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If your copy was notQ+(#purchased direct from NOSAUG pleaseQ(!register your disk by[} sending twoI+(#pounds sterling or three US dollarsI(to the following address:^(2(&ǬϠؠ\}Ĭ^(&´άĮ//(&(Payable to 'S.J.Murray' / Cash is OK)^(2(&You will then]} receive the latest issue^(&of Futura, a NOSAUG PD Catalogue, etc.1(1(% Ӡ٠٠ϠŠ ^}AdAU F:Ad,AUA@ A .AdAU(}.%D:VIEWDOCS.BASD:SHAREz P f OUOUTCOLSAIFIOCBAAAHAALLSSHSSLFROWRO@s@8BysssAi`}@AH Bp# @f A' Ber AcAA9s %%VIEWDOCS.BAS Ba}Y S.J.MURRAY 4/92%%BASED ON TOPRINT.BAS BY T.PAZEL4##Š͠ӠԠϠĠ5##ήàb}6##ϠĠΠΠà7##ŠŠŠӽ8##ΠŠϠӽ= @p>"c}@@h? F:@, @"@i@SAdAU'-@@#S(&Šөd}ԠA F:Ad,"AU@eB F:Ad,"@bAC(AdAU(*@A%D<6-%@e}!@U0*@@<6-E$Fg +AR@1@@CAdAUU@f}@dgB7t@dKQ0@@@70@@Q0@@Z6-P:I:g},$?,d++;,;@,;@,;@ ,f 6.D:n767@,.67,.767@,.7@,xh}$($(creen or rinter Output?-@-@@K)@."@6.E:$6-i}@8. A."@6.P:$6-@. A A@ŧӠŠ70@@@j}70@@F (}-@F(&ҠŮݠҠԠ2@ ARk}@2AdAU( (>@B:,A =@3@@D:*.l}DOC= A1@17@<@,0 A"(7@<@," A+67@,.+67B:,%m}@,..DOC5@ A5@@""ΠӠĠӠ͠!"@!@n}@6-@+@@=AR@W0@@@q0@@o}0@@@@dB7t@dZ6-AH6-C:,)6-P:'AV,96-&Ap}V$J6-P:'AV,Z6-&AV$O%@@%%@3%@A%@O%@ 6q}-?:C:hhhLV,<@,""F:%@,!A'A"))6-F:%@,%AV$F:%@ ,66 "(@7@r}<,, @b6 A`@ --J!7&<&,4 '! APT ^J!(@7&%@<s}&,+ @b36-&=+%,!@'J Aph r'(@7%@<,' @b| A` Ơ5@t}@" @b*@5@@@ AD:VIEWDOCS.BAS Things improved slightu}ly in the years that followed but the gap remained until the 1.99 Atari 8-bit release of Action Biker by Mastertronic. US Gov}ld were also selling Datasoft and Microprose programs at the 1.99 Atari 8-bit release of Action Biker by Mastertronic. US Go9FUTURA INTRODUCTIONIssue 8 - July/August 1993. Hello everyone and welcome to the eighth issue of Futura: The NOSAUG Nx}ewsletter! I must apologise for the delayed release. An explanation is required... Just after the release of Futura isy}sue 7, I attempted to produce the NOSAUG PD Catalogue. After working my way through about one quarter of the disks I realisez}d that it was going to be a BIG job which would take many sleepless nights to complete. Putting the PD Catalogue on hold{} for a while, I decided to concentrate on other NOSAUG business: advertisements, NOSAUG PD orders, Futura back issue & sampl|}e disk orders and Futura issue 8. I also started my two columns for Page 6. By this time it was well into July and I wa}}s then offered as much overtime as I wanted from my work. This I could not refuse! I decided to work long hours in order to~} save for a NOSAUG trip to AMS7. Weekends were spent catching up with NOSAUG PD and Futura orders. Before I knew it, it} was September! My girlfriend's mother then suggested that we look after her house in Glasgow while she went on holiday to C}anada. Two weeks free accomodation in Glasgow? Too good to miss! However, I did take my 8-Bit system with me (much to the }annoyance of my girlfriend!). During these two weeks, I completed the Page 6 columns, some more NOSAUG PD orders and spe}nt a couple of days on Futura issue 8. Yes, I did take a few days off; to be honest, I needed the break. Returning home} on the 17th, I had finished about 50% of issue 8. Since then, that's all I've been doing. I've only had maybe 30 hours sle}ep this week. However, I think it's been well worth it because issue 8 has arrived safe and sound! Perhaps I'm just a glutt}on for punishment but I've really enjoyed putting this issue together. I'd like to thank all of you for being so patient} over the past few weeks. You must have been wondering where issue 8 had got to! Those who did write were mostly pleasant a}nd understanding. THANK-YOU! Futura will be around for as long as there are 8-Bitters to enjoy it! Issues may occasion}ally arrive late but they WILL arrive. The release dates published in Page 6 are always difficult to stick to because they a}re submitted to Les and Sandy months in advance. If a future issue is late please do not worry - I will be doing my very bes}t to get it to you as soon as possible. Running Futura and NOSAUG in my spare time means that work and other commitments mus}t take priority, even though they may not be my preferred option. My problem is that I'm a bit of a perfectionist! I pr}efer to delay the release of an issue rather than rush out a sub-standard disk. Quality is my number one priority! This is }why I spend on average 60-70 hours on each issue of Futura. The content is changed over and over again until I feel it strik}es the correct balance. Moving on, I must tell you that the documentation for software on this disk can be found within }a new file called SOFTDOCS. I felt that the Introduction was becoming dominated by this information and so decided to create} a separate file. The Introduction will now serve its correct purpose - introduce you to a Futura disk and inform you of any} changes or updates! There is no Futura Feedback in this issue. Sorry about that but there simply wasn't enough sectors} on the disk due to the OHAUG article and the 1993 Survey results. Hints & Cheats, 8-Bit Trivia and The Atari Classic Booksh}elf have also taken a rest until issue 9 due to lack of sector space. The time for two large ARCed files may soon be appoach}ing us! All that's left to say is I hope you enjoy this SHAREWARE disk and if your copy is unregistered please send in y}our regitration fee. Supporting shareware is crucial to the future of the Atari 8-Bit! My personal thanks go out to all} Futura subscribers for supporting this publication with your hard-earned cash! This truly is YOUR magazine!Keep flying t}he 8-bit flag!Stu.or supporting this publication with your hard-earned cash! This truly is YOUR magazine!Keep flying tFUTURA EDITORIAL - ISSUE 8by Stuart J. MurraySOFTWARE PRICING The subject of software pricing is a tender one for t}he long-time Atari 8-bit user. Back in the early and mid-1980s we were forced to pay twenty to forty pounds for a good progr}am while Spectrum, BBC and C64 programs were selling for five to ten pounds! Things improved slightly in the years that }followed but the gap remained until the 1.99 Atari 8-bit release of Action Biker by Mastertronic. US Gold were also selling }Datasoft and Microprose programs at under fifteen pounds (the same level as the C64). However, any US imports which were not} released by US Gold remained very expensive (I remember paying forty-five pounds for Star Fleet I by Cygnus and thirty-five }pounds for Computer Quarterback by SSI). Obviously, today's software market is very different with many MegaDrive and SN}ES cartridges retailing at over forty pounds. The average price for an ST or Amiga game is fifteen to twenty-five pounds. } Obviously, the Atari 8-bit market is now much smaller than it was in the 1980s. The cretinous behaviour of Atari UK post-}1985 is well known in the European Atari 8-bit communtiy. As soon as they received their first ST's, they lost all interest }in the 800XL and 130XE at a time when the Atari 800XL had battled to move itself up among the leading systems (Dixons had sol}d 100,000 800XL's). Many people would argue that a reduced market should mean an increase in software prices. I disagre}e! With any reduced market in the very competitive computer industry, I believe that software developers and suppliers have }an obligation to maintain the current size of user base by pricing their products accordingly! High prices force people into} either accepting pirate copies or moving onto other systems. This, in turn, increases prices and so on. Atari 8-bit su}pplers such as Gralin International, KE-Soft, Miles Better Software and Page 6 deserve praise for keeping prices at an afford}able level. Micro Discount also offers many reasonably priced titles but does tend to occasionally inflate prices a little. } Derek has recently mentioned that the price of Brundles (a new Lemmings clone from Europe) will be fifteen pounds plus P&P. } This is disappointing. I feel that NEW Atari 8-Bit software should be priced at under ten pounds. For fifteen pounds you c}an buy Sensible Soccer for the ST! Older software titles are a completely different matter as they must be priced accord}ing to the cost of purchase. It also depends how much you want the program. If you're desperate for a copy of Broderbund's }Print Shop, you may feel that forty pounds is a good price. Others may see this as an extortionate price for a piece of soft}ware with very little back-up support from the parent company. My point in this editorial is that NEW Atari 8-bit softwa}re should be priced at under ten pounds. Only then will we stand a chance against competing systems and the continuing probl}em of piracy. However, software suppliers are not the only ones to blame. Developers must also sell their products at a} realistic level! If a developer wants ten pounds for his product then the supplier has no option but to sell it for fifteen} pounds or more. Neil Ottaway of Tiger Developments must be congratulated for keeping his software under five pounds. I}f both developers and suppliers keep prices at a realistic level (allowing for a reasonable profit which will encourage futur}e projects, of course) we may see a drop in the amount of pirated software and an increase in the Atari 8-bit user base. I h}ope so.Keep 8-Bitting!S.J.Murray, Futura Editor. pirated software and an increase in the Atari 8-bit user base. I h9ATARI 8-BIT NEWSby Stuart J. Murray* It's show time again! All Micro Show 7 (AMS7) is to be held again at the Bingley } Hall in Stafford, England. The date to note in your diary is Saturday 13th November. The good news is that there will }be a NOSAUG stand at the show! Yes, we'll be making the 1000 mile round-trip to offer Futura and NOSAUG PD disks and cassett }es to the British Atari 8-Bit community. Hopefully, there will also be a few bargains on offer! I'm looking forward to meet }ing Futura subscribers. If you're going to the show please let me know. I'll be sending off the payment to Sharward Ser }vices at the end of September. Look out for further details in Futura issue 9.* Dean Garraghty is importing Power Per }Post (PPP) products from Germany. The programming language 'Quick' is available for 12.95 including P&P. The Quick Ed Chara }cter Editor is 4.95. Screen Aided Management (another SAM!) is an 80col desktop priced at 12.95. Finally, three PPP games a }re also available: Minesweeper, Glaggs It! and the excellent Rubber Ball for 4.95 each or 12.50 for all three. There wi }ll soon be a Quick Support Disk featuring source code and tutorials translated from Quick magazine. The price will be 4.95. } In a recent letter, Dean has informed me that sales of his PPP products, "can only be described as pathetic!" He goes o }n to say, "The German publishers are not happy, and are reluctant to spend time translating new products because sales o }f existing ones are so poor." This is very disappointing and reflects the current state of the British economy! I'd lov }e to order a copy of SAM but have to save my cash at the moment in order to fund the stand and trip to AMS7. Other 8-Bit use }rs have similar financial commitments! Anyway, let's hope that sales increase soon. Dean can be contacted at: DGS, 62 Thom }son Avenue, Balby, Doncaster, DN4 0NU.* Look out for another new column by yours truly in the next issue of Page 6 New }Atari User. Send 2.50 pounds to: Page 6, P.O.Box 54, Stafford ST16 1DR.* The release date for Brundles will be the la }st week in August. Derek Fern (021-353-5730) is currently accepting advance orders and promises not to bank any cheques unti }l the product is ready for despatch. The price is a whopping 15 pounds plus 75p P&P! It'll be interesting to see how much t }he game is selling for in Germany.* Peter Mattock (0375-374280) has recently informed me that he has a number of disk d }rives for sale. The prices (including P&P) are as follows:Atari 810 with Archiver - 50 pounds.Atari 1050 - 70 pounds.Ata }ri 1050 with Tripler Board (1050, US Doubler & Happy) - 80 pounds. When you consider that Derek Fern is currently sellin }g standard 1050's for 100 pounds, these prices are exceptional value for money. Peter also offers a short-term guarantee on }all his drives to make sure they arrive in full working order. He also mentioned in the passing that he repairs XE keybo }ards for only 10 pounds. Although he could not guarantee a successful repair, he did state that his success rate has been ve }ry high. Well done Peter! True support for 8-Bit users! If you have any hardware problems just give Peter a call and me }ntion my name.* The Atari Classic Programmer's Club (ACPC) is an exciting new project run by David Davies from Gwynedd. } Services offered include design evaluation, graphics/sound production, de-bugging and software publishing. Members also ha }ve access to the ACPC Helpline; an information service for 8-Bit programmers. UK membership to ACPC is only 3.50 for six mon }ths, 6.00 for twelve months or 12.00 for lifetime. Also included in this price is a regular newsletter containing news, revi }ews and lots of programming tips. The Intro Newsletter is out now and is very good (26 pages). ACPC also plan to commer }cially release new Atari 8-Bit software on disk and cassette! Menu Print Elite will be the first release (November 1993). I }t is described as "the complete Atari 8-Bit disk cataloguing system". The price will be 9.95 (disk only). We at NOSAUG }would like to wish David the very best of luck with the ACPC project. Well done David - the Atari 8-Bit is indeed alive and }kicking! Why not show ACPC some support and send 3.50 for a six-month membership? Send to: ACPC, Pen-Tyddyn, Capel Coch }, LLangefni, Anglesey, Gwynedd LL77 7UR (payable to D.W.Davies).That's all the news for now!Stu.n-Tyddyn, Capel Coch iTHE 1993 FUTURA SURVEY RESULTS(Percentages or average scores are given on the right)** QUESTION 1 **How much text do$} you wish to read in each issue of Futura?(A) No text.................... 0%(B) One quarter of one side.... 0%(C) One h$}alf of one side....... 0%(D) Three quarters of one side. 25%(E) All of one side............ 75%Ed: A clear majority fa$}vour Side A becoming all-text. As a result, from this issue on, software will be found only on Side B of a Futura disk. Sid$}e A will be 100% text. ViewDocs will autoboot after the title screen. This arrangement will increase the text content o$}n each Futura disk from approximately 450 to 600 sectors. The remaining sector space is required for DOS.SYS, AUTORUN.SYS, t$}he title screen and ViewDocs. With 600 sectors available, I will be able to offer a number of new columns, as well as the ex$}pansion of present ones.** QUESTION 2 **Please give your opinion of the following Futura columns (1 = like a lot... 5 =$} Don't like)Introduction................. 1.29Editorial.................... 1.718-Bit News................... 1.14Ins$}ide Atari BASIC........... 2.14Software Scene............... 1.43Hints & Cheats............... 1.57Diamond.............$}......... 2.148-Bit Trivia................. 1.43Competition.................. 1.71Futura Feedback.............. 1.29V$}CS Futura................... 2.43InfoFile..................... 1.71Ed: Your favourite columns are 8-Bit News, Introduc$}tion, Futura Feedback, Software Scene and 8-Bit Trivia. These will be expanded over the next six issues. I'll improve the E$}ditorial and Hints & Cheats. The results for Inside Atari BASIC and Diamond were understandable due to their now defunct$} status. However, 2.14 for each is still quite good. The InfoFile will now only appear every few issues. Although the $}score of 1.71 shows that you like it, there were some requests not to include it in every issue. I think this is a good idea$}. The 2.43 result for VCS Futura was the lowest. However, even this is not bad for a non-8-bit column. I'm pleased$} that VCS Futura cleared 2.50 because that's the figure I'd set for each column to clear. If a column scored below the half-$}mark of 2.50 I was going to scrap it. Luckily, no column scored below this mark so all will remain. The average score f$}or all twelve columns was 1.67. This is very high considering that 1.00 was a perfect score. However, I'll still try to imp$}rove upon this average over the next six issues!** QUESTION 3 **Are there any changes you would like to see made to any$} of these columns?Ed: Everyone was happy with the columns as they are. There were also many complimentary words - thanks$}!** QUESTION 4 **What kind of articles would you like to read in Futura which have not been featured so far?Ed: Answ$}ers included languages, machine code, adventure, PD Top Ten, utilities, and the most requested topic... hardware. I will the$}rfore begin preparing a new hardware column which will review, examine and generally digest all manner of Atari 8-Bit hardwar$}e. I'll begin with items such as the Touch Tablet, Trackball, 1050 / US Doubler / Write Protect Switch, Citizen 120D+ & $}Micro-Print Interface, 1010 Program Recorder, Atari Light Gun, etc, etc. In other words, every piece of hardware I own. Hop$}efully, these will be complimented by reader submissions. The column will be called "HARDWARE WAREHOUSE" and will begin $}in Futura issue 10 or 11.** QUESTION 5 **Now that the Inside Atari BASIC column has concluded, would you like to see an$}other column on programming in Atari BASIC or any other language (please state)?Ed: Everyone requested another programming$} column to replace Inside Atari BASIC! The most popular request was Turbo BASIC. A more advanced Atari BASIC column was als$}o quite popular. Other requests were for a DOS column and a machine code column. Due to the overwhelming interest in a $}Turbo BASIC column I have decided to begin just such a column. Please read FLYER.DOC on this disk for some exciting news of $}The Turbo BASIC Flyer by Ron Fetzer which will begin in the next issue of Futura. I may also start a new BASIC column in$} the not too distant future. Machine code has been covered recently in Page 6 and the TWAUG newsletter so I'll leave it for $}now. A DOS column is an interesting idea and one which I will consider.** QUESTION 6 **Please give your opinion of the$} programs featured within each issue of Futura (1 = Brilliant... 5 = Awful).Disk Utilities............... 1.83Other Utili$}ties.............. 1.14Games........................ 1.42Demos........................ 1.14Ed: The results for this %}question were very pleasing. I'm glad that everyone is enjoting my selection of software. I always try to provide top quali%}ty software with an obscure edge. There will be no major changes to the software content of Futura.** QUESTION 7 **Ple%}ase list your favourite and least favourite programs from Futura issues 1-6.Favourite: Answers included... Howfen DOS V3.0%}7, DeskTop V1.5, Horse Racing, Sound Monitor Professional, 3D Tetris, Spider, Flip, Bombjack, Let's Hop, Revenge of Magnus, M%}unchy Madness and To Kill a Commodore.Least favourite: Answers included... Flip, Horse Racing, How To Meet Cows, Jump, Ara%}bic Converter, My Jong, Conversion, Color Helper 4, Total Recall and Cyrtabor.Ed: No single program really stood out in e%}ither category, except perhaps Howfen DOS 3.07 and DeskTop V1.5 as favourites and Cyrtabor as least favourite (due to the dif%}ficultly level).** QUESTION 8 **Is there any type of program you would like to see in Futura which has not already been%} included?Ed: Answers included war games, communications, programming utilities and art programs. I'll search around for% } the best PD programs in these categories and place them on future issues. I'm actually considering beginning a column o% }n using the excellent BBK Artist. I would, of course, include the program itself along with the first column. Interested?% }** QUESTION 9 **How often should Futura be released?Monthly........................ 43%Bi-monthly.....................% } 57%Quarterly...................... 0%Ed: As you can see, this one was split right down the middle with a bi-monthly rel% }ease just edging it. Futura will therefore remain bi-monthly for just now. However, I will consider a monthly release begin%}ning some time in 1994. Everything depends on maintaining a quality product for you, the end user. It is your subscriptions%} which allow the release of every issue.** QUESTION 10 **What density should Futura disks be formatted in?Single Dens%}ity.................. 0%1050 Density.................... 50%1050 Density or Single Density.. 50%Double Density........%}.......... 0%Ed: Everyone who submitted a survey requested 1050 density. However, half stated that they wouldn't mind %}single density either (hence the new '1050 or SD' section above). Now this one really is tricky. Before releasing Futur%}a issue 1, I'd thought about producing both single and 1050 density versions of Futura disks. However, I decided this would %}involve too much work and opted for the standard 2 x 707 sectors. The central problem here is that I know there are Futu%}rians with 810 drives (I know of two local members). A 1050 disk would be unfair to them. For now, we'll stay with sing%}le density disks. However, I am seriously considering producing a 1050 version of each Futura issue which will feature bonus%} programs. It is not the fault of the 1050 owner that an 810 can only read single density. This must be weighed against the%} right of an 810 owner to gain access to Futura. Two versions of each disk seems the perfect solution (and more sleepless ni%}ghts). Another thought to ponder over endless mugs of coffee.** QUESTION 11 **Would you like to receive the text on th%}e disk version of Futura as a printed newsletter? If yes, how much extra would you be willing to pay for this service?No %}- .DOC files on disk........ 83%Yes - no extra charge........... 0%Yes - 55p extra (2.50).......... 0%Yes - one pound ex%}tra (2.95).... 17%Yes - two pounds extra (3.95)... 0%Ed: Everyone seems to be happy with the current disk-based text. %}Also, ViewDocs received a lot of praise. There will be no change to a printed newsletter for now. However, a professional h%}ardcopy magazine / newsletter is still my ultimate aim (the aim of any aspiring publisher).** QUESTION 12 **Would you l%}ike to receive all the text and program files on future issues in .ARC format?No - Ready-to-run files only.. 50%Yes - ARC% }ed text files......... 34%Yes - ARCed programs........... 16%Yes - All files ARCed.......... 0%Ed: Again, you like thi%!}ngs as they are. I will therefore not ARC all files on Futura disks. I may end up having to ARC the text content on Futura %"}if it expands at the current rate. With new columns planned and current ones developing all the time, ARCed text files may b%#}e necessary to fit everything on the disk. You can save almost 50% of sectors by ARCing text files. We'll have to wait and %$}see on this one. However, I can say that programs will definitely remain unARCed for now.P.S. ** VIEWDOCS v VTEX **Ed:%%} In Futura issue 7, I asked which text viewer you preferred - ViewDocs or VTEX. As a post script to the survey above, I'd li%&}ke to let you know that almost everyone who answered my question stated that ViewDocs should remain. ViewDocs will there%'}fore remain as the text viewer on Futura disks. However, I hope to add a few improvements to the program which will allow pa%(}ge counting, auto file selection, a read-all-files option and perhaps back-paging. If anyone can assist with these improveme%)}nts please let me know. I've recently disabled the Break key and allowed a single Screen/Printer entry (you now only nee%*}d to make one selection after ViewDocs has loaded). These were simple and quick improvements; I don't have the time just now%+} to make the improvements suggested above. If you can help, please let me know. ----- Extra special %,}thanks to everyone who submitted a survey. They are the "hardcore" Futurians who have been with me from the early issues. G%-}reetinx and thanx to... , Pete Geraghty, Oliver Harrison, Alan Hitchen, Steven Nicklin, Keith Pates, Simon Roe, and Brian Wal%.}ker. Cheers lads! Your answers, comments and suggestions will help to shape Futura over the next six issues. Check out%/} COMP.DOC on this disk to find out the winners of the competition!Keep 8-Bitting!Stu.he next six issues. Check out$[Futura 6 Competition Result The response to the Futura 6 Competition was quite healthy. The names of all those who su)1}bmitted a Futura Survey were placed into a Sentinel disk box. My girlfriend then picked the runner-up and winner out of the )2}box. No doubt you'll be interested to find out exactly who has won the competition. Firstly, I'll announce the runner-u)3}p...Mr Bill Walker, Bradford. Well done Bill! Please let me know which NOSAUG PD disk)4} you would like to receive as your prize. The winner of the Futura 6 Competiton was...Mr Alan Hitchen)5}, Runcorn. Congratulations Alan! Please let me know which three NOSAUG PD disks you would like. Thank)6}s again to everyone who entered! There will be another competiton in Futura issue 9 with more prizes to win. Watch this spa)7}ce!Stu.everyone who entered! There will be another competiton in Futura issue 9 with more prizes to win. Watch this spa( SOFTWARE SCENE - JULY/AUGUST 1993Avalon LabsTHE CURSEHANS KLOSSDARKNESS HOURReviewed by Kevin CookeThe Curse -9} THE CURSE is a completely graphical adventure game. Options are selected by clicking an arrow (ST style) on the object you-:} want to manipulate, and then clicking on an option from the menu that is then displayed. The game opens with a picture -;}of a castle and scenery on the screen, plus a nice tune to go with it. Pressing fire opens the castle door and puts a menu o-<}n the screen. From here, you can choose to either load a saved game, or start from the beginning. Having no game saved, I h-=}ad to start the game from the beginning, so I clicked on this option. The disk loaded a little more, and then revealed t->}he first room. The graphics here were quite detailed, although only a few colours had been used; but again, a good tune was -?}playing here. First of all, I tried checking my inventory and spell book, and found I had nothing. Clicking on a few differ-@}ent parts of the room showed me the basic options I had available to manipulate each object. Eventually, I started to pr-A}ogress and started finding more and more items and spells to keep. I was also pleased to find that the screen took only a sh-B}ort time to change when you entered a new room. I must admit that I kept getting stuck, but a sudden chain of thoughts kept -C}letting me progress to the next part of the game. I played THE CURSE for quite some time and eventually became completel-D}y stuck, so I decided to save my game. The menu that appeared told me that I had completed 30% of the game, and gave me the -E}option of saving my game or cancelling the menu. I then let the disk whirl until my game was saved, and turned the computer -F}off. Although I would have liked it to be easier to drop things anywhere I wanted to (you can only drop them in certain -G}places), THE CURSE is definately worth buying, and should keep you occupied for plenty of time. Also, don't worry about the -H}size of the tiny instruction sheet; I think it tells you everything you'll need to know.Hans Kloss The next game I wi-I}ll examine is HANS KLOSS. This is not only the name of this game, but the name of the character you will control in it. The-J} game is set in World War 2, where you must enter a secret underground bunker to slow down or stop developments of a bomb tha-K}t is going to be used to blow up London and south east England. To do this, you must obtain nine pictures and twelve other d-L}ocuments which have been left rather carelessly around the bunker. Once loaded, the title screen shows an excellent pict-M}ure of a German soldier and starts the tune that will play throughout the game. Pressing fire will bring you to the game whe-N}re Hans Kloss will be waiting. As you start to move him, you will soon start to realise that this is indeed a quality game, -O}especially the animation of Hans which is very lifelike. Apart from your inability to shoot, the game has a lot in commo-P}n with Mission Shark. There are lifts, enemies (although no soldiers; only strange things that move across the floor), and g-Q}ood music. You also have a food and drink level indicator at the bottom of the screen, and if either of these should reach z-R}ero, you will die. Hans sometimes finds food to eat, but throws it up if he already has a lot of food in store - a nice touc-S}h. There is also a nice treat in store when you pause the game, because Hans lights a cigarette and starts smoking it. -T}The game actually gets a little easier when you realise that some of the doors do not need to be opened, and Hans seems to be-U} able to fall as far as he likes without injury, but it is still pretty difficult. HANS KLOSS is certainly a challenging-V} game, and after numerous attempts, I still couldn't get very far. However, this does make the game a challenge.Darkness -W}Hour Last of all, I looked at DARKNESS HOUR. In this game, you must rescue each of your knights who have been turned in-X}to butterflys by an evil sorcerer. This task would be easy if it wasn't for the spikes in the floor, sorcerers attacking you-Y} with their staffs, and rooms that trick you into using your keys on the wrong doors. The game starts off with a good tu-Z}ne and pleasing graphics. Everything is big, bold, and colourfull, and your character and enemies are well drawn. The first-[} level takes a little working out to discover which door not to open, but that shouldn't take you too long. Each of the next-\} levels will try to trick you, making a certain amount of trial and error involved in completing the levels. You must also b-]}e very carefull as you progress as you only have a limited number of lives to play with. If you should lose all of your live-^}s, you will be returned to the start of level 1 when you play again. Overall, DARKNESS HOUR is very enjoyable, and good -_}value for money.The Winner? Out of the three games, THE CURSE was my favourite, but HANS KLOSS and DARKNESS HOUR were-`} also very good. If all of AVALON's games are going to be this good, I will certainly buy every one of them.The Curse - 6.-a}99 + P&PHans Kloss - 5.95 + P&PDarkness Hour - 5.95 + P&PFrom: Micro Discount (021-353-5730)Kevin Cooke.e Curse - 6.,qTHE TURBO BASIC FLYERby Ron Fetzer, OHAUG.Introduction by S.J.Murray, NOSAUG. The Futura Survey reported an interes1c}t in a Turbo BASIC column. Well, the good news is that I have recently received permission from Turbo BASIC programming expe1d}rt Ron Fetzer to publish his excellent newsletter in Futura. The Turbo BASIC Flyer was a quarterly newsletter which ran 1e}from Spring 1989 to Winter 1990. In each issue, Ron included programming tips, Turbo BASIC listings, software and hardware r1f}eviews, and the latest news. In this new column I will be presenting the highlights of Ron Fetzer's Turbo BASIC Flyer. 1g}Although there is an overlap with his excellent Turbo BASIC Programming Kit (NOSAUG PD Disks U23, U24 and U25), I feel an ind1q}b%DOS SYSb)AUTORUN SYSb +PICLOADRBASb"5FUTURA PICbWSHARE b_VIEWDOCSBASb!wINTRO DOCbEDITOR DOCb$NEWS DOCbVSURVEY93DOCb0COMP DOCb*8SOFT1 DOCb bFLYER DOCbtSAMSUNG DOCbBLANKS DOCbYOHAUG DOCbVCS DOCb.DISKPD DOCb*&UPDATE DOCbPINDEX DOCb eFUTURA DOCb.pSOFTDOCSDOCbWORDWIZEDOCb COUNTDWNDOCbSYNTRON2DOCividual Flyer column will be of interest to Futurians. Many of Ron's programming tips and listings from the Flyer were not i1r}ncluded in his Programming Kit. The Turbo BASIC Flyer column will begin in the next issue of Futura. Until then, enjoy 1s}the Turbo BASIC programs on Side B of this disk.SIC Flyer column will begin in the next issue of Futura. Until then, enjoy 01COMPUTER SUPPLIES AND GOOD SERVICE: A REALITY?By S.J.Murray. In the editorial of Futura issue 7, I expressed my conce5u}rn at the poor level of service received from computer supplies companies. Well, I think I can finally say that I've found a5v} good supplier! Linefeed is a small company based in London. They sell blank disks, Banx boxes, Dell monitors, Samsung 5w}printers, Mitsumi CD-ROM drives and Re-inK systems. So far, I've only ordered blank disks but I must say that I've been 5x}very impressed by the quick and efficient service. My last three orders have all arrived within three days!SAMSUNG PRINTER5y}S Linefeed have kindly offered our user group a 5% discount on their already discounted range of Samsung printers. Here5z} are the details: Retail L/Feed NOSAUGSamsung SP09129 Pin Dot Matr5{}ix(80col,215CPS,3fonts) 132.78 109.39Samsung SP242224 Pin Dot Matrix(80col,276CPS,5fonts) 210.33 169.67Samsung SP25|}42124 Pin Dot Matrix(132col,276CPS,5fonts) 327.83 266.79Samsung SP1081ALaser Printer 674.45 557.01Samsung S5}}P1081PLaser Printer 1173.83 992.35Samsung SP1082ALaser Printer 1162.08 951.05Samsung SP1082PLaser Pr5~}inter 1361.83 1148.63 If you are interested in any of the printers above just let me know. VAT is included in 5}the price but delivery is normally 10 pounds. I think the best idea would be for you to send your cheque to me (made payable5} to LINEFEED). I'll then send it to Linefeed and claim the discount for you - I'll also tell them to send the printer direct5} to your address. The printers are Epson compatible and must therefore be used with an interface (the Micro-Print interf5}ace is 32 pounds from Derek Fern). Each printer comes with a one year on-site warranty. I haven't seen any of the Samsu5}ng printers myself but at 109.39 + P&P the SP0912 looks to be very good value. Check out the Samsung range at your local com5}puter store. For further details of Linefeed's product range, send SAE to: Linefeed, 59A Hilda Road, London, E16 4NQ.m4|RUNNING OUT OF BLANKS? As a result of bulk purchasing I can now offer blank disks at affordable prices... 10 x 5.259} DSDD disks - 3.00 pounds 20 x 5.25 DSDD disks - 6.00 pounds 30 x 5.25 DSDD disks - 9.00 pounds P&P is set at 50p p9}er order (30 disks max), i.e. 30 disks for only 9.50! The disks are top quality Atlantic Magnetic disks and are supplied wit9}h sleeves, labels and write-protect tabs. With blank 5.25 disks becoming hard to find in the high street (not to mention9} expensive!), I hope this service will be of help to you.S.J.Murray, NOSAUG.rd to find in the high street (not to mention8PTHE OL' HACKERS ATARI USERS GROUPIntroduction by S.J.Murray, NOSAUG.3rd July, 1993. I have been an Ol' Hacker for o=}nly six months but in that short period of time I have been warmly welcomed into the group as though I'd been a member since =}the beginning. I must admit to hesitancy before sending away my $24 membership dues (it's always the same when currency exch=}ange is involved). However, after receiving my introduction letter and disk, PD Catalogue and the Jan/Feb 1993 Ol' Hackers N=}ewsletter I was in no doubt that my $24 were well spent. I now regularly exchange letters with OHAUG President Alex Pign=}ato, as well as Ron Fetzer and Harold Pegler. I look forward to the arrival of these letters with great anticipation. We di=}scuss everything from computing to politics and I usually send small gifts from Scotland for the OHAUG membership. Alex =}Pignato has kindly given me permission to include back issues of the Ol' Hackers Newsletter in the NOSAUG PD Library. This w=}ill give Futurians the chance to examine the Ol' Hackers Newsletter before deciding whether or not to join OHAUG. (thanks Ale=}x!) It is within these newsletters that you will discover the power of OHAUG. On each disk there is a large amount of q=}uality, informative text which is a joy to read from start to finish. There are also occasional PD programs. The bigges=}t compliment I can give OHAUG is that the Ol' Hackers Newsletter was an influence on the final style of Futura. I opted for =}a large text section because I enjoyed reading all the articles in the Ol' Hackers Newsletter. Alex Pignato has written =}with the following membership details: "We have 65 members at present with the great majority as non-local members, so w=}e are actually more of an international 8-BIT club. Dues, after June 1 are $2.00 per month for unexpired months to December =}31, 1993, and at the same time they must also send in the $24.00 for all of 1993" Therfore, to join OHAUG in October 199=}3 you will be $30 ($6 + $24). This will give you membership until December 1994. OHAUG do not accept credit cards and payme=}nt must be made in US dollars. The easiest way to join from Europe is to send cash dollars by Registered Airmail to the addr=}ess below. Go to the nearest main branch of your bank and exchange your pounds for dollars ($30 = approx. 20 pounds). I can=} highly recommend OHAUG membership! The following article on OHAUG was written by Alex Pignato, OHAUG President. It was=} featured in the May 1993 issue of Current Notes. ------The Ol' Hackers Atari User Group,Inc. (OHAUG)=}A Place to Turn When You Don't Have a Local 8-bit User Groupby Alex Pignato, OHAUG President,GEnie: A.PIGNATO[The follo=}wing article is a 1993 Update to the OHAUG story that appeared in Issue #61 (July 10, 1987) of the now defunct Z*Magazine.]=}In the Beginning It started innocently enough. I read a message on a Bulletin Board System (BBS) from another "poor s=}oul" (Kevin Blaes) who was pleading for help so that he could upload and download with his 835 Atari modem. It had taken me =}six months to get a program to do this with my 1030 Atari modem, so I had A genuine appreciation for his frustration. I left=} him a message to send me a disk with programs on it and I sent back the program he wanted along with other public domain pro=}grams. The exchange of disks between us continued at a rapid pace, each of us trying to outdo the other. Over the next =}1-1/2 years, I kept addressing Kevin as "The Young Hacker," and signed notes as "The Old Hacker." He responded in kind. We =}also spoke on the phone frequently and in short order a friendship evolved. This is part of what computers do for people, it=} makes friends. During this time, I was conversing with Jerry Ginsberg, a lawyer friend, and found that he had an Atari, too=}; but no one in his family was using it. I told him about this "game" machine's potential, and its ability to do countless o=}ther things. Soon, he got hooked, almost as deeply as me. His wife and children got involved to the point where they actual=}ly had to set up a schedule to use the computer! When the Long Island Coliseum had a Computer Electronics Show, Kevin su=}ggested we meet there in person. I brought Jerry with me and the three of us spent a great afternoon at the show. When we s=}aw all that there was to see, we decided to have a chat over a cup of coffee. An hour later, finding it very hard to break u=}p, Jerry suggested that we all meet again at his home in a couple of weeks.OHAUG is Born! When we next met, we each b=}rought Atari friends; and, suddenly, there were about eight in our group. It was suggested that we start a user's group and =}so "The Ol' Hackers Atari Users Group (OHAUG)" was born in December, 1985. I was voted in as President, Kevin as Vice Presid=}ent and Jerry was made Corresponding Secretary. When Jerry's house got too small, we moved over to Tom Carroll's house a=}nd took over his top floor. Tom, who was self employed in the electronic recording field, had a studio with at least three A=}tari 800's (all modified), an IBM., and I don't know how many video cassette recorders. We met once a month on a Saturday af=}ternoon from 12 to 5 PM and had a ball at our informal meetings, exchanging knowledge and data. When the group again got=} too large, we looked for new quarters. Thanks to Jerry, we got permission to use the Plainview Public Library. Interesting=}ly enough, the library was run on Atari 800's, so our group was very welcome.What We're About Our aims are similar to=} other Atari users groups. We exchange knowledge and information with each other and with over 60 other users clubs througho=}ut the United States, Canada and Europe. We have a few members who have technical knowledge and who are constantly looking t=}o make modifications to the hardware. We also have members who are professional programmers for various banks as well as man=}y amateur programmers. The members are all adults and are a cross-section of the community. Our membership includes blue co=}llar workers as well as many white collar professionals. The club brings together people from all walks of life with a commo=}n interest and the results are very warm friendships and growing enjoyment of our 8-bit computers. We are deeply committed t=}o the 8-bit community. For example, we unanimously volunteered to package, stamp and mail over 200 Atari Classics disks, and=} will do so as future issues are made. We understand that at present about 300 people have bought these disks, more than was=} expected. We are also proud to be picked as the July 1987 Z*Magazine User Group of The Month.Monthly Meetings We st=}ill meet at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library on a Saturday of each month. The date changes, so please contact us if=} you are planning to attend. Meetings generally start at 12 noon and the first hour is spent in socializing and setting up t=}he club's equipment. After we have an hour's business meeting, we break for coffee and cake and have a door prize drawing. =}Then we break up into smaller groups for demonstrations and classes until 5 PM. or until we are thrown out of the library! T=}he nicest comment we hear is that the members can't wait for the next meeting. When we're at the meeting, we don't like to l=}eave the library even after the meeting's end at 5 PM.Telecommunication Connection At one time, the club owned its o=}wn BBS, but now we can be reached through two local BBS's, whose SysOps are both members of OHAUG. The BBS's are: The Mach=}ine (516)764-5748 SysOp: Lou Trapani The New Nest (516)234-4943 SysOp: Jim Harris Both BBS's Network with all part=}s of the USA, and NEW NEST also Networks with EUROPE-i.e. GERMANY, NETHERLANDS etc.. My handle on both BBS's is "TRIALA".=}Corresponding Memberships One of the unique things about OHAUG is that we actively support "corresponding members." The=}se are people who can't come to our monthly meetings in person, but are with us in spirit. This is an attractive option to t=}hose who don't have a local user group. OHAUG is a way to stay in touch with fellow Atari 8-bitters. We are proud that =}OHAUG's ranks boast many "famous" 8-bitters, many of whom are corresponding members. They include Ben Poehland (Managing Edi=}tor of Atari Classics magazine), Tom Andrews, Charles Cole, Ron Fetzer, Mark Bensley, Stuart Murray (Editor of FUTURA from Sc=}otland), David Ewens (Editor of England's Tyne & Wear Atari User Group newsletter), Larry Tischbein (Editor of the Lehigh Val=}ley Atari User Group Newsletter), Joseph Hicswa (President of the Jersey Atari Computer Group (JACG)) and Sam Cory (JACG Libr=}arian). The list goes on and on. (Editors Note: Their work has appeared in many mags i.e CURRENT NOTES, ATARI CLASSIC-also =}in the defunct ANTIC and ANALOG mags) So how do we stay in touch with each other--especially with our corresponding memb=}ers? In the beginning, we had the normal hardcopy club newsletter. Now we publish a double sided disk bi-monthly "softcopy"=} newsletter. It's loaded with articles of interest from all over the world, as well as a number of interesting ready to run =}programs. As often as possible, we include the documentation, if available. We exchange our newsletters with over 60 clubs,=} world wide. We have corresponding members in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy as well as all over the United =}States. Recently we've even added a 65XE owner who resides in Moscow! Since he can't obtain American currency we carry him =}just for the honor of doing it. The Cold War is really over! As we exchange letters with our corresponding members across t=}he planet, they have become good friends as well as just members. We respond to problems that any OHAUG member may have.=} Recently a corresponding member wanted to know where he could buy a piece of hardware. Another corresponding member respon=}ded with the needed information. This has happened many times, as can be attested to in the club meeting minutes that appear=} in our newsletter.Are You Ready to Become an Ol' Hacker? We have a Public Domain library of over 300 double sided di=}sks, available to members for $8.00 for 5 disks, post paid. Our annual dues are $24 from January to December and include our=} disk based newsletter. If you join after June, it drops to $12. The rate is the same whether you are a local or correspond=}ing and whether you're in the United States or overseas. If you are a lonely 8-bitter, or if you want more from your 8-b=}it, you are welcome to join us. Send your check or money order made out to Ron Fetzer to:The Ol' Hackers Atari Users Grou=}p, Inc.3376 Ocean Harbor DriveOceanside, NY 11572USA Take care and enjoy the best little micro on the market, even t=}oday! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + + + END? No Way Jose! OHAUG goes on! + =}+ + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + + END? No Way Jose! OHAUG goes on! + <KVCS FUTURA - ISSUE 8THE VCS AT THE MOVIESby S.J.Murray, NOSAUG. There have been many video game versions of populA}ar movies and the VCS has its fair share. The most famous VCS movie cart is RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. I bought it for 29.95 A}from I.C.Games (a local VCS retailer). I think it was 1982. Raiders was (and still is) superb. I remember playing it fA}or weeks and weeks. All my friends were involved in trying to complete the game. We never did! I suppose I could have readA} one of the many published soultions but I felt that would be an injustice to such an excellent cart. I've never really beenA} one for using solutions to adventure games. One of these days I'm going to get back to Raiders and complete it! AnotheA}r famous movie cart is ET: THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL. Again, I bought it for 29.95, except this time it was from a Co-op departmA}ent store. The flop of the ET cart is already well documented. I suppose it was inevitable due to the initial outlay by AtaA}ri. Anyway, at the time, ET was the biggest thing around. If I remember correctly, I think the year was 1983. The ET gA}ame itself wasn't a patch on Raiders. Although it did hold my interest for a while, it missed that extra spark of Raiders. A}Had Atari produced a better game, I've no doubt that ET would have become even bigger than Pacman. The Star Wars movies A}are well represented on the VCS. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, DEATH STAR BATTLE and JEDI ARENA were all released by Parker BrothA}ers. Today, when I think of Parker Brothers all I remember is the Empire cart! Boy, was it a cracker! You had to take on tA}he Imperial Walkers with your little X-wing fighter. It's still one of my favourite shoot-em-ups on the VCS. Jedi ArenaA} is a fun game in which you battle with light-sabers. It's brilliant in 2-player mode! I haven't seen Death Star Battle. A} I suppose the other 'big' movie cart on the VCS is GHOSTBUSTERS by Activision. I loved the 8-Bit version but never got roA}und to buying the VCS cart. Other movie carts to look out for include KRULL by Atari, STAR TREK and BUCK ROGERS by Sega,A} ADVENTURES OF TRON and DEADLY DISKS by M-Network, and JAMES BOND by Parker Brothers. I enjoy recalling these movie cartA}s because it shows that the "game of the movie" was around long before the big movie games of today (Robocop, Batman, etc.).A} The two VCS movie carts I'd most like to own are HALLOWEEN and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE by Wizard Video. Anyone got the A}HALLOWEEN cart?Keep VCS-ing!Stu.ike to own are HALLOWEEN and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE by Wizard Video. Anyone got the @'THE NOSAUG ATARI 8-BIT PD LIBRARYUtilities* U01 - Arc/Unarc Utilities & docs.* U02 - Howfen PD Utilities / Manager 300E}3+.* U03 - Mydos V4.50 & docs.* U04 - Turbo BASIC Power!* U05 - Pantheon View, Superb Print 3 and pics.* U06 - See-Pic & E}pics / Picture Pirate & pics.* U07 - The NOSAUG Palette.* U08 - Textpro V4.54+, Utilities & docs.* U09 - SuperDOS V5.1, UtE}ilities & docs.* U10 - Masks (1050).* U11 - PI9 PicLoader & Pics.* U12 - Degas Read V1.0 / ColorView V2.3.* U13 - DOS 2.5E}, Utilities & MiniManual / DOS 2.5XL & Utilities.* U14 - DOS 4 / DOS XE.* U15 - AMPlifying Antics.* U16 - AMPlifying AnticE}s II.* U17 - Screens & docs.* U18 - Composer's Jukebox II / Music 16* U19 - DeskTop V1.5 & Utilities / Mec DOS & UtilitiesE}.* U20 - AtariView8 Graphics Interchange & pics.* U21 - Draper Pascal & docs.* U22 - Menu Makers / Text Readers.* U23, U2E}4, U25 - Turbo BASIC Programming Kit (3-disk set for 3.95). U23 - Turbo BASIC, Compiler & docs / 39-Page Turbo BASIC ManuaF}l; U24 - Structured Programming I & II; U25 - Turbo BASIC Modules / Documentation.* U26 - Atmospheric Utilities (MoonF}tracker, Sunplotter, Atari Numerologist / Genealogy Database & Family Tree Organizer V4.1, Biorhythms, Julian Calendar).* U2F}7 - The Atari Tutorial.* U28, U29 - Disk Management System (2-disk set for 2.95). U28 - Cleanup, Sticker, Disk Label, DisF}k Envelope, Quick Catalog & Docs. U29 - Catalog & Docs.-----Games* G01 - Tetris Terror.* G02 - The Loaded Brain.F}* G03 - Gold Hunt II+.* G04 - Atomit / Dandy Dungeon.* G05 - Battle Trivial (1050).* G06 - Marios Desert World & Scrids / F}Wheel of Fortune.* G07 - Basketball Pro-Style / Spacer.* G08 - Cosmic Crusaders & Docs.* G09 - Howfen PD Games.* G10 - GrF}eedy Gunther II.* G11 - Type-in Classics.* G12 - Surf's Up / Ski King II.* G13 - Best of Antic Games.* G14 - Microdos PD F}Games 1.* G15 - Microdos PD Games 2.* G16 - Polish ShareWare Games.* G17 - Best of Analog Games.* G18 - Megablast (1050) F}/ Merchant Spaceman (1050).* G19 - Simon Roe's Turbo BASIC Games* G20 - Mind Games (Battle Star 2, Feltron Project, Mind BF }usters / Autocrostics).* G21 - XE Baseball / The NFL.* G22 - Microdos PD Games 3.* G23 - Star Lords / Valley of the Kings.F }* G24 - Ultra Tetris / Texas Holdem Poker V2.1.* G25 - Travelers / Travelers 2.* G26 - Card Games / Ramblin' Gamblin'.* GF }27 - Best of Antic Games 2 (Naval Battle & Miniature Golf Plus).* G28 - Charley's BASIC Games & Programs.* G29 - The NOSAUGF } Casino.-----Demos* D01 - Hobbytronic 1989 / Hobbytronic 1990 (1050).* D02 - Hobbytronic 1991 (1050).* D03 - HobbytF }ronic 1992 (1050).* D04 - Shiny Bubbles (128K) / Video Blitz (128K).* D05 - The Big Demo (1050).* D06 - Howfen Demos.* D0F}7 - Demos 1.* D08 - Alpha Systems Digital Xmas Card.* D09 - Demos 2.* D10 - Demos 3.* D11 - Digital Visions.* D12 - ParrF}ot II Demo / Don't Ask Demos (1050).* D13, D14 - The Halle Project (Hobbytronic 1993) (2-disk set for 2.95).* D15 - World F}of Wonders / Unity Project (1050).* D16 - Digital Data Demo / HeartWare Computer Love Note.* D17 - The Miracle Demo / AtariF} Expo II Demo.* D18 - The Top MegaDemo (parts 1, 2 and 3) (1050).* D19 - Quick Programming Language Demo Disk (1050).---F}--Education* E01 - I Love My Alphabet / S.A.G.E. Kids' Disk.* E02 - NOSAUG Education 1.* E03 - Best of Antic EducationF}.-----PD Disk Mags & Library Disks* II01 - Inside-Info Disk Issue 1 (Issue 38).* II02 - Inside-Info Disk Issue 2 (IsF}sue 39).* MGC11/90 - M.A.G.I.C. Disk Of The Month, November 1990.* MGC12/90 - M.A.G.I.C. Disk Of The Month, December 1990F}.* MGC05/92 - M.A.G.I.C. Disk Of The Month, May 1992 (N.B. Adult program included).* MGC06/92 - M.A.G.I.C. Disk Of The MoF}nth, June 1992 (N.B. Adult program included).* OH01/92 - Ol' Hackers Newsletter, January/February 1992.* OH03/92 - Ol' F}Hackers Newsletter, March/April 1992.* OH05/92 - Ol' Hackers Newsletter, May/June 1992.* OH07/92 - Ol' Hackers Newsletter, F}July/August 1992.* OH09/92 - Ol' Hackers Newsletter, September/October 1992.* OH11/92 - Ol' Hackers Newsletter, November/DeF}cember 1992.* OH01/93 - Ol' Hackers Newsletter, January/February 1993.* OH03/93 - Ol' Hackers Newsletter, March/April 1993.F}* OH05/93 - Ol' Hackers Newsletter, May/June 1993.* SIL1/2 - Silica User Group Disk 1 / Disk 2 (bonus programs included).F}* SIL3/4 - Silica User Group Disk 3 / Disk 4 (bonus programs included).* SIL5/U - Silica User Group Disk 5 / Utilities (bonF}us programs included).* STA1/2 - STart 8-Bit Disk Oct/Nov/Dec 1990 / STart 8-Bit Disk Jan/Feb/Mar 1991.-----N.B. AlF}l disks within the NOSAUG PD Library are, to the very best of our knowledge, in the public domain. However, if you know of aF}ny program or disk within the Library which is not in the public domain please inform us so we can withdraw it. Thank-you.F}----- All NOSAUG PD disks are single density / DOUBLE SIDED disks (unless otherwise stated). UK post and packaging isF } included in the price.Prices (in pounds sterling): 1-4 disks...... 1.95 each. 5-9 disks...... 1.50 each. 10+ disks.F!}..... 1.00 each. Please make cheques/POs payable to S.J.MURRAY and send to:S.J.Murray,NOSAUG,71 Walker Road,Torry,F"}AberdeenAB1 3DL,Scotland.INTERNATIONAL P&P P&P to EC member states is #1 for every ten disks ordered (#1 minimum).F#} P&P to non-EC states is #2 for every ten disks ordered (#2 minimum). All international orders are despatched by airF$}mail. Payment must be in UK pounds. IMOs payable to S.J.MURRAY. Cash is OK, preferably by Registered Airmail.-----COF%}MING SOON: The NOSAUG PD Catalogue featuring full disk contents listings and descriptions. Registered Airmail.-----COD\NOSAUG PD LIBRARYCatalogue & Updates The NOSAUG PD Library Catalogue is almost 50% complete. The Library is still tJ'}aking shape with changes to a small number of disks (see below). Please don't worry about these changes - anyone who orderedJ(} the original titles can upgrade to the new disks free-of-charge. There may be one or two other changes over the next feJ)}w weeks but it will settle down soon (when I'm happy with the contents of EVERY disk). My standards are very high and anythiJ*}ng that slips through the net will be thrown back! Only the VERY best PD will make it onto any NOSAUG PD disk! I have oJ+}ver 300 disks waiting in the wings! These will be examined and organised until only the best survive. Hold onto your hats fJ,}or a new standard in PD! At the NOSAUG PD Library, you'll find both quality and unbeatable value for money. Don't forget - J-}our disks are ALL double-sided!Updates The following updates have been made to the NOSAUG PD Library since the releasJ.}e of Futura issue 7:* U07 is now THE NOSAUG PALETTE (art programs). The QUICK PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE DEMO DISK has been moJ/}ved unaltered to the demo section as D19 (technically, it's a demo, not a utility);* U13 Side B is now DOS 2.5XL & UTILITIJ0}ES. I thought this was better suited to compliment DOS 2.5 et al on Side A;* U26 has been renamed ATMOSPHERIC UTILITIES. J1} No change to content;* G01, TETRIS TERROR, now features Lunacy in place of Tetris and 3D Tetris. The other five Tetris cJ2}lones remain on the disk;* G06 Side B is now WHEEL OF FORTUNE;* G09, G10 and G19 (HOWFEN PD GAMES 1, 2 & 3) have been rJ3}eplaced by a single disk called HOWFEN PD GAMES featuring the best of all three disks. G10 is now GREEDY GUNTHER II. G19 isJ4} now TURBO BASIC GAMES;* G11 (POLE POSITION CON. & ARKANOID EDITOR) has been withdrawn and replaced by TYPE-IN CLASSICS;J5}* D13 & D14 are now THE HALLE PROJECT;* The INSIDE INFO disk mags (issues 40-45) have been temporarily withdrawn until I J6}check them for any duplication with other NOSAUG PD disks. I'm also waiting on the next few issues to arrive from Bill in AuJ7}stralia. I think that's it all for just now. I apologise for these changes but I feel they are necessary in order to cJ8}reate the kind of PD Library I wish to see. The changes above are a result of work carried out on the NOSAUG PD Catalogue. J9}My standards have become even higher than they were when the Library was first started! I still have to catalog a few games J:}disks, most of the demo disks and the Inside Info disks mentioned above. There may be one or two changes to these. PleaJ;}se do not worry about these changes. As I've briefly mentioned already, if you've ordered any of the updated disks detailed J<}above or any which may be changed from the current list, you will have the opportunity to swap disks at any time. It is thosJ=}e of you who have supported the Library over these first few months who have allowed it to grow and develop. I will not forgJ>}et this when updating disks. Again, just let me know if you would like to swap your original disk for the updated version (aJ?}ny postage incurred will be fully refunded). The Library will soon be ready to accept many new disks. I feel it is bettJ@}er to make any changes now rather than at a later date. Once the NOSAUG PD Library Catalogue is complete there will be no chJA}anges to the disks on offer. However, please do not wait for the catalogue. If you fancy some new PD software check outJB} the DISKPD file on this disk for current listings. Your order will help to fund the development of the Library. I've decidJC}ed to hold the disks at one pound per disk (for 10 or more) until the catalogue is released. There will then be a small chanJD}ge to the price scale with disks remaining at 1.00 to 1.95 depending on how many you purchase. True value for money! I JE}have managed to find some time to add a few new disks to the library:The Atari Tutorial (U27) A fun tutorial disk forJF} those new to Atari BASIC. It originally covered three disk sides but I've managed to squeeze the complete tutorial onto oneJG} disk. I left out the useless computing applications section.Disk Management System (U28 & U29 - 2-disk set for 2.95) JH} This is another powerful utility package from OHAUG. There are six programs which together will help you to organise your JI}software collection. The first disk (U28) is packed with the five main programs and docs. Disk U29 contains the original 'CJJ}atalog' program with docs. I've left these disks exactly as OHAUG produced them. They received very favourable reviews in AJK}merican publications.The Halle Project - Hobbytronic 1993 (D13 & D14 - 2-disk set for 2.95) I've just replaced D13 anJL}d D14 with the wonderful Halle Project demo; the official continuation of the ABBUC Hobbytronic Demo series. You have to seeJM} the amazing effect in the Visdom Demo (Part II)!Ol'Hacker's Newsletter disks (OH01/92 - OH05/93) See OHAUG.DOC for mJN}ore details of this interesting and informative disk-based newsletter.Segaiscrap! (Keep 8-Bitting!)S.J.Murray, NOSAUJO}G PD.tails of this interesting and informative disk-based newsletter.Segaiscrap! (Keep 8-Bitting!)S.J.Murray, NOSAUHFUTURA INDEX (1-6) I thought you might find this Futura Index useful when searching for an article or program:FUTURNQ}A ISSUE 1 - MAY/JUNE 1992Text: Editorial, AMS5 Show Report, BASIC 101, The Game Machine, Diamond, InfoFile, MyCopyR, See-YNR}a!.Programs: ViewDocs, MyCopyR, Let's Hop, Total Recall, SpeedScript 3.0, Cyrtabor, To Kill a Commodore, Font Maker, RescuNS}e Mission 2, How To Meet Cows, SpeedScript Customizer, Bomb Jack (Gun Powder Charlie).FUTURA ISSUE 2 - JUL/AUG 1992Text:NT} Editorial, 8-Bit News, Show Report, Inside Atari BASIC, Diamond, InfoFile.Programs: ViewDocs, Triple Crown Racing, ThinkNU} & Work, Atari Drum Machine, Laser Demo, Quadromania XL, Sound Monitor Professional, Jump.FUTURA ISSUE 3 - SEP/OCT 1992TNV}ext: Introduction, Editorial, 8-Bit News, Inside Atari BASIC (Pt 2), Disk PD, Cassette PD, NOSAUG Bargains, VCS Futura, 8-BiNW}t Trivia, Humour, Top Ten, Elite, GRASS Calculator Docs, InfoFile.Programs: ViewDocs, FuncTest, Arabic Converter, GRASS CaNX}lculator, International Bridge Contractors, Trajectory, Multi-File Copy 2, Tetris 3D, Jane's Program, File2DOS Converter, CriNY}llion, Aliens, Speed Start Initializer 3.FUTURA ISSUE 4 - NOV/DEC 1992Text: Introduction, Editorial, 8-Bit News, AMS6 SNZ}how Report, 8-Bit Trivia, Inside Atari BASIC (Pt 3), Atari Classics Information, Atari Classics Review, 8-Bit Charts, DiamondN[}, VCS Futura, Archer McLean Profile, Deathzone Docs, Futura, InfoFile.Programs: ViewDocs, Shop Steward, Visions, PicLoadR,N\} Howfen DOS V3.07, Howfen Tape to Disk, Deathzone, Super Duper, 130XE One-Pass Copier, Mega Disk Dupe, Videostop, PassionatelN]}y, Munich Demo, Cuttlemania, My Jong, Manager 3003, Manager 3003 Print1029, Cecil, XL/XE Translator.FUTURA ISSUE 5 - JAN/FN^}EB 1993Text: Introduction, Editorial, 8-Bit News, Inside Atari BASIC (Pt 4), 8-Bit Software Scene, Hints & Cheats, ProtectN_}ion, 8-Bit Trivia, Diamond, Futura Competition, VCS Futura, NOSAUG Bargains, Cassette PD, Futura, InfoFile.Programs: ViewDN`}ocs, Gumballs, Munchy Madness, PicLoadR, DeskTop V1.5, Flip, Visdom Demo, Master Blazer, Calendar, Conversion Program, ARS MaNa}ker.FUTURA ISSUE 6 - MAR/APR 1993Text: Introduction, Editorial, 8-Bit News, Futura: PD or not PD?, Software Scene, FutuNb}ra Competition, Diamond, Hints & Cheats, Horse Racing Docs, VCS Futura, Futura Feedback, 8-Bit Trivia, Atari 8-Bit Book ShelfNc}, NOSAUG Bargains, NOSAUG Disk PD, NOSAUG Cassette PD, Futura Subscription Information, InfoFile.Programs: ViewDocs, SpideNd}r, Color Helper V4.0, Capture the Flag, PicLoadR, Turbo BASIC, Horse Racing, Random Music Maker, Word Count, Loan, HexaDeci.L}FUTURA SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONNew issues:Futura issue 8 - Jul/Aug 1993Futura issue 9 - Sep/Oct 1993 (available mid-OcRf}t)Futura is available in the following formats:UK ORDERSDisk............................ 1.956-ISSUE DISK SUBSCRIPTIONRg}...... 11.00Cassette & Printed Copy......... 3.95Cassette of programs............ 2.95Back issue disks 1-7 are now only 1Rh}.50 each.Special offer: The first six disk issues for only 6.00!Please make cheques/POs payable to S.J.MURRAY.INTERNATIRi}ONAL (NON-UK) ORDERSEUROPEAN COMMUNITY MEMBER STATESPrice in UK poundsDisk............................ 2.506-ISSUE DISKRj} SUBSCRIPTION...... 14.00Cassette & Printed Copy......... 5.00Back issue disks 1-7 are now only 2.00 each.Special offer: Rk} The first six disk issues for only 9.00!Cash is OK; preferable by Registered Airmail. IMO's payable to S.J.MURRAY.ELSEWHRl}EREPrice in UK pounds (cash dollars)Disk...................... 3.00 ($5)6-ISSUE DISK SUBSCRIPTION. 17.00 ($28)Cassette Rm}& Printed Copy... 6.00 ($10)Back issue disks 1-7 are now only 2.50 ($4) each.Special offer: The first six disk issues foRn}r only 12.00 ($18)!Cash is OK; preferably by Registered Airmail. IMOs payable to S.J.MURRAY.Dollar payments must be in casRo}h.Become a Futurian and send to...S.J.Murray,NOSAUG,71 Walker Road,Torry,AberdeenAB1 3DL,Scotland. must be in casPnSOFTWARE DOCS - FUTURA ISSUE 8 This issue brings you more new software - the lifeblood of our machine! I'd like to thVq}ank NOSAUG member Simon Roe (of Number Buster fame) for submitting his excellent Turbo BASIC games, WordWize and Countdown, fVr}or inclusion on this Futura disk. He tells me that he has many more programs in the pipeline! Well done Simon - keep up theVs} good work! I hope you enjoy your NOSAUG PD disks. Also on this disk is a powerful sector editor, three Turbo BASIC demVt}os and two machine code games. Enjoy! Here are the details...WORDWIZECOUNTDOWNSYNTRON 2 Documentation for thesVu}e games can be found as individual DOC files on this disk.TURBOTOOL V2.6 This is an old sector editor which has been Vv}updated and improved with Turbo BASIC. Version 2.6 is now a very powerful PD program (just as good as many commercial editorVw}s!).TurboTool Options (at Command prompt)M - Return to Menu (any key to return)P - Print screenS - Show SectorW - WritVx}e SectorD - DirectoryC - Convert NumbersT - Trace File+ - Ahead one sector- - Back one sector For those of you whoVy} are new to sector editing I'll take you through the first steps with the use of an example edit. Just follow these steps CAVz}REFULLY...(1) Format a blank disk (with DOS Option P).(2) Write DOS files to the disk (with DOS Option H).(3) Delete thV{}e DUP.SYS file (with DOS Option D).(4) Copy the AUTORUN.SYS file from Side-B of Futura issue 7 onto your new disk (use DOS V|}Option C).(5) You are now ready to begin using TurboTool 2.6. Load TurboTool from Side B of this Futura disk. TAKE YOUR FV}}UTURA DISK OUT OF THE DRIVE! Insert the formatted disk with DOS.SYS and AUTORUN.SYS on it.(6) Press any key to exit the meV~}nu and enter the editor screen.(7) Enter S (Show Sector) at the Command prompt. Follow this by entering the sector number V}44. Sector 44 of will now be displayed on the screen. You will notice the familar message "DOS 2.5 Starter by uf" at the toV}p right of your TV screen (under the Atasci column). If this message is not there please check that you've performed all of V}the above steps correctly.(8) If the message is displayed, enter E at the Command prompt to edit the sector and move the cuV}rsor to the top row of the Hex column with the CONTROL and ARROW keys (the 8 two-figure entries in the Hex column represent tV}he 8 entries in the same row of the Atasci column).(9) Move the cursor along the top line of the Hex column to the last twoV} entries. They should read 44 and 4F. Change these (by writing over them) to 41 and 54. Press Return (lines must be editedV} individually). Don't worry, nothing will happen to your disk yet!(10) You will now be back at the Command prompt. Enter V}E again to continue editing the sector and move the cursor to the second-top line of the Hex column. The eight entries shoulV}d read: 53 20 32 2E 35 2D 53 74Change these (by again writing over them) to the following... 41 52 49 20 38 2V}D 42 49Next, press Return.(11) Again, enter E to continue editing. Now move up to the third line down of the Hex columnV} and change the eight entries to the folowing... 54 20 50 52 4F 47 52 41Press Return.(12) Enter E, move to fourth V}line down and change the first THREE entires to the following... 4D 53 20Leave the other five entries alone and presV}s Return. The top of the Atasci column should now read ATARI 8-BIT PROGRAMS.(13) At the prompt, enter W to Write Sector toV} disk. At the usual confirmation prompt, enter Y to write the sector to sector 44 on your disk.(14) Finally, transfer a maV}chine code program to your disk, e.g. SYNTRON.COM from Futura issue 7 (use DOS Option O) ,lock all files on the disk with DOSV} Option F (optional) and boot the disk WITHOUT BASIC. A binary file menu will autoboot with the title "ATARI 8-BIT PROGRAMS"V} instead of the usual "DOS 2.5 Starter by uf".That's it! You've edited a sector! Obviously, you can enter anything yoV}u want onto any sector you want. The complete conversion table for Hex to ATASCII can be found in any good Atari 8-Bit book V}(pp.101-110 in the 130XE Owner's Manual). Here are some conversions to get you going (Hex - ATASCII):41 42 43 44 45 46 47 V}48 49 4A 4B 4CA B C D E F G H I J K L4D 4E 4F 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58M N O P Q R S T U V W XV}59 5AY Z Use these figures to change the title in the our example AUTORUN.SYS file to anything you want. Most impoV}rtantly: experiment, have fun and don't use your original Futura disks!TURBO BASIC DOES WILD THINGS DEMO This is a poV}werful little Turbo BASIC demo which shows the versatility of the TEXT command. It will return to the menu upon completion.V}FRACTAL DRAGONS 1 & 2 With the growing interest in Fractal Art, I thought these demos might be of interest to you. BoV}th will return to the menu.TRONG Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for good 2-player games but I love this game! TrongV} can only be described as a cross between Tron Light Cycles and Pong (TR-ONG!). Press Select after the program has loadeV}d to show the Trong title. Press your joystick button to begin play. The gameplay is simple... You and an opponent must batV}tle against each other by forcing the moving ball into your opponents goal. You do this by moving your 'light cycle' (worm?)V} about the screen and making contact with the ball. Simple concept, simple graphics, simple sound and yet... GREAT GAMEPV}LAY! Invite a friend round and let battle commence!Look out for more great programs in the next issue.Stuart J. MurrayV}, NOSAUG.te a friend round and let battle commence!Look out for more great programs in the next issue.Stuart J. MurrayT WORDWIZEBy Simon Roe The inspiration for this program came from everybody's favourite (!) game 'Hangman'. WordWize iZ}s a non-violent version in which you don't get to hang the man! During loading, you will have to wait for a short time wZ}hilst the program reads through the word dictionary to store the location of records in the file. When you start a game Z}you are given three lives. For each life you are allowed to enter nine incorrect (non-existent) letters before you lose a liZ}fe. Of course, when you have lost all of your lives the game is over. On the second line of the screen, you will see a Z}message line. Here the program will inform you as to what is happenning. On the next seven lines there are three boxes. Z} The first box (on the left hand side) is the 'Letter Box'. This displays all of the letters that haven't been used in normZ}al characters, and letters that have been used in lowercase inverse characters. The centre box shows the top five high sZ}cores. These scores can be saved, printed and loaded at any stage in the game. The last box (on the right-hand side of Z}the screen) displays the 'Bonus Status'. Here you will notice five blank boxes. Every time you get a word right you are awaZ}rded a bonus point, until you reach five, then you are given a bonus score of between 1 and 30. If you lose a life, then theZ} bonus points are reduced to zero. The next line on the screen shows the word that you have to guess. Any characters thZ}at are yet to be found are shown by an underscore character. Any characters that you guess correctly are filled in here. Z} The next line on the screen displays your score, the number of lives you have left, the number of goes remaining and finallZ}y the length of the word. The next six lines are used by the program to display various prompts.Scoring: Each tiZ}me you reveal a letter in the word, you are awarded one point which is added to your score. When you have revealed all the lZ}etters in the word then the length of the word is added to your score, i.e. 9 characters = 9 points.Other features: PZ}ressing the ESCape key when asked to enter a letter will bring up the menu below: Q-Quit ESC-Return to game Load, SavZ}e or Print high scores Pressing the ESCape key again will return to the game. Pressing the 'Q' key will quit the prZ}ogram. Pressing the 'L' key will load the high score data from disk. (WORDWIZE.HI) Pressing the 'S' key will save tZ}he current high score data onto disk. Pressing the 'P' key will print the high scores on a printer if one is attached.Z}----- The WordWize editor programs for creating your own words are available on NOSAUG PD Disk G19 (Simon Roe's Turbo Z}BASIC Games).he WordWize editor programs for creating your own words are available on NOSAUG PD Disk G19 (Simon Roe's Turbo XCOUNTDOWNBy Simon Roe The object of Countdown is to make the five columns on the screen all equal to zero in the leas^}t possible moves. You make a move by taking a randomly selected number (1 to 9) and choosing a column (1 to 5) to deduct the^} number from. If the number in the column is positive, then the random number is deducted from the selected column. If ^}the number in the column is negative, then the random number is added. Every time you select a column to be deducted the^}n that is classed as a move. At the top of the screen is a high score board with five ratings. Each one is shown with a nam^}e and the number of moves taken. Should you achieve a lower number of moves than any on the high score board, then you will ^}be requested to enter your name (7 characters). Pressng the ESCape key when asked to enter the column number will bring ^}up the menu below : Q-Quit ESC-Return to game Load, Save or Print high scores Pressing the ESCape key again will^} return to the game. Pressing the 'Q' key will quit the program. Pressing the 'L' key will load the high score data^} from disk. (COUNTDWN.HI) Pressing the 'S' key will save the current high score data onto disk. Pressing the 'P' ke^}y will print the high scores on a printer if one is attached.the current high score data onto disk. Pressing the 'P' ke\>SYNTRON 2Escape From Syntron The first thing you'll probably notice upon starting this game is the slow-ness of our hb}ero. This was done PURPOSELY, because you will need to be able to control him in a pinch. The hero can be hard to control ab}t first, but you'll get used to him. The object of this game is not to score points, but to make your way down to your sb}paceship. There are 3 keys (they are admittedly strange looking keys, kind of ball-shaped) for each level, and they'll be inb} the same place every time, so mapping the cave would be a good idea. A funny looking M appears throughout the cave fromb} time to time; this is called a Mysterian. Most of the time when you touch it, you will be given a blue shield which in effeb}ct gives you an extra life (you can only wear one shield at a time, by the way). Every once in a while, however, you will dib}e if you touch the Mysterian. The odds are on your side, but there is a risk involved. As for the keys, understand thatb} the doors to the next level down will be blocked until you find all three keys on that particular level. If I can give you b}one helpful hint, it is that, again, you don't have to shoot at every monster you see. Get in, get what you need, and get oub}t is, I think, a good philosophy. Finally, a word about the monsters. The block-shaped ones are the most dangerous, becb}ause they are 'breeders.' They spawn the smaller, oval beings. As you work your way down to the higher (or lower?) levels, b}you will notice their breeding activity increasing.Good luck! SYNTRON 2, as well as all my other games, including THEb} MANSION OF IZOR and AROP, is free. If, however, you are dying to send me money, I won't turn it down. My address:4450 Mob}bile Drive #210Columbus, OH 43220 If you have any comments or questions about my games, feel free to send me email.JOb}N SNYDER,26th January 1991.43220 If you have any comments or questions about my games, feel free to send me email.JO`