Max Deshkevich

Yes, I had tried ray-casting algorithm too. ZX Spectrum. Was fighting it for a long time and finally stopped on something like 64×64 pixels tunnel that was running with like 5 frames per second speed. Then I saw ZX-Doom and understood that I’m doing wrong thing. (more…)

My first experience in team work when I was 15. I was developing a game, much like like Atomix game, thought I saw it once on TV and even didn’t know the name. I’v used music for the first time and sound effects. Stepan Shakh helped with levels development, so it was “almost” original. And real team work. ZX Spectrum official version was never released, so the one we made is the only one. (more…)

I was trying to connect two ZX-Spectrums once, made own “driver” – was using standard audio in/out port, simple “shell” – basically just to send files across a wire. It was working in general, but with wires longer then 5 meters it’s almost impossible. Got a speed around 500 bits per second I think. Learned what is sound modulation, transfer protocol and the thing that Speccy is not ready for this yet. (more…)

I was trying to solve my aunt’s book-keeping with ZX basic. No success. She was just thinking I’m playing games. And bookkeeping is very complicated. But I defeated it later.

The first time I really got this thing was when I have developed “Guess-a-word” game. The thing shuffles the words and you need to guess it quickly. It was ZX Basic, “compiled”. I did show it to my classmates and first time got that feeling of “programmer of standing reputation”.

I realized it when I did salary calculation application for my mother. ZX Basic, it has no any “user interface”. The program was prompting to enter employee’s name, rate and number of hours. Then calculated and displayed in certain order. Nothing special, but remember there was no any computer at the enterprise (chicken factory) at that time (1990). All by hands, on paper and double(triple) checked.

The first programming experience I got was making my new ZX Spectrum (clone) doing sounds. The computer wasn’t connected to TV yet (some kind of modification was necessary) so I took a “Basic quick start” book and coded my very first program “in the dark”. Parents were impressed.