Interviews

Interview with Robocop

Published in Vandalism News #20
Performed by Vengeance


V)
Well, as normal interviews start with a introduce yourself question, and with VANDALISM NEWS it is no different, so please introduce yourself to our readers.

R)
Hello dear readers!
My handle looks like this: ROBOCOP/ATLANTIS. Really good friends like to call me as well DANIEL. I'm at the age of 23 years of life, about 1.80cm tall, my weight goes about 100 kg(more or less). My hair-colour is blond. Next to that I’ve got blue eyes - which all of it makes the perfect man of his kind! But hey, girls haven't got a single chance! I’m engaged since around 3 years(hi, sweetie!) but still not married. But nevertheless we do share an apartment for quite a long while. Barbara is the one and only! We do live in a average small city called Rorbas (about 2000 habitants). Close to Rorbas you may find one of the largest airports from Switzerland. Right now I enjoy myself being jobless but this will change (hopefully) during the next weeks (it’s a fact that I’ve got to get a job).

V)
Well, it seems you have a strong love life, and well if you are anything like me being unemployed is a thing of pleasure but it has to end somewhere eh? Well, as you are a co-leader in ATLANTIS you must find a lot of work, so please tell us your jobs and how you get the whole crew activated.

R)
Well, in fact it’s a lot of work! you're right - but, how did you know about it? the main part is focused towards leading, organising and keeping the whole illegal section rollin' on! In fact I do only take care of about a third of the whole ATLANTIS crew. As I do only focus towards the illegal section my work isn't overwhelming all night through. My lead' mates are available whenever necessary helping each other is a main priority. This and the good friendship make the co-leadership being a still funny and exiting job in ATLANTIS.


V)
I simply knew how much work it is because I have been the leader in a fair share of groups, but anyhow you seem to be doing well and we wish you the best of luck with ATLANTIS in the future, but now onto a more serious matter...You were once having some troubles with a guy known as the SORCERER of TALENT. please explain what happened and tell us if the problem is still unsolved?

R)
AEHH.. In general it’s not worthy to make this sad story a subject in an interview. But I am a generous guy and so I will give you the facts you asked for. The struggle between the two of us started by a remark I should have been doing towards him. I should have been ragging on him because of uncracked originals. Fact is, that he's never been a cracker for us and so such a ragging wouldn't have given any sense. Nevertheless this small event re-sized into a larger disaster. The top he aimed was his offer towards AVALANCHE/ATALANTIS to overtake the co-leadership for the illegal section and dropping myself off from ATLANTIS. This didn't happen as you probably read before. He didn't succeed in splitting neither our friendship nor our TRUST in between our leadership. After all, he decided to leave ATLANTIS. That’s where the "war" between us two became official. He started to slag upon me at STATE OF THE ART and he didn't succeed with that he also started to slag upon ATLANTIS. So this went on for quite a while, showing that the main part of the sceners that got knowledge of this war placed their opinion at my side. So I stopped showing any kind of reaction towards his ragging - after a while seeing him continue with it he decided to disappear from the scene. Giving the whole a thought I’ve got to admit that I took the whole too serious as it was quite funny instead! SORCERER, wherever you are, may your soul rest in peace!


V)
I can remember these goings on, when I was calling out last year, it was amusing at the best, and well the whole war never made sense and SORCERER never did they me why he was waring you just tried to avoid the question a lot or basically forgot to tell me every time? Anyway on a lighter note now, ATLANTIS publish the magazine known as IMMORTAL FLASH, please tell us what to expect for the future with this production and tell us in fact if it is actually coming out again.

R)
IMMORTAL FLASH? hey, what the heck does this mean? I’ve never heard about it!! no, SERIOUSLY, IMMORTAL FLASH is coming - not in a rush, not in between the next 2 hours - but it will be released again! In fact we do intend to release it about periodically and not only a fast shot into the sky (relax, guys relax!). A new outfit is in progress, but due to many running projects and an obviously enjoyable private-life it doesn't get that straight forward as we firstly planned (hopp, armin).


V)
Great to see the old mag come and fight another day and at least our readers know what is happening with it now and no longer expect it dead. With the scene growing everyday, and the legal side of things booming, do you still see yourself in the cracking scene a few years from now? why?

R)
What a question! combined with this question another one lights up: what will be going on concerning games (slang: orries), Distributors and game developers? as long as there is any kind of action, as long as people do care about new wares and as long as it may be worked out in a kind of competition...as long as those facts belong to the illegal scene I’ll be there!!!


V)
Obviously you are also attracted to the thrill of getting a first release and a great version on the boards. :), but now please give us your entire scene history from where it all began, what groups you have been in, first contax and how you actually found out about and got into the scene?

R)
After a period of being a game-lamer I got in touch with CASE/TRC+SCS. After being in good relationship with him for quite a while he had been successfully forcing my interest for computer party. At the way to my really first one, COSMOS PARTY in Gleisdorf, I met DR.SCIENCE/ATLANTIS. Although I didn't at the time make it to the party (urgent suspicious of infection), a while after that I was a member of Atlantis. so, the fault for being at the scene goes to CASE/TRC*SCS, the fault for being active at the swapper business has to go to DR.SCIENCE/ATLANTIS. Just after getting a member of ATL I started to swap - which I’m still addicted today! My really first contact, TPM of SILICON, just re-started his activities a few weeks ago - so the saga continues...


V)
I'm sure ATLANTIS is one of the best INTRO designing groups around, is this accidently done or do you make sure that your intros your intros look like magic?

R)
Well we do care about it in a certain way! it’s not the main priority over all - but neithers a point beside! There’s no censorship towards our intros - we use what our members produce and support them in that way! The quality may result of the motivation and the knowledge of their producers - not more, not less.


V)
Okay now that’s clear, I’d like to ask you a question that I ask everyone in VANDALISM interviews, and that is of course give you opinion on VANDALISM and how could it be improved?

R)
In my opinion VANDALISM NEWS is one of the top five mags around. There are probably some details to improve (loading system may be up-speeded, more cool graphics and more cool music). But still it’s an interesting mag which doesn't annoy during articles!!


V)
Well thanx for you thoughts, the loader has been speed up and we have a choice over more than one tune per issue in the new outfit which will come next time, we do always try to change the gfx of the mag, so I think this is better than nothing, so which PARTY's have you been to? and who have you meet in your travels?

R)
I participated at Xmas'93 in Herning and Tribute'94 in Goteborg. I met a lots of my contacts as well as many interesting and friendly guys. A fast and hot hi to following party MANIACS... JACK ALIEN/AVT, DAVE/EX-LEGEND, HEAVY HEAD/ONSLAUGHT, CALYPSO/AMNESIA/AFL and all the forgotten ones! party on!


V)
Seems like only a couple of parties, but the important ones. In your time in the scene, no doubt you have witnessed many things which do you think was the most important and why?

R)
I've seen well-playing teams going down under, software firms stopping their support for the c64, friends turning their back against the c64. But there have been some bright lights as well. The competition is harder than as well, but friendship rules over it. There are lots of gentle and friendly guys doing small talk no matter where ever they come from, go to or intend to.


V)
Make the ULTIMATE group, give me the names of the people you would ask to join and the reasons why?

R)
Getting the right answer for this question isn't as easy as it could be:
PUDWERX/ex-AVANTGARDE - fixing
JACK ALIEN/AVANTGARDE - cracking
JAZZCAT/ONSLAUGHT - modem trading
CALYPSO/AMNESIA/AFL - swapping
CREEPER/ANTIC - artist
SNAP/ATLANTIS - music
TTS/OXYRON - coding
COP/FACES - covers
"MAMBA" - magazine
THE PIRATE ISLAND - EURO HQ
HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA - US-WHQ

In my eyes these guys/products are the leading forces in their specific section.


V)
I'll agree with that, but I’ll also mention that some of them don't get what they deserve in the charts, SNAP for example should be in the top 3 composers, anyway... I'm sure computing is only a hobby for you, so what do you do in your spare, how do you have fun in Switzerland?

R)
Next to c64 I’m addicted to ice hockey. I'm a member of an fan-club where I am responsible for the finances and some additional organising. Weekly I visit a match from my favourite team EHCKLOTEN (Swiss champion in 92/93 and 93/94, actual chart position 5). I'm impatiently looking forward to the play-offs!


V)
That seems like quite a task, and now I’m going to give you another task of naming your favourite stuff in the scene?

R)
My favourite...
cracker group - AVANTGARDE, EXCESS, CHROMANCE
demo group - FAIRLIGHT, CENSOR, BYTERAPERS
magazine - NEWS PRESS, NITRO, SKYHIGH
coder - TTS/OXYRON, BOB/CENSOR, SLAMMER/CAMELOT
cracker - JACK ALIEN/AVT, BURGLAR/SCS, POWERPLANT/LEGEND
artist - CREEPER/ANTIC, OGAMI/FLT, ROB/CAMELOT
composer -A-MAN/AVT, SYNDROM/TIA, DANKO/CENSOR


V)
You certainly have a fair idea about the scene as I can see from the last question, anyhow if you were to leave the scene, why do you think this would be?

R)
Being one of the last guys around would surely force me to end my scene-activities. An important change in my private life (marriage, family, children) would also cause an end. The simplest reason I may imagine is the fact of
needing steadily time!


V)
Well as much as I enjoyed doing this interview, all must come to an end, so if you have any last words or major statement? give them now...

R)
My last words: thanx for the interview (hehe, there are still some words upcoming). A last shout out to the public: keep our C64 alive!!!


V)
Thanx DANIEL it was nice to have interviewed you, next time as promised on numerous occasions if MORBID gets off his lazy butt (well not so lazy anymore) we will run the interview with JVD from FOCUS also an older interview with STORMLORD from WOW. Until then remember, we don't make this magazine you do...


VENGEANCE/ONSLAUGHT.