17 Jun
2024
17 Jun
'24
4:38 a.m.
Interesting reading, as I believe, we all played it at least once :)
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/retired-engineer-discovers-55-year-o…
17 Jun
17 Jun
5:40 a.m.
Didn't know the source code had been released in FOCAL. I wonder if it
will run on a 4k pdp8/L.
One way to find out.....
On 6/17/2024 4:38 AM, emanuel stiebler via cctalk wrote:
Interesting reading, as I believe, we all played it at
least once :)
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/retired-engineer-discovers-55-year-o…
12:05 p.m.
I remember running this program at school in the mid 1970's.
This runs on 4K Focal '69 without the extended functions enabled. So it
should run on a 4K PDP-8/L.
I think I might have actually run it on a 4K PDP-8/L with an ASR-33
Teletype sometime between 1972 and 1975. I know I ran it on a PDP-8/E
with 12K and a TD8E DecTape system based Edusystem 20 in 1975.
It was available as FOCAL8-81 from DECUS (Submitted 20-Jan-1970):
Abstract:
This program realistically simulates an Apollo moon landing using NASA
figures. It begins with
module at fJ seconds, 120 miles above the moon, carrying 16000 pounds of
fuel, with a velocity
of 2600 miles per hour. Upon radar checks of velocity, altitude,
remaining fuel, and time each
10 seconds, you /nay decide upon fuel rate for next time interval. The
object is to land safely
on the moon.
RESTRICTIONS
You cannot retain FOCAL's extended functions (LOG, EXP, etc).
I have attached a scan of the DECUS Program Library documentation on
it. This has the source on page 4 of the PDF
On 6/17/2024 4:40 AM, cz via cctalk wrote:
Didn't know the source code had been released in
FOCAL. I wonder if it
will run on a 4k pdp8/L.
One way to find out.....
On 6/17/2024 4:38 AM, emanuel stiebler via cctalk wrote:
> Interesting reading, as I believe, we all played it at least once :)
>
>
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/retired-engineer-discovers-55-year-o…
>
>
3:26 p.m.
On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 1:53 PM Mike Katz via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
I remember running this program at school in the mid
1970's.
This runs on 4K Focal '69 without the extended functions enabled. So it
should run on a 4K PDP-8/L.
...
It was available as FOCAL8-81 from DECUS (Submitted 20-Jan-1970):
https://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/pdp8/src/decus/focal8-81/
I have run this at VCF on a 4K PDP-8.
-ethan
4 p.m.
On 2024/06/17 12:26 p.m., Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:
On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 1:53 PM Mike Katz via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
Fascinating - and there was a video game made by Atari called Lunar
Lander which also tried to put a LEM safely on the surface.
Some more of the history of the games (from 2009):
technologizer.com
Forty Years of Lunar Lander <#>
Lunar Lander games abound on every platform. Along with Tetris and
Pac-Man, the game--in which your mission is to safely maneuver your
lunar module onto the moon's surface--is one of the most widely cloned
computer games of all time. But did you know that game players began
touching down on the moon in Lunar Lander…
🔗 https://technologizer.com/2009/07/19/lunar-lander/index.html
<https://technologizer.com/2009/07/19/lunar-lander/index.html>
John :-#)#
--
John's Jukes Ltd.
7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
Call (604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out"
I remember running this program at school in the
mid 1970's.
This runs on 4K Focal '69 without the extended functions enabled. So it
should run on a 4K PDP-8/L.
...
It was available as FOCAL8-81 from DECUS (Submitted 20-Jan-1970):
https://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/pdp8/src/decus/focal8-81/
I have run this at VCF on a 4K PDP-8.
-ethan
4:33 p.m.
On Jun 17, 2024, at 4:00 PM, John Robertson via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
...
Forty Years of Lunar Lander <#>
Lunar Lander games abound on every platform. Along with Tetris and Pac-Man, the game--in
which your mission is to safely maneuver your lunar module onto the moon's surface--is
one of the most widely cloned computer games of all time. But did you know that game
players began touching down on the moon in Lunar Lander…
🔗 https://technologizer.com/2009/07/19/lunar-lander/index.html
<https://technologizer.com/2009/07/19/lunar-lander/index.html>
There's also one for the CDC 6000 series mainframes, using the system console as the
display.
***** LUNAR - LUNAR LANDING SIMULATOR.
*
* L. R. ATKIN. 70/03/01.
* C. G. FILSTEAD. 70/03/01.
* D. J. SLATE. 70/03/01. VERSION 1.0
* C. G. FILSTEAD. 70/08/16. VERSION 2.0
* S. D. FREYDER. (LUN INTERFACE)
* J. J. DRUMMOND. 77/06/20. CONVERSION TO KRONOS/NOS.
LUNAR SPACE 4,10
*** LUNAR SIMULATES A SHIP IN THE VICINITY OF THE MOON.
* IT IS ABLE TO ORBIT, LAND, TAKE OFF, ETC. THE SIMULATED SHIP
* DOES NOT RESEMBLE THE *APOLLO* LUNAR MODULE, SINCE THRUST AND
* FUEL LIMITATIONS WOULD MAKE LANDING TOO DIFFICULT AND TIME
* CONSUMING.
I tried it once. It's HARD because it doesn't give you a spectator's view, as
most of the other programs do (where you see the lander and the moon's terrain).
Instead, it shows you the pilot's view, with little windows showing not much at all,
and a bunch of instruments that tell you which way is up and where you are.
I'm not sure if the console display was there in the original, or if that's the
work of Stephen Freyder (date not given here, but probably 1976).
paul
4:37 p.m.
"Lunar Lander games abound on every platform"
For sure! I even have a copy on tape somewhere for the Burroughs L
series machines, but unfortunately I'm not aware of any of those still
working; there was an L7xxx and also an L5xxx and L9xxx, but AFAIK
they're display only.
On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 4:07 PM John Robertson via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On 2024/06/17 12:26 p.m., Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:
On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 1:53 PM Mike Katz via
cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
Fascinating - and there was a video game made by Atari called Lunar
Lander which also tried to put a LEM safely on the surface.
Some more of the history of the games (from 2009):
technologizer.com
Forty Years of Lunar Lander <#>
Lunar Lander games abound on every platform. Along with Tetris and
Pac-Man, the game--in which your mission is to safely maneuver your
lunar module onto the moon's surface--is one of the most widely cloned
computer games of all time. But did you know that game players began
touching down on the moon in Lunar Lander…
🔗 https://technologizer.com/2009/07/19/lunar-lander/index.html
<https://technologizer.com/2009/07/19/lunar-lander/index.html>
John :-#)#
--
John's Jukes Ltd.
7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
Call (604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out"
I remember running this program at school in the
mid 1970's.
This runs on 4K Focal '69 without the extended functions enabled. So it
should run on a 4K PDP-8/L.
...
It was available as FOCAL8-81 from DECUS (Submitted 20-Jan-1970):
https://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/pdp8/src/decus/focal8-81/
I have run this at VCF on a 4K PDP-8.
-ethan 
5:13 p.m.
First job was programming the “L” series machines. I imagine a Lunar Lander game used up a
lot of greenbar paper!
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 17, 2024, at 13:37, Mike Stein via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
"Lunar Lander games abound on every platform"
For sure! I even have a copy on tape somewhere for the Burroughs L
series machines, but unfortunately I'm not aware of any of those still
working; there was an L7xxx and also an L5xxx and L9xxx, but AFAIK
they're display only.
> On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 4:07 PM John Robertson via cctalk
> <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
>> On 2024/06/17 12:26 p.m., Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:
>> On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 1:53 PM Mike Katz via cctalk
>> <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
>>> I remember running this program at school in the mid 1970's.
>>>
>>> This runs on 4K Focal '69 without the extended functions enabled. So it
>>> should run on a 4K PDP-8/L.
>>>
>>> ...
>>>
>>> It was available as FOCAL8-81 from DECUS (Submitted 20-Jan-1970):
>> https://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/pdp8/src/decus/focal8-81/
>>
>> I have run this at VCF on a 4K PDP-8.
>>
>> -ethan
>
> Fascinating - and there was a video game made by Atari called Lunar
> Lander which also tried to put a LEM safely on the surface.
>
> Some more of the history of the games (from 2009):
>
> technologizer.com
>
> Forty Years of Lunar Lander <#>
>
> Lunar Lander games abound on every platform. Along with Tetris and
> Pac-Man, the game--in which your mission is to safely maneuver your
> lunar module onto the moon's surface--is one of the most widely cloned
> computer games of all time. But did you know that game players began
> touching down on the moon in Lunar Lander…
>
> 🔗 https://technologizer.com/2009/07/19/lunar-lander/index.html
> <https://technologizer.com/2009/07/19/lunar-lander/index.html>
>
> John :-#)#
>
>
> --
> John's Jukes Ltd.
> 7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
> Call (604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
> flippers.com
> "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out"
>
5:22 p.m.
On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 4:13 PM John Robertson via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
Fascinating - and there was a video game made by Atari
called Lunar
Lander which also tried to put a LEM safely on the surface.
I loved that version when it came out when I was a kid. Sad most of
them disappeared (and were converted into Asteroids machines). A
buddy of mine has an original with blown-out X-Y drivers. I keep
offering to help him repair it. I did recently get a 15" Electrohome
vector display that would work with the original boards (but I don't
_have_ a set of original boards). What I really need and don't have
is the thrust controller. Can build one, but it's not at the top of
the list of projects.
I have played it many, many times in emulation (MAME), but I miss the
real vectors and that thrust controller.
There are also several versions for Commodore machines. Raster and
chunky, but still flyable.
Definitely a popular game framework right along with Star Trek.
-ethan
18 Jun
18 Jun
1:10 p.m.
Interesting that the "40 years of Lander" article doesn't mention the
McDonald's in the GT40 version. A couple of the commenters refer to it; if you were
close enough the astronaut would walk over and order "two cheeseburgers and a Big Mac
to go". If you were right on, it would give you a particularly rude message about
destroying the only McDonald's on the moon.
I wonder if any of the later Lander programs copied that bit of fun. It was an early
"Easter Egg", probably before that term became common.
paul
19 Jun
19 Jun
5:20 a.m.
On Tue, 18 Jun 2024, Paul Koning wrote:
Interesting that the "40 years of Lander"
article doesn't mention the
McDonald's in the GT40 version. A couple of the commenters refer to it;
It doesn't mention all the other versions that were written, for example
the LGP-30 version written in ACT-V in the early 70s. ;-)))
Christian
7:42 a.m.
Ooo... I did not know there was an LGP30 version, and written in the
70s...who was doing Royal McBee dev 20.years after the machine was sold for
-ehemm- personal computing?
On Wed, Jun 19, 2024, 5:20 AM Christian Corti via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On Tue, 18 Jun 2024, Paul Koning wrote:
Interesting that the "40 years of
Lander" article doesn't mention the
McDonald's in the GT40 version. A couple of the commenters refer to it;
It doesn't mention all the other versions that were written, for example
the LGP-30 version written in ACT-V in the early 70s. ;-)))
Christian
17 Jun
17 Jun
5:29 p.m.
Fascinating - and there was a video game made by Atari
called Lunar
Lander which also tried to put a LEM safely on the surface.
At the U of Alberta in the graphics terminal room in the General
Services Bldg., next door to the I/O room (pick up and drop
off cards and printouts from the MTS Amdahl), there was a short
rack with a ~10U PDP of some flavour connected to a rack mount
GT-40 graphics terminal. There was a version of lunar lander
you could download into the PDP from the MTS system and play off-
line (i.e. free). You used a light pen to control everything,
and the goal was to land successfully beside the only McDonalds
on the moon.
--lyndon
6:01 p.m.
I ha e one for the Honeywell DDP 516 and that class of system on
vintagecomputer.net, extracted from papertape...search "lander" it
should.come up, feed it into simh.
Contact me if you successfully get it to work.
Bill
On Mon, Jun 17, 2024, 5:36 PM Lyndon Nerenberg (VE7TFX/VE6BBM) via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
Fascinating -
and there was a video game made by Atari called Lunar
Lander which also tried to put a LEM safely on the surface.
At the U of Alberta in the graphics terminal room in the General
Services Bldg., next door to the I/O room (pick up and drop
off cards and printouts from the MTS Amdahl), there was a short
rack with a ~10U PDP of some flavour connected to a rack mount
GT-40 graphics terminal. There was a version of lunar lander
you could download into the PDP from the MTS system and play off-
line (i.e. free). You used a light pen to control everything,
and the goal was to land successfully beside the only McDonalds
on the moon.
--lyndon
9
days inactive
11
days old
13 comments
11 participants
participants (11)
-
Bill Degnan -
Christian Corti -
cz -
emanuel stiebler -
Ethan Dicks -
John Robertson -
Lyndon Nerenberg (VE7TFX/VE6BBM) -
Mike Katz -
Mike Stein -
Paul Koning -
Wayne S