Atari 8-bit User Meet-up

[Mathy]

Hello Doc

 

22 hours ago, doctorclu said:

What does Midi-Maze take for a multi-player game?

 

We've only tested MID-Mate (compatible) interfaces, but the menu also mentions the XM301, the SX212 and "R1: (850)".  I have no clue what so ever how those last three are supposed to be hooked up together to get this working and if you can use more than two computers at the same time.  We've tested up to eight 8 bit Ataris with MIDI Mate (compatible) interfaces, that works, it should work with STs mixed in too, but we couldn't find out why it didn't and mixing NTSC and PAL computers seems to mess up timing.

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

 

[+x=usr(1536)]

1 hour ago, Mathy said:

Hello Doc

 

 

We've only tested MID-Mate (compatible) interfaces, but the menu also mentions the XM301, the SX212 and "R1: (850)".  I have no clue what so ever how those last three are supposed to be hooked up together to get this working and if you can use more than two computers at the same time.  We've tested up to eight 8 bit Ataris with MIDI Mate (compatible) interfaces, that works, it should work with STs mixed in too, but we couldn't find out why it didn't and mixing NTSC and PAL computers seems to mess up timing.

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

 

Welp, since @tschak909 is going to be there, this might be a good time to see what we can do with the MIDI-Maze TCP/IP support in the FujiNet

 

 

FWIW, I'm thinking of bringing the 64K 600XL, a FujiNet, and a TV for hands-on / demo purposes.  I'd be happy to have it running Midi-Maze if anyone wants to set up a multiplayer environment.

[doctorclu]

So Midi-Maze could be played over the interwebs?

[+x=usr(1536)]

35 minutes ago, doctorclu said:

So Midi-Maze could be played over the interwebs?

From what i understand, yes.

 

I do have two FujiNets here, so technically could set up a multiplayer game.  Having said that, I'm not entirely clear as to what that would involve, and I'm almost certainly not going to have the time between now and Saturday to figure it out.  If for some reason that changes I'll do my best to figure it out, but no promises.

[+x=usr(1536)]

My apologies, but it looks as though demoing Midimaze from the 600XL is a no-go.  I didn't realise that the game was apparently released only as a 128K cartridge, which the 600XL won't be able to handle.

 

The only A8 that I have with more than 64K of RAM is the 800XL, but its RAM expansion is...  Delicate.  I'm not keen on moving it more than is necessary.

 

I still plan on bringing the 600XL, however.

[Wrathchild]

5 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

I didn't realise that the game was apparently released only as a 128K cartridge, which the 600XL won't be able to handle.

That's not the case as the ROM size is irrelevant whereas the RAM size needed to run the title is, e.g. AtariBlast! is a 1024K cart and needs only 16K of RAM, commercial releases such as Ace of Aces are 128K but don't need a 128K machine.

The MidiMaze ROM runs under emulation using a 64K machine and so unless the FujiNet compatible version has extended this and needs >64K you should be fine.

[+x=usr(1536)]

4 hours ago, Wrathchild said:

That's not the case as the ROM size is irrelevant whereas the RAM size needed to run the title is, e.g. AtariBlast! is a 1024K cart and needs only 16K of RAM, commercial releases such as Ace of Aces are 128K but don't need a 128K machine.

The MidiMaze ROM runs under emulation using a 64K machine and so unless the FujiNet compatible version has extended this and needs >64K you should be fine.

Good points.  I need to catch up on sleep before posting.

[doctorclu]

12 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

From what i understand, yes.

 

I do have two FujiNets here, so technically could set up a multiplayer game.  Having said that, I'm not entirely clear as to what that would involve, and I'm almost certainly not going to have the time between now and Saturday to figure it out.  If for some reason that changes I'll do my best to figure it out, but no promises.

Cool I have a FujiNet for my Incognetoed Atari 800.  Haven't set it up yet (the FujiNet)

 

 

[cx2k]

Only a few days till the meet-up. Thought I would try to summarize all the cool stuff going on at the event.

 

Atari 8-bit Meet-up @ National Videogame Museum

Saturday, Aug. 28th, 6pm - ??? (no firm end time. We can stay as long as people want.)

Admission is Free

 

- Buy/Sell/Trade - Bring your extras to trade or sell. Please be reasonable with your prices. We have several new folks looking to get into the 8-bit scene. Let's help each other out and leave the ebay prices at home.

- Game Demos: check out some of the cool unreleased prototypes and new homebrew games that have come out or are in the works.

- Fujinet Demo: Thomas Cherryhomes will be demonstrating his amazing Fujinet device.

- David Murray aka The 8-bit Guy will be showing off the Atari port of his new game, Attack of the Petscii Robots.

- Tech Center - Got a piece of equipment that's not working? Maybe you need a part (ram module or keycap, etc.)? Bring your broken equipment and we can help fix it or at least diagnose the problem for you.

- Show and Tell - Got a weird or cool Atari Peripheral? Bring it along to show others. Most of us are fascinated by the plethora of accessories and peripherals made for the 8-bit.

- Special Guests (these folks will be happy to talk about their work, answer any questions you may have, or sign a copy of their games):

- Christopher Chance - Author of Adventure Master.

- Rebecca Heineman - Racing Destruction Set & Mindshadow for Atari 8-bit and dozens of amazing other games throughtout the years.

- Jennell Jaquays - TSR, Coleco Director of Game Design, EA, Epyx, Interplay and others.

- Giveaways - We'll have some cools stuff/swag to give out as prizes. Most likely a free ticket drawing where everyone who comes gets entered into the raffle.

 

And more!! We still have some surprises we're working on including another special guest and some new products for sale. We'll keep you posted.

 

See you Saturday!

[cx2k]

Another last minute update!

Our good friend @Albert unfortunately wont be able to attend but he was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to put together some of the AtariAge Atari 8-bit releases and get them to us in time for the show.

 

We will have limited copies of the following games available:

- Adventure II

- Scramble

- Castle Crisis

- Beef Drop

 

Here's your chance to pick these up without paying for shipping AND @Albert was generous enough to donate half the proceeds to the museum!

 

[doctorclu]

Just another teaser of things I am bringing to the meeting for new homes.  I have two boxes of Interface Age, Kilobaud, and Byte Magazines.

 

 

As it says, 1977 to 1984.   Read about those early days of computing! 

 

This is just two boxes of many extras of a truck load I'm bringing.  A great chance to flesh out some collections.

 

Don't miss this meeting!

 

[cx2k]

4 minutes ago, doctorclu said:

Just another teaser of things I am bringing to the meeting for new homes.  I have two boxes of Interface Age, Kilobaud, and Byte Magazines.

 

 

As it says, 1977 to 1984.   Read about those early days of computing! 

 

This is just two boxes of many extras of a truck load I'm bringing.  A great chance to flesh out some collections.

 

Don't miss this meeting!

 

Bring a folding table if you have one. I have tables but I'm worried about the buy/sell/trade being so big, we run out of table space. Also, when you get here, come find me and we can load you in through the loading dock to make it easier.

 

John

 

[+x=usr(1536)]

Just wanted to say that this was a really great event, and the National Videogame Museum is an absolute must-see for anyone interested in the history of videogaming.

 

Major thanks to @cx2k for organising the meetup, @tschak909 and David Murray (The 8-Bit Guy) for their FujiNet and Attack of the PETSCII Robots demos, respectively, and Rebecca Heineman for True Tales of Game Development™

 

The last Atari Users' Group meeting I attended was probably in the 1990 or 1991 timeframe, and this one felt like those did in all the right ways.  If this becomes a regular fixture on the NVM's calendar, we will definitely be returning.

[Mathy]

Hello x=usr(page6)

 

2 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

The last Atari Users' Group meeting I attended was probably in the 1990 or 1991 timeframe, and this one felt like those did in all the right ways.

 

There's a big Atari 8 bit meeting coming up in 08485 Lengenfeld, Germany in two weeks.  It'll last a whole week (again, this year).  Read all about it here and here.

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Mathy

[doctorclu]

My Dad and I had a great time at the meeting last night!   It was truly unlike anything I have seen since probably the late nineties for a Dallas Atari user meeting.

 

I hear there is a Facebook group for this meetup.   If someone can send me a link to that group I'd love that.

[tschak909]

I had a great time. and as usual I am kicking myself for not mentioning things in my talk (such as being able to run a BBS via the WiFi modem)

 

-Thom

 

[tschak909]

For a small side story:

 

Petar Puskarich showed up to the meet. He's a prominent figure in the Apple ][ community, and all around great guy.

 

We started talking, and he says, "You might know what this is." and he pulls out a cardboard box, and hands me something in bubble wrap.

 

I gently unwrap it, and I saw the bottom of what I was unwrapping, and I gasped!

 

and I said, "Oh shit, I am not wearing gloves"
"oh my god"
"oh my god!!"
and unwrapped it. It was a Doug Engelbart mouse from his time at SRI.
one of the first ones they soft-tooled in Bakelite plastic (made after the wooden prototypes)
but with metal encoder wheels instead of plastic.
which, placed the dating right square in the spring of 1971.
it might not seem like much, but, for some perspective:
There were less than 50 of these ever made, made by hand.
made specifically for the Augment project
(which was the second iteration of NLS)
I've only seen two other specimen
(1) is in a crate at the Computer History Museum
the other...
I held in my hand when Doug handed his unit (that he used to that very day, adapted to his current system) to me to examine, in 2006.
when Doug died, I cried harder than when my dad died.
I'm dumbfounded that Petar found a specimen on eBay
and he paid $135 for it
it's a genuine one of a kind artifact on the caliber of the dead sea scrolls.

[gilsaluki]

Wow! Really?  This is the ONLY feedback on the grandest Atari Computer meet-up since the 1990s?  I would have given an arm to be there, but business kept me from being there. No review. No play by play.  No videos.  I am really disappointed in those that attended and have yet not posted anything, no thanks.  No appreciation for what it takes to put together such an event. Is the World just along for the ride, do we all just take for granted hard work?  Most of us live vicariously through those that had the means and ability to attend.  The organizer put a lot into this; this is all the feedback we get.  An Apple dude with a rare mouse?  What about the magazines donated?  Who got those?  Did anyone buy or sell hardware or software?  Was something broken, fixed?  Is there plans for another meet up?  I wouldn't blame the organizer for NOT doing another.  This reminds me of the Atari Corp., and them taking us for granted. This was a BIG DEAL.  Let's hear about it?    Is there another website that has covered this grand event better? DBM...

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by gilsaluki

[Albert]

That's quite the rant given it hasn't even been 24 hours since the event occurred. I'm sure there will be photos and videos posted, along with more feedback about the gathering. 
 

 ..Al

[+x=usr(1536)]

1 hour ago, gilsaluki said:

Wow! Really?  This is the ONLY feedback on the grandest Atari Computer meet-up since the 1990s?  I would have given an arm to be there, but business kept me from being there.

Pffft, work

1 hour ago, gilsaluki said:

No review. No play by play.  No videos.  I am really disappointed in those that attended and have yet not posted anything, no thanks.

Consider for a minute that this was a meeting.  You know, something that takes place in the real world with real people in a real location.  That tends to cut down on the instant gratification aspect of doing these things online.  Be patient.

 

Photos and videos were taken.  They'll be posted, I'm sure, in due time.  You'll be able to satiate your entitlement then.

1 hour ago, gilsaluki said:

No appreciation for what it takes to put together such an event. Is the World just along for the ride, do we all just take for granted hard work?

I do actually take exception to this comment.  You weren't there to see people - in person - thanking the organisers and speakers and generally being bowled over by just how great both the meet and the location were and are.  Please keep your (erroneous) assumptions about the crowd to yourself, kthx.  It's insulting.

1 hour ago, gilsaluki said:

Most of us live vicariously through those that had the means and ability to attend.  The organizer put a lot into this; this is all the feedback we get.  An Apple dude with a rare mouse?  What about the magazines donated?  Who got those?  Did anyone buy or sell hardware or software?  Was something broken, fixed?  Is there plans for another meet up?  I wouldn't blame the organizer for NOT doing another.  This reminds me of the Atari Corp., and them taking us for granted. This was a BIG DEAL.  Let's hear about it?    Is there another website that has covered this grand event better? DBM...

You have drawn some spectacularly wrong conclusions about single every point you've raised in your post.

[_The Doctor__]

heh, we are spoiled by real time feeds of everything these days... yep streaming as it happens... maybe people were very active and enthralled, in to it so much -so to speak- that they were not doing the whole lets be online and be famous routine

[tschak909]

On 8/24/2021 at 10:27 PM, doctorclu said:

So Midi-Maze could be played over the interwebs?

Yes. It has been done. 

 

 

[_The Doctor__]

2 hours ago, tschak909 said:

Yes. It has been done. 

 

 

Last time I read about it you said it was still experimental and messed up after some time interval , was that corrected? for local midi network mode as well?   That would have been some news... unless it was missed and the all problems are squash post happened unnoticed

[doctorclu]

On 8/29/2021 at 6:40 PM, gilsaluki said:

Wow! Really?  This is the ONLY feedback on the grandest Atari Computer meet-up since the 1990s?

Hahah... I will personally issue slight apologies, and just say that most that went to the meeting were probably wiped from 1) traveling... quite a few came from hours out 2) running a presentation 3) preparing for this event 4) bringing stuff. 

 

For me it was the days of digging through my stuff, and then bringing a truckload of stuff in to contribute back to what I call "the circle of stuff".   I got it free, or next to nothing at the First Saturday Sidewalk Sale over two decades, I got what I wanted out of what I was given or found, and then I send it back out into the universe.  ?  Suffice to say, got quite a few people saying "I was looking for that..."  like Almost Rice, my old Atari friend who used to live in Houston.  To that I say... excellent.     And my first Macintosh 128K that my Dad worked on, added vent holes, and helped me upgrade got a new home.   My cousin showed up with his Mom that was cool.  She grabbed a Highlander hat and said she was going to use it while gardening.  Priceless.   Swords to plowshares. 

 

 

So that was a great success, people got stuff, and in the end, the rest of the Atari/Commodore, and other parts were picked up by the National Video Game Museum.  So the rest (which is a lot more common) I can just e-cycle.  

 

And I know I was useless on Sunday the day after.   Oh I was aching.  Moaning and groaning around the house after digging through my house Friday and Saturday getting ready for this meeting.   Monday was getting back to work, and here I am early Tuesday morning digging pictures out.

 

As for the meeting itself, I managed to get a little time watching a few presentations.   Wanted to catch the Adventure Creator's programmer part, even had a case to get signed, but oh well.  I was busy showing people all the free stuff and just talking.    But here is what I did see, which was quite amazing.  As people have said, probably haven't seen an Atari 8-bit meet up like this in Dallas since the Infomart in the late 80s (I was away in college in the early 90s.)    There actually was, as I think about it, some sizable meet-ups around 1999-2000 with the Atari Users of North Texas (Atari ST-TT group) that I got to see at the Infomart and later at Crystal's Pizza.   Those meetings probably topped off at around 20 people.

 

Anyway, some pictures!

 

 

Was great to meet everyone.  Let's meet up again sometime!

 

Those of you on facebook, check out the Atari 8-bit group...

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/atari8bitcomputers

 

 

 

[Jammer777]

I really enjoyed the meet up and realized how special it is to be in a community with enough people to really make this work. Unfortunately, I had to leave a bit early due to work (monthly server patching) but I sure hope we do it again. Thanks to everyone involved!