Letters

Any letters or e-mails received on an adventuring-related topic
may be reprinted in here unless marked 'not for publication'.
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@~In August I recieved an email from Tony Woolcock. "I know that
@~name," I thought. And sure enough it was the author of an ST game
@~the Blag which I reviewed back in 1990 ... he's got a problem,
@~maybe you can help?

Hi Sue,

Many years ago I wrote an adventure for the Atari ST called The
Blag. You reviewed it in issue 8 of Syntax.

Unfortunately my original copies of the game that I kept in the
loft are all corrupt (What a stupid place to keep them I hear you
say.)

I am writing to ask whether you still have a copy or if you know
where I can get one. There has been some interest in reproducing
the game on the PC to include video footage and other advances
that could not be included when the game was first produced.

If I do go ahead with another Blag it will be for the public 
domain and possibly for the pocket PC as well.

Hope you can help,

Tony Woolcock

@~If you can help, either let me know or contact Tony on
@~aopp80@dsl.pipex.com

@~Now someone else looking for help, you probably remember
@~him from a few issues back:

From J Paul Sanders

First off - thanks for the many AGT games you sent as attachments
many months ago!

I was doing (yet another) Google search for a little-known text
adventure from the late 80s called "Moonstone". It was written by
Bill White, who also wrote a game called "Nirvana" (which I have).
I see on your webpage 'PDs available from Syntax' 
(http://www.syntax2000.co.uk/issues/15/pd.asc.txt) that there's a 
game called "Moonstone" on PD #79 - I am wondering if this is the
game I've been seeking for several years? If so, could I get a
copy of it? I've a couple of games I could post by snail-mail as
thanks if you're interested - just let me know.

@~I explained the Paul that the game he'd seen in SynTax was
@~for the ST so not the one he wanted. Then a later email said:

Just yesterday I managed (at last!) to track down the author and
spoke with him over the phone about the games for about a
half-hour. Here is a brief summary of what he told me:

All total, he sold about 200 copies of 'Moonstone' in the late
80's - early 90's.  He moved on to a 'regular' programming job
around 1994 and tossed out all his old 5-1/4 floppies - including
those that contained 'Moonstone.' 'Moonstone' was copy-protected
to only run from a floppy - so if anyone of your readership does
own the game, some care will be needed in duplicating it (the old
program "Teledisk" should do the trick).  He has no source code
for the game, either electronic or hardcopy.  'Nirvana' was set in
a rather surreal fantasy setting, while 'Moonstone' was set in a
"detailed and realistic" medieval setting.  'Moonstone' was
considerably larger than 'Nirvana' in both size and scope.

What else...? I think that about covers our conversation.

I appreciate all your help Sue and am sorry to hear that SynTax
will be ceasing publication next year. When it does, I hope you
will consider archiving all issues to the IF-Archive - I know I
certainly consider your contributions to the IF world worthy of
preservation for future gamers.  Anyway - thanks again and I wish
you well in all your future plans.

Cordially, Paul Sanders

@~Can anyone else help?















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