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From: mcgowen@saturn.ucsc.edu (Richard McGowen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: Best PD game in my opinion...
Message-ID: <7811@darkstar.ucsc.edu>
Date: 14 Oct 90 01:30:17 GMT
References: <7803@darkstar.ucsc.edu> <1990Oct14.001241.11038@wam.umd.edu>
Sender: usenet@darkstar.ucsc.edu
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz
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I made it to Level 14 also.  My housemate Greg Orchard is the only person
I know of (with the exception of Scott) to have solved the game.  If you
have Dr Plummets and look at the default high score list for all-play you
will see a Richard M.  Dr Plummets is like Grav Attack but has an additional
11 levels, improved graphics, and 4 missions instead of just one.  For those
that might be interested in publishing their own games, I will let you know
of some of the not so fun things that happen when you try to do so.
Microillusions gave Scott a "producer".  This wonderful persona wanted to
change many things in the game, the Title being just a start.  He got some
one to write a story line (that has nothing to do with the game), got someone
to make a title screen, someone to add some dippy music, and forced Scott to
put all of these things into his game that he had been working on for over a
year.  At one point they even made him change the ship so much it was 
unplayable.  The thing I love most about Grav Attack is the attention to small 
details that Scott incorporated into it.  The feel of the ship is so good that
levels that look at first to be impossible become very fun to fly, once you get
the hang of it.  If you get two astronauts on the screen at the same time
they will be moving in different ways.  And the most creative thing of all is
that every single level in Grav Attack has a secret bonus as well as there
being 5 universal bonuses.  Microillusions also made him take these out
as they would be "too confusing".  Argggh.

Unfortunately Scott Hjalmer Peterson is no longer alive and able to write games
for the amiga.  He took his own life with a bomb he built about 2 years ago.
He was a genius, an artist, and one of only two people to waterballoon David
Huffman (ala Huffman coding) while he was giving a lecture.

If anyone has questions about the Secret Bonuses or Grav Attack, feel free
to write me.  Also look forward to seeing GravAttack on abcfd20.