Zoom 2/Zoom - Release 2 (1996)(Active Software)[!].iso/texts/amoszine/arts/az_interview.asc

Text File | 1992-03-06 | 8KB | 154 lines

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                        AMOSZINE INTERVIEW: PAUL OVERY
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   Paul Overy (Fry up productions) is the dude responsible for the classic
       High Octane Turbo and of course is an un-exscusably good coder.
                      By the way he is also totally mad!
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To get this exclusive interview I tracked Paul down to a monastry he
holidays at in a quiet jungle suburb in North West Peru.  After hours of
helping him cover the walls and floors in newspaper (germs you see) we
settled down to some kippers and jelly and this is what he told me:
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Q. How did you first get into computing?
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Well, actually I oommpphh...
NO, I want to holler the loud, funny words!!

Well it all started at a friends house.  There was some being passed around.
Everyone else seemed to be taking it.  I didn't want to be the odd one out,
I knew it was wrong.  I just had one little nibble, that's all it was.
Before I new it I started dressing up as a mouse and running around the room.
I have undergone a course of treatment at the Scunthorpe University of
Cheese Addicition.  I am totally cured now.

Err, oh computing.

I first started in computing with a Spectrum +3.  To me the C64 has always
been a much better machine, but I wanted a machine with a easy to use ROM
basic which the C64 did not have.
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Q. What prompted you to try and learn to program, and how difficult did you
   find it?
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Back in the good old days when Boots had a full display of computers, ranging
from C64's, Acorn Electrons & the ZX Spectrum.  I spotted someone typing in
a basic program and running it, cant quiet remember what it done, but it made
me realise computers were not just for playing games.
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Q. What did you initially think of Amos compared to other languages you have
   used in the past?
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I can't compare any languages on the Amiga simple because I have never found
the need to used anything else. Amos for a long time has been the only high
level language that gives you a good control over the Amiga's hardware.
There have been bugs in the language, which were always fixed.  Amos users
have been very lucky with updates, which have all been for free. You can't
keep expecting Francois Lionet or someone to update his program for free
every time Commodore bring out a new machine.
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Q. What was the first complete program and how did you fell about it?
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Lets see now, the first complete program would of been "Zero Gravity" for a
5th year GCSE computer project. I can't remember what the machine was, but
it had a extensive basic language build in. It was a simple game were you
guided a space ship through a cave, using three bombs to blast through walls.
Then dodge the lazers and land on the far end pad. Yes it was complete crap,
but the 4th year were playing for about two weeks!

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Q. What do you think of Blitz Basic?
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Comparing Blitz basic with Amos (+compiler) will result in Amos losing on
every count, blitz compiles straight away and produces cleaner code than Amos.
But before you pull the trap door on me, if you were to compare Blitz basic
with Amos & all its extensions then Amos has a clear advantage that's why I
don't use Blitz Basic.
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Q. What other languages do you use or intend to use?
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I'm trying to get into Assembly, but keep putting it back.
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Q. How do you rate Amos Classic against Amos Pro?
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I have only once used Pro, and hated the editor which seemed to be extremely
slow. Shame, it would of been nice to directly load in powerpacked files and
Animations.  Although Amos classic has extensions  to handle powerpacked
files.  Animations could easily be done in Amos classic by using a extension
with fast block updates, although you would need to design your own animation
format, but this could support sound and palette swapping which the Anim5 &
higher does not.

Try changing the Amos classic editor screen set up so that it just goes over
the function keys screen hiding the program name and memory display, this
information can still be displayed by moving the mouse pointer to the top.
This way more of the program code can be seen, on mine 29 lines of the
program code can be seen.
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Q. Can you tell us about your latest project(s).
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High Octane II is on its way!
I have not started any coding yet on HO2, only on the map editor for the game
which needs to handle some very large maps & overlay data.  I'm finding it
hard to come up with a good analogue scrolly (scroll in all directions),
once I've tackled this problem the rest of the game should be quick to code.
Its going to have 50fps update (using my Swap Scroll algo), much larger maps
and this time the cars will skid round the track.
The screen will only have one scroll area this time.  So a two player option
may not be possible at this stage, apart from a link up between two machines.
The game will probably have three cars on the screen two of them being
computer controlled, this time the computer fires back at you and drop mines.
The graphics will be of top quaility as with the sound FX, and Mike Richmond
may be supplying us with some music.
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Q. Will you buy the AGA extension if it ever get written and released?
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If a 3rd party ever does write such a extension, I'll be the first person to
by it.  Well I'll have a go at swapping it for some of my routines first.

I think the author of the Turbo Plus extension is going to code a AGA
extension, this information is from one of his front men.
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Q. Could you list all the programs you have released?
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My list of games is a bit thin on the ground, I tend to go out and get pissed
rather than stay in and program games.  The next time I realise a game to PD
I think I'll make it shareware, or better yet Whiskeyware.  I don't like to
ask for money, as there is a lot of PD out there which is complete crap and
programmers ask for about £5-£15 for it.
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1. SpaceTrax        PD,SpaceTrax was a simple two player game,
                       where the players are out to destroy each other.

2. All Guns Blazing, Licencware. I apologise to anyone who bought this game,
                                 it really was utter shite. Bought me 312
                                 pints of beer though.(Not F1 title)

3. High Octane  PD     This was a All Guns Blazing re-write.
                       A faster version of this game came out about
                       7 days later, by that time the first slower
                       version had spread.  There should be a "New
                       Faster Version" message on loading.

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I tried to put High Octane in Licenceware but got no reply, so I placed it in
to PD without a request for money.  I did however include a small message
which allowed people to write off for the source code & map editor, and on
average I have received about 2 letters a week from all around the world.

Now that I've left college, I'll have a go at stepping things up a bit.
Shit, I've got a dead leg from this chair. Ahh I can't move, PAIN PAIN...

After this babble I headed back to the village toilet and payphone and rang
for a taxi. Two weeks later I got to the airport only to realise I had left
a box of matches at the monastry. I will never forgive myself,but I couldn't
face the trip back to Paul's joint and at the time of writing I am still
unsure as to paul's safety or sanity.
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Next issues interview will be with another staggeringly famous person, miss
it at you peril.
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Steve.