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    Length: 1962 (0x7aa)
    Types: TextFile
    Names: »Manifest«

└─⟦b20c6495f⟧ Bits:30007238 EUUGD18: Wien-båndet, efterår 1987
    └─⟦this⟧ »EUUGD18/General/Galaxy/Manifest« 

TextFile

                       Comments on:
        Why we did what we did and who helped us

                     Mordechai Chachamu
                       Amnnon Horowits

1.  Background

     The idea of galaxy came to me (the  first  author)  few
years  ago.  I  felt  that the video games, and in general -
computerized games,  are  usually  thrilling  only  for  few
times.  They  either  depend on swift reactions and/or sheer
luck, or implement a computerized  versions  of  old  games.
Thus I looked for a game that answers two criteria:

1) It is practically impossible to be played without a  com-
puter.

2) The computer has no influence upon  the  outcome  of  the
game.

     The  way  to  satisfy  those  seemingly   contradictory
requirements  was  to  create  a  game  that  challenges TWO
players sitting at TWO different terminals.  The  game  uses
the  computer  merely  as  a  data  base  manager  and  as a
transmitting media between the two players. Skimming through
the  game's  document  will  soon  reveal  that  there is no
rational way to play this game without a computer.

     As the game evolved, it became clear that it implements
some more principles. Namely -

3) You can never have it all.

4) There is no "best solution".

5) There is always some amount of uncertainity.

     We feel that although the game is hard to get  familiar
with,  once  it's  principles  and  their  implementation is
understood, GALAXY is a very attractive game.

     First attempts to write the game  were  futile,  mostly
because  I  lucked  knowledge in UNIX. At this stage came to
rescue the second author, that managed most  of  the  tricky
parts.

2.  Acknowledgments

     Many thanks to the people in the computer  lab  of  Tel
Aviv  University.   Specially helpful (and encouraging) were
Nir Peleg, On Paradise and Robert Segall.


                        Mordechai Chachamu (mrdch@taurus)
                        Amnnon Horowits (amnnon@taurus)