UCM25
.tHE .sIRIUS .cYBERNETICS .cORPORATION
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interview with Simon Sunnyboy of Paradize
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UCM .... Hi Matthias! Since you are around for some time on the IRC now and
even entered a new band, it's time to check out, who you are and what
do you do in the Atari scene. So just tell us at first, something about
yourself, what are you doing if you're not hanging around on IRC and
playing around with Atari?
Sunny .. My name is Matthias Arndt and I'm now 24 years old. I come from the
northern part of Germany and I'm currently studying business
informatics at the technical university Clausthal-Zellerfeld.
In the scene and to my friends, I'm known as "Simon Sunnyboy" which
substituted my old nick "Arcade King" that I used for many years on the
ST. I'm more of a shy guy and I'm not the one to take to the next rave.
I wouldn't like it. Although I really appericate chiptunes and music on
the ST, I hate all kind of electronic music otherwise. I prefer old
style rock'n'roll, blues, country, boogie-woogie and western swing.
Actually a real wild piano like the one of Jerry Lee Lewis makes me
mad. I can listen to these kinds of music all the time without ever
wanting anything else.
My interests beside Atari are old computers in general, emulation,
programming, GNU/Linux, microcontrollers, astronomy, rocketry and space
sciences, history, rock'n'roll music and its associated films, artists
and protagonists. I like good science fiction movies, teeny movies like
American Pie, all James Bond movies with "Moonraker" being my favourite
episode, and war movies like "Das Boot" and "The Longest Day".
My favourite TV sitcoms are "Married with Children" and "Roseanne".
There's only one thing missing for me and that's a kind girlfriend.
UCM .... Please tell us a bit more about your steps that brought you to the
point to enter the scene as someway active member. What brought you to
the point to say: he, I wanna be part of this strange microcosm.
Sunny .. Steps? Well, I wanted to take part from the day my brother showed me
the first steps in programming. That was way back in 1990. I was ten
years old and my brother was really pissed off that I annoyed him all
day to play games on the ST.
I don't really know what motivated him but I guess he wanted me to do
something more useful than playing games. All I ended up with was that
I learned programming to do games on my own. I used a lot of type in
games to learn from them. One reason that forced that whole thing was
my lack of contacts. All my friends had an Amiga with new games every
three weeks. I only had the good old 520ST with only a single sided
drive at that time and no contacts to other ST users.
If you don't get new games as a little boy and you want to play new
stuff, then you go start coding. Although GFABASIC only, I learned many
things with it.
Taking part in the real scene so is just the final step. Infact I just
want to express my love for the Atari ST and to take part. I do not
want to be on top nor do I want to beat them all.
UCM .... What are your main interests on the ST. I know you were playing around
in game development a little bit and then you tried to code some little
demo effects. So please tell us.
Sunny .. Playing games and developing them. Demos are impressive but for me they
only are demonstrations of what can be done.
A good game uses techniques like those used in demos. Lethal Xcess is
an excellent example for that.
Coding demo effects is my way to learn about the ST in detail. The
intended goal is to use this knowledge for coding games. My first
released intro called "The Debut" is an an example for that, I tested a
few techniques for game programming in it.
I'm a supporter of Atari ST emulation as well. I use emulators
frequently and I support the emulation community without having strange
feelings with that. Without emulation the scene would be even more
obscure and more underground.
My interests in that direction concentrate on the ST emulator Hatari at
the moment. I help with debugging it and I write the user manual for it
which is available since summer of 2003 in the Hatari CVS.
I betatest the Linux version of STEEM as well and I maintain the
Makedisk tutorial to help the emulation addicts with playing the games
on a real machine. I actually betatested and helped debugging the PC
Joystick support in XSTEEM for Russel.
At the moment, I have a 1040STFM at home for gaming and casual
developing and a Falcon here in Clausthal although the latter one is
gathering dust as I don't have the time to do specific stuff with it at
the moment. From time to time I watch demos with it or test out Atari
related software, For development and trying out I rely on emulators as
I don't have the space to keep my 1040 here.
I use Hatari and STEEM most of the time both under Linux. Although from
time to time the Falcon assists while coding and ofcourse I use it for
compatibility tests.
I'm planning on getting an STE though as it is easier to upgrade with
memory and the additional hardware is nice too. That won't mean that I
stop doing STFM stuff. I'll never forget my roots n that respect.
Developping is done either with Devpac for the assembler stuff and
GFABASIC for other things. GFABASIC is a nice language and I have no
problems with promoting it as a good, easy to use and powerful language
on the ST.
UCM .... As far as I know you joined the new formed group "Construct Crew" for
some months and lately have left it again. What were the reasons to
join them and to leave it that fast again?
Sunny .. Reasons for joining them/him? At that time I thought that Cosmo was
willing to learn. I wanted to do that too and I still do. The point is,
he neither wanted to learn from other people, he soon made enemies and
he was not willing to listen to other people me included.
When he started pissing off the whole scene on DHS, I got mad and
dropped all connections for some time. I cannot work with someone who
badmouths the whole Atari scene just because of his personal short
comings.
But I do not hate him like STS does, he might be a lamer but I'm too
and I must admit Cosmo's music is quite ok. He agreed to do some music
as a member of Stax for me so at least his SID tunes will be heard in
my projects from time to time.
UCM .... I know that you coded some little intro for one of the Construct Crew
menus but in the end it wasn't released. You told me as well that you
wanted to create a little intro for ST later on, what happened to these
projects?
Sunny .. The CC related stuff died with my connection to it, although I kept the
sources, I do not plan to use that stuff except as a base of already
written code.
The intro screen for EIL #3 will probably finished someday. It is not
completely dropped although on ice at the moment.
UCM .... Your next step was to join Paradize, formerly known as "The Coolest
Paradise". What brought you to this step?
Sunny .. Cooper of course. I was a freelancer in the summer and Cooper just did
ask: "Hey, you wanna join?" And I did. I even didn't hesitate for long.
Cooper does GFA stuff too so I guess it is a perfect fit at the moment.
We get along well and I hope to do many productions for and with
Paradize.
UCM .... How would you describe the cooperation in Paradize in comparison with
the Construct Crew?
Sunny .. To be honest you can't compare that properly. But it is definitly much
more rewarding to work with Cooper. He has much better contacts to the
scene and I now have too. We can talk about anything and we often share
the same opinion on a subject. And if we have different opinions on
coding subject or on what project to do, it won't lead to trouble.
We just talk and it turns out not to impose problems. Cooperation is as
good as it can be. I'm really looking forward to meet Cooper someday.
UCM .... Paradize seemed to motivate you a lot in the end, what projects are in
the pipeline after your first releases under this label and can we
count on some stuff that features works by you and Cooper together?
Sunny .. Projects in the pipeline? Ok, I'll tell you a few things but keep in
mind that this is just a sketch of things that _could_ be done. I have
an almost finished board game called Penta in the queue which will
likely see the light of day at Outline 2004. Beside that I plan to
reactivate some more of my old games.
One is a Vermeer clone that hasn't got a release title yet. The old
development title is "AHA - Aktien, Handel, Auktionen".
Another thing is some sort of turnbased strategy based in France in the
Hundred Years War. It currently is simply called "France 1429".
Beside games I'll probably do a contribution for Outline 2004. What
exactly ain't clear yet but it will probably something for the Fake or
Wild Demo category.
Then there is the Atari-Forum demo project but that is more a
participative project for the members of Atari-Forum.
As a final throw we plan a GFABASIC megademo but except of the idea and
some prelimary work don't expect anything on that before summer.
Although these are mine ideas I'm looking forward to do parts together
with Cooper.
UCM .... With your time in the Construct Crew you were able to see that the
scene isn't always a very comfortable place and somehow, newcomers
could have a hard time. What do you think about the nowadays Atari
scene? What do you think about those quarrels around your former group
on the BBS and in the IRC?
Sunny .. The scene is great and it is not only a pleasure but a honour to be
part of it. I come along very well with all of the members as far as I
have met and talked to them yet. All were very kind and helpful in the
beginning. Everything has something to do with the way you treat
people. If you treat them with respect and honour like I do you don't
have problems. Nobody ever bashed me as long as I'm on IRC and DHS.
People even show interest if I explain my point of view in the games
department for example. The Atari platform ain't dead and the scene is
not only a vital part but it is one of the reasons for me to keep Atari
in my heart. I've met so many nice people here that I'd really miss it
if I'd be forced to leave again.
I don't like to comment here any further on the Construct Crew. Leaving
it should be signal enough.
UCM .... What about ASM Software, your label. Why you decided to release your
stuff under this label and not under your nickname? And why ASM? Is
there any deeper meaning behind those letters?
Sunny .. ASM Software is the label I used for a long time and I still do. All of
my Atari ST programs until now were intended for the ASM Software label
although beside "Megastar", "Blackjack" and a few small utilities
nothing has been released sofar.
Actually ASM Software was a shareware label for sometime, mainly on the
PC and without success. ASM was a nifty short label for me in the old
times. It hadn't had a meaning until I got asked what it could mean a
few years ago.
ASM Software stands for Asymetric Simple Microprocessor SOFTWARE,
meaning that we mainly produce software for various kinds of
microprocessors including Intel x86 and Motorola 68000 architecture.
Asymetric in the term of not being a commercial label and without
schedule. It is a pure fun thing.
And as ASM Software is doing serious stuff as well, especially for GNU/
Linux, I will not release software under a nickname and using the ASM
Software label. Either it is Matthias Arndt for ASM Software or Simon
Sunnyboy for Paradize but not mixed.
UCM .... What are your dreams for your near future in the Atari scene? Have you
anything in mind you would like to do or to do with someone together?
No real plans, just your dreams...
Sunny .. Dreams? Atari related dreams only include doing my first polished game
project that is neither buggy nor ugly like Megastar. I never said that
Megastar looked like Lethal Xcess :D
As I already found a crew I have no more Atari related dreams beside
that. Getting an STE but that's all.
UCM .... Ok... we have nearly reached the end. If you want to send some
greetings or if you have some message to the readers, you now have the
possibility to write it down.
Sunny .. I'm proud to take part in the Atari scene and I'm really looking
forward to do more stuff on the ST. For greetings just take a look at
our Website Intro. Nothing big but most people who deserve my greetings
are listed there.
If you don't know our website yet, check http://paradize.atari.org/ and
feel free to leave us a comment in the guestbook.
UCM .... Thanx for your patience and I hope we run over your name in the near
future in the Atari scene from time to time...
_______________________________________________________________moondog_o3/2k4___
|
|
|