HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: charlieb@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Charlie Blake)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Covert Action
Date: 22 Jul 92 01:52:51 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

In article <1992Jul21.144909.5327@eplrx7.es.duPont.com> walker@eplrx7.es.duPont.com (Scott Walker) writes:
>I'm glad to see Covert Action come back up in conversation.  I really
>enjoy this game but I have had a few problems with it.  Namely, I'll be
>tracking a target for what seems like forever, getting closer a little bit
>at a time.  Then all of a sudden, it will jump miles away, just when I was
>ready to fire upon it!  This made playing the game very frustrating 

>   Another problem I had was after I had completed a mission (i.e. sunk the
>target boats) I could never figure out how to go to the next mission.

Yes, you and many other people had this problem.  
What you have in covert action is images of targets, and if you didn't
refresh your data, by coming to a near stop or surfacing for satalite 
information, the onboard computer would keep the target moving in 
the same speed and direction as when you last saw it.
I wished at first for an underline or some little mark that would
remind me that it was a projected heading and not the real thing.

And we never figured out how to get to the next mission.
-- 
                 "Nothing is true.  Everything is permissible"
                               Hassan I. Sabbah  
_______________________________________________________________________________ 
Charlie J. Blake  | University of Texas at Austin | charlieb@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
From: rforcada@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Ahteri )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Game Sale
Keywords: Game Sale
Date: 21 Jul 92 05:09:00 GMT
Distribution: usa

~r mac

-- 
Ahteri Forcada-Lowrie
rforcada@sdcc13.ucsd.edu
Xref: sparky comp.sys.mac.games:7521 comp.sys.ibm.pc.games:7282
From: jdavis@husc13.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games
Subject: Re: Virtual Reality Survey
Date: 22 Jul 92 15:32:34 GMT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <1992Jul21.174623.22414@ultb.isc.rit.edu>, sjked@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:
> Virtual Reality is far from being a reasonable system for
> playing computer games. However, it is becoming 
> increasingly easy for anyone to experience virtual reality.
> I'm only 15 years old, but I'd like to start a discussion
> of V.R. and perhaps eventually go into such a career. Please
> e-mail responses to this short survey, or feel free to 
> respond with comments about V.R.
> 
> [DELETED]
> 
> Currently, 2 such systems exist for the Macintosh. One
> is a complete V.R. studio and sells for $58,000!

Could you define "Virtual Reality?"  From your post, I take it that you're
using the now-popular "real-time polygon rendering tied into body motion in
a realistic manner so that the user feels like s/he's 'really there.'"
This is an extremely narrow definition.  Virtual Reality refers to any
system that simulates some realm of reality.  Infocom was actually one of
the early pioneers of VR, and games like Wizardry IV are VR too...

(I don't really classify Wizardry I as VR, because you control an entire
party of characters, and there is no "self."  In Wizardry IV you are
Werdna and none other)

Just my $0.02, before someone claims that "true VR" requires direct brain
input/output or something...

Jason Davis
jdavis@husc3.harvard.edu
From: jacobson@hadar.bucknell.edu (douglas jacobson GR)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Playmaker 2.0 bug
Date: 24 Jul 92 03:20:26 GMT
Organization: Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pa.

In article <15447@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> fzchen@othello.ucdavis.edu writes:
>I think that reflects a rule change in NFL football implemented
>to shorten games.  I believe the rule now is the clock runs until
>the last two minutes of each half.  

The NFL does want to shorten the games, but there is *no way* that
this is a new rule.  The games would be about 1hr long (as opposed to
3-hrs), and the entire game would be changed.  So let me say again *NO
WAY*!!

There might be a much more subtle rule change regarding the clock, but
I don't know what it is (I seem to remember something).

I've never played PlayMaker Football, but I would say this is a *big
time* bug.
--
Douglas Jacobson		            .__o                  GO METS!
jacobson@bucknell.edu                      `\_<,                  GO JETS!
                       __________________(*)/'(*)__________________
 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: hutch@world.std.com (Daniel T Hutchinson)
Subject: Re: Looking For Spaceward Ho! 3.0 Suggestions
Keywords: MultiPlayer Strategy Game
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 22:30:15 GMT

First, I would like to say that Spaceward Ho! is an excellent game as-is, and
I applaud its authors for their great work.

I hope that if you folks plan to have alliances between players then you have
to add proper communcation between players. [You probably already know that.]
Also a computer player difficulty rating between "Dumb" and "Average" would
be nice ["Dumb" is too easy, and "Average" is too hard in my opinion.]  Another
way to fix this would be to allow combinations of types of computer players,
i.e. 2 "Dumb" and 1 "Average".  An editor which allows players to draw their
own ships would be nice, and might be less effort than drawing enough different
types to please everyone.

That's all I can come up with now, thanks for a great game!

Dan Hutchinson
hutch@world.std.com
From: wardw@CS.ColoState.EDU (william bradley ward)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Looking For Spaceward Ho! 3.0 Suggestions
Date: 27 Jul 92 03:33:36 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University

I'd really like to see the "universal metal" system abolished.
Metal mined at a planet should stay on that planet.  The player then has
the option to build ships there (requiring appropriate population etc) or
transport the metal to another planet.  This would require a new ship type
"Transport".

Brad
From: rforcada@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Ahteri )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Game Sale
Date: 21 Jul 92 20:38:40 GMT
Distribution: usa


Game:                         Price:   Comment:
------------------------------------------------------------

Armor Alley                     20$
Falcon 2.0                      20$   Works SE, SE/30, Plus, Classic
Might and Migic II              25$
Pool of Radiance                20$
Curse of the Azure Bonds        20$
Quarter Staff                   20$
SimCity 1.1                     20$ 
Global Dilema (Guns or Butter)  10$ (5$ with any other game)
The Hunt for the Red October    10$ 

Shipping is 2$ for any game or set of games.

Price are negotiable. Make me any offer -- If you think the pricess are
too low you are welcome to offer more :)

Ahter Forcada-Lowrie
rforcada@sdcc13.ucsd.edu
-- 
Ahteri Forcada-Lowrie
rforcada@sdcc13.ucsd.edu
From: mspace@netcom.com (Brian Hall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: COMPLAINT TO CERTAIN SOFTWARE COMPANIES
Date: 24 Jul 92 06:40:24 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)

Babak.Gohari@f421.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Babak Gohari) writes:

>This is a complaint to certain software companies, namely Sierra/Dynamix and
>Lucasfilm Games, and probably a few more.  Why do you insist on using HD Disks
>for your games?  A lot of us out there do not have the SuperDrive, and for
>example, it'll cost me a few hundred to upgrade my II to have superdrive (I need
>some ROM upgrade in addition to the drive itself).  I mean, is it really that
>much more expensive to put the game on 5 disks rather than 3?  At least put out
>two versions, one for us 800k disk drive people.  Thanks.

Likely because the original II is the only machine that has color quickdraw,
but does not have an FDHD.  The people makN??ying the games must have
decided that original Mac II owners are a small enough segemnt of those
with color - which omakes sense for a color game.

-- 

 \ | /   | Brian Hall                 mspace@netcom.com
 - : -   | Mark/Space Softworks       Applelink: markspace
  /|\    |                            America Online: MarkSpace
 |-+-|   |
/-\|/-\  | People don't kill people, toasters kill people.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: kokkos@orion.rm.fccc.edu (Nick Kokkos)
Subject: Falcon
Organization: The Fox Chase Cancer Center
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 15:57:04 GMT

Hello.
Does anyone know if there is a new version of the game "Falcon" for the
Macintosh that runs under system 7.0? I still have not got the update from
version 2.0 although I am a registered user of that program.
Can anyone help? I would really appreciate it vey much.
Thanks in advance.
From: egw@utkvx1.utk.edu (Wolpert, Edward Greenwal)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: cyberblast
Date: 29 Jul 92 15:35:00 GMT
Organization: University of Tennessee Computing Center
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <5226@transfer.stratus.com>, mcote@sw.stratus.com (Mike Cote) writes...
>Has anyone tried out Cyberblast yet?  It sounds like a new arcade style game.
> 
>mpac

	Don't get too excited... I bought a copy a while ago, and it is
neat at first, it's really nothing new... almost the same as Gauntlet,
except it plays better than any Mac version of Gauntlet I've seen.  It's
good for the first week, then...

		-Edward Wolpert
		wolpert@lead.chem.utk.edu
From: asp@trail.sharpstone.com (Alexandre Sasha Polozoff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Hellcats - Carrier landing tips?
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 23:18:24 CST
Organization: Sharpstone Trail Productions - Austin Texas USA
Reply-To: asp@trail.sharpstone.com
X-Mailer: uAccess - Macintosh Release: 1.5v4


In article <19920716181748CSMSETS@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU> (comp.sys.mac.games), CSMSETS@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (CSMSETS) writes:
> In article <21344@sybase.sybase.com>, on 13 Jul 92 22:16:23 GMT,
> ramiro@h2o.sybase.com (Ramiro Sarmiento) writes:
> 
> >
> >
> >Hellcats is great, expect for one thing...why are carrier landings so tough?
> >
> >I'm following the manual to the letter (i think) but I rarely get down ok.
> >
> >Any pointers?
> 
> When you land is the Carrier listing? If the Carrier has been hit and
> you try to land you will die...
>       --Ed
> 

I've successfully landed on a listing carrier.  Taken off afterwards
too.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex Polozoff      512/218-1178       Internet    asp@trail.sharpstone.com
Sharpstone Trail Productions          Compuserve  73467,252
Austin, Texas USA                     OSI Network Management Products                        
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: bt402@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Merbil R. Gonzalez)
Subject: Re: Strategic Conquest 2
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 05:26:38 GMT


Does anyone know the difference between Strategic Conquest 2 & 3?
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: stu5s11@bcrka280.bnr.ca (David Simmons 1342678)
Subject: Re: Covert Action
Reply-To: stu5s11@bcrka280.bnr.ca 
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 19:18:04 GMT

>I'm glad to see Covert Action come back up in conversation.  I really
>enjoy this game but I have had a few problems with it.  Namely, I'll be
>tracking a target for what seems like forever, getting closer a little bit
>at a time.  Then all of a sudden, it will jump miles away, just when I was
>ready to fire upon it!  This made playing the game very frustrating because
>you spend all that time sneaking up on some boat, and then it just takes
>off!  Has anyone else had this problem?
>   Another problem I had was after I had completed a mission (i.e. sunk the
>target boats) I could never figure out how to go to the next mission.
>Any ideas?  I wish we could find the author to see if he has updated this
>potentially great game.

>Scott

The "jump" is quite simple. (I think!) When your sneaking up on a 
target, you're underwater and and your radar doesn't work. Your sonar
only works at very short range. If the sonar can't track the target
it keeps updating the position based on the last known position and
heading. When it does reaquire the target, as you get into range or
surface, the extimated position may be wrong and the new
actual position is shown.

The trick here is to think like a submariner. It alot different
from a shoot'em up game. It's basically like walking with your
eyes closed, without being able to talk, and trying to
find a guy who can see, who's ready to beat you up with a large
stick!

One you finish the mission, you head back to the rendevous point.
There you picking up and the program goes back to the 
pick a mission screen. You then just pick a new mission
using the same "character".

Hope this helps.

(I would have mailed this, but my company has a security gateway
that I haven't figured out how to use from xrn. I can reply to
mail directly though. Sorry for the inconvience.)

-------------------------------------------------------------
John Andrusiak
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: mzajac@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Michael Stephen Zajac)
Subject: Re: Falcon
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 18:56:57 GMT

In <1992Jul27.155704.3980@fccc.edu> kokkos@orion.rm.fccc.edu (Nick Kokkos) writes:

>Hello.
>Does anyone know if there is a new version of the game "Falcon" for the
>Macintosh that runs under system 7.0? I still have not got the update from
>version 2.0 although I am a registered user of that program.
>Can anyone help? I would really appreciate it vey much.
>Thanks in advance.

The latest version (2.2.2) works fine on my Powerbook 170 with system 7.01 and
Tuneup 1.1.1.  The startup music doesn't play and the pilot's messages
are hidden under the menubar, however.

Michael Zajac

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: Mike.Pflugfelder@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Mike Pflugfelder)
Subject: Hellcats help needed
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 15:50:11 GMT

Ok, I have the original disks for hellcats, but I don't have the documentation
and I was wondering if there is a key for air brakes or parachute or something
like that.  Everytime I kill like 3 or 4 fighters, I try to land, and I get to
the runway, I land like in the middle of it, then I either fall off the end of
the island, or I get so far out into the grass that I don't want to try to get
back to the runway anymore.  Please help, I do have the original disks, and I
would like to start playing again.  One other thing, is there a rudder control
or do you just use the ailerons like when on the ground...  Please mail me
at ucpflugf@mcs.drexel.edu because I don't really read this newsgroup.
Mike Pflugfelder

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: Babak.Gohari@f421.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Babak Gohari)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: ANOTHER SH3.0 SUGGESTION
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 19:38:27 -0500

One other HUGE suggestion I have for SH3.0, which I'm surprised no one has yet
mentioned (maybe because I had only played 1.x, not 2.0, and it may have
changed) : why do you have to kill off the population of enemy planets?  I
mean, doesn't it make sense to take over an enemy colony and use it's
resources and money, rather than start over?  I mean, honestly, I would much
rather keep millions of colonist from getting evacuated and keep them working
for me.


Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: silverma@nunki.usc.edu (David Silverman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Knight of Diamond problem
Date: 26 Jul 1992 13:37:37 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: nunki.usc.edu

A while back (before I had access here) I was playing KOD and found 
everything. I had the sword (I think) in the swag bag and I dumped the
bag and lost the sword. Now I can't find the sword anywhere. Have I 
ruined the game for these characters? I haven't played the game in a
while, so I don't even remember where I found everything if I have to start
with new characters.
thanks, Dave

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: bdupuis@sandman.ingr.com (Brian Dupuis)
Subject: Re: Why No Games For Mac?
Reply-To: bdupuis@sandman.ingr.com (Brian Dupuis)
Organization: Intergraph Corporation
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 14:47:59 GMT

> >I have a quick question.  I know IBM and its compatibles make up a 
> >much larger share of the market.  But the main reason IBM is so much
> >bigger is because 99.9% of businesses use them.  As far as recreational
> >use goes, I think it is much closer.  So why is there only one shelf
> >of Mac games at computer stores and a dozen shelves of IBM games?  The
> >only ones that seem to come out are the Sierra games (and always way after
> >they come out for IBM)  Where are the Mac games?
> 
> 	Purely as a guess, I suspect that the "home market" probably is
> 	still mostly IBM, since people tend to buy for their homes the same
> 	machine that they use at work, and since until very recently Mac's
> 	were priced quite a bit higher than an equivalently-useful PC clone.

I'd have to say that price is still a factor.  Think about it... you can
pick up a smelly IBM clone with VGA graphics (COLOR! My goodness...) and
sufficient speed for about the same price that you get a black & white
Classic or something.  People see color,  they want the color.

> 
> 	The "second" reason is that it's harder to program the Mac than the
> 	PC.  (This is, of course, a generalization).   And half-hearted
> 	Mac implementations don't sell well.  "Event-driven Programming"
> 	isn't in every programmer's repetoire yet.

BRAVO!  I don't know how many times I've uttered those very same words.
And "half-hearted Mac implementations" are usually what we get.  (Take a
gander at "Bane of the Cosmic Forge".)

> 	The situation does seem to be improving.  And the new "lower"
> 	cost Macs can't help but increase the trend.  I will personally
> 	accept that the Macintosh has "made it" in the game world when
> 	we get a recent Ultima :-).

One can hope!

> 			--Chris
> 			.
> 
--
/****************************************************************/
/* Brian Dupuis                | "Since you're here,  and since */ 
/* bdupuis@sandman.b15.ingr.com|  I'm here,  doesn't that make  */
/* b15 907B                    |  it OUR time?"                 */
/* Phone: X1548                |                                */
/* Go NOLES!                   |  J. Spicoli (?) - FTARH        */  
/****************************************************************/
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: gousha@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Charles Gousha)
Subject: Re: Looking For Spaceward Ho! 3.0 Suggestions
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 03:16:06 GMT

Some suggestions:

1) Like others have suggested, give the galaxy size in numbers, but make
   it so that as more planet names are entered (from winning games) the
   maximum galaxy size gets bigger!  Imagine using every planet name the
   game has in it...

2) put more randomness in the galaxy formation.  One of my most memorable
   games was being isolated on a planet near the center of the galaxy,
   with the nearest planet 12 units away, making a ring around mine.
   Things like this and other bottlenecks make the games more difficult
   in some places, and much more memorable.  Player thrive on adversity.

3) The grid formation serves no useful purpose that I can see, and I know
   of nobody who wants THAT much evenness.  Dump it.

4) On the information section on the left, make the divider between planet
   information/fleets and the player/planet lists adjustable.  Being able
   to see only four fleets at one planet can be VERY annoying.

5) I like how the shots in battle change in color as you get higher weapon
   tech levels!  offers a good way to guage how powerful the opponent is
   without really revealing anything, if you're paying attention.
   Keep it in.

6) PLEASE make multiple intelligence on the computer players.  I've wanted
   to play (example) three average players with six dumb players in there
   "just to get in the way", but 2.0 only allows either all dumb or all
   average.  Make each opponent settable.

Thank you for creating (and improving!) a game I've already wasted countless
productive hours playing.  I'm greatly looking forward to counless more hours
spent on 3.0.

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Charles Gousha      | CJS systems | "Yes, Star Trek IS a way of life"
gousha@cory.berkeley.edu |Macintosh man|        (my own philosophy)
All normal disclaimers apply, as well as some abnormal ones.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: torkel@sics.se (Torkel Franzen)
Subject: Word of warning about Sherlock
Organization: Swedish Institute of Computer Science, Kista
Distribution: comp
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 16:23:22 GMT


  Well, I tried Sherlock on a Plus running 6.0.7, and it worked OK. I also
tried it on a Plus running 7.0, and it still worked OK. But the 6.0.7
system won't even run on a Classic II. Hence the word of warning: the
games in "the Lost Treasures of Infocom II" are advertised as "system 7
compatible", but don't expect to be able to run all these games on a
Classic II.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
From: seymour@wam.umd.edu (Rockwood Lee)
Subject: Re: Sub Battle Simulator
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 14:24:42 GMT

In article <63961@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt5870c@prism.gatech.EDU (Noah White) writes:
>
>   No I don`t believe he meant Covert Action, but I think he was talking about
>Sub Battle Simulator from (ack it has been a while) Eypx (maybe) it talked and
>you could play a German or American submarine commander, it was a neat game!
>
>

 Just wondering... I ran across a demo version of Sub Battle Simulator and
enjoyed it a lot, but haven't seen it advertised in stores or catalogs for
some time. Does anyone know what happened to Epyx? I've also seen a demo
for PT-109 which has the same look and feel ( so i suspect similar origins)
but i think it was affiliated with Spectrum-Holobyte. Does anyone have any
idea of the fate of the programs or the company?
From: draitt@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Raitt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: SimCity 1.4 updater
Date: 28 Jul 92 01:12:38 GMT
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

I don't know what the guy at Maxis was talking about, but last night I 
downloaded the SimCity 1.4 updater from AOL and was far from the first
to do so.  It seems that it is already available and so should show up
various places soon.


				David
From: stricher@masig.fsu.edu (Char Aznabul)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: What implies "legal user"? (Was: Hellcats help needed)
Date: 30 Jul 92 18:52:27 GMT
Distribution: na

In article <1992Jul30.020359.12819@adobe.com> cpage@adobe.com (Chris Page)  
writes:

+ floppy when I try to run software on my hard-drive. I hate dealing with
+ special "code" disks and looking up answers to questions in the manual.
+ Hellcats, although it requires use of the manual until it is registered,  
was
+ designed thoughtfully enough that all you have to do is register your copy
+ and you get to unlock your software (even the original floppy) and never  
have
+ to deal with copy-protection again. The cost of this scheme? I have to let
+ the makers of Hellcats know my name and address. Seems fair.

In general, how long does it take to get the unlocking code back??? It
seems like forever - it's been over a month, and it's gotten a bit
irritating...

James
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games