HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: cptnerd@access.digex.com (Captain Nerd)
Subject: Re: Mac games
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.games
Summary: some numbers to crunch or ignore
Keywords: number of Macs etc.
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, Maryland USA
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 12:12:25 GMT

In article <1asu6qINNsg9@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> an780@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Travis Grundke) writes:
>
>In a previous article, Leslie_L._Shafer@bmug.org () says:
>
>>Realistically speaking, do good mac games even sell 5,000 copies?  How macs are
>>there at home?  And how many are there in large networks, worksites, and
>>businesses?  You need a large base of users at HOME.  I cant see more than 40%
>>of Macintosh computers sold going home.  The Mac game market isnt there.  
>>
> You'd be suprised, very suprised, but I do agree, compared to PeeCees, the
>Mac HOME market isn't there. Hopefully the Performas will change this!
>

	I don't know if anyone cares, but here are a few numbers I found
in PC AI Magazine's "Knowlege Box."  The source of the numbers is "Software
Magazine", 4/1992.  That's all the attribution they gave, so that's all I'm
giving! 8^)  The following is reprinted without permission.

  Estimated worldwide installed GUI base using MSWindows:        17,800,000
  Estimated worldwide installed GUI base using Macintosh:         6,500,000
  Estimated worldwide installed GUI base using Presentation Mgr:    700,000
  Estimated worldwide installed GUI base using Motif:               330,000
  Estimated worldwide installed GUI base using OpenLook:            300,000

	So, if these numbers reflect the number of Macs vs. number of
MessyWindows boxes, if you saturated the Mac market you'd still only
make 1/3 of what you'd make with a Widnows game.  BUT, if you could get
10 percent of Macs, at US$50 a pop, you'd still make a few bucks!

	Food for thought?  Oh, alright, I'll shut up.



>>***************************************************************************
>>             From Planet BMUG, the FirstClass BBS of BMUG, Inc.
>>              The above message was gatewayed via PostalUnion
>>***************************************************************************
>>The message contained in this posting is entirely the poster's personal
>>opinion.  Any possible, real or perceived, (dis)similarities with the
>>views held by BMUG, are purely coincidental.
>>***************************************************************************
>>
>-- 
>         Travis Grundke- Contributing Editor, MacGames Digest
>                      an780@cleveland.freenet.edu
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
>    MacGames Digest: The first magazine dedicated to Macintosh Gaming.


-- 
| Internet: cptnerd@digex.com |  "From the hard-scrabble back streets, that 
| 70714.105@compuserve.com    |  part of town called 'OOP Alley,' comes a 
champion for the Future, defender of overworked programmers everywhere, 
and foe of all who call themselves 'Management!'  Captain Nerd!"
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: derek@netcom.com (Derek LeLash)
Subject: Thunderbolt help (& a hack)
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 01:45:16 GMT

Well, of course you've seen this before: when all the Mission Thunderbolt
hints were flying around here, I ignored them, because I didn't have the
game.  Now I do, so did anyone out there (Joe?) collect these?  More specif-
ically, what do I do about gravity wells?

One thing I did figure out is how to slash the amount of disk space the game
takes up.  It stores versions of its art in 1, 4, and 8 bit depths, and you
can get rid of the ones you won't use.  You can tell which is which by the
last digit in the PICT resource's number. B/W graphics end in 1 or 2, 4-bits
in 4 or 5, and 8-bits in 8 or 9.  The program runs fine for me in 8-bit
mode after I cut out the other PICTs, and I saved several hundred K of disk
space.  Someone running the game in back & white would see dramatic savings.
(Of course, do this only to a copy of your original resource files!)

Derek
-- 
Derek LeLash (derek@netcom.com)  "That's 1-4-5 if you're scoring at home,
Tech Writer/dietCokehead          or even if you're alone." -- ESPN
BASYS Automation Systems, Inc.  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  - 
Sunnyvale, CA  408-SEX-LLAMA     DISCLAIMER: Contains 100% recycled humor.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: anitaj@leland.Stanford.EDU (Anita Jayaweera)
Subject: Space Quest 3 -help!
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 01:16:08 GMT

If anyone out there has played SQ3 -help- i think im stuck. 
Im on the planet Phleebhut and that terminator guy has given me 10 
seconds to get to my ship- but it seems no matter how fast i run
or try to outmanuever him- I keep dying- am i missing something or
do i just keep trying to outrun him? 

thanks in advance
-anita
From: brl@kopasker.is (Bjorgvin Runar Leifsson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: I also bought Pool of Darkness, but was
Date: 9 Oct 92 20:39:06 GMT
Organization: Primary School of Kopasker, Iceland

Leslie_L._Shafer@bmug.org writes:

>wondering if anyone out there had a patch to get by the password screen?  DQK
>is really nicer without the stupid password, since I'm always restarting the
>game.  I suspect taht my party will be die many a time and entering that password
>each time to restart makes the whole process real old real fast.

I agree.  About three months ago, there was a biweekly posted patchlist here
at csmg, by Holger Eiboeck.  Anybody know if that list is dead or will it
be posted again?  I remember that Holger once included an article on how
to find and kill passwords.  I seem to have lost that.  If anybody knows
about this and has that article, I'd be very grateful if he/she could e-mail
it to me.

Bjorgvin R. Leifsson
brl@kopasker.is
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games,comp.sys.mac.misc
From: ndgarigl@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Nick D. Garigliano)
Subject: Educational programs for the Mac
Originator: ndgarigl@rodan.acs.syr.edu
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 92 14:02:18 EDT

I'm looking for ideas for an educational program for the Mac.  It is for a 
5 year old and I was hoping for something along the lines of a reading/spelling
program that is challenging, yet entertaining.  We already have played
with Kid Pix and would like to move on up.  If you could e-mail any 
suggestions I would appreciate it as work is pretty busy now, and I don't
have a lot of time to peruse the 'net.  THANKS
My e-mail address is ndgarigl@rodan.acs.syr.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: umcho000@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Connie Cho)
Subject: Re: I also bought Pool of Darkness, but was
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 13:57:02 GMT

In article <1992Oct05.210359.47571@bmug.org> Leslie_L._Shafer@bmug.org writes:
>wondering if anyone out there had a patch to get by the password screen?  DQK
>is really nicer without the stupid password, since I'm always restarting the
>game.  I suspect taht my party will be die many a time and entering that password
>each time to restart makes the whole process real old real fast.
>***************************************************************************
It's a pain looking up a word, but Ican live with that. What I *don't*
like is that every time I load a new game, never mind that I have been
playing it for gadzillion consecutive hours already, it asks for the
entry! Extremely infuriating when I'm already steaming over the fact
that I had lost a bunch of promising types after a lot of treasure
and xps. Is there also a way to avoid all that intro without clicking
the mouse several times?

BTW, I like that combat screen (this is the first time I've ever played
an SSI game) I hope more RPGs do that; it was one of the features I
liked best about Citadel (except that combat in Citadel, run on an si,
was too hellishly fast to keep up with! :) )

CKC
From: ozma@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Sky Shadow?-Help!
Date: 7 Oct 92 02:45:14 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <1992Oct7.002905.21596@news.ysu.edu>, af733@yfn.ysu.edu (Ryan James Smith) writes:
> 
> I have to have MacBugs in my system folder in order to play
> Sky Shadow.  It should be on one of the Sky Shadow origional
> disks.

Okay - the file MacsBug that ships with SkyShadow (and other C&G games) isn't
really MacsBug the Macintosh Debugger.  What it is is an INIT that reserves the
alternate page buffer on the Plus, Classic, SE, etc. (b&w 9-inch Macs).  When
System 7 came out, it turned out that the alternate page buffer was being
grabbed even before loading INITs.  The "fix" was to rename the INIT
(originally !Mission Screen Init was its name) to MacsBug since the System
specifically looks for that file very early on in the boot-up process.

So.  So, only the small 9" b&w Macs need the INIT and when NOT playing one of
the games that ask for the INIT, you might want to take it out of your System
folder.  Why?  Because the alternate page buffer robs you of about 22K of
memory.  The aternate page buffer is used for page-flipping and is necessary
for the extreme speed of these games on the somewhat slow Macs.

john calhoun-

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: John.Hirsch <John.Hirsch@mixcom.mixcom.com>
Subject: Re: Hellcats over the Pacific gripes
Organization: Milwaukee Internet Xchange BBS, Milwaukee, WI U.S.A.
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 23:50:10 GMT

In <1992Oct12.063921.16857@u.washington.edu> skaven@carson.u.washington.edu (Willilam Gilliland) writes:

>In article <stricher-111092141505@wealthy.ocean.fsu.edu> stricher@masig.fsu.edu (Char Aznabul) writes:

>>
>>We are after realism, right?
>>

>Yup.

>  I never said any of these sad endings were _unrealistic_; I meant they leave
>you smacking yourself upside the head going 'boy do I feel stupid.'  Hitting
>the parachutist is a good example.

  I don't think hitting the parachutist is a very realistic death at all.  I
mean, sure, the propeller could get caught in the chute and you could sink to
your death, but the parachutist suffers NO damage.  His chute looks untouched
after you crash into it.  Unless, the chutes are made of a new space age alloy,
I would think they would rip apart.


>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep.
>-- Rob him.
>He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a politician.
>-- Elect him.
>He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is innocent.
>-- Lie to him.
>He who knows, and knows that he knows, is dangerous.
>-- Kill him.
-- 
John.Hirsch@mixcom.com

Hi there.
From: janolov@cdg.chalmers.se (Jan-Olov Lantto)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Patton Strikes Back Patch Request
Date: 12 Oct 92 08:24:01 GMT
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology

I just got PSB and its a good game. But I dont like the "enter x:th word on
page y in the manual" copy protection. Could someone please email a patch to
me, if one exists.

***************************************************************************
*                   Jan-Olov Lantto - Research Engineer                   *
*                    Dept. of Electrical Power Systems                    *
*                    Chalmers University of Technology                    *
*                       S-412 96, Goteborg, SWEDEN                        *
*                         janolov@cdg.chalmers.se                         *
***************************************************************************
From: jsp@uts.amdahl.com (James Preston)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Hellcats over the Pacific gripes
Date: 12 Oct 92 21:17:22 GMT
Reply-To: jsp@pls.amdahl.com
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

wrr3118@tamsun.tamu.edu (Rick Russell) writes:

} - As a general gripe, why are so many features of the actual Hellcat
}missing?  No command or navigation radios. No rudder/elevator/aileron
}trim. No possibility of damage to the hydraulic system, which should
}be one of the first things to go. I'd love to see a simulated
}hydraulic hand pump :-)

Because it's a game and certain sacrifices have to be made for the sake
of game speed, game play, and getting the game out so people like you
can play it and gripe about it.  Sure, ideally, the game would be a 100%
accurate simulation of every single aspect of the real plane.  And it
would take about forever to finish writing the program, and the game
would require 500MB and an hour for each frame change.

Give the author a break, huh?  I had some nice email exchanges with him
when the game first came out.  He knows about some of the bugs, and he
knows about some of the missing features and "wish lists" of the users.
From what I have heard, the new scenerios have different enemy planes
and ground targets.  Perhaps it also addresses the flap problem, and/or
has implemented the turn/bank indicator, and/or has added some other
pieces of realism to the game.  Maybe the next version will add head-to-
head.  You just can't have everything that everyone wants all at once,
so be patient and enjoy what the game DOES deliver, ok?

--James Preston

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: njb@kepler.unh.edu (Nicholas J Barone)
Subject: looking for midi program
Organization: University of New Hampshire  -  Durham, NH
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 14:10:21 GMT



	This isn't exactly a game, but I thought someone out there
	might be able to help me.  I'm looking for software that
	will let me download song files from my synthisizer to
	my Mac II and turn them into sheet music.  Anyone?


	Nick Barone
	njb@kepler.unh.edu
From: hulsej@sun.lclark.edu (Jose Hulse)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Another Zork 2.7m question
Date: 10 Oct 92 23:20:56 GMT
Article-I.D.: lclark.1992Oct10.232056.5594
Distribution: usa
Organization: Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR

Greetings, O Net-Wise-Ones!

I heard from two people the last time I asked for help with the Mac port
of the famous VAX version of Zork/Dungeon...one of the all-time classic
text adventures, I might add, and highly recommended (you can ftp it from
sumex)...I'm very grateful for their help. Actually, I accidentally deleted
the message of one of those who helped, so if you're out there, please get
back to me.  (the one who wasn't John Swartz)
Anyway, I'm stuck again!

How do I get into the bucket in the bucket room?

Do I have to get rid of the wall of ice in the ice room?  How?

Finally, is the author of the port, Anthony C. Ard, still out there and
reading this?  If so, I'd love to get a look at your C source code, as I
am learning C and think it would be educational.  Let me know...

Hasta la proxima, everyone--

Jose'
-- 
_______________________________________________
Jose' Hulse  hulsej@lclark.edu
Four years ago, Bush said that if I voted for Dukakis I could expect crime,
taxes and the deficit to go up.  I guess he was right...I voted for Dukakis
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: Stephen Aylward <aylward@nn5.mdc.com>
Subject: Re: Star Wars and Broderbund
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A6FF1E630D02033F@d314m1.mdc.com>
X-Xxdate: Mon, 12 Oct 92 12:21:55 GMT
Organization: McDonnell Douglas Corporation - Neural Network Laboratory
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d9
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 17:16:52 GMT

Star Wars and Broderbund

I don't have any of their info here.   EMail me the number and I will
make the calls.

			Stephen Aylward
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: 10667547@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (JIMMY FANG)
Subject: Re: Lemmings - do you get bored too?
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, Monash University 
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 03:11:48 GMT

In article <33V003v5abwo00@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> jsp@uts.amdahl.com (James Preston) writes:
>From: jsp@uts.amdahl.com (James Preston)
>Subject: Re: Lemmings - do you get bored too?
>Date: 13 Oct 92 22:25:10 GMT
>davoli@natinst.com (Russell Davoli) writes:

[interesting points deleted]

>In arcade games, where the real object of the game designers is to get as
>many of your quarters as they can, I can understand such requirements for
>starting over all the time.  But in a home game there really is no excuse
>for not giving each user the option to approach the game the way that is
>best for each user.  If I want to start right out on level 99 and work my
>way backward, why should the game designer care?  If I want to avoid the
>tedium of building those damned bridges between Nessie's humps over and
>over so that I can get back to the real task of figuring out how to get
>off Nessie's head, I should be able to.  Providing a save or "checkpoint"
>option is pretty trivial.
[lots of interesting points deleted]

The checkpoints are not built into the game, but providing that the codes 
haven't changed between platforms, the codes for the Amiga version should 
work fine.  You could just wait for some Mac-playing fanatic finished all 
the levels and the codes should be posted up.  The codes for the Amiga 
version have been out for about a year now...

>--James Preston

Jim Fang - Bachelor of Economics (3) / B.E (3) .-_|\        Snail Mail
Monash University - Clayton, VIC, Australia   /     \       POA Box 539
InterNet  10667547@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au     \_.-._/       Brentford Square
 E-Mail:  kroddos@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au            o     // Victoria 3131
          ece950aec3@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au       AMIGA \X/  Australia
---->SOCIALIST: someone who has nothing and wants to share it with everyone.
From: eph3@po.CWRU.Edu (Ephraim P. Hochberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Harpoon
Date: 10 Oct 1992 16:29:03 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: eph3@po.CWRU.Edu (Ephraim P. Hochberg)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu


Are there BBS's or FTP sites that have 'homemade' Harpoon scenarios?
Alternatively does someone out there have 'homemade' scenarios they would
be willing to e-mail me?
 			Thanks,
				-Effi
-- 
Ephraim Hochberg  |   "Ada - ardors and arbors" -Vladimir Nabokov
eph3@po.cwru.edu  |          'Ars longa, vita brevis'	
-------------------    ===> "Don't just do it: A.f.u it"<===
\.sig disinfectant/     'For any sufficiently large 2, 2+2=5.'
From: yogi@coombs.anu.edu.au (Michael Hanslip)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Sparkz
Date: 16 Oct 92 21:17:12 GMT
Organization: Australian National University
NNTP-Posting-Host: 150.203.76.2

I too was pretty disappointed with Sparkz, but not because of bugs-it works
fine on my ][cx-but because the game is so unfaithful to the arcade game
I know and love. The things like one life per game, getting killed by the 
Qix (or whatever its called in this one?) when on the opposite side of solid
colour, not having 2 capture speeds, awkward control mechanism, and the like
made it a short lived space holder on my HD.
BTW, I never had problems with the '>' not pointing to the spot, or having
multiples appear. Nor did it ever quit or cease to move in the appropriate 
direction (if I remembered how to do it). I played long enough to get to 
level 3 and tossed it.

Michael Hanslip.
--
Michael Hanslip
yogi@coombs.anu.edu.au  -  mdh410@csc.anu.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: sathomas@athena.mit.edu (Stephen A Thomas)
Subject: Japanese Plane in HOTP Leyte Screenshots
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 16:12:40 GMT

I took a long hard look at the Japanese plane in the Leyte Gulf screenshots that
were posted the other day - I trotted out a big WWII aircraft encyclopedia I have
and tried to match this sucker up.  My best guess is that it might be a KATE
torpedo bomber because of what appears to be a large cockpit (for 3 crewmen) and
a larger wing span than a fighter.  It's tough to tell.

A reason why it might not be a KATE is that it appears to be turning into a
Hellcat in this shot.  I don't think it a wise strategy for a torpedo bomber to
try to engage a fighter.  Does anyone have any info on what kind of tactics
this plane seems to use, it might help identify it.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: jimwong@owlnet.rice.edu (Jim Wong)
Subject: Re: Mac games vs PC Games- comparison (again!)
Organization: Rice University
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 07:58:06 GMT

In article <oeq9o9W00iV2Q31V4a@andrew.cmu.edu> ml5t+@andrew.cmu.edu (Mark Alan Lang) writes:
>
>    It all has do do with IBM grafix standars.  Wolf3d was written in
>256 colors, and standard VGA only supports 256 colors at that low a
>resolution.  Wolf3d could have been written in SVGA (640x480x256 and
>above), but I guess I thought that not enough people had SVGA displays
>to bother with it.  (But what do I know?  I'm just guessing.)  Also, I
>don't think that the increased resolution would slows things down that
>much.  The reason it would be slow on a Mac is because your Mac is slow.

Of course increased resolution slows things down - if you're using every
one of 256 colors, each pixel of increased resolution is another byte
of data that needs to be taken care of.  Wing Commander actually animates
about what, half the screen vertically, for about 320x100, or 32,000 pixels?
Half of a 640x480 screen comes out to 153,600 pixels to be animated, almost
five times as much data as Wing Commander has to move around.  You're right
that playing in a dinky little window wouldn't be much fun.  The reason
games like Wing Commander are harder to write for the Macintosh is that
people expect (reasonably so) better graphics than that, and graphics the same
physical size as those done for VGA systems are much require much more
effort to move around because they're larger.


-- 
Jim Wong (jimwong@owlnet.rice.edu)
From: hfg@physics2.berkeley.edu (H.F. (Rick) Goldstein)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Help needed on DQofK (SPOILER)
Date: 8 Oct 92 15:18:41
Organization: UC Berkeley Department of Physics
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: physics2.berkeley.edu


I tried to mail a response to thinker@gate.oxy.edu, but my mailer gave
a 'user unknown' error.  I lost the oringinal post, but here's the
spoiler:


You can't get through the false door.  Also, there is only one pit
trap on each level, and they're all lined up--straight to the
basement.  The best thing is to leave the lighthouse and train your
charcters if you haven't already (I like the asterisk that indicates
the character is ready to advance a level---makes it much easier to
keep track of things).  Go back to the lighthouse, approach the pit,
and jump in.  There is a nasty encounter awaiting, so it may take a
couple of tries.  Proceed from there.  Hope this helps.

Rick (hfg@physics.berkeley.edu)

P.S. What is 'oxy.edu'?  Oxford?
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games