by Jack Kincaid / jkinca1@cugkc.cjb.net
PARTY TIME!! Here it is again PARTY TIME!! Bring your favorite tid-bit to share and let the party begin! There will be a Christmas disk and other stuff that I am trying to get rid of!
The CUGKC wishes to express our sorrow and sympathy to the passing of one of our members, John Strenge. He and his wife Valoris have been members since 1997. He was instrumental in getting the Club incorporated.
At the last meeting there were two renewals: Scott Heider and Lenard Roach (by mail). Thanks for your continuing support!
NEXT MONTH: December 11th at the Waldo Library. Hope to see you there.
I see from Homestead that Maurice Randall has opened up a new store online at http://cmdrkey.com. Go and see what he has.
I still have 64s and 128s with 1541 and 1571 drives. I also have monitors and printers just sitting in my basement doing nothing. For a small price they can be in your home doing something! Call or see me at the next meeting. My phone number is (816) 761-4777 and I am home most days after 4:00 pm.
Financial Report
Balance Nov. 2003.................... $304.69
Income: Nov. 2003
Renewals (2) ........................
$ 20.00
Expenses: Nov. 2003..................-$ 0.00
Closing Balance Dec. 2003............ $324.69
by Scott Heider / sheide1@cugkc.cjb.net
The Group meeting for November was held Thursday, November 13th at the Waldo branch of the Kansas City Public Library. The attendance was 7 members.
I am very sorry to report that CUGKC member John Strenge passed away September 14, 2003. Mrs. Valoris Strenge attended November's meeting and shared this news. Mr. Strenge's obituary can be viewed online at http://www.pipestonestar.com/article.asp?ItemID=7046&Type=obi.
Former CUGKC officer Don Gresham has given his impressive collection of C= hardware, software, and accessories to the Group, with the following condition: all proceeds are to be split 50-50 between Don and the CUGKC. The plan is to give current CUGKC members the first opportunity to purchase items from Don's collection. Whatever hasn't sold within the next couple of months (perhaps by the end of February) will be auctioned on eBay. Vance Kellinger has graciously volunteered to handle these sales. Vance intends to bring some of the more interesting items to the December meeting, so be sure to attend if you're interested in an RGB monitor, 1581 drive, hard drive, blank formatted disks, games, or even an Amiga.
By popular demand, Yours Truly has updated the CUGKC Monthly Meetings web page. It now lists the meeting dates for 2004. Meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month; i.e., January 8, February 12, March 11, April 8, May 13, June 10, July 8, August 12, September 9, October 14, November 11, and December 9, 2004.
Finally, a reminder about the next Group meeting. It will be held at the usual place, the Waldo Library, on the usual day, Thursday, December 11th at 7:00pm. We will have our annual holiday party at the meeting, so if the spirit moves you, feel free to bring your favorite holiday munchies to share with your fellow members and families. I will probably bring my traditional holiday popcorn tin. See you then!
by Lenard Roach / lroach1@cugkc.cjb.net
I know a lot has been said at the last meeting about the Power Zone department of the Glad Tidings Assembly of God church receiving three complete Commodore 64 systems from our illustrious and generous club. As part of the team that helped set those units up in the church, I think I should give a report on the happenings thus far.
Once Gabriel and I set up the Commodores and loaded them with games to play, the children had immediate mixed reactions ranging from "Cool!" to "Dorky!" What I alluded to in last month's "Veep's Rap" was showing prevalent in this crowd. Some children were looking for icons to appear on the screen and a mouse to point and click with. Few balked at the idea of using the keyboard to access the proper files that were on disk; others welcomed the idea of getting on the keyboard and actually working with the computer. I guess it gave those willing to put hands on a sense of control over the silicon environment of the Commodore.
The joysticks were another surprise for the children. This generation of gamers was raised on the control pad with multiple buttons to work, so when they saw these sticks and only the one button to push, they were at a loss. Gabriel and I had to show them that holding the joystick with the fire button in the upper left hand corner of the base was the correct way to use them. The much younger crowd who were just learning to read couldn't comprehend as of yet that the word "top" etched on the joystick base was how you held it. This hurdle, however, was quickly overcome.
Now the actual playing of the games was something else. As with most children, once they sat down and played a game they were instantly getting upset because they either (1) were "dying" too quickly or (2) were not scoring as many points as they thought they should. In today's scorekeeping, games like pinball for instance, the player gets hundreds of thousands of points for executing a simple combination; in Commodore the same maneuver would only accumulate a thousand points or less. Those with gaming skills who were doing well were disappointed on their low score performance; those who game little were disappointed on how quickly the game was over almost before it began. What all the children agreed on, however, was the wonderful option to continue without having to wait for multiple screens to scroll by as they do in today's games. I personally call such wastes of data "commercials". So far the children are working with only two 5 ¼" disks that have about twelve to fifteen games per disk. The children aren't tired of those games yet, but when they do, I'm sure that more games will be introduced.
But on top of all this, something else is happening. A few of the children are getting interested in more than just playing games. They want to know what else the Commodore can do, and even more exciting, where they can get a system for themselves. This is where our next generation of Commodore users is coming from, folks. We need to help them along in any way we can. We need to try and get into places where young people gather, and set up some units. We need to demonstrate Commodores to children and youth leaders. I've talked about this before in previous writings, and as you can tell from this report, this method is working at Glad Tidings Assembly of God. It is a slow process, but it is working. Not everybody will want a Commodore, but a few will. We should do our best to reach them. We can either age up and fade away, or we can inject the Commodore community with new blood. It really is all up to us.
In short, the Commodore Users Group of Kansas City's donation has helped Glad Tidings Assembly of God's Power Zone team immensely. The older children can play video games, which leaves Power Zone workers free to attend those few who can't play games as of yet. These computers are not used during class. They are only available to access during the half an hour layover that exists before class starts. In other words, the Commodore 64s are a deterrent to ward off the pre-class boredom that sets in when children are dropped off early by parents who are serving in other capacities during the service. It's awesome, dudes! Commodore rocks!
by Jon Searle / jsearl1@cugkc.cjb.net
One of the finest producers of RPG (Role Playing Games) software is Strategic Simulations, Inc. Among their many successes was a post-nuclear war game called "Roadwar 2000". In a weird cross between 'Mad Max' (the movie) and Steve Jackson's 'Car Wars' (an RPG), the user finds himself playing the part of a small-time gang leader on a mission to save the besieged country.
America has become the victim of a sinister plot to infiltrate plague-infected fanatics, whose bio-engineered disease spreads like wildfire. The country, its military and government suffering, is unable to raise a defense, and is treated to nuclear attacks and full-scale invasion. Factions, gangs, mobs, and despots rise and take power where they can, and with communications down, even the government's underground biolabs are finding it increasingly difficult to both combat the spread of the infection and just plain survive.
The tables are turned on the invaders when the radiation from their nukes causes the bacteria to mutate and affects even their own, formerly immune troops. Suddenly the whole world is at risk. The government biolab's only hope is to find a powerful enough gang leader and enlist his help to locate some missing scientists. Thus, our setting begins.
Although I found the graphics of this program to be merely fair, I was totally drawn in by its scope and concept. Followers of science fiction and adventure tales can become part of the action without the pain and bloodshed (no less!). Add in the other intriguing elements (the art of scavenging for supplies, avoiding bigger road gangs, discovering allies, fighting off mutants, cannibals, survivalists, fanatics, other road gangs, and of course, finding useable vehicles, etc.) and this game becomes an instant winner in my collection.
One begins with only a few followers and a small car. Eventually, you must locate, supply, and train hundreds of gang members, subdue towns and even cities, and learn where it's safe and where it's not. Some cities have hidden unexploded nukes; others will result in your men rising up in mutiny and desertion. Eventually, if you get strong enough, the "biolab" will get in touch with you. That is when your real quest will begin.
The combats can be tactical, with the player controlling his gang's actions, or left to the computer to decide. Faster? Sure. But the computer tends to waste your men and vehicles. As you go, often the chance will arise for the player to "upgrade" his vehicles with better armor, brakes, suspension, tires, fuel, etc. I advise that you take that opportunity as often as possible. Sure, you may have a semi or bus, but the other guys are using guns, and shot tires can really ruin your day.
"Roadwar 2000" is, in my opinion, a nine on a scale of one to ten. When I need a challenge or diversion, this is the one game I choose!
by Lenard Roach / lroach1@cugkc.cjb.net
Former member of the CUGKC Don Gresham has decided to depart with his vast collection of Commodore equipment and has asked if we of the CUGKC would like to buy any of it. All proceeds of this equipment will be split 50/50 between Mr. Gresham and the CUGKC.
The following is a short list of what Don has donated. If there is anything you want from this list, then let Vance Kellinger know what it is and how much you are willing to pay for it.
Remember, this is NOT a conclusive list. As Vance begins to unpack and log what Mr. Gresham has given us, we will put that into the newsletter. Anything that is not sold after a while will be put up on eBay and sold that way. Also, if your "bid" for material is not a fair price (for example, $1 for a 405 Meg hard drive is not a "fair" price), then this item will also go on to eBay for a hopefully better price. So, please think like both a dealer and a consumer in this matter. We do wish to move this material, but we also want to get a fair amount for it as well.
If there are any questions, then feel free to contact any CUGKC Board member about it. Thanks!
HARDWARE
SOFTWARE
The Commodore Users Group of Kansas City is a not-for-profit educational support group for persons using Commodore computers.
Membership benefits include a monthly newsletter as well as access to CUGKC's library of over 1000 public domain and shareware disks.
Dues are $15 the first year, $10 annually thereafter. Disks of the month and library disks cost $3 each for members.
Meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month at the Waldo branch of the Kansas City Public Library, located at the corner of 75th and Oak Streets, Kansas City, Missouri. Visitors are welcome to attend any meeting. For more information, contact any officer:
Email us at cugkc@cugkc.cjb.net
or visit our web site at http://cugkc.cjb.net.
Our snail-mail address is:
CUGKC
1307 Golfview Drive
Grain Valley, Missouri 64029