Editorial

First of all, many thanks to all of you who contacted me since the
last issue with good wishes for the future for me. I am gradually
settling into my new life in the flat and have discovered the joys
of flat pack furniture! I've even bought myself a cordless drill.
Yes, it's quiet, but I'm getting on okay, thanks.

There've been some changes to the SynTax web site too. Alex has
uploaded issues 1-39 for me and we will add the other back issues
up to Issue 70. These are for reading online only, not
downloading. The latest issues will be for SynTax regulars only
but as new issues are released, Alex will upload the next in the
back issues and so on. So subscribers will always be 10 or so
issues ahead of the web site. I've signed up for an extra 150 meg
of web space to try to make the SynTax site even better and,
hopefully, more popular.

The magazine may also look a bit different. In the old days of the
ST, Amiga and DOS versions, the magazine used to be arranged in 20
line 'pages' and used to click from one page to another. So when
editing files, I've always added odd blank lines to avoid 'widows
and orphans' at the start or end of screens. SynWin also uses a
basic 20 line block but with different screen resolutions and
resizable windows, I realised (a bit late, I must admit!) while
uploading solutions to the web site that some of you might be
using a completely different layout from the one I expected, and
would possibly be annoyed by odd blank lines etc. So now all I've
done is put the usual ending marker (- o -) at the end of each
file.  I hope you'll prefer this. It was certainly a lot quicker
to edit!

I registered for PayPal so I can now take credit card payments
over the Internet for SynTax. I thought this might bring in some
more overseas readers as well as making it more convenient for
readers in the UK, and also for people wanting to order printing
from me. But all I've used it for so far is eBay payments! Mostly
selling luckily. Yes, I've been shifting unwanted books, videos,
jigsaws, talking books and software etc. It's great fun! Though
it's sometimes a bit worrying when no-one's put in a bid for an
item and there's only 48 hours left but there's often a flurry at
the end. I've discovered that a lot of people just watch an item
for 6 days, then put in a last minute bid in the hope of not being
out-bid. So now, of course, I do the same when I'm after
something!  If you want to see what I'm selling my ID is
kentish_girl.

All I've bought through eBay since moving is a 3D computer jigsaw
puzzle, and a book on decorating pottery. For those who don't
know, in what's laughingly known as my spare time, I go to
adult education classes on woodcarving (6 years) and pottery (2
years). I also belong to a local group of woodcarvers known as The
Woodentops! We meet once a month. I wonder what hobbies the rest
of you have, apart from computer games? Do write in and tell me.
Maybe there are more woodcarvers and potters out there!

Just before the last issue went out, I contacted a few people
through the Internet who had written solutions I was interested in
putting into SynTax but who had put 'do not use without
permission' notices on them. I asked if they'd be willing for me
to use their work in SynTax and all but two said yes. So hello
this issue and thank you to Tally Ho, Witchen and Inferno. I hope
to add new authors each issue.

Thanks too to reader Stefan Herber who has donated a brand new
copy of the RPG Gothic for a competition this issue. I've made it
a really easy competition, so please enter. If more than one
person gets the question right, I'll draw the winner's name out of
a hat.

Bev Truter got in touch with me after last issue to say that
unfortunately AgiliTy isn't the way to go when trying to run
'Still Laughing at my Cardigan' on fast machines because it still
won't be fully compatible.  She's written an article for this
issue on the subject and it does look as though one of the slow
down programs would be the better bet.

More about Bev. The SynTax Challenge proved popular last issue and
a number of you contacted me to say you were stuck in exactly the
same place that I was. Well done Bev for getting further - much
further. She still hasn't finished the game so I've enclosed her
solution so far in the Hints section. Can anyone complete it?
Good luck. I hope this issue's challenge will interest as many of
you.

Well, I think that's it for now except to direct you to Vic
Horsley's cautionary tale about Battlespire which is in the
Letters section. Again, can anyone complete the game? Over to you.

                            Best wishes to all of you for 2003.

                                               Sue







                              - o -