BASIC Computer Games
Basic computer games ( in the original Basic Computer Games) is a edited by David H. Ahl book series, the first title was released in 1973 by Digital Equipment. The content consists of many program Print (listings ) in the programming language BASIC. The publisher was the future founder of the computer magazine Creative Computing.
There were sequels and expenditures for various platforms (microcomputer, DEC mainframe and TRS -80), as well as translations into German, Danish and French.
Basic Computer Games was the first computer book that has sold more than one million copies.
- 4.1 German: Basic Computer Games
- 4.2 French: Jeux d' ordinateur en BASIC
- 4.3 Danish: Basic computerspil
- 6.1 Big Computer Games
Overview
The books include tips for adapting to system-specific BASIC dialects, as well as the respective sample runs. The game programs can be individually typed and stored on an external device, for example by Datasette. Runs are on most home computers. Such listings from books and magazines are much cheaper than commercial individual stocks, for example, on cassettes or modules. In addition, the programmer is given a learning effect and has the ability to program adaptation.
The German editions, roughly A4 format are normally bound, however, printed crosswise, after the translators the original artwork always worked together. The book is thus rotated by 90 ° to the right. The listings thus extend on both sides, which are divided into two columns. It is read only, the left column / half on both sides down.
Game Title
The games range from simple trivia, card and board games, to simulation games and programs with artificial intelligence.
The graphics, if any, exists only as ASCII art, so that they can be run on all systems. With some effort, it can be improved because the key is the BASIC routines and formulas. Also should be considered the maximum number of columns that can display the computer. The starting point is usually of 40 characters per line. Some extensive games need more than 5 KiB RAM. The following are some well-known games:
- Poets ( Random poem )
- ELIZA - Joseph Weizenbaum's early implementation of chatterbots, which reacts according to the rules of a therapeutic conversation
- Pinball ASCII graphics, but no liquid output, but with text input
- Game of Life - John H. Conway's automaton on a 70x24 playing field
- Golf
- Hammurabi - economic simulation
- Hunt the Wumpus
- Irrgartenerstellung
- Ninepins
- L game
- Lunar Lander - Three variants to simulate a Lunar Module
- Mastermind
- Poker
- Roulette
- Super Star Trek
- Tennis ( without graphics )
- Towers of Hanoi
In sports games and simulations, various parameters, such as target direction, club selection or angles must be entered. The output appears as a German text with partly human comments. For graphics games after each turn, the graph is updated accordingly.
Expenditure
101 Basic Computer Games
These guidelines were developed by Ahl program collection appeared in July 1973 with Digital Equipment Corporation. Ahl was employed and convinced that, when users would be interested in such games since 1970 in Digital. In 1971 he launched an appeal to all customers that they should play programs to submit. From the submissions Ahl chose from 90 games and added 11 games, which he himself had programmed added. The programs were written in six different Basic dialects.
Basic Computer Games - Microcomputer Edition
This expanded two-volume edition Apparitions from 1978. Volume 1 contains essentially the programs out of 101 Basic Computer Games. Volume 2 is preceded by the title the phrase "more" includes 84 new game programs and an introduction by Chris Cerf.
As Ahl left Digital in 1974, he received permission to publish the new collection program, as long as this was done under a different title. Almost all programs have been ported from Steve North to Microsoft Altair BASIC Revision 4 and tested on an Altair 8800 with 16K RAM. The programs that could not be converted to Altair BASIC, or for whom the cost was not worth, were replaced by new programs. The listings were printed on a model 43 teletype terminal. This terminal type has a dot matrix printer, the text in a non-proportional font issues with a character matrix of 7x9 pixels and a character density of 13.2 characters per inch. These prints have been reduced to 64%.
The volumes were illustrated by George Beker. Many of his drawings draw on concrete game content and put it humorous to anthropomorphic robots. At least the first volume appeared in an illustrated by Sandy Dean variant.
The books were published in largely identical design in two publishers: Creative Computing Press and Workman Publishing.
- Basic Computer Games. Microcomputer Edition. Copyright 1978 First Printing October 1978 Workman Publishing:. . New York. ISBN 0-89480-052-3 Creative Computing Press: Morristown, New Jersey 1978, ISBN 0-916688-07-0.
- More Basic Computer Games. Microcomputer Edition. Copyright 1979 First Printing June 1980 Workman Publishing:. . New York. ISBN 0-89480-137-6 Creative Computing Press: Morristown, New Jersey 1979, ISBN 0-916688-09-7.
Basic Computer Games - TRS -80 Edition
- Basic Computer Games. TRS -80 Edition. Illustrated by Sandy Dean. - Hours of entertainment from 102 programmable games designed for use with the Radio Shack TRS -80 1979th Radio Shack Catalogue No. 62-2005
- Basic Computer Games. TRS -80 Edition. Volume 2 - Hours of entertainment from 84 programmable games designed for use with the Radio Shack TRS- 80th Creative Computing Press: Morristown, New Jersey, 1980 Radio Shack Catalogue no.. 52-2004. ISBN 0-916688-19-4
Translations
Translations published from 1982 and use all of the illustrations by George Beker.
German: Basic Computer Games
A two-volume German edition with 101 and 84 games appeared in 1982 and was translated by Wolfgang J. Black. The translation is comprehensive and applies to on-screen text and a part of program name with. Next, the units of measurement used in programs are implemented in the metric system.
- Basic Computer Games. Volume 1 Sybex, Dusseldorf 1982, ISBN 3-88745-009-4.
- Basic Computer Games. Volume 2 Sybex, Dusseldorf 1982, ISBN 3-88745-010-8.
French: Jeux d' ordinateur en BASIC
A two-volume French edition appeared in 1982. Volume 1 contains 100 games and has been translated by Bernard Besse, Isabelle Boyd and Virginie swamp. Volume 2 is preceded by the title the phrase " nouveaux " contains 84 games and has been translated by Jacques Gourlet.
- Jeux d' ordinateur en BASIC. Sybex France, Paris, France 1982, xiv - 173 pages, ISBN 2-902414-46-3.
- Nouveaux jeux d' ordinateur en BASIC. Sybex France, Paris, France 1982 XI 185 pages, ISBN 2-902414-47-1.
Danish: Basic computerspil
Christian Borup: translation, editing and programming 1986 - In Denmark, the first title was released - spread over three volumes. .
- Basic computerspil. Bind 1 Borgen, Valby, Denmark, 1986, 77 pages, ISBN 87-418-7419-6.
- Basic computerspil. Bind 2 Borgen, Valby, Denmark, 1986, 75 pages, ISBN 87-418-7685-7.
- Basic computerspil. Bind 3 Borgen, Valby, Denmark, 1986, 76 pages, ISBN 87-418-7686-5.
Other media
In addition, some games for different systems appeared directly on tapes and disks.