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1998-10-23
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378 lines
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* M * A * S * S * D * E * P * O * R * T * E * R *
* O * F * S * E * R * E * N * A * D * E *
* I * N * T * E * R * V * I * E * W * E * D *
* B * Y * J * A * M * E * S * L * . * M * A * T * H * E * W * S *
****************************************************************************
Best known as MASS DEPORTER, John Liever is the main man behind the SERENADE
P.D. game compilation disks and more recently the P.D. module compilation
disks. We now have a full interview with him...
HI THERE!
Hello.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET AN ST?
August 1992. A friend of mine was selling it for 100 quid so I bought it.
The drive was a bit dicky - it needed a wedge shoved in it to allow it to
write correctly, but apart from that, it was fine.
WHAT MADE YOU GET AN ST?
Kick Off 2. My friend had a friend who he could copy pirated menus off and
on one of them (Medway Boys, I think) was a copy of Kick Off 2. We played
this for a long time before my friend bought a 3-in-1 box of games which had
Player Manager, Kick Off 2 and Kick Off 2 Final Whistle in it. When I bought
the ST off my friend I inherited lots of pirated disks: Automation, Pompey
Pirates etc. They were mostly all crap anyway so I've formatted over them by
now (honest!)
HOW LONG HAVE YOU NOW HAD AN ST?
Just over 2 years.
RECENTLY YOUR ST GOT VERY ILL AND YOU WERE WITHOUT ONE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH THIS TOUGH PERIOD?
I popped over to the Atari 8-bit and concentrated on that for a while.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST START OFF SERENADE P.D. COMPILATIONS?
November 1993.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE THAT YOU WANTED TO PRODUCE COMPILATION DISKS?
I was bored. I needed something to do other than play games and this seemed
a logical step. I very rarely play games anyway, but I do like the odd
adventure. I have STAC and the manual so maybe I'll convert some of the
adventures I've written on the 8-bit to the ST someday!
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT PRODUCING SERENADE COMPILATIONS?
I really don't know.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT PRODUCING SERENADE COMPILATIONS?
Nothing really. If I didn't enjoy doing them, I wouldn't. Though I'm always
a little apprehensive about claiming files are one meg/ste etc when they're
not or not mentioning this fact when I should!
YOU ARE ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE ATARI 8-BIT SCENE. WHEN DID YOU GET
YOUR FIRST ATARI 8-BIT THEN?
Can't remember. All I remember is walking home from school one day and my
father shouting out of the window for me to "hurry up" (we live 18 floors
up, you see). I wondered what all the fuss was about so I put on a half-
hearted jog and when I reached our flat I was amazed to see an Atari 800XL
computer gracing our kitchen table. I hadn't asked my father for any
specific computer so I'm forever thinking how lucky I was to get the Atari
as I could have gotten a Spectrum or something equally as horrible. If I
hadn't got an Atari that day I'm positive I wouldn't be on the ST now.
HOW DID YOU GET SO INVOLVED IN THE ATARI 8-BIT SCENE?
I put an advert in 'New Atari User' for contacts and it rolled on from
there, I suppose. The more you're involved in a scene the more you learn
about it.
YOU PRODUCE YOUR OWN DISK MAG ON THE ATARI 8-BIT, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT
ABOUT PRODUCING ONE ON THE ST?
No, never.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT PRODUCING A DISK MAGAZINE?
When I get letters praising my contributors and I for the high standard of
the recent issue.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT PRODUCING A DISK MAGAZINE?
Lack of support. I offer 'The Grim Reaper' (my disk-mag) for the price of
one blank disk and a SAE, and I only get around 10 people requesting a copy
each issue. Also, nobody ever wants to write anything for it, claiming they
have nothing to write. This is complete crap as I've a page on the disk-mag
called 'Your Page' which is for people to just write a little about their
Atari 8-bit history, how they got into the 8-bit etc, and ANYONE could write
that. Nobody does, however.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE ATARI 8-BITS THAT KEEPS YOU INTERESTED IN THEM?
I feel that if I left the 8-bit scene I'd be letting a lot of people down:
my contacts and all the Atari 8-bit supporters left. Also, I know my way
around the Atari 8-bits! It's much easier to do things on the 8-bit than
on the ST.
HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE ON THE ATARI 8-BIT SCENE FOR?
I can't really say. The Atari 8-bit user base is not a bottomless pit and
it's very unlikely it'll ever get any new users, so each user who sells up
and pops off onto the Amiga/PC/console scene will be adding to the 8-bit's
demise. It can't last forever, though I'll be there at the end.
WHICH SCENE DO YOU PREFER, THE 8-BIT SCENE OR THE ST SCENE? WHY?
I feel that soon the ST will be like the 8-bit is like now, and every person
on the scene deserves praise for sticking with their computer after what it
has been through. Although most people on the ST complain about the lack of
support from Atari and the software companies it is nothing compared to what
the Atari 8-bit users went through. I prefer the 8-bit scene, their users
are more dedicated, whilst the ST user base hasn't proven itself just yet.
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT LEAVING ONE OR EITHER OF THE SCENES?
No, not really.
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT ENDING YOUR DISK MAGAZINE?
Sometimes. Especially when nobody wants to help.
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT BRINGING SERENADE COMPILATION DISKS TO AN END?
I must admit I have never given it much thought, so I suppose the answer is
NO. It would seem strange using my ST without thinking about the Serenade
disks.
WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING?
You mean doing the Serenade disks, or in real life? If it's Serenade then I
don't know as I really can't say. In real life it has to be my Diet Coke, my
Morrissey and The Smiths albums and Prisoner: Cell Block H. Talking, of Cell
Block H I must mention the love of my life: Janet Andrewartha. In the
Granada region we're coming to the end of the Prisoner run, but I sometimes
plug in an outdoor aerial and watch the Yorkshire series (they are so far
behind) so I can catch a glimpse of my beloved (she plays Reb Kean).
WHAT DO YOU FIND HARDEST ABOUT PRODUCING SERENADE COMPILATION DISKS?
Writing the titles on the disks afterwards. There just never seems enough
space.
WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF SERENADE?
I've never really thought about it. We've just started doing Module compils
so that's a step in a different direction. I wasn't planning on ever doing
any of these but a friend sent some mods from the PC so I did it and
decided to carry on with it.
WHAT WOULD YOU MOST -LIKE- TO SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF SERENADE?
For all other P.D. compilation crews to realise their battle is futile and
there will only ever be ONE crew for compacting and collecting P.D. and
Shareware software. I know this is true but they don't seem to! Both Neon
Lights and Golden Dawn produce good disks (from the few I've seen) but Neon
Lights only pack executable files and Golden Dawn leave lots of disk space
and don't pack all files. This may not be the case on every one of their
menus, but I can only comment on the ones I've seen. Our version of
'Medieval Chess' (on Serenade #37) takes up 388k of disk space whilst the
Golden Dawn version (menu #14) takes up 567k. That is quite a big
difference.
WHAT WOULD YOU LEAST LIKE TO SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF SERENADE?
For one of the members to win the National Lottery and forget about his duty
to the ST owning public! Really, at the moment we have four members: Mass
Deporter (me), Flintstone, Red Alert and Den.H. Den has just joined so he
hasn't had time to flourish just yet and Red Alert only has 512k so can't
really pack very much. At the moment Flintstone and I are the life of
Serenade and if one of us got bored or packed it in it would be a disaster
for the group. Fortunately, we are both dedicated to our cause as our recent
computer problems prove. We both had broken computers but instead of packing
it in and looking for a new scene, we both bought new ST's. We didn't need
to, but we did.
WHAT IS IT DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES COMPILATION DISKS SO POPULAR?
You get so much for the price of one disk. For example (just an example
mind) our 45th disk contains these adventures: The History File (part 1),
The History File (part 2), The History File (part 3) and Hammer to Fall.
LAPD sell the 3 History Files on 3 disks (cost £4.50). So, you get all these
three, plus one more, for the price of ONE disk. Money saved can then be
ploughed into buying more disks or registering your shareware titles. The
mentioned disk isn't too 'hot' but it does prove a point.
YOUR COMPILATION DISKS ARE NOW OVER 40 IN NUMBER. HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU
THINK YOU'LL BE PRODUCING THESE DISKS FOR?
As long as there's something to put on them! Even if people didn't want the
disks I'd continue compiling them as I enjoy it!
APART FORM COMPUTING, WHAT OTHER HOBBIES AND INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE?
I enjoy to read. At the moment I'm reading a Dragonlance book: Time of the
Twins (the first book in a three part trilogy). If you enjoy heroic fantasy
books then try to get hold of the Death Gate Cycle books by the same authors
(Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman). The first book is called Dragon Wing and
they're brilliant! There's seven books in all, and I've read six to date.
I will be quite sad when I read the last one (I reserved the book at the
library today). I also like to watch TV a little. I've recently got into
'A Country Practice' and it's really good. Much better than the teen-crap
like Neighbours, Home and Away and Heartbreak High that Australia churns
out.
DOES COMPUTING INTERFERE WITH YOUR OTHER ACTIVITIES?
Yes. If I wasn't typing away now I'd be reading my book. (Sorry! - POWER).
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS A COMPUTER ADDICT?
If someone took away my computers I'd find out. I probably am.
HOW DO YOU ARRANGE YOUR TIME BETWEEN THE 8-BIT SCENE AND THE ST SCENE?
I don't. I just go where I want.
IF YOU COULD ONLY HAVE ONE, WOULD YOU CHOOSE THE ST SCENE OR THE OL' 8-BIT
SCENE? WHY?
Difficult. Hopefully, it'll never have to come to me making that decision.
IS THE FALCON SCENE THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU?
I doubt it. I haven't got a job so I wouldn't be able to afford one. As
always I'll probably join the scene when it's passed its peak. I did this
with the 8-bit and the ST!
SO WHAT COMPUTERS HAVE YOU OWNED EXACTLY IN THE PAST AND PRESENT THEN?
Atari 800XL, 65XE, 130XE, 520STE (meg), 520STFM (dicky 1 meg)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF P.D.L.'S IN GENERAL?
They're OK I suppose. I've dealt with most of the 'famous' libraries and I
can't fault their service. Especially the speed of returning your order. I
was amazed after my first order (to Wizard PD) as it arrived two days after
the order was sent. Also, I once ordered some disks from Solent Software on
a Saturday and I got the disks on the Tuesday. Of course, this wouldn't be
possible without our excellent Postal Service. It takes a few knocks but
it's the best in the world. (That's debatable! - POWER).
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE GLOSSY MAGAZINES?
Our local John Menzies stocks 'ST Format' so I usually go in and read it. I
never buy it. It's OK I suppose although I can't really read it too well
with a security guard glaring at me!
WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON CONSOLES BEING THE FUTURE FOR ATARI IF THE JAGUAR
DOES WELL AND THEIR RANGE OF COMPUTERS BEING A THING OF THE PAST?
Atari have got to go where the money is. Atari 8-bitters realised this when
the ST was released and ST'ers have got to realise this now. The Jaguar
STILL hasn't taken off fully yet, although I'm not too sure just who is to
blame for this.
IF YOU HAD 1000 QUID TO SPEND ON COMPUTER GOODIES, WHAT WOULD THEY\IT BE?
I wouldn't. I'd buy a one way ticket to Australia, find Janet Andrewartha
and live happily ever after! I am very ignorant of the latest computer
trends. The closest I get is catching the end of 'Bad Influence' when I'm
tuning in to watch 'A Country Practice'.
FINALLY, TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOURSELF:
My name is John Liever aka Mass Deporter. The name originates from when I
worked at the Midland Hotel in Manchester (my 'handle', not my real name).
I was (for a time) Head Porter and it was my job to tell people they'd been
fired (great job). Thus, I was a deporter (get it, de-porter) and I added
the 'Mass' because it looked daft on its own. However, the name has surely
backfired on me because I'm positive people think I'm a genocidal maniac
with far right beliefs. I'm just a nice guy, really. I'm 22 years old and
since I was 'deported' (ho ho) myself I have been unable to find work. I
blame all these immigrants myself. Coming over here, taking my jobs...
Whoops!
Politically, I suppose I am right-wing as I demand the return of corporal
and capital punishment (yes, demand). Alas, the only party that supports
this view is the BNP and I don't really want to go that far right. I am also
a fierce Royalist, but I can't stand Princess Di; she's just liked by
gullible people. I think the Queen is brilliant and is such a great
ambassador for our nation that I feel sad when ignorant people wish to
abolish the monarchy. I'm also sad that Australia seems to be rolling
towards becoming a Republic. I feel they should wait until the Queen dies
until they do as it seems the country is passing judgement on her, which is
not fair at all. Obviously, Australia's situation has been brought on by
large amounts of non-British immigrants over the last couple of decades.
These people have no ties whatsoever with Britain so it's only natural
they'd want nothing to do with the monarchy.
By the way, my surname is pronounced as in 'saliva'. Most people say 'lever'
(as in something you pull) or 'liver' (as in something that secretes bile)
and it irritates a little. I'm not too sure where the name originates (It's
Olde English so I suppose it could be English or German), but I am very
proud of its uniqueness. I have never met anyone who isn't a relative with
the same surname.
CHEERS! NOW FEEL FREE TO ADVERTISE FREELY BELOW:
Yes, now, has anybody got any "Prisoner: Cell Block H" pictures they don't
want? I was looking through a magazine about Soaps in John Menzies recently
and it had some Prisoner piccies in it, but there was no way I was paying
£1.20 for it. If, by some strange chance, you happen to have any Prisoner
pictures, please send them to me, I beg of you. I can't offer you much in
return but if you send me a disk I'll send you the latest Serenade menu,
with me paying the postage. If you have any piccies, please send them! I'm
desperate for them!
Oh yeah. Try to get hold of the Serenade menus. We are the best P.D. compil
crew on the scene, I promise you. We are the only ones who give you a) fully
packed disks (if we can pack a file, we will), b) full disks (the most space
we've left on a disk without reason is 11k).
Also, if you've drawn a nice piccie and would like to see it put to good use
send it! If you'd like any of our menus then write enclosing the disks and
return postage and I'll send you some (I thought I'd better aboliosh the
"fill it with P.D." clause as nobody seemed to like it!)
Write to: TGR, 17 Litton Bank, Gamesley, Glossop, SK13 9HF.
I thank you.