UCM22
.tHE .sIRIUS .cYBERNETICS .cORPORATION
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Interview with Dragon of NEW TREND - done by moondog
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Here we have an interview with one of the older coders of the band, since he was
already a member as the band was still running under "SILVER BULLET FORCE".
UCM... - Heja Juergen! Since we're working on some "Where are they now?" article
for UCM and I decided to dig out New Trend this time, it's time to
reveal your history and I hope you aren't bored to death with the
questions that will follow... So at first, how are you?
Dragon - So far so good.
UCM... - And again the same boring question as in all other UCM interviews...
When did you started computing and please give us some hints about your
past, present and future in this case...
Dragon - I started coding when I was around 13 years old, that was around 1987.
I started with Commodore VC20 (Coding in BASIC). After that I had a
Commodore 128 (Coding in BASIC and Assembler).
Some years later an Atari ST (520) was bought and I started coding in
GFA-Basic and switched to Assembler and a little C.
After 520 ST followed a 1040 STE and a Falcon 030. Finally I was drawn
to the dark Wintel-Site. That was the time I've started to study
technical Informatics (1996 ). I finished study in 1999 and work since
that time at Fraport AG ( Airport Frankfurt am Main) as a Web-Developer
(Java, Servlets, JSP and so on...). In private sparetime I code some
C++. No Assembler any more.
UCM... - Since you were one of the "older members" of New Trend, you can maybe
tell us something about "The Silver Bullet Force" then, since it was
the predecessor of New Trend on the Atari ST. Maybe you even can tell
us the reason for changing the name of the group as well?
Dragon - The Silver Bullet Force was a rather small group with (I think) only
one coder named Mr. Bond. I can't tell very much cause I'm not one of
the founders of the group. As I entered the group as a member it was my
first group ever. So I had no experience with such things. It was the
time I had first contact with other groups and was very proud to be a
member of a scene group. I really can't remember the real reason why we
changed the name of the group.
UCM... - How did it came that New Trend changed completely to the falcon (except
Mr. Bond, who went to PC)? Have you never thought of doing something on
ST again?
Dragon - Oh, I think that was a matter of evolution. After having so much
computers before it, was only a matter of time changing to another
system. The Falcon was a system with no existing demos, games or
something like that. So we had the chance of doing some pioneer work.
So we had enough to do and no more time for ST stuff.
UCM... - Since New Trend was one of the first bands that coded on Falcon it
would be nice if you could tell us and esp. for the freaks that weren't
active already that time, about this time of changes from the ST to the
Falcon scene. How do you feel today in the fact that you were once one
of the first coders on Falcon?
Dragon - It was very exciting because no one had experience with it. The first
things you had to do is testing the performance. But after the first
tests I was very disappointed, cause you could not copy a 320x240x16
Screen in one frame... It was exciting to visit the first Fried Bits
after having a Falcon to see what other guys can do with it. Sometimes
it was also disappointing cause not everyone changed to the Falcon. The
fact that I have coded nothing really good in my pioneer times on the
Falcon makes me feel not really special....
UCM... - What do you think nowadays about the 2 New Trend Falcon demos? Just
tell us your views on them in comparison with other Falcon demos
released in that time.
Dragon - So our first demo was not wallbreaking, but the other one wasn't too.
But it surprised me that we've made place 2 on the party in Hamburg
(68oxo Convention, ed's note) with our first demo. We've never won
something until then. One driver for our new Falcon Demos was the new
member Lig Lury. Without him I think we never came that far. The only
thing I've done for that demo was the Intro-Screen with the Atari-Logo
moving and rotating.
Our Second demo was also our last demo together with Mr. Bond. So we've
got many buuuuhhhs while showing the demo cause Bondi wrote something
like this: "See u on PC". That was one reason why we didn't got a good
ranking. Some things went wrong on that Fried Bits. So the other demos
got better as we thought. We had no chance... But we never wanted to be
the best... We wanted to have fun... That's the key.
UCM... - You were once working on a big game project that is still in my mind,
"XMoon". Why have you stopped the works on the Falcon version? Was
there a further developped version except the playable demo released at
the Symposium Party '96?
Dragon - Yes, that a really sad story. I always wanted to code a game. One ST
the only game I ever finished was "Bloody Run" (I think nobody knows it
anymore).
I started to make another demopart. As a little demojoke I've coded a
simple 1 plane scroller with a little shot'em up in the background. So
the shot'em'up was so funny that I decided to make a game in TrueColor.
But as always when you're a coder you are not able to make music, GFX
and gameplay. So BDC from Aura decided to take the gameplay part and he
found some gfx-man. First it was cool. The graphics for the first level
were nearly finished, the gameplay not perfect but good and the code
was finished for over 8o percent. So we released a little demo at the
Symposium Party '96. After that everything changed. No more grafix,
even a second GFX man had no time to do it.
We got a bit lazy and I started my study in 1996, so I had no more time
to code on it. I'm very sorry for that, cause some people really wanted
to have the code from "XMoon", but I wasn't able to copy the code from
the Falcon to a CD. Last year we've done it at the geek gathering with
some patience. But I think no one could get through this code anymore
or even understand the german comments....
UCM... - On the homepage, that was closed down this year, it was mentioned that
you were working on a PC version after stopping the Falcon version, but
nothing appeared. So what can you tell me about this fact?
Dragon - Ohh, that was only a thought. But on PC I don't had the energy to do it
furthermore.
UCM... - Another game of the same kind that was developped and called "Painium
Disaster", created by Anvil Soft/Cruor. As I remember the XMoon posse
gave some kicks in their direction... what do you think about the other
game project, I'm sure you got the playable demo of the game...
Dragon - Mmh, I'm not sure. There was another shoot'em'up at the time we
developed on the XMoon project. Maybe that's the one. I've only seen
the demo-version and I was a happy that the demo was not as good as
XMoon. But I never saw more from that game and we never got in touch
with the developer from the other game.
UCM... - And if you're still following the Atari scene you maybe got the info,
that "Painium Disaster" was finally released last year, as it was
laying ready to spread around on the coders harddisk for some years.
Aren't you sad about the fact that "XMoon" never matched it to be
released?
Dragon - Yes, I'm very sad about that, but I can't turn back time. :-(
UCM... - Back to New Trend... as I stumbled over your PC related web page, I
wondered about the fact that you haven't mentioned your roots at all
(just like New Trend). Have you still contact to the other members of
the band, just like Lig Lury, Mr. Bond and Ice Cube?
Dragon - Oh really? Yes, I'm ashamed about not telling much about my roots, but
there is so much to do... you know time... Indeed I have no contact to
Mr. Bond, Lig Lury and Ice Cube. I only have contact to the Aura people
Chris, Aeon and BDC.
UCM... - Since it wasn't possible to find any further information about Ice Cube
maybe you can tell me more about him and maybe what he's doing today?
Dragon - No, I'm sorry. You should ask Mr. Bond about that.
UCM... - As far as I know you were the last of New Trend, coding on Falcon (up
to 1996 if I'm right). Do you still have your Atari? Are you still
following the movements of the Atari scene or aren't you interested
anymore?
Dragon - Oh, I don't follow the Atari scene anymore. There are so much other
things to do. There is a beautifuly child and my wife, the work, my
little scheduler and so on... I'm very happy about the Nectarine Radio.
It makes me very happy to hear the sounds from the old times. I still
have my Falcon with all my sourcecodes on it (XMoon, demos and so on ),
but I never use it.
UCM... - If you're still following the todays Atari scene, can you tell me what
you think about it in comparison with the old Atari scene?
Dragon - Sorry, nothing to tell.
UCM... - I know that you have coded several stuffs on PC in the past, have you
ever thought of coding something on Atari again? What are you doing
nowadays at all?
Dragon - Oh, I think the Atari time was a great time, but I think I won't do
something for it again. Oh, in my rare sparetime I try to make my
customers happy. The only thing I'm coding today is my Scheduler
"Desk-Timer" which I started in 1997 (as a C++ practice).
UCM... - Lig Lury has created a New Trend web page... have you ever visited it?
Are you still remembering that times as you were an Atari scener or is
this deleted from your memories?
Dragon - Yes, 2 Minutes ago ;-) I'm still remembering to the old times. As I
said it was really great and will never be deleted from my mind.
UCM... - Oki... we wont bore you any longer and will make some brainstorming now.
We give you just a word and you just have to write down the things that
coming into your mind right after reading it...
a.tari - great time
b.dc - Aura, last active member
c.oding - the ultimative experience
d.emoscene - discettes
e.aster parties - Fried Bits, Bremen
f.alcon - nice Computer
g.ames - Amberstar, Lethal Xcess, Civilization,
Unreal Tournament
h.elp - much work
i.nter - net
j.aguar - Iron Soldier, buggy System
k.ay tennemann - ??????????????
l.azer - Autowaschen verboten
m.r bond - Techno, Omnibus
n.ew power generation - past
o.bnoxious - Atari Demo
p.arties - fun, talking, no sleep
q.uestor - Nice guy
r.ecords - food
s.trange circumstances - Lig Lury
t.ragedy for you - Hamburg
u.nlimited bobs - Multi-Buffering
v.iruses - wrong mouse direction
w.arum - Lazer
x.moon - unfinished
y.ak - ??????????????
z.oomer - Aeon, Boot-Loader
UCM... - Hehe... after we have squeezed you out like a citron, we will give you
the chance to write down some greetings or a special message to the
readers...
Dragon - Special greetings to Lig Lury, Mr. Bond, Chris, Aeon, BDC, Celtic, Dark
Angel and Mr. Pink. I never was a public person. I decided to stay in
the background for all the time so I don't know if some people ever
will remembering me. That's okay. I wish a good code for all you. You
don't will have the chance to do it all of your life. So stay tuned.
UCM... - Oki... that's it for this time... thanx for your patience. you have
reached the very end now... lucky guy, eh? ;)
To get back to the NEW TREND main article, follow this link...
>---> Where are they now? Part 2: NEW TREND <---<
.tSCc. moondog . o3/2k2
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