Interview with
Cro
Added 4/10/2026
cydonia-cro_interview-defy_4.txt
cydonia-cro_interview-defy_4.txt 8.2 KB
Cro Interview Infinity/CYDoNiA
HANDLE: Cro
GROUP: Cydonia
AGE: 26
DEPARTMENT: Coder/ sometime swapper/ editor/ packmagger (once so far!)
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CODING ON THE AMIGA FOR?
Errr
About 18 months Amiga, but about 3 years 68000 assembler :) And about 17 years all up :-)
HOW DID YOU GET INTO CODING?
Well, I started coding (in basic!) when I was 9 years old, and I found a public-use computer at the library
I've never looked back since!
WHERE DO YOU GET YUR IDEAS FROM?
My twisted brain! Well, really from what I see around me, movie/TV show credits, nature, my dreams
WHAT'S THE HARDEST THING YOU'VE EVER HAD TO CODE?
Defy! With Scrapbook (for Sect) a close second, but only because I'd never coded interlace screens before
Although the hardest thing to get all together was Explora, because I couldn't compile it on my piddly little a500 and had to get a friend to assemble it on his 1200
AND THE EASIEST THING YOU'VE HAVE TO CODE?
Hmmm
Probably the laxifractals routine
That took me about 3 days from go to whoah
But I did that originally on the Atari, so the amiga version took about 2 hours :) The quickest all-round thing I've done was the Defy 4
Teaser, which took about 3 hours all up
But's that's not really a demo/intro thing anyway!
NAME THE 3 BEST CODERS IN AUSTRALIA
Oh, god! Hard question! Mostly because I haven't seen a lot! OK, Krion and
Storm, definitely
Netrunner, when he was coding
Psyche has a lot of talent
Heavyweight is starting to code a bit now as well
AND OVERSEAS?
Mr Pet, Dan of whatever group he's in now! (Ex Anarchy/Lemon/Spaceballs)
Oh, there's so many others! I can't think of them at the moment
NAME THE WORST CODER IN AUSTRALIA
Me! <grin>
NAME THE 3 BEST MUSICIANS IN AUSTRALIA?
Am I going to get in trouble? OK, Serkul, Deadlock (or Earthling as he's now known), and Eminence
I also like D-Vize/DVS's work - in fact, he kindly gave me the music for my first ever amiga intro!
AND THE 3 BEST MUSICIANS OVERSEAS?
Well, this is a hard one, as I don't follow the music scene much! But from what I've heard, probably (in no order here!) 4-Mat (The first musician I ever recognised), Laxical/Scoopex, and an up and comer, Nork/TNC
He's new, but he's got the skill!
OK, HOW ABOUT THE 3 BEST GRAPHICIANS OVERSEAS?
Easy! Ra, Fade One and Facet :-)
AND THE 3 BEST IN AUSTRALIA?
Hmmm
Souri, Infinity and
Well, it's a tie between Coolcat, Snykers and Kimba
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOU SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO LEARN TO CODE?
Don't listen to what anyone says about learning Basic! It's a good starting language, and gives you the mind-set necessary to write programs in any language
Other than that, look at, read and UNDERSTAND other code that's floating around
It usually makes thing quite clear!
WHAT LANGUAGE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO A NEW BEGINNER?
Basic Or Pascal
Both of these are good starting languages
Although while Basic is easier to start with, Pascal teaches better habits :)
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THESE SO-CALLED PROGRAMS LIKE AMOS, BLITZBASIC ETC,ETC? ARE THEY ANY GOOD?
Well, I wrote my first demo in STOS, which is the Atari version of AMOS, so
I'm a bit biased there
Although I have to say that I didn't like using AMOS at all
Blitz Basic I've never used
In fact, I haven't coded anything on the Amiga using any language other than ASM!
WHAT DO YU THINK OF ESCOM BEGIN THE NEW OWNERS OF THE AMIGA?
About bloody time someone bought it and decided to give this machine a decent go of it! Commodore fucked up in a major way, especially with advertising
When I was working selling Amiga's, Atari's and IBM's, I had to explain to people what an Amiga was because they only saw ads for IBM contemptables!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE THEM IF THEY WANTED TO LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY?
Don't fuck up the opportunity you've got with this machine! It easily has the ability to make it in any sphere of home or business computing, and could easily replace IBM's and Mac's in most areas! (In fact, the only area that I think the amiga couldn't replace the IBM is in process automation, and that simply because the companies involved have spent too much money developing the appropriate software for the IBM )
WHAT TYPE OF COMPUTER WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE COME OUT?
Well, I like what I hear about the PowerAmiga! But anything with a fast processor (68060!), and with a decent operating system
IF YOU GOT ALL THE BEST CODERS AROUND THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOU CODE?
God, what a question! Everything! Games, Demos, business apps (I'd let other people do that!), in fact, anything that a computer could possibly be asked to do! But I like the idea of coding games a lot :)
IF THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY BEFORE WE END THIS INTERVIEW?
Bad idea saying that! I can have a rant! Ready? IBM contemptable computers
have become predominant in the home market because the majority of people are sheep
They buy a computer because that's what their friends have got
Thought doesn't go into the decision