Ye Olde Staging Point

A conversation today with Joel reminded me of my introduction to the world of computing and the silliness that occasionally resulted.

My dad, something of a computer expert himself, quickly encouraged me to start tinkering with Basic programming on the C64 (the tape drive gave us the remarkable ability to permanently store data). I have very fond memories of Saturday mornings spent with Dad, both of us huddled at the keyboard manually copying Basic code that you could find in the backs of computer magazines of the day. But at some point, I realized that simply copying already-written code was not enough; I was ready to make my first foray into the world of programming.

Of course my creation had to be some sort of game, but it had to abide by my rather limited knowledge of the rather limited Basic language. I spent an afternoon feverishly tapping away at the C64 until I had expressed in code my vision for the perfect game. It would combine my love for World War 2 history with educational value in one amazing bundle of gameplay that would finally make learning fun again. The result was a true epic in the history of gaming: the ambitiously titled Math Bombers.

A typical session of Math Bombers went something like this:

Welcome to Math Bombers. Do you want to start a new game?
> y

I don't understand. Do you want to start a new game?
> yes

What is your name?
> andy

ANDY, you are flying above Germany in a B-17 during World War 2. What is 25 + 31?
> 56

Correct! Your bomb lands directly on target. What is 13 + 82?
> 98

Incorrect! You have been shot down by anti-aircraft fire and are dead. Do you want to start a new game?
> n

I don't understand. Do you want to start a new game?
> no

SYNTAX ERROR IN LINE 80
Do you want to start a new game?
> HELL NO

It only got better from there. Simple but eloquent gameplay, if I do say so myself. So when you see Starcraft 2: Math Bombers on the shelf of your local computer store, now you'll know where they got the idea...