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Info-Atari16 Digest Vol. 91 Issue 304
Info-Atari16 Digest Thu, 30 May 91 Volume 91 : Issue 304
Today's Topics:
'only_ste.lzh'
Atari 540ST Questions (2 msgs)
COMP: TADS: The Text Adventure Development System
Help requested with BMS 200 + Quantum pro drive
Info-Atari16 Digest V91 #303
Is there a joiner for uuencoded file parts?
Latest Atari hard disk formatter/partitioner?
Legal action against STrabble game. (2 msgs)
PD fonts for Calamus reqd
Publishers (II)
Rainbow TOS Bombs again
Rodneys uucp
Stupid question on using ARC for the ST
The inexorable STacy???
TT/68882
WANTED PD 3D Maze Game Source. Please.
What's a fair comparison? (2 msgs)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 17:15:18 GMT
From: IFI.UIO.NO!larserio@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (LarsErikOsterud)
Subject: 'only_ste.lzh'
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
The ONLY_STE disk is AUTO-BOOTING and contains PURE DATA for the AUTO-BOOTING
DEMO. In addition ONE SMALL PART of the disk is a NORMAL DISK with a few
program files - THIS IS NOT the demo. DO NOT use a virus killer on the disk
as this will remove the autoboot and make it unusable....
Lars-Erik / ABK-BBS +47 2132659 / ____ ______ ________________________
Osterud / larserio@ifi.uio.no / /___ / The norwegian ST
__________/ ______________________/ ____/ / Klubben, user association
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 17:53:38 GMT
From: fs7.ece.cmu.edu!o.gp.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!mc4c+@sei.cmu.edu (Mark
Choi)
Subject: Atari 540ST Questions
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
> Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.atari.st: 28-May-91 Re: Atari 540ST
> Questions Michel Forget@ersys.edmo (2672)
> > 3) How good is the mouse system on the unit?
> The mouse isn't bad at all. It has two buttons, and looks fairly good.
> It is a nice mouse, but there are third party mice available if you don't
> like it. The Atari mouse is FAR BETTER than the Mac mouse, which I have
Are you kidding? You must be kidding!
------------------------------
Date: 29 May 91 22:37:49 GMT
From: lll-winken!aunro!ersys!mforget@uunet.uu.net (Michel Forget)
Subject: Atari 540ST Questions
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
csbrod@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod) writes:
> mforget@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Michel Forget) writes:
>
> >Yes, there is a 720K floppy drive built in. The older systems had 360K
> >floppies, but the newer ones don't. It is fairly fast, but don't expect
> >miracles. It seems faster than the IBM counterparts, though. There are
> >also the usual assortment of Hard Drives available. I haven't seen any
> >CD-Roms yet or Optical Drives yet, though. There are removable Hard
> >Drive cartridge systems and 10 MEG floppies, though.
>
> Atari sells two kind of CD-ROMs. The CDAR504 has a ACSI port, the CDAR505
> is a SCSI device. There is also a MOD from Sony.
Really? Could someone tell me about these devices? Price, capacity, and
type of software available would be of particular interest?
<< ---------------------------------- >>
<< ersys!mforget@nro.cs.athabascau.ca >>
<< mforget@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca >>
<< Michel Forget >>
<< ---------------------------------- >>
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 21:39:29 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!spool.
mu.edu!news.cs.indiana.edu!maytag!watmath!daroloso@arizona.edu (Dani A.
Roloson)
Subject: COMP: TADS: The Text Adventure Development System
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
If you're interested in creating Infocom-like text-only adventures on your home
computer, TADS is a great start.
The package does all the parsing and defines most of the common adventure
verbs and item types in editable include files.
TADS is a shareware object-oriented programming tool for the Atari ST,
Macintosh, and IBM PC Compatible (MS-DOS/PC-DOS) which is available from
High Energy Software, P.O. Box 50422, Palo Alto, CA 94303.
(Atari users can try out atari/games/tads/tads.lzh on atari.archive.umich.edu)
For my $25 US, I got the TADS Author's Manual, a sample game, updated versions
of the include files and programs, and a tool for combining
the game runner and game into a single file.
I am pleased with the quality of the manual, the response to the question I
asked with my payment, and the complexity and flexibility that
the package allows.
I would like to get together with other TADS users even on different platforms
since a game written for the Atari can be compiled on all three systems.
Sample simple adventure:
************************
#include <adv.t>
#include <std.t>
fireVerb: deepverb
verb = 'fire' 'shoot' 'blast'
sdesc = "fire"
doAction = 'Fire'
;
/* This is where you start the game. */
startroom: room
sdesc = "Hallway"
ldesc = "You are in the hallway. There is an room to the east. "
east = engineroom
;
engineroom: room
sdesc = "Engine Room"
ldesc = "You are in the engine room. The only exit is to the west. "
west = startroom
;
/* The engine can not be taken since it is a fixed item. */
engine: fixeditem
sdesc = "diesel engine"
ldesc = "It's an old-fashioned diesel engine. You can't imagine how it
runs this spaceship. "
location = engineroom
noun = 'engine'
adjective = 'diesel' 'old-fashioned' 'spaceship'
;
/* The slime gun starts out in your possession. */
slimegun: item
shotsleft = 6
sdesc = "slime gun"
ldesc = "It's standard equipment in the Denebian Space Patrol. "
location = Me
noun = 'gun' 'pistol' 'blaster'
adjective = 'slime' 'space' 'denebian'
/* Don't allow the gun to be dropped. */
/* ver = verify, do = direct object */
verDoDrop( actor ) =
{
"You can't leave the gun here. ";
}
/* Allow the gun to be fired if you still have slime. */
verDoFire( actor ) =
{
if ( self.shotsleft < 1 )
{
"No more slime left.";
}
}
doFire( actor ) =
{
/* Decrement number of shots left. */
self.shotsleft := self.shotsleft - 1;
/* If I'm not in the engine room */
if ( Me.location <> engineroom )
{
"You get slime all over yourself.";
}
else
{
"The slime clogs up the engine and the spaceship explodes.";
die();
}
}
;
******************************************************************
WARNING: The following is probably only interesting to TADS users.
******************************************************************
> Marvin, pick up the paper
Although the TADS parser recognizes the actor Marvin, most of the
standard responses assume Me was the actor.
e.g. "You don't see the paper." instead of "Marvin doesn't see the paper."
I have spent a great deal of time editting ADV.T changing
"You" to "caps(); actor.sdesc;" and
and "don't" to :
if ( actor = Me ) {
{
"don't";
}
else
{
"doesn't";
}
plus similiar changes for "your", "are", "see", "have", etc.
While I was at it, I reorganized the file into functions, prepositions,
verbs, and items alphabetically unless there was a better ordering
plus cleaned up the indentation and brace style and a few typos.
Before I mail the file back to the authors, are there any other suggestions?
Even though I have made all these changes and allowed my actors in my game
to pick up items, I keep getting an error from "Marvin, pick up the paper"
which usually says that I am trying to compare two different data types
in a comparison. However, "give paper to Marvin" works fine. Any ideas?
Dani Roloson
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the TADS manual (please read carefully):
(Like all TADS limits, this can be changed at compile-time with user-specified
compiler options; of course, string space is also limited by the amount of
computer in your memory, which you unfortunately cannot change with compiler
options.
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 18:19:59 GMT
From: ubc-cs!acton@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Donald Acton)
Subject: Help requested with BMS 200 + Quantum pro drive
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
I am writing this note on behalf of a friend so I may be a little
confused on some of the details. My friend recently acquired a Quantum
Pro Drive 40 SCSI hard disk for use with his Atari 1040 ST of early
1988 vintage. He also got a BMS 200 from someone who was getting rid
of their Atari system. Unfortunately he is not having very much luck
getting this combination to work. He can format, partition and mount
the disk but any files copied to the disk are corrupted. If the file
is a text file every now and then one of the characters is replaced
with a " (intuition suggests this happens every 2048 characters).
Executables larger than 2048 bytes execute for a bit and then crash
with 3 bombs, smaller executables work fine. My guess is that the
program has finally got around to executing one of the corrupted
bytes when it crashes. So the questions:
1) Has anyone got one of these Quantum Pro Drives (it is from a NeXT
machine)
to work with the BMS 200 and if so what did you have to do and what
version of the BMS software are you using? (This disk has a cache
just in case that is causing problems.)
2) Just in case no one can help, is Berkeley Microsystems reachable by email
and if so what is their email address?
Donald
acton@cs.ubc.ca
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 May 1991 16:06 CDT
From: DJLEWIS%UALR.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Info-Atari16 Digest V91 #303
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
If anyone is interested, I saw the infamous STACEY on the Arsenio Hall show.
It was being used by the female keyboards player. By the brief glance I got
of the STACEY screen, it looked like the shows music sequence and timing info.
Couldn't tell if it was midi'ed to the synth's.
later,
Don Lewis
Academic Computing Services
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, Ar. 72201
<djlewis@ualr.bitnet>
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 19:08:20 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!linac!at
t!news.cs.indiana.edu!ariel.unm.edu!cs.umn.edu!thelake!steve@arizona.edu (Steve
Yelvington)
Subject: Is there a joiner for uuencoded file parts?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
[In article <1991May30.035220.23253@watmath.waterloo.edu>,
ljdickey@watmath.waterloo.edu (L.J.Dickey) writes ... ]
> In article <RALPH.91May16151116@orion.laas.fr> ralph@laas.fr (Ralph P. Sobek)
writes:
>>Sorry, I do not understand this shell script. Don't all versions of
>>Dumas' uud strip extraneous headers and trailers from uuencoded files?
>>The problem arises with all the nonstandard decoders/encoders that
>>exist.
>
> Ralph is right.
> One does not need such a complicated script. UUD will ignore the
> parts that it does not need. It jumps from the "include", past
> the mail or news header, and straight to the next "begin" line.
> A good command line might be like this:
>
> cat somebigf.u?? | uud
>
>
> Silvert's adaptation of the Dumas' code is great.
> Highly recommended.
Bill's version works fine, but I also have an older UUD that chokes
if there's too much junk between include and begin.
Remember the GEM-based uuencoder/uudecoder that I mentioned I was
working on? Somehow, in ripping the decoder out of WD.C, I managed
to break that feature; my program now won't manage concatenated files
that include lots of trash. As soon as I have the right combination
of spare time and caffeine I should be able to get it fixed and post
the program to comp.binaries and comp.souces.
----
Steve Yelvington, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, USA / steve@thelake.mn.org
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 06:39:02 GMT
From: esseye!jdbbs!wybbs!therip!UUCP@uunet.uu.net (Rod Fulk)
Subject: Latest Atari hard disk formatter/partitioner?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Hello Graham,
The early Ste's are all covered on a case to case basis..
Your supposed to call atari if you find out your STe doesnt work with a hard
drive for some reason. (Yes, atari USA did say there was a problem but all
current STe's should be working just fine. The problem was NOT with JUST the
third party drives although they seemed more apt to mess up.)
I would suggest making sure your hard drive is very backed up...
My bosses computer didnt start trashing files until about a week after he had
the computer. He swapped it and it has worked every since.
(Atari USA's customer service told me the above policy. I decided to wait
until later. Glad I did. I am gonna try getting a new machine pretty soon)
* Origin: The R.I.P. (616)235-2313 [HST] (1:228/24)
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 13:45:49 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!axion!tharr!steveh@uunet.uu.net (Steve Hebditch)
Subject: Legal action against STrabble game.
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
In article <1991May28.140645.2069@bigsur.uucp> brad@bcars362.UUCP (Brad
Shapcott) writes:
>I mean if it is obvious to the court that Scrabble is just a variant on
>crosswords, and while entitled to its particular format and graphics the
>company owning this game cannot extend its copyright to EVERY crossword variant
>(regardless of medium), then close duplicates would have legal grounds to
>refute the owning company's claims.
No doubt a major part of the problem was that the name "STrabble" would
almost certainly be considered an infringement of Spear's trademark. Had the
game been called something else then the company would probably not have
taken an interest. In court they'd simply have to show the product was
"passing off" rather than get into the intricacies of copyright that
Brad mentioned.
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 14:45:41 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!slxsys!ibmpcug!mantis!mathew@uunet.uu.net (CNEWS MUST DIE!)
Subject: Legal action against STrabble game.
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
As an aside:
I play the PD Tetris and Arkanoid games rather than the commercial ones.
Why?
Because I have a monochrome monitor.
If the software companies are so lazy that they won't make their games run on
my computer, well, I'll just have to use the superior PD programs.
I think (no guarantees) that the commercial Scrabble game is colour-only. It
certainly looks that way from the box.
mathew
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 22:51:45 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physic
s.utoronto.ca!ists!gkcl!os9paul@arizona.edu (Paul Good)
Subject: PD fonts for Calamus reqd
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
In article <19429@k2.maus.de> Christoph_Bregulla@k2.maus.de (Christoph Bregulla)
writes:
>I've got PD-fonts for Calamus here. Interested ?
Yes, I am! I have some PD fonts for Calamus as well. Why don't we upload
them to atari.archive.umich.edu so they will be available to everyone? I'm
sure if we sent enough fonts and asked Jeff nicely, he would create a
Calamus directory.
While on the DTP topic, is anybody interested in clip-art? The .img format
works well for Calamus. Any comments?
--
Paul Good INTERNET: os9paul@gkcl.ists.ca UUCP: ...!ists!gkcl.ists.ca!os9paul
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 22:44:35 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!Bob_BobR_Retelle@a
rizona.edu
Subject: Publishers (II)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Phil Z writes:
>In the large Capital
>District of NY I haven't been able to find so much as a game magazine
>that even mentions Atari on the cover! I know that STart is gone, but
>Amiga's have 3 serious magazines with available distribution around here;
>Atari has none. I'll probably end up subscribing because of this, but
>what's going on here?
You're seeing effects of the death of the Atari marketplace in the US.
There are no longer enough Atari users or advertisers to support large
"glossy" magazines. There are still a few smaller magazines trying to
support the market, but they may be hard to find.
Atari Interface magazine is available at many B.Dalton Bookseller stores, as
well as WaldenSoftware stores, and many Atari dealers (if you can find one).
For a free sample issue of AIM, write to: Unicorn Publications,
3487 Braeburn Circle, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
BobR
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 17:09:42 GMT
From: mcsun!inesc!unl!unl!spa@uunet.uu.net (Salvador Pinto Abreu)
Subject: Rainbow TOS Bombs again
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
on 30 May 91 14:50:51 GMT,
SYSPMZT@gecrdvm1.crd.ge.com said:
>> I should follow up, as this isn't quite correct. Actually, the offending
>> software was the MACCEL mouse accelerator that Dr. T shipped as pd with
>> KCS Omega. I'll miss the speed, but it was corrupting all sorts of
>> software.
I've been using MACCEL3 from atari.archive.umich.edu on my 4Mb 1040STe
and haven't had any of those problems.
--
-- Salvador Pinto Abreu spa@fct.unl.pt
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, PORTUGAL
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 16:52:46 GMT
From: ogicse!milton!sumax!ctsx!celtech.com@uunet.uu.net (Dale Thomas)
Subject: Rodneys uucp
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Has anyone who has used Rodneys Uucp package been able to
have it retrieve files from a remote site.
Example:
on the remote side > uucp -r foo hoser\!
queue up foo on the remote side.
from hoser > poll remote
hoser logs on to remote and gets file foo.
file foo should go into remotes public directory which
is c:\etc\spool\uucp\remote BUT it goes into c:\etc\spool\mqueue as
with just overwrite this file. I would appreciate any help.
I probably need to explicitly tell the remote where to put the file.
Dale L Thomas ( I've been dazed and confused for so long ... )
(206-443-6400)
{uw-beaver}!sumax!ctsx!dale
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 22:39:15 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!Azog-Thoth@arizona
.edu (William Thomas Daugustine)
Subject: Stupid question on using ARC for the ST
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Like the title says, this is a simple, stupid question...
I downloaded a file called ARCsomething.TTP, and need to know the
syntax for using it. I tried all the possible combinations I could
think of, but theres obviously one I cant think of. I dont quite
recall the exact full name of the program, but it was something
like arc v6. If someone could help me out, mail me the doc file,
etc, Id like that :-)
Also, a similar note. I downloaded another file called arcsh20.prg,
but when I double-click on it, it gives me a TOS error #35.
No flames please, I am totally new to the Atari ST computer world,
so I still am getting used to the way things are done...
Thanx
Billy D'Augustine
Azog-Thoth@cup.portal.com
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 17:52:18 GMT
From: fs7.ece.cmu.edu!o.gp.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!mc4c+@sei.cmu.edu (Mark
Choi)
Subject: The inexorable STacy???
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
I'm thinkin' of sellin' mine.
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 19:05:37 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!think.com!cass.ma02.bull.com!know!daemon@a
rizona.edu
Subject: TT/68882
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
One netter asked if the TT includes the 68882; mine did and the TT manual
stated that it is a TT standard feature, not an option. It has a clock
speed of 32MHz, just like the 68030. The MegaSTE manual states that the
68881 is an option. Note, for firm believers that Atari never delivers;
THIS MESSAGE CREATED ON A TT. Now, if only the software base would
expand (yeah, I know I can run Macware, after all I use GCR!!!!!).
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 17:30:54 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zazen!news@ariz
ona.edu (PAul STevens -- MACC)
Subject: WANTED PD 3D Maze Game Source. Please.
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
In article <42289@cup.portal.com>, Bobster@cup.portal.com (Robert Jules
Shaughnessy) writes...
>
> I have been looking high and low for source code to a 3d maze game. I
>would preferably like one that randomly generates the maze. However I will
>take what I can get! If you have such a thing or know where I can get it,
>PLEASE send me a message.
>
>Thanks in advance!
I have such a thing that I wrote for the kids. If you get desperate,
write me via EMAIL.
stevens@macc.wisc.edu
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 14:50:23 GMT
From: tellab5!chinet!saj@uunet.uu.net (Stephen Jacobs)
Subject: What's a fair comparison?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
I seem to be involved in what is fast becoming a shouting match about relative
price and performance of Atari computers vs those based on Intel chips. One
of the main problems is knowing what to compare with which. So how about we
pick some fair yardsticks. Atari isn't 'Joes Garage Computer Manufactorie',
and shouldn't have prices compared with it. I'll suggest ZEOS as a company
whose prices are widely advertized, and whose quality is comparable to Atari
(I rate both of them very good for service, by the way. Start your own thread
if you want to talk about service). Often as not, ZEOS machines are the least
expensive ones included in those comparative reviews magazines have so much
fun with. Cross-platform benchmarks are damn near impossible (Byte magazine
has had several articles on the subject), but I'll modestly propose as a
benchmark the time for GNU C to compile itself, with all temporary files on
hard disk. Any other suggestions?
Ok now: I personally have none of these things: GNU C source distribution,
TT or 80486 box. The people I know who have them I trouble enough over more
serious issues. Anyone care to post about how long it takes GNU C to
compile itself on the TT?
Steve saj@chinet.chi.il.us
------------------------------
Date: 30 May 91 22:36:29 GMT
From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!vsnyder@arizona.edu (Van Snyder)
Subject: What's a fair comparison?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
In article <1991May30.145023.1684@chinet.chi.il.us> saj@chinet.chi.il.us
(Stephen Jacobs) writes:
>I seem to be involved in what is fast becoming a shouting match about relative
>price and performance of Atari computers vs those based on Intel chips. One
>of the main problems is knowing what to compare with which. So how about we
>pick some fair yardsticks. Atari isn't 'Joes Garage Computer Manufactorie',
>and shouldn't have prices compared with it. I'll suggest ZEOS as a company
>whose prices are widely advertized, and whose quality is comparable to Atari
>(I rate both of them very good for service, by the way. Start your own thread
>if you want to talk about service). Often as not, ZEOS machines are the least
>expensive ones included in those comparative reviews magazines have so much
>fun with. Cross-platform benchmarks are damn near impossible (Byte magazine
>has had several articles on the subject), but I'll modestly propose as a
>benchmark the time for GNU C to compile itself, with all temporary files on
>hard disk. Any other suggestions?
>
Some of the benchmarks people commonly use are Dhrystone (integer performance),
Whetstone (Floating point performance), Linpack (Floating point performance),
Livermore loops (Floating point performance), SpecMark (Overall system
performance, but belongs to SPEC Inc). The advantage of using these is that
you don't have to re-do the benchmarks on the other machines, which you
might not own. I've seen dhrystone for the ST, maybe at atari.archive?
--
vsnyder@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov
ames!elroy!jato!vsnyder
vsnyder@jato.uucp
------------------------------
End of Info-Atari16 Digest
******************************
