The Thalion Source - Little -ME- Demo -

HI - ES - ON THE KEYBOARD. UDO (-ME-) WAS A GOOD FRIEND IN A FORMATIVE TIME IN MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF ALL THE TEX MEMBERS BACK THEN. WE DISCOVERED THE CREATIVE EXCITEMENT OF DOING STUFF ON OUR COMPUTERS INSTEAD OF JUST CONSUMING SOFTWARE MADE BY OTHERS. AND UDO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS CREATIVE FIRST FLIGHTS - HIS CODING SKILLS WERE EXCEPTIONAL IN OUR GROUP OF FRIENDS AND GAVE US A GOAL TO ASPIRE TO. OR, IN MY CASE, TO CHANGE MY PATH ALL TOGETHER. I REMEMBER THAT AFTER A 2 WEEKS CODING PERIOD I PROUDLY PRESENTED A VERTICAL FAKE '3D CAN' SCROLLER ROUTINE TO UDO. 'THAT'S NICE, CAN I SEE THE CODE' WENT UDO AND ABOUT AN HOUR LATER HE HAD RE-WRITTEN THE COMPLETE THING FROM SCRATCH AND IT RAN 4x TIMES FASTER. 'FUCK YOU! AND FUCK THIS.' I BROKE OUT, HALF LAUGHING HALF CRYING. 'I'M DOING GRAPHICS FROM NOW ON.' AND SO I DID. GRAPHICS AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, BUT NOT CODING ANYMORE. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT DECISION. WITHOUT ALL THOSE YEARS GAMING WITH UDO AND WORKING ON DEMOS IN HIS PARENTS BASEMENT, I WOULD HAVE NEVER GAINED MY SKILLS AND MY PASSION FOR MAKING GAMES. AND THAT'S WHAT EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE LIKE UDO DO - WITHOUT INTENDING IT, THEY INSPIRE AND INFLUENCE THEIR FRIENDS. HIS STOIC ABILITY TO DECIDE HIS OWN WAY WAS ALSO SOMETHING THAT I LEARNED TO ADMIRE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS HARD TO SEE HIM LEAVING THALION FOR A MORE STABLE JOB. WHEN TRAGEDY STRUCK IN THE FORM OF A SUDDEN ILLNESS, HE WAS SURROUNDED BY THE FAMILY HE STARTED IN HIS HOMETOWN. GOODBYE OLD FRIEND. YOU ARE REMEMBERED. R.I.P. -ME-

DARYL

HI - DARYL - ON THE KEYBOARD. I MET UDO (-ME-) WHEN I INVITED ERIK (ES) TO AN ATARI WEEKEND GATHERING AT A FRIEND OF MINE. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN IN 1986. ERIK TAGGED UDO ALONG. WE BONDED IMMEDIATELY DUE TO OUR PASSION FOR ASSEMBLY CODING. THEY WERE ALREADY WORKING ON DRAGONFLIGHT. UDO EXPLAINED THE EARLY MOUNTAIN SHADOW CASTING ROUTINE AND ABOUT PRE-SHIFTING FONTS TO IMPROVE SCROLLER PERFORMANCE. IT WAS FASCINATING. I FELT HONORED GETTING ASKED IF I WANT TO JOIN TEX AND HELP DEVELOPING. THE HOURS AND DAYS ALL OF US SPENT AT UDO IN MAXDORF PLAYING MIDI MAZE, EXPERIMENTING/WRITING/PRINTING OUT METERS OF CODE TO HANG IT ON A WALL TO DISCUSS IT AND EATING RAHMSCHNITZEL AT THE BASF FEIERABENDHAUS. THE START OF THALION, THE GAMES AND DEMOS WE DEVELOPED. SO MANY EXPERIENCES AND FOND MEMORIES. UDO HAS FOR SURE ENRICHED MINE AND OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. THANK YOU -ME- AND IF THERE IS A GOD THEN LET HIM/HER KNOW 68K RULES.

MAD MAX

HI - MAD MAX - ON THE KEYBOARD. THERE WERE MANY MANY ENCOUNTERS WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN MY LIFE. A LOT OF THEM HAD NO (OR A VERY VERY SMALL) INFLUENCE, BUT A VERY FEW HAD A DEEP IMPACT. THEY CHANGED MY LIFE AND THE DIRECTION I WAS LEADING TO COMPLETELY. UDO WAS ONE OF THOSE. REST IN PEACE MY FRIEND - YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED!