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[Great Britain]Delta 4 Software

They started the label Abstract Concepts in 1987 for serious adventures.

I mailed Fergus McNeill, one of the people behind Delta 4 Software, and asked him about the copyright status of the Delta 4 games and this is the answer I got (February 1999):

Copyright status varies from one game to the next. Unfortunately, I've found that trying to grant permission in the past has resulted in one or two particularly sad people from the Spectrum newsgroups jumping up and down and questioning which rights in particular, whether I am able to do this or that, and basically trying to complicate things. As a result [...] I won't be making any statements other than to say that one day I'd like to have the games on the Delta 4 website in some shape or form. However, that will have to wait until I have more time. If there's anything else I can do to help though, please let me know.

Delta 4 Software has a homepage at http://www.delta4.icom43.net/.

They are or have been distributed by CRL Group PLC, Macmillan Software Ltd and SilverSoft.

For more information, see Abstract Concepts.


Sherwood Forest

Type:
Drawn graphics Written 1984 by Fergus McNeill.
Runs on:


The Dragonstar Trilogy

Type:
Text only Written by Fergus McNeill.
Runs on:
Notes: Divided into three parts.


Quest for the Holy Joystick

Type:
Text only Written 1985 by Fergus McNeill and Jason Somerville in The Quill.
Runs on:


Return of the Joystick

Type:
Drawn graphics Written by Fergus McNeill in The Quill.
Runs on:

Here is a review of Return of the Joystick


Bored of the Rings

Type:
Graphics Written 1985 by Fergus McNeill in The Quill.
Runs on:
Notes: Divided into three parts. Published by Silversoft Ltd.

Comments: A parody on "Lord of the Rings". This might be based on the book by the same name by The Harvard Lampoon.

Package blurb:

From the far reaches of the west, to the dwarvish caves of the east, the awesome power of the Great Ring was known. Even in the Shire, home of the furry-footed boggits, its evil was feared. All knew of it, all except Fordo Faggins. With his fat, boggit chums, he made merry, undisturbed by the circle of gold his uncle Bimbo claimed he'd "found in the road".

Then, one day, the familiar grey figure of Grandalf, the old conjuror, came staggering into town. Shortly, a party for all the obese inhabitants of Boggiton was announced.

Fordo, contemplating these things and their relevance to the recent appearance of tall, hooded riders with flaming red eyes, found nothing unusual in it, such was his stupidity. All he knew was that there was going to be a party. And parties meant food.

Here is a review of Bored of the Rings


Robin of Sherlock

Type:
Graphics Written by Fergus McNeill in The Quill and The Illustrator.
Runs on:
Notes: Divided into three parts. Published by Silversoft Ltd.

Comments: A parody on the games Robin of Sherwood by Adventure International and Sherlock by Melbourne House.


The Boggit

Type:
Drawn graphics Written 1986 by Fergus McNeill and Judith Child in The Quill.
Runs on:
Notes: Divided into three parts. Published by CRL Group PLC.

Comments: A parody on "The Hobbit".

Package blurb:

In a hole in the ground, there lived a Boggit. It was not a particularly nice hole, nor indeed, a particularly warm hole, but a hole it was, none the less, and to the little Boggits it was home.

The hole was in the Shire, a particularly retarded area with western muddle earth at the time of the third age**. The Boggit was called Bimbo, Bimbo Faggins, and he was a lazy, fat Boggit whose only purpose in life was to blow rings and watch the pretty Elven girls go swimming down at the old mill pond.

Being contented with his lot, he vowed never to become part of those adventures which seemed to be growing more fashionable. Thus when he began to notice bad omens -- a black sunrise, a six-headed rabbit, and so, when he spotted Grandalf, the meddling old conjurer, crawling from bush to bush up his garden lawn, he bolted the door and decided to spend the day indoors.

But fate cannot so easily be cheated!

** Or somewhere there abouts.

Here is a review of The Boggit


The Big Sleaze

Type:
Drawn graphics Written 1987 by Fergus McNeill.
Runs on:
Notes: Divided into three parts. Published by Pirahna.

Here is a review of The Big Sleaze


The Colour of Magic

Type:
Bitmap graphics Written 1986 by Judith Child, Fergus McNeill and Colin Buckett in The Quill and The Illustrator.
Runs on:
Notes: Divided into four parts. Published by Piranha.

Comments: Based on the book of the same title by Terry Pratchett and contains passages straight from the book.

Package blurb:

Enter the extraordinary Discworld, set on a turtle's back. Meet naive, four-eyed Twoflower, the Discworld's first Tourist blessed with more money than sense. You are Rincewind, a youthful Wizard, faced with the miserable task of guiding the ridiculous Twoflower as he wends his blundering way. Wherever you go, the many-legged Luggage will be sure to follow. Meanwhile Death, rather weary from overwork, has a few surprises in store for you...


Galaxias

Type:
Text only Written 1986 by Fergus McNeill.
Runs on:


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