passaret@copernicus.crd.ge.com ("Mr. Mike" Passaretti) (02/16/91)
Where can I download (FTP, etc) the newest version???
- MM
--
passaretti@crd.ge.com {whatever}!crdgw1!brahe!passaretali@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Ali Lemer) (04/27/91)
Any Solarian II fans out there? For those of you not in the know, Solarian II is a highly polished, incredibly fun and challenging (not to mention addictive) PD arcade-style game for the (colour) Mac II series. I was just curious if anyone out there wanted to trade tips, etc. -- Ali. Ali Lemer | "Humour is an affirmation of dignity, a Columbia University | declaration of man's superiority to all ali@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu | that befalls him." -- Romain Gary
tneu1@isuvax.iastate.edu (Steve Linnerooth) (04/27/91)
In article <1991Apr26.175655.11136@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>, ali@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Ali Lemer) writes: > > Any Solarian II fans out there? For those of you not in the know, Solarian >II is a highly polished, incredibly fun and challenging (not to mention >addictive) PD arcade-style game for the (colour) Mac II series. I was just ^^^^ Actually, it's not free. The author wants either $25 or $35 for it. - Steve Linnerooth Remember: Nothing can be made foolproof tneu1@ccvax.iastate.edu because fools are so ingenious! """"""""""""""""""""""""
deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu (Ben Haller) (04/28/91)
In article <1991Apr27.004240.8537@news.iastate.edu> tneu1@isuvax.iastate.edu writes: >In article <1991Apr26.175655.11136@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>, ali@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Ali Lemer) writes: >> >> Any Solarian II fans out there? For those of you not in the know, Solarian >>II is a highly polished, incredibly fun and challenging (not to mention >>addictive) PD arcade-style game for the (colour) Mac II series. I was just > ^^^^ > > Actually, it's not free. The author wants either $25 or $35 for it. > The author is also on the net. It's $25. Hi. -Ben Haller (deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu) "Private eyes / Are watching you / They see your every move..." - Hall & Oates
CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) (04/29/91)
In article <1991Apr26.175655.11136@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> ali@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Ali Lemer) writes: > Any Solarian II fans out there? > [...] > I was just curious if anyone out there wanted to trade tips, etc. Yes, I would like to trade tips, etc., and I did send Ben Haller the shareware fee. I found that I had finally become bored with the game, consistently scoring in the 200,000's, but with no apparent way to go beyond that because the gifts no longer come to the bottom of the screen after level 7 or so. Ben says the gifts can be "captured" anyway, but no one I know has ever done it. They often just burp and go off the top of the screen in 1-2 seconds, or follow what Ben calls "crazy" paths around the screen. Also, I normally get 40-42 on the second type of challenge round (the one that begins with a stream of Eyedroids coming in from the right) but don't seem to have to key to getting all 44. The result? Boredom because of no way to continue to improve. You have to continue to get the gifts, and you have to ace the challenge rounds, but there doesn't seem to be a way to do either. Although I lost interest in the game (in favor of the Chuck Yeager Advanced Flight Trainer, the commercial Tetris, and others) I would be interested in tips in these two areas. Maybe the game would become interesting again. Chuck Hoffman, GTE Laboratories, Inc. | I'm not sure why we're here, cah0@bunny.gte.com | but I am sure that while we're Telephone (U.S.A.) 617-466-2131 | here, we're supposed to help GTE VoiceNet: 679-2131 | each other. GTE Telemail: C.HOFFMAN |
Andre Sean Brown <ASB110@psuvm.psu.edu> (04/29/91)
Does anyone out there know if Solarian II can be played on a 1 meg b&w SE? Is there anyway to convert the program so that it is compatible with all Macs?
deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu (Ben Haller) (04/30/91)
In article <11083@bunny.GTE.COM> CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) writes: >I found that I had finally become bored with the game, consistently >scoring in the 200,000's, but with no apparent way to go beyond that >because the gifts no longer come to the bottom of the screen after level 7 >or so. Ben says the gifts can be "captured" anyway, but no one I know has >ever done it. They often just burp and go off the top of the screen in >1-2 seconds, or follow what Ben calls "crazy" paths around the screen. Now come on, if I say they can be captured they can. In terms of skill, anyone could do it. All it requires is that one *think* and figure out *why* the presents are flying off of the screen. There is a very good, and very simple, reason. I've known several people who have figured it out without any hints - it's really fairly obvious if you just pay attention. The crazy presents are the only ones that are at all hard to catch. They require a fairly unobvious kind of movement to coerce them down. But people have even figured this out all by themselves. >Also, I normally get 40-42 on the second type of challenge round (the one >that begins with a stream of Eyedroids coming in from the right) but don't >seem to have to key to getting all 44. If you've gotten 40-42, you must have the correct idea, you're just not quite smooth enough in your execution. It took me about two days of on and off playing from the point where I was getting 40-42 to the point where I was getting 100% about two thirds of the time. If you're not willing to practice to that extent, then you clearly have a problem, yes. Solarian II is not a *simple* game (like Tetris, which he mentions). It requires thought, and it requires practice. If you do these things, then you get to see all the nifty later rounds, and *maybe* finish the game. If you don't, then you get bored and give up. Keep practicing and thinking, or don't. Your life, do with it what you will. -Ben Haller (deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu) "Normally I wouldn't spray naked girls with shaving cream, but today was an exception." - Jeff
deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu (Ben Haller) (04/30/91)
In article <91119.131115ASB110@psuvm.psu.edu> ASB110@psuvm.psu.edu (Andre Sean Brown) writes: >Does anyone out there know if Solarian II can be played on a 1 meg b&w SE? Is >there anyway to convert the program so that it is compatible with all Macs? In article <Not available> mlg@cbnews.cb.att.com (mike.goodrich) writes: > It would be nice if there was a way to trick games and other programs like > Solarian into running on an LC with a 12" monitor. The question that would not die. I've had people ask me if it will run on the IBM PC, too. No, Solarian II will only run on machines that have 640x480 (or larger) 8-bit monitors. And yes, it would be nice if you could "trick" Solarian II into running on a Mac Classic, too. Only problem is, there's no way to do it. Ain't that a shame? -Ben Haller (deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu) "One day, you will break out of your spell, And someday, you will want me for your own, And I'll say 'Welcome to Reality.'" - XTC
CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) (04/30/91)
In article <1991Apr29.190518.14202@agate.berkeley.edu> deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu (Ben Haller) writes: > Now come on, if I say they can be captured they can. I'm sure they can; I do believe you. I simply described the problem as mysterious, with the solution not apparent to me or my colleagues. Chuck Hoffman, GTE Laboratories, Inc. | I'm not sure why we're here, cah0@bunny.gte.com | but I am sure that while we're Telephone (U.S.A.) 617-466-2131 | here, we're supposed to help GTE VoiceNet: 679-2131 | each other. GTE Telemail: C.HOFFMAN |
pejacoby@mmm.serc.3m.com (Paul E. Jacoby) (04/30/91)
In article <1991Apr27.004240.8537@news.iastate.edu> tneu1@isuvax.iastate.edu writes: >> Any Solarian II fans out there? For those of you not in the know, Solarian >>II is a highly polished, incredibly fun and challenging (not to mention >>addictive) PD arcade-style game for the (colour) Mac II series. I was just > ^^^^ > Actually, it's not free. The author wants either $25 or $35 for it. And it is worth every penny! When I sent in my cash, I asked Ben why it wasn't a commercial game. I haven't gotten a response, but I suspect that Spectrum Holobyte would snap this thing up if he wanted to sell it. -- | Paul E. Jacoby, 3M Company | | | Maplewood, MN 55144-1000 | Parachuting? Why jump out of a | | => pejacoby@3m.com | perfectly good airplane? | | (612) 737-3211 | |
hairston@henry.ece.cmu.edu (David Hairston) (05/02/91)
[deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu (Ben Haller) writes:] [] Now come on, if I say they can be captured they can. [CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) writes:] [] I'm sure they can; I do believe you. I simply described the problem as [] mysterious, with the solution not apparent to me or my colleagues. count me amongst the grateful deadman fans ... catching the "shy" and "crazy" presents is non-obvious. when playing Solarian II, i adopted the attitude that things happened for a reason (as Ben sort of hints at in the help screens). with this reasoning you can discover why the "shy" presents have a change of heart (you don't want spoilers do you?). however those "crazy" presents are another story. for the longest time i tried to figure those out and couldn't! i then gave up in disgust, shook the mouse as hard as i could and it came to me. really!!! circumstances permitting, i can now lure those suckers in, just about every time. i think i got lucky but it makes sense in a strange sort of way ... -dave- hairston@henry.ece.cmu.edu
stur0832@mstr.hgc.edu (douglas sturim) (05/03/91)
Does anyone know the numeric address of the FTP site that contains Solarian II Thanks Doug Sturim att!chinet!mcdchg!clyde!ds stur0832@sz8.hgc.edu
deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu (Ben Haller) (05/05/91)
In article <1991Apr30.135427.16076@mmm.serc.3m.com> pejacoby@mmm.serc.3m.com (Paul E. Jacoby) writes: > When I sent in my cash, I asked Ben why it >wasn't a commercial game. I haven't gotten a response, but I suspect >that Spectrum Holobyte would snap this thing up if he wanted to sell >it. Well, since I get this question so often, perhaps it's of general enough interest that I should post a reply. When I first wrote Solarian II, I tried in various weak ways to find a publisher. I had absolutely no idea how to contact a publisher (little did I know that most of them have phones :->), like asking friends, calling Mac magazines, etc. With hindsight, I am amazed that I was so clueless that I never managed to actually get in touch with a real honest-to-god software publisher. By the time I got a clue, Solarian II had been posted for some time, and therefore all of the publishers who talked to me said things like "We'll publish it, but you'll have to produce a substantially improved version so all the people who bought the shareware version will buy our version too", or alternatively "We'll publish it, but you've got to make a Mac Plus - compatable version", which I didn't want to do. A lot of them also wanted things like a CritterEditor (which may be trademarked by whoever Patrick Buckland sold Crystal Quest to, I wouldn't know, sorry if it is), which I feel *strongly* is a bad idea if not done very carefully - game design is not trivial, and the "parameters" of a game are very carefully tuned. But the main reason I haven't gotten it published is that: 1. Publishers are flakes. They don't return your calls, they have absolutely no incentive not to milk you for every last penny you own, they want control over packaging, etc., whereas I want total creative control, etc. 2. I make enough money to consider it worth my effort right now, which is all that really matters. Due to these two reasons, I intend to distribute everything I write that isn't written under contract to someone else, as shareware. I heartily recommend that others do so too; I've had a lot of success with shareware, quite possibly *more* than I would have had going the commercial route. And as more people get access to online services, shareware's viability continues to rise. Sorry if someone doesn't think this appropriate posting material for this list; it seems at least marginally relevant (distribution & publishing of games, etc.) If people tell me not to post such things, I'll abstain, but I've never gotten shouted at yet (at least not for this particular trait... :-> ) -Ben Haller (deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu) "Passion is an art form It is not sex, it isn't fashion..." - The Horseflies
chaffee@reed.edu (05/06/91)
In <1991May3.141544.1677@mstr.hgc.edu> stur0832@mstr.hgc.edu (douglas sturim) writes: >Does anyone know the numeric address of the FTP site that contains >Solarian II 36.44.0.6 (sumex)
pejacoby@mmm.serc.3m.com (Paul E. Jacoby) (05/06/91)
In article <1991May4.211138.3512@agate.berkeley.edu> deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu (Ben Haller) writes: >In article <1991Apr30.135427.16076@mmm.serc.3m.com> pejacoby@mmm.serc.3m.com (Paul E. Jacoby) writes: >> When I sent in my cash, I asked Ben why it >>wasn't a commercial game. I haven't gotten a response, but I suspect >>that Spectrum Holobyte would snap this thing up if he wanted to sell >>it. > > Well, since I get this question so often, perhaps it's of general enough >interest that I should post a reply. [...] > Sorry if someone doesn't think this appropriate posting material for this >list; it seems at least marginally relevant (distribution & publishing of >games, etc.) If people tell me not to post such things, I'll abstain, but >I've never gotten shouted at yet (at least not for this particular >trait... :-> ) Ben, mark my vote as a shout of "Thank You!" I always like to hear an author's reasons for going with the shareware market, and it's comforting to hear that programs like Solarian _are_ making their authors some $$$. (Maybe $$? Or only $? :-) And by all means, _do_ post interesting tidbits like new games you are distributing! -- | Paul E. Jacoby, 3M Company | | | Maplewood, MN 55144-1000 | Parachuting? Why jump out of a | | => pejacoby@3m.com | perfectly good airplane? | | (612) 737-3211 | |
CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) (05/07/91)
In article <1991May6.134648.28664@mmm.serc.3m.com> pejacoby@mmm.serc.3m.com (Paul E. Jacoby) writes: > In article <1991May4.211138.3512@agate.berkeley.edu> deadman@garnet.berkeley.edu (Ben Haller) writes: > > Well, since I get this question so often, perhaps it's of general enough > >interest that I should post a reply. > [...] > > Sorry if someone doesn't think this appropriate posting material for this > >list; it seems at least marginally relevant (distribution & publishing of > >games, etc.) If people tell me not to post such things, I'll abstain, but > >I've never gotten shouted at yet (at least not for this particular > >trait... :-> ) > > Ben, mark my vote as a shout of "Thank You!" Mark mine, too... :) Chuck Hoffman, GTE Laboratories, Inc. | I'm not sure why we're here, cah0@bunny.gte.com | but I am sure that while we're Telephone (U.S.A.) 617-466-2131 | here, we're supposed to help GTE VoiceNet: 679-2131 | each other. GTE Telemail: C.HOFFMAN |