUR STER
■w:ij'i5-wr
■%^.i
SV-
Meet the Alienators. A fiend- ish bunch who've planted bombs throughout your Jupiter Command Headquarters.
Your job? Use your lightning speed to scale ladders, scurry across girders, climb ropes and race through 30 levels to defuse the bombs before they go off.
That's the kind of hot, non-stop action we've packed into the award-winning* best-selling Jumpmanr and into Jumpman Jr.'"our new cartridge version with 12 all-new, different and exciting screens.
Both games force you to make tough choices. Should you avoid tiiat Alienator, climb to the top
and try to work your way down, or try to hurdle him and defuse the bombs closest to you before they go off?
If you move fast you'll earn extra lives. But if you're not careful, it's a long way down.
So jump to it. And find out why Jumpman and Jumpman Jr. are on a level all their own.
One to four players: 8 speeds; joystick control. Jumpman has 30 screens. Jumpman Jr. has 12 screens.
Epyx
snisnevGAMts nti THiMoioii-GmE pumtt.
*1983C.E.S. aw.irri winner.
|
5040 |
NEXT I |
5730 |
|
5048 |
REM ASSURES A PASSAGE THROUGH T |
|
|
HE MAZE |
5731 |
|
|
5050 |
FOR J=0 TO 31 :PM« (768+ST+J , 768+ |
|
|
ST+J) =CHR* < IB) : NEXT J |
5732 |
|
|
5060 |
FOR J=0 TO 31 : P«* t 1024+ST+J, 102 |
|
|
4+ST+J) =CHR*(130) ;NEXT J |
5733 |
|
|
5070 |
FOR J=0 TO 31 : PM* ( 1 132+ST+J j 1 15 |
|
|
2+ST+J) =CHR* ( 144) : NEXT J |
5740 |
|
|
5073 |
PM* (ST, ST +250) =B*:PM«<ST+256,ST |
5750 |
|
+506) =B* |
5780 |
|
|
5079 |
PY=128: PX=67 |
|
|
5080 |
FOR 1=1 TO 7:READ A: B* (20+ I , 20+ |
5781 |
|
I)=CHR«<A> :NEXT I : PO. .E 5324B,PX |
5783 |
|
|
:POKE 704, 78:PM* (ST+246+PY, ST+2 |
||
|
96 + PY) =B* CI , 57) |
5784 |
|
|
50B5 |
FOR 1=1 TD 8: READ A : B* ( 60+ I , 60+ |
|
|
I )=CHR« (A) : NEXT I |
5790 |
|
|
5087 |
FOR 1=1 TO 16:READ AsB*t90+I,90 |
|
|
+ I)=CHR*(A) -.NEXT I |
5B00 |
|
|
5090 |
RETURN |
5810 |
|
5099 |
REM HIT WALL |
5815 |
|
5100 |
POKE 53278,0 |
5820 |
|
51 10 |
PM* CST + 246 + PY, ST + 293 + PY) =B* (80, |
5825 |
|
106) |
5830 |
|
|
5120 |
FOR J=15 TD 0 STEP -2:F0R 1=250 |
5890 |
|
TO 50 STEP -50:SOUND 0,I,6,J:N |
10000 |
|
|
EXT I:NEXT J : SOUND 0,0,0,0 |
||
|
5130 |
LIVES=LIVES-1 |
10010 |
|
5131 |
POSITION 35,0:7 LIVES; |
|
|
5182 |
PM* (ST + 246 + PY, ST + 276 + PY>=B» <220 , 250) |
10020 |
|
5184 |
PY=128: PM* (ST+236+PY, ST+283+PY) |
30000 |
|
=B* < 1 ,57) : PX=67:PDKE 53248, PX |
30018 |
|
|
5190 |
RETURN |
30022 |
|
5199 |
REM SETS RANDOM PATH FOR ROAMER |
|
|
5200 |
J=8:IF PX>66 THEN IF PX<79 THEN J=9:B0T0 5220 |
30030 |
|
5201 |
IF PX>78 |