AMOS TOME Series IV Manual

released, with the Tile Maker program being built into the actual editor, and a couple of minor tunings to the extension and the rest of the system.

Development on TOME Series IV itself actually started before TOME V3.2 was released. As comments and ideas came in from TOME users, we noted them down and worked out ways of incorporating them into the new super version. Ideas such as animating tiles, easy updating when plotting tiles, map zones and tile tagging were all suggested for the extension. The editor got a complete revamp too. To make the icons more legible, Adam sat down and redesigned them all in medium, rather than low, resolution. This enabled me to add more controls in the editor, and to re-arrange the menus slightly. To compliment the Tile Maker, Pic to Map Converter and The Valuer already in the editor, I added the Animation Controller and MaPLe, TOME's own programming language. To give the user a bit more power (you mean 64 commands more isn't enough !), I put the Shuffle V2.6 extension on the TOME disk, bringing the total number of commands up over the 110 mark ! The one bit that was most requested however, was this 80 page manual that has just taken me the last 4 months to write.

Once this package is finished, I'll be sitting down and writing 3 new games for the TOME Goodies Disk 2, which will show off TOME Series IVs new commands to their limits. I've told everyone they will be finished by mid November, so I've got one and a half months to do it!

I'm now considering what I'll be putting in TOME Series 5. I've already got a version of TOME IV running using 511 tiles instead of 256. This will become available in 1993 to registered users of TOME N as an extra developers version. For TOME V I'm going to let you use 8192 tiles, which can be flipped vertically and horizontally. I'm also developing MaPLe as a separate extension, so that you can actually use it within your programs ! Don't expect instant miracles however, I have a few other projects to finish first, and I would be hoping to finish Series V towards the end of '93 or probably some time into 1994, so get your requests in now !

I hope you enjoy using TOME, and I hope to see one of your games on the shelf (or preferably being taken off the shelf and being sold to a very happy customer) the next time I go down to my local computer shop.

Aaron Fothergill (October 1992)

A Big Thank you again to all of the following...

Adam Fothergill, Len and Anne Tucker, Sandra Sharkey, Peter Hickman, Rod Pascoe, Phil South, Ben Ashley, Stephen Hill, Norm Allen, Dave Lazerek, Hendrik Heimer, Bob Baker, Robert Brady and Jason Tucker.Thanks also to Mike Oldfield for playing the most excellent music ever, and a brilliant concert in Edinburgh Castle !