[{"TitleName":"Cargo","Publisher":"Macmillan Software Ltd","Author":"Five Ways Software Ltd","YearOfRelease":"1985","ZxDbId":"0000821","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 24, Jan 1986","Price":"£1.95","ReleaseDate":"1985-12-12","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":196,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Publishing Executive: Roger Kean\r\nEditor: Graeme Kidd\r\nTechnical Editor: Franco Frey\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nProduction Assistants: Gordon Druce, Matthew Uffindell\r\nSoftware Editor: Jeremy Spencer\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nSub Editor: Sean Masterson\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Chris Passey, Robin Candy, Ben Stone, John Minson, Mark Hamer, Gary Liddon, Julian Rignall, Gary Penn\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\n©1985 Newsfield Limited.\r\nCrash Magazine is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions [redacted]\r\nEditorial/studio [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\n\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]; Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset Ltd (Member of the BPCC Group), [redacted].\r\nDistribution by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £14.50 post included (UK Mainland); Europe: 12 issues £21.50 post included. Outside Europe by arrangement in writing.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return any written material sent to CRASH Magazine unless accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material which may be used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. The opinions and views of correspondents are their own and not necessarily in accord with those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nMICRONET:\r\nYou can talk to CRASH via Micronet. Our MBX is 105845851\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"CARGO\r\n\r\nProducer: Sinclair/Macmillan (Science Horizon Series)\r\nRetail Price: £7.95\r\nAge Range: Upper primary\r\nAuthor: Five Ways\r\n\r\nThe aim of Cargo is to demonstrate the careful planning that is needed to allow a cargo ship to carry its maximum load in safety. The player first has to load the ship making sure that the cargo is distributed evenly in the holds, and of course has to pay attention to the Plimsoll line markings in doing so. The player can select a rank (Master, Chief Officer, Second Mate, Cadet) and at the end of the game may be promoted or demoted depending on performance. The child can also choose a starting point and a port of call - all of the ports are clearly marked on the screen map. After the ship has been loaded and has begun its journey is line appears on the map to trace the course), the screen display indicates how it is sitting in the water the higher the salinity, the more buoyancy it gives to the ship. The program also gives a continuous report on conditions at sea. If you reach your port of call safely, you must unload the cargo and get your score.\r\n\r\nThis game covers a lot of ground (or should it be sea?) in terms of educational content. Children will learn about salinity and sailing conditions in different parts of the world, improving their geographical knowledge by constant reference to the map. The booklet also gives useful background information about Samuel Plimsoll.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: SPACE and ENTER\r\nKeyboard play: good\r\nUse of colour: good\r\nGraphics: excellent\r\nPanel's comments: the boys liked it more than the girls did. The map was very good and we liked the way your trail was marked by dots. The program is good value, and the boys would be happy to get it for Christmas.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: A very well designed program which is both enjoyable and educational.","Page":"137,138","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Rosetta McLeod","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Boys","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Girls","Score":"5/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 62, May 1984","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-26","Editor":"Cyndy Miles","TotalPages":66,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editorial\r\nEditor: Cyndy Miles\r\nManaging Editor: Peter Worlock\r\nSub-Editors: Harriet Arnold, Leah Batham\r\nNews Editor: David Guest\r\nNews Writer: Ralph Bancroft\r\nHardware Editor: Ian Scales\r\nFeatures Editor: John Lettice\r\nSoftware Editor: Bryan Skinner\r\nPeripherals Editor: Ken Garroch\r\nListings Editor: Wendie Pearson\r\nEditor's Assistant: Nickie Robinson\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nArt Editor: David Robinson\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Floyd Sayers\r\nPublisher: Mark Eisen\r\nPublishing Secretary: Jenny Dunne\r\nGroup Publisher: John Cade\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nGroup Advertising Manager: Duncan Brown\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Bettina Williams\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Sarah Barron\r\nSales Executives: Christian McCarthy, John Bryan, Laura Cade, Paul Evans, Debbie Quinn, Yvonne Charatynowicz\r\nProduction: Nikki Payne\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Karen Isaac\r\nSubscription Enquiries: Gill Stevens\r\nSubscription Address: [redacted]\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nAdvertising Address: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications, [redacted]\r\n© VNU 1983. No material maybe reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\nPhotoset by Quickset, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Chase Web Offset, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Seymour Press, [redacted]\r\nRegistered at the PO as a newspaper"},"MainText":"Clare Gurton looks at some recent educational software, in particular an aid to studying Shakespeare.\r\n\r\nSPECTRUM SCHOLARS\r\n\r\nShakespeare's Macbeth is among Penguin's newly-launched Study Software series featuring programs written by teachers to give CSE and O-level students the ability to study Shakespeare's plays 'by means previously impossible' - an impressive claim.\r\n\r\nDOCUMENTATION\r\n\r\nThe documentation is sparse, as it's assumed you'll have a Penguin edition of the play to hand. The inlay tells you how to load the program and there are a few hints on how to use it.\r\n\r\nGETTING STARTED\r\n\r\nWhile the program loads, two title screens appear - the Penguin logo, and the illustration from the cassette cover.\r\n\r\nThe program allows you to select themes and characters from the play and will search its database for relevant references. You can choose from seven characters and 24 themes. But you're limited to a maximum of three items, so you could search under one character and two themes, or vice versa. A search can be limited to a single act or the whole play.\r\n\r\nThe simple single-key commands are easy to use and you can exit any process at will.\r\n\r\nIN USE\r\n\r\nDuring a search the screen is split into windows. You're reminded of the search topics, given a reference and a comment for each 'find'. Other themes or characters for consideration may appear where relevant.\r\n\r\nI decided to select Macbeth with the theme of prophecy. The first screen referred me to Act 1, Scene 3, line 50 - a little difficult to find when you're not using the Penguin text. I spent ages counting lines without knowing whether I was looking at the right quotation.\r\n\r\nFor the first 'find' the program asked: 'Have the witches in their prophecy spoken Macbeth's secret ambition?' There are no easy answers in this study pack: the statements provided are thought-provoking, not simple cribs.\r\n\r\nAt the end of a search you're given the number of references found in each act and a total. If your search has come up with nothing. It's politely suggested that you may be searching under combinations that will not help your understanding of the play.\r\n\r\nVERDICT\r\n\r\nThe program has been given plenty of thought and the authors have chosen the most important characters and themes from the play.\r\n\r\nHowever, I was annoyed at having to look from book to screen; if only the relevant lines had been displayed.\r\n\r\nIt's a great pity there's no option for printing the results of searches. Many of these might have been of value as revision notes and essay plans.\r\n\r\nAlso, the program would be of no use to students unfamiliar with the text who could spend too much time searching irrelevant combinations. Less talented students might find some of the statements confusing rather than helpful.\r\n\r\nThe program may offer an unusual way of studying Shakespeare, but to get the most out of it students really do need guidance, from either teachers or a good study text.\r\n\r\nPenguin's Shakespeare doesn't really live up to its more exaggerated claims but is an interesting use of micros in education.\r\n\r\nDILIGENT DUO\r\n\r\nFrom Amazing Games comes 1984, an O-Level revision package for George Orwell's novel. The program gives three out of four ways of revising the text with main menu offerings being: three example essays; plot summary; notes on the text; and quit.\r\n\r\nOnce you've chosen one of these, you have to load data. The instructions tell you to rewind the tape. press play and 'be patient'... you have to be.\r\n\r\nThere's a choice of three exercises: discussion essay, an essay requiring many references from the text, and tracing one main theme throughout the text.\r\n\r\nThe plot summary examines each chapter's plot in relation to its contents. 'Notes on the Text' is a glossary of the words and phrases of 'Newspeak'; themes from the book such as Winston's ulcer are also explained.\r\n\r\nSome of the information in this program could be useful for O-level candidates, but it would be so much easier and quicker in book form.\r\n\r\nCargo, from Sinclair and Macmillan, is a well-produced package in the Science Horizons series. It has the advantage of a readable booklet covering the program's use as a model and background information. All perhaps a little daunting for younger users, however.\r\n\r\nYou have to load and sail a cargo ship. Points are scored for the safe delivery of cargo. You can choose ranks such as cadet or chief officer and the ports you wish to visit during the game.\r\n\r\nThe screens are generally very good but the one for loading is complicated and requires you to have read the booklet first. Once sailing, all sorts of mishaps can occur. assuming you've managed to evenly load the cargo on to the ship to start with. High seas, gales and water salinity combine to make safe sailing hazardous. To survive mishaps, you must learn the principles of loading up, planning a safe journey, the importance of the Plimsoll line and so on.\r\n\r\nThis is a good example of a game where learning is incidental, but will undoubtedly occur, and in this respect it holds advantages over run-of-the-mill formal practice programs.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"27","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Clare Gurton","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]