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Sparrowhawk aka Jean-Yves

Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 12:43 pm
by Sparrowhawk
Hi,

Jean-Yves here. One-time huge QL fan and recent returnee.

What's funny is that I just wrote a letter/article for Quanta containing my musings on how I saw the QL scene as somebody who has been only a very-occasional observer over the last few years. And one of the things I was bemoaning was the lack of a QL Forum. Thanks for setting one up!

My main QL interests now are: nostalgia, programming and games.

My QL claim to fame (if you can call it that) was having one of my games published by CGH Services. That was Dreamlands, a text adventure.

In terms of what I use to do my QLing, it's almost exclusively Q-emuLator 1 on Mac OS X and occasionally also on Windows (v3 there). I hardly ever get the original out of its box any more.

If you're wondering, Sparrowhawk is the name I use on my online version of Lords of Midnight. I tend to use it most places now, except where somebody beat me to it and registered the name first.

Hope that covers everything!

PS - I think that the text area would be better in white with dark text. Easier to read and the smilies would not look so jagged either. Just a thought.

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:03 pm
by vanpeebles
Hello and welcome! :D I have heard of Dreamlands but not got around to finding it yet. Could you tell me a bit on how you wrote it and the history of the game? I'm looking at learning ACT to do a few QL Adventures.

I'm a huge gaming fan and Lords of Midnight is one of my all time favourite games. It's a perfect game to play during winter too. What's the online version like?

"Wild horses are afoot"

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:49 pm
by Sparrowhawk
How I wrote Dreamlands? Rather haphazardly, as I recall. This was back in '88 or thereabouts so I can't remember the detail. However, I do remember spending hours drawing out the map and working out new puzzles in a rather organic manner. I wrote it whilst at university in Leeds, so development was mostly fitted around lectures... Who am I kidding, it was done around my drinking schedule!

The online version of Lords of Midnight is here: Midnight/MU

Although I developed the initial online game, it is now maintained by a core of 3 or 4 dedicated players. Coding it was sucking up too much of my life! Feel free to head over there and sign up. Make sure you join the forums too, as that is where you can ask for a training game, ask for help, meet people etc.

Did you know that there was a LOM type game being written for the QL? It was called Lands of Beyond (I think) as a reference to the company that published LOM originally, Beyond Software. If I recall correctly, it was mostly being coded by Alan Pemberton (he of Voyage of the Beano fame) and Richard Alexander (owner of CGH Services)

I believe I have a copy somewhere on disk. The version I have is not much more than a shell, allowing you to wonder around the terrain, but not much else.

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:54 pm
by Sparrowhawk
Oh, I didn't answer the question of what Midnight/MU is like! sorry. Heh.

It uses the same graphics as the original, but instead of playing against the computer you play against other players, sometimes alone or in teams.

There are loads of new enhancements, such as alterations to the original map to add new cities and lords, supply caravans to get stores to your tiring troops, magical fairies in woods, bandits, dragon-riders etc.

Also, along with the original map, I also implemented Doomdark's Revenge, and then the floodgates opened and we have something like 10 or so maps, all but the original two having been designed by players themselves. All have a background story associated with them that links them to the original LOM storyline though.

The game is completely free to play, and you need no special software, other than a relatively modern browser. It will run in IE6, but I'd suggest IE8 or above or better still Firefox, as that is what we use to develop it and it renders best in that.

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 2:19 pm
by vanpeebles
Thanks I will be checking it out :) I'd love to see that unfinished QL version!

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 1:20 pm
by Sparrowhawk
vanpeebles wrote:I'd love to see that unfinished QL version!
Your wish is my command. I have zipped up the files for you and placed them on my site for downloading.

Note, these run on Q-emuLator but I cannot guarantee that they'll run on anything else!

As you will see, LoB uses UDGs rather than drawn graphics to render the scenery, and unfortunately due to I think what is a known QL display bug, the UDGs do not stick together correctly: there are gaps which makes the whole thing look decidedly odd!

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 10:31 pm
by vanpeebles
Gah I couldn't get that Beyond to unzip on my QL as it's within a directory?

Unipped it out the folder first on PC and it ran fine :)

It's a shame its unfinished, it would been superb I think!

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:19 am
by Sparrowhawk
Sorry about the folder. I do almost all my QLing in emulation and have a folder per app / disk, so that's how I tend to think nowadays. I forgot that you might actually be using a real QL! :lol:

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:41 pm
by Sparrowhawk
Hey, I'm no longer a ROM Dongle! Woohoo!

Oh, I'm a chuggy microdrive... ah well, as evolution goes I'm not sure it's exactly progress ;)

Re: Sparrowhawk

Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:31 pm
by vanpeebles
:lol: hehehe