First, can I say that I'm very glad I asked that question?
Untramielled Adventures may be the most over-rated Role-Playing Games
available on the Atari ST and in Linux. Just because you haven't
heard of them doesn't mean they're not over-rated; your luck has finally
run out.
Gosh! Why were they made, then?
Because I'm old and fixed in my ways. To me, an RPG isn't one hero facing real time enemies and a mouse whizzing from side to side on the mat, however good the graphics. It's a party of individuals gradually growing more competent in different ways, and time to think about the latest problem, whether it's a riddle or a gang of Undead. Everybody else agrees with that, then they go and play or program Doom clones; I didn't.
So what, apart from crying into your coffee, did you do?
Well, I bored a lot of shop staff out of their skulls by whinging at them; in fact, I still do - it's a hobby. I also made an application and a couple of tools which theoretically automate the creation of old-style RPGs. This was on the ST, but they went down so well (can you say 'lead balloon'?) that I ported everything to Linux.
Umm... Theoretically?
Yes; there were a couple of slight hitches. I can't draw or compose music, and I'm not very good at making up plots. So, you could say that the idea was sound but the execution left something to be desired.
And what have you been doing recently?
Apart from having disk crashes (with defective backups), keyboard faults,
CD replacements and respiratory disorders, you mean? I must
say the response from either or both of the Atari and Linux communities
has been powerful and effective; I just think Bill Gates would have been
a better target.
Naturally, I've been programming Hexaid Mark II. What else is there
to do?
I'm going to regret this, but..., Mark II?
Yes, with lots of improvements, but mainly Little Sprites Whizzing Round
The Place(TM), otherwise known as Tactical Combat. And of course,
to make sure it worked, most of the time, I had to write another game.
I call it Windy City Pains, and to add variety, I gave it a
more modern setting and used the engine to emulate guns instead of magic
- there's really not that much difference, particularly at the receiving
end. It also gave me the chance to draw a few sprites and prove I
have absolutely no artistic talent.
Assuming I'm mad, How can I get them?
I thought I'd never ask!
Market Research has decided that 3 categories should be targeted with
tailored options. All you have to do is decide which you belong to.
There's actually a 4th category which is the largest and potentially
the most profitable, but can't count beyond 3 and has difficulty deciding
anything. If this describes you, just click at random, as usual, and don't
forget to send a cheque. *
The Friends of Floccipaucinihilipilification,
who I had hoped would help to defray the expenses of this project, proved
to be long on words and short on delivery, so I have been forced to seek
alternative financing.
Since my offers to host banners provoked threats of legal action if
I continued from every company I approached, I started writing a screenplay
for Xinuh, Hacker Princess, and sent some
scenes and a synopsis, hand written in purple ink, to the producers, but
have received no answer.. I wonder; should I have put a stamp on
the envelope?
Updated 11/10/98
* Now you know why Windows 3.1 was followed by Windows 95, and why
there isn't a Word 5.