What do you now know many years later

General software. From trouble with the Banyan Tree to OCP Art Studio, post any general software chat here. Could include game challenges...
akeley
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by akeley »

Gosh, it's a great thing that we're on a retro computing site with "no politics" rule, and I don't have to say what I think about the "honours" system 8-)
MrBlaz
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by MrBlaz »

Joefish wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 3:36 pm
MrBlaz wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 3:14 pm I'm amazed at spechums like you having so deep knowledge about Knight lore.
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I know, sorry :D
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RWAC
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by RWAC »

Ralf wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:01 pm Quite recently I read a comment that Clive Sinclair becoming sir Clive Sinclair wasn't as big, exceptional deal as sometimes presented.
I bet he doesn't even know how to ride a horse.
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Joefish
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Joefish »

I never got the hang of the canter either, but the riding centre certainly knew how to charge!
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druellan
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by druellan »

presh wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 6:02 pm I now understand (from Bob Pape's book, I think) that they used higher-powered computers to assemble the code, then flashed it into the Speccy's memory via the I/O port at the back. Neat!
Same here. It was interesting to discover Manic Miner was programmed that way, using a TR-80 if I'm not mistaken, an expensive machine, and I was really not aware of the widespread use of the microdrive in the industry.
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

I knew many years later that Clive Sinclair was a member of Mensa, the high HQ society. I think I read it in a SU article.
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Alessandro
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Alessandro »

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:15 am I knew many years later that Clive Sinclair was a member of Mensa, the high HQ society. I think I read it in a SU article.
Not just a member, but the chairman of the UK branch of Mensa for 17 years, actually.
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bluespikey
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by bluespikey »

You can drive towards that smoking volcano on the horizon of 3D Tank Duel, but you'll never arrive.

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bluespikey
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by bluespikey »

RWAC wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 5:13 pm
Ralf wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:01 pm Quite recently I read a comment that Clive Sinclair becoming sir Clive Sinclair wasn't as big, exceptional deal as sometimes presented.
I bet he doesn't even know how to ride a horse.
Clive sinclair never rode mere horses. Fnar fnar fnar fnar.

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schneil
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by schneil »

I could have saved myself a lot of lines at Geography with Mr Withit in Skooldaze.

There's not enough seats - so I always used to get lines for sitting on the floor or standing up.
The solution is to follow Mr Withit into the room and hide behind him as he turns around. The blackboard is a map, so he never clears it.
Then just stay there and catapult the class
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Sokurah
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Sokurah »

bluespikey wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:35 am
RWAC wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 5:13 pm I bet he doesn't even know how to ride a horse.
Clive sinclair never rode mere horses. Fnar fnar fnar fnar.

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I think you'll learn that in the shown cases it's the horses that are riding him ;) :lol:
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My games for the Spectrum: Dingo, The Speccies, The Speccies 2, Vallation & Sqij.
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

The brand of the petrol station in Everyone's a Wally, 'Bee Pee'. It got it after almost 30 years...

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bluespikey
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by bluespikey »

Theres this one screen in Starquake very near to where you begin (Just keep running left).

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There is always something useful on the screen. In this case theres a core segment.

However to get back to a hoverpad you either have to expand all your bridges to get up to the screen above, or run a long way to the right and down.

I used to play Starquake a lot and could complete the game most goes without needing to refer to a map. BUT I had no idea there were secret passages. On this screen, you just simply run into the wall on the left, and on the next screen you are immediately given a hoverpad.
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

In Robin of the Wood, a game in which that I've never progressed much, I thought the archery contest was the last level/stage.

But the aim of the game is only getting the three magic arrows that enables you to enter the contest.
Ste Woz Ere
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Ste Woz Ere »

That Chaos has combat tables for every creature. (found on the Tipshop entry)
Still doesn't help me figure out how the combat actually works, or why 80%-chance spells fail a lot more than that.
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clebin
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by clebin »

I just discovered Anfractuous is a real word.

anfractuous [ an-frak-choo-uhs ] adjective
1. characterized by windings and turnings; sinuous; circuitous:
an anfractuous path.

Definitely an exception to the rule - don't bother looking up Nonterraqueous in the dictionary!
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by +3code »

clebin wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:09 pm Definitely an exception to the rule - don't bother looking up Nonterraqueous in the dictionary!
Well, "Non terraqueous" sounds as "not from Earth" in Latin or so.
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clebin
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by clebin »

+3code wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:25 amWell, "Non terraqueous" sounds as "not from Earth" in Latin or so.
Good point!
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Spud
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Spud »

cmal wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 8:48 pm I never knew that turbo mode in Bomb Jack made you jump higher. I never even bothered to try it because I assumed it made the game run faster.
Therefore I could never pass the 5th level and figured there's some trick to passing the level. Thanks to the HSC contest I found this out.
I'm pretty sure the max height of the jumps in turbo mode is the same as normal mode, you just don't need to press up and jump to go higher in turbo mode like you would in normal.
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R-Tape
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by R-Tape »

clebin wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:09 pm I just discovered Anfractuous is a real word.

anfractuous [ an-frak-choo-uhs ] adjective
1. characterized by windings and turnings; sinuous; circuitous:
an anfractuous path.
Your challenge for the week is to use it in regular conversation!
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clebin
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by clebin »

R-Tape wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:13 pm Your challenge for the week is to use it in regular conversation!
"Shall we walk the quick way home?"
"No Darling, let's go the anfractuous way today."
:lol:
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MarkRJones1970
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by MarkRJones1970 »

I only realised a few years ago that 'Alien 8' is a play on the word 'Alienate'! :roll:
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

MarkRJones1970 wrote: Sat Nov 28, 2020 6:53 am I only realised a few years ago that 'Alien 8' is a play on the word 'Alienate'! :roll:
Same here!
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blucey
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by blucey »

That a 'purdy' is a shotgun.

Terrible text adventure and scientifically the hardest ever game ever made, Denis Thru The Drinking Glass, has it as an item. I remember playing the game as a kid and asking my brother (at the time in his 20s) and mum (50 something) what a 'purdy' was. They didn't know. Neither did the OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY.

I mentioned it on the other Speccy forum and it turns out it's a 'Purdey' which is a brand of shotgun.

Worst game.
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cmal
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Re: What do you now know many years later

Post by cmal »

Harrier Attack was one of the first games I got for the Speccy. But I never could complete it. I kept on dying for no reason at a random place somewhere in the game so I assumed it was a bug. I only found out this week that you are supposed to dodge those dots in the sky. :oops:
So now I just completed it. Yay!

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