9 »>
The Future Of Games
COMPUTE'. Talks Jo Adventure International, Atari, Broderbund, Commodore. On-line Systems. Sirius Software, And Otiiers
$2.50 October 1982 Issue 29 Vol. 4, No. 10
6337<; £1,85 in UK
COMPUTE!
The Journal For Progressive Computing
Writing Gannes For Computers With Limited Memory
Software Digital Speech Synthesis For Apple And t
PET/cBM mm
Character Set Editor For The VIC-20
Color Mixing On The Atari
Commodore 64 Memory Map
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FORGETS."
MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER PflETTY FWE.
Says who? Says ANSI.
Specifically, subcommittee X3B8 of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) says so. The fact is all Elephant^" floppies meet or exceed the specs required to meet or exceed all their standards.
But just who is "subcommittee X3B8" to issue such pronouncements?
They're a group of people representing a large, well-balanced cross section of disciplines— from academia, government agencies, and the computer industry. People from places like IBM, Hewlett-Packard, 3M, Lawrence Livermore Labs, The LI.S. Department of Defense, Honeywell and The Association of Com- puter Programmers and Analysts. In short, it's a bunch of high-caliber nitpickers whose mission, it seems, in order to make better disks for consumers, is also to
make life miserable for everyone in the disk-making business.
How? By gathering together periodically (often, one suspects, under the full moon) to concoct more and more rules to increase the quality of flexible disks. Their most recent rule book runs over 20 single- spaced pages— listing, and insisting upon— hundreds upon hundreds of standards a disk must meet in order to be blessed by ANSI. (And thereby be taken seriously by people who take disks seriously.)
In fact, if you'd like a copy of this formidable docu- ment, for free, just let us know and we'll send you one. Because once you know what it takes to make an Elephant for ANSI . . .
We think you'll want us to make some Elephants for you.
ELBHANl HEAVY DUTY DISKS.
For a free poster-size portrait of our powerful pachydemn, please write us.
Distributed Exclusively by Leading Edge Products, Inc., 225 Turnpike Street^ Canton, Massachusetts 02021
Call: toll-free 1-800-343-6833; or in Massachusetts call collect (617) 828-8150. Telex 951-624.
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Introdttcing Spiiuiatei; \k mate learning fun.
STORY
ntfMAKil
SNOOPBC TROOPS I
«5plr)naker Software Corp . Camttrrdge. tyfii 1982
At Spinnaker Software, we make edu- cational games tliatare actually fun.
Because they're fun, your children will use them. Instead of letting them collect dust in the basement
And because your children use them, they'll be learning. And after all, isn't that what educational games are all about?
Our games are educational, because you can't kid parents.
As a parent, you're probably very con- cerned with how much time your kids spend playing mindless video games.
Sure, they're fun. But they don't do much more than develop reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Spinnaker games are different.
All our games have true educational value. They help develop a child's learning skills. And that's something your kids can take with them wherever they go.
Our games are fun, because you can't kid kids
Kids like Spinnaker games for the same reasons they like roller coasters, going to the beach and ice cream sundaes.
They're fun. Lots of fun. So much fun your kids will probably forget they're learning.
Our games make the computer screen come to life, With colorful graph Ics, animation and sound.
And they're easy to use. In fact a lot of our games are easy enough for kids who've never even used a computer before.
How do we make our games both educational and fun?
We're glad you asked.
Educators and game programmers write our software.
Educators, because they've been in the classroom and know how children
learn. And what it takes to keep their interest
Game programmers, because they know how to have fun with computers. These programmers give our games the high resolution graphics, animation and sound that make them so entertaining. And right now, we're introducing four new games that can be played on the most popular computers, Apple,® Atari,® and IBM.®
First there's EACEMAKER. It's for young computer users, kids ages 4-8. EACEMAKER helps children improve memory and concentration and provides familiahty with the computer
Another game for young users is STORY MAChI ME, This game lets children ages 5-9 write their own stories and see them acted out on the screen. STORY MACMIME helps children learn to write correctly and acquaints them with the keyboard. Our SrtOOPER TROOPS'" detective series gives your child mys- teries to solve. As a Snooper Trooper, your child will have to do some daring detective work, including crawling through dark houses and talking to mys- terious agents.
Designed for kids ages 10 and older, SnOOPER TROOPS helps children learn to take notes, draw maps, classify infor- mation, and develops vocabulary and reasoning skills.
All four games are available in stores today
With Spinnaker products, you can rest easy knowing your children are spend- ing their time wisely
So ask your retailer about the growing line of Spinnaker games.
Because one of the smartest things parents can do is help their chil- dren learn.
We make learning fun.
iftppfp, IBM and Atari aie f egijiered trMemarM nl Apolc Computef, Irtc . Initrr national Bunneas Matnints Cof p arid Aun "r»t rewK'i'welv
UMI games. . .for the fun of VIC
You're in command with Meteor Run . . . guiding your craft through treacherous meteor fields . . . fighting alien ships . . . dodging exploding photon torpedos . . . fighting your way to the red star, Alderbarsn. T?ie closer you get, the more hazards you encounter. You're surrounded with challenging adventure I This action-packed game will hold you spellbound for hours, Just imagine the fun you'll havel!
UMI provides thrilling entertainment with a variety of top-notch, arcade quality games. They're designed to play better, have more action and last longer than most.
All games come on low-cost cassettes or on UMI's own durable cartridges. So live it up, take your pick of games from United Microware today. Send for a catalog or contact the UMI distributor nearest you and start the good times rolling. After all, it's just for the fun of VIC® I!
United Microware Industries, Inc. 3503-C Temple Avenue Pomona, CA 91768 (714) 594-1351
VIC IS ^ registeteo traOemark of CommodorB Business Machines
Look at these exciting choices:
W-
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J
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bEB::l
I
HE LE
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Meteor Run — 1613
Amok — 1611
Satellites & Meteorites — 1650
Renaissance — 1600
October 1982 Vol. 4, No. 10
FEATURES
20 The Computer Games Of Tomorrow Tom R. Halfhill
36 Programming Games On Computers With Limited Memory Charles Bronnon
38 Tune In Software [On Your FM Radio) Tom R. Hoifhill
EDUCATION AND RECREATION
44 Meteor Storm EmiiEngels
SO Rubik's Cube Solved Dieter Kuespert
66 Superchose Anthony Godshail
72 MothMan Andy Hayes
76 TAG Ed Davis
86 Loser Barrage Sean igo
REVIEWS
98 Teaching With Gomes Harvey B, Herman
127 Four Atori Gomes Charles Brannon
130 High Orbit For Apple Eronn Got
131 Raster Blaster G. L. Kopp
132 Four New Cartridges For VIC-20 Harvey 8. Herman
136 CURSOR: Issues 23 Through 28 Marlene R, Protto
138 Meteorites And Red Alert For Sincloir/Tlmex Tom R. Halfhill
139 Book Review; PET Fun & Gomes Jim Butterf ield
COLUMNS AND DEPARTMENTS
6 The Editor's Notes Robert Lock
10 Ask The Readers The Editors And Readers of COMPUTE!
16 Computers And Society; The Game's The Thing David Thornburg
32 The Beginners Page; Writing Your First Game Richard Mansfield
100 Friends Of The Turtle David Thornburg
102 The World Inside The Computer Fred D'Ignazio
108 Learning With Computers Glenn Kleimon
124 Micros With The Handicapped Susan Semancik and C. Marshall Curtis
178 Insight Atari Bill Wilkinson
189 Telecommunications; Telegamrng Michoel Day
191 Machine Language Jim Butterfield
THE JOURNAL
114 Turtle Pilot; Part II Alan Poole
141 PIXELATOR James Calloway
150 Commodore 64 Memory Map Jim Butterfield
156 The VIC Keyboard Redefined Amihai Glazer
159 Atari Rainbow: Colors By Page Flipping Robert W. Myers
162 Pack Up Your Data Jim Butterfield
164 PET Tope Head Alignment Louis F. Sander
166 Adding By Counting: Atari And Pre-Schoolers Stephen Levy
170 PET Self-starting Programs Richard Mansfield
173 VIC Joystick And Keyboard Routine Michael Kleinert
193 Digital Speech Kenneth Finn
198 VIC Ringer Thomas Henry
201 Is Anyone Open? Elizabeth Deal
204 Sorting By Fields Rick Keck
205 A Word-Based Voice Synthesizer For The Apple II David Barron
209 Function VAL [X) In UCSD PASCAL For Apple II Michael Erperstorfer
210 Verify Your Applesoft Topes Keith Falkner
211 CAPUTE!: Modifications Or Corrections To Previous Articies
212 COMPUTEi's Lisfing Conventions 215 New Products
240 Advertisers Index
GUrDE TO ARTICLES AND PROGRAMS
AP Apple, AT Atari, P PET/ CBM.VVIC-20,OOSI, C Radio Shack Color Com- Duter, 64 Commodore 64, ZX Sinclair ZX-81," All or several of the above.
COMPUTl! The Journal for Progrcs.siveCompuIingd'SI'S: -.ST'i'.Ol is puliliahcl 1 '> linii-sr.u li \t^.r liv Sni.ill Sxsitin Si-rvi.<-s, In... P.O. H,)x 3 MKi. Crr.-iishoi.,. .\(; 27tO;l US.A. I'hi.nr; (<.tHl)27.-.-9K(l<l. KHitori.il Ofli.rv .nc l.x.iircl ji W:. Kllf.in Sliwl. C,rfL-ilslx.rt>, N'C 'Jl-WX DiiriioM. S.llisu i.ilic.s: 12 L«ucs. S-2(».IIIK .Srii.l miIk< i ilHicjii utdflsoi !,-IXt' ;"!< re« (P.O. lorni :(-,7!l| |<> Cir< iilaii..,, IX-pi.. COMPim! Magazine. RO. fSox ,3l(Hi. { '.txi.sl.,,.,. NC
® 1982 by Small System .Services. Int. .Ml riirht.s rescrveil. I.SSX (1 HM-3",7X t >-
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COMPUTei
October 1982, Issue 2<?
I
Robert Lock Publisher/Editorrtn-Chief
H
Will The Price Wars Continue?
Texas Instruments announced a $100 rebate program on the ri-99/4A, thereby bringing its price to $199. We must confess that we were never aware that TI had moved to $299, but this was apparently the case. The stock market welcomed all of this news enthusiastically, promptly lowering the price of stock in TI, Commodore, Warner Communications (Atari), and Tandy.
The recent market raUv seems to have helped though, and the group is climbing back. Atari has announced a software coupon savings offer on the 400, and Commodore has moved to lower prices on tiie VIC-20. Predict- ably, Commodore has slowed down its intro- duction of the $179 Max machine, moving instead to dramatically increased VIC produc- tion. Their 40,000 units per month will be increased to 70,000 by late fall.
As an aside, we'd like to point out a few things. A personal computer is not, for exam- ple, a toaster. It's a sophisticated piece of com- puting power that, properly used, can teach, entice, amuse, and entertain. This is a rapidly maturing market. It will continue to grow on its strengths. We suspect tliat those who try to sell it on price alone will suffer in the long run.
West Coast Subscribers, Talce Heart
Finally, with this issue, your copies will start arriving earlier. You are now officially in the "pool," meaning your copies are trucked by our printer to three west coast mailing centers, where )our copies are mailed. Hie ke)- is mail- ing you on the west coast rather than the mid- west. We're expecting this will cause all of your
magazines to arri\'e by no later than the first week of the month. Imagine - your subscriber copy arriving before retail store copiesi
A Record Setting Issue
Not only did our press rim break 100,000 with this issue, but we set other new COIWPUTE! records as well: largest issue, most advertising, most four-color. Equallv important, this special games issue is lull ot cxtclleiit articles, and, as always, programs ready to type right in and use. Enjoy it.
A New Atari President
Roger Badertscher, who resigned as president of the Atari, Inc. Home C]omputer Division in June, has been replaced. Rav Kassar, chairman and CEO of Atari, has announced the appoint- ment (jljohn (javalicr. Mr. Cavalier was previ- ously vice-president atui general manager of the Dixie-Dixie /Marathon unit of American C^an Company.
Sinclair, Radio Stiack Color Computer, and TI-99/4A Owners
COMPUTE! is actively seeking good articles, tutorials, reviews, and applica- tions for your computer. Address sub- missions to:
The F.ditor
COMPUTE!
P.O. Box 5406
Greensboro, NC 27403 C
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'^iyjr^z^;,
MORE THAN EVER, ATARI HOME COMPUTERS ARE SPEAKING YOUR LANGUAGE.
With more program languages than ever to choose from, you now have more opportunities than ever to utilize the amazing capabilities of the ATARI 800™ Home Computer.
Whether you Ve a beginning programmer, or at the fore- front of the art, you'll find an ATARI programming language that can make your task quicker and simpler than ever before. Just look at what ATARI has to offer:
AXfVRI Microsoft BASIC— Now we offer the industry standard, the most powerful Microsoft BASIC yet. With simple commands, it allows you to take advantage of unique ATARI hardware features such as our well-known player/ missile graphics. For ease of programming, it includes n-dimensional arrays for numerics and string handling. And importantly, conversion procedures are simple.
ATARI Macro Assembler— Faster and more powerful than any ATARI language before, the ATARI Macro Assembler also allows you to access more memory space. And it's excel- lent for 1/0 interface and manipulation of such features as: player/missile graphics, sound registers and peripherals. In addition, the macro processor and "include' file library' features speed-up program development considerably
Fig-FORTH— For specialized programming needs, such as educational or game applications, ATARI Fig-FORTH is uniquely effective. Fig-FORTH combines power and sim- plicity in an efficient lOK size, with characteristics of an interpreter and the speed of machine language code.
AXfVRI BASIC- An affordable and easy to use BASIC that requires only 8K of memory'. It allows you to take advantage of the spectacular ATARI graphics and sound capabilities.
And its immediate mode error messages greatly simplify debugging.
AIARI Assembler Editor — An excellent tool to assist the assembler-programmer in creating, editing and debugging assembly programs.
PILOT— ATARI PILOT is an exceptional learning language, with built-in "turtle" graphics to let you aeate spectacular designs and pictures with very short programs. Simple one or two-letter commands allow you to create a dialogue with die computer. And a single "match" command can perform complex text evaluation and pattern-matching instantly.
ATARI Pascal— An excellent high-level language for teaching structured programming, and for developing and maintaining programs. In addition to offering all the features of the ISO Pascal standard, ATARI Pascal offers unique extensions that allow you to take advantage of ATARI graphics and sound capabilities.
-ATARI is constantly developing new ways to help you get more out of your ATARI 800 Home Computer. So watch for more innovative and exciting programming languages from ATARI in the future.
For more information, write to ATARI, Inc.,
Dept. C4Z, PO. Box 16525,
Denver, CO 80216. ATARI '
CIWJAl-^k! I.K AI|KiHh!!-K*s^-nftJ .^ ...^^.^9
*Availahle hoiii [hi^ AX^RI Prci^rani Esch-mm-
ATARI HOME COMPUTERS
We ve Brought The Computer Age Home!"
A
COMPUTEI
October 1982, Issue 29
Publisher/£drfor-ln-Chief RobertC. Lock Publisher's AssisfanJ Alice S. Wolfe
Senior Editor Managing Editor Features Editor Technical Editor Editorial Assistonf Adm in istrati ve Assistant Copy Assistants
Associate Editors
Richard Mansfield Kathleen E. Mortinek TomR.Holfhill Ottis R. Cowper Charles Brannon Vicki Jennings Juanita Lewis ti/!ary Parker Jim Butterfield. Toronto, Canada Harvey Herman, Greensboro, NO Fred D'Ignazio, c/o COIVIPUTEL P.O. Box 5406 Greensboro, NO 27403
David Thornburg P.O. Box 1317. Los Altos, CA 94022 Contributing Editors Marvin DeJong Bill Wilkinson GeneZumchak
Art Director/ Production Manager
Artists
Typesetting Illustrator Production Assistant
Georgia Papadopoulos
De Potter
Kate Tayior
Terry Cash
Horry Bfair
Dai Rees
Associate Publisher/ National Advertising Sales Manager Advertising Coordinator
Andy Meehan Alice S.Wolfe
Operations/Customer Service Manager Coordinator Assistants
Shipping & Receiving
Carol Lock Fran Lyons Christine Gordon Dorothy Began
Jim Coward
Accounting Manager Bookkeeper Accounting Assistant Advertising Accounts Assistant
W. Jerry Doy Ellen Day
Linda Roquemore Bonnie Valentino Ruth Granger
Small System Services, inc. publishes:
COMPUTE! COMPUTE! Books
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625 Fulton Street, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA
Mailing address: COMPUTE!
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Telephone: 919-275-9809
Robert C. Lock, President
W. Jerry Day, Vice-President and
Comptroller Kathleen E. Mortinek, Assistant To The
President Sonjo Whitesell, Executive
Assistant
Coming In November
Special Peripherals & Telecommunications Issue Including:
What To Get Your Computer For Christmas
A Major VIC Programmer's Aid
Apple Sounds
PET/CBM Interfacing
A Buyer's Guide To Modems
Backup Atari Boot Tapes
and much more...
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COMPUTE! Magazine
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Authors of monuscnpts warrant that all materials submitted to COMPUTEi ore oiiginal moterials with full ownership rights resident in said authors. By submitting articles to COMPUTE' outhors acknowledge that such materials, upon acceptonce for publication, become the exclusive property of Small System Ser- vices, Inc. No portion of this mogazi ne may be reproduced In ony form without written permission ft om the publisher. Entire contents copyright ■ 1982, Smoll System Services, Inc. Rights to programs developed and submitted by outhors are explained in our author contract. Unsolicited moterials not accepted fot pubfcofion in COtvlPUTEi will be returned if author provides a selt-oddressea, stamped envelope Program listings should be provided in printed form (new ribbon] as well as machine readoble form Articles should be furnished as tvped copy (upper- and lowercose, pleose] with double spoclng. Eoch page of your article should bear the title of the orticle, dote and name of the author COMPUTE' assumes no liability for errors in articles or advertisements. Opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of COfvlPUTE!. PET is a trademork of Commodore Business Machines, Inc. Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Company, ATARI is a trademark of Atari, Inc.
Professional Software Introduces POWER
by Brad Templeton
I
ADD POWER TO YOUR ^s©-®^ COMMODORE COMPUTER
POWER produces a dramatic improvement in the ease of editing BASIC on Commodore's computers. POWER is a programmer's utility package {in a 4K ROM) that contains a series of new commands and utilities which are added to the Screen Editor and the BASIC Interpreter. Designed for the CBM BASIC user, POWER contains special editing, programming, and software debugging tools not found in any other microcomputer BASIC. POWER is easy to use and is sold complete with a full operator's manual written by Jim Butterfield.
POWER'S special keyboard 'instant action' features and additional commands make up for, and go beyond the limitations of CBM BASIC. The added features include auto line numbering, tracing, single stepping through programs, line renumbering, and definition of keys as BASIC keywords. POWER even includes
TM POWER is a Registered Trademark o( Prolosstonal Software, Inc. All specifications subject to ctiange without notice
new "stick-on" keycap labels. The cursor movement keys are enhanced by the addition of auto-repeat and text searching functions are added to help ease pro- gram modification. Cursor UP and cursor DOWN produce previous and next lines of source code. COMPLETE BASIC program listings in memory can be displayed on the screen and scrolled in either direc- tion. POWER is a must for every serious CBM user.
Call us today, for the name of the Professional Software dealer nearest you.
Professional Software Inc.
51 Fremont Street
Needham, MA 02194
Tel: (617) 444-5224 Telex #951 579
10
COMPUTE!
October «82. Issue 29
Ask The Readers
The Editors And Readers of COMPUTEi
AND And WAIT
I've noticed manv programs using "AND," such as: IF (Z AM) \27)<:VI THEN.... What's being com- pared wlien it says "Z AND 127"? Could you also explain to me how the WAIT statement works?
David Zacharuk
The two numbers are being com pared in (heir binary form: if the variable Z m", say, 15 llieii it would look like this in binan: 00001 111. ANDing it with 127 (01 11 nil) gives 00001 111 (15) so the IF THEN in the exam file would be less than 32. For further explanation ofAXD. rousult a)iy hook on machine language or see 'The Beginner's Page" last motith, COMPUTEi. .Sep- tember 1982, p. 24.
WAIT is infrequently used in BASIC programming (and is not available in some versions of BASIC). If you wrote WAIT 5000,5.1 you would rouse the computer to slop operations until it PEEKed addre.'^s 5000, Exclusive- ORs the number it found there with the 1 , ANDs with the 5, and the result is aiiything other than zero. If it gets a zero after these operations, it continues to wait until the result becomes something other than zero. W AIT' s primary value would be for communicating zoith peripherals when you\'e added your own interface. It's hard to explain, hard to understand, and, luckily, hardly ever needed.
Reader Requests Assistance
In November 1981 I corresponded with a company named PROTRONTCS for the purchase of a mem- ory board for a PET computer. My check has been cashed. To date I have not received a product, nor have I been successful in getting my monies re- funded. I have initiated action with the postal authorities and the Washington State Attorney General.
I am requesting that anyone vviio has had a similar experience with PROTRONICS to please correspond with me. Mail a short letter giving a few particulars of your case. I will then package the information and forward it to the proper aiuhorities along with each person's name. Mail information to:
Arthur G. Walden
7505-78th .\venue SE Mercer Island, W.\ 98040
Arcade Vs. Adventure
Ciould vou deiinc the difference between an arcade game and an adventure game?
A. Rabin
It's getting less and less easy to define the difference between, these two computer game .styles. Adventure gomes are including "arcade" features, and some arcade games now have several different "srene.s" of action. I'radillon- ally, an arcade game (named after the rooms in shopping malls where the machines offering these games are located} has one scene or "playfield" like the maze ott Pac-Man. There's fast action., color, .sound, ami you .succeed in these games became you have good coordination. It's a physical experience - some say a sport — and things happen in realtime (the time between your moves and the opponent's moves is the same as it would he if you were really running through a tiiaze being pursued by ghosts).
An adventure game, on the other hand, is more like recuUng an adventure .story in a hook. There is generally no time limit to your "moves," and there are often many characters and many settings. An adventure game can lake hours to play while you wander through a mansion with many rooms (n' search through forests and caves for a hidden treasure. Frequenlhyour victory will def)end on your skill at solving a riddle, or effectively using your available resources. In short, an adventure game is gener- ally a menial rather than an athletic effort.
The trend, though, is toward a merging oj adventure arul arcade game qiudities into what will likely he the suf)e>games of torrwrrow. To find out -what the experts are forecasting, see "Future Games" on page 20.
Butterfield On RS-232 Interfacing
I have a RS-232 interface made by Quantum Data, Inc., connecting my Data Product.s DP-50 Daisv Wheel printer to my VIC-20. I am having a problem printing anything in my program. I keep gelling out of memory. I am able to use mv un-word pro- cessor I got from Microdata. It prints ihie. How- ever, it's in machine language and my programs are in BASIC. I can also list my programs In- using: 10 open 128,2,0,chr$(4 + 2):cnidl28:iist Here is the buffer Control Protocol for my printer (handshaking).
Data Terminal Ready, goes false (-V) when the interface buffer has less than 16 locations remaining and goes true ( + V) when the Ijuffer ha.s more than 96 locations available. Remote/Software Provision; The terminal inspects the incoming data stream for the ASCII ETX control character (67 Coded Decimal Value) and automadcally transmits an ACK control character (70 Coded Decimal Value) when the ETX is pulled from the interface buffer. By transmitting the data in blocks separated by ETX characters, the host system can synchronize the rate of block transmissions to the actual average
k
More Apple II owners choose Hayes Micromodem HI than any other modem in the world. Compare these features be- fore you buy, You should. It's your mone\'. Thousands of other Apple 11 owners have already compared, consid- ered, and are now communicat- ■ ing - all over the U.S.A. - with • Micromodem II. The best mo- dem for the Apple II. The most mo dem for your money. ^^
A complete ^^gf data communi- H cation system, 'i^^ Micromodem II is not 'base priced" plus necessary "options." It's a complete, high-' performance data communication system. The printed circuit board fits - quickly and easily- mto your Apple II. eliminat- ing the need for a serial interface card. And the Mlcrocoupler'^' iindudedl con- nects the Apple 11 directly to a standard modular telephone jack. Auto-dial and ■answer features are built-in. Operation can be full or half duplex, with a trans-
mission rate of 300 bps. And its Bell 103 compatible and FCC approved.
Now there's Hayes Terminal Pro- gram, tool Developed by Hayes speci- fically for Micromodem 11. this new
Terminal Program allows you to access all the great features of your modem in a matter of seconds.
With it. you can use fc- your CP/M." DOS 3.3 or Pascal for- / matted diskettes to create, send, re- ceive, iistand delete _^ files. Hayes Terminal f Program is a complete, stand-alone disk. And because its menu driven, you can choose from a wide variety of i options to set your communica- I tion parameters — as well as I change hardware configuration " —directly from the keyboard. It even al- lows you to generate ASCII characters that are normally not available from Apple
keyboards, further extending your capa- bilities. Incoming data can be printed von serial or parallel printers^ as it's dis- played on your screen.
Software sold with Micromodem II or separately. A Terminal Program disk and user manual now come with Micromodem IL or. if you already have one. you can buy the Termmal Program separately. ;
If you're ready to communicate with other computers, to access infor- mation utilities, timesharing systems, or use bulletin boards, then you're ready for Micromodem II. Come on. Compare. Consider.
Micromodem II is already the best- selling modem for the Apple II. Now. with Hayes' new Terminal Program, it's better than ever
Don't settle for any-
— \/^^0 thing less. Available y^JO at computer stores all across America, Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. 5835 Peachtree Corners East Norcross, Georgia 30092 i404) 449-8791
Lpplell just isn't the same without Hayes Micromodem IE
Pl^^Pmv.^
■^
em II and Microcoupler are trademarks of Hayes Mlaocomputer Products. Inc. Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer. Idc, IB^Js a registered trademark of Digital Research. Inc. © 1982 Hayes Mlaocomputer Products, Inc. Sold only in the U.S. A. —-^-^
|
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1 |
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B',., '-'^^v;^ |
^^^^^^H |
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i^O
THE COMMODORE 64.0NLY$595
■What nobody else can give you at twice thamce
•J •^
<5^n^^'0l^^-.
--' ,'>.
"THE COMMODORE 64
OULD BE THE
MICROCOMPUTER INDUSTRY^
OUTSTANDING NEW PRODUa
INTRODUCTION SINCE THE BIRTH OF THIS MDUSTRY."
-SHEARSON/AMERICAN EXPRESS
They're speaking to a group as interested as anyone else in the future of computers: the people who buy stocl< in the companies that make computers.
If, on the other hand, you're a person whose livelihood depends on a personal com- puter—or whose leisure time revolves around one— what follows should impress you even more than it impresses investors.
MIGHT MAKES RIGHT.
The value of a computer is determined by what it can do. What it can do is largely deter- mined by its memory.
The Commodore 64's basic RAM is 64K. This amount of power is unusual enough in a micro at any price.
At $595, it is astonishing.
Compared with the Apple 11+', for in- stance,the Commodore 64 offers 33% more power at considerably less than 50% of the cost.
Compared with anything else, it's even more impressive.
PILE ON THE PERIPHERALS.
Because the basic cost of the 64 is so low, you can afford to buy more peripherals for it. Like disk drives, printers, and a telephone modem that's priced at around $100.
This means you can own the 64, disk drive, printer and modem for a little more than an Apple 11+ computer alone.
HARD FACTS ABOUT SOFTWARE.
The Commodore 64 will have a broad range of custom software packages including an electronic spreadsheet; business graphics (including printout); a user-definable diary/ calendar; word processing; mailing lists, and more.
With BASIC as its primary language, it is also PET BASIC compatible.
The Commodore 64 will also be program- mable in UCSD PASCAL, PILOT and LOGO.
And, with the added CP/M* option, you
will have access to hundreds of exciting soft- ware packages.
THE FUN SIDE OF POWER.
The Commodore 64 can become very playful at a moment's notice.
You can use Commodore's plug-in game cartridges or invent your own diversions. All will be enhanced by brilliant video quality (320 X 200 pixels, 16 available colors, 3D Sprite graphics), plus outstanding sound.
The 64's built-in music synthesizer has a programmable ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) envelope, 3 voices (each with a 9-octave range) and 4 waveforms. All of which you can hear through your audio system and see in full color as you compose or play back. NQW'S YOUR CHANCE.
If you've been waiting for the "computer revolution," consider it as having arrived.
Through its 25 years of existence. Commodore has been committed to delivering better products and lower prices.
Today, the company's vertical integration has resulted in the Commodore 64's price per- formance breakthrough heralded by Shearson/ American Express.
Visit a Commodore Computer dealer and discover the 64 soon.
It will expand your mind without deflating your wallet.
'CP- M ■ -s i registered iraOemark oJ Qrgital R^searc^, Inc
1 Commodore Business Machines/Personal Systems Division I
■ P.O. Box 500 Conshohocken, Pennsylvania 19428
Please send me more information on the Commodore 64:"
Name
Company.
Address
City
Zip
-State_ _Phone__
L.
E commodore
■ COMPUTER
coo
1J
COMPUTE!
October 1982. Issue 29
printing speed.
So it looks like i have to set up a buffer for handshaking. I am lost; can you help me? I have one other problem in setting up this buffer. If I want to print lower case letters I will need some con\ersion in setting up ni\' buffer. This is because my printer uses true ASCII characters, not Com- modore. Are you still with me or have I lost you as I am lost?
Daryl E. Williams
The August issue o/ COMPUTE! shoulfl have been some keif) on how VIC uses RS-232 (fxige 99, "VIC Com- mu)ii((ilioits: The RS-232 Interface").
First, a little exercise in terminology. Usually, VIC is the "tenninar' and is xvorking a communications line through a modem. However, if we iva)il VIC to talk to a printer, VIC can't he the terminal — we already have one of these — so VIC m ust become the "Hue," acting the part of the modem. No problem here except that connections change names as they pass between the two units. One device's Send is the other's Receive, of course. The DTR .sent hy the printer becomes the DSR (Data Set Ready) connection on the VIC, a>ui vice versa. Similarly, the RTS (Ready to Send) output and CTS (Clear to Send) input )nust he flipped over between the two devices.
RS-232 is hard to pin down; it can be used in many ways. Ifive wish, we can .simply '^end on the send line and receive on the receive line and not xoony about the other wires. This is the basic "three-wire" operation (the third wire is ground); it has no handshake. Alternatively, we can use DSR to see if the other guy is 'willing to receive from us, and DTR to signal whether we are ready to lake from him. This is one of the options on your printer.
Now, VIC reads the handshake lines from, the printer (VIC sees them as DSR and CTS) and is capable of restraining traffic. Unfortunately, there's a bug in the present VIC software, and the haiulshake won't work. Y(ntr program can .still check this information directly: DSR, the printer sDCD, can be seen with PEEK(37I36) AND 128; and CTS, the printer's RTS, can be .seen with PEEK(37I36) AND 64. But you must do this in your BASIC program.
The alternative you mention is a re mote I software handshake. Not hard to do for a printer that is so equipped. Just FRINT#n,CHR$(67); that .sends the ETX. Now wait in a GET#n loop until you get a character back from the printer. The character icill be CI-IR$(70), but that doesn't matter. When it arrives, you'll know that the printer is "caught up. "
No need to set up a buffer: opening the RS-232 docs that for you automatically.
Final problem : PET ASCII is not the same as ASCII. The conversion rules - assuming your PET is in text mode (upper/ lowercase) - are asfolloivs: ASC values less than 65: no change. ASC values from. 65 to 96: add 32. ASC values from 193 to 224: subtract 128. Any other
characters are not really ASCII compatible (for example, graphics), and you can make arbitraiy decisions on their translation.
'Flits is all veyy nice as a set of rules, but starts to look clumsy when you want to translate "The quick brown fox..." for the printer. Each character will need to be extracted with MID$, changed to its ASC number, trans- lated to the new ASCII numeric, and then .sent on its way with FRINT#n,CIIR$(..);. Slow and un.suti.sfying but workable. The translation part can be speeded up somewhat hy setting up an array of pre-translated values, so that a PET ASCII value of 70 ivoidd translate immediately to T(70), in this case 102. We can now start boiling down translation of .string S$ to .something like:
FORJ= 1 TO LEN(S$):PRINT#n,CHR$(T(ASC(MID$ (SSJ))));:NEXTJ
(Whew!)
The whole thiitg becomes faster and easier with either of two other solutions: hardware or machine lan- guage. It turns out the manipulations above ttre really .simple bit reanangements. A fete hardware gates on the interface will do tlie job easily. Similarly, a few machine language instructions can test for certain bits and then AND them away or OR extra hits into place. But we must deal u'ith new (ji/e.stions here: how do we get into the information stream to make these changes? It can be done, but there's no. space for a brief answer here. Perhaps yourword processor can he easily modified f)r \our printer; you might ijueiy the supplier.
The following machine language conversion code takes a PET ASCI I I'alue in the A register and coiwerts it to ASCII before output. The hardware conversion is veiy similar to this simple machine language process.
I CMP #$40
! BCC NOTALF
f CMP #$60
BCS NOTALF
ORA #$20 NOTALF AND #$7F
The jargon of RS-232 can intimidate the beginner. It can be puzzling to find that most of the 25 connections are left unused in the average .sy.stem; they are therefor features that we don't need. And the VlC's non-working liandshake doesn't help clarify things.
But the pieces are all there, and they can he made to work. The VIC gives you a lot of help on RS-232: a bit more effort might pay real dividends.
^ Jim Bulterfield
COMPUTEI welcomes questions, comments, or solutions to issues raised in this column. Write to: A.sk The Readers, COMPUTE! Magazine, P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403. COMPUTE! reseri'es the right to edit or abridge published letters.
t
Introducing the PERCOM Alternative to ATARI Disic Storage
Your Alari 800 is the finest home computer on the market. Now you can own a floppy disk system that measures up — an RFD mini-disk storage system from Percom.
At Percom we've been making disk storage systems since 1977.
Our designs are proven, our quality is well known. And we back our dealers with service know-how. Expect more from Percom. You won't be disappointed.
• Operate in either single- or double-density storage mode using Atari DOS 2.0S. In double-density you can store almost 184 Kbytes (formatted) on one side of a 40- track diskette.
Connect your Percom RFD first-drive system directly to your computer or connect into your system through your Atari 810 Disk Drive.
Add an RFD first-drive system with its versatile four-drive controller, then connect as many as three more low-cost RFD add- on drives.
Write application programs that can query and set up your system to operate a differ- ent type drive at each cable position — that can even change configuration as the program executes.
• Ge! quality and state-of-the-art capability at competitive pnces. Percom first-drive RFD systems are priced from only S799. first add-on drive is only S459. Cables included. Watch for announcement of a new, power- ful, easy-to-use disk-operating system for your Percom-equipped Atari 800 computer.
Minimum system requirements — are an Atari 800 computer witli 24-Kbytes of RAf^ and compatible video display system; Atari's disk-operating system (vef 2.0S) and owner's manual: and. (or add-on drives (il used) an optional disk drives interconnecting cable available from Percom.
For the best thing next to your computer, see your Atari dealer about a Percom RFD floppy disk storage system. For the name of your nearest dealer, call Percom toll-free 1-800-527-1222.
PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
WITHOUT NOTICE.
PERCOM DATA COMPANY, INC.
11320 RftGEMILLRD -OAULAS TX 75233 - 12141 34D-7t»l
ATARI 800 & ATARI 810 are trademarks of the Atari (^rporation, PERCOM is a trademari? of Percom Data Company. Inc.
I I I I I I I
Ves ... I'd like to know more about Percom RFD disk drives for my Atari 800 Computer. Rush me free literature.
Send lo: PERCOM DATA COMPANY. Inc., Dept, IB-COl 11220 Pagemill Road, Dallas, Texas 75243
\ I I
street
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i plan 10 add a hard disk system to my Atari; D yes □ no. MAIL TODAY!
16
COMPUTEI
October 1982, Issue 29
A Monthly Column
Computers And Society
David D, Thornburg Associate Editor
The Game's The Thing
Those who draw a diiliitction between Education and Eiilniainmnil don't know the first thing about eithi'y.
(Marshall McLtihan)
I can think of no application of microprocessor tcfhnologv that has aroused as much controversy as the electronic game. It matters not if the game is in the home or in an arcade; some people feel that such electronically enhanced enteitainmcnt is a greater threat to .society than, for example, micro- processor controlled smart bombs.
Almost anvone with a sufficiently negative opinion of game arcades seems assured of television exposure on the evening news or front page treat- ment in the local paper. As an example of the level to which the hysteria has risen, I have only to thank those readers who sent me copies of the front page arlicle from the June 1 issue of the tabloid Weekly World News. For tho.se of you who liaven'i read it, the front page headline blared (in 1 3/8" type) TEEN KILLED BY \'IDEO GAME. The article went on to sa)':
Shocked players a! (he Calumet, III, video center were .suuiiiecl as they wakherl die 18-year-old youth suddenly slump at the controls of 'Berserk' and slowly crumple to the ground. Mis lifeless body was a tragic symbol of the video game's conquest over its human Foe. Of course, the article went on to point out that the coroner found the boy had an undetected heart condition, and that it was the stre.ss that killed him. Had this yoimg man died as a result of overstre.ss on the tennis coiut, I'm sure the story would not have been nearly as ne\vsworthy.
It was thus with great relief that I received a package of articles in the mail from Peter Favaro - a Long Island psychologist who has spent years carcltdly studying the effect of video games on children.
\'ou say thai you haven't heard of Peter? "Well, from what \ can tell, he isn't the sort who is going
to be gobbled up by 60 Minutes or Tlie Today Show. He is a .scientist who believes in reporting without hysteria what he observes. His writing does not contain sentences like:
He could see the beads of sweat reflected in the TV screen as his clammy hand reached for another quarter. Finally, after spending $85, he was within striking dis- tance ol' liis goal — a free game.
What Peter has done is quite interesting. He ex- plored the skills acquisition potential of video games for his Master's thesis a few years ago. He explored the use of video games as a reinforcemenl tool for teaching learning di.sabled and emotionally disturbed children, and he studied the so-called "addictive" aspects of video games.
Coordination Test Findings
What did he ilnd? First, .some game proponents (myself among them) have speculated that, if nothing else, prolonged video game play would restilt in imyjroved eye-hancl coordination, .^long with three colleagues, Peter devised a test involving
1.") lUMserv school bovs aged three to live vears.
Fhe children were randomly divided itUo three groups. The experimental group received six, five- minute training sessions on a popular video game; another group received the same amount of per- sonal attention, but did not play any games; and the third group was a control group that received no special treatment.
Prior to the experiment, each group was tested on two video games and one pencil and jjaper maze-solving task, fhe results showed thai the experimental group did improve their skills in plaving other video games, but that these skills did not transfer to the maze-follow ing task. As Peter says.
One mii^hl t rilit i/c tliesc results by saying iliat they suggest thai children who play video games only gel better at playing video games. On the surface, this is ceriainlv true; howcvei-. my colleagues and 1 Icet that, if given longer training sessions. the children might have achieved transfer to the maze tasks since there was a trend in this direction and since tran.sler was shown on a task with different stimuUis cliaracteristics.
Note that he did not say:
In the diffuse light of the damp basement laboratory, one could see that the children's eyes, once large with excitement and won- der, had hartlened lo steel as they fought for die right to get just one more cjuarter,
Peter's more recent work included the use of \ideo games as a reinforcer for good behavior in a
i
ofThe Hundreds of Reasons You Ought To Be A COMPUTE!
Magazine Subscriber:
From "The Editor's Feedback" Card, a monthly part of our continuliig dialogue with readers of COMPUTE!. These are responses to the question,
"What do you like best about COMPUTE! ?"
l."It is written so a iDeginner can read and understand it... it's layman oriented..." 2. "Clear, clean layout, good presentation..." 3. "The Atari game programs..." 4, "Best and most information on PET..." S. "Cover to cover, and all in between..." 6."Ilevlews of software and hardware..." 7. "Good balance of application and technical articles..." 8."It is the best source of info about various levels of VIG/PET/CBM machines and ap- plications..." 9. "The BASIC and machine language programs..." 10."I like programs that can be typed into a computer, run, and then used right away (a program without bugs!)..." ll,"Thatitis organized well, and covers a broad range of information con- cerning Atari. Keep it up! please, I'm learning..." 18. "Table of contents listings and computer guide to articles is a great idea. Best magazine for personal home computer users..." 13, "Best I have found for VIC info..." 14,"Informative articles: 'Secrets of Atari', Game programs, especially programs that teach the reader about the Atari..." 15. "I like all the articles and programs for my computer, the PET. I've learned and foiind out things about it that I never even thought existed. Other magazines don't have too much material for the PET and, for that reason, I find COMPUTE! invaluable..." 16. "The up-to-date hardware reviews..." 17."Maclilne language utilities for Atari..." 18."Articles are terse but "understandable and accurate. Utility and applications pro- gram listings very helpful..." 19."The April, '8S issue is my first. I am impressed that you not only acknowledge the VIC-20,you even have applications for it..." 20."I really enjoy (since I am one) the Beginner's Page..." 81, "The attention it gives to Atari and the easy-to-understand language it's written in..." 88, "It is concerned with ex- plaining programs, not just listing them. It is the best VIC magazine I could buy..." 83,"The new table of contents 'Guide to Articles and Programs' is excellent, particu- larly the indication of 'multiple computer' items..." 84."Broad range (sophistication) of programs..." 85. "You don't speak over the average user's head..."
Whetlier you're just getting staLTted with personal computers, or very advanced, you'll find useful, helpful information m every issue of COMPUTE! Magazine. We specialize in supporting the Atari, PET/CBM, VIC-20, and Apple computers. Editorial coverage is expanding to include the TI-99/4A, the Sinclair ZX-81, and the Radio Shack Color Computer.
Every issue of COMPUTE! brings you user-friendly articles, applications programs, and utilities you can type right into your computer and use. To subscribe to COMPUTE!, or to order a sample issue, use the attached reply card or call our toll-free number. COMPUTE!... We're the resoiu'ce for thousands and thousands of home, educational, and small business computer users. Shouldn't you be one of them?
1 year, twelve issue subscription: $20.00 in the US.
Call ToU Free in tlie US 800-334-0868
In NG caU 919-275-9809
COMPUTE! Magazine is a pubhcation of Small System Services, Inc. 6S5 Fulton Street. P.O. Box 5406. Greenst3oro, NC 27403.
p
special education class of six boys who had previ- ously "acted out." (Acting out, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, means doing things like breaking chairs over each other's heads.) Using this class as an opportunity for more research, he discovered that children responded much better when video games were used as the reinforcement tool than when the traditional "snack" reinforcers were used. An incidental benefit (beyond the low sugar content of video games) was that some of the more withdrawn and defensive children gained confidence and peer acceptance through the games.
Of all the criticisms leveled against these games, the idea that children become addicted to them raises considerable concern with the gieatcst number of people. Accordingly, Peter devised a study to measure social responsibility, impulse control, and compliance among groups of children who played video games. Since these three areas are ones in which addicts display beiiavior quite different from that displayed by non-addicts (whether the addiction is alcohol, drugs, etc.), it seemed appropriate to measure these things for a group of "heavy game users" and to compare tlie results with those for a group of "light game users."
In one test, he gave every child 12 quarters and told them that they could use six quarters on a game, but must give the remaining .six quarters to a pcison nearbv wiio was collecting money for charity. While the lieavy game users did play moie games (7.6 quarters vs. 5.6 for light users), the heavy users showed more social responsibility in giving the balance to charity (5.5 quarters vs. 4.5). My, my — so much for differences in social responsibility.
While Favaro's study is by no means conclu- sive, it did encourage him to make an interesting observation:
01:iviously. anything that is done in an obsessive way can seriously disrupt anyone's life, but the point is: Why focus on video games? A child would be in serious trouble if he practices dribbling a basketball nine lioins a day to the exclusion of everything else. Clhildrcn as well as adults who have "addictive personalities" will always hnd a target (of their addictions. It is unscientific to claim thai a causal link exists between video games and maladapli\e behavior, sinipK because a small population of ( hild- ren do both.
Well .said, Peter, well said.
o
COMPUTE! The Resource,
Improve your keyboard skills
with Mosterlype.
A t?/ping program for the Apple II that dares to be fun. But it's not just child's play. No matter who you are, your computer will become a more efficient tool, as you become a more proficient typist. And MasterType can help. Dramatically.
But don't just take our word for it.
infoworlcf magazine had this to say about Lightning Software's Hi-Res MasterType: "MasterType is an excellent instnjctional typing game. We had fun reviewing it, and we highly recommend it to those who want to learn typing in an unconventional but motivating way"
infoworld also went on to rate Master- Type as Excellent in all categories.
Good news for Atari owners!
MasterType will introduce an Atari version on July 1st. Watch for it!
I Attention all Dealers.
Don't miss out on one of the hottest selling software products on the market, Call today for a free demo disk.
Atari 1^3 ffigistered t 3"'
rsdetnari cf Apple Comouter. inc
t
Good Golly! What A GAME!
The original arcade game PREPPIE! will give you hours of toe-tickling fun. You take the controls, moving your young prepster about on the golf course. And what a golf course! It's unlike any you have ever played on before. There are dangers everywhere, and only you can keep the little Ivy Leaguer from a fate worse then Penn State!
PREPPIE! is written in state-of-the-art machine language, is joystick compatible and fully utilizes the Atari's sound and graphics capabilities. Quite frankly, it will give you the most fun you can have on an Atari microcomputer PREPPIE! is available at fine computer, book, and hobby stores everywhere.
An exclusive game from
ATARI 16K TAPE — S29. 95
ATARI 32K DISK - $29.95
^^dventuie
*■ y-'^ INTERNATIONAL
To order, see your local dealer. If he does not have the program you want, then call 1-800-327-7172 (orders only) or write for our free catalog.
Published by ADVENTURE INTERNATIONAL
a division of Scott Adams, Inc. BOX 3435 • LONGWOOD, FL 32750 • (305) 862-6917
"My Atari never did things like ttiis before!" —Holister Townsend Wolfe
"\ fiad so mucti fun I almost blew my dougtinuts."
— Theodore Boston III
"I haven't had this much fun since Buffy and I wenf to Princeton for the weekend." —Martha Vineyard
20
COMPUTft
October 1982, Issue 29
Listen to what Scott Adams, Chris Crawford, and other experts have to say about computer games of the future. You're in for some surprises.
The Computer Games Of Tomorrow
Tom R. Hatfhill Features Editor
Harry Buttondown left the office promptly at 5:05 p.m., walked two block.s to the .subway stop, duiif idly deposited his token in the turnstile, and stepped onto the train.
It was already pretty crowded. Harry decided to squeeze himself nc\t to a seat-hog who was inconsiderately sprawled across two spots, staring obliviously out the window with his back turned. Harry leaned toward the stranger. "Excuse me, sir," said Harry, with the assuming poise of a supervisory executive. "Plea.se move aside."
Slowly the man turned his liead. Harry froze in terror as he stared into the stranger's glowing red eves -ail five of them. Foam drooled from laser-sharp fangs and dribbled d<nvn a fur-covered che.st. Growling like a timber wolf with acid indi- gestion, the thing reached toward Harry with a pair of six-inch claws.
Harry screamed. All poise forgotten, he hurled his Gucci briefcase at the horrible monster and stumbled over an obstacle course of ankles and feet in his mad scramble down the aisle for the exit.
Suddenly. Harry became aware that people were laughing at him. Were they insane? He turned around, panting, and saw that the creature had mystcriouslv disappeared. Then Harry noticed a huddle of snickering teen-agers in the back of the train. Thev were holding one of those newfangled portable holographic computer game machines. (Snicker, snicker.)
Harry sheepishly recovered his briefcase and found another seat. How he yearned for the good old davs when kids used to board the subways with nothing more than boom boxes.
Forces Shaping The Future
Sounds pretty fantastic, doesn't it? But when you think about it, Harrv Buttondown's encounter with the subway creature is a logical extension of two trends in game and entertainment technology: the
trend toward games which more and more closely simulate reality (or unreality), and the trend of miniaturizing entertainment devices until they are portable enough to be carried around almost any- where. Both of these trends are highly visible today.
On the one hand, technology is making possible increasingly vivid video games, and on the other, it is shrinking stereos and televisions — and computers and electronic games — down to personal size. Appliances that used to occupy immovable living room cabinets can now be carried while jogging. Would anybody have imagined 25 years ago that radio-tape stereos, the "boom boxes," would be toted by kids on subways? Or, even ten years ago, that video games could be worn on your wrist?
Still, it's too easy to get carried away with the possibilities of future technology. Sure, almost anything is possible in 20 or 30 years. The moon landings and other technological feats of the past two decades have pretty much silenced the doubters and nay-sayers. You can get away with predicting practically anything these days, and almost nobody is now willing to go on record saying, "Impo.ssible!"
So what are the possibilities? What can we realistically expect in the near, and not-so-near, future? Three-dimensional, high-resolution com- puter graphics on home video game machines? NASA flight simulators in the arcades? Videodisc adventures? Wraparound screens and "smellavi- sion"? Will the teen-agers of tomorrow really carry portable holographic computer game machines onto subways?
Even the experts - the programmers and software producers who will make the future hap- pen - don't agree. What's more, some warn against a narrow vision of the i uture that considers only technological advances as a vehicle of change. Don't forget, they point out, that p.sychological factors, fads, styles, marketing considerations, and economics are equally imjjortant,
"Five years ago 1 could never have pre- dicted where things arc today," says Scott Adams of Adventure Interna- tional. "I've been lolally amazed. So there's no way I could anticipate what's going to happen five years from now."
Predicting the fiuure - as many a crystal ball- gazer busted by the fraud squad has discovered - is a
Stoti Adams, Adventure International.
k
YourVIC20
neiier had it so good!
W"
C 20 owners rejoicel HES presents a com- plete range of software from our exciting series of games to our professional group of utility and language programs.
Our new cartridge programs include: HES MON, an indJspensibte monitor for assembly language programmers; HES WRITER, a
word processing program ; Turtle Graphics, a fun and easy way to learn computer pro- gramming; and VIC FORTH, a powerful lan- guage that is many limes faster than BASIC, yet easier to use than assembly language.
HES is committed to offering high-quality, well-documented computer programs on a continual basis. Look for our cartridge and cassette based software at your local dealer.
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24
COMPUTEI
October 1982, Issue 29
risky business.
Are Video Games A Fad?
One thing virtually everyone agrees on is that computer games are here to stay. Individual games will pass on after short lifespans, and certain general types of games may fade in and out of style, but we've only begun to exploit the possibilities of computerized gaming.
"If people today are becoming bored with electronic games, it's because they're becoming too sophisticated for the games,"' says Michael Tomczyk, product marketing manager for Com- modore International. "The whole question is whether the game players will outstrip the tech- nology, or wliether the technology will outstrip the players. If the players grow more sophisticated than the games, then the games will fall off for awhile initil the technology catches up. t)n the other hand, if the technology outstrips the game players, we'll see games that only a very few highly skilled people can play."
Tomczyk foresees a general trend of increasing technological sophistication filtering down from the coin arcades to the home. Right now, he says, there's a crying need at the home level for more pow-erftil game machines and better game control- lers. Within a year, he predicts, hcniie games will start incorporating simulated three-dimensional graphics, remote-control joysticks, voice-actuated joysticks, and wider use of voice synthesis. "The next big step will be graphics that look just like cartoon animation on TV - I mean very much like
it."
Others believe the popularity of computer games does not depend on new technology, that computers are flexible enough already to sustain long-term interest. "I think people always will be i'ascinaled by [computer] games. They'll never tire of those fantasy worlds," says Ernie Brock, product manager for Sirius Software, a top game producer for the .Apple. "People still watch TV, don't they? People have hi-fis and stereos and continue to buy new records and don't tire of them. I think the same thing is true of computers and game soft- ware.... If you tire of one world on the computer, you can stick in a new disk and create another one.
This principle of escapism has not been lost on software designers, any more than it has on today's Hollywood filmmakers. That's why space and fantasy themes are so prevalent in both entertain- ment fields. What better way to escape the day's troubles than to leave the planet altogelher, or even the universe? But although escapism will endure, certain methods of achieving it may not. Some already think the "shoot-'em-up" space games
have peaked.
"The key is that the computer can temporarily make you into something you are not," notes Ken Williams of On-Line Systems, a major game soft- ware producer. "But even being a spaceship com- mander gets boring if that's all you do. The games where hejtist shoots up screens of aliens, and which only give him more aliens when he's done, are going to die. They're OK for now, hui ihey won't be soon."
Several top game designers predict more different types of simulations in the very near fuline. Chris Crawford, a programmer with Atari, Inc.'s Research and Development Group who has written such games as Easfrni Front, refers to the "movement of computer games into larger realms of reality," and "broadening our base of fantasies instead of expanding our hardware." He says the cinreni glui of space/fantasy games will be supplanted in part by computer simulations of soap operas, Westerns, detective mysteries, cops and robbers stories, and even gothic romances. In other words, all the escapist paths of pop culture in modern America.
Harlequin romances on disk? Heaven help us.
The Psychology Of Computer Games
But the fear of fading fads is certainly not the only reason why game producers are moving toward wider varieties of simulations. Another reason might be e\en more important: they want computer games to attract wider audiences.
Think about it. The audience (read: market) tor computer games today is really quite narrow — mainly, children and yoimg adults with excellent reflexes and an almost insatiable appetite for space/ fantasy themes. Too many people (read: consum- ers) are left out. For example, millions are addicted to soap operas. What if they could be liookcd (in a computer-adventure simulation that iians])orts them into All My ChUdren? Or if the thousands of Tnip Detective readers could be transformed into cops by an iiueractive adventure game, so they themselves could heroically rescue the innocent victim from the cult-killers? It takes no markcdng genius to realize that software sales would sky- rocket.
This possibility - the concept of redesigning the psychology of computer games to attract a wider audience — is now under close scrutiny by many game designers. If they weren't already thinking about it, something stupendous happened last year which opened their eyes:
Pdc-Man.
You see, Pac-Man was more than just a hugely successful video game that managed to gobble more money in 1 98 1 than the endre Hollywood
k
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Artworx Software Company, Inc., 150 North MainSt,, Fairporl NY i4A50 (716) <125-2833
26
COMPUTE!
October 1982. Issue 29
film industry combined. Pac-Mati also turned out to be an equal opportunity employer.
Before Pac-Man, you saw very few young women playing video games. When you did, they usually were with their boyfriends. But Pac-Man was different. Women liked Pac-Man. So much, in fact, that although no one has done a formal study, women are believed to have been a major factor in the immense Pac-Man phenomenon.
That's exactly why a new version oi Pac-Man hit the arcades and cafes this summer: Ms. Pac-Man, complete with different graphics and colors. The lesson was not lost on other game designers, either. Computer games are no different than any other form of popular entertainment - specific audiences can be psychologically targeted.
"Pac-Man is classified as a 'cartoon' game," says Gary Carlston, marketing director and co- founder of Brciderbund Software, a leading game house. "If you're planning a game to appeal to women, you've got to be consistent in your concepts. For example, you couldn't put together Pac-Man and Space Invaders and expect a game about space warfare and killing aliens to attract women."
Commodore's Tomczyk says his company has gone so far as to informally study the matter. "Men tend to like games that have you destroying aliens and running away from robots and landing landers without crashing them. Women tend to like games which are, well, let's not say nonviolent, but not as grotesque, not involving destruction of animate objects or human life. Like, the ghosts in Pac-Man never really die, they just get recycled,"
Jim Wylde, vice president-sales for United Microware, Inc., has also noticed these characteris- tics. "There doesn't seem to be much Temalencss' in computer games today. They seem to be left out of computer games. I've talked to many, many yoimg women in my own organization and else- where, and I always ask them, 'What would \'ou [ike to see in a computer game?' And I always get a blank stare."
Joanne Lee, a con- sultant for Tensor Tech- nology Ltd. and a free- lance game programmer for United Microware, explains why: "I don't like violence and I am not into science fiction, so I don't like space games. 1 don't like the little aliens running around on the screen. The only game I
Jim Wylde,
United Micrf)ware, Inc.
really liked was Pac-Man...."
The bottom line is that game designers no longer will ignore the female market, and will scramble to tap other new markets as well. Does this mean we'll see a sharp decline in space/fantasy shoot-'em-ups? No way. The young males still dominate the market. As Lee explains, "Sure, I would prefer to write a more nonviolent type of game, but I have to think about what is marketable."
The forecast: more diversified computer games, each catering to its own audience.
Re-creating Reality
So. Now that we have some idea where computer gaming is headed, what technological form will it take? This is the sort of pie-in-the-sky dreaming that everyone likes to indulge in, but there's a difference between imagination and extrapolation. We can imagine anything — well, quite a lot — but what seems likely to happen, based on current trends?
Practically all the experts agree that computer games will continue to grow increasingly sophisti- cated, and that .sophistication will come in the form of better simulations of environments. That is, the games of tomorrow will seem incredibly real.
Videodiscs are most commonly mentioned. As consumer items, today they're pretty much limited to plaving back movies, like videotapes. But video- tapes, like computer tape drives, are only sequential access devices. Videodiscs, like minifloppy computer disks, allow random access. Under computer control, an image (or sequence of images) stored anywhere on a videodisc can be searched out and displayed within seconds. Consider the possibilities of a videodisc interactive adventure game. Instead of watching crude computer drawings of dungeons and caverns on the .screen — or text descriptions - the player can see actual film footage of the scene unfold. In fact, filmed motion can be stored on the videodisc and recalled in response to joystick com- mands. Move the slick forward, and you walk deeper into the cavern. Move it left, and your "eyes" pan left.
Not only is all this possible: it's being done right now in highly ad\anced flight siiiuilators and trainers. There are even projects underway in which film crews are filming all the streets of entire cities, making every possible turn at every intersec- tion. When the images are stored on high-density videodiscs, they will be linked to computerized driving simulators to train truckers and cabbies.
The chief limitations are speed and cost. "We've fooled with that here," says Williams of On-Line Systems, "but the access time just isn't fast enough yet. No one wants to wait four or five seconds for a
GHOST ENCOUNTERS
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28
COMPUTE]
October 1982, Issue 29
videodisc to go search out an image. Also, there aren't enough of those [videodisc] units out there yet.
Bui he is excited over the possibilities of three- dimensional video games. "I've already seen some prototypes of arcade machines which use the same type of 3-D effects as the movies, the red-blue technique. We'll probably see this and also polaroid 3-D, at least in the arcades."
Total Immersion
Fred D'lgnazio, author and COMPUTE! columnist, thinks realism will be achieved by isolating the player from extraneous stimuli - of which there is plenty in most arcades — by "immersion" in the game environment. Arcade games would look something like those automatic booths in which people have their pictures taken, and players might even don helmets, headsets, and goggles. "All you would see visually would be your game screen, maybe wraparound," he says. "And you'd have a better environment for sound effects, too, and especially voice synthesis. You could even have voice-responsive commands, which even today's technology would support to a degree. And you'd need more controls, foot pedals and everything." Nor would you be limited to playing a lifeless computer. D'lgnazio says arcade games could be hooked up to each other so people could play against other humans — maybe in another part of the city, or even another state - absolutely anony- mously. "A lot of people play these games - at least, 1 know I do - because you don't have to compete with another human face-to-face. You can play the computer. But if you could play another person anonymously without having to confront them face-to-face, it would be a new challenge for a lot
Fred D'lgnazio.
CHUDtT: Ktnt-u Turn. HnU-i^h AVics And (}hwr\>i
of gamers."
What's more, the hook-ups could serve another function: "You could have news bulletins. 'Joe Smith just got a high score on Galiixians in Cincin- nati.' "
This kind of telecomputing, or "telegaming," is already here in a simpler form. Although com- munications over phone lines between personal computers are still too slow to permit realtime, multi-player, arcade-style games, a few games are available which allow several players to compete head-to-head using phone modems. CompuServe, a leading information utility, offers two space warfare games, Megawars and Decwars. Up to ten people can simultaneously play either - a Com- puServe subscriber merely signs onto the system and joins the game in progress. Although the game processing is handled by a large PDF- 1 ! computer at CompuServe's base in Columbus, Ohio, the players are pitted against each other, communi- cating through their keyboards. Both games are text-only {no graphics).
Scott Adams's Adventure International sells a telecomputing game called Commlxil. Comvibat is a bit different than Megawars or Deavars\ it allows only two players, but bypasses the need for a central computer. Instead, the players compete against each other using their own computers, linked o\er the phone lines by modems. Also, the game has graphics. The graphics are very simple, though, since Commbal allows Apple, Atari, and TRS-8() users to compete interchangeably, and those compu- ters' graphics systems are normally incompatible.
Still, all of these games allow the sort of anonymous telegaming that D'lgnazio says could someday immerse the gamer in an elaborate envi- ronment of sight, sound, and sensation.
On the other hand, if you're the nervous type who would react to this "total innnersion" by de- grading into a screaming meemie, you might prefer computer games as a spectator sport. You know, Sunday afternoons on NBC, "I think there'd be a great audience for watching world-cla.ss video game players," says D'lgnazio. "You could have instant leplays, slow-motion, and commentators going over their moves."
What's that, you say the video combat on TV got your adrenalin pumping? .Anyone who wanted to work off a little "displacement aggre.ssion," as psychologists call it, could take up boxing at the local amusement park. "Instead of driving bump- 'em cars or riding roller coasters or shooting at ducks in a shooting gallery," suggests D'lgnazio, "you'll be al)le to have robot wars by controlling yoiu- own little robots."
DIgnazio also says video games will be found in unusual places, not just arcades. They'll be built
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The PAINT disk provides access to hundreds of colors and textures, allowing you to produce a virtually limit- less ntjmber of artistic patterns and variations in the pic- tures you create. This learn- by -dning combination of software disk and book is the first ever to join advanced computer technology with personal expression. FEATURE-S INCLUDE:
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into the backseats of cars to keep rowdy tots oc- cupied; implanted in the ceilings of bedrooms; reduced to book-size and placed in dentist waiting rooms next to the National Geographies; installed in hospital rooms and nursing homes to entertain the bedridden; loaned by public libraries, and. of course, carried by teen-agers onto subways. He thinks they might.even be built into eyeglasses, so the true addict can throw a switch and see video games on the inside of the len.ses.
Commodore's Tomczyk carries it one step further: "The concept oi TROX, when you are really the computer - and the computer is you - is definitely going to happen. That's the ultimate. The trends of the pricing and power and technology indicate that is really going to happen. The physics of the fantasy expressed in that movie are probably impossible, but we are moving in that direction. We are moving toward the ultimate TRON."
The Future Or Fantasy?
But not everyone agrees with this fantastic view of the future. Crawford, the respected Atari expert, says the role of technology in future compiiter games is constantly overblown. "All these people predict that in coming years we'll be able to plug into our computers, and be surrounded by colorful 3-D images, and wonderful sound, and we'll just be able to think and all these things will appear, and
it'll be just a gas.... 1 reject all that. I don't think it's going to happen, and I don't think it has to happen.
"A lot of people mention new technologies as the engine of change in computer games," explains (jrawford. "But I don't see technological flevelop- ments as the driving force in computer games. I don't even see technology as the limiting constraint in creating computer games. I think the main constraint is lack of creativity and imagination."
Just as the technology of the automobile has not changed drastically over the past 50 years, neither must the technology of computer games, he argues. Technology remains fairly static if it is perceived as adequate, and Crawford believes most people are .satisfied with the current state fjf com- puter games. "The development of cars since 1932 has been more in the way of polish than the way of new technology.... Although I believe the technol- ogy of new hardware will be forced upon us, I don't believe we'll need it to develop the computer games of the future."
Crawford's theory, though apparendy the minority viewpoint, might come as welcome relief to those who are less than thrilled with the concepts of "total immersion" and "the ultimate 7 RON." Maybe you won't have to worry about running into a monster on the subway after all. ©
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32
COMPUTEI
Ocfober1982, Issue 29
A Monthly Column The Beginner's Page
Writing Your First Game
Richard Mansfield Senior Editor
If you are tempted to write your own games, go ahead. It's a good way to learn to program. Games are basically the same as any other kind of programming.
Computer games fall into two broad categories: 1, imitations of old standards (checkers, Othello) and 2. games (Space Invaclers, PacMan) which could not be played without a computer. This second category is more difficult to program for several reasons. For one thing, you've got to think up a whole new, and entertaining, concept and then adjust the action until it is just hard enough to be cliallenging but not so difficult that people want to give up.
This category (basically "arcade" games) is especial]) hard to program precisely because a good computer-only game exploits all of the com- puter's special attributes: speed, color, sound. To do this well, lo make things look and respond Just the wav von imagine them, requires a good bit of programming experience. Usually, too, several things are happening «/ ouce in an arcade game. I'his often means that such a program must be written in machine language, which is far faster than BASIC.
High Card Slice
Old standards, on the other hand, can often be the best way to get started programming games. You already know the game concept, and cards or dice or game boards are fairly easily constructed and manipulated on vour computer screen. To illus- trate, let's take a look at a simple sinnilation of one of the oldest card games, "High Card." The rules are simple: you place a bet, and then you draw a caid from the deck. The computer, your opponent, draws a card too, and the highest card wins the money.
One simplification here is that there is no attempt to represent the cards on the screen. The entire game relies simply on words ("Ace of Spades," for example) when cards are drawn.
Like most computer programs, the program can be visualized as having four distinct zones: initialization, main loop, subroutines, data tables. We can go through the steps in progrannning this game by looking at each zone separately.
initialization
From lines 10 through 80 we are "teaching" the computer some basics about this game. Initialization is the activity which inust take place before any of the action can begin. Computers are .so fast thai they will zip up through these lines and start things off in the main loop at line 1 00 in a flash. However, as programmers, we are aware that several prelimi- nary events took place inside before anything else.
In line 20, the computer discovers that there is a variable called "dollars" which is to equal 500, It sets aside a section (like a small box) in its memory which it labels "dollars." When the game is running, it will add or subtract from this "box" (lines 230-240) to keep a running total of how much money you have left to bet. From time to time (line 1 10), it will check the box and report to the player how much he has. The box labelled "dollars" is called a vuriable because during the game the amount in it will vary.
Lines 30 through 60 are simple enough — they ask the player to give his or her name. The com- puter "memorizes" it in another "box" called "name$" and can now speak more personally to the player in lines 140 and 230. Also, the computer prints the rules of the game in line 60.
Line 70 "reads" four names (the face cards) from the data tables in lines .^10 on. It also makes a "mental note" that it already READ four items. So, when it's asked to READ again (line 80). it will start with the next unread item of data which will be "clubs." By now, the computer has "memorized" a variety of important facts: the player's name, the amount of his or her belling purse, the names of the face cards, and the suits of a standard deck. In less than a second, the computer has grasped and filed away the necessary facts to go on lo the main loop where all the action lakes place.
Ttie (Main Loop
After checking that the player has monev to bet. the compuier asks for the bet. checks again tlial the bet is possible, and then runs through one cycle of the game starling in line 160. At this point, a pro- grammer might ("ind it worthwhile to visualize the steps involved in the game: I . draw a card for the player; 2. draw for the computer; 3. decide who won; 4. adjust the player's purse.
Since both draws are essentially identical ac- tions (the only difference will be that we .say "Bob draws a..." instead of ■'fhe computer draws"), we don't need to program the draw twice. This is where subroutines come in handy.
Adventure on a Boat
Robtjy the Robot Catcher
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or for direct orders, add $1.50 and specify UPS or first class mail. Illinois residents add 5% sales tax. Visa and MasterCard accepted.
Sky Rescue
34
COMPUTf)
October 1982, Issue 29
The Subroutine
Twice in the main loop, we GOSUB 300. First the player, then the computer, draws. Line 310 ran- domly picks two numbers, the card and the suit, 11 line 32() finds that this selection matches the one drawn just before by the piaver. it goes back for another draw. Line 330 makes the iiainc of the card be the number if it wasn't a ninnber higher than 1 1 (a face caicl).
Then line 340 announces the draw using three variables. The first variable (playerS) is set up in either tine 1(50 or 190 as appropriate. Then the card$ and suitS variables are .selecied iroin the lists that were "memorized" back in the initialization phase (lines 70-80). The subroutine then RETURN'S to the main loop.
Lines 2 1 0-240 decide and annoimce the winner of this round. First, if the variable "card" (the computer's card) is greater than (>) "yoinxard," the computer is declared the winner in line 240, the purse is adjusted, and the main loop is restarted (GOTO 100). If the cards are equal, nothing hap- pens to the punse and the next round liegins. Notice that we don't need to sav "I F VOURG.XRD > CARD" at the start of line 230 to test if the player has won. It's the only possible thing if the computer has gotten this far.
Once you've solved a particular problem, you'll find you can use the solution in many future games. This subroutine which draws cards, for instance, would work just as well for Poker, or Blackjack, or dozens of other games. Subroutines are handy not only because I hey can be used re- peatedly within a program, but because they can be saved and used repeatedly in future programs. So think up a simple, traditional game and teach it to yotir computer. There is probably no more pleasurable way to learn programming than to write a game.
Program 1: Apple, PET, VIC, OSI, Radio Shack
10 REM *** NECESSARY INITIAL INFORMATION ***
20 DOLLARS = 500
30 PRINT" WITH WHOM DO I HAVE THE PLEASURE"
4 0 PRINT" OF PLAYING HIGH CARD SLICE?"
50 INPUT NAMES
60 PRINT" HIGH CARD WINS IN THIS GAMEl"
70 DIM CARDS(14) :F0RI=11 TO 14:READ CARD$(I):
NEXTI 80 F0RI=1T04:READ SUITS (I) ;NEXTI 9 0 REM
100 REM *** MAIN PROGRAM LOOP *** 110 PRINT:PRINT" YOU HAVE $" DOLLARS 120 IF DOLLARS <= 0 THEN PRINT" THE GAME IS OV
ER. YOU ARE OUT OF CASH.": END 130 PRINT"WHAT IS YOUR BET";: INPUT BET 140 IF DOLLARS < BET THEN PRINT" YOU ONLY HAVE
$"DOLLARS" TO BET, "NAMES sGOTO130 150 YOURCARD=0:YURSUIT=0
160 PLAYER$=NAME$
170 GOSUB300
180 YOURCAHD=CARD:YURSUIT=SUIT
190 PLAYER$=" THE COMPUTER"
200 GOSUB300
210 IF CARD > YOURCARD THEN GOTO 240
220 IF CARD = YOURCARD THEN PRINT" A TIE!":GOT
0100 230 PRINT NAMES " WINS": DOLLARS = DOLLARS + B
ET:GOTO100 240 PRINT" THE COMPUTER WINS": DOLLARS = DOLLA
RS - BET:GOTO100 290 REM
300 REM *** SUBROUTINE TO DRAW THE CARDS *** 310 CARD = INT(RND(5)*13)+2: SUIT = INTCRND{5)
*4)+l 320 IF CARD = YOURCARD AND SUIT = YURSUIT THEN
300: REM NO IDENTICAL DRAWS 330 IF CARD < 11 THEN CARDS (CARD) = STRS (CARD)
340 PRINTPLAYERS " DRAWS THE " CARDS (CARD) " ~ OF " SUITS (SUIT)
3 50 RETURN
4 90 REM
500 REM *** DATA TABLE *** 510 DATA JACK, QUEEN, KING, ACE
5 20 DATA CLUBS, DIAMONDS, HEARTS, SPADES
Program 2: For Atari, make these substitutions to Program L
20 DOLLARS = 500:DIM NAMES (20) , PLAYERS (20)
70 DIM CARDS (14*5) ,TS (10) :F0RI=11 TO 14:READT
S : CARDS (I* 5-4, I* 5) =TS: NEXTI 80 DIM SUITS (8*4) :F0RI=1T04:READTS:SUIT$(I*8-
7,1*8) =TS:NEXTI 330 IF CARD < 11 THEN TS=STRS (CARD) :GOTO340 335 TS=CARDS (CARD*5-4,CARD*5) 340 PRINTPLAYERS " DRAWS THE ";TS;" OF ";SUITS
(8*SUIT-7,SUIT*8) 510 DATA JACK , QUEEN, KING , ACE 520 DATA CLUBS , DIAMONDS , HEARTS , SPADES
MEMOREX
FLEXIBLB DISCS
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for prices and iniormatiorL Dealer inquiries invited and CO.D.'s accepted.
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Introducing our exciting new family of video computer
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FOR ATARI 4007 aCX3*
ENJOY THE GOOD LIFE WHILE YOU PILOT YOUR BALLOON OVER TREES, MOUNTAINS, FORESTS AND INDIANS- WATCH YOUR FUEL, LOOK FOR
METEOR STORMS AND ^
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SRACE WAR GAME
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POGOMAN IS AS MUCH FUN TO PLAY AS IT IS TO WATCH! POGO THROUGH THE CITY OVER CARS, CATS, HYDRANTS AND EVEN A CHICKEN. FUN FOR ALL AGES.
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PO. BOX 2634, HUNTINGTON STA. N.Y 11745/PHONE (516) 883-0094
FOR ATARI 4007800*
36
COMPUTEI
October 1982. Issue 29
It's sometimes a challenge, but very good games can be written for computers with small amounts of free memory. Ifyoureprogmmmingon an unexpayuled VIC, Atari, Sinclair, or pocket computer or any other system withjeiv bytes of RAM, these suggestions are worth remembering.
Programming Games On Computers With Limited IVIemory
Charles Brannon, Editorial Assistant
One of the most valuable elements of a computer system is its volatile memory, RAM. This "work- space" holds the program you're working on, its variables, and even ihe screen display and "system software." Managing memory efficiently becomes vital when writing games of any complexity.
There are many programming tricks you can use to save memijry. Tiie following list contains some of my favorite techniques - and many more can be intuited:
• Emphasize color and change. Any kind of movement will generate excitement. And don't forget sound. Sound effects can add sparkle to your program very economically. Most computers iLse no extra memory for sound. Various combina- tions of FOR/NEXT loops usually suffice for simple, yet pleasing, .sound effects.
• Use "keyboard" graphics, or low-resolution graphics, imaginatively, and you can save thousands of bytes more than when you use a high-resolution screen. Remcmlier that color changes are a.s im- portant as movement to stimulate the eye.
• Abbreviate text and prompts. Avoid using players' names. Use their initials if possible. Unless unfeasible, never put written instructions into a program. Don't overu.se strings, especially when a little math will permit tlic use of numeric variables. Both of these statements will extract the rightmost character of a ntunber:
A = VAL(RIGHT$(STR$(N),1))
A=10*(N/10-INT(N/10))
• Limited RAM does not permit the luxury of easy-to-follow programs. Use REM statements sparingly (or not at all), to document subroutines or obscure program segments. You can write in
REM statements on a paper listing of your program. Use short variable names (not applicable to Atari). If you use a long constant more than once, such as 3.1415927 for pi, define it as a variable (IT = 3.1415927). This technique can save six bytes per use on the Atari, even for simple constants like 0.
• Compact program lines. Each use of a colon can save from three to five bytes, depending on the computer. Don't use spaces when entering a pro- gram, unless your computer automatically deletes spaces (e.g., Atari B.A.SIC) or unless they are neces- sary for proper interpretation.
• Simplify coding. If a certain routine or for- mula is used more than once, generalize it into a subroutine or defined function (DEE EN if your computer's BASIC has this command). Don't have long sections of IF/THEN statements. For example: you can use "bo(ilean arithmetic " to reduce the space-wasting IF/THEN statement. Try this line on computer: PRINT 1 =2. Your system i\hould return with 0, indicating a "false" answer. Now try: PRINT 2*2 = 2 + 2. It should return either 1 or-l. meaning "true" (non-zero, 2*2 = 4 = 2 + 2). You can convert statements like:
IFA>0THENA = A-1
to:
A = A-(A>0),orA = A + (A>0) if your computer returns a -I.
• Program control can be simplified with statements like ON/GOTO. Break your task into blocks. Each block performs a discrete task, and a given block can "call," or use, another block. Not only is this structtn^ed programming technique easier to use, but it also saves memory by encour- aging you to develop tight, fast "blocks." A bonus is that you can often u.se these programming building blocks in other programs.
• Don't overlook machine language. It's well worth learning, and the benefits you reap in high speed, programming techniques, and overall effi- ciency can repay yoin^ effort many times. "Hybrid" programs of both BASICS and machine language let you enjoy the best of both worlds.
If worst comes to worst, you can use a technique called "chaining," where one program loads and runs the next. This technique is prone to problems and is awkward to use. On tape, the programs must be contiguous, and the second program can not return to the first. Nevertheless, chaining is valuable for "initialization" code such as loading character sets or machine language, displaying the game's rules at the start, or reading or defining variables (if your BASIC permits chained programs to share variables). Chaining permits you to run programs of almost any size. O
HOW 10 MAKE YOUR VIC-20
%
TJ
I
Right out of the box, your VIC-20* from Commodore is one great bttle computer. And it gets even better with DATA 20 's easy to buy, easy to install, and easy to use enhancements. Here are four ways you can get new power and more sophisticated capabilities from your VIC. . .
VIDEO PAK gives you a computer that outper- forms systems costing twice as much. Plug our car- tridge into your expansion port, and your display instantly goes to the industry-standard 24 Mnes, with a choice of 40 or 80 upper and lower-case characters. At the same time, you up your memory from 5K to 20K or 70K, so you can handle more sophisticated functions— including most 8032 software. Our pack- age also includes a terminal emulator and a screen print feature. VIDEO PAK is a must for word processing— and your key to increased performance on everything from games to spread sheets. Suggested retail is just $299.95 including 16K— or $399.95 for 64K.
PRINTER INTERFACE is simple, yet sophisti- cated. Flexibility, continuous visual monitoring of the data transfer functions, and easy installation make this an exceptionally smart buy! A glance at the sta- tus lights, and you know if the printer is hooked up, if the data buffer is full, and if data is being transmitted.
Expansion Chassis
Easily configured DIP switches match your VIC-20 to most popular printers. The DATA 20 interface comes with cable and connector, needs no assembly, and virtually troubleshoots installation for you. Suggested retail: $69.95 EXPANSION CHASSIS lets you use 4 cartridges at once. Run a series of compatible memory, software, or game cartridges of any make. Just pop in any car- tridge with the standard 22-pin edge connector. And don't worry about your VIC-20 power supply— our chassis protects it with a built-in 500ma fuse. Suggested retail: $64.95
MEMORY CARTRIDGE boosts your brainpower to 20K. Here's an ideal first add-on for your VIC-20. And when DATA 20 gives you more memory, you can forget about headaches. Our cartridge is housed in a rugged plastic case and features 200ns RAM's for reliability. Suggested retail: S99.95
Check out our AWESOME peripherals. Ask your computer dealer for a first-hand look at our extensive capabilities, high quality, and very reasonable prices. Or send $3.50 for a copy of our current catalog on VIC-20 compatibles.
DATA 20 CORPORATION 20311 Moulton Parkway, Suite BlO, Laguna Hills, California 92653.
DATA
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Prin ter Interface
CORPORATIONi
Price /Performance Peripherals
VIC-20 is a registered trademark o( Commodore Computer Systems.
38
COMPUTEI
October 1982, issue 2<?
Don't touch that dial! FM radio could do a lot more than provide background music while you're prog-ramming — when a new venture to broadcast software gets under way next year. "We're thinking about transmitting the Top Ten programs each month," says Stephen Wozniak, co- founder of Apple.
Tune In Software
(On Your FM
Tom R. Holfhill Features Editor
It's another late night and you're slaving over a hot computer, wearily wearing yoin- fingers to the nubs typing in that huge program listing For "Space Marathon V. 98.6," Surely, in this age of com- puterization, there must be a better way, you think grumpily for the himdredth time. Meanwhile, you tune your FM radio to a favorite station for back- grotmd music.
An idea strikes: what if you could download programs off the air, much like the way data is transmitted over phone lines between computers with modems?
Your brainstorm is too late. Somebody has already thought of it.
Starting in January - if plans go according to schedule - a pilot project will get under way in the Washington, D.C. -Baltimore area. Computer programs will be broadcast over the FM aiiwaves by National Public Radio stations into the homes and businesses of charter subscribers. The pro- grams (and other digital information) will be de- coded by special "radio modems" leased for a monthly fee, and fed directly into computers, terminals, or printers — maybe even while the subscribers sleep. Six months after this test project, plans call for the service to expand nadonally, bouncing the signals off a satellite to all cities reached by NPR stations.
The operation will be run by INC Telecom- munications, a newly formed partnership between the nonprofit NPR network and the National Information Utilities Corporation (NIU). a supplier of telecommunications services and informalion products. The joint venture brings together two vital components: NPR's satellite transmission network and NIU's telecompuler hardware.
NPR, known for its news ("All Things Con-
sidered"), educational programs, and cla.ssical and jazz music, broadcasts over a national network of 267 FM stations by leasing 12 channels on VVestar IV, a Western Union connnunications satellite. The new service will take advantage of this same network. NIU is contributing the technology for encoding and decoding the data into radio signals, including the small "radio modems" which sub- scribers will lease.
For Business And Home
Although the system is designed to have \v'ide business applications, in some ca.ses replacing the use of ])hone lines for beaming computer informa- tion throughout the country, INC is playing up the home applications, too. Significantly, two inickers of INC are Stephen Wozniak - co-founder of Apple Computer -and Jack R. Taub, founder of the Source Telecoinjniiiiig Corporation, which owns The Source. Fhe Source is one of the major information utilities for personal compulerists with phone modems. Taub started NIU in 1981 . Woz- niak is helping on the software end. putting to- gether the programming which will attract home subscribers.
.Already they are talking about such things as the "Video Came of the Week." We might even see a new definition of radio's traditional " I(>p40": t(jmorrow's "hit list" may well be the most popular computer programs instead of records. It could open up a huge new market for the cottage software industry, provide specialized information forcer- tain groups of subsciibers. and p{)ssil5K- even reduce software prices by drastically ( tuting disiriljulion costs.
"Wozniak is really excited about this as a way of getting the prices ol software down so people are less inclined to steal it," says Jack .Ault, president of NIU. "He thinks we can gel the software down to the point where it is .so inexpensive that it will be actually cheaper and easier for the person to down- load it at home than to go out and pirate it. Plus you would get all the support inherent in that."
The Little Black Box
The key to the system is what .Ault calls a "radio modem." a book-sized black box linking personal computers and terminals to the airwaves. .Actually, the box is not a true "modem." which means "modulator-demodulator," a two-way device. The radio modem is strictly a one-way tlevice. a demod- ulator. Crammed into the eight-inch by four-inch b)" two-inch deep box witli the demodulator is an FM subcarrier receiver coiurollable from the point of transmission. It's very much like the black boxes leased to subscribers by certain pay-TV stations kno\\ n as "super TV."
Each box is individually addressable by a com-
I^peECHp
Professional Word Processor at a Breakthrough Price
PaperClip™ performs all the advanced features found in Word Processors costing much more. , .
1) Full screen editing. 2) Copy/Transfer sentences and paragraphs. 3) Insert/ Delete sentences and paragraphs. 4) Headers/Footers/Automatic page numbering. 5) Justification/Centering.
6) User defineable keyphrases.
7) Supports both cassette and disk.
8) Variable data - Form letters.
9) Horizontal scrolling up to 126 characters.
10) Insert/transfer/erase
Requires
Basic 4.0, 32 K memory.
n259P
Dealer enquiries welcome
BfiTTERlES inCLUDED
71 McCaul Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5T 2X1 (416)596-1405
columns of numbers, 1 1) Add/subtract columns of numbers. 12) Supports most dot matrix and letter quality printers. In fact, a printer set-up routine is supplied to take the best advantage of the printer at hand. 13) French and Math technical
character sets available.
dO
COMPUTE!
October 1982, Issue 29
puter at the transmission source. For example, if subscribers to these "super TV" services pay an extra iee to watch a championship iioxiiitf match, the station renioicK a( livatcs ilieir black boxes - and no one else's — ioi' the duration of the fight. Everyone else gets a scrambled signal. The same thing can be done with (he newcompitler service: liighly specialized software and data can be broad- cast to onlv those customers who arc inlei'ested in recei\ing it (and in paying ibr it). Subscribers would receive only the programs or data they have sub- scribed to.
Because the radio modem is controllable from the transmission point, unattended reception is possible, too. As Aull envisions it, someday tlic radio modem will be left on 24 hours a day. Just before a transmission is sent to a certain group of stitjscril>ers, a signal is broadcast to their niodenis which switches on ilieii' computers or lerininals. Alter the information is received and stored on disk or printed otit, another signal is broadcast to turn off the devices. It could all happen while a subscriber sleeps.
The radio modems, now at the woiking pro- totype stage, ha\e RS-232 interfaces to be comjjati- ble with practically any computer or terminal. Ault says an IEEE-48S inierlace is in the works, too. The modem includes a buffer memory to tempo- rarily store incoming information, so it will work not onlv with computers and smart terminals, but also with dumb terminals and stand-alone printers. The modems will be leased, not sold, and will be .serviced by INC Telecommunications at regit)nal service centers.
If you're worried about losing your favorite NPR programs to an imintelligible stream of digi- tally encoded f>leeps. don't be. The computer transmissions will be inaudible to regular FM radio listeners. The new service will broadcast on a "sub- carrier," an unused portion of the frequency band assigned to each NPR station. Some NPR stations, for example, now use subcarriers to broadcast special programming tor the blind. "File new service uses a different subcarrier and will not displace this programming.
Tuning In To VisiCalc
What sorts of services can we expect from INC? Just about evervthing, it seems. Ault points out that the svstem can distribute data on a regional, as well as national, basis.
Businesses and the government can lease time lo tt ansmit data to remote offices throughout the country, bypassing costly phone lines. Businesses could also subscril)e to receive specialized business news and stock reports. School systems could sign up to receive special educational software and
information. Home computer users could suljscribe to get the programs and information that interest iliem. It seems thai INC. is aiming to do for tele- computing what cable is doing ior telcvisioTi: pro- \'idinga selection oi subscription services for specialized audiences.
Wozniak foresees a big future in the mass dis- tribution of software directly lo homes and busines- ses. People could sign up Kj biiv word processing packages or VisKUilc o\er the aii', and even games. He thinks this could slash software prices by re- ducing the packaging and distribution costs, and al.so by [jiling up massive sales in a very short time. Instead of selling a program the usual way for $200. it could be offered to INC subscribers for $50. If 10,000 subscribers signed up, the software producer would reap $500,000 - in one day, and without packaging or shi|:)ping a single disk.
.As a bonus, re\isions and patches lor bugs could be transmiltetl at very little cost to everyone who boiiglit tlie original program, sa\'s Wozniak. Demo versions of programs could even l)e trans- mitted as advertiseinents. Video game fanatics could sulxscrilie to tlie "C-ame of the Week" and be assiMcd that tliey'rt- the first on the block to get e\ery new release.
"We're thinking about transmitting the Top Fen [)rogi"ains each month, plus ma\ be another 100 oi the lower-end. lesser-known programs," sa\s Wozniak. "M\ concept oi it is that perhaps all ]()() programs tiial are transmitted every month are sent each day. So irscrs who perhaps don't have nuK Ii memory could save a lew different programs each day of the month, trv them out, and decide whether to keep them or n(H."
That ought to satisfy even the most brain-fried video game freaks.
How Much Wilt It Cost?
At this point, you're [jrobably wondering how much it will cost to subscribe to this new service.
Fhe an.swcr isn't clear yet. Wozniak speculates that the monthly subscri]Mion fee Tuight be .something like .S20 to $50. I.NC's backers promise it will be cheaper than mass downloading oi programs and information over phone lines from existing utilities such as The Source or CompuServe. Their argu- ment is that a one-way .system is inhetenlly cheaper than a two-way system. Anyway, they say, INC! is intended to complement, rather than compete with, the phone-linked information utilities. Each system has its own a[)plications. Fhe INC .system, which is described as "point-to-multipoint" instead of "point-to-|M)inl," is better suited lo mass distri- bution than the ]jhonc-line systems.
"There's no way 100,000 people could tie up
100,000 phone lines downloading something from
THE MOSAIC RAM SYSTEMS FOR ATARI
CLEARLY THE BEST
THE
SCREEN
CLARITY
TEST
YOU CAN SEE THE MOSAIC DIFFERENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS HAD TO SAY
ANALO.G. 400/800 MAGAZINE said in a 32K J^M board comparison test: "The Mosaic 32K RAM sl^owed nc sign of interference and gave tine best screen clarity" and "Mosaic uses what we feel are the highest quality components which may improve reliability".
INTERFACE AGE said after replacing the Atari memory board with a Mosaic 32K RAM: "Once in place there is no noticeable change in screen clarity" and "in view of ;5 excellent performance it should be a serious choice for those Atari owners intending to expand their memory'
Each Mosaic RAM board gives you more than just the best screen clarity but also the best in reliability flexibili^ and compatibility The Mosaic RAM systems offer you the best in every way — these features prove it.
■ Works in both the Atari 400 *& 800*computers.
■ 4 year guarantee,
■ Complete instructions.
■ Test cycled 24 hours for reliability
■ Gold edge connectors for better reliability
■ Quick no-solder installation.
■ Full flexible memory configuration.
■ Can be used with 8K, 16K and future products.
■ Designed to take advantage of Atari 800 's superior bus structure.
■ Designed for inter-board communication In Atari 800.
■ Allows Atari 800 to have 2 slots open for future expansion.
■ Always the best components used for superior screen clarity and reliability
■ Low power design for safety and reliability.
■ Available companion board (S5) to allow running The Mosaic RAM systems Independent of other boards.
THE MOSAIC RAM SYSTEMS FOR THE SERIOUS ATARI OWNER.
THE MOSAIC 32K RAM
For tfie serious Atari owner This is the 32K RAM board you've been hearing about. It has every feature you could want from a RAM board and more features than any other board offers. Each Mosaic 32K RAM comes with complete instructions so in a few minutes you will have expanded your Atari 800 to 48K RAM. The Mosaic 32K RAM works as well in the Atari 400, but we suggest the NEW Mosaic Expander.
THE MOSAIC EXPANDER
This is the most effective way you can expand to 32K RAM for your Atari 400 computer And at almost the I6K price! The revolutionary Mosaic Expander is a memory board with I6K RAM in place and open slots to add 16K more from the Atari 16K board that comes with your Atari 400. Each board comes with complete instructions so in a few minutes you will have expanded to 32K RAM. For your nearest Mosaic dealer call toll free 800-547-2807 *Trademark of Atari, Inc.
r^i^osoic
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F.O. Box 708 Oregon City, Oregon 97045 503/655-9574 Toll Free 800-547-2807
<12
COMPUTII
October 1982. Issue 29
TIic Source," explains W'o/tiUik.
In other words, b\' its iiatuie, llie new ser\'ice will share all llie acl\anlatj;es thai mass tclccoin- miinit ations nieclia ha\'e (U'er siii^ie-chaiinel com- munications lines. It's more cf flcieni loi a radicj station to broadcast t!ie news at once to thousands of listeners than ii is to indi\'iduallv call up those people on the lelephone and U'll iliem what's happening.
■'It's sticli a simple and eirKieiii svstem, and so obviotis. in fact, that von wonder whv it hasn't been clone before," says Wozniak. "Mayhe il just makes
too nuicli sense. Sometimes ihings that make L>;ood sense are so obvious that nobody sees them. "
C!ai"f to doubt ibis reasoning? Just remember. VN'ozniak look anollier obvious idea in his i^.Maf't' a few veais ai;<> and put together the .Apple I com- ptitei' - which made him a millionaire. He tliinks the INCl ser\ ice could pro\e ec|tiall\ pojjuiar. So po]iulai", in lacl, (hat he doesn't see the need (or a big push to sell the new service lo consiuners.
"I don'i ihink that'll be ncccssarv. not once word getsaroimd. It'll catch on, just like The Source cauiiht on."
SENDER
RECEIVER(S)
D.ATA TR.ANSMITTED WITH NORM.A.L FM SIGNAL
FM STATION
TELEPHONE, MICROWAVE OR SATELLITE LINK
DATA INPUT
MODULATOR
1
y
f
MANY POINTS MAY
RECEIVE DATA SIMULTANEOUSLY
1
RECEIVER/ DEMODULATOR
DATA INSERTED IN FMSUBCARRIER
B
DATA VIEWED ON CRT, PRINTED, OR STORED
ZI7
/
USER RECEIVES AND DEMODULATES DATA
Figure 1. FM SCA Subcarrier Data Delivery — local FM stations are the final link in the transmission.
SENDER
WESTAR
^
V -
UPLINK CONTROL
TELEPHONE OR MICROWAVE LINK
INPUT TERMINAL
V
UPLINK
DATA RELAYED TO REMOTE LOCATION
DOWNLINK
TO MODULATOR AND FM STATION
MESSACU-; FORMATTINt;
AND C:ONTR<)I CENTRAL CONTROL
DOWNLINK
2y
DATA RELAYED LOCALLY USING FM SCA TECHNOLOGY
DATA CAN BE INPUT FROM A TERMINAL, COMPUTER, OR OTHER INPUT DEVICE
OVERALL SYSTEM CONTROL AND RECORDKEEPING
Figure 2. Using a satellite network with the FM SCA Subcarrier System brings a computer program through space to your computer. ®
Make your fun and games computer get serious ^-^ — for only $79.95
VIC-20® The Wonder Computer of the 1980's. Less than $300. One heckuva lot of fun. But if you're using your VIC-20 strtclly for recreation and fua we at Micro-Systems thinl< you're not getting your money's worth. Because we've designed the IVHcro-Systems VIE Cartridge which oilows you to interface ViC to ali existing Commodore iEEE peripherals [8050, 4040, 2031, and printers) for only $79.95. in addition, we've designed the V-232 RS-232 Interfoce board to allow the VIC-20 to communicate with various serial devices such as printers, modems, end other systems— NOT JUST A BUFFER DRIVER— for only $45.00. Also available are o full range of Ram Expansion Cartridges in increments of 8K 16K, and 24K of ram expansion memory at very competitive prices. If you need to access more than one cartridge in your VIC-20 expansion port, we hove the sotution, The V-Expander is now available with 6 additional expansion ports DIP selectable.
And if you want to keep the fun in your computer. Micro-Systems has developed fiv.e all new video games (VICTOROIDS, MOBILE ATTACK, CRACK, GUARDIAN, and QUARK) Available in Cartridge; Cassette [requires 8K expansion); ond disk (requires IEEE interfoce above and 8K expansion); all compatible withViC-20.
Available from Micro-Systems
VIE Cartridge (iEEE-488)
VIC-20 Color Computer — ViC-1540 Single Disk Drive. V!C.1515 Graphic Printer _ VIC Modem
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-S259.00 .349900 .S325.00 .$129.00 .$ 35.00 .$ 49.95 .S 95.00 .$149.00
V-Expander (6-siot)
V-232 RS-232 interface- Joystick [Afcade Quality) VTE Terminoi Emulator
Tape
Disk-
GAMES
Cartridge. Cassette— Disk
85.00
45.00 29.95
8.00 1500 29.95 19.95 19.95
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED
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Micro-Systems • 11105 Shady Trail #103 • Dallas, Texas 75229 • (214) 484-7836
' Registered Tfodemorkof CommodOfe Int.
COMPUTE!
October 1982, Issue 29
Navigate your slarship through the oncoming meteors, shoot them out of the way if you can, or your ship will he destroyed. Ifyuu get into a really tight spot, sxeitch into hyperdrive. Versimisjor all PETICAiMs and Atari.
Meteor Storm
Emil Engels Springfield, VA
In "Mcleor Storm," ihe player must navigate his ship ihrontrh a dense space (lisltn^hance. Ihe player's ship, remaining at the lop oi the screen, is maneuvered left and right bv pressing the (4) and (6) kevs, resjxxtively. The ]jlayer"s ship is equipped with a laser, llred by pressing ihe (I') kev. The laser is capable of destroying meteors (10 points each). Hvperspace can be entered by hitting the SPACE bar and can i>e left by pressing any other key; while in hyperspace, the ship is invulnerable, but no points are awarded. The difncully factor can be selected bv the player, and the game's high score and high scorer are recorded by the computer. One of the most inlei-esting features of the program itself is the use oi scrolling, ,A random line of meteors is PRINTed at the bottom of the screen at the beginning of eacli game cvcle. This .scrolls all the other lines of meteors u]>one line. (It also scrolls the ship off the .screen. I he ship is, however, immediately rePOKEd into position.) The effect of this scrolling is that the ship appears to move down through the meteor storm.
Program 1: PET/CBM Version
GAME BEGINS IN 5 SECOND
5 GOSUB78
6 PRINT" {DOWN}
S{UP}"
7 FOBSEC=300TO1STEP-1
8 IFSEC/60<>INT(SEC/60)THEN10
9 PRINT" GAME BEGINS IN" ; SEC/60 ; "SECON
DSlUP}"
10 NEXTSEC
11 B=32786:C=32787:D=32788
12 A${0)=" Q Q Q Q Q Q Q . Q Q Q
_Q "
13 A$(1)^"Q QQQ QQQQ Q
Q Q"
14 A$(2)=" Q Q P Q Q Q Q QQQ
2 '•
15 A${3)=" QQQ QQQQ Q Q
Q Q"
16 AS(4)=" Q Q Q Q Q QQQQ
Q Q"
17 aS(5)="Q Q Q Q Q Q Q QQQ
_Q "
18 A$(6}=" Q Q QQQ Q QQQQ
Q "
19 A$(7)=" QQQQ QQ QQQQ
_^"
20 A$(8)="Q QQ QQQQ QQ
21 AS(9)=" Q Q Q QQQQQ Q
Q Q"
22 PRINT" [CLEAR} {24 DOWN}";
23 A=INT(RND{1) *10)
24 PRINTAS (A)
25 IFHY=1THENPRINT:PRINT:RETURN
26 GOSUB33:REM*SHIP CONTROL*
27 PRINT
28 GOSUB33:REM*SHIP COI^TROL*
29 IFPEEK(B+40)=BlORPEEK(C+4 0)=81ORPEEK(D+40)
=81THENPRINT:GOT058
30 PRINT
31 GOSUB33:REt4*SHIP CONTROL*
32 GOT023
33 POKEB,79:POKEC,22:POKED,80
Atari Notes
The Atari version of Meteor Storm, 4.5K in length with all RE.M statenTcnts removed, can barely squeeze into an 8K Atari 400. But it will not run without some code shor- tening and simplification, since only 5.3K of memory is free on an 8K .Atari, and the program reserves additional space for strings and player/mi.ssi!e graphics.
.After the game starts, you will see a flashing arrow at the bottom center of the screen. Move it with the joystick to select game difficulty. Moving it to the right makes the game harder; moving it left, easier. This provides about 40 skill levels. After you press the trigger button to select the difficulty, your player- a glowing, wedge- shaped, missile-firing spaceship — will ap- pear at the bottom of the screen facing an
onslaught of descending meteors which scroll from top to bott(jm. Yom- only defense is yotn- laser cannon, which is fired with the trigger button. Move your ship left and right with the joystick, evading meteors, and fire on any meteors in your path. You get one point for each meteor hit. If all else fails, and destruction .seems inmiinent. push the joystick forward to enter hyperspace. The meteor field will scroll at high speed, but your ship will l>e invisible, safe from the meteors. Pull back on the joystick tc; return fr<jm hyperspace. Iliis is no small teat, since you must try to come out of hyperspace into an area free of meteors. Once you've tried hyperspace, you'll .see why it's the move only of a des- perado. Another feature allows high-scoring players to enter their initials. But you'd better be Q;ood — vou have only one chance!
ALL THE EXCITEMENT . . . WITHOUT THE QUARTERS!
^^rsc CGAS
?AC,
■^^ -;
Datasoft" brings the thrills of a video arcade to your living room with four new programs
for your 16K Atari'? 400/800 Home Computer. In Canyon Climber you explore the beauty and
meet the challenges of the Grand Canyon. Face angry goats, fierce Indians and overbearing
birds. Next, step up and try your fuck at Shooting Arcade. Take aim at stampeding elephants,
waddling ducks and jumping bunnies. Then, join the tortoise and the hare as they race
across Pacific Coast Highway. But watch out for rush hour traffic on the road and slippery
boats in the water. And finally, run away to the circus in Clowns and Balloons. You're in
the spotlight as you catapult to the very heights of the big top to bust the balloons.
So go to the arcade tonight without leaving your house. Check with your local
software dealer or send check or money order with $2.00 postage/handling,
California residents, add 6% sales tax.
Available on cassette or diskette. Suggested retail price $29.95
COMPUtER SOFmARE
19519 Business Center Drive Northridge, CA 91324 • (213| 701-5161
Atari is a registered trademark of Atari Computer, Inc.
«> 1982 Datasoft Inc."
46
COMPUTE!
October 1982, Issue 29
34
35
36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66
67
68
69
70 71
72 73 74 75 76 77
78 79
IFT>1000ANDJ>11THENT=T-1000:J=J-1
F0RE=1T05
GETBS
F0RF=1T0J:NEXTF
IFB$<>""THEN40
NEXTE
1FB$ = ''F''THEN46
IFB?'" "TKEN55
IFB$ = ''4"ANDB>327 68THENB=B-1:C=C-1:D=D-1
IFB$ = ''6"ANDD<328 07THENB=B+1:C=C+1:D=D+1
POKEa,79:POKEC,22:POKED,8 0
T=T+5 : SC0=SC0+5 : RETURN
H=C+40
F0RG=1T024
IFPEEK{H) =81THENPOKEH,32:SCO=SCO+10:T=T+10
: RETURN POKEH,93
FORI=1TO10:NEXTI POKEH,32 H=H+4 0 NEXTG RETURN
HY=l:GOSUB23 GETB$:IFB$ = ''"THEN5 5 HY=0:GOSUB23
POKES, 32 :POKEC, 32: POKED, 32 POKEB+39,79:POKEC+40,22:POKED+41,80 FORI=1TO250:NEXTI
POKEB+39 , 32 : POKEC+40 , 32 : POKED+41 , 32 POKEB+78,79:POKEC+80,22:POKED+82,80 FORI=1TO250:NEXTI
POKEB+78,32:POKEC+8 0,32:POKED+8 2,32 POKEB+117,79:POKEC+120,22:POKED+123,8 0
DOWN] {07 RIGHT}0»»#»###l#» INITIALS
{1
PRINT" {HOME} {09
t»«###**##*#P" PRINT" {07 RIGHT} %^ YOUR SCORE:
2 LEFT]"; SCO IFSCO>HSTHENINPUT"{07 RIGHT]^
_;_{14 LEFT]";HSI$ HSI$=LEFT$ {HSIS,3> IFSC0>HSTHENHS=SCO PRINT" {07 RIGHT}% HIGH SCORE:
2 LEFT] "; KS;HSI$ PRINT" {07 RIGHT]_% 1"
PRINT" {07 RIGHT}_% ANOTHER GAME? (Y OR N)_;_" PRINT" {07 RIGHT}L$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$gS$:" GETDE$: IFDES=""THEN7 5 IFDES = "N"THENPRINT" {CLEAR} "; : END A=0:B=0:C=0:D=0:E=0:F=0:G=0:H=a:I=0:J=0:T=
0:SCO=0:GOTO7 PRINT" {CLEAR] {04 DOWN]" PRINT" *** METEOR STORM ***{D0WN}
80 PRINT"
81 PRINT"
82 PRINT"
83 PRINT"
84 PRINT"
85 PRINT"
86 PRINT"
87 PRINT"
88 PRINT" 9 PRINT"
0 PRINT"
1 PRINT" {DOWN} NPUT
YOUR MISSION IS TO NAVIGATE" YOUR SHIP THROUGH A FIERCE" METEOR STORM . MOVE LEFT BY" PRESSING <4>, RIGHT BY PRESS-" ING <6>,AND FIRE BY PRESSING" <F> . SHOOTING A METEOR IS" WORTH 10 PTS . YOU MAY ENTER" HYPERSPACE BY PRESSING THE" <SPACE> KEY . LEAVE HYPER-" SPACE BY PRESSING ANY OTHER" KEY."
DIFFICULTY FACTOR":! {1-40/HARD-EASY) ";J
2 IFJ<1ORJ>40THENPRINT"{03 UP}";:G0T091
3 RETURN
Program 2: Atari Version
110 HITCLR=5327B:PPF=53252!REM P/M CO LLISION REBISTERS
120 130 140 150 160
170 180
170
200 210
220
230 240
250 260 270 280 290 300
310
320
330 340
350 360
370
3B0
390
400 410
420
430 440
C*<4) , I»(3) : IN
Characters us
STUF
DIM A« <20> ,B«(200)
IT = 0
C»=" <E> CC>H<S>":REM
ed -for explosion
GOSUB 75O1REM INITIALIZATION
F
SCR=0:POKE 5324B,0:P0KE HITCLR,25
5:REM Reset collision register
POKE 752,1:P0KE 82,0;REM Turn off
cursor and set left margin to ze r o
SETCOLOR 1,1, 12: REM COLOR 2 Bold POKE B7,1:REM Set printing regist er to mode 1 {default) R=INT ( lOtRND (O) ) ! REM Pick a set o f dots
A*=B*(R»20+1 , R*20+20> POSITION 0,2:? «6iA*;:REM Display
it REM "POKE B7,0" fools OS into thi nking that mode 1 is mode 0. All ows cursor control.
POKE 87, OiPDSITIDN 0,1:7 CHR«<157 );:REM PUSH IT DOWN (INSERT LINE)
TO PERFORM REVERSE SCROLL IF STICK (0) =13«HYP THEN HYP=0:POK E 53248, ZP:POKE H I TCLR , 255: POS I Tl ON 4,0:? #6; "meteor storm":8aTO 1 7 0
REM High-speed repeat if in hyper space mode
IF HYP THEN POKE 709 , PEEK ( 53770 ) ; GOTO ISO REM BO INTO S UP (SOUND
IF STICK I
HYPERSPACE
SUBR. >
IF STICK(0)=14 THEN POKE 53248,0: BDSUB 710:G0T0 180 REM Following formula will either
add or subtract two from the REM current horizontal position, ZP, unless such move Mill place c ursor out of range
REM (PTRIG is used to return 1 an d -1 for horizontal joystick moti on )
ZP=ZP-2«PTRIG<1) t (ZP>44) +PTRIB (O) * <ZP<200> «2
REM Update horizontal position REM Location 53770 generates a ra ndom # from 0-255. Used to rapid ly change Player O (704) color.
POKE 53248, ZPsPDKE 704 , PEEK i 53770
)
IF PEEKtPPF) THEN S50:REM CHECK F
OR COLLISION
IF STRIQ(0)=0 THEN POKE 704,68:G0
SUB 400:REM Fire missile
IF PEEK(20)<DIF THEN 320:REM Chec
k f or t i me del ay
POKE 20,0:G0T0 180:REM Scroll ano
ther set of "meteors"
REM SHOOT MISSILE
MP= ( ZP-44) /S: REM Calculate mode 1
horizontal position (0—19) from P/M position (0-255)
PP=PEEK (88) +256* PEEK ( 89 ) +4 40+MP : R EM PP is location in screen RAM t o start missile from
REM Location 88/89 contains locat ion of upper left corner. POKE 53761, 47:REM SOUND 0,?,2,15 used for high-speed sound POKEs
SYNCRO Software for atari™' 400/800 home computer.
Now from SNYCRO, the people who brought you
Mar Tesoro, Drac is Back, Alien Heli and Maze of Death. . .
ASTRON IV® ""
An all graphic adventure game for the Atari* 400/800* Home Computer. 16K Cassette 24K Disk
As space warriors of the galaxy you penetrate ASTRON IV ' to destroy the pirate asteroid. You battle several types of robots and the deadly ORBITRON with your space vehicle equipped with Z-bolts. You must penetrate four levels of the asteroid destroying the power panels that control the enemy's power. Once the panels are de- stroyed you must then escape. You may even battle each other for control.
FEATURES
Programmed in Hybrid Basic for fast action. One or two players. Power stations
Automatic scoring Joysticl< operated
Bonus Points All Color
Wordmania ''*^ is a challenging word game with many unique features.
Players may compete individually or in the two player mode. This program has been developed for ages 5 through adult and will offer a challenge even to the most skilled player..
Wordmania ™^ has been developed as an educational program in several respects, to improve typing abilities, word recog- nition, spelling, concentration and make learning fun.
Wordmania
16 K Cassette
24 K Disk
'Indicates Trademark of Atari, Inc.
Coming Soon
LASER ANTS = '''' and ASTRON IX '^^^
SYNCRO, INC.
SOFTWARE DIVISfON
30941 W. Agoura Road, Suite 200
Westlake Village, Calif. 91361
(213)889-9508
ORDER FROM YOUR FAVORITE DEALER OR YOU MAY ORDER DIRECT FROM SYNCRO, INC. ADD $2.00 FOR SHIPPING AND HANDLING — CALIF. RESIDENTS ADD 672% SALES TAX.
THE TOP BANAIMA
V
\cA
CO,
A
S O F T \A/ A R E I IM C .
FOR INFORMATION ON A GREAT BUNCH OF GAMES, WRITE TO:
GEBELLI SOFTWARE INC.. 1787 TRIBUTE ROAD, SUITE G,
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 35815 [91B] 925-1432
October 1982. Issue 29
COMPUTfl
d9
|
450 |
FOR 1=2 TO 18 STE |
|
EM Next Position |
|
|
460 |
POKE 53760,I«10:R |
|
470 |
P=PEEK(NP) :POKE N |
|
,90 |
|
|
480 |
REM I -f missile hi |
|
O, SPACE) then do |
|
|
490 |
IF POO THEN 1=20 |
|
R W=l TO 100 STEP |
|
|
:K = K* <K<4> + 1 :POKE |
|
|
EXT W |
|
|
500 |
REM I-f score divi |
|
create di-fficulty |
|
|
510 |
IF POO THEN SCR = |
|
INT<SCR/10) THEN |
|
|
<0 THEN DIF=0 |
|
|
520 |
NEXT I:OP=0:FOR I |
|
P -20:POKE I,OP:N |
|
|
"MISSILE" CHARACT |
|
|
530 |
SOUND O,O,O,O:P0K |
|
7,1:? #6;SCR:REM |
|
|
540 |
RETURN |
|
550 |
REM COLLISION |
|
560 |
REM Essentially r |
|
data to draM lO " |
P 2:NP=PP-20«I : R
EM Make sound
P, 154:POKE NP-20
t something <P<> ex plosion
:POKE NP-20, 0:F0 10:P0KE 53760, W NP, ASC (C* (K) ) : N
Bible by ten, in
SCR+1 : IF SCR/10= DIF=DlF-2: IF DIF
=PP TO NP-20 STE
EXT I: REM ERASE
ERS
E 87, 1 : POSITION
UPDATE SCORE
eads in "shape" explosion" scene
570 REM in place of player. 580 RESTORE 6 10 : T=PMBASE+6 1 6
590 FOR 1=1 TO 10:P0KE 704 , INT ( 1 6*RND CO) ) «16+14: SOUND 0,1*10,8,10-1
60O FOR J=0 TO 3:READ A;PDKE T+J,A;NE XT J:NEXT I
4, 9
3, 1
610 DATA 0.0.24,60,0,0.60.126. ,90, 16, 74,32, 90, 145, 68, 16, , 129, 0, 69, 8, 0, O, 0, 129, 4,0, ,4,0,0,0,4
620 POKE 53248,0; POKE 53277,0
630 FOR 1=100 TO 255 STEP 5: SO ,12,8:F0R W=l TO 10:NEXT W : SOUND 0,0,0,0;REM Sad sou
640 IF SCR<HI THEN 690iREM high score
650 GRAPHICS 2+ 16 ; SETCOLOR DLOR 2, 1 , 10:5ETCDL0R 0 ION 2,0;? #6; "congratul ati
660 POSITION 0,2:? »6;"NEW HIG "; SCR:HI=SCR
670 POSITION 0,6:? #6 ; " RrrFHra CBEOfS ": POSITION 8,8
680 I*="":CLOSE #l:OPEN #1,4,0 OR J=l TO 3:GET «1.A:I«(J) ):? #6; CHR« (A) ; iNEXT J
690 GOTO 130
700 REM ■rrcErsti;3rarrra[=B
710 FOR 1=255 TO O STEP -1:S0U
12,B:P0KE 7 1 1 . PEEK ( 53770 ) :
POKE 711,70 720 SOUND O,0,O,O:FOR 1=1 TO 5
OR 4,4,4:FOR W=l TO 50:NEX
COLOR 4,0,0:F0R W=l TO 50;
NEXT r 730 POSITION 3,0:? #6;" hyper
: HyP=l jRETURN 740 RETURN 750 GRAPHICS 1 7 : PMBASE=256» < PE
-8):P0KE 89, PEEK <89) -8: ? »
<:CLEAR>" :POKE 89,PEEK(B9) +
ICS 17 760 SETCOLOR 4 , 1 , 1 2: POS I T I ON 4
; " CeDdEEHaCEEC " 770 REM MOVE PLAYER OFF SCREEN IS HORIZ. POSITION)
0,24, 52 66,65,8 0,0, 129
UND 0, I :NEXT I nd Check -for
, 4;SETC 2: POSIT ons! " H SCORE
, " K I " : F
=CHR»(A
ND 0,1, NEXT I:
SETCOL T W:SET NEXT W:
space "
EK« 106)
6; "
4: GRAPH
, 2: ? #6
453248
7SO POKE 53248,0: FOR J=0 TO 9
790 POSITION 1,21:? #6;"easy < — " : POS
ITION 12,21:? #6;"--> [TEBtr" : I F IN
IT THEN 890 800 POSITION 5,11:? #6; "PATIENCE. .. " 810 REM Generate ten meteor patterns 820 FOR J=0 TO 9 830 A*="<:20 SPACES>" 840 FOR 1=1 TO 205POKE 7 1 0 , PEEK (53770
) 850 IF RND(1)>0.7 THEN A* ( I , I ) =CHR* < 1
42):REM 0.7 is density of meteors from O (all meteors) to 1 (no me
teors)
860 870 880 890 900 910
920
930 940
950
960
970 980
990 lOOO
1010 1020
NEXT B« (J NEXT REM POKE POKE 56, 1 REST OKE DATA ZP=1 DIF POKE >
ZP = Z
« (ZP
IF S
DIF =
DIFF
ZP=1
POS
: PO
ITI
N 1
REM
RRO
POK
PM
*20+I )=A* J: INIT=1
■a[SE]iBCT:[i:HQei[£Hci'SE:n:[;BSs
54279, PMBASE/256
559,46:P0KE 53277, 3:P0KE 532
ORE 93O:F0R I=0 TO 3:READ A:P PMBASE+616+I , A:NEXT I
8, 28,62, 28 24:P0SITI0N 2,11:? #6; "SELECT FICULTY" : SETCOLOR 2,0,14
53248, ZP: POKE 704 , PEEK ( 53770
P-2«PTRIG( 1 ) « (ZP>40) +PTRIG(0)
<200) «2
TRI6<0) THEN 950
(160- (ZP-40) ) /4:REM CALCUATE
ICULTY
24:-' «6;CHR*(125)
ITION 3,0:? #6; "meteor storm"
SITION 1,1:? #6; "EHEBE : O": POS
ON 12,1:? #6; "[110 ";HI:POSlTIO
6,0:? #6; I*
POKE PMBASE+619, 127 MAKES "A W" INTO "WEDGE"
E 704, 106: SETCOLOR 4,0,0:P0KE BASE+619, 127:RETURN
Meteor Slorm - Atari i>i'rsiiiii
50
COMPUTE!
October 1982, Issue 2<?
Do you have a m'lxed-up Rubik's Cube siUiiig around? Your computer can tell you haw to solve it step-by-strp. There are versiotis oftlie solution here for PEl'ICBM and Atari - it requires I6K RAM memon. The author will make a tape copy (Jor Commodore machines only) for $3 if you don't waut to type it in.
Rubik's Cube Solved
Dieter Kuespert Glendale.AZ
Here is a general solution for the problem of the Rubik's Cube. It absolutely does not matter what the combination of colors is on your cube when the piogram is staried. There arc difiereiitly designed cidies on the market having a variety of color com- binations on the various planes.
The onlv deviation from the generality is the requirement that you use the letter "W" for white, lilhis is not done, the program assimies a wrong input. I'liere is this required initial condilion under all circumstances:
White has to be in the middle of the upper plane! Throughout the whole procedure it is man- datory that only single slices are turned, never the cube as a whole.
The program has been written in BASIC only. It is for use with a PET/CBM computer. As, how- ever, no unusual program techniques are iKsed, it soLild not cause any dilTiculties to adapt it to othei" Microsoft compiuers. Due to its gcneiality, it was not possible to fit the program into 8K of memory. It takes about 14K instead, which permits use of a 16K computer.
Al the start the program requests the color combination of the cube as it exists. A question mark appears in the respective field for which the iust letter of the relevant color has to be keyed in. This has to be done carefully, as no correction is ]jossible except to restart the program from the beginning. In practice it has proven imnecessary to provide a correction rcnitine. The cube is displayed as if it were folded open. The letter " W" is also displayed as a reminder. It is easy to assign the fields to tlic cube accordingly.
After input of the last letter, the progiam starts to check ibr the fields of the while plane, which will appear on tt)p (jf the cube after the appropriate instructions have been executed.
The cube will subsequently be solved in slices from top to bottcmi. The number of necessary moves is not optimized because this would T"e(|uire more liian KiK ofinemory. Therefore, in (jrder to find a field of a certain color, you are asked to turn slices until this color appears at a certain spot which is the only one checked every time. This will require some additional moves.
Ihe subroutines necessary (or keeping track of all fields are grouped at the end of llie program. There is one for each kind of turn. The display of the required tiu-n is connected to the exchange roiuine. After the display is on the CRT, the ex- change is performed by the program. At the same time the plane of the actual cube is turned bv the player. Thus the time is used in an optimal way. After the cube is solved, the comptiter so indicates.
As this is a rather long program, I am willing to save y(ju the boring work of typing all those GOSUBs. Just send a tape or disk and $3 for a copy. (PET/CBM machines only.) Don't forget to include a .self -add res.sed, stamped mailer.
Dieter Kuesfiert
■t333 W. Sandra Circle
Glcndale, AZ 85308
|
J |
||
|
r |
||
shows this
do this
Figure 1: With the arrow pointing right on the top slice, rotate one turn as shown.
|
1 1,1 |
|
|
^ |
shows this
move it to this
Figure 2: A curved arrow means rotate the front or rear face once in the direction of the
arrow.
PET Version
150 CLR:DIMA$ (9) , B$ (9) , C$ (9) , D$ (9) , ES (9 )
160 PRINT" {CLEARH 03 DOWNlTHIS PROGRAM SOLVES ""
ANV RUBIK'S 170 PRINT"{DOWN}CUBE. THE ONLY CONDITION IS : 180 PRINT" {D0WNHREV}WHITE HAS TO BE IN THE MI
DOLE OF THE 190 PRINT" {DOWN} {REV}UPPER PLANE. 200 PRINT"{02 DOWNlALWAYS KEEP IN MIND TO TURN
Fly the SPACE SHUTTLE
frown yowr
FUN
W
GAMES^"
Leapfrog, Possible, and Wordgames giving S- you hours of fun and entertainment. Leapfrog is a Chinese-Checker type jumping game in which you try to position sets of animated jumping frogs in a minimum of moves. Possible to help descramble word jumble puzzles or to create your own. Wordgames, two games in one, contains Guessit - a deductive alphabetic reasoning game for one or two players and Wordjumble - a multiple word descrambling puzzle with play-on-word hints and mystery answers. Disk version of Guessit works with a Votrax Type'N'Talk. A real crowd pleaser. Joystick and printer optional. By Jerry White
Price: $17,95 16K Cassette/ $19.95 24K Diskette
I
TRIVIA TREK
TM
By Jerry White
Play it for fun, test your knowledge or entertain friends. Fun for the whole family and great at parties. A multiple choice trivia game for one or two players > complete with 500 trivia queslions in fifty categories and two thousand multiple choice answers. Included is a program for creating your own trivia questions and answers. Joystick optional Price: $29.95 32K Diskette ^i^^
ATARL
SPACE SHUTTLE
By Paul Kindl
Join the crew of the Space Shuttle as they prepare to lake the next step into the world of space travel. Take control of the world's first reuseable spaceship the Space Shuttle, and in an accurate full graphic simulation, piace yourself in (he cockpit. Pilot the Space Shut- tle through take-off with booster stage separations, orbii, descent down the glide path and landing to touchdown - complete with a chase plane and scrolling runway visible through the cockpit windscreen. You assume command throughout all phases of the mission aided by complete instrumentation. Price: $29.95 32K Diskette ATARI' ts a regisiered irademark ot Alari Inc., a Warner Communicaiions. Co.
HAUNTED HILL
Fight bats and ghosts in the dark of the cemetary, This exciting, all machine language game has arcade quality graphics and speed. Requires Joystick. ^ By George Richardson
Price: $24.95 16K Cassette/ $29.95 16K Diskette
Plus many more
AVAILABLE AT SELECT COMPUTER STORES MAIL ORDERS: Send check or money order plus $2.50 shipping and handling, N.Y. Residents add 7V4% sales tax.
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19B1. 1982 SWIFTY SOFTWARE, INC.
PROGftflm
noAc
New Releases & Best Sellers
SPACE EGGS
By GebelM & Thompson from Slflus Software "it will crack you yp"l The Space Spiders, Lecherous Lips, Wicked Wolvas and Ihe unlversally-feared FgzzbalJs are attacking. Shoot your SPACE EGGS, and watch oul! Joystick optional. (Incfudcg full color Iron-on T-shirt transfer,)
48K Disk, S2S:9t v^»i«'Jfc>^^ Now Thru Nov. 1 You Pay Only $23.96
CAPTIVITY
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From Program Design, Inc. The rnost advanced maze game for the Atari! You must guide your robot through (he maze, with the aid of a 3-0 view on the screen. 5-coior. high-res graphics, sound effects, 20 game variations and an InilnHe variety of mazes. Requires joystick.
24K Tape, $24.95
GHOST ENCOUNTERS
From JV Software
You're a ghost in ttils real-time adventure, trying to
find the 20 treasures hidden 3 networl( of 30 rooms.
You may have to transmutate into other forms In
order lo solve the puzzles and avoid ttie dangers.
You'll tiave to be fast and clevar to figure this one
out! f^equires joystick.
16K Tape or Disk, $29.95
Also avaliable from JV Software:
ACTION QUEST
16K Tape or Disk, $29.95 Requires loysllck.
INSTEDIT
By Sheldon Leemon (rom APX Thl$ is the best character set editor we've seen. Using your joystick, you can modify characters; or crasla characters, script or multi-character objects easily! Your modified character is dispfayed in all six graphic modes stmultaneousty. And, you can save your character sets for use with SASIC or assembly source code, Comes with detailed user manual. Re- quires joystick-
16K Tape or 24K Disk, $22.95
PREPPIE
By Russ Wetmore from Adventure International Okay, Preppie: ! dsre you lo cross that alligator-filled river and recover your golf ball. Remember, danger lurks everyVBhere, from speeding golf carts to mon- ster frogs. With 28 colors and food sound to match your madras coat. Even Ihe nol-so-preppies In your set will love it! 1 or 2 players; multiple skill levels; joystick required. ^_
16KTape,S2dv95 S^^J^.5*<S%/ Now Thru Nov. 1 You Pay Only $23.96
BATTLE OF SHILOH
live M^^r^i^
From Strategic Simulations
The first wargame for (he Atari! Him Civil War buffs can engage in a realistic simuFation of a trtajor bat- tle. Marching through Ihe war-torn countryside, stra- tegically using the forests, creeks, hflls (or defense, you recreate every tacit of the battle on a hex-grid map. If you had been in charge, would we sttll be whistling "Dixie"? 1 or 2 players.
32K Tape or 40K Disk, $39.95
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER
By David Ma nnering from Creative .
Wonder if the air traffic controllers are really under stress? Want to see what all the fuss is about? This program will give you a taste of what goes on In those towers as you try to guide 26 aircraft safely through your airspace. This advanced version has five separate control areas from which to choose, as well as other enhancements.
16K Disk, $19.95
THE HOME FILING MANAGER
From Atari
Throw out your file boxes— use the Home Filing (irlanager instead! Now you can create, edit, print, store and retrieve your files with this one easy-to-use program. Great for organizing books, record albums, tools, antiques, stocks, addresses . . . and your cofn- puter programs.
16K Disk, $49.95
THRESHOLD
By Warren Schwader & Ken Williams You, alone, can save the Earth Federation from (he lawless aliens who roam our galaxy. Not only have these invaders been attacking our home planet — they're also raiding our space colonies! Space travel has become Increasingly dangerous, as has friendly trade. But supplies must go through. As the pilot of Ihe Federation lighter THRESHOLD, it's all up lo you! High resalulion graphics and sound plus "save the game" feature. Requires joystick. 40KDisk,i39t95- j&*tr^S/
Now Thru Nov. 1 You Pay Oniy $31.96
CLOWNS
AND
BALLOONS
From DalaSofI by Frank Cohen A huge launch of balloons is stuck al the lop of the cir- cus lens. How do you get them down? By bouncing a clown on a Ifampoline. high enough lo burst them, of course! You must brean the balloons in order, one row at a time— If you miss any, Ihe wtrole row fills up again. Aim your clowns where you want them by mov- ing the trampoline to just the right fosition. 1 or 2 players; multi-skill levels; joystick or paddle required.
16K Tape or Disk, $29.95
THE
COSMIC
BALANCE
From Rapid Fire (SSI) Design your own spaceship, then fight a batlte with it to test your design on-the-spot. The goal is to cre- ate a ship that's powerful, fast, maneuverable — and armed with the most eflective weapons— to tip the COSMIC BALANCE in your favor. 1 or 2 players; re- quires toystick. 48K Disk, $39.95
VISICALC HOME AND OFFICE COMPANION
By Casilewilz and Chisausky from
Osborne/McGfaw-Hlll FH<y VisiCaic models (or home and office, including; investments, inventory, sales forecasts, payroll, per- sonal net worth, home budget planning, family In- surance needs. Each comes with mode* listings, sample printed reports and narrative. A mutt for tvtry VI«fCalo ownarl
Softcover, $15.99
Over 1 500 Programs for TRS- 80,
For Information Call 202-363-9797
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For Your A ATARI H00/800(^
\ /TORE
YOUR ATARI COMPUTER
By Poole, McNlft & Cook from Osborne/McGraw-HMI Comprehensive, alt-ln-one guide for Atari iOO/BOQ computers thai i3 helpful to Ihe t>egtnni[ig and ad- vanced programmer. Complete operating instruc- tions; detailed BASIC programming, including a handy alphabetical glossary of BASIC statements and functions; advanced BASIC; computer graphics; and tips on hardware, periplterals and compatible soflwafe. Sottcover, $16.95
COMPUTErS SECOND BOOK OF ATARI
From Compute! Books An all naw collection of navar-bafors published articles on the Atari tor beginner to advanced users. Topics include; Utilities, Programming, Graphics, Applloafions and Bsyond BASIC. Spiral-bound, $12.95
GAMES & RECREATIONS
From Reston
This new book Is packed with games and ideas on
how to create yoi;r own. You'll discover the special
Atari capabifilles of the keyboard, graphics, sound
and colon The twoK provides an entertaining way to
learn more about general programming, too.
Part I-. Learning Through Games. Part II: Games (or
the Atari, Part HI: Ttie Atari Special. Ptus seven
appendices.
Softcover, S14.95 Hardcover, $13.95
MASTER MEMORY MAP
From Santa Cruz Software
II you are serious about programming the Atari, this booklet could become one of your mosi Important tools. A highly detailed map of the Atari's memory, it details thousands of locations and routines. Using this booklet makes easier the use of display lisS, player/missile, and Interrupt graphics. The "Miscel- laneous Notes" section contains a wealth of knowl- edge picked up by Santa Cruz in their explorations of the Atari. Also included are notes on the new GTIA graphics chip.
Soitcover, S6.95
KATIE AND THE COMPUTER
By D'tgnazio; Illustrated by Gilliam from Creative Delightful, tufl-calor picture booh about Katie, who falls into the ^and of Cybernia, inside her father's home computer. She learns how a computer works during her adventures with Colonel Software, the Bytes and a ferocious Program Bug. Ages i to 10.
Hardcover, $6.95
6502
ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE SUBROUTINES
By Leventhal and SavHle from Ostwrne/fvlcGraw-HiK If you're Interested in using assembly language quickly, this book is ideal. It describes general 6502 programming methods, provides crxle for more than 40 subroutines to help you improve your program, ming skills, debug or revise an existing program; add instructions and addressing modes.
Soflcover, $15.99
ATARI SOUND AND GRAPHICS
By Moore. Lower and Albrechl from John Wiley This self -pacer), self-leaching guide will have you seeing and hearing things on your Atari In no lime- even if you're a complete beginner. You'H learn to compose and play melodies, draw cartoons, create sound effects and games. Each section teaches something nev* in BASIC, the most commonly used computer language.
Softcover, $9.95 ^■■■^
PICTURE THIS!
An introduction to Computer Graptiics for Kids of Ail Ages
PICTURE THIS!
□El
By David D. Thornburg from Addison-Wesley This book promises to become the "modern replace- ment (or coloring tMoks and crayons", ll's a learn-by- doing manual that uses PILOT, a simpler language than BASIC, and Turtle Geometry to leach kids to create pictures in full color from simple lines lo com- plex angles and curves. Recomrt^ended for use in conjunction with PILOT Cartridge,
Spiral-bound, $14.95
A?isciiil)l*.'r
ATARI ASSEMBLER
By Don & Kurt Inman from Reston WhUo the Atari Assembler Cartridge comes with an operating manual, 11 assumes that you already know assembly language, 11 youVe new to the Atari or its 6502 processor, this book is a must. The Inmans guide you through the rudiments of this fascinating type of programming in clear, easy steps. Includes full listing and description of 6502 mnemonics and addressing modes. Recommended (or use In con- junction with Assembler Cartridge.
Softcover, $12.95
INSIDE ATARI DOS
By Sill Wilkinson from Compute The comprehensive manual on the disk File Manager System (FMS), commonly known as Atari DOS 2.0S, Contains the only complete and official listing for the system, plus a !ull description of: the external view, charts & tables, various interfaces and tunc- tions of individual subroutines.
Spiral-bound, $19.95
COMPUTERS FOR PEOPLE
By Willis and (/iller from Dilithium Do you need a computer (or your business? Your home'' Which one would be most useful? Which soft- ware should you consider? You don't have lo t>e an el ectronics wiiard to answer these quest ions ..just read this book! It will guide the compieie novice. step by step, to the selection of the best system (or your needs.
Softcover, $7.95 _ ,
~ -Htnri
DERE ATARI
From APX
Translated from Latin, (he title of this book is "All AtKMjt Atari" and it means what it says! Used in combination with Atari's Technical Reference Manuai, advanced programmsrs will be able lo learn to exploit Ihe many hardware and operating system (eatures that make the Atari 400/800 so tremendous- ly versatile. Includes a useful discussion of Ihe new GTIA chip. Once you know Atari BASIC and assembler, this book is a must.pp
Loose leaf
(binder not supplied),
$19.95
COMPUTERS FOR KIDS
Atari Edition By Sally Larsen from Creative The BASIC programming manual written for l^ids, from flowcharts lo color graphics, including the sure-to-please program, "Scare Mom with an Ele- phant." Detailed instructions and sketches ptus glossary of statements and commands. With lesson plans and tips lor parents and teachers.
Softcover, $4.95
STIMULATING SIMULATIONS,
Atari Version, 2nd Edition
By C.W. Engel from Hayden A handbook of 12 simulation games including Ail Auction, Starship Alpha, Monster Chase and Devil's Dungeon — each complete with listing, sample run, instructions and program documentation, including flowchart and Ideas for varial ions.
Softcover, $5.95
THE PROGRAM STORE • Dept. U210 • Box 9609 « 4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW » Washington, D.C. 2001 6 1
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54
COMPUTE!
October 1982. Issue 29
How To Follow The Computer's Instructions:
Yon miisi keep the same face (jf the cube towards voii at all times. Start with white in the niiddle of the upper (facing the ceiUng) lace. As you make the moves, imagine that I he cube is held flrniiv in a vice in the sanw fxtsititui throughout. Rotate individual slices, but the whole cube slays in position from start to finish.
An "arrow" will appear t)n screen for each move, and you respond by Imningthe slice on which the arrow sits in the direction the arrow points. Turn one rotation only per move. (See Figure 1.) If the computer wants you to luin thai slice three times, the arrow will reappear in the same place three times.
There are onlv two other possible moves: the front (the side closest to your body) and rear faces (the one furthest away from you). If a strange "curved"' arrow ap]>ears, that means that you should rotate the entire front face one move m the direction the arrow curves. To pcrlbrm the same mo\e ibr the back side, the computer will announce that vou should turn the rear side. Tlie arrow will api>ear curved as it does for a front-side rotation. (See Figure 2.)
It sounds a little complicated, but it isn't when you get started. There at-e really onlv twodifferenl lyjies ol inoves to make. The computer will \\ait imtil you have moved; then v<ju hit a kev, and it announces the next move.
ONLY THE 210 PRINT" {DOWNlDESIGNATED PLANES, NEVER THE W
HOLE CUBE! 220 PRINT"NOW INPUT THE COLORS OF ALL PLAMSS."
: PRINT: PRINT: PRINT: PHI NT 230 GOSUB5440
240 PRINT" (CLEAR) " : F0RJ=1T03 :GOSUB5350 : NEXT 250 PRINT" (HOME) [04 DOWN) (03 RIGHT) (REV) W{ OFF) " 260 PRINT"{H0ME) (02 DOWN} " ; : K=l :GOSUB4070 270 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4070;NEXT 280 PRINT" (HOME) (04 DOWN) "; :GOSUB4070 290 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4070:NEXT 300 PRINT" (HOME) (06 DOWN) " ; :GOSUB4070 310 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4070:NEXT 320 PRINT" ( HOME) (09 DOWN} "; :K=i:GOSUB4080 330 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4080:NEXT 340 PRINT" (HOME) 111 DOWN j " ; :GOSUB4080 350 FORI=1TO2;GOSUB4080:NEXT 360 PRINT"{HOHE} (13 DOWN} " ; :GOSUB4080 : 370 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4080:NEXT 380 PRINT"(HOME} (09 DOWN) {03 RIG HT) " ; : K=l :GOSU
B4090 390 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4090:NEXT 400 PRINT" (02 DOWN) (06 LEFT} "; :GOSUB4090
410 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4090:NEXT
420 PRINT" (02 DOWN} (06 LEFT) " ; : GOSUB409 0
430 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4090:NEXT
440 PRINT"(02 RIGHT)(04 UP} " ; : K=l :GOSUB4100
450 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4100:NEXT
460 PRINT" (02 DOWN) (06 LEFT) " ; :GOSUB4100
470 FORI=1TO2;GOSUB4100:NEXT
480 PRINT" (02 DOWN) (06 LEFT) " ; :GOSUB4100
490 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4100:NEXT
500 PRINT"(02 RIGHT)(04 UP) " ; : K=l :GOSUB4120
510 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4120:NEXT
520 PRINT" (02 DOWN) (06 LEFT) " ; :GOSUB4120
530 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4120:NEXT
540 PRINT" (02 DOWN) (06 LEFT) " ; :GOSUB4120
550 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4120:NEXT
560 PRINT" (HOME) (16 DOWN} " ; :K=1 :G0SUB41 10
570 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4110:NEXT
580 PRINT"(02 DOWN) (06 LEFT) " ; :GOSUB4110 :GOSUB
4130 590 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4110:NEXT 600 PRINT"(02 DOWN} (06 LEFT) " ; :G0SUB41 10 610 FORI=1TO2:GOSUB4110:NEXT 620 IFA$(5)="W"THEN650 633 PRINT"{CLEAR}WRONG IrJPUT, ( REV) W{ OFF) HITE ~
HAS TO BE IN CENTER 640 PRIHT"OF UPPER PLANE! ": FORI = 1TO2000 :NEXT :G
OTO150 650 IFA$ (2)<>"W"THEN720 660 IFDS (2)=D$(5}THEN720 670 IFDS{2)=CS (5}THEN710 680 IFDS (2)=F3 (5)THEN700 690 GOSUB4520 700 GOSUB4520:GOTO720 710 GOSUB4600 720 IFA$ (6) <>"W"THEN800 730 IPCS (2)=C$ (5)THEN800 740 IFC$ (2)=B$ {5)THEN790 750 IFC$ (2) =D$ (5)THEN780
7 60 GOSUB4 29 0:GOSUB4 29 0:GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4 530 770 GOSUB4390:GOSUB4390:GOTO800 7 80 GOSUB4 290:GOSUB4 290:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4 880:GO
SUB4880:GOTO800
7 90 GOSUB4 290:GOSUB4 290:GOSUB4 53 0:GOSUB4770:GO
SUB4770 800 IFAS (4)<>"W"THEN880 810 IFFS (2}=FS (5)THEN880 820 IFF$ (2)=B$ (5)THEN870 830 IFF$ (2)=DS (5)THEN860
8 40 GOSUB4270:GOSUB4270:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4610 850 GOSUB4410:GOSUB4410:GOTO880
8 60 GOSUB427 0:GOSUB4 270:GOSUB4 530:GOSUB4970:GO S1J84970:GOTO880
8 70 GOSUB4270:GOSUB4 270:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4670:GO
SUB4670 880 IFA$(8) <>"W"THEN960 890 IFB$(2)=B5 (5)THEN960 900 IFB$(2)=C$ (5)THEN950 910 IFBS(2)=F5 (5)THEN940
9 20 GOSUB4770:GOSUB4770:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4610:GO
SUB4880:GOSUB4880 930 GOTO960 9 40 GOSUB4770:GOSUB4770:GOSUB4530:GOSUB4390:GO
SUB4390:GOTO96^
9 50 GOSUB4770:GOSUB4770:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4410:GO
SUB4410 960 IFB$ (2)<>"W"THEN1040 970 IFAS (8)=B$ (5)THEN1030 980 IFAS (8)=C$ (5)THEN1020 990 IFA$(8)=F$ (5)THEN1010 1000 GOSUB4600:GOSUB467 0:GOSUB4520:GOSUB477 0:GO
TO960 1010 GOSUB4670:GOSUB4390:GOTO960
10 20 GOSUB4770:GOSUB4 410:GOTO960
103 0 GOSUB477 0:GOSUB4 5 20:GOSUB4770:GOSUB4600 1040 IFB$ (4} <>"W"THEN1140 1050 IFF$C6)=FS(5)THEN1130
Here's some great games to keep you entertained
DATASOrr Sands of Egypt
us .1 liiiiti-reiolution ddvi-iiiiirc viid iv iicv ivisi— iis ,ij\imiiled. You
pl.n iln' [>ciii of AT, Enijhsh rxpkuei vho is losi in iho ileseri .As you
v.,ihili'r Muoiigh the (IcMri in mmkIv of voiir vol lo fu- liftrtmim-d
qo.il ilif S,■^^iI)S ol F.C.Vl'i ri-viMl m^inv sciicis (il vort Knov [fn-
rsiilii niicstjoiis ro .isk). All Mtci-iis aio in fiigh-rc^olution. lull lolot
<j[ii|jkio
Cit >o lJft5 Ai.vri. IdK disk S3<J.'35
.s^'>:ap5e softvare
Nautilus
Di-liiiUrK ii iK-v iv]jf ol ijiiiiH- lot ll«' AMri lomlKilt-i, .1 oiu' oi Ivo [iliui-i i|>iiiK-. NAUTILUS (^•lllllu■^ s|)lii--iTt:i-n |)l.u .illovirui ^illlllll>llu■l.«l■J dLtioii oiul vicvimj iiv lUt- ijkivfi or |lll^Vl■|^, One lilavfis iniiiion is. to dcMiov itii- underground \'n\ Irnm ii Milinuirine vhilc- iivoiding destiuclion. Thf oihei pIdvcT (or ihc compiKcr) is, <ii ilu- siimf time, rocing lo [Jti'scrvt- the city by dcitroyiiui yoii. F.inh M ri-i-h li-iitiiTi'". high-rfMi|iiiioi\ ijt.iphiis .ind l>:t)r.l>l:NI)l'"ST si roll- in(| c|iiinf m<i[>^. Dcliiiiii'K <i lougli ih.iHc'iu|s' in in.ivi'r Crti >'o. t-J")? Alari. "5JR. lass SJOO")
C<ii >iv im6 AUMi. "i^K. tlisK S:!i).Q5
SIRIUS SOnVARE Snake Byte
SN.AKF, l^YTI'. Moris oiil polili-lv. Vod (thi- siidKc) rr\.iv inirpt or dri liiu- till- im-seritc iil tin- I'l-riioui Piirjilf I'limi'. vho hiiiih.imKlly liodiuo iiioiind the MH-fh, ^l•M. siii\ply i:om.fiuiciti' oiv >.lilhcriint lUonnd ihc s..n.*ci\. t.ho]n]>ii\g dovi\ tipples as \'OU go. Kvetv liiivf yoti de\otir <\i\ iipple. your siuiKe grovs longer. El your'rc noi (ivsi enougti, peritdvii Jjjplfs dppear. .As vou eai rt\t- apples, voar stit^ke grovs longer, so bcv<ire. II voti riiri inro the vails, the Periloiis Plums, or even voiii ovn tail you will lucak voiri dings. II \oir( re .1 good snake and eat all \'otir apples, a door will appear ai tire top i^l the sueen vhiili leads 10 anoihei ol llie Utt in.i/es rn 'S'S.AMl BVIT.. "ion oivtv Ivue Ihlce >ets ol fangs, s\> he iLitellll Car >o t J5& .Auiri. 4flK. liisli .$ jg.05
AUTO.nATED .'JL^ULATIONS Dragon's Eye
I)i;..U'A>N'S KVt. an overland ad\eniijre. inviies ihe plaver into a \on\()k-iel\ detailed vorlil ol hintasv iruoh-eini^nt, Votir riiissron is 10 resure ihe Sever\ Pro\iiues Itoin il\e mrse of ihe Dragon's l;ve. ir h a i>['rilous task, htir the tevarils ate yiear. Trcnstires of inie poieiuy will he lotmd hy those vho seek out the liye-Treostires rh.it ate qiiaided hy loiii dragons, golems, (jhosis. and .1 varielv ol lliinifs ihai go htirnp in the nighf. L'an von he the mighty One vho 1 .111 lorever hanish rhe f.vil Nei rornaiKer.' Onlv time vill tell. Cat No. i'r/a Atari. tOK. disk SM.Q^
AVALON HILL Voyager
.A solitaire eomputer game ihai tluillcnqcs the human player ro e.\- plote Ihe four levels ol an alien spacccralls ma^e-like lotridors and rooms in >D simulated giaphie.s. all ihe vhile avoiding lobois ]<ro- gtainined ro blast onv Intniders. In ortler 10 vin, the human miisi destroy all povcr qeneraiofs and escape or hunt out and annilvilaie Ihe killer rohors. Includes lolor-aniiiiaied graphks and sound efletls. Cm No HO'5 Auui. 3-tK. i.iss 529. Q5
Cat No. 4 104 .Aiari. ■J'JK. disk 5^4.05
•SYNCRO
As iron IV
Voii are a sjjaie vaitior ol rhe gala.xv .ind >out assignmcnr is to [lencttaie and desrroy ihe pirate asieroids, .Asiton IV. .As yoii enter the asteroid a Pover Beam i.loses the onlv e.xil behind \oti. Vou aic nov locked inside and your onlv hope lor escape is ro destrov the (Kiver panels contained in a multi-level complex ileep inside the [jjanet. "ion battle several npes ol robots and Ihe ileadiv OUIIITIJON vilh vour space vehicle eguipped viih Z-bolls. One or two jilavers may compete against Ihe comptitei ot against each oihei lot lontrol
ol .isriio>: IV,
Cat Mo. 4'2'i6 .Atari. IfiR. lass SI9.95
Cat Mo. 41^50 Awri. 34R. disk $24.95
J\' 50ETVARE Ghost Encounters
C.IIO.'sT r.Mt.'OtJNTF.R-'i is a KiK assembly language real-lime adven- tute game. Vou, as a ([host, travel ihioutjh a neivork ol ">() looms in search ol valuable pri?es vhile. at ihe same time, try lo survive rhe many perils encountered. Ol course, a mere ghost cannot overcome all Ihe evil povcrs striving to block his journey. Liickilv. von are not a mere ghost, but are egtiipped viih the povet ol iiansmiiialion. allovinii vou 10 take on Ihe Intin ol oihet. mote ttseful. objects. I.ovaling all V>(.( prizes scatteted IhroiKihoiit ie(|uiies a (plavet vilh last tesponse and a keen vit.
Ca( Mo. 4265 Atari. 1 6N. (.ass 529.05
Cat Mo, 4264 Atari. 1 6R. disk $29.05
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VHEN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. VISIT OUR RETAIL STORES
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>:orthri(l([e, C.-\ Qr>J4r
■J'iOl Artesia Blvd. lic-ddiidti Beach, CA WVin
4.4-4 S. Indian Ave. Palm Springs. QA 02161
56
COMPUTE)
October 1982. Issue 29
:GO5UB461CI:GOSUB4830:GOSUB<18S0
:GOTO960
!GOSUB477 0;GOSUB'160asGOTO960
1060 IFF$ (6)=B$ (5)THEN1120 1070 IFF${6)=D$(5)THEN1100
108 0 GOSUB4 27 0:GOSiJB4610:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4410:GO
SUB4410 1090 GOTO1110
1100 GOSUB4 270:GOSUB4 530:GOSUB4970:GOSUB4973
1110 GOSUB4390:GOTO960
1120 GOSUB46 00:GOSUB4670!GOSUB4529
1130 GOSUB4390
1140 IFBS (6) <>''W"THEN1230
1150 IPCS (4)-CS(5)THEN1220
1160 IFC$(4)-B5 (5)THEN1210
1170 IFCS (4)»D$ (5)THEN1190
1189 GOSUfi4?90:&OSUB4539:GOSU64S3-0!(>OSUB4 390:GO TO1200
1190 GOSUB4290: 1200 GOSUB4410: 1210 GOSUB4520I 1220 GOSUB4410
1230 IFB$ (8) <>"W''THEN1310 1240 IFES{2)=B$ (5)THEN1300 1250 IFE$(2)=C$(5)THEN1290 1260 IFE$(2)=D$ (5)THEN1280
1270 GOSUB4610:GOSUB4 29 0;GOSUB4e80;GOTO120 0 1280 GOSUB477 0:GOSUB4 390:GOSUB4670:GOTO9 6 0 1290 GOSUB4670:GOSUB441ft: :GOSUB4770 :GOTO960 130 0 GOSUB4610:GOSUB4 280:GOSUB4530 1310 IFCS(2)<>"W''THEN1380 1320 IFAS(6}=CS (5)THEN1370 1330 IFAS(6}=B$ (5)THENGOSUB4290:GOTO1360 1340 IFAS (6)=D$ (5)THENGOSUB4410:GOSUB4e80:GOTO6 20
13 50 GOSUB4290:GOSUB4770:GOSUB4530:GOSUB4390:GO
SUB4390 1360 GOSUB4670:GOTO620
1370 GOSUB4410:GOSUB4 5 20:GOSUB4 410:GOSUB4 600 1380 IFC5 (4)="W"THENGOSUB4410:GOTO1310 1390 IFC$ (6)="W"THENGOSUB4290:GOTO1310 1400 IFC? (8)="W"THENGOSUB4410;GOTO1380 1410 IFD$(2)<>"W"THEN1490 1420 IFA$(2)=DS (5)THEN1470
14 30 IFA$(2)=C5(5)THENGOSUB4970:GOSUB4290!GOTO6
20 1440 IFAS (2}-FS (5>THENGOSUB4880:GOSUB4270;GOTO6
20 1450 GOSUB4970:GOSUB4410:GOSUB4530:GOSUB4670;GO
SUB4670
1460 GOSUB4410
1470 GOSUB4970
SUB4670 1480 GOSUB4290
IFD$ (4)=''W"THEHGOSJB4fl8fl:QOTO1410
IFD$(6)="W"THENGOSUB4970iGOTO1410
IFD5(8)="W"THENGOSUB4970:GOTO150a
IFES(2)<>"W''THEN1620
IFBS (8)=BS{5)THEN1610
IFB$ (8)=C$ (5)THEN1590
IFBS (8)=FS(5)THEN1570
GOSUB4610:GOSUB4610:GOTO1790
GOSUB4530
GOSUB4390:GOTO1520
:GOTO620 :GOSUB4970;
GOSUB4530:GOSUB4410:GO
1490 1500 1510 1520 1530 1540 1550 1560 1570 1580 1590 1600 1610 1620 1630 1640 1650
1660 1670 1680 1690 1700 1710 1720 1730
GOSUB4390 GOSUB4610 GOSUB4410 GOSUB4670
GOSUB44ia:GOTO1520
GOSUB4670 IFE$ (4)<>''W''THEN1710 IFFS C8)=F$ (5) THEN 1580 IFF? (3)=B${5)THEN1690 IFFS (8)=DS (5)THEN1570 GOSUB4610:GOSUB4610:GOTO1600 GOSUB4530 GOSUB4970 GOSUB4610
GOSU64770:GOSUB477 0:GOTO1520 IFES (6) <>"W"THEN18 00 IFCS (8)=CS{5)THEN1600 IFC$(8)=DS(5)THEN1780
:GOSUB4970:GOTO1520
1740 IFC$(8) 1750 GOSUB461 1760 GOSUB453 1770 GOSUB477 1780 GOSUB461 1790 GOSUB4e8 1800 IFE$(8)< 1810 IFDS(8) 1820 IFD$(8)=' 1830 IFDS(8) 1840 GOSUB461 1850 G0SI;B461 1860 GOSUB453 1870 IFF$(2)< 1880 IFA$(4)= 1890 IFAS(4)
20 1900 IFA$(4)=
20 1910 G0SUB427
SUB4410 1920 GOSUB477 1930 GOSUB427
TO620 1940 IFFS (4)= 1950 IFFS(6)= 1960 IFFS(8)=
(5)THEN1760 GOSUB4610JGOTO1580
GOSUB4770:GOTO1520
GOSUB4880:GOTO15 20 W"THEN1870 (5)THENl68a (5)THEN1860 (5)THEN1350 GOSUB4610:GOTO1770 G0TO158a GOTO1600 W"THEN1940 (5)THEN1930 (5)THENGOSUB4270:GOSUB4770:GOTO6
DS (5)THENGOSUB4390:GOSUB4970;GOTO6
0 :GOSUB4270:GOSUB4610 :GOSUB4670 ;G0
0:GOTO620
0 :GOSUB4 520 :GOSUB4 270 :GOSUB46a0 :G0
"W"THENGOSUB4 270:GOTOia70 ■■W"THENGOSUB4390 :GOTO1870 "W"THENGOSUB4 39a:GOSUB4 39a:GOT0187
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100 2110 2120 2130 2140 2150 2160 2170
IFAS (1
GOTO20
IFFSd
G0SUB4
IFAS (3
GOTO20
IFDS (1
G0SUB4
IFAS (7
GOTO20
IFBS (1
G0SUB4
IFAS (9
G0T021
IFBS (3
G0SUB4
IFESd
IFFS (9
IFFS (9
IFFS (9
G0SUB4
SUB4410
2180 G0SUB4
2190 G0SUB4
SUB4S80
2200 G0SUB4
2210 G0SUB4
SUB4270
2220 G0SUB4
2230 G0SUB4
SUB4530
2240 G0T021
IFE?(3
G0SUB4
IFES (7
G0SUB4
IFE$ (9
G0SUB4
IFBS (7
IFFS (9
IFFS t9
IFFS (9
G0SUB4
TO2130
2360 G0SUB4
TO2130 2370 G0SUB4 2380 G0SUB4
)="W"THEN1990
10
)=F$(5)THEM2010
390:GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4270:GOTO2660
)="W"THEN2030
50
}=DS(5)THEN2050
410:GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4290:GOTO2 5 60
)="W"THEN2070
90
) =BS (5)THEN2090
270:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4398:GOTO2640
)="W"THEN2110
30
)=B$ (5)THEN2130
290:GOSUB4 530:GOSUB4 410:GOTO2 580
)<>"W"THEN2250
)=FS (5)THEN2190
)=B$ (5)THEN2210
)=CS(5)rHEN2230
610:GOSUB4290:GOSUB4610
GOSUB4410:GO GOSUB4610:GO GQSUB4270:GO GOSUB4770:GO
2250 2260
2270 2280 2290 2300 2310 2320 2330 2340 2350
5 30:GOSUB4290!GOTO2130 5 30:GOSUB4 530:GOSUB4 97 0 :GOSUB4830
610:GOSUB497 3:GOTO2130 530:GOSUB439a:GOSUB4610
530:GOSUB439a:GOTO2130
67 0:GOSUB4 610:GOSUB477 0
:GOSUB4670
30
) <>"W"THEN2270
530:GOTO2130
) <>"W"THEN2290
610:GOTO2130
) <>"W''THEN2310
610:GOTO2280
) <>"W"THEN2390
)=BS (5)THEN2380
)=D$(S)THEN2370
)=CS(5)THSM2360
610:GOSUB4270:GOSUB4530:GOSUB4390:GO
53a:GOSUB4410!GOSUB4530iGOSUB4290:GO
880;GOSUB4530:GOSUB4970: ei0!GOSUB4610sGOSUB4770!
GOTO2130 GOSUB4530:GO
-X^OMrillmAo^FROfeSSOK VON CHIP^ORBIE
f re FRANKENSTEIN "^
^ HAD -TD (20B Gf^AVES
IN ORDER -TQ CREATE
HfS MONSTER ORBI£
you D£SI6N£PA^ EVEN LOU ER "^ ONE WITH NCnWiNG MQR^^A^ 1 VOUR ATARI AND EPUCATlONAU
Ioptwares player missile SR^RMICS
TRICKY TUTORIALS (tm)
There are many things Ihat the atari conipuTers can do ei[he; belter, of easier than other small computers. The lollowing series ot programs is Oesigned for anyone who is at least familiar with BASIC progrsmming What each luioriai ollsfs is similar to an extensive magazine article with ail discussion in as simple language as possihie, plus you get MANY examples already lypeil in and running The thstructjon manuals range from 10 to SO pages, and sorrie lutofials till jp a complete tape or disk There is little overlap in what is taught, so anyone wanting to know all they can should huy them all |my danker thanks you), ATARI buys these Irom us to use in training their own people' Rave reviews have been pub- lished in ANTIC. ANALOG, CREATIVE COMPUTING, and even INFOWDRLD. You trust INFOWORLO. don't you'
TT #1: OISPLAY LISTS-This program teaches you how lo alter the program in Ihe ATARI that controls the lormat ot the screen tJormally. when you say "Graphics B". the machine responds willi a large Graptilcs S area at the lop of the screen and a small text area at the twttom. Now. you will Pe able lo mix various Graphics modes on Itie screen at the same time The program does all of ir>e difficult things (like counting scan lines] You will quicidy be able to use the subroutines included in your own programs. t6K Tape or 24K Disk. 119.95
n n: HORIZONTAL/ VEftTICAL SCflOLLING-The intormahon you put on Ihe screen, either GHAPftlCS or TEXT, can Be moved up. down, sideways, or diagonally. ^ provide the tiasic methods and leave the rest up to your skill and imagination, includes t8 examples lo gel you started, with several using a small machine language subroutine for smoothness. t6K Tape or 24K Disk S19.95
TT #3: PAGE FLIPPINli-Now you don't have lo redraw me screen every lime you ctiange the picture or text You will learn how to ttave the computer draw the next screen you want to See whWe you are still looking at tne previous screen, then lltp to It instantly. You won't see 11 being drawn, so a complicated picture can seem to just appear. Depending on youf memory size and which graphics or text modes you are using, you can Instantly look at up to 50 pages. The basic method tal^es only 9 lines and Ihe usefulness is inliniie t6K Tape or 2iK Disk. J15.)5
TT #4: BASfCS OF ANIMATION— This program shows you how to animate simple shapes (with some sound) using the PRINT arid PLDT commands, and it also has i nice little PLAYER/ MISSILE GRAPHICS game you can learn Irom. The P/f^ exam- ple Is explained and will get you started on this complicated subject (more lully explained in TT H) This would be an excellent way to start making your programs come alive on the screen with movemeni' Recommended Ipr beginning users 1BK Tape or !4K Disk S19.95
TT #5: PLAYER/MISSILE GRAPHICS-Learn to write your own games and other animated appllcalionsl The tutorial begins with many small examples that compli- ment Ihe 50 page manual, then gradually builds up lo a complete game where everything you need lo know is fully explained. Also included are two machine language utilities that you can use to animate Players wilti Irom BASIC, Next we include two of the best editors currently available: one (or editing playfield shapes (backgrounds!: and one to edit your players, and all in glorious Technicolofi! Everything except the two editors run in t6K Tape or 32K Disk, JIS.95
TT #6: SOUND AND MUSIC-Unless you have spent man^ years experimenting with Ihe (our voice cfiannels, you will learn a loi Irom ihrs one' Learn to play stan- dard notes, chords, and whole songs using some simple "tricks". One of Ihe nicest parts are the examples o( special sound eflecis that you can refer lo whenever you need a sound for a program nr lo impress a (riend. This program will be ol interest to all ages and levels ot experience! t6KTapeor24K[)isk. JI5.95
SPECIAL DISCOUNT Order the lint in tvtorltli In ■ 3-rfng binder lor S99.95. 1 130.00 sivlngii TT f?: DOS UTILITIES-We al Educational Software have been shocked by some of the prices others are charging 10 offer you small utilities to help in the use ol your Disk Drive We now offer you all ol the lollowing plus explanation as to how each was written, and how to use them A UNIQUE MENU PROGRAM AN AUTORUN SYS BUILDER. DISK INSPECTOR (LOOK AT SECTORS) DISK JACKET PRINTER, AUTOMATIC FQRMAnER, RECORD SAVE AND LOAD UTILITY 32K Disk Only. $29 9S
ANPMES
^eatincs-
ME ATALL MVeEST, (5AME6 /
MASTER MEMOnr MA? (tm)
This book IS Ihe most valuable source ol informallon for your ATARI you can buy If starts oul by explaining how to PEEK and POKE values into memory, so that even new computer owners can use many olltiese "Tricks ' Then you are given iZ pages ol the memory locations that are the most useful, along with hints on how to use many of the locations. Finally, it includes hinls on problems you may be having wilh the computer and discusses the new Graphics modes 9 to It. Even ATARI buys Ih is book from usi S6.95
USER SUBMITTED PROGRAMS—
MINI-DATABASE/DIALER-slores and edits up to 8 lines of information such as names & addresses, phone numbers, messages, tnventories. or anything you warn. It has me usual sort, search, and print options, hut it also has an unusual feature: H your file includes phone numbers and your phone company allows louch-tone phone signals. Ihe program will DIAL THE PHONE NUMBER FOR YOU' 16K Tapeor 24KOisk, 124,95
THE GRAPHICS HACHIME-allows Ihe ATARI to act like more expensive graphics computers using simple com- mands like line, box. circle, polygon, nil. an(3 savescreen to get a high resolution picture you can save on disk In only live seconds' Many more features' 48K Disk Only J19.95
BOe'S BUSINESS— 14 small business type programs accessed from a common menu t6K Tape or 32K disk.
S14.9S
OUR NEWEST PROGRAMS
■ OUn BEST GAME ■ SPACE GAMES -Our lamily is being attacked by ALIENS, and only you can save us A comic book manual Will guide you Ihrough three games Ihal test your ability in space skills. Includes ALIENS. SURVIVE, and ROBOT ATTACK, and is for all ages. The lirst two games require 1SK for Tape. The last game and all Disk users need 32K, IZ4.35
MATHS FOR FUN-Another ENGLISH import teaching basic math skills. Very colorful and enjoyable lo use. For agesStolB. 16K Tape or 24K Disk J19.95
TT #10: SOUKO EFFKTS-From laser bfasls to nnging phones, this tutorial will show you how to make unique sound effects in all of your programs' 16K Tape or 24K Disk. S19.9S
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER or ORDER BELOW
We have other fine programs for ATARI computers. Write lor a catalog. Send us your programs to sell 100!
MINI WDRDPROCESSOR-A simple lex; editor to write, save, and print several pages al a time. 32K Tape or Disk St9.95
KID'S n-lncludes a MATH OUIZ. a children's TREASURE HUNT, and a DIALOGUE program. t6K Tape or 24K Disk 3 for . Jtl.95
KID'S f2-SPELLlNG BEE, WORD SCRAMBLE, and TOUCH . t6K Tape or 24K Disk. 3 Educational games for . . SU.95
PIAVEH PIAND-Turns your keyboard inlo a mini-piano and more, 24K Tape ur32K Disk, 514.95
DOG DAZE-Two Cute liltie doggies race lor Ihe lire hydrants, shoot their bones, and just have a lot ot tun! A fast action program tor all ages. 8K Ta|>e or 16K Disk, m machine language (16.95 GRAPHIC SYMBOL U8ELS-for your keyboard to re- mind you ot the buill-in Graphics symbols 2 complete sets lor (2.95
MARATHON— This is a unique math quiz for one or two players You are in a lace 10 move your runner across the screen llrst! There are (our levels ot play with live modes of operation for each. The game uses (oyslicks lor all input, so play is easy lor young children. This wonderful learning tool is imported Irom ENGLAND for your learn- ing pleasure. Your kids will never even notice they are playing an EDUCATIONAL program. ISK Tape or 24 K Disk. $19.95
TT n: CHARACTER GRAPHKS-Character Graphics is the best way 10 animate your ATARI' Make letters look like space monsters, gunlighiers. or a mynad ol other shapes. Use our editor to create these multicolor shapes and then we'll show you how to move them aroumt the screen. This tulotial even shows how our Space Games were written! t eK Tape or 24K Disk. S19.95
To order COD, VISA or MasterCard call — (408) 476-4901
By mall InclutJe $3.00 postage (USA only) or $1 .50 Memory Map only- California resiclents add 6.5% TAX. -Specify Tape or disk.
53
COMPUTE!
Oclober 1982. Issue 2<?
SUB4670:GOTO2130 2390 IFB$ (9) <>"W"THEN2480 2400 rFC$ (7)=D$ (5)THEN2440 2410 IFC$ (7)=C$ (5)THEN2460 2420 IFC$ (7)=F${5)THEN2470 2 4 30 GOSUB4 530:GOSUB4530:GOSUB4670!GOSUB4610:GQ
SUB4770:GOTO2130 244 0 GOSUB4290:GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4530 2450 GOSUB4410:GOTO2130 2 460 GOSUB4 53a:GOSUB4290:GOSUB4 610;GOSUB4410:GO
TO2130 2 470 GOSUB4610:GOSUB4 390:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4270;GO
TO2130 2480 IFBS (3)<>"W"THEN2500 2 490 GOSUB4 290:GOSUB4 530:GOTO24 50 2500 IFBS (1) <>"W"THEN2520
2 510 GOSUB4270:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4390:GOTO2260 2520 IFFS (1)<>"W"THEN2540
2 530 GOSUB4880:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4970:GOTO2130 2540 IFFS (3)<>"W"THEN2560
2 550 GOSUB4670:GOSUB4 530:GOSUB47 70:GOTO2270 2560 IFF$ (7) <>''W"THEM2S80 2570 GOSUB4610:GOTO2310 2580 IFFS (9) <>"W"THEN2600 2590 GOTO2570 2600 IPCS (1) <>"W"THEN2620
2 610 GOSUB4770:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4670:GOTO2130 2620 IPCS (3)<>"W"THEN2640
2630 GOSUB4970:GOSaB4S30:GOSUB4880:GOTO2130 2640 IFC$ (7)<>"W"THEN2660 2650 GOSUB4530:GOTO2310 2660 IFC${9)<>"W"THEN2680 2670 GOTO2650 2680 IFD$(1)<>"W"THEN2700
2 69 0 GOSUB4410:GOSUB4 610:GOSUB4 290:GOTO2130 2700 IFDS (3)<>"W"THEN2720
2710 GOSUB4 390:GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4 270:GOTO2130 2720 IFDS (7) <>"W"THEN2740 2730 GOTO2650 2740 IFDS (9) <>"W"THEN2760 2750 GOTO2650
2760 IFB$ (8) OBS (5)THEN2830 2770 IFES (2) OCS (5)THEN2800 2 780 D=0:GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4290:GOSUB4610:GOSUB441
0 :GOSUB4 6ia:GOSUB4 7 70
2 790 GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4670:GOTO2760 2800 IFES {2)=ES (5)THEN2830
2810 D=0:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4 270:GOSUB4530:GOSUB439
0 :GOSUB4530:GOSUB4670 2820 GOSUB4610:GOSUB4770:GOTO2760 2830 IFBS {8)<>C$(5)THEN2900 2840 IFES(2}<>D$(5)THEN2870
28 50 D=0:GOSUB4970;GOSUB4610;GOSUB4880:GOSUB461
0 :GOSUB441O:GOSUB4 530 2860 GOSUB4290:GOTO2760 2870 IFES (2}=ES (5)THEN2900 2880 D=0:GOSUB4 610:GOSUB4610:GOSUB4770:GOSUB4 5 3
0 :GOSUB4670:GOSUB4530 2890 GOSUB4 290:GOSUB4510:GOSUB4 410:GOTO2760 2900 IFBS (8)<>F5 (5)THEN2970 2910 IFE$(2)<>B$(5>THEN2940 2920 D=0:GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4 530:GOSUB467a;GOSUB461
0:GOSUB477 0:GOSUB4610
29 30 GOSU64 270:GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4 390:GOTO27 60 2940 IFE$(2)=ES(5)THEN2970
2950 D=0:GOSliB4880:GOSUB4530:GOSUB4970:GOSUfl453
0:GOSUB4390:GOSUB4610 2960 GOSUB4270:GOTO2760 2970 IFB$(8)<>D$(5)THEN3040 2980 IFES(2)<>F$(5)THEN3010 2990 D=0:GOSUB4 610:GOSUB4 390:GOSUB4610;GOSUB4 27
0 :GOSUB4610:GOSUB4880
3 000 GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4970:GOTO27 60 3010 IFE$(2)=E$(5)THEN3040
3020 D=0:GOSUB4530:GOSUB4410:GOSUB453IIiGOSUB429 0:GOSUB4530:GOSUB4970
3 0 30 GOSUB4610:GOSUB488 0:GOTO2 760
3 04 0 IFD<3THEND=D+1:GOSUB4 5 30:GOTO2760
3050 IFBS (4)=B$ (5)THEN3070
3060 GOTO2810
3070 IFBS (6)=BS (5)THEN3090
3080 GOTO2780
3090 IFDS(4)=DS(5)THEN3110
3100 GOTO2990
3110 IFDS(6}-DS(5)THEN3130
3120 GOTO2950
3130 IFBS (6)=>BS (5)THEN3150
3140 GOTO27a0
3150 IFB$(4)=B$(5)THEN3170
3160 GOTO2780
3170 IFDS(4)=DS(5)THEN3190
3180 GOTO2990
3190 IFDS(6)=DS(5)THEN3210
3200 GOTO2990
3210 D=0
3 220 IFBS (e)=BS (5)0RES(2)=B$ (5) THEN 3 243
3 23 0 IFD<3THEND=D+1:GOSUB4 530:GOTO3220
3 240 IFFS (8)=FS (5) ORES (4) =F$ (5) THE;J3280
3 250 IFDS (8) OF S (5) ANDES (3)<>FS (5)THEN3290
3 260 GOSUB4610:GOSUB4880:GOSUB4410:GOSUB4610:GQ
SUB4290:GOSUB4530 3270 GOSUB4970:GOTO3220
3 280 IFDS(8)=DS (5)ORES(8}=DS(5)THEN3310 3 29 0 GOSUB4610:GOSUB4410:GOSUB47 70:GOSUB4610:GO
SUB4670:GOSUB4530 3300 GOSUB4290:GOTO3220 3310 IFE${2)=E$(5)THEN3330 3 320 FORD=1TO4:GOSUB4770:GOSUB4 5 20:NEXT:GOTO3 3L
0 3330 IFE${4)=ES (5)THEN3350 3340 GOSUB4610:GOTO3320 3350 IFE${6)=ES{5)THEN3370 3360 GOSUB4530:GOTO3320 3370 IFE$(8)=ES (5)THEN3390 3380 GOSUB4610:GOTO3340 3390 IFB$(8)=B$ (5)THEN3420 3400 GOSUB4530:GOTO3390 3410 D=0 34 20 IFBS (7)=B$ (5)0RF$ (9} =BS (5) ORES (1)=BS (5)THE
N3510 34 30 IFBS (9)=BS (5) ORES (3) =B$ (5) ORGS {7)=BS (5)THE
N3530 3440 IPCS (9)=C${5)0RES {9)=CS(5)ORD$(7)=C$C5)THE
N3550 3 4 50 IFFS (7)=FS(5)ORES (7) =FS (5) ORDS {9 ) =FS (5)THE
N3570 3460 IFD>0THEN3590 3 470 GOSUB47 70:GOSUB4 510:GOSUB4770:GOSUB4770:GO
SUB4 510:GOSUB4 510:GOSUB4770 3480 GOSUB4770:GOSUB4 510:GOSUB467e 3490 IFD=1THENGOSUB4530:GOTO3410 3500 GOSUB4610:D=1:GOTO3470 3 510 IFBS(7)=F$(5)ORF$(9)=FS(5)ORE$(l)=F5(5)THE
ND=D+1 3520 GOTO3430 3 5 30 IF6S(9)=C${5)0RE$C3)=CS(5)0RC$(7)=CS(5)THE
ND=D+2 3 540 GOTO3440 3 550 IFC$C9)=D$(5)ORES(9)=D${5)ORD$(7)=DS(5)THE
tJD=D+3
3560 GOTO3450
3570 IFFS(7)=D$(5)0RE$(7)=DS(5)0HDS(9)=DS(5)THE
ND=D+4 3580 GOTO3460 3590 IFD>5THEN3780 3600 IFD>1THEN3660
3 620 GOSUB48e0:GOSUB4510:GOSUB488 0:GOSUB4880:GO
SUB4510:GOSUB4510 3 630 GOSUB488 0:GOSUB4880:GOSU64 590:GOSUB4970
3640 IFD=1THEN3490
3650 D=1:GOSIJB4610:GOTO3620
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Service & Maintain
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In Libraries
DEALER REPRESENTATIVES WANTED
PART OR FULL TIME NO ROYALTIES, NO FRANCHISE FEE
Exceptionally lucrative ground-fioor op- portunity to participate in the explosive Micro-Computer Market. The Computer Bus offers Community minded Micro- Computer owners the chance to develop their own successful business within a relatively short period of time with this innovative Microcomputer concept. The prognosis for success has never been better.
If you are accepted as a Computer Bus "Learning Center" Dealer you will operate your own sales and rental business from your home or office, featuring a product line of uncompromising quality and out- standing company support.
Investment required $3,000, secured by ex- tensive computer software and hardware. Selected territory, leads, national and region- al advertising, technical support and full back-up service.
For additional information call toll free
1-800-321-3670
Ohio Residents Call CoMect
1-216-255-1617
the COMPUTER BUS
personal & business - computer systems
the COMPUTER BUS, 101 River St., Grand River, Ohio 44045
Authorized ATARI® Dealer
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60
COMPUTE!
October 1982, Issue 29
3660 IFD>2THEN3720
3670 D=0
368 0 GOSUB4270:GOSUB4510:GOSUB427 0:GOSUB4270:GO
SUB4510:GOSUB4510 3690 GOSUB4 270:GOSUB4270:GOSUB4 59 0:GOSUB4390
IFD=1THEN3490
D=liGOSUB4610:GOTO3680
IFD=3THEND=0 :GOTO3470
D=0
GOSUB4410:GOSUB4 510:GOSUB4410:GOSUB44i0:GO SUB4510;GOSUB4510
GOSUB4410:GOSUB4410:GOSUB4 59 0:GOSUB4 290
IFD=1THEN3490
D=1:GOSUB4610:GOTO3740
IFE$ (1)=E${S)THEN3800
FORY=1TO2:GOSUB4 27O:GOSUB4 670!GOSUB4 390:GO SUB4770:NEXT!D=0:GOTO378 0
IFE${3)="E$(5)THEN3830
IFD=5THEN3790
GOSUB4 530:D=5:GOTO3790
IFE5 (7)=ES (5)THE;N3860
IFD=4THSN3790
GOSUB4 610:D=4!GOTO3790
IFES(9)=ES{5)THEN3890
IFD=6THEN3790
GOSUB4 5 30:GOSUB4 530:D=6:GOTO3790
IFB$ (8)=B5 (5)THE^J3910
GOSUB4530:GOTO3890
IFW<1THENW=1:GOTO62 0
PRINT" {CLEAR} {13 DOWN} {07 RIGHT)*** WE FI NALLY DID IT ***": PRINT: PRINT: PRINT: PRINT: PRINT: PRINT: PRINT: PRINT 3940 END
3950 GETAS(K) :IFA$(K)=""THEN3950 3960 K=K+1;RETURN
GETB$ (K) :IFB5 (K) =" "THEN3970
K=K+1: RETURN
GETC$(K) :IFC$ (K) =" "THEN3990
K=K + 1 :RETIIRN
GETDS (K) :IFD$ (K) =" '•THEN4010
K=K+1:RETURN
GETE${K) :IFE$(K}=""TH£N4030
K=K+1:RETURN
GETF${K) :lFF${K)=""THEN4a50
K=K+1:RETURN
PRINT" {RIGHT}?{LEFT} ";
|
3700 |
|
3710 |
|
3720 |
|
3730 |
|
3740 |
|
3750 |
|
3760 |
|
3770 |
|
3780 |
|
3790 |
|
3800 |
|
3810 |
|
3820 |
|
3830 |
|
3840 |
|
3850 |
|
3860 |
|
3870 |
|
3880 |
|
3890 |
|
3900 |
|
3910 |
|
3930 |
3970 3980 3990 4000 4010 4020 4030 4040 4050 4060 4070
IPRINTAS (K-1) ;
4080 PRINT"{RIGHT}?{LEFT} "
:PRINTB$ (K-1) ; : RETURN 4090 PRINT" {RIGHT} ?{LK;FT} "
: PRINTC$ (K-1) ; :RETURN 4100 PRINT"{HIGHT}?{LEFT}"
: PRINTDS (K-1 ) ; : RETURN 4110 PRINT"{RIGHT}?{LEFT}"
: PRINTE$ (K-1) ; :RETURN 4120 PRIMT" {RIGHT}?{LEFT}"
-1)
RETURN
GOSUB3950:GOSUB4130
GOSUB3970:GOSUB4130
GOSUB3990:GOSUB4I30
GOSUB4010:GOSUB4130
GOSUB4030:GOSUB4130
GOSUB4050:GOSUB4130
4130
: RETURN ■1)=CHRS (20)THENPRINT" :K=K-2:RETURN
4140 4150 4160 4170 4180
PRINTFS (K
IFAS(K
LEFT) "
RETURN
PRINT" {CLEAR} {02 DOWN}
0§e@2§@@2@@@
{03 LEFT}?{02
PRINT"
PRINT"
PRINT"
B$(3)" i
4190 PRINT"
4200 PRINT"
4210 PRINT"
B$(6)" i 4220 PRINT" 4230 PRINT" 4240 PRINT"
B$(9}" 1 4250 PRINT" 4 260 RETURN 4270 P=15:GOTO4300
|
3 i |
ill "B$(l}" i "B$(2) |
|
+ |
a@@[@@@[e@@3 |
|
1 |
] ] 1 |
|
i |
"B$(4)" i "B$(5) |
|
+ |
@@@{@@@{@@@3 |
] i i _
I "85(7) " 1 "B$(8) -@@@l@@@l§@g=
4280 P=19:GOTO4300
4290 P=23
4300 GQSUB4150:PRINT"{HOME} ":PRINT"{05 DOWN)"TA
B(P)"65" 4310 PRINTTAB(P} "65" 4320 PRINTTAB(P) "65" 4330 PRINTTAB(P) "65" 4340 PRINTTAB(P) "_)_" 4350 IFP=15THENGOSUB5170 4360 IFP=19THENGOSUB5190 4370 IFP=23THENGOSUB5200 4380 GOSUB5440: RETURN 4390 P=15:GOTO4420 4400 P=19;GOTO4420 4410 P=23 4420 GOSUB4150:PRINT" {HOHE}":PRINT"{05 DOWN}"TA
B{P) "{REV}) {OFF}" 4430 PRINTTAB(P) "65" 4 440 PRINTTAB(P) "65" 4450 PRINTTAB(P) "65" 4460 PRINTTAB(P) "65" 4470 IFP=15THENGOSUB5110 4480 XFP=19THENGOSUB5130 4490 IFP=23THENGOSUB5140 4500 GOSUB5440:RETURN 4510 P=2:GOTO4540 4520 P=5:GOTO4540 4530 P=8 4 540 G0SUB4 150: PRINT" {HOME} " : FORPP=0TOP :PRINT:N
EXTPP:PRINTTAB(17) " {REV} ) {OFF]////iDO
DOWN} {05 LEFT} 7777" 4550 IFP=2THENGOSUB5290 4560 IFP=5THENGOSUB5310 4570 IFP=8THENGOSUB5320 4580 GOSUB5440:RETURN 4590 P=2:GOTO4620 4600 P=5:GOTO4620 4610 P=8 4620 GOSUB4150:PRINT" {HOME) " : FORPP=0TOP : PRINT:N
EXTPP:PRINTTAB(17) "////{REV} {OFF} {DO
DOWN) {05 LEFT}7777) "
IFP=2THENGOSUB5230 IFP=5THENGOSUB5250 IFP=8THENGOSUB5 26 0 GOSUB5440:HETURN GOSUB4150:PRINT"{HOME}" DOWNM"
4680 PHINTTAB(I6) PRINTTAB(16) PRINTTAB(16) PRINTTAB(16) F$(0)=F?(3) : E$C1):E$(1)=FS(0) :F$(0)
4730 A$(7)=C$(1) :CS(1)=E$(3
4630 4640 4650 4660 4670
4690 4700 4710 4720
I "
PRINTTAB(16) "{05 D
{OFF} "
"J_{05 RIGHT) {REV}_ "888888) " FS(3)=AS(9):A$(9)=C$(7) :C$(7)=
AS(7)
:E${3)=F$(9) :F5(9)=
;PRINTTAB(15) "{05 D
FS(0):F$(0)=AS(8}:AS(8)=C$(4) 4 74 0 C$(4)=ES(2):ES(2)=F$(6):F$(6)=F$(0) 4 750 F0RI=1T09:US(I)=BS (I) : NEXT:GOSUB5090 : FORI=
1T09:BS (I)=U§ (I) :NEXT:GOSUB544 0 4760 RETURN 4770 GOSUB4150:PRINT"{HOME}";
DOWN H REV }j_{ OFF}" 4780 PRINTTAB(15) "65" 4790 PRINTTAB(15) "65" 4800 PRINTTAB(15) "65" 4810 PRINTTAB{15) "6^" 4820 PRINTTAB(16) "3883888" 4830 A$(0)=A${9) :AS(9}=FS (3) ;
FS(3)=£S(1) :E$(1)=
C$(7) :CS(7)=A$(0) :A$(0)=F${9) 4 840 FS(9}=E$(3) :E$(3)=C$(1}:C$(1)
:A$(7)=
A$(7):
A$(0) :A$(0)=F${6):F$(6)=E$(2) 4850 ES(2)=C$(4) :C$(4)=AS(8):A5(8)=AS(0) 4860 F0RI=1T09:U$(I)=BS (I) : NEXT:GOSUB5070 : FORI=
1T09:B5 (I)=U$(I) ;NEXT:GOSUB54 4 0 4870 RETURN 4880 GOSUB4150:PRINT" [HOME} {REV}REAR{ OFF}
CE! ":PRINTTAB(16) "{05 DOWN)!"
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of Mupet, PLUS
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62
COMPUTE!
October 198?. Issue 29
Atari Notes
Because of the extreme length of this program, a full converted program is not feasible. In- stead, use the following suggestions to convert Riibik's Cube Solver to the Atari as you are typing it in. If you prefer, you can type in the program first, LIST it to tape or disk, and then use an Editor (such as the Atari As- sembler/Editor Cartridge) with search and replace to make "global" changes to the text. You can then use ENTER to read the con- verted program with BASIC.
1. Change all occurrences of "NEXT" without a variable to "NEXT I".
2. Text preceded with "[RVS]" should be entered using the Atari Logo key.
3. PRINT statements with the [HOME] char- acter should be rephrased;
from: PRINT"[HOME][06 RIGHT]"
to: POSITION 0,0:PRINT"[06 RIGHT]"
4. All TAB statements should be converted as in;
from: PRINT TAB(TB);T$ to: POKE 85,TB:PRINT T$
5. The PRINT statements lo draw the arrows will have lo be converted for use with Atari keyboard graphics. (See below.)
6. GET statements such as;
GET B$(K):IF B$(K) = "" THEN should be changed to:
GET#I,A:B$(K+1,K+I) = CHR$(A) (see below)
7. Substitute line 150 below, and add line 100:
100 GRAPHICS 0:POKE 752,1 :POKE 82,0:
OPEN#1,4,0,"K:" 150 DIM A$(10),B$(10),C${10),D$(10),E$(H)),
F$(10),T$(10),U$(10)
8. Strings (of course) will have to be changed. Generally, all references to variable xx,'l(n) will become xx$(n + ] ,n + 1 ). For example,
1 1 70 IF C$(4) = D$(5) THEN 11 90
becomes
1 1 70 IF C$(5,5) = DS(6,6) THEN 1 1 90
Here's where SEARCH and REPLACE come in handy. Just use ten patterns, such as:
REP/$(0)/$(l,l)/.A
Watch out for statements like A$(I), which should become A$(I + I.I + 1), or A$( lO-K). which .should be A.15(l l-K,l 1-K),
4170
41BO
4190
4200
4210
4220
4230
4240
4250
4300
4310 4320 4330 4340 4350 4420
4430
4440 4450 4460 4540
4620
4670
4680 4690 4700 4710 4770
4780 4790 4800 4810 4S20 4880
4890 4900 4910 4920 4970
PRINT "C13 SPACESJ C3 SPACES>!t3 SPACE PRINT "{13 SPACeS> i
";B« (3, 3) ; " ! " ; B» PRINT "<13 SPACES>{ {SJ{3 R>{D>» PRINT "{IS SPflCES> ! {3 SPACES}! (3 SPACE PRINT " <13 SPACeS> !
";B«(6,6);" ! "jB* PRINT " ilZ SPACESX {SX3 R>{D>" PRINT "{13 SPACES> {3 SPACES} ! {3 SPACE PRINT "{13 SPACES> !
";B« (9,9) ; " ! " ; B» PRINT "{13 SPACES>{ {X>{3 R}{C>" BOSUB 4150SP0SITI0N {6 DOWN}";:POKE 85, POKE 85, P:? "{BJ{V> POKE 85, Pi? "CBXVJ POKE 85, P:? "{B>{V> POKE 85, P:? "{E!J{[r} IF P=15 THEN GOSUB GOSUB 4150:PDSITI0N NT "{5 DOWN}"5;POKE {J>"
POKE 85, P5? "{B>{V>' POKE 85, P:? "{B>{V>- POKE 85, P:? "{B>{V}' POKE 85, P:? "{BJ{V>' GOSUB 4150:POSITION TO P: PR I NT :NEXT P ? "{H}{4 N>{D0WN>{5
{3 SPACES> ! S> ! " "jB* (2,2) ; " 1
(4,4) ; " i " AJC3 RJCSX3 R>
{3 SPACES> ! S> ! " " ; B» < 5 , 5 ) ; " !
(7,7);" I" AX3 R>CS}{3 RJ
{3 SPACES} I 3} i "
";B*(B,8)5" ! < 1 0 , 1 0 ) ; " { " Z}{3 R}{X}{3 R}
0,0: PRINT " P:? "{B}{V}"
5170 0,0:? " " : PR I 85, P:? "{H>
O, 1 :FOR PP=0 PiPOKE 85, 17: LEFT}{H>{4 M}
4150 PRINT "{CLEAR} {2 DOWN}" 4160 PRINT "{13 SPACES}{Q>£3 R>{1*>{3 R} {W>{3 R}{E}"
4980 4990 5000 5010 5020 5350
5360 5370
53BO
QOSUB 4150SPOSITION 0,1:F0R PP-O TO P:PRINT :NEXT PP:POKE 85,17: ? "{4 N}{J}{DQWN} {5 LEFT}{4 M} {C}"
BOSUB 41SO!POSITiaN 0,2:P0KE 85, 16:? "{5 DDWN}B" POKE 85, 16:? "■" POKE 85, 16:? "■" POKE 85,16:? "■{5 U}{J}" POKE 85,16:? "{6 Cp{[r}'' SOSUB 4150:PDSITI0N 0,0:POKE 85, IS:? "{5 DOWN><H}{J>" POKE 85,15:? "{E5}{Y}" POKE B5,15:? "{G}{Y}" POKE 85,15:? "{B}{Y>" POKE 85,15:? -{Ei}{Y>" POKE 85,15:? " CSS tt> aEEteda > " GOSUB 4150:P0SITI0N 0,0:? "ESUEE SURFACE! ":POKE 85,16J? "{6 DOWN}
MM
POKE 85, 16: ? "■"
POKE 85, 16: ? " ■"
POKE 85,16:? "■{5 U}{J}"
POKE 85,16:? "{6 EJttl}"
BOSUB 415O:P0SITI0N 0,0:? "EilCTe
SURFACE! ":POKE 85,15:? "{4 DOWN}
" < O { Y } " " { E} { Y } " "{i5}{Y>" "{C}{Y}"
"{c}{6 asEEtia}"
" {Q}{R}{W} {R>{W>
85, IS: 85, 15: 85, 15: 85, 15: 85, 15: 85, TB:
POKE
POKE
POKE
POKE
POKE
POKE
{R}{E}"
T*="! ! ! !"JPOKE 85, TB:? T»
FOR 1=1 TO 2:P0KE 85, TB:? "{A>
{R}{S}{R}{S}{R}{D}-:POKE 85, TB:?
T*:NEXT I POKE 85, TBS? " {ZJ {RJ{X>{R}{X} {R}{C}»
Odoter 1982. Issue 29
COMPUTE)
63
4890 4900 4910 4920 4930
PRINTTAB( 16 )"_;_" PRINTTAB(16) "_;_"
PRINTTAB(16) "J_{05 RIGHTJ{REV}_ PRINTTAB(16) "888888) "
F0RI=1T09:U$ (I)=D$ (I) ;NEXT:GOSUB5070 : FORI= 1T09:D$(I)=U$(I) ;NEXT 4 940 F$(0)=F$(7);F$(7)=A$(1) :AS(1)^
E$(9):E$(9)=FS(0):F${0)=F$(4) 4950 F$(4)=A$(2) !A$(2)=C$(e) :CS(6)^
FS(0):FS(0)=FS(1):F$(1)=AS(3) 4960 A$(3)=C$(9) :C$(9)=E$(7) :ES(7)=
4 40: RETURN 4970 GOSUB4153:PRINT"{HOME} {REV}REAR{ OFF} CE1":PRINTTAB(15) "{05 DOWN] {REV}) {OF OFF] " PRINTTAB(15)"65'' "65" '65" ■62" '8888888"
^dSTT)
{OFF}'
»C5(3):CS(3) = =ES(8)!E$(8)= =FS(0} :G0SUB5
SURFA
4980 4990 5000 5010 5020 5030
PRINTTAB(15) PRINTTAB(15) PRINTTAB(15)
PRINTTAB(16) '
F0RI=1T09:US(I)^
;NEXT:GOSUB5090:FORI=
1T09:D$(I)=US(I) :NEXT 5040 AS(0)=AS(3):A$(3)=F$(1):F$(1)=E$(7):E$(7)=
C$ (9) :C$ ',9)=A$ (0) ;AS (0)=AS (2) 5050 AS(2)=FS(4):F5(4)=E${8) :E${8)=CS(6):CS(6)=
A$(0) :A$(0)=A$(1) :A$(1)=FS(7) 5060 F$(7)=eS(9) :ES(9)=CS(3) :C${3)^
4 40: RETURN 5070 U$(0)=US(3) :US(3)
U$(9) :U$(9)=U$(0): 5080 US(6)=US(2):US(2)
U$ (0) :RETURN 5090 US(0)=US(7) :U$(7)
U$(9):U$(9)^U$(0): 5100 U$(4)=U$(2) ;U$ (2)
U$ (0) :RETURK 5110 FOHI=1TO7STEP3:GOSUB5160
^A$(0) :G0SUB5
=U${1) :U$(1)=U$(7):U$(7)=
U$(0)=US(6)
=U$(4) :U$(4)=U$(8):U$(8)=
US(3):U$(3)=
=U${1):U$(1)
U$(0)=U$(4)
=U${6) :U$(6)=U$(8)
iU${8)=
;NEXTI:F0RI=1T09:U
S (I)=F$ (I) :NEXT:GOSUB5090 5120 F0HI = 1T09:F${I)=US (I) :NEXT:RETURN 5130 FORI=2TO8STEP3;GOSUB5160:NEXTI: RETURN 5140 FOHI=3TO9STEP3:GOSUB5160:NEXTI:FORI=1TO9;U
$ (I)=C${I) :NEXT:GOSUB5070 5150 F0RI=1T09:C$(I)=US (I) :NEXT:RETURN 5160 A$(0)=AS(I) :AS(I)=B$(I) :B$(I)=E$(I) :ES(I)=
D$(10-I) :D$(10-I)=A$(0) : RETURN 5170 FORI=1TO7STEP3:GOSUB5220:NEXTI:FORI=1TO9:U