Commodore Free 14/Commodore_Free_Issue_14_2007_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/t.iv lord ronin

Text File | 2023-02-26 | 14KB | 435 lines

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Interview with Lord Ronin from Q-Link

<CF> could you tell the readers about
yourself?


<LR> Leading question {SHIFT-+}G{SHIFT--} Well at this
time I am 57 in body & still stuck at
18 in mind. Fanatical Commodore User,
pipe smoker, martial artist, cat petter
& Role Playing Gamer. Oh yeah I am also
into mountain man recreation & Middle
Ages recreation stuff.

<CF> That creates a few more questions
to ask. First though who or what is
Lord Ronin & if you would, tell us your
real name?

<LR> Yeah man, I thought that would
make more questions. {SHIFT-+}G{SHIFT--} OK then, man I
have to remember my original name.
Right then, in the mundane world I am
Sensei <term for a martial arts
instructor> David Otto Edward Mohr. As
for Lord Ronin from Q-Link. That is my
Inet handle, my BBS handle, my writers
handle & the handle that I use at
Sci-Fi cons.

Ah, I can see the question in your
eyes, even at an 8 hr time difference.
Where did Lord Ronin originate? Well it
is the name of my fist Dungeons &
Dragons character. Made back in 1978ce.
Gained the title of Lord when he
progressed to a specific level. When I
went onto Q-Link in early 1995ce.The
handles that I wanted where all taken.
Didn't want to be Warlord 124.So I took
the name of my first RPG character.
Later after the murder of Q-Link. I
added the "from Q-Link" part. The rest
just sort of grew.

<CF> Where do you live in the World?

<LR> Lovely Mossyton, or better known
to the world as Astoria Oregon in the
states. Small little coastal community.
Where the normal sky is grey. Remember
we don't tan in the summer, we rust.
{SHIFT-+}VBG{SHIFT--}

<CF> Tell us about your first Commodore
& how you received it.

<LR> That is a long one to answer. OK
being short as possible. My frist ever
PC was a C64, with a Sears SR3000
monitor, couple of weak joysticks, a
1541 drive, an Okidata 120 printer, a
few factory disks in boxes & a disk box
of "Arkhive" disks. Can tell you that
one of the first three games that I
played was the factory AcroJet game.

All of us in the kibbutz played it.
Till we eventually destroyed the disk
in some manner. Didn't know about
making backups at that time.

But unlike many users of the C= PC
platform. I didn't score mine up in the
80s. In fact I didn't have a computer
in the 80s, not a TV. Just long
sessions of Role Playing Games. And an
understanding wife at the time{SHIFT-+}BG{SHIFT--}. In
fact I was really a computer phobic.
However me mum, down in Grants Pass, ah
that is about 400 miles from me. She
had joined the literacy group. In short
she was teaching adults to read.

This was in the 80s. Well one of her
students was into the C64. Don't ask, I
haven't a clue as how a man can operate
the Commodore & not be able to read.
She got semi bit by the Commodore bug.
Scored up a MPS-803 printer, the 64,
3rd party monitor & a 1541 disk drive.
Several disks from little companies.
Many for her diet & diabeties care. A
nice computer desk. OK not that nice
cause I can't set it up for lefthanded.
She kept on bugging me about the
computer. Wanting me to score one up.
At that time I was working on the road,
as a fund raiser for Oregon Special
Olympics.

Yeah the telemarketer scene. At least
it was state licensed & bonded. One
day, I was at her place helping her out
while I worked in the area. She
listened in, as I was running a Gamma
World game for some of the other guys
from the phone room. That was the start
of her wanting me to try out a carer in
writing. Bugged me about that as well.
Said that she was going to pick up a
computer for me.

Nothing happened for several years.
Save that I became permanently
disabled. Got a divorce, remarried &
moved to a better place. Mum still kept
on about the writing & the computer. As
we moved the Game store to a new
location in town. Setting it up
actually. I got the word from the
police, that she was in the hospital.
Quintuple bypass, & they had to jump
start her about three times on the
operating table. She wanted to see me.
OK I found a ride, went the trip to see
her. Already had the keys to her place.
Her puppy had been taken by friends.
Saw her at the hospital.

She was still loopy, more tubes in her
than my 1936 radio. Kept on about two
things. Her out of body experience, &
that stupid computer. She beggd me to
take it, from the storage shed. Was
supposed to be a Channukha present. But
it was a late one. OK I grabbed it to
make her happy. Put it in a micro
Toyota pickup truck. Which we came to
call a Tonka toy. Drove the 400 mi back

Set it up on the coffee table & started
to see what it will do. So it is all
her fault that I am a Commodore
fanatic. {SHIFT-+}LOL{SHIFT--} This happened in MAR of
1993ce. She lasted in fairly good
health till around 1996ce. Then I had
to make another trip there & collect
the items she had willed to me.
Yuppers, she gave me amongst personal
treasures, her entire Commodore system.

<CF> Speaking of writing. You have done
some writing for Commodore Free & other
publications. Can you tells us what you
write & what you use to write your
documents?

<LR> First off, I do not think of
myself as a writer. If it wasn't for
the Commodore. I wouldn't be writing
anything. Self taught typist on the
Commodore. Because in my generation,
only girls & poufs & those looking for
an easy credit, took typing class. Man
I wish I had done that instead of
fencing class. At least the most used
keys are under the left hand. I only
have two fingers that work on the right
hand.

Now I was an English editor for Go64 in
years past. Did some of the Prose Quest
for Fender at LoadStar, was even asked
to send in a second story. Trivia on
that one. A fast rush job, based on
Classic Traveller RPG. But it got me a
few fan letters. {SHIFT-+}G{SHIFT--} I also started the
RPG section for Commodore Scene:
 www.commodorescene.org.uk

Did a few stories & loads of Geos stuff
for RevDave at LoadStar:
 www.eloadstar.com

But I think the stories where too
adult. Though based on the games as he
requested. Geos Stuff didn't seem to
pass muster. I was the NTSC English
editor for the disk magazine
SceneWorld:
http://sceneworld.c64files.com/
 index.php

I also did a spot as the retro
reviewer. Those articles may not see
publication till issue 16 is ever
released. OK I also am the managing
editor of the Commodore MaiLink. That
is the bimonthly newsletter of the
international group. Meeting C64/128
Users Through The Mail. Generally
called in short the "MTTM". Been
around since about 1987ce. Though
truth be told. Since the loss of my HD
& the ability to print or upload files.
I have not been as active in that job
as I once was.

I did a spate for the newsletter for
the Eugene Oregon C= users group.
Helping out the editor, Pnacolada.
5C's, a user group in Las Vegas Nevada,
gets from me disks of submissions from
time to time. As they make a disk
format newsletter. I also write stories
for the local users group. They are bad
& drawn out & mainly the mature to
adult level. At least that is my
opinion. Which is not shared by some of
the local members.

I use two writing tools. Most of the
time it is EdStar II from the LoadStar
pass around issue #105. This does all
the work that needs to be in stock C=
SEQ format. The other tool that I use
is GeoWrite with GeoPub & at one time
Post Print. IF a copy needs to be in
something else than Geos.I use Wrong is
Write v8.1 to convert it to say PET or
ascii.

<CF> A claim that you have made, is
that you are the worlds most
fanatical Commodore user. Would you
explain that to us?

<LR> OK that is an easy one. I own
several commodore systems. About 50+
1541 drives, half a dozen or so 1581s,
over a dozen 1571s, pair of FDs, a CPU
with a full 16mb of RAM. Over 3000
floppy disk. That is the 41/71
style. Not counting a few hundred
1581s & FDs. AT the moment I have a
128DCR with the SCPU & a 4+GB HD,
awaiting configuration for the
returning BBS & the local users group
library. Sitting next to me. In the
shop I have another 128DCR with a 1581
& a FD attached. That I use daily in
the shop. Lets not go to the SX-64s,
the Vic-20 or the C-16. I haven't
played with them yet {SHIFT-+}VBG{SHIFT--}

I do own an Amiga 1200, Amiga 500, & an
Amiga CD/TV. But since our Amiga guy
ripped us off in 2006ce. We no longer
have Amiga material or anyone to help
set up that 1200 with the new chips
etc. AS of this time, I also own a
linux system. Which I am learning how
to use. To show its status, I have
named it "kajira". This is the word for
Slave Girl in the Gorean language from
the John Norman Gor series. Main
intention is to be able to connect it
to the 128DCR.

In order to preserve C= files to a CD.
In short, the Commodore is my primary
daily PC. I use the kajira for mundane
things like paying bills online & going
to places that lynx or The Wave on the
C= & VCSWEB, won't let me enter. I've
been flamed on several lists, like
comp.sys.cbm for using a Commodore.
Lost my 10 year position at the OSFCI
when there was a bit arguement about
computer platforms. I stayed true to
the C= & becasue I couldnt see the
forms in .PDF.

I lost out on my voting rights,
membership & the lot. Even the
committee position I held for the
convention that year. I am still true
to the Commodore. Knowing that it is
the worlds greatest PC. But I have also
been called biased, oh yeah &
opinionated, not to forget the ever
popular, "not with the times", although
no-one has been able to satisfactorily
explain that lemming mentality. {SHIFT-+}VBG{SHIFT--}

<CF> We understand that you are a part
of a local users group, & that you run
or did run a BBS. Can you tell us more
about that?

<LR> OK, the simple questions with the
long drawn out answers. /me sipping the
coffee & lighting the pipe again for
the long report. Well its rather simple
in actuality. On hollowed in 93ce. A
guy that I used to work with at a ship
building plant. Popped into my store
downtown. This with his kids for the
shop owners candy giving.

He saw me in front of an amber screen
with a breadbox 64. I had recently
bought a collection from a business
friend. He told me about the users
group. How they had recently stopped
being a copy party group & became an
official users group. Gave me the
number of the president, & left for
other stores telling me about the loads
of software that he & the group had.

Thought about it for a bit, like about
a month. Made the call & found out that
the people who I knew to be in
computers, that I didn't want to meet
<ex-wife & new husband>. I went to the
December meeting & joined up in 93ce.
My adopted son Mark Reed, a.k.a. Lord
Alberonn & now the thieving sho-vah.
Joined in January of 94ce. Make this
part short. If I knew then what I know
now. I wouldn't have joined! Round
Robin discussion for officers, get the
monthly disk for the C= & for the
Amiga, see the demos & split for smeag
knows what else. In a short time I
became the Editor of the newsletter.
Having some prior experience in an
international middle ages
recreations group. Along with other
experiences. Anyway, the newsletter was
one sheet of paper. Meeting notes,
officers & next meeting time & place.
Folded over & the opposite side was the
address wrapper. My first issue was 4
pages long. Got yeled at for spending
that much money. Though the Newsroom
programme I used did give more than
what ever Amiga system was used. Fast
forward to today. We are trying to
return to the 20 page booklet format
with post print. When we have a working
printer. Till then it is a 12 pager on
a dot matrix printer.

I also wormed my way into being the
C128 Librarian. As I was the only one
that was using a 128 at that time.
Sorry to say that the library consisted
of the 128 Loadstar disks.

Now about 95/96ce the group had changed
the name, using one of my suggestions.
Which was more of a joke than a real
suggestion. But at that time I decided
to run for the Presidency. I had
already done the start of a Color64 BBS
for the group. Bought hardware &
software, just received a large amount
of magazines. I wanted more for the
group. What I didn't know was that I
was being railroaded into the job. Was
even nominated by the current
president. Should have know something
was wrong. When the sho-vah was made
Amiga Librarian, and another member of
my game group, was made Treasurer on
his first meeting. In less than a year,
all the old timers had moved along to
other things. Rats leaving the ship is
what we call it.

Since then, I was elected Chancellor
<new title> for life. No one wants the
Editing job for the newsletter, or the
librarian job. Though I do have a few
deputies.

BBS is down as I write these lines. But
I am working on rebuilding it. Once had
over 5 thousand files. Not all open to
the general public. Many for the ACUG
members only.

That HD is currently in the hands of
Maurice Randall. Waiting for the data
transfer he promised in JAN of 2006ce.

At this moment the group isn't as great
or as big as it once was, but that I
suspect will change with the return of
the good Newsletter publication & the
BBS.

<CF> Do you have any plans to drop the
Commodore?

<LR> NO!

<CF> What do you do with the Commodore
on a daily basis?

<LR> Mainly at this time it is writing.
I review things for my own & other pubs
for the C=. Write letters, keep my shop
records, & do a mess of RP Game related
things with it, for my game group.
Still learning things about files I
gained from Q-Link or received in
boxes, that where on Q-Link. Dealing
with the games. Prepping for the return
of the BBS. I do some file testing.
Mainly to see if it works & what
category it will be in on the board.

<CF> Seems as if you are a dedicated
user. Thank you for this interview.

<LR> As we say in the Shadow Run game
"null perspiration chummer".
My thanks to all that made it this far
in my drivel. {SHIFT-+}VBG{SHIFT--}