TheVIC-20 Welcome Pack

[English Invader]

Following discussion in the TheVIC-20 thread about the possibility of putting together a collection of software for new users, I thought I'd start a thread to get the ball rolling.

It occurs to me that for many users the primary thing that defines the VIC-20 is the programming experience so it would be nice if we could provide some PDFs for the User Manual and the Introduction to BASIC books to point the user in that direction. I'm not much of a programmer myself but I think we owe it to new users to make that door as accessible as possible. It would also be nice to include the Presentation Programs as Typing Trainer, Maths Maze, Mortsave, Blue Meanies, Spellbound and Biorhythms would have been a big part of many people's introduction to the system and showed users the different types of programs that could be made with the VIC-20's BASIC. I like the idea of sending a message to new users that it's ok to program like it's 1981.

From there, we could go to some of Jeff's games to show new users what can really be done with BASIC for the unexpanded VIC. This is important because it shows people that programming games for the VIC is an attainable goal for those who are sufficiently motivated and that Jeff does it with exactly the same tools that are right in front of them.

And then we can go to the assembly homebrew games that equal (and even surpass) anything that was done during the VIC's commercial life; everything from Kweepa's Doom port to Ghislain's epic RPGs to Robert Hurst's arcade perfect Berzerk port with digitised speech.

And then just a humble collection of classic VIC-20 games.

What do you guys think?

[Vic20-Ian]

Excellent idea.

A curated set of packs or list could be "released" month by month.

We could broadly model the original release dates and watch the maturity of software build.

VicSoft could be a guide to that.

I remember fondly going into town to peruse the latest box art and the promises made on hardware boxes (joysticks like the Quickshot II Turbo) and weigh up what to buy.

We could put up some of the adverts at the time e.g. Cascade Cassette 50 - lol

[Jeff-20]

Great idea! I think this proposal could combine with the journal/periodical idea.

[Vic20-Ian]

When I got my £139.99 Vic20 in the UK - Race, Hoppit, Type a Tune and Blitz were the UK Starter Pack along with Introduction to Basic Part 1

I don't think there were any cartridge games included but I do remember playing Omega Race a lot.

I used to read the Vicsoft catalogue a lot (I wanted the Romik games) and go round all the computer shops on a Saturday looking for new game releases or maybe a Mastertronic pocket money £1.99 game.