He also reworked some of the graphics. But the biggest difference is that he switched the main character. Take a look."
Guinevere pulled up a straight-back chair and sat down next to Larry. On the screen little figures appeared. Behind them a cleverly designed landscape popped into existence.
"The idea is to steal the treasure from the evil elf who lives in Desolation Cave," Larry explained as he worked the keyboard the way a musician worked a piano. "There are all sorts of obstacles you have to overcome to find the treasure in the first place, and after you've discovered it, you have to escape the cave. This time the angry elf is behind you, springing all kinds of traps and sending monsters to stop you."
"And Cal's messed around with some of those traps and monsters? Made them act differently from your original plan?" Guinevere frowned intently at the screen as Larry made the small figure representing the player leave a castle and start toward the mountains.
"It's not just that. He's changed the elf character. Taken him out of the game entirely. The player is no longer trying to steal the treasure from the elf at all. It took me all day, but I finally figured out how to get into the heart of the cave. It should have been a snap because I did most of the work on that portion of the strategy, but Cal's set up a whole new series of traps. At any rate I got to the treasure this way."
He quickly manipulated the figure on the screen through a variety of lethal surprises until a graphic representation of a pile of gold and gems appeared.
"Now watch what happens." Larry made his character scoop up as much treasure as he could handle and start back out of the cave. Instantly a wicked-looking figure appeared on the screen, calling down a hail of poisonous arrows.
"What are those arrows supposed to be?" Guinevere asked.
"Acid rain. It eats away the treasure the player has just found. Cal wanted to put in a few social comments."
"I see."
"But that's not what's weird. See the figure that's supposed to be the guardian of the treasure?"
"Yes."
"It's not the original elf design. Take a look. We gave the elf a lot of Russ Elfstrom's characteristics: bald head, beady eyes, stubby little fingers-"
"Never let it be said programmers aren't people of imagination," Guinevere observed.
"Yeah, well, that character on the screen is not the elf Cal and I worked so hard to create. Take a close look."
"I see what you mean." Guinevere leaned forward to study the screen. "Beautiful graphics, Larry. Looks just like professional arcade animation."
"Thanks. But I didn't do that figure. Cal must have done it."
The figure pursuing the treasure hunter was not short or bald. Nor did he have stubby fingers. This character looked more like royalty. Tall, draped in robes with some sort of crown on its head, it was quite impressive.
"Okay, I admit it doesn't bear any resemblance to Russ Elfstrom." Guinevere tilted her head to one side and looked at Larry.
"The main characters in this little drama were drawn from real life. The treasure hunter is supposed to be a brilliant computer wizard-"
"Uhhuh. You or Cal serving as the model, I suppose?"
"Right. The evil elf was patterned on our illustrious department head. Liz shows up as a ghost lady who bars the way across a lake. Jackson is in here as a cyborg."
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled. He does have a kind of glassy-eyed look at times."
Larry didn't pay any attention to her comment. "If we assume that even though Cal changed a character, he would have kept to the basic premise of using StarrTech people as models..." Larry let the sentence trail off.
"Then that new character must be someone at StarrTech? Who would Cal use as a model for a king?"
"Who's the king of StarrTech?" Larry asked simply.
"Oh, hell. Hampton Starr."
Guinevere and Larry sat in silence, staring at the screen for a long time. Finally Guinevere asked, "Was Starr in the original version?"
"Yeah, but not in a very active role.
Guinevere pulled up a straight-back chair and sat down next to Larry. On the screen little figures appeared. Behind them a cleverly designed landscape popped into existence.
"The idea is to steal the treasure from the evil elf who lives in Desolation Cave," Larry explained as he worked the keyboard the way a musician worked a piano. "There are all sorts of obstacles you have to overcome to find the treasure in the first place, and after you've discovered it, you have to escape the cave. This time the angry elf is behind you, springing all kinds of traps and sending monsters to stop you."
"And Cal's messed around with some of those traps and monsters? Made them act differently from your original plan?" Guinevere frowned intently at the screen as Larry made the small figure representing the player leave a castle and start toward the mountains.
"It's not just that. He's changed the elf character. Taken him out of the game entirely. The player is no longer trying to steal the treasure from the elf at all. It took me all day, but I finally figured out how to get into the heart of the cave. It should have been a snap because I did most of the work on that portion of the strategy, but Cal's set up a whole new series of traps. At any rate I got to the treasure this way."
He quickly manipulated the figure on the screen through a variety of lethal surprises until a graphic representation of a pile of gold and gems appeared.
"Now watch what happens." Larry made his character scoop up as much treasure as he could handle and start back out of the cave. Instantly a wicked-looking figure appeared on the screen, calling down a hail of poisonous arrows.
"What are those arrows supposed to be?" Guinevere asked.
"Acid rain. It eats away the treasure the player has just found. Cal wanted to put in a few social comments."
"I see."
"But that's not what's weird. See the figure that's supposed to be the guardian of the treasure?"
"Yes."
"It's not the original elf design. Take a look. We gave the elf a lot of Russ Elfstrom's characteristics: bald head, beady eyes, stubby little fingers-"
"Never let it be said programmers aren't people of imagination," Guinevere observed.
"Yeah, well, that character on the screen is not the elf Cal and I worked so hard to create. Take a close look."
"I see what you mean." Guinevere leaned forward to study the screen. "Beautiful graphics, Larry. Looks just like professional arcade animation."
"Thanks. But I didn't do that figure. Cal must have done it."
The figure pursuing the treasure hunter was not short or bald. Nor did he have stubby fingers. This character looked more like royalty. Tall, draped in robes with some sort of crown on its head, it was quite impressive.
"Okay, I admit it doesn't bear any resemblance to Russ Elfstrom." Guinevere tilted her head to one side and looked at Larry.
"The main characters in this little drama were drawn from real life. The treasure hunter is supposed to be a brilliant computer wizard-"
"Uhhuh. You or Cal serving as the model, I suppose?"
"Right. The evil elf was patterned on our illustrious department head. Liz shows up as a ghost lady who bars the way across a lake. Jackson is in here as a cyborg."
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled. He does have a kind of glassy-eyed look at times."
Larry didn't pay any attention to her comment. "If we assume that even though Cal changed a character, he would have kept to the basic premise of using StarrTech people as models..." Larry let the sentence trail off.
"Then that new character must be someone at StarrTech? Who would Cal use as a model for a king?"
"Who's the king of StarrTech?" Larry asked simply.
"Oh, hell. Hampton Starr."
Guinevere and Larry sat in silence, staring at the screen for a long time. Finally Guinevere asked, "Was Starr in the original version?"
"Yeah, but not in a very active role.
Similar Books
