Zoltrix is one of the few people who had the chance to have a close look at the illegal Amiga scene the past five or six years. Even though he`s still doing his "job" as sysop, modemtrader and organizer after all those years. Not to forget that he`s writing articles from time to time. (also for Seenpoint) Beeing in an age of thirtyfive years, having a wife and four children would normally convince everybody to stop his actions. Not Zoltrix - not yet! Therefore we want to have a closer look at this very wellknown and interesting person. This interview is also as the one with Spin/Abyss in CN.7 done in our new style, it`s done "live" in the IRC. For us this granted more spontanous answers but this way it was also a lot more strenuous for us. To debate with such an oldskool scener like him who knows "how the cat jumps" wasn`t easy, but hopefully it will be also fun for you reading our small hareshooting. The only question is: Who was shooting and who was shot down? Ouch! But read on yourself...





Ghandy: Please as usually (and boring at the beginning of interviews.. please introduce yourself to the public... who is the man behind the handle Zoltrix and what is he doing if he`s NOT hanging behind the computer?

Zoltrix: Ok Basically when I am not behind the computer, I am either Sleeping! or Working! or having fun on the PSX. I am 35 so time is short for me. My Name is PHiL - ZOLTRiX. I dont know how much longer I can continue, as it seems I am slowly being pushed out by the new members of the so called scene. --- Hi mum --- nEXT

Ghandy: w8 a sec.. my brain is slow... How were you connected to the scene and how did you manage to stay for such a long time? Maybe you also want to tell WHAT is your job in the scene btw. in WHICH groups you`ve been in the past years... etc.

Zoltrix: Woa! you got all night for this? Well I started a long time ago. I first got a ZX81! keWL as fuck! hahaha but after a month it got boring Then I got a A1000 this made me think Then an A500 and then an A1200. People ask why not get a A4000 ? Well it was to expensive for me at that time. Bringing home like 20 uk pounds a week was not a lot! so I had to save. The first real Group I became involved in was actually TRADERS DREAM. Remember those ? hehehe people of 94 will We took Ocean Games and Xmas too Frosty the Leader snapped me up there. From then on I began the usual go here go there put that file here take that one put it here etc.. It was fun! Today tho, for me at least, the fun is dying


Ghandy: it was some years ago.. mhhh.. and now?

Zoltrix: NoW I have began to feel more and more depressed about the whole thing. One thing I have learned, is that the older you grow, the friends you knew at that time, all begin to go. Then you are left with no one but yourself. I mean I loved the scene of the Early 90's and I grew up with the old ways! Aminet was never allowed! nor was PD crap! So you can see how it is today. Also trading that rocked! 327 cps! on a 2400 Connect hehehe. Dont get me wrong, PD is good and has its place, but not in the scene I grew up in. Up to date I have been in many groups, but sadly, many have gone over to the PC side, and so I have had no choice but to leave them. The one thing that has kept me going in these sad times, are my REAL Friends. Ok so the Crack scene is dying. Lets face it, not many releases and those that are, do not have protection on them. Well, not many anywayz.

Ghandy: I also had a 2400 modem that time and was proud like hell..hehe

Zoltrix: SAL-ONE keeps me going! I used to leech like fuck from there to bring to the uk! now its the other way round! I can pump! which is something I coud not do in the early days as the uk to overseas calls were out of my pocket range. I got there! I am about 3rd or 4th! Top Uploader! I said I would do it! and I did. Arrogant lame son of a bitch that I am!

Ghandy: Yeah just too bad that he does not nuke many files in his bbs that Ufok is uploading! I often miss Sysops that nuke dupes/renames and shitty files!

Zoltrix: Look! we all blame ufok, but it is not his fault! The boards that he gets the stuff from are the ones to blamE! He trades via a script system! one thing I do hate about ufoK is the Fucking JPEG adverts he puts in archives! If the Sysop is too slow to nuke or to lazy or desperate for files, you cannot hold him responsible for that! I wont have anything bad said about him! only the JPEG adds If it was not for UFOk then a lot of boards would have been long gone by now! so I think they owe him a lot! Dont you agree

Ghandy: Well I think if a sysop is a sysop then he should also be responsible for nuking the fakes, don`t you think so? If he does not have enough time he should give it up or search for a good co-sysop faking all shit away... But it`s right that the european boardscene would look even more poor without Ufok and I`m sure it`s NOT his fault

Zoltrix: Most sysops feel that if they nuke a guy all his files, he wont call back. That means one less caller to brag about. Cosysops never know what to nuke. One day it is ok, the next it is not. Where do we draw the line ? (about Ufok) I know it is not his fault. I know I have a little dig every now and again, but its not really aimed that hard at him. I am sure that at one stage he was getting Aminet to cut his own CD's ) Hiya WADE keep on Pixeling!!

Ghandy: Mhh.. Exon is nuking every file which is wrong and that does not depend how friendly he normally is.. and that`s the way it was way back some years ago... Okay we allow Aminet at Los Endos BBS because if not we would have to nuke 90% of all files from Ufok but else nobody can upload shit without the risk to be nuked again...

Zoltrix: Nuking every file is not wrong! I mean, the times I spent trading is like too much. But let me say this. Nothing is worse than going on a bbs and downloading say 6 meg and upping to another 5 boards or so, then go back and find you have been nuked! That hurts! because of the money wasted doing it! It could have been prevented if the Sysop had nuked it! this would save time! effort and a nuking but most of all, Money. Much tradings, much nukings. Selective trading is the only way! I have seen it! People get axs to an ELiTE board, upload shit! to download the latest. nUKE aLL aMiNET! rules! The way of the times gone by! Ok so you may get only one file a day! but at least it is quality. As for what the sysop allows, that is entirely up to him. It is his system. But traders should respect the wishes of other sysops. And not upload it to them if they say NO.

Ghandy: But the other way round.. if DAT is releasing an aminet game NOBODY does nuke it.. (only because of the fucking logo).. the same game, the same stuff.. but the filename and the file_id.diz makes a difference????? Also you called some times at Los Endos only for uploading the DAT releases.. (and they suck in my eyes).. what can be more easy than grabbing a file in the Aminet and releasing it with the own name????

Zoltrix: I have to agree with you there. It is very true what you say. As for calling Los Endos. I called there to grab and move the FAiTH releases, apart from that, sure, if I have something I feel is a quality release, then I would upload it. I dont like to Download that much. The thing that makes me laugh, is that if a group duped another group Major release, it got nuked! but look how many dupes we get of these registered shareware cracks and stuff. And ask yourself, how many of these get nuked ?





Ghandy: not much.. but most from Exon..

Zoltrix: Data Division are not the only ones doing it. I mean HF released a PD thang, a couple actually, but because it said HF- then it was cool! Yet iGGY slagged dat off in his charts that he took over from magz. Now even HOODLUM are having a go at it, or so it seems.

Ghandy: I think that if all sysops would be like you or Exon then the scene would look a bit different...

Zoltrix: People know I hate Aminet. They know that I will speak my mind. It is me. I wont hold back on anything, that I strongly believe in. Ok sysops cannot be there 24 hours a day! its impossible when they have to work. But having met MR BOSS NUKE on several occasions, I got to be very picky as to what I grabbed and moved! I remember MDR Cement City! he loved that nuker! and it was used at every possible chance But the bbs was good! I wish mine was as good as that one was! but it will never be! because now, there are very few releases and very few reliable, well, committed traders. Hiya Case Send the money now hohohohoho NOT!

Ghandy: Some years ago sysops and cosysops used to nuke as much as hell.. think of Gates of Asgard BBS and other great USA boards.. files were nuked like hell but the systems were great!! simply great!

Zoltrix: Not only were they great! it was well hard to get an upload there! hehe I know I tried and failed many a time What happened to the Spirit ? thats what is missing. I remember my fave Crackro Fuck you Angels! by devils funny as hell that better than the game they put it on too If anyone has that cracktro Let me know I want it back hehehe

Ghandy: And Hellfire, the group you have used to be part of for a long time does not even put ANY intro inside their releases.. URGH! Why did you leave them.. that`s what many people ask themselfs!

Zoltrix: HELLFiRE was a small uk group. iGGY says it started to teach the big boys a lesson, that they COULD be beaten! and that HF could crack and release Major titles. I was co-leader for a while in there. It was fun! and I found a new mission in life on the scene. Sadly, at the end, I had lost faith and commitment in there. Hf rocked in the early days! release after release after release. iGGY was unstoppable it seemed. Sadly, things came to the point, where it was me doing everything or it seemed that way. I made the group bigger and I think better, but they will not remember me for this, only ZOLTRiX the mad bastard with 1000 pound phonebills and a trading lunatic. Let me add, that I have nothing against Hellfire. They are still going, but I think they go down a little when they release such crap as an EPSON DRiVER. No Epson scanner, so what is the point of getting that and moving it ? none! but thats life. You know, iGGY and I kept in touch over the phone as one does. One morning I get a call, we have this release, lets spread it now! and so peak rate calls I go overseas and iGGY does the uk. Rocked! Funniest memory was my new found friend Galahad. He pissed himself when we released Speris Legacy. The one PDY Stole and QTX got out first. Not cracked he said! Me and Mad Dan, well, we took ages to play from start to finish! and release the solution hehehe Galahad you bastard ) YES! I left HELLFiRE TWiCE before! but rest assured, I will not go back! iGGY is a nice guy! so are most of the other members! But after Cement City went, the challenge had gone. MDR was always there! love him or hate him! he ruled!

Ghandy: And then Iggy only wanted to accept traders ONLY beeing in HF.. that was the point when you left it, right?

Zoltrix: Yeah but that just added fuel to the fire. That was one thing I did not like! Putting the blinkers on the traders. Esacpe goat for me, was that I was a sysop for others. The other reasons for leaving are strictly HF and confidential. I don't disclose group info sorry

Ghandy: no prob!

Zoltrix: Thanks, because despite what people say and think, HELLFiRE for me was my life! and all my time was spent in that group. Time to move on and find another direction in life on the scene. Who knows ? Maybe in a week or month or year I may not be around. Will anyone miss me ? I think not. I will just be a handle on a bbs chart somewhere.

Ghandy: Something different: Why did you never like the PC ? (the computer & the scene)

Zoltrix: The PC is not for me. I can never be a part of that side. Too many releases that are so big! and a lot dont work without special addons like sound cards etc.. And is out of date before you know it. People feel or felt for the Amiga, They were proud of their machine! They loved it! The Pc, there seems not to be this. Just a case of oh look another 50 disker to move around. Mega Credits etc.. What gets me is why people want Emulators like PC TASK ? I mean you can Emulate windows 95 on the AMiga for FREE! even on an a500 ocs. Just hit CTRL AMiGA AMiGA

Ghandy:

Zoltrix: Seriously, even tho it has advanced to such a level, I could not change. I am too old for it.

Ghandy: For me.. I have the same feeling.. I`m simply too old and stubborn to change!

Zoltrix:[/b] January 1997. Location IRC. FRiENDS TO tHE eND. Its been with me for many years It has given me joy and also tears The end doth now seem very close The scene it supported is turning gross! Today the scene has lost its meaning And the support for it is ever depleting No one gives a damn for AMiGA any more The only thing they spread is Fucking WAR! The road is short and the end is near The destiny seems all to clear! I will lose my one true friend! For me this will be the very end. No more Amiga and no more me Its been expensive and now its free We gave the scene all that we had But no Amiga, thats really SAD! The Amiga will remain within our heart To the very end when we will part Death comes to us all and in the end I will always have my trusted friend. THE AMiGA - fRIEND tO tHE eND! ZOLTRiX - JANUARY 1997 -

Ghandy: Do you think the power-PC cards are the way out?

Zoltrix: I have read a little about them, but have not had the pleasure of seing one in action, so I cannot comment on them. If the price is right! then maybe I take a closer look and maybe even purchase one. Remember the biggest downfall of Amiga, was upgradability. Always been the same. PC a chip or board, Amiga a new machine But at least before Commodore messed up! we were paying for development not bolt ons AMiga had 32 bit! PC get it with Windows 95 or am I wrong ? Note worth mentioning! is that it was PC firms that saw the threat! and bought Commodore out! and did nothing! ESCOM! VISCORP! Promised the world and in return, we were treated as mushrooms. They kept us in the dark and fed us SHiT!

Ghandy: Coming nearer to the end... what is the reason why nearly nobody from Great Britian does join ANY party in europe? Is it really "overseas" to travel to Germany for Mekka/Symposium or to TP7 etc. to Denmark?

Zoltrix: For me personally it is time and money and my job. Tango has been over there Dave is a funny guy and a great friend! he rocks! uK is a disaster area. Only group here I think is Nerve Axis. And they won a demo compo Other groups in uk ? are there any ?

Ghandy: Yeah.. the guys from Nerve Axis were travelling to Assembly in Finland and won the democompo!

Zoltrix: Yeah. Man I was impressed You know it is 1998 now, and these memories are like real tear jerkers. All the mates I had back then, where are they now ? Not all went onto the PC scene But not all are still around HEY NES! Buy my kids Ice Cream you bastard!!! )

Ghandy: Loch Ness? Maybe you want to send out some greets to forgotten and less forgotten friends!?

Zoltrix: Not quite! but without that guys help, and Chelsea too for nagging at me I would not be on the net I not only want to greet those of today, but If they are out there! and get the chance to read this, then Thanks to the guys I really do miss! KRASNAL - BIG M.. - LENNY DEE - FELON - PSYKE - DAN/OASiS - JIM! - COBRA and many more I care not to forget! but time is not on my side





Ghandy: Lenny Dee was a nice guy.. saw him at Symposium two years ago and at tp5 or 6.. don`t know..

Zoltrix: As for today, to all my friends on IRC etc.. Special Greets to MARiO thanks for TRSi m8 ECS - BaserEvil! - CRUSADER & CANDY! - CASE! - IRONFiST - PCP - CHiLL - DiGiMAN - FURY - SAL-ONE - ENZO - gHANDY - EXON - sPEED DEViL - MARKRYDER!!! - TANGO - rUFF sTONES! - CHELSEA - nES - ADVOCATE - WAR^TRSi - GALAHAD! - JBM - Lenny Dee rocked! a very nice guy! There are so many people I wanna greet! but I would take the whole of the disk space allocated for this interview I got to say Hi to FUNGUS King of the sucky sucky face ) He rocks! cracked me up! and if not for him, I doubt LSD would still be going. WRAiTH and my m8 iXXY^TRSi you two crazy bastards but I love you! dont ever die!!!!!!! To all the ascii men out there XCZ, RED DEMON, TRiViAL, FATAL etc.. Thanks for making the diz's and logos and Special thanks to TAXi! you rock dude! TOMMY you rule man! TANGo a UK m8 and fellow nutter! And Finally to all these guys and the rest I missed Mario - CopKill3R - tRANCE- TOXiC^OTL - PCP - tRYAc - lANCE - KELDON Zinko - FRaNKy B_DCS - JBM-flt - Highlander - sTEEL -Hawkeye -PMaster SHADOWER - Good luck my friends! I think we gonna need it


Ghandy: So .. thanks a lot for the interview and I hope you will keep on.. how bad it is today.. maybe it will be better some times but I don`t have big hopes.. It`s up to uss to change the scene as good as we can...

Zoltrix: My heart is with the Amiga and all those that keep it alive! We can change the scene! We can move the scene! but only if the Amiga survives its last operation The fun is slowly dying. People are getting bored! wars are started for the wrong reasons. I have made mistakes! I will admit to them! Thanks for the time.

Ghandy: that`s a good closing word, isn`t it?

Zoltrix: Yeah HAPPY 1998! Right Faith!

Ghandy:

Interview performed by Ghandy