BBS memories

[Grig]

Do you remember the BBS you were on the most back in the 80s? Bakersfield did not have much in the ways of BBS's. I remember constantly visiting the Dew Drop Inn for my Commodore cracks and some Dungeon Castle type name for the Atari cracks (I can't remember the name). I think they were both run out of the Midwest so my parents got me my own phone line and I paid for the long distance with chore money (it did get expensive but it was worth getting some of the new cracked games). I attempted my own BBS for awhile but Bakersfield was just not very Atari 8 bit friendly - it was more of a C64 town. Anyway, I remember getting Epyx Karate Champ for Atari from a BBS - it was one of my favorites for a long time. Anyone else with some good BBS memories? Any former Sysops?

[20ohm20]

I ran a C-Net BBS on a C64 from late-1985 until around October of 1988. Then I ran a Wildcat! BBS from early 1992 until late 1994. I'm seriously considering about starting up another one with a 800XL I have, but not until after I move.

 

I called my first BBS in 1983 using a Commodore 64 and a 300 baud VicModem. I continued to call them until a few months after I got a dial-up "internet" account with Netcom in 1994, which is around the time I closed the BBS I was running. I didn't use a modem to call a BBS again until 2008 or 2009...

 

When I was in high school (mid 1980's) there was no less than 15-18 BBS's within my local calling area, not including my own. All but a couple were C64 BBS's; one was an Atari BBS (I think) and one was a multi-line BBS running on a PC of some kind with custom software. BBS "gatherings" were a monthly thing, which usually involved a dozen people getting together in the banquet room at Pizza Hut with a few C64's and multiple 1541's to copy wArEZ.

 

I really, really miss BBS culture. :/

[Grig]

I ran a C-Net BBS on a C64 from late-1985 until around October of 1988. Then I ran a Wildcat! BBS from early 1992 until late 1994. I'm seriously considering about starting up another one with a 800XL I have, but not until after I move.

 

I called my first BBS in 1983 using a Commodore 64 and a 300 baud VicModem. I continued to call them until a few months after I got a dial-up "internet" account with Netcom in 1994, which is around the time I closed the BBS I was running. I didn't use a modem to call a BBS again until 2008 or 2009...

 

When I was in high school (mid 1980's) there was no less than 15-18 BBS's within my local calling area, not including my own. All but a couple were C64 BBS's; one was an Atari BBS (I think) and one was a multi-line BBS running on a PC of some kind with custom software. BBS "gatherings" were a monthly thing, which usually involved a dozen people getting together in the banquet room at Pizza Hut with a few C64's and multiple 1541's to copy wArEZ.

 

I really, really miss BBS culture. :/

 

That is just superb. I do remember the gatherings - we usually met at either Rusty's pizza (sadly, a Bakersfield pizza icon from the 70s and 80s that is gone) and sometimes at Shakey's pizza (BEST pizza and chicken - plus they had arcade classics - Moon Patrol, Ms Pac-Man, Track & Field, Punch Out, Star Wars - they are also gone). BBS culture was the best. Guys (and girls!!!!) would come together and have a great time and talk shop. It is sadly and sorely missed

 

Sometimes we would bring our newest games. I remember when my friend Renee got Congo Bongo. We had so much fun playing that game. Then she copied the cart onto tape and disk for a bunch of us. Best of times.

[FalcoPhoenix808]

I used to log in to a lot of local BBS's around here. There were only a couple really good ones, and a few okay ones. The best one by far was one called PC Universe, would play Trade Wars 2002, BRE, LORD, and LOW (Think it was called Land of Waste..was a post-nuclear war RPG type game) but I loved playing DOOR games. A couple of the BBS's around here had Wildcat, a couple others had WWIV, one had PBBS, and I remember one using Excalibur software. Another BBS called Pegasus I would dial into every once in awhile, which had a respectible amount of DOOR games, but PC Universe gave you more turns and unlimited access for a better price. Can't tell you how many shareware titles I would download from those places. I still access some BBS through telnet, but unfortunately the last BBS in my area closed down in 1997.

[the-topdog]

I had posted about my experiences in a previous BBS topic. http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/188224-bbss-the-original-internet/page__view__findpost__p__2378419

 

I simply loved the BBS days... there was something magical about them thet the Internet just can't replicate with its information overload.

[Keatah]

Warez and the Apple II. Best of times no doubt. I still have all my BBS hardware and software. All of it!

[Grig]

Warez and the Apple II. Best of times no doubt. I still have all my BBS hardware and software. All of it!

 

I wish I had kept my Atari BBS hookup, just for nostalgia. A buddy of mine had an Apple IIe during that time and he got some game from a BBS - it was a side scrolling game - a plane that had to shoot other planes and bomb tanks on the ground. It was a difficult game but fun. The green Apple monitor was the best.

[Atari Smeghead]

Here in the Lansing, Michigan area, we had a treasure trove of BBS activity back in the day. In late 1984, I called my first BBS using my Atari 400 (upgraded to 48k and a "real" keyboard") and the used Atari 835 direct connect 300 baud modem I bought at a CHAOS (Capital Hill Atari Owners Society) auction for $52. (I still have that modem - I use it as a stand for the monitor I'm staring at right now.)

 

I started my own BBS on 11/25/1985 with an 800, a couple of 1050 disk drives, and a 300 bps Hayes Smartmodem. I ran Magrathea (later changed the name to The Fletcher Memorial Home) using a couple of different BBS programs. First I used BBCS (Bulletin Board Construction Set) but it was too buggy, so I switched to Nite Lite. After a couple of years, I moved on to the ST and a 2400 bps Hayes knockoff, and evenaully ran with Nite Lite's Spyder interface, which allowed three lines and the SysOp to be logged on at the same time. Maggie/Fletch was a writer's BBS, with lots of short stories, funny articles, and a rocking message base.

 

The cool thing about the BBS scene in Lansing was the sheer number of BBSs. In its heyday, we had over 80 BBSs. Not only that, but our community was tied together with MSG, the Modem Support Group. It was a group that put out a monthly LBL (Lansing BBS List), had a yearly picnic and even a yearly awards show called the HC Modemer awards. People voted on various categories like Best BBSer, Best BBS, Most Memarable Messager, etc, and we had a ceremony at a restaurant where we gave out paper awards. We had 7 awards shows from 1989-94, and 9 picnics from 1986-94.

 

A few of us still get together for a yearly reunion picnic we call BURP, BBS Users Reunion Picnic. We had the 12th picnic last August, with maybe a dozen of us.

 

I used to use PC Persuit to call out-of-state BBSs (after I stopped phreaking and went legit, of course), but Lansing had plenty to offer, with BBSs run on PCs, Ataris, C-64s, TRS-80s, Apples, and even a CoCo.

 

Those were some good times!

Smeg

[Grig]

Ah, yes. Phreaking. I forgot about that. I think most of us BBS'ers phreaked a bit back in the day, but we all eventually went legit (right?). That's awesome that you still get together with your BBS group. I did that for awhile in Bakersfield and for a few years when I (sadly) lived in Fresno. We used to meet at the mall on Blackstone (it was crawling with thugs) and exchange programs, mags, tips, etc. It seems like I am the only one from both of those groups who still loves the 8 bit computers. Thanks for the memory jog - BBCS was the program i ran on my 130XE. It was very buggy, I remember that as well.

[Keatah]

Edited February 1, 2012 by Keatah

[Grig]

 

THAT'S IT!!! What is the name of that game? I don't own an Apple IIe anymore, but can it be run on an emulator?

[Keatah]

StarBlazer from Br0derbund Software..

 

Get Applewin http://applewin.berlios.de/

Get StarBlazer http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/ftp.apple.asimov.net/images/games/action/starblaz.zip

[Grig]

Thanks for the name and for the links - I am going to give it a whirl! Didn't Broderbund make superb Apple II games? My first experience playing a Broderbund game was Lode Runner on my friend's Apple IIe (he also had Print Shop, another superb broderbund program). Best version of Lode Runner is the Apple version in my opinion.

[The Usotsuki]

And Jordan Mechner's masterpiece started out on the Apple //e released by Brøderbund.

 

(referring to Prince of Persia)

[Grig]

Yup. PoP was easier to play using the keyboard on the IIe. I never really liked the original Apple controller.

[Atari Smeghead]

Ah, yes. Phreaking. I forgot about that. I think most of us BBS'ers phreaked a bit back in the day, but we all eventually went legit (right?). That's awesome that you still get together with your BBS group. I did that for awhile in Bakersfield and for a few years when I (sadly) lived in Fresno. We used to meet at the mall on Blackstone (it was crawling with thugs) and exchange programs, mags, tips, etc. It seems like I am the only one from both of those groups who still loves the 8 bit computers. Thanks for the memory jog - BBCS was the program i ran on my 130XE. It was very buggy, I remember that as well.

 

Man, I don't think I've run into anyone else who knew what BBCS was! How cool! I did not want to run a cookie-cutter BBS like FoReM or AMIS, but one more like TBBS where any letter could be assigned to any function. Nite Lite was the same way as BBCS, only it wasn't buggy, so I switched to that and never looked back.

 

Our phreaking was, primarily, using Sprint access codes, giving us free long distance until they invalidated the code. Then we'd go to the next one on the list.

 

And Jordan Mechner's masterpiece started out on the Apple //e released by Brøderbund.

 

(referring to Prince of Persia)

Funny you guys should talk about Apple II games. Back in high school, when my friend Mark and I should've been working on our programming skills, we were busy playing Aztec - another Broderbund green-screen classic! (Okay, I just looked it up and I was wrong - Atzec was done by Datamost.) There is an A8 version and I love playing it, but it's not quite the same. "Blow a hole!"

 

Cheers,

Smeg

Edited February 2, 2012 by Atari Smeghead

[Grig]

Ah, yes. Phreaking. I forgot about that. I think most of us BBS'ers phreaked a bit back in the day, but we all eventually went legit (right?). That's awesome that you still get together with your BBS group. I did that for awhile in Bakersfield and for a few years when I (sadly) lived in Fresno. We used to meet at the mall on Blackstone (it was crawling with thugs) and exchange programs, mags, tips, etc. It seems like I am the only one from both of those groups who still loves the 8 bit computers. Thanks for the memory jog - BBCS was the program i ran on my 130XE. It was very buggy, I remember that as well.

 

Man, I don't think I've run into anyone else who knew what BBCS was! How cool! I did not want to run a cookie-cutter BBS like FoReM or AMIS, but one more like TBBS where any letter could be assigned to any function. Nite Lite was the same way as BBCS, only it wasn't buggy, so I switched to that and never looked back.

 

Our phreaking was, primarily, using Sprint access codes, giving us free long distance until they invalidated the code. Then we'd go to the next one on the list.

 

And Jordan Mechner's masterpiece started out on the Apple //e released by Brøderbund.

 

(referring to Prince of Persia)

Funny you guys should talk about Apple II games. Back in high school, when my friend Mark and I should've been working on our programming skills, we were busy playing Aztec - another Broderbund green-screen classic! (Okay, I just looked it up and I was wrong - Atzec was done by Datamost.) There is an A8 version and I love playing it, but it's not quite the same. "Blow a hole!"

 

Cheers,

Smeg

 

 

BBCS was the only program I could get my hands on. I had a friend I knew a guy who was a local sysop in Bakersfield back in 85 or 86 and he had a copy so he copied it for me. He was the only Atari BBS in Bakersfield and I think I let him copy some of my games in exchange. He then blacklisted me from his BBS and said that I was a "leech" (another great 80s BBS term) because I D/L his copy of "Quasimodo" and I guess he had put it up for someone else. Anyway, it was the only program I had and I can't even remember the name of my old BBS. It wasn't that great of a program, but hey - it was all I had and I tried to make the most of it while i could.

 

Yeah, I did the same kind of Phreaking with Sprint or AT&T. Some codes lasted for months. I remember having pages full of long distance codes.

[the-topdog]

Best version of Lode Runner is the Apple version in my opinion.

 

**caughcaughcommodorecaugh**

[Grig]

Haha. Maybe it's just because I first played Lode Runner on an Apple that it holds that spot for me - another great game I first played on the Apple was Hard Hat Mack. Is it just me or do early Broderbund games have that special "it" quality that make them classics?

[Keatah]

Well, for me it was games from Sirius Software. My first serious exposure to color gaming on the 2 series was Phantoms Five and Gorgon. Though I had played other games earlier. And from Gebelli Software it was Zenith and Horizon V. From Broderbund software I liked StarBlazer and Track Attack, among many many others. There's simply too many to list.

[Grig]

Yes, there are too many to list. After I bought my first Atari 400 in 1983, I wanted an Apple IIe like my friend had - obviously I could never afford it (back then) but I did enjoy those games. I enjoyed BBS'ing on the Apple as well - it was (and still is) a great computer. I remember us D/L Flight Simulator for the Apple. We then put the monitor on a stand and built an airplane cockpit around it (made out of cardboard). It had a door in the back with cut out windows on the sides and saran wrap taped to the outside to simulate glass. The monitor was positioned in the front windshield area. We then took his Sony Beta handycam and made a movie (I think we were actually making a version of 'The Most Dangerous Game' by H. Rider Haggard involving an airplane instead of a boat - thus the cockpit invention). I wish I kad kept my copy of that movie. I would probably die laughing. The Apple IIe was the centerpiece in the beginning. What a grand time the mid 80s were!

[HuckleCat]

I'd often be on Apple Magic in Philadelphia. My dad would get upset with me because he believed that if computers were talking on the phone, it would somehow be more expensive than if people were talking on the phone. I had to keep telling him that a local call was a local call, regardless if people or robots were talking.

 

Aaahhh, Broderbund. I do miss em. I'm surprised nobody mentioned Captain Goodnight or Wings of Fury.

 

Every time I think of Broderbund, I always have memories of Public Schools decked out with Print Shop banners all over, the holes still on the sides of the printer paper..

 

I do miss the 80s.

[Grig]

I'd often be on Apple Magic in Philadelphia. My dad would get upset with me because he believed that if computers were talking on the phone, it would somehow be more expensive than if people were talking on the phone. I had to keep telling him that a local call was a local call, regardless if people or robots were talking.

 

Aaahhh, Broderbund. I do miss em. I'm surprised nobody mentioned Captain Goodnight or Wings of Fury.

 

Every time I think of Broderbund, I always have memories of Public Schools decked out with Print Shop banners all over, the holes still on the sides of the printer paper..

 

I do miss the 80s.

 

Yeah, the Print Shop banners were fabulous. Dot Matrix paper was EVERYWHERE. We used to do that at our church (we had Apple computers there). That's such a great memory.

 

Too funny about your dad and the phone line. My grandmother thought the same thing and used to tell me that I'd better be prepared for that phone bill because it had to cost a fortune being on the phone with the computer for 10 hours straight!

 

Miss the 80s too.

[Mr SQL]

I ran The Best BBS in the 80's. I also wrote the system; anyone who read Rainbow (great mag) may remember the ads for it.

 

I think the web that we used in the 80's wasn't too different than what we use today - browsing bulletins, sending e-mail, chatting and downloading. Want to follow the link to another url? Just hang up and dial it

 

Some sites feel a lot like a board today; AtariAge for sure

[Keatah]

on 2 occasions I racked up a $468 and ~$1000 bill. My gramma went to small claims court or something and got a good portion of it forgiven provided I went to counseling. Then I discovered phreaking. And the bills stayed a magically low $49.95 "special". Harmony ensued once again!

 

I remember Captain Goodnight. The game was too complex for me to understand at the time, otoh I suppose I was more interested in turning a Disk ][ into a scanner for aliens. I had disassembled something, probably the LaserDisc player, and rigged it to some mirrors attached to the stepper motor of the drive. And by accessing certain tracks through peeks and pokes I could rotate the mirror and make it scan. Eventually that grew into a ratchet mechanism that could change direction by toggling the drive motor with more peeks and pokes. And the second drive, I geared it down, I used to rotate the whole damned "platform", and now I could make scan the heavens. I added a cut-down garbage can and pounded it into a makeshift dish and tied it into a shortwave radio and now I believed I could track satellites with it. I could use the 2nd drives' head positioner disc to rotate through contacts, thereby controlling altitude. I thought of mounting a real telescope on it and shit like that too. But I got consumed with something else.