Commodore Free 34/Commodore_Free_Issue_34_2009_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/commodore pt 1

Text File | 2023-02-26 | 10KB | 296 lines

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      Welcome to the Commodore
       Lord Ronin from Q-link
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OK for you guys that are experienced
and well versed with the Commodore;
this bit isn't for you. (Well perhaps
for a reminder of those first days of
using the Commodore.) Nope this is
for the new guy getting just getting
into Commodore, for what ever reasons
he has his system in hand. Written by
a lamer, but fanatical Commodore User

So lets get this little bit started.

Hey there new Commodore User, or even
returning User. Welcome to the world
of computer use that they thought
would die and of course it didn't.
You have the worlds greatest PC, and
you bet I am biased towards the
Commodore 64/128. Funny thing about
this is that I was just editing an
article for my user's group
newsletter. Where one of the new
members relates his first Commodore,
back in 1984. How he had to mow lawns
and other chores to gain the money to
buy the store demo model breadbox 64.
Its funny in a sense, because his
story isn't unique, I have heard many
stories of that are that style.
Followed by the long hours of typing
in programmes and playing games. OK
and cursing at the typos and bugs in
the programmes as well as the games
that keep beating the players. These
people can remember their system
first games that they played, how
long they played, the year that they
gained their Commodore, and some of
them could remember the exact date
25+ years later. Ah it was March
1993, a breadbox 64, Sr-3000 monitor,
okidata 120 printer, cheap Atari
joystick and the first game was Aero
Jet. First writing programme was Word
Writer 4. Well that is my memory. I
Can't remember my first Amiga, and I
think it was at MossyCon2 that I was
given a Linux system; But I can't be
certain. That also isn't unique
either. The inability to remember
when other computer systems arrived
in the user's life. On mail lists and
in chat channels, I have heard many a
times is how a user is so happy to
have found others that use the
Commodore. Most of them still have
their stuff stuck in the closet.
Dumped off other PC platforms over
the years but still hold onto the
magical Commodore, even if they
haven't used it for over a decade;
they just can't get rid of it. I have
gained several collections from
people, who have to get rid of there
Commodore Collection. My wife is
tired of dusting it and having it
take up space. They all ask that (it)
gets "a good home". Sort of like
having to give up a cherished and
treasured pet.

So then, you have entered into the
world of this magical computer.
Magical because of the spell that it
puts on people. Now this isn't going
to go into the errors made at CBM on
things. A great book called "On the
Edge" by Brian Bagnall covers the
history of the Commodore range and
people involved. Nope this piece is
to try in my fumbling manner, to give
you an idea of what you have at the
moment, and what you can do with it
now, as well as in the future. Old
time users know this stuff already.
That is why I wrote this; for you the
new guy. See even after 16 years
using the Commodore just about
everyday. I still think of myself as
a new guy, a beginner. Because I
don't know enough about the system
yet. When I think I understand
something. Blammo, here cones
something new, and I am not talking
about the new developments that you
can read about here in Commodore
Free. I am talking about stuff that
is new to me, but old to other more
advanced users. There is just so much
for you to play with on the C=.

Going from that premise, what do you
have in front of you for your system?
Nah I don't mean the model of the
Commodore PC unit. Bread box, 64c,
SX, 128 or l28Dcr. Nor any of the
"extras" that may have been installed
before you got the computer. Nope
just what is it for you, and that
will go into what can you do with it.

First off; the Commodore 8bit system
isn't just a game machine with a
keyboard. I have heard it called that
over the years. Well to be honest
When I first received mine, and it
was my first computer. Yeah I thought
it was just that, a new type of game
machine. Better than the Mattel thing
and the Atari thing that I had played
on at friends placed. Better than
dropping quarters in the machines at
the tavern. I mean that the games
looked just about the same as what I
was playing in the bars. I Broke my
cheap joystick playing Centipede.
Then I discovered the Word Writer 4
programme. Now what this means is
that for those that want to play
games. Man there is a mess of them
out there for you. Sales on eBay and
other places for factory copies.
Preserved copies are in files on many
sites for you to grab and enjoy.

Games, most people play them on the
computer. But what type do you like?
I am into the Role Playing types and
the flying games. Not too much into
the SIM games. Do play with friends
from time to time the board games.
Not into the card games that much.
Have been known to spend several
hours on the strip poker game though;
and all on the Commodore. But the
first barrier to deal with is the
mental concepts of the games. Not
what is programmed on the disk. Nah.
what is programmed in your mind. You
see the majority of people I have
dealt with over the years in a shop
that sells Commodore and other
things. They are stuck on the mega
colours and the stereo sound and the
32 and more bit systems. Thinking
that there can be no fun in the 8bit
stuff. Right then delete that entry
from your mind. As your mind is the
best graphic device, and the same for
sound. Given some time on the game.
You will have your mind fill in what
is missing to your eyes and ears. If
there is really anything missing Seen
that myself in several games. Where,
like in the game Pirates, the images
of people are just re-coloured for
the encounter. But man it does
actually look different enough in the
course of game play.

The other thing that people have
thought and told me is that an 8bit
game can't be that hard to play. Nor
take much time to play. And finally
can't be of any interest to play.
Well none of that is correct. Granted
there are some real simple type in
games that you can do, and that they
hold interest only because you typed
them in and made them work. But oh no
the 8bit games are vastly greater
than the uninformed think. There is a
game of 4 disks, called Pool of
Radiance. This is a 1st Ed AD&D game.
Naturally I had to have it! Well with
the books, and a walk-through It
still took me just over 3 weeks to
finish the game. I played in my shop,
6 hours a day and 6 days a week. So
that takes out the not hard to play,
as well as the not much time to play
part. As for interest. Ah let me say
on that one. If there is no interest.
Then like why did that 64DTV toy sell
out so fast. Why are there so many
sites with the Commodore files on
them. Which you can download, and
revert from the image form of what is
called a .D64, back to normal 1541
disks. Ah but then again on interest,
those .D64 image files are used on
other PC platforms with emulators.
Meaning that you can play the
Commodore game on another computer
platform. So interest is there for
people. Oh yeah I saw an advert for
some cell phone company; where you
can down load Commodore 64 games to
play on your cell phone. Way past me
on that one, as I don't have one of
those things. But it does show that
there is interest.

My bias in this part is simply this
on the overall game part. Commodore
games seem to make you think more
than games on the more current
systems. Computers as well as console
games. Which are pretty and do a lot
for you. My opinion is the meat of
the game is in the story and the
play. Not in the colours and sounds.
OK what 1 am saying and it is just my
opinion. Story lines and the
interaction of the Commodore games is
more mind work than the new things.
Like the new ones have lost the meat
of the game. And yeah I have hundreds
of Commodore games. As well as a
Linux system and several game
consoles from 8bit Nintendo to the
PS-2. That takes care of the basics
on Commodore games. But hey I did say
that the C=PC isn't just a game
machine with a keyboard. Mentioned
that I found the Word Writer 4
programme for writing. Well that was
a bigger change for me than the
games. My hands are damaged, and well
50+ years ago they didn't really want
to teach left handed baby boomers.
Meaning that I never really learned
to do acceptable hand writing. OK
also in my generation real men didn't
take typing lessons. So I never
learned to type. Self taught on the
Commodore. Still can't touch type.
But I do Role Playing Games. Meaning
that I need to make the adventures
and the maps. Won't go into depth on
that in here, did that in another
piece. Word Writer 4 put the letters
and the numbers on the screen.
Magical. I mean that I am looking at
my thoughts on the screen in pretty
and clean. easy to read documents.
I'm writing this on a Commodore and
seeing the characters on the screen
is still magical after all these
years. And these damaged hands have
just enough strength to press the
keys. Never had that ability with a
typewriter.

Well there arc a lot of Word Writing
programmes out there for both the 64
and the 128. All the ones that I have
found will save your work to disk, as
well as print it out for you.
Personally I use Geos these days. But
it requires some more outlay in
hardware. May not be what you want
for your writing work. Most writing
programmes are good for letters and
other simple documents. What I create
is a bit more on the lines of what is
called DeskTop Publishing. I make
multiple pages of documents, adding
some graphics and to be brief, even
make postscript files. That on the
Linux I convert to a PDF So yeah the
Commodore can handle all the writing
needs that I know about. Be it some
simple pages to making 40 page RPG
adventures, or novels. Both of which
1 am doing, and on the Commodore.

         CONTINUED IN PART 2