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Text File | 1989-12-30 | 12.8 KB | 301 lines

****************************************************************** E X C L U S I V E I N T E R V I E W W I T H C H R I S S H A R P O F S U P R E M E S O F T W A R E ****************************************************************** WHEN DID YOU FIRST START PROGRAMMING? I think it was either 1979 or 1980. My father bought a TRS-80 computer, and it was (at the time) brilliant. . WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START PROGRAMMING? Well, first of all, I just played games on the TRS-80, but then I found out how to print "CHRIS" loads of times in a loop. I was stoked! I had to learn more. So, I really tried hard (considering I was only about 4) and eventually found out how to write simple programs. WHAT PREVIOUS COMPUTERS/HARDWARE HAVE YOU HAD? The computers that I have had, but have now got rid of are the following -: A Nintendo Entertainment System. A TRS-80. I also had one of those little consoles called PING-PONG (Remember them?!). It was the one where you plug this little black box into the mains, and plug a lead into the T.V. and you had to control this stupid little bat on the screen. I liked it anyway! WHAT COMPUTERS/HARDWARE DO YOU HAVE NOW? At the time of writing I have the following equipment (of course, donations will be greatly received if anyone wants to send me a Falcon030 etc!). Atari STFM1040 Atari SM124 Mono Monitor Star LC24-10 Multifont Mono Printer Roland CM-32L Sound Module Realistic SA-150 Amplifier for Sound Module Roland PC-220 Keyboard Brother AX-20 Electronic Typewriter (does it count?) Amstrad 1640PC Spectrum 128k A joystick ( Cant forget that!) A mountain breeze Ioniser (For fresh air!) WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THE ST OVER THE OTHER COMPUTERS? I didn't really choose it, My parents did. I had it for Christmas in 1989. It was a good job they did, because I now have hundreds of contacts in the ST world, which I wouldn't have otherwise got! WHEN DID YOU GET YOUR FIRST ST? 1989. See above. WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE STOS TO PROGRAM IN? Just because its the most usable version of basic that exists on the ST at the moment. Also, I have to say this - I don't care what anyone says, GFA basic is crap. I have heard of a rumour that SUPER-STOS is about to be released on the ST. Its sounds brilliant, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I've also started programming in Assembly Language recently, and i've just finished a Bootsector program for Warpzone PDL. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT STOS? How easy it is to make stunning effects possible. It's just so easy to make sprites move across the screen, which is something thats so hard in Assembler. Assembler is obviously more powerful than STOS, but STOS is the easiest and best Basic on the ST. WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT STOS? I don't like the fact that you can only have 15 memory banks. Really, I think that there should be at least 64 available. Hopefully, this will be implemented in SUPER-STOS. DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER, IF SO, WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON SONG YOU SING? Sorry, but I've got to admit that I don't actually have a shower. And unfortunately, I don't sing in the bath! If I did though, The song I would probably sing is - The Sugar Hill Crew's 'LADY B AND THE DISCO BEAT'. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN ANY FUTURE STOS EXTENSIONS OR UPGRADES? Well, as i've said earlier, I want to see memory banks increasing to a larger amount. I suppose the extension I wouuld want is one that writes all my programs for me! Also, I would like to see a speed increase in the general running of STOS programs, if that is possible. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE ST? The shape! No, seriously,I like the fact that its so reliable. Its never crashed on me without good reason. I think it has only ever crashed when I am writing interrupt programs on it, and that has to be expected anyway. Interrupts are the hardest thing to get right first time. WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT THE ST? The fact that its so difficult to upgrade the memory. I have an STFM, so it is a job for an expert (not me, I'm afraid - I'm no good with a soldering iron). Did you know that the STE uses SIMM chips which are easy to plug in and upgrade in about 1 minute, but the Falcon030 uses the old style memory chips (You know - the ones that are difficult to upgrade). Talk about a step into the past. Come on Atari - When I buy my Falcon030, I want an upgradeable computer! WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF P.D? Noise Tracker tune files. I love listening to those. I got one from somewhere or other yesterday, and I have it running in the background on my ST while i'm writing this. You want to know what its called? O.K. then, its HITSQUAD.MOD WHAT IS YOUR WORST TYPE OF P.D? GFA-BASIC programs! They are so slow and boring. Thinking about it, they are also very repetitive too! Sorry GFA Basic programmers! HAVE YOU EVER SMILED AT A CROCODILE? Yeah, but then I stopped taking L.S.D. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PROGRAM IN THE P.D? Hunchy 1066 is pretty addictive. Written by Powerfist Productions. I like the fact that its not too easy to complete. I'm still only on about screen 20. I've only just realised its shareware, so i'm about to send off the cash when I can find the time to do it! WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PRODUCT OF YOUR OWN? I think it has to be MAGIC TOMB. I finished it about a month ago. Its available from Merlin P.D., Warpzone P.D.L., and Goodman International P.D.L. I've managed to squeeze loads more out of the computer with this game, such as having music in the background, where I simply couldn't do that before. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FINISHED YOUR FIRST PROPER STOS PROGRAM? Chuffed. In fact it was only about 9 months ago that happened. I wrote Cash-Stash, then first program I ever finished, and it was accepted into the P.D. on my 17th birthday. I was so pleased! It shows it age quite a lot now though. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START OFF SUPREME SOFTWARE? Well, I wrote a Catalogue Introduction screen for Warpzone P.D.L., and it gave me the idea to start off a small Software House. Before I started Supreme Software, I had always wanted to run a Software House, and after I wrote the introduction for Warpzone's Catalogue screen, it just seemed the natural thing to to! At the moment Supreme Software Consists of 3 people. Chris Sharp - Me 'Head Programmer' Stefan Seymour - 'General Ideas' Matthew Ryan - 'Software Tester' I suppose the company is worth about £2000 now, considering all the assets we have etc. I mainly write for Powerfist Productions now though. WHEN DID YOU START SUPREME SOFTWARE OFF? Back in April this year. It takes up a lot of my time running a Software House, plus doing College work too! YOU NOW BELONG TO POWERFIST PRODUCTIONS (CHEERS FROM THE CROWD!), WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE POWERFIST RELEASE? I love Hunchy 1066 from Powerfist, it really is very addictive. As I said, I still havent got off of screen 20 yet. DID YOU EVER THINK THAT YOU WOULD BE WHERE YOU ARE NOW TEN YEARS AGO? Naah, I didn't think anything then. I was only 7. I used to think about toy tractors! ARE YOU GLAD YOU CHOSE TO GO THE COMPUTER PROGRAMMING ROUTE? Oh yeah! It always gives me great pleasure to find out that my latest program has been accepted into the Public Domain or whatever. That won't be happening now though, as I write for Powerfist Productions. I also have made a lot of friends in the computer world, which wouldn't have happened otherwise! IF YOU COULDN'T PROGRAM, WHAT WOULD YOU PROBABLY BE DOING RIGHT NOW? Probably be sitting on my sofa waiting for tomorrow to arrive, for another day at college! WHAT OTHER HOBBIES DO YOU HAVE? To be honest, I don't actually have many hobbies. Running Supreme Software, writing for Power magazine, Writing games for Powerfist etc... tend to take up a lot of my time. I go to the local Snooker Club every friday night though. Oh yeah, have you ever noticed that nearly EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD puts Swimming, Reading and Football as their hobbies in their Curriculum Vitae's when looking for a job? (I just though I would mention that!) WHAT'S YOUR FAVE FOOD? Easy... Its got to be the Bacon and Chips my mother cooks for me when I get home from college every night. Alternativly, I also like Jacket Potatoes with copious amounts of cheese topping. WHAT'S YOUR FAVE DRINK? 'Rio Riva' tropical canned fruit drinks. Have you ever tried it? Apart from that, I quite like Pepsi, although it keeps me awake at night (too much caffeine you know!). WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ANTI-STOSSERS? What, people that don't like STOS? Well, it depends how far they take their ANTI-STOS thing. If they want to beat people up because they program in STOS (and I know a few people who feel like this) then I think thats a bit extreme, but if they just don't like STOS then thats fair enough because thats their own opinion (just as I don't like GFA Basic). WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF APPLE? (!) It's a draw between Golden delicious and Granny Smiths! In my garden we have two apple tree's, and the apples we get off that are quite nice. I don't know what type they are though!. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DID YOU LIKE? Rap. Thats where its at for me at the moment! I'll probably change my mind in about a week though. Talking about music, that reminds me of an (old) joke. Q: How do you change a duck into a soul singer? A: Put him in the oven until his Bill Withers!!! Naah, It loses something in print! YOU ARE STARTING ON 'FREAKED OUT II', A SEQUAL TO THE ORIGINAL, 'FREAKED OUT', LET US IN TO THE GAME A BIT MORE: To be honest theres not a lot to let in on the game at the moment. The reason I say this is because I have only just started it, and I haven't got much done yet! Well, I hope to have better graphics and sound than in the first 'FREAKED OUT'. Ian and Dan from Powerfist Productions will be doing the graphics and sound, so I am pretty confidant that it should be good. WHAT TYPE OF GAMES OR PROGRAMS WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN THE NEAR FUTURE? I would like to program serious applications soon (in about 2 years time, if that is soon!), but at the moment I am happy writing games. I don't as a matter of fact like playing games very much, but I love programming them. I do admittedly have a good blast at those aliens every now and again, but now very often. I've just started learning assembler at the moment, so hopefully I will be able to write more commercial quality stuff than is possible with STOS. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS OR PLANS FOR FUTURE PRODUCTS? Afraid not. I only tend to think of one product after the one I am currently doing is finished. CAN YOU EVER SEE YOURSELF GIVING UP PROGRAMMING ON THE ST? Not at the moment, but as soon as I can afford a Falcon030 I would like to try programming that. I hope to be able to afford one in about 5-6 months. I want to get one while they are fairly new on the scene. TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOURSELF: O.K. I'm seventeen, and I go to Barry College in South Glamorgan. I love programming. Oh dear, I don't really know much about myself do I? I can't think of anything! Oh yes. I recently programed Warpzone's Catalogue Introduction screen. I passed my driving test 6 months ago on my Fist Attempt(!), and I want to get a Falcon030. Sorry, I can't think of anything else! YOU NOW HAVE AS MUCH SPACE AS YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE SUPREMEME SOFTWARE OR ANY PRODUCTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE: O.K. - Supreme Software is a small Software Design house, where I (Chris Sharp) design and program software. I mainly program in Assembler and STOS, and i've just written a Boot Sector program for Warpzone PDL. If you would like some software custom written, get in touch with me, and we can talk about what you need. Prices start at around £25, depending on what you need. If you are just curious, get in touch. I'll send you some examples of my work. Or, alternativly, phone me up! The address to write to is -: Chris Sharp Supreme Software 4 Sunnycroft Lane Dinas Powys South Glamorgan Wales CF64 4QQ And the telephone number is-: (0222) 513797 Hope to hear from you soon!