HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ozma@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Technical Question about Maelstorm. IMPORTANT!
Date: 29 Dec 92 19:20:41 CST
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <1992Dec29.191836.27698@fcom.cc.utah.edu>, Dmitry Boldyrev <dmitry@chemistry.chem.utah.edu> writes:

> Andrew doesn't use sprites! If you'll take a look
> on moving images, you'll see it.

What do you mean?  From my understanding, the word "sprite" is a bit of an
misnomer on the Mac anyway since "sprite" refers to a hardware implementation
(custom chip handling x number of bitmaps).

I'm going to guess you mean that he's not doing any masking since you can see
black corners around objects when you pass over other objects.  Muts have been
a speed decision.  His "sprites" file, as everyone must know by now, is
actually a collection of 'icl8' resources.  Sadly, this isn't packed data (like
a PICT) which explains the size of the sprites file.  As well, I suspect the
loading of these accounts for much of the time during game-startup.

> Is it true that Andrew paid for their pictures?
> If Yes,
> Why doesn't he used POV or any other Ray-Tracing programs to
> draw his pictures? -It's easy! 
> Try! 
> I've tried to draw some images for my programs.. It seems very cool!

I agree.  I've been mucking with Stratavision and have been getting some pretty
spectacular results.  Of course, when you start it rtendering an animation
sequence (on my IIsi) it's a good time to run to the store for groceries. 
Tedious, but cool.

john calhoun-

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: bgohari@wam.umd.edu (Babak Gohari)
Subject: Pax Imperia, 1st Impressions
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 14:06:31 GMT

Well, now that I'm done bashing Changling Software, I got my copy of Pax
yesterday.  I haven't played a full game yet, BUT, I can tell you this:
it is quite complex.  It is run in real-time (though you can make it turns
if you want), and there are a LOT of things to do, from designing components
for your ships, to designing the ships themselves, to infrastructure, to
anything else you can imagine.  So far, I haven't experienced any major
bugs (the only minor bug I found was that sometimes when you move your fleet
in one window (such as the system window), then the fleet shows up twice
in the Universe window, UNTIL you get to your destination).  I haven't
really gotten into any fights, so I can't tell you how good the computer
players are or how tactical control works yet.  But there is one thing I
can say: the game is quite slow going.  Not as in so slow you can't play,
just be prepared to spend hours to finish one game.

As far as mechanics are concerned, the I

I'm running it off a color Mac II with 5 megs RAM and 7.0.1.  The game is
dependent on memory to see how large your sector of the universe is (the
play area - the more memory, the more stars that are possible to be playing
with).  It looks very good in color, with 3-D images and such, orbits,
different colors for different planets, and so on.  Pretty good sound and
music.  So far, I like it.  Will have to wait a while to see how much better
it gets.

-Bob
From: an780@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Travis Grundke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Out of This World Comments?
Date: 28 Dec 1992 01:01:17 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: an780@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Travis Grundke)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu


 Well folks, I just got the demo of OOTW and played around with it, and
after playing (and winning) the game in the PC version, I must say that
the Macintosh version redefines the term "Port". Maybe I'm wrong and the PC
version came after the Mac version (which I doubt), but Out of This World
doesn't really take full advantage of the Macintosh interface. I was also
kinda miffed that the game didn't run worth crap (speed wise) in a
resolution over 360x120 (or something akin to that- very tiny window).

 ALl in all, its an interesting game with an interesting concept, but its a
port IMHO.
-- 
Travis Grundke	 	    |  For More information about MacGames Digest,
Contributing Editor-        |  The First Publication Dedicated to Macintosh
MacGames Digest		    |  Gaming, Please contact us at the previous 
an780@cleveland.freenet.Edu |  E-mail address. (c) 1992 Travis Grundke/MGD
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: monitn@vccsouth02.its.rpi.edu (Nicholas Monitto)
Subject: Re: I found a Ultima like game for the MAC!!!!!!
Reply-To: monitn@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 00:41:33 GMT

[description of "Shadows Keep", an Ultima-like game deleted]

So, how can we get a copy of this game?

Nick
monitn@rpi.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: bm074@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (David S Fung)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Indy "Fate of Atlantis"
Date: 23 Dec 1992 06:09:04 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


Does anybody know, whether any mailorder house carry this game?

Thanks
Dave
From: wstrain@azure.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Jeff Strain)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Lemmings crack (FAQ?)
Date: 29 Dec 1992 14:00:26 GMT
Organization: Texas Instruments Incorporated, Austin
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: azure.ppe.ppd.ti.com

I own a legitimate copy of Lemmings, but as a PowerBook owner I find the
manual based copy protections scheme intolerable! This may have been
debated ad nauseum in this group previously, but is there a known
crack to rid my Lemmings of that horrible dialog box?

I *really* despise having to cart the manual around for a game I paid
for (well, actually it was a gift...)

Thanks and Regards,

Jeff Strain

-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet: wstrain@ppe.ppd.ti.com  |  Opinions expressed are my own
AOL:      WJStrain                |  and do not represent Texas Instruments
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: urban@cobra.jpl.nasa.gov (Michael P Urban)
Subject: What Still Works
Reply-To: urban@cobra.jpl.nasa.gov (Michael P Urban)
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 16:25:57 GMT

Recently, I finally abandoned my aging Mac Plus (born as a 512K Mac)
for a faster, more colorful IIvx.  Many commercial games that I had
accumulated over the years finally gave up the ghost in the face of
System 7, or color, or the larger screen, or the architecture in
general.  In general, old shareware or freeware games that I picked up
from the net years ago fared better than the commercial offerings.
But the standout has to be MISSILE COMMAND, a program that, if memory
serves, was created for 128K Macs back when 1984 didn't look like
1984.  Not only does the program still work fine, but the game timing
was unaffected by the faster processor, and it was even smart enough
to use the entire screen.  And it is still a diverting entertainment
(well, OK, I hadn't played in many months).  Much kudos to whoever
coded this program!


	Mike Urban

	urban@cobra.jpl.nasa.gov
From: bm074@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (David S Fung)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Looking for Indy FOA
Date: 3 Jan 1993 17:34:48 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


Anyone finishes their Indy Fate of Atlantis and want to sell it?

Please give me a email
David Fung
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games,rec.games.bridge
From: ccw@prefect.cc.bellcore.com (wood,christopher)
Subject: Re: Bridge game for Macintosh?
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 92 23:55:47 GMT

In article <1992Dec14.102715.63@rcwusr> lakerb@rcwusr.bp.com writes:
>In article <Bz93yr.MGK.1@cs.cmu.edu>, br+@cs.cmu.edu (Bill Ross) writes:

>>     I'm looking for a bridge game to buy for someone for 
>>     Christmas - they have a Mac.  Are there decent computer
>>     bridge games available that would interest an intermediate
>>     bridge player?  Can someone recommend one for the Mac?

>>     Thanks!
>>     Bill
>>     br@cs.cmu.edu

>I recently downloaded (probably from mac.archive.umich.edu) Micro-Bridge
>Companion Demo Version 5.5.2.  From Great Game Products, 8804 Chalon Dr.,
>Bethesda, MD  20817

I bought this at the local Egghead Software (the real thing, not the
demo) and it plays pretty well.  Good enough for me to practice on...

Chris



-- 
Chris Wood     Bellcore     ...!bellcore!prefect!ccw
                         or ccw@prefect.cc.bellcore.com
From: robg@Apple.COM (Rob Griffiths)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: One more time on this Maelstrom thing.
Date: 23 Dec 92 05:59:05 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA

In article <bsgr1+p@lynx.unm.edu> rkelly@carina.unm.edu (Robert Kelly) writes:
>
>In a nutshell, 
>
>Dear Andrew,
>	Please keep writing code for the macs... we need all we can get.

In a nutshell, he is!  During a recent conversation (OK, exchange of email)
with him on AOL, he stated that Maelstrom will be updated only to fix
bugs, and that he's spending all of his energy on his next Mac game.

Here's everything I know about the next game:  it will be called Midgard.
That's all I know, honest!  Andrew said, in one of the AOL forums, that
the game is in the early formative stages, and it may be "many moons"
before it sees the light of day.  I think he also said that it would still
be shareware...

-rob.
-- 
Rob Griffiths    "And the future will be better tomorrow" - Dan Quayle
robg@apple.com   PP-ASEL-IA, looking for clouds .... B52s/REM/Erasure!
From: news@reed.ogi.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Indy & the Fate of Atlantis - I NEED HELP
Date: 4 Jan 93 05:47:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1993Jan4.054748.28046
Organization: Reed College, Portland, OR

Ok, so I've taken the wits path and made it to the outer ring of
Atlantis.  I now need to get past the octopus.  Realizing that
an octopus might like seafood (like crabs) I go to the crab room
to try to catch one.  The only thing is I've tried everything
and can't get one.  So I bought a hint book. (I know it's
probably some sort of sin or something, but I'd spent hours
on this and just wanted to move to the middle ring - so sue me).

The hint book said something about a rib cage and that it could
be found in the outer ring.  Great!  So I search all of the
rooms and the only room with anything resembling a rib cage is
the room with the octopus which has a skeleton.  However, I can't
seem to get Indy to pick up the skeleton (or do anything else with
it for that matter).

I'm very frustrated.  Where is this rib cage?  Am I missing
something obvious?  Please help me.

Please reply by e-mail as I don't check news often.

Steven Russell
srussell@reed.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: interpla@orion.oac.uci.edu (Bill Dugan)
Subject: Re: port != bad port
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 29 Dec 92 09:42:33 GMT

In article <1992Dec28.071644.385036@magicbb.uucp> Maury_Markowitz@magicbb.uucp writes:
>  You see, the Mac requires a whole different system for good graphics speed. 
>If you're writing a game, open a window and bypass QuickDraw (like Hellcats). 
>However, this takes time and knowledge, so the PC game makers can't be
>bothered.  Red Baron/Mac is a perfect example, they use a 320x200 window to
>simulate a VGA screen, and use QD calls to copy pixels to it.  So instead of
>using QD to draw the lines, it seems they use THEIR code from the PC (which
>has no graphics calls) to make the line, then copy the pixels over!
>  The result is that you can't play it on anything under an IIfx with reasonable speed, whereas Hellcats runs quite nicely at 640x480x256 on my pokey old II.

To the original poster:  Hi; my name's Bill Dugan and I work at MacPlay.
I did some of the code for the Mac port of OOTW.  Yes, it's a port ... but
as kjh+@cs.cmu.edu pointed out, "port" does not mean "sucks".  Personally I
really like the Mac port of OOTW because we were able to take advantage of
the Mac's great graphics; you can play OOTW filling the screen, if you have a
fast enough machine, and the polygons are still quite nice and smooth.  That
is the advantage a polygon game like OOTW has vs. bitmap games like Monkey 
Island (which I loved, incidentally) or other games that suffer from the
doubling of pixels.

I'd like to mention, though, that just bypassing QuickDraw for the screen blit
isn't a panacea.  I made a version of OOTW that replaced two full-screen
CopyBits() calls each frame with tight longword moves in unrolled loops, and
on a Mac IIci with built-in video and a cache card, the speed increase of the
game was around 10 to 12 percent.  CopyBits() isn't as monstrously awful as
a lot of people think.  Because of the low increase in speed and the high
consequences of incompatibility, we decided to leave Out of this World as a
CopyBits()-only game.

Uh, actually I should mention that this 10-12% number is not typical of most
games since most of OOTW's time is spent drawing a lot of polygons on off-screen
bitmaps.  This is written in nice tight 68000 code (which I did not write).
I suppose some other games might spend 50% of their time blitting directly to
the screen, which is not the case with our game.

Anyway, cheers.

Bill Dugan
MacPlay

Incidentally, Out of this World will ship on January 4, 1993.
From: fermat@fermat.dartmouth.edu (Michael Glenn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Xmas Lemmings Level 4 Solution (Spoiler city)
Date: 22 Dec 92 03:29:42 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH


More SPOILERS!





















>  if he starts digging and doesn't leave some pillar on
>  _both_ sides of him, nuke the level and try again.

Actually it is ok.  I usually make him a digger when he gets right to the  
edge, no pressure on me that way...  Let him dig down deep awhile, then  
turn him into a builder.  He builds right up against the second pillar,  
then will walk back and forth between the two pillars until you make him  
an athlete.

Michael
From: wilsona@cpva.saic.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: PAX Imperia out!!!
Date: 23 Dec 92 08:14:10 PST
Organization: Science Applications Int'l Corp./San Diego

Just called Mac's place, and the rumors are true! My copy of Pax shipped
yesterday, and I should have it in my hands today!!!

There really is a Santa Claus!!!
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: kieran@world.std.com (Aaron L Dickey)
Subject: Re: Software stores (was Re: Stellar 7 (was Re: etc))
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 18:41:33 GMT

bruss@cs.ucsd.edu (Brian Russ) writes:

>	The Electronics Boutiques around here (San Diego (where I live) and
>Sacramento (where I spent Christmas)) have no Mac stuff whatsoever.
>At all.  I had presumed this to be true elsewhere?

It is; EBs used to sell a VERY small amount of Mac software, but dropped
it because nobody was buying it.  (OF COURSE nobody was buying it you
fools!  You had no selection and hid it in the back of the store!)

Babbage's is almost as bad; no matter how big a particular store is, the
Mac software (and it's ALL software, no hardware at all) is always placed
as far back in the store as possible.  At my local Babbage's, the sales
clerks can't get into the storage room in the back if a single human body
is perusing the Mac selection.  Also, what little Mac software they do
sell almost always costs more than its IBM equivalent.  If a certain
program goes on sale, it will only apply to the IBM version, for example. 
I've yet to purchase anything from them, and probably never will.

>I didn't see them doing that with Mac software though :-(.  Their
>selection wasn't very good anyway -- Egghead and CompUSA do much better
>with selection ...

Software ETC's a little better; at least they have an almost-decent
selection compared to the other mall chains, and plenty of books for sale.
 But when you get right down to it, there's almost NO reason for a Mac
owner to purchase anything from anyplace other than the major mail-order
houses, which consistently have the widest selection, lowest prices, and
best service.

--Aaron
From: jason@retina.anatomy.upenn.edu (Jason Ehrlich)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: PAX Imperia review
Date: 25 Dec 92 16:34:58 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Neuroscience, U. of Pennsylvania

The guy with no name writes anonymously...

> 1st: I have IIsi, the game is dog SLOW. well is starts fast
> then as the game progresses it gets slower and slower

Hm, I have a 16mhz 68000 Mac Portable, with 5meg RAM, and it runs
fine. It's a very complicated program, things take time. Incidentally,
if you increase your research budget and increase your tech level,
you'll have faster ships. 

> if you are looking for a multiple player game for get about
> PAX Imperia

Playing it in 'turn mode' (even when playing just against the
computer) makes it, imsho, a lot more fun. When you play with a bunch
of people in turn mode, it IS a lot of fun. 

> Summary: Don't waste your money, I am returning mine back.

Bummer, you'll be missing a great game.

> Are these people running a scam or something.

No, they just don't have as much money as Microsoft.

> 1.2 is the version that suppose to have Network version. at it
> might get release sometimes in the next decade.

(huh?)

I suspect 1.2 will be released in less than a decade. Probably a few
months. 1.2 will also have some better computer players.

jason

-- 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jason Ehrlich *  jason@retina.anatomy.upenn.edu (or jehrlich@aol.com)       *
SysOp, *StarLine* Information Systems - Data (215) 635-2341 (v32bis)        *
"The Universe is Change; Our Life is what Our Thoughts Make It." - Antoninus*
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Distribution: world
From: Steve_Costa@bmug.org
Organization: BMUG, Inc.
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 22:48:15 PST
Subject: Re: SOME PAX IMPERIA QUESTIONS

Your ID error makes me think you ran out of RAM while you were playing the
game.........I've played the game several times and have won once or twice and
have only crashed a few times.  The game does have a few problems but it is a good
step in the right direction.


Steve Costa
BMUG

**** From Planet BMUG, the FirstClass BBS of BMUG.  The message contained in
**** this posting does not in any way reflect BMUG's official views.
From: ericl@carson.u.washington.edu (Eric Lundquist)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: More Pax Impressions
Date: 26 Dec 92 19:30:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Dec26.193031.9723
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

After playing Pax for two days, I'd have to say that it has the potential
to be a realy neat game, but it's not there yet.

On my IIsi, I haven't had any crashes yet, but definately have encountered
corrupt-data type bugs.  One time it told me I had -2 shipyards at my
homeworld...

The manual is nearly worthless.  They could easily have released a
10-volume encyclopedia and still not answered everything. This is a
complicated game.

The advisors are mostly worthless.

With 1 computer player and 1 human player, and a small (<10 stars) galaxy,
it really isn't that slow.  With 3 'puters, and a large 48 star galaxy, it
really lugs big-time.  Excruciatingly slow.  I hate to imagine it with 15
computer players...  (I guess I need a faster Mac..)

Eric Lundquist
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

PS:  Let me repeat myself, that manual is really sparse!
From: meg5184@hertz.njit.edu (Starman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: * Stellar 7 for sale
Date: 4 Jan 93 01:27:05 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

I got it for Christmas and I'd like to get rid of it. It's opened, but
the registration card is still in there. I've seen it at some places for
$24 so I'll sell it for the first $20 offer I get.

=============================== Mike Gaines ============================
= WHAT is your name?............................Captain Jean-Luc Picard=
= WHAT is your quest?.............................I seek the Holy Grail=
= WHAT is the average velocity of a Bird of Prey?...Romulan or Klingon?=
=                        I.....I don't know AAAAAHHHHH!                =
========================== meg5184@hertz.njit.edu ======================
                            AOL: Graphix@AOL.COM
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Distribution: world
From: Ian_Wojtowicz@edgeway.wimsey.bc.ca
Organization: EdgeWays! InfoLink - A FirstClass GUI BBS - "The Edge of Communications and GateWays to the World." North Vancouver, BC Canada
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 21:33:31 PST
Subject: Falcon 3 for Mac?

Does anyone know if and when Falcon 3 from Spectrum Holobyte will be released
for Macintosh? Does anyone have their e-mail address?

Thanks in advance.

Ian Wojtowicz
Editor-in-Chief of the EdgeWays TeleTimes International.
TeleTimes Email:  TeleTimes@edgeway.wimsey.bc.ca
My Email:  ian_wojtowicz@edgeway.wimsey.bc.ca
***************************** EdgeWays! InfoLink *****************************
  name@edgeway.wimsey.bc.ca GUI BBS: (604) 984-2777 * Voice: (604) 984-6860
					  *	The views expressed here are of the individual author only. *  
[From FirstClass(tm) by PostalUnion Lite(tm)  from North Vancouver, BC Canada]
******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: eacj@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU (Julian Vrieslander)
Subject: Arashi/Storm - how does the dweebus controller work?
Organization: Cornell Theory Center
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 01:55:43 GMT

My reaction to Arashi is rather mixed.  On one hand, the graphics are very
impressive.  The abstract geometrical look of this game has a lot of
appeal for me.  The sound effects are also impressive. 

But I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to drive the dweebus
that runs around the edge of the game areas.  Its reaction to my mouse
motions is erratic and hard to predict, and even after practicing for
a couple of hours, I find it hard to control.  I have tried both control
modes (rotary and directional) and I have varied the control sensitivity.
Nothing helps.  What exactly is the difference between "rotary" and
"directional" control anyway?  I am not sure that I can see a difference.

It seems like the best controller for this game would be a free spinning
rotary knob, like the jog dial on a VCR.  Obtaining a rotary signal from
a mouse probably requires some sort of mapping of linear motion to
rotational motion.  The configuration window seems to suggest that the
user can choose a direction and sense for this mapping, but the results
are still unpredictable for me.

(and yes, I've cleaned the schmutz out of my mouse..)
-- 
Julian Vrieslander 
Neurobiology & Behavior, Mudd Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853    
INTERNET: eacj@theory.tc.cornell.edu     BITNET: eacj@crnlthry
UUCP: ..cornell!batcomputer!eacj