I'm a bit late, but I'll try a short introduction, too. 40 years of age is not too far away anymore, and people over here tell, that we get wise when reaching 40. So the silly youngster times are almost over, but it's alright, being wise is something, too
Having started my computer career with an Atari 800, then switched to an Ataris ST, later an Amiga 500 and finally mid-90s to a PC, first running Linux, because is was convinced that Windows is evil, but later I made peace with Windows, since most of my hardware lacked the right drivers in Linux.
So I came across a lot of games on a lot of systems, and often there was the wish "I want to do that too", making games like that. So I got into programming quite early, learned BASIC, assembly for each of the processors, C, C++ and finally got stuck with Java, which is my favorite language currently, despite a few flaws.
Painting and graphics also have been an ongoing interest of mine, but I never got really good at it. Lately, say the past five years, I think I see an upturn finally, but I'd rather think that is experience than newly gained skill. Unlike that, I think my coding skills dropped a level or two, but still are good enough for many projects.
There was a time when so called "trackers" were famous on the Amiga to create music, and I dabbled with them too, but since that time I didn't pick it up again - Linux didn't like my sound card, and now the era of trackers seems to be mostly over, although here and there I think to see descendants of the old trackers still being in use.
I have a boatload of failed projects on my back meanwhile, and now try another fail at a dungeon master inspired project. It's fun at times but as usual also a bumpy ride now and then. I hope I can stay with it for a while, and create something that at least somewhat resembles a game.
Also I suffer from depressive phases, so if messages of mine appear just too negative there is chance that I'm just having a bad day. Often I try to avoid posting on bad days, to keep peace and not annoy people too much, but sometimes I get into stupid arguments this way. Late winter/early spring seem particularly difficult for me; I think the darkness and cold of the past months just depleted my savings of happiness ... I sure hope spring will come, but right now we got another load of snow just after a few sunny and warmer days.
Dungeon Master was one of the most impressive games that I played. When it was new, it was a perfect amalgam of graphical innovation, an intriguing story, a unheard of magic system and a well designed dungeon world. I don't remember any other games that provided such an experience later, but of course all the later games had to compete with the glorified memories of DM.
Well, I'm glad that I was pointed to this forum, and to have a place now to share ideas about Dungeon Master and related projects
