InfernalKeith

I know it would be a huge undertaking, but imagine a small animated GIF like this on Walid's site, for each of the games he has posted and written about. It'd give people such a better understanding of each game. Again, lotta work, though.

Munchmobile. What a piece of CRAP.

I hope no one is offended if I post this here. Given the rarity of these things, I figured there would be some interest. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 380278486762 It works great, except for a sticky space bar, but given the easy access to the plug, you may be able to just plug another keyboard right in if you have the proper model. I ran it for a while, did a little programming with it, and it's a whole 'nother world from the original TI keyboard monstrosity! Keith

It was just TI's semi-compatible IBM clone. It had nice features and they made a transportable version as well, but it really never took off for obvious reasons (not being fully IBM PC compatible hurt that and many other systems once that became important, and there was no longer great incentive for software makers to make platform-specific versions of their software). I LOVE that Infocom supported so many obscure platforms. It was cheap and easy for them since they just write the interpreter once and then all their games can run, and they can share the same packaging, just requiring a new sticker. I was taken aback a second when I didn't see any Adam releases on that list until I realized that those were only amateur 40-column CP/M conversions and not official. I haven't had time to haunt the Vic 20 forums in months, but last time I was over there, I saw talk of someone making a converter to run the smaller Infocom games on that computer. I can't even imagine, with that 22-column screen... but people were pretty psyched about it. I think a lot of development is happening on the Vic with the release of the Mega-Cart, which makes 32K of add-on memory a viable thing for more than a few users.

The sad part of it all is, I haven't solved any of them. I like collecting the 'real thing' TI software packages from back in the day, and I tell myself that SOMEday I'll have time to play and solve them all. Sometimes I even believe it.

I can't speak to which games required a Supercart, but I believe those later games were not full-on Infocom releases with boxes and packaging. After someone figured out how to port them, I believe Infocom gave Asgard Software the right to 'reprint' the games, with photocopied manuals, etc, and sell them for the TI 99/4A. As for "official" Infocom releases, I think the company kept putting out TI versions of software into 1985 or so. The ones I have complete packaging for are: Zork I Zork III Sorcerer Starcross Hitchhiker's Guide Cutthroats Deadline I thought I had Witness around here somewhere, too, but maybe I don't (I gotta get more organized). BTW, if anyone has Zork II, or another officially-released, complete TI Infocom game not on my list, I'd like to buy or trade to get it. Contact me privately if you have one to offer. K

One more vote of thanks and support for this contest. This isn't my area of expertise at all, so I won't have an entry to contribute, but I look forward to seeing some great stuff develop. I'm trying to regain some "steam" over here, in the form of more TI time... my guess is as everyone's lives get more and less busy, there'll be 'boom' and 'bust' times on AA, and we'll see more surges of activity and interest as people's spare time frees up.

The deal's off, you chiseler. How do you expect me to manage my household budget if I don't have 47 backup copies in case something happens? I might consider it for Home Financial Decisions, but I have to finish learning its theme song first. I've got the "dit dit dit dit dit dit" part down, but that triumphant coda at the end throws me every time.

I'll give you $7500 if, when you find the manual, you read it to me over the phone in a low, husky voice. Or, if you prefer, I will reluctantly dip into my "Holy Grail" stash of Blasto cartridges and consider a trade.

The September issue of Retrogaming Times is up -- no TI 99/4A articles this month, but at Bryan's request, I knocked out another un-serious column to lighten the mood a little. "Retrogaming Smackdown" is the title, consisting of some not-at-all-true news articles from the world of retro gaming. Enjoy. http://www.retrogamingtimes.com

So what now ? Do we hug and kiss? or is that too dramatic ?? SCREW YOU!! I'M OFFENDED!!! I QUIT THE INTERNET!!!! InfernalLarry, is that you??? (Where is some Karma when it's needed) I've got some karma for sale. I don't know what it's worth, so I want you to make me an offer, but whatever offer you make me is gonna insult me.

So what now ? Do we hug and kiss? or is that too dramatic ?? SCREW YOU!! I'M OFFENDED!!! I QUIT THE INTERNET!!!!

I don't think Bill Gaskill posts here to ask him directly, but does he attend the Faire? Right now he's the guy I'd most love to shake hands with, and buy a beer for his contributions and inspiration. You're kinda high on that list too, Walid, so hopefully I'll see you there. K

Not sure if this is the place to even ask this... but would it be appropriate to put up some pages for specific pieces of software in my collection? I was thinking some of the old third-party games I have. I wouldn't mind putting up pages for my own stuff, too. But it doesn't seem to have a lot of articles that specific -- does anyone know if that's a conscious thing, or just down to a lack of input from users so far?

After the stuff coming into my inbox from elsewhere today, I just wanted to repeat what's been said before about this forum, and thank all of you for being civil, halfway intelligent, drama-free people. It's a pleasure being in your company. Keith

I am still holding out fond hopes that I will have something tangible in hand to take to Chicago in November, and will go and surprise everyone with it. I don't know if I'd feel comfortable getting up and demoing my sandlot crap in front of the Old Guard , much less any of you friendly folks who are miles ahead of me in the skills department, but I'd at least like to have what I'm making available, meet some people, and check the whole thing out. As for the cliquey aspect of things in some departments, I've gone through all the 'stages of grief' on that one, and come out the other side with a firmer realization that what I do on the 99/4A, I do for myself, and my own sanity and enjoyment. Comments and feedback are awesome, but wishing and hoping for one big unified happy family on this stuff is just futile. Reading back through old Micropendium issues and early newsgroup postings, it doesn't seem to be a new problem at all, and I have too much stuff I *can* fix to worry about, so I've let it go as much as possible. I also am curious to see if I get any residual attitude from people because I sell TI stuff on ebay. It's come out overtly on "the list" once or twice, to where I'd never dream of setting up a table or attempting to do any 'vending' there. Short answer: if I finish my project, I'll be there with said project in hand. If not, I probably won't go this year.

Hey, Codex! I apologize for the snippy tone of that last message. Believe me, any disappointment you feel about the lack of progress on Atlantis is felt a hundredfold here. I've literally been trying for months to get to a place where I can set aside one evening a week for uninterrupted TI work. Rather than playing for sympathy with a laundry list of my responsibilities, or constantly repeating "real soon now!" I figured the best course of action was to lay low till I had something concrete to show. I'm annoyed with the situation, I feel bad for not having this game as promised, and I'm frustrated that my own projects (not to mention my website) are gathering dust. Know that it's not for lack of desire. The bit of work I've done in the last year on the 99/4A, as tentative as it's been, has been incredibly rewarding, and I will find a way to get back on the horse and integrate some meaningful TI time into what's become a very weird and hectic life. So, in conclusion... "real soon now!" Keith

I have a very full plate these days. I will work on it as soon as I'm able. Sorry to ruin your day, dude.

That came off a bit like a scolding Keith. I don't think I or anyone else was rabble-rousing or out of line with their comments nor tossing innuendo or false hoods around. Kyle's actions speak louder than words, both in the past and the present (look at some of his current inventory.) If someone wants to rationalize what Kyle does so they can feel good about buying stuff from him then I have no problem with that but it's a bit unrealistic to expect others to ignore the shit sandwich even though it may help the former feel better about a purchase. My understanding is that this is not a new issue in the TI world and most likely won't go away. Doesn't mean it should be condoned or not talked about in fear of upsetting the apple cart. If you can't live without something Kyle has then by all means purchase it. But don't be upset when someone calls the present situation what it is..... I would really be interested in Hearing Kyles justification for his actions. Perhaps one of you can get him on here to tell his side. Perhaps I am wholly unjustified in my thoughts. I would be shocked if he does but you never know. We'll see. Now for a positive thought....instead of a black list, maybe this forum could come up with a list of preferred sellers. Kind of a no BS feedback score complete with a short description. There are several out there right now who are completely trust-able and beyond reproach. I didn't intend to take a scolding tone; if it came across that way, I apologize. I understand the anger toward Kyle and I would never attempt to justify his packaging and selling of someone else's work without permission. I like the idea of a recommended vendor list, especially if it has up-to-date contact information. I think sometimes, especially if someone isn't actively promoting their wares via Ebay or a website, only the longtime list members even know some of these people are out there. I've heard Ron Markus mentioned as the keeper of Asgard Software stock for some time, but I have no idea what he has, if he's still involved in it at all, or how to reach him. That's the kind of info it'd be great to have in a one-stop place, similar to the sticky thread for development resources. One minor potential wrinkle - will anyone mind if this forum expands beyond the scope of programming and deals in more generalized 99/4A info like that? I certainly don't mind, and would welcome it, but I dunno if anyone else would worry about a loss of focus on programming. K

I feel compelled to throw my two cents in here, despite my common-sense alarm telling me not to. I sell on Ebay full-time, and one of the many categories of items I sell is TI 99/4A stuff. I started a TI section in my Ebay store when I got back into the 99/4A, to sell off extra items in my own collection or "part out" systems when I only needed a few things from them, and it's grown from there. I've sold stuff to some of you guys, and some of the Yahoo list regulars, and almost always had pleasant dealings with everyone. I've also gotten crap from a very few people because I dare to buy and resell TI stuff, and it offends them in some way that I do this. The general consensus with these people seems to be that the TI is a holy, untouchable hobby and that making any money with it, in any form, is greedy, morally wrong, or corrosive to the spirit of hobbyist brotherhood, or something. A lot of times, they're the same people who gripe when no one bids on THEIR Ebay auctions, or will give them 1983 retail value for their unwanted collection, but I suppose that's human nature. I've bought a number of things from Kyle for my own collection, and he's always been pleasant to deal with and very fair. We had an issue with some disks once, and in the midst of emailing back and forth about it, I moved to a new house, and the whole thing got forgotten. I found the bad disks over a year later and emailed him again, asking if he could help me out -- he sent me a package with what I needed in the next day's mail. He definitely didn't have to do that. The Never-lander thing WAS a terribly bad move on his part. I can't condone that. But at least one of the 'elders' of our community has personally vouched for Kyle to me, and verified that he did buy out a good bit of TI inventory in the 1990's (when, as mentioned above, the stuff was considered all but worthless). And in my personal dealings with him, he's never been less than stellar. I don't like seeing statements like "if this and this, then WE ALL KNOW this and this" -- because they're based on assumptions. We don't "all know" a damn thing about the situation, nine times out of ten. I've been painted unfairly with that brush of innuendo and aspersion before. Even if a blacklist would work (and they almost never do), it seems like a regression to an angry-mob mentality, and I think we, as a group, are above that sort of thing. Bottom line, if you don't like someone's business practices, or you can't forgive something they did, avoid them and move on. Put that rabble-rousing energy into something positive, like a new project for the TI, and we'll all benefit.

Mea culpa!! I'm sorry, you guys. I haven't so much as set foot on AtariAge, much less fired up Classic99 or my 99/4A, in weeks. My temporary bump in work has turned into a sustained, ridiculous daily amount of extra crap to do -- great for paying bills, not so much for having any fun or pursuing my hobbies. Now that some bigger projects are out of the way, I'm ***hoping*** to devote at least one evening a week to undivided TI time. I'm really close to having Atlantis working, I think -- I just need to spend some time with TIDir, actually, and I should be good to go. Once it's finished, I will post the whole sordid story, and the files, here. I'm also hoping to put in some quality time on my Enemy Lines boardgame this week - I think a few uninterrupted hours could finish it off. Then it'll be off to finally finish the 30-level version of Herding Cats and sort out what other projects I want to polish off. I'm really embarrassed that this isn't done yet. Bryan Roppolo's probably about ready to mail me a box of skunks for repeatedly missing the deadline to write about this project on Retrogaming Times Monthly, too. It's definitely not due to lack of interest, or laziness, on my part -- if I wasn't "making hay while the sun shines" and socking away cash for real life, I'd be on my TI all day and night. I feel like one of thise "vaporware" software guys from the late 80's and early 90's right now... but I promise, Atlantis is not far from my thoughts, and I WILL have something for you guys soon. K

Sounds to me like it should be left as-is. It'd have to at least mention the contest as over half of its entries would come from that starting point, so it may be best to do as Codex just said, do this one, and then move on to something else.

A few years from now this could become a prized collectible Let's go for it! This is a very cool idea! But I think 17 games (that's the total thus far) might be a little small for a book-length project. It's kinda in that nether region, too big to be a little hand-folded manual, but not enough for a Compute! or SAMS style book. I know a few of us had projects we didn't finish, due to frustration or lack of time. What do we think of re-opening the floor, not for contest entries with prizes per se, but for a few more programs to fill out the book? Agree on a number - say, 25, or maybe even 30 for the symmetry of it (thirty thirty-liners!), and then everyone dust off those half-finished ideas and get to work. We can determine amongst ourselves if a project is a keeper or not - given the quality of the entries thus far, I don't think we have anything to worry about there! Then put it all together with listings, docs, programming notes and a short blurb in the back on each author. Whataya think? Or is asking for still more programs getting too ambitious?

Another vote for real name (Keith Bergman) here. And a thousand thanks for doing this, man, I can't wait to see it!

TI99Dir, v5.2 (I think).