[comp.sys.apple2] Modem Woes/Odyssey...The Compleat Apventure

lius@topaz.rutgers.edu (L*I*U Publishing Co.) (07/22/90)

Ciao.  I have an el-cheapo modem which was just friend by a
thunderstorm.  Luckily for me, it was el-cheapo.  Anyway, before I
$pend money on a more expen$ive replacement, I must ask: are ordinary
surge supressors for phone lines adequate for protecting against
lightning?  Where can I find one (keep in mind that the word of the
day is "cheap).


One more thing...I've been feeling very nostalgic lately, and was
recently put in the mind of an old game I played on the Apple ][ about
eleven years ago.  It was called "Odyssey..the Compleat Apventure"  I
forget who put it out, but I'm sure the program is PD by now.  Could
somebody mail me or post a copy of this?


Thanks...

ART100@psuvm.psu.edu (Andy Tefft) (07/22/90)

Um, any charge that's strong enough to arc from the sky to the ground
or tall objects isn't going to stop for any surge protector.
Usually the telco takes measures to protect their (and your)
equipment but they can't do everything. If you're worried about
lightning storms, unplug the modem from the phone jack when you're
not using it. That way you're protected unless lightning strikes
your house and it burns down :-).

lee@chsun1.uchicago.edu (dwight lee) (07/23/90)

lius@topaz.rutgers.edu (L*I*U Publishing Co.) writes:

[modem stuff deleted]
>One more thing...I've been feeling very nostalgic lately, and was
>recently put in the mind of an old game I played on the Apple ][ about
>eleven years ago.  It was called "Odyssey..the Compleat Apventure"  I
>forget who put it out, but I'm sure the program is PD by now.  Could
>somebody mail me or post a copy of this?

Synergistic Software.  Also made Escape from Arcturus, Dungeon Campaign,
Wilderness Campaign and many other games from this early era.  Odyssey was
available first in Integer BASIC and a couple of years later in Applesoft.  I
also recall a later, mid-1980's adventure game from Synergistic with much
better performance than their earlier works.  Sorry I can't recall the name,
but the title page had lava spurting lazily from an erupting volcano.

I've never heard of Synergistic making Odyssey public domain.  I would tend to
doubt that Odyssey is public domain.  I suggest that you try and find a used 
copy.

The most recent mention I've heard of Synergistic still existing was in the
credits to the Amiga game Sidewinder.  Two or three years ago, I think.

Me, I still want to know what happened to Nasir Gebelli who wrote many of the
classic Sirius Software and Gebelli Software titles (Gorgon, Star Cruiser,
Horizon V, Eggs-It!, Russki Duck etc).  Nothing like a little history to 
brighten your day, eh?

Still playing Threshold after all this time...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dwight A Lee  / lee@chsun1.uchicago.edu / Am I the only net.user in DeKalb?
416 Annie Glidden Rd #B6 / "I am not the only dust my mother raised" - TMBG
DeKalb IL 60115 / 815-758-1389 / I speak only for myself. / tCS/BB / Font

gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (07/24/90)

In article <Jul.22.01.03.25.1990.18271@topaz.rutgers.edu> lius@topaz.rutgers.edu (L*I*U Publishing Co.) writes:
>One more thing...I've been feeling very nostalgic lately, and was
>recently put in the mind of an old game I played on the Apple ][ about
>eleven years ago.  It was called "Odyssey..the Compleat Apventure"  I
>forget who put it out, but I'm sure the program is PD by now.  Could
>somebody mail me or post a copy of this?

I believe it was published by Sierra On-Line.  However, even though it
is no longer published, it is still Copyright.  If you write to Sierra
perhaps they will grant you permission to make a copy of someone's
legitimately-purchased game.

rond@pro-grouch.cts.com (Ron Dippold) (07/24/90)

In-Reply-To: message from lee@chsun1.uchicago.edu

> I also recall a later, mid-1980's adventure game from Synergistic with 
> much better performance than their earlier works.  Sorry I can't recall 
> the name, but the title page had lava spurting lazily from an erupting 
> volcano.  
 
Apventure to Atlantis!  It was Clardy's follow up to Odyssey.

UUCP: crash!pro-grouch!rond
ARPA: crash!pro-grouch!rond@nosc.mil
INET: rond@pro-grouch.cts.com

paul@nuchat.UUCP (Paul Hutmacher) (07/26/90)

In article <Jul.22.01.03.25.1990.18271@topaz.rutgers.edu> lius@topaz.rutgers.edu (L*I*U Publishing Co.) writes:
>I must ask: are ordinary surge supressors for phone lines adequate
>for protecting against lightning?

I've had two modems trashed from errant lightning storms and both have had
medium priced phone and power line surge supressors on them.  It didn't seem
to help all that much.

I figure lightning is going to do what it wants to most of the time anyway.
My solution is to keep my homeowners policy paid up and pursue it that way.


-- 
Paul Hutmacher   |       paul@nuchat.UUCP        |Sometimes the only thing a
P.O. Box 66046   | {texbell, uunet}!nuchat!paul  |western savage understands
Houston, TX 77266| paul%nuchat.uucp@uhnix1.uh.edu|are whiskey and rifles and
713/526-0612 CDT |   Smile, you're on usenet.    |an unarmed man like you.

MQUINN%UTCVM@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU (07/27/90)

Surge suppressors won't protect against lightning.They only protect against
Random power suror spikes caused by something the power company has done.
Lightning is just too strong to be blocked by littlechunks of plastic and
metal from Radio Shack (or any other place, for that matter).  The only REAL
protection from lightning is to unplug your equipment (including phone lines)
when you know an electrical storm is coming.  Or if you want to be extra
careful, you could unplug your stuff everytime your finished using it.  A
lightning rod will help (very litt.  I live at a place where lightning
likes to poke around alot, this week I just lost my VCR! for the FOURTH time
in the past decade!  We've also lost several burglar alarm systems, one
satalite dish, several pieces of satalite equipment and a big screen T.V.
We even have we have all of our expensive equipment running through TWO
ssurge suppressor and we even have lightning rods outside our house! but
lightning will strike wherever it likes.  Don't believe that old saying
that lightning never strikes the same place twice! :)
Buying surge suppressors certainlycan't hurt, but the best thing to do is
to unplug everything during a storm (including the antanae connection or
cable connection on your VCR or TV.  That's how we lost our big screen.

throoph@jacobs.CS.ORST.EDU (Henry Throop) (07/28/90)

In article <Jul.22.01.03.25.1990.18271@topaz.rutgers.edu> lius@topaz.rutgers.edu (L*I*U Publishing Co.) writes:

>One more thing...I've been feeling very nostalgic lately, and was
>recently put in the mind of an old game I played on the Apple ][ about
>eleven years ago.  It was called "Odyssey..the Compleat Apventure"  I
>forget who put it out, but I'm sure the program is PD by now.  Could
>somebody mail me or post a copy of this?

It was published by Synergistic Software (not Sierra as someone mentioned);
written by Robert C. Clardy.  Incidently, he's still around writing
stuff; I most recently saw his name on Arghhh!, and before that, the
gs version of Thexder.  Anyways, I know that Odyssey was published
in its entirety a few years ago as a feature program on SoftDisk.
I'm not sure what issue it was, but if you give them a call ((318)-
221-8718; P.O.B. 30008, Shreveport, LA, 71130-0008) I think oyu 
can order back issues for about $10.

Henry
  
---
Henry Throop
Internet: throoph@jacobs.cs.orst.edu