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NNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNN NNNNNN NNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNN NNNNNN NNNNNN NNNNNNNNN
NNN NNN NNN NNN NNN NNN NNN
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(C) Copyright Chaos Software 1991
Coded by Kev Davis in STOS
Updated and "re"-released by the Fallen Angels/OCL 1994
(Same bloke, different uniform)
Exclusive version for Power Disk Magazine
This program is Shareware
Register or die, the choice is yours
-=-
Ah, what a strange thing life is. Leafing through a PD catalogue
a few weeks back, I spied a game called "Blob Race" nestling on
an Adrenalin Compilation Disk. "Ohoho," I thought, "I once wrote
a game called that - whyever didn't I release it, eh?"
Paranoia and pessimism called for a steward's inquiry,
though. I contacted the PD librarian and asked him to check the
disk in question to see if - unlikely as it seemed - the game in
question was the one I wrote back in 1991 and never released.
It was.
I'm not going to curse Adrenalin, here - like as not they
merely received the blighter in "good faith" from a contact. But
since I never, ever authorised any of the folk who "playtested"
the game to distribute it, something mightily strange is going
on.
I'm conducting inquiries to see just how the game got into
PD in the first place, if you're interested - if you've got a
copy of the old Blob Race (with, worryingly, "Preview version" in
big letters on the player selection screen), let me know where
you got it from, if you can remember.
Anyway. I released this new version quite simply because the
one currently doing the rounds is a bit of an ancient one. And if
I'm going to be ridiculed for writing such a foolish game, I
might as well be ridiculed for the latest version.
This new version was last "officially" updated back in 1991
somewhen, although I did tweak the graphics a bit ("proper"
shading on the rocks and clouds) before this 1994 release. The
source is the same as it ever was, quite simply because it's too
tortuous to make sense of - I wrote Blob Race so I could get to
grips with STOS, and as a result its programming style bears a
frightening resemblance to any Italian pasta dish you'd care to
name.
PLAYING THE GAME
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, it's all devastatingly simple and straightforward - follow
the prompts to bet on the little green blighters, and collect
your winnings. A few things need explaining, however.
In the Blob Stats screen, each of the lads has four
characteristics. Speed (SPD), shows how swiftly that particularly
Blob can run when he puts his mind to it. Reactions (REA) show
how enthusiastic and intuitive the lad is - a high number means
he'll continue moving all the time, a low number means that he'll
just sit still for a lot of the race. Trickery (TRK) shows how
many tricks the Blob has up his "sleeve" - turning into a
helicopter, sprouting wheels, dropping bombs on other
competitors; all these are "tricks".
Odds are, simply, the odds that the bookies are offering;
it's kept simple by using just an "n to 1" notation. If a Blob
wins at 10-1, you'll get ten times your bet. If a Blob comes
second at 10-1, you'll get five times your bet. If he comes in
third, you'll get your money back. Fourth or worse and you've
lost your cash. Nothing like the real world's betting system, but
what the hell.
NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some interesting things happen to Blobs between races - they can
die, injure themselves, go training, open supermarkets, shoot
each other and more besides. I'll just go over the most important
factors.
Nuclear accidents. These make a Blob act very strangely
indeed - a Nuclear Blob will select one of his rivals, and if
ever that Blob is way ahead of the Nuclear lad, he'll turn red
and roar ahead to catch up. The only down side of being a Nuclear
Blob is that you can quite easily blow yourself apart during a
race.
Teleportation devices. A Blob with a teleportation device
will wink in and out of existence every so often, appearing at a
random point on his track.
Steroids. Blobs on steroids get all their characteristics
put up to nine. All well and good, but if they "run" too fast
they can easily fall over and do themselves and injury. Drug-
taking isn't big or clever, kids, but neither are the Blobs.
IMPROVING THE GAME
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To get the best from Blob Race, you really have to invite several
friends over and get, as the great man said, "nice drunk". When
you've reached the stage where you start screaming at the sprites
and begin phantom-jockeying, the game is much more enjoyable.
OH...
~~~~~
To avoid having to meticulously type in large numbers when you
just wish to stick all your collected cash on a single Blob, just
type in "all" as the amount you want to get - every last penny
will be put on the lad you've opted for.
SHAREWARE
~~~~~~~~~
This game is Shareware, so if you manage to extract any
entertainment value from it whatsoever, send a quid (cash,
postal order, cheque or four first-class stamps) to...
Kev Davis
Organised Chaos Licenceware
Chasewater House
Kings Green
Berrow
Malvern
Worcestershire WR13 6AQ
No gifts for folk who throw money at me, I'm afraid, but
there's quite a large chance such fiscal gifts will trigger my
unnerving "Here, have a copy of every Shareware program I've ever
written" affliction. Such is the way of it.
A MESSAGE TO POWER READERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Erm, since you've already been generous enough to cough up your
Power registration fee, I'll understand if you don't bother to
register this game as well. Although an encouraging word of
thanks wouldn't go amiss.
Oh, and it looks as if I'm contractually obliged to shout
"Read Power Magazine!" at you, just in case you got a copy of
this game from someone without ever having seen the relevant copy
of Power. And I can probably get away with muttering "Read ST
Beermat as well!". Take heed.
If you got a copy of the *entire* Power registers disk from
a mate, though, I'll be forced to club you to death with a large
blunt instrument. You evil piratical fiend, you. Starving Mr
Mathews of his hard-earned profits. Send your cash to Jimmy boy
first thing in the morning. It'll completely screw up your karma
otherwise, I can tell you.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfair Axiom of Existence #381:
Leave a slice of bread overnight and it goes hard -
leave a biscuit out and it goes soft.