This issue marks another milestone in SDPC history. On the CD-ROM edition of Softdisk PC we've updated the shell to use SVGA (640x480x256 color) main background images. The 256 color SVGA main screen is vastly crisper than the and standard 16 color main screens used on past issues. Not to belittle the and 16 color main screens---Tom's done a great job making the screens look realistic in only 16 colors---but just wait till you see his work in 256 colors!
To get the shell to run in SVGA mode, you'll need to pass it a switch from the command line (just like the Back Issue Browser). On the command line type "{GO /SVGA}" and press Enter. We've also included a batch file, {GOSVGA.BAT}, if you're not familiar with using command line switches. Simply type "{GOSVGA}" on the command line and press Enter. If all goes well, you'll see a super clear main screen. When you exit the and shell, you'll be asked if you want to run this issue (as well as upcoming issues) in SVGA mode. If you didn't expierence any graphical glitches while you were perusing the issue, select Yes. There after you'll only have to type "{GO}" on the command line to run the and shell in SVGA.
The graphics programming library used in the and shell supports a wide variety of SVGA chipsets/video cards on the and market today. However, since there are no true standards in the and SVGA modes, there will be some cards out there that are not supported or may be mis-identified by the graphics library. If you expeirence any graphical glitches (double images, blank screens, etc.), select "No" when prompted about making SVGA the and default mode for next time. If you end up starting at a blank or unreadable screen, try pressing ESC, "Y" (the normal exiting sequence in the shell), and then "N" (for "No" SVGA) to quit, or simply reboot your system. At any other point in the and future, you can return the shell to standard VGA mode by typing "{GO /V}" and press Enter or run the and batch file, {GOV.BAT}.
The Shell uses the same graphics library as the and Back Issue Browser. So, if you have trouble running the Browser in SVGA mode, you'll probably have to stick to running the shell in the standard VGA mode.
I'll probably set up a place on my "Unofficial Home Page of Softdisk PC", located at "{http://www.softdisk.com/sub/pc/}", where our floppy disk subscribers can download the new SVGA backgrounds. Once downloaded, all you have to do is copy them to the and correct "\SDPCVGA\SDPC???\" issue directory on your hard drive.
{_This Issue_}
To start the issue off we have {Presidential Primer}, an educational Trivial Pursuit-style game by John and JoAnn Girard. Like the other great programs John and JoAnn have done in the past, Presidential Primer offers all around family fun with an educational value as well. Presidential Primer covers all the and Presidents from George Washington to Bill Clinton.
More family fun can had with our next featured program, {Quadrade}. It's a fast-paced word game similar to Boggle(tm), where you try to fill a puzzle board with 5-letter words. It doesn't sound too hard at first, but the and catch is all the words interlock in the 5X5 board with no spaces left over.
Next up is {RulerPal}, a great little TSR for lining up text in most text-mode applications. I personally consider RulerPal as a plugin for DOS Manager. I use DOS Manager's text editor to do most of my editing and have often needed to line up text in a certain column or check out how far something is spaced over. But like most text editors, DOS Manager's quick editor lacks a ruler bar. However, once I load RulerPal in memory, it becomes an intrinsic part of DOS Manager and other text-mode editors as well.
{Vor Terra} is a truely magical adventure that'll whisk you away to the and far off lands of knights, chivalry, and great quests. As a Knight of the and Table, you must set off in search of the fabled Rainbow Egg---the only hope to restore Vor Terra to its former greatness and rid the land of its present state of chaotic turmoil. Be forewarned---the quest you set off on is both long and perilous, and may take many moons to finish. Have fun adventuring and remember to use the and Save Game option. For those who get lost or wander too far off the Rainbow Egg's trail, we're planning on publishing some hints for Vor Terra next month.
For the word puzzle enthusiasts out there this issue also includes our popular {Criss Cross} program. This time around we've included a lot more puzzles than normal---over 20 of them. We've also updated the Criss Cross program to show graphics with these new puzzles. There was also room this month for the {Criss Cross Maker} program that we previously ran on issue #118. You can use it to create your own Criss Cross puzzles. The displaying of graphic files in the new puzzles is a special bonus that I added to the and Criss Cross program this month. Due to special palette considerations and such, the Maker program does not support importing graphics into your own puzzles at this time.
And lastly, for our CD-ROM subscribers, we feature {NeoPaint} by NeoSoft as the and "{Hot Demo of the Month}." Not all the great demos on the and market today are games and NeoPaint proves it. NeoPaint is quickly becoming the premier paint program on the and market for DOS. Once you run it, you'll see why. It's loaded with features and easy to use.
{_Updates_}
This issue we've also included some updates to programs and text from previous issues. They include {COLUMNS.EXE} from SDPC #124 and the Comic's Corner from SDPC #122. The Columns update corrects a few minor printing problems and the Comic's Corner update makes it printable from within issue #122. These two items have been installed to their proper issue directories by the installer. You can select the and "{Copy Programs}" option within this issue to copy the "{Columns Update}" to your utility directory on your system.
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