This is a *very* recent screen capture (I edited all the non-Origin 
stuff out) of the STRIKE COMMANDER topic on GEnie.  This is all 
very AUTHENTIC... [uncompressed with speech disks: 53-54 MB!]

 ------------

Category 16,  Topic 34
Message 219       Sun Apr 04, 1993
ORIGIN                       at 18:29 EDT   [ORIGIN REP]
 
TO ALL -
 THIS IS NO APRIL FOOLS JOKE!  STRIKE COMMANDER SIGNED OFF AT 4:00PM,
 FRIDAY, APRIL 2.  IT BEGAN DUPLICATION SATURDAY, APRIL 3.  HOORAY!
 YOU SHOULD SEE IT RIGHT AROUND THE WEEEKEND OF THE 16TH-17TH!

Warmonger -
 Wait for X-Wing to die down?  Why bother!  I have been playing SC all
week, why would I want to play X-Wing? <BG> EA cut back Origin Support? 
Perish the thought.  I just had MEGA system problems for the last few months.
Now that SC is ready to hit the floor running,had to get some action on 
the problems I was having.  Sorry about that.

Rick -
 SC will say on the box that it does not support disk compression. So, dont
be real quick to compress the whole drive when you install DOS 6.0.

David -
 SC was tested with the Roland MIDI interface.

Timas -
 SC supports the PAS's Sound Blaster Emulator.  SC will not support any disk
compression, and will say so on the box.  QEMM should not be a problem.  
I really do not want to go into the copy protection, the longer it takes 
folks to crack it (if they can) the better.  The Doc's are beautiful, you 
get a really nice player guide.  Everyone should already know what the 
box looks like, by now. <g>

Tae Kim & All -
 SC is not written for the Math Coprocessor.  But, it should run fine on your
486SX 33Mhz.  Anything below a 386DX 33Mhz, is when it starts
 to look "clunky" with full features.  Also, the speed of the VGA Card
 has a lot to do with it.  I play on a 386DX 33Mhz, and it seems to do
 alright.  (But no, not as good as the 386DX 40 Mhz w/ Local Bus VGA
 down the hall.)  It looks pretty hot on the 486DX 50Mhz too, but, it
 does not look bad on the 486DX 33Mhz Local Bus either.  I think you're
running a pretty safe bet with a 386DX 33Mhz, and up.

Rebecca The Strange
 (And Relieved)
 Origin C/S & T/S

P.S.>  I'll post a short review of the SC Release Party.  I'll let you know
if I spot Chris Roberts with a lampshade on his head. <BG> (After the last 2
years, it would not surprise me.)  It is kind of strange, though.  There has
been a SC in production ever since I started here at Origin.  This is the
first time I have ever been up here on a Sunday, and my car is the only one 
in the parking lot.  I am really fired up about this.  I have a lot of 
confidence that SC will live up to Origin's expectations.  Ya'll are gonna 
dig this! (As we say here in Texas.)  Also - Thanx Alan (CGW personnel).
 ------------
 ------------
Category 16,  Topic 34
Message 221       Mon Apr 05, 1993
M.STORTZ1 [Torville]         at 01:45 EDT   [ORIGIN person]
 
 
  "Hello, America, I'm Mike "Torville" Stortz and it's the end of an era here
at the great Origin Software Development Complex and Ballroom as Strike
Commander, the much awaited fight sim has finally been released.

  "You can imagine the festivity here tonight as programmers, musicians,
artists, all the varied personnel required for such a monsterous effort are
at last freed from their shackles -- and I'm =not= speaking figuratively
here, folks -- and are allowed to join society once again.  They're blinking
against the light here... Richard Garriot, A.K.A. "Lord British", has
prepared a truly marvelous party here tonight, there are tables of chicken
breasts, steak, shrimp, and of course, pizza and beer.  You can hear Tommy
Dorsey and his orchestra playing in the background, while Metallica is taking
their break...

  "Just a moment, one of the programmers is nearing the microphone, I'll see
if I can get a few words with him...

  "Sir.. sir?  Can I speak with you?"

  "H..hello?"

  "Hello, sir, what is your name?"

  "Ah.. Kirk... Kirk Wi...  I don't know, something that starts with a "W"...
Who are you?  What's that you're holding?"

  "I'm Mike "Torville" Stortz, with the GEnie Broadcasting Network, and this
is a microphone."

  "It's... so small.  Do you know what day this is?"

  "No, Kirk, what day is it?"

  "I.. I don't know, I was asking you."

  "It's Sunday, April the fourth.  And before you ask, 1993."

  "Oh... did Dave and Maddie ever hit the sheets?"

  "Yes, they did, Kirk, but they shouldn't have.  What was it like
porgramming "Strike Commander"?"

  "Oh, God, it was O.K. for a while, but then the revisions started coming
back; little things at first, but then they wanted it to go faster, and they
wanted it to look better, it had to have more features.  I mean, if they had
just said what they wanted at first, we could have said no, but we were
tricked. Then they said we'd have to work some overtime.  Then they didn't
want us to leave the compound... uh, the building; after all, we could get
pizza delivered.  Soon, we had to schedule conjugal visits. AND I'M NOT
MARRIED!"

  "Thank you very much, Kirk, here's a napkin, so long and good luck.  I'd
have that sore looked at, if I were you.

  "I remember when Strike Commander was first announced.  My father had
always hoped to play it before he passed away, but it was not to be.  Well,
folks, it's the end of an era.  You may recall the famous Laural and Hardy
sketch about the software shop owner; and of course, the classic Saturday
Night Live "Samurai Programmer" bits; all can trace their parentage to this
long delayed game.

  "The first delay came as cassette tape storage fell out of favor, and the
game save routines had to be rewritten.  Then the introduction of EGA 16
color cards and monitors forced the conversion from monochrome, then 256
color VGA cards, and then sound cards.  Combined with the fourteen switches
in programming languages, it all made for substantial delay.

  "I see that Mr. Garriot is about to speak.  Gary, can we get a mike... no,
I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, he's at the other end of the hall, I'll have
to relay his comments.

  "He's congratulating the staff on a job well done... he's promising that
more showers will be installed... the crowd here likes that... there's going
to be an increase in the Corona rations... the crowd =really= likes that...
and... I didn't quite catch that, something... ah, the schedule for Strike
Commander II... the crowd has become very quiet...

  "I think this would be a good time to turn control back to GBN
headquarters, where we return you to a musical program of "Ray Terrance" and
his orchestra; from the increasingly unsettled ballroom here in Austin,
Texas, this is Mike "Torville" Stortz, getting out while the gettings good.

                                           /// Torville ///
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GREETINGS ALL! Well, there you have it, the latest up to date newsflash about
STRIKE COMMANDER (the myth, the hype, the game) <BG>.  Anyways, all I know of
the copy protection is that there is a doc check during installation and
other "sneaky" references to *it* during the game, but not in an "annoying"
way... Whatever... the game is out, so watch for it.  ALL 53 MEGS of it!
It'll be intersting to see who'll be releasing it first with a WORKING crk?!?
The fun should begin shortly.. PRIVATEER should be following shortly, eh? l8r.                                                     
                                                      - Chowdery -
