Interview
Handle: Onyx
How did you come up with your alias ?
That was soooo long ago, I don't remember :-)
City / Country:
Hannover, Germany
Born year:
1969
What was your first computer, and when did you get it?
A good ole "Commie 64", I got it in 1983
How did you get into the scene and what groups have you been a member of ?
My first contact with the scene was in 1984 when I met a guy called "Gandalf" who lives in the same town as I do. Before I met Gandalf, I had already started to "crack" games which I had bought together with another friend of mine. By sharing the cost of a game and then "cracking" it, we could afford to have more games, and people started to swap software with us. Way back in 1984 there weren't many folks around in Hannover who even had a computer, not to mention program machine language or even "crack". One day I heared a rumour about another "Cracker" in our town, and we finally met - that was the day I got in contact with the C=64 scene and met Gandalf. Since that day, we're great friends.
Apart from my "local" activities, the first official group I belonged to was "Blizzard", an Amiga group formed by Dirk S. who ran a group on the 64 called "D.S. Compware". During my time in Blizzard I met some very interesting people in- cluding a very talented programmer whos work many of you might know: the latter author of the Amiga version of Turrican I and II. His handle is JJ. Personally I think he is one of the best programmers ever.
What was the proudest moment in your career ?
Oh well.... I'm not exactly sure. Maybe when I talked to Flash (from FCG) for the first time or when I met Mr. Cursor. Something I will probably always remember is the phone-call I got from a someone called "Mr. Lippert", if I remember correctly. He called me up one late afternoon to tell me that he was pissed about my crack of "Arkanoid" (Amiga version from Diskovery Software) because just a few days before my former group Blizzard released it, he had given copies of the game to all the "important" scene-folks on the CeBit, a big computer and communication fare held anually here in Hannover. Everybody had to promise that they wouldn't crack the game, although I knew that Star Frontiers had already released the NTSC version. The copies he gave out were the PAL version however, and since I didn't go to the CeBit that day, I had not recieved "my" copy. Another friend of mine, Karsten Obarski - author of The Soundtracker - had gotten a copy though, and I borrowed it from him and cracked it. As far as I remember I didn't even put my handle into the Crack because Karsten had told me about the "agreement" under which Mr. Lippert had given out the copies, and I thought it would be too risky to include my handle. Some stupid traitor must have told Mr. Lippert who the "asshole" was that had cracked his game, and given him my phone number.
For what specific reason(s) do you think that you are remembered ?
There's ONE reason I'd like to be remembered for: the cracks I did, and there's ONE reason I don't like to be remembered for: the way I changed groups :-) I'm not exactly sure why you're going to include me into "In Medias Res", but it must be either one of those reasons. Probably both.
What would you like to be remembered for ?
As I've already said: my cracks.
What made you stop the scene activity ? (and do you remember when?)
Well, I had various problems with my studies a few years ago, and I had lost my interest in "the scene" and computers in general for a while. I always had a computer though, and I guess I never _really_ stopped. I just took a break. I would even like to continue to participate in todays scene, but there doesn't seem to be a great demand for Crackers nowadays. Consoles are more and more gaining superiority over "real" computers at least regarding the entertainment market. Also, I got the impression that the scene the way we used to know it, has almost vanished. The Pirate-Scene at least. I can't speak for the Demo-Scene, but as far as I know, the Demo-Scene is still very active and its activities are even growing. I was never a great Demo-Programmer though :-))
Thinking back on the good old days, is there anything you regret?
Not really, but maybe I shouldn't have changed groups so often :-))
What was your favorite
GAME(S)
That's a hard question. Lode Runner on the 64 was probably one of the games I've played most often. Oh, and I liked Jumpman Jr. and Mr. Do alot :-) On the Amiga I didn't play too many games. Hybris was cool at the time it came out.
DEMO(S)
My favourite C=64 demo is certainly BABYLON ]I[ from Mr. Cursor/TWG, however I have to admit that I have seen many, many other impressing demos and it's hard to make a decision which one is "THE BEST". A very old demo which I also liked alot was the "Worldwide Letter" from ACE and The Softteam/Denmark. On the Amiga I liked Magician 42's and Sodan's "TECH TECH" demo alot, and also a Megademo from North Star and Fairlight. Slayer's "Seven Sins" demo was awesome for the time is was created !
PROGRAMMER(S) (OR PROGRAMMING TEAM(S))
I could easily fill 64K with a list of people whos work I found very impressing. I this is just a tiny extract of the whole list of people that come to my mind:
Mr. Cursor/TWG, Sodan, Red/JUDGES, Flash/FCG, Gandalf, Delta/TRSi, Slayer/SCOOPEX, JJ, Matchem, Antony Crowther, Ming/STAR FRONTIERS, Promax/KEFRENS, Honey & TSi/1001 Crew, Celebrandil/PHENOMENA, Mahoney & Kaktus, Omega Man/TCS, Lord Blitter/BAMIGA SECTOR ONE, Jeff Minter, Mario v.Z./FCG, Zeronine/QUADLITE, Dr. Strangelove/RAZOR, Stavros Fasoulas, Omega Supreme/SHADOWS, Hawkeye/BM, Melon Design
CRACKER(S) (OR CRACKING GROUP(S))
Same here. Only a small excerpt:
Gollum/FLT, Weetibix/SCOUSE, Robin/QUARTEX, Crackman/CRM, Eurosoft, Mr. Z & Ixion/TRIAD, Janitor, Mr. Zeropage/TLC, Flash/FCG, Fabulous Furlough/FBR & HUMBLE GUYS, HAL 9000, JJ The Breaker/BENCOR BROTHERS, Mitch/EAGLESOFT, Gandalf, Frank N./UNIT A, Robert/HQC, Major Rom/QUADLITE, Ralf W., Oliver S. aka Eldar, PBA, 1001 Crew, ABC Crackings, JEDI, R. Bubba Magilicutty, N.O.M.A.D, PHS & Ron/DEFJAM, 1103, Marco Polo/VISION FACTORY, General Zoff & Norman, Florasoft
COMPOSER(S)
My favourite composer ever ist probably Martin Galway, but if you talk about "scene" people, it's Drax/VIBRANTS
BEST COMPOSED TRACK(S)
Martin Galway's loader tune for "Green Beret"
EVENT(S) (E.G. COPYPARTY)
I haven't been to many parties, but in 1989 I had a great trip to the PCS in London together with the folks from VISION FACTORY.
MEMORY(S)
64 K of memory :-)
DRINK ?
German Beer, of course
What are you doing nowadays ?
I'm becoming an Computer Assistant for Economics
What are you doing on your spare time?
If I'm not out with my girlfriend, I *still* spend most of my time in front of the computer. I guess I should consult a doctor about my manic computer devotion, but hey ! Nobody is perfect :-)
Is there anything you'd like to say to the public (read: admires)
Being part of the "teenage computer culture" was probably one of the best and most exciting things in my life (the other one was sex), and I think back of the "good ole times" every now and then. I think the "scene" as we used to know it will never ever exist again but everything in life is subdue to changes. I'd like to send A BIG greeting to one of the most loyal persons in the scene, who even talked to me if I had my "moments": IRATA/TRSi. He's THE DINOSAUR of the computer scene. I'm glad to know you, pal. Also, the biggest asshole I ever met was a guy called Philip R. from a city in the south-eastern part of germany - you know who you are of you read this: go to hell, fucking software-Mafia asshole.
What is the meaning of life?
in hex: 2a