=== REDCREEK SOFTWARE === PRESENTS NUCLEAR WAR ( version 2.10 Deluxe ) *********************************************************************** * Programmed by : Markus "Backmask" Backman * * Supplied by : R.C Software * * Display Screen : VGA * * Release Date : 11/05/99 * *********************************************************************** For the lastest updates and the newest information go to The Nuclear War Offical HomePage http://www.cs.umu.se/~ens97mba Chapter overview -Nuclear War Story -What is Nuclear War? -Characters -Nuclear War Rules *Objective of Nuclear War *Orders *Build Weapons *Propaganda *Prepare Missile/Bomber *Launch Warhead *SDI -Nuclear War Questions and Answers *What is a LOG file? *How can I save and view a LOG file? *How to save a game to a TEXT file? *How to get the old version of Nuclear War? *How to make my own characters? *How do I get sound? *What is a network? *What type of Ethernet Network do I need? *Error LOG files -Bug Reports -How do I report a bug? -License Agreement -RedCreek Software ______________________________________________________________________________________ Nuclear War Story Nuclear war 2666-01-01 The new year could not have started any worse. Multiple global political crises emerged and threw the world into anarchy. The situation required drastic action from the world leaders. Through genetic engineering they resurrected some of the greatest leaders of all time in an attempt to restore order. But the old leaders were cunning and hungry for power and in a few months they had taken control over the worlds countries. Then they all started preparations for the day of war. And that day is today. It is a time for war. Nuclear war. ______________________________________________________________________________________ What is Nuclear War? Nuclear War is a game about nuclear war and other seedy, suspicious things nations do to each other. You are one of five rulers over the world and your only goal is to take over the world. Thats means a nuclear war is the only solution. With heavy weapons like 100 Megatons missils millions of innicent victims gets killed in the process. But do anyone care when the you can be the world leader. No sacrifice is to large. Your enemies will not cooperate with each other so only the strongest will survive. When you play a game, you get a country with four cities with millions of inhabitans and a whole bunch of nuclear bombs. There are many diffrent weapons and other command you can use to win Nuclear War. Among these there are missiles, warheads, SDI, factory, propaganda and bomber. Diffrent rules applies to for exampel Missile and Bombers. ( See rules section ). The population is very importent in the game, this because when your population reachs zero your out of the game. That is why you should use SDI as often you can so that you can shoot down enemy bomber and missiles. But no one can be safe. This because at any time a randomevent can take place in your country. Everything from sea monster to Spice Girls can make you life miserable and destroy your master plan to take over the world. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Characters With version 2.0 you can play and/or play against characters. With Nuclear War standard edition over 40 characters can be played with. You can also make your own characters, your friends or enemies, and play against him/her. If you donīt feel there is enough characters you can always download more characters that people around the world has done and sent in to R.C Software so everyone can enjoy theirs characters. To send in characters send the file char.ini and if there is a pictures to those characters send them also to redcreek@hotmail.com. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Nuclear War Rules Here you can read how to play Nuclear War. The game as really simple rules and their shouldnīt be any need to explain them but some people thinks it easier to read the manual before starting to play. Those people never had heard of trying and explore what can be done and not. Enough about that here is the rules for Nuclear War. *Objective of Nuclear War Nuclear War is the game where up to five diffrent leaders use Nuclear War to get world dominasion. You start the game with a country, with four larger cities. The cities has sizes between 5-35 million people. Your opponents also has four cities with 5-35 million in each. And the simple goal in Nuclear War is to wipe out the other countries by bombing or using propaganda against your enemies cities. But the situation can drastic change when a random event occure. The most devestating is Armagedon, then every city in the world heads for a almost certain doom. When you begin the game your country as 2 10 MT Warheads, 1 20 MT Warhead, 2 10 MT Missiles, 1 20 MT Missile in storage ready to be used. *Orders There are five diffrent orders you can choose from each turn. But you can only choose one each turn. These are the orders, Build Weapon, Propaganda, Prepare Missile/Bomber, Launch Warhead and SDI. Explaination follows below. *Build Weapons This order makes your factories build up a new arsenal of Nuclear Toys. Of course, the more people working in the factories the more weapons is built, so if you have alot of inhabitants left in your country you will get alot of Nuclear Toys back. And if you have the charactaristic Industrialist your country will produce even more fun stuff. Weapons which can be built are: Missiles (10MTs, 20MTs, 50MTs and 100MTs) Bombers ( B-52 and B-2) Defencesystems (SDI and Advanced-SDI). If you build weapons two or more turns in a row, you will be stockpiling and your enemies will not take it easy on you, this doesnīt apply to characters with the characteristic Industrialist. *Propaganda Sending diplomatic messages reaching out to the population of other player's cities is called propaganda. It can be lies or anything else telling the people that your country is better and safer to live in. This makes millions of easy manipulated people come to you from your enemy. If you have the characterisitic Charisma you have mastered this technic and so you can make even more people come to you. Using propaganda two or more turns in a row will lower the effect of your lies. There is no know defence against propaganda. *Prepare Missile/Bomber -Missiles This will put a missile propulsion system up for use within the next turn. The size of the missile will determine how heavy a warhead it can carry. A missile can carry one warhead up to its own weight. These are the available Missiles : 10 Megaton Missiles 20 Megaton Missiles 50 Megaton Missiles 100 Megaton Missiles -Bombers A Bomber will be ready to lift and attack a enemy city next turn if you choose this order. Bombers are much more advanced than missiles, this because they can be reused and it can carry more weight. It can still only carry one warhead at a time, but if it returns in one piece it can be reused if there is any megatons left in the bomber. For instance, a missile is initiated, can carry ONE warhead and is then discarded. The bomber is initiated, and can carry ONE warhead turn after turn until its total weight is reached. EXAMPLE: A 50MT bomber will be able to carry up to a 50 Megaton warhead, or any combination of warheads up to 50 Megaton(one warhead per turn). For instance, for the three following turns, this bomber could be used to drop two warheads of 20 Megaton each on cities, and one warhead of 10 Megaton on another or the same city/cities. These are the available Bombers : B-52 (50 MT) B-2 (100 MT) *Launch Warhead This order will install one warhead into the previously prepared missile/bomber. This order can only be made the turn after either a bomber or a missile is prepared for launch. If you initiate a bomber or missile, and do NOT launch any warhead, then the previously prepared missile/bomber is discarded and cannot be used at all. *SDI Defending your cities is vital. Therefor when you notice your enemy(ies) preparing missiles or bombers there would be a good idea to deploy a defence system, capable of blasting all those hostile warheads out of the sky if they are launched at you, and your cities are all safe! There are two different defence systems: SDI Advanced-SDI The SDI can only shoot down enemy missiles, while the Advanced-SDI can destroy both missiles and bombers. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Nuclear War Questions and Answers Here you can read about the most common question about Nuclear War. So if you have a problem with the game read through this first and if you donīt find the answer here you can send a email to R.C Software and it will be answered and dealt with as soon as possible. *What is a LOG file? A LOG file contains game data from a saved game so that you later can watch that game precisly as it was played. It is a kind of replay that you can see over and over again. You can always save a LOG file when a game has been played, it doesn't matter if a computer or you won. More on how to save and view below. If you have a LOG file you are really proud of or it was just a very fun game you can send it in to R.C Software and this file will be put up on this page for all to dowload. *How can I save and view a LOG file? You can save the LOG file after the game is finished when the picture of what character who has won. When you click on SAVE GAME you are requested to write the same of the save file. The file is saved as that with the extension .LOG. If no name is written then the game is saved as GAMExx.LOG, were xx stands for a number. To view a LOG file click on the "VIEW LOG FILE" option in the main meny. Then all current LOG files is displayed on the screen. Choose the one you want to view and click on "VIEW LOG FILE". If a error message appers, were it stands that the LOG file is not a vaild file, some error must occured when the file was saved. This means that this file is usless and should be deleted. There could also be you have moved your old LOG files from a old version and these doesnīt match the new versions LOG file. This can be helped to files like those should be deleted to if you don't like to get the old version so that you can watch it. See below how to get the old versions. *How to save a game to a TEXT file? To save a game to a TEXT file you can do this in two diffrent ways. The first is to send some parameters to Nucelar.exe file. The correct syntax is "NUCLEAR /T SAVE.TXT". This will save all your games you play to the file SAVE.TXT. This filename can be any TXT file, it is up to you to name it. The other way is when you start up a new game you press F2 when it is your turn to choose your move for this turn. This saves all turns and games after that you press F2. The file is automaticly saved as SAVExx.TXT in you TXT directory in you Nuclear War directory. But because you donīt now how the game(s) will turn outwhen you play it, it is a good idea to first save the game as a LOG file and later when you view it you saves this game to TXT file at the same time. To do this the correct syntax to Nuclear.exe is "NUCLEAR /L GAME01.LOG /T SAVE.TXT". This shows and saves the game GAME01.LOG to SAVE.TXT. *How to get the old version of Nuclear War? Some people has been interested to see how Nuclear War has been progressing over the years. If you are one of those you want some of the old versions. To get a old version send a email to R.C Software and write down the version number you like to get and a email will be sent back to you with the requested versions. These versions is available Nuclear War Version 1.1 Nuclear War Version 2.01 Beta Nuclear War Version 2.05 Beta Nuclear War Version 2.10 Beta Nuclear War Version 2.15 Beta *How to make my own characters? To make a own character with version 2.0 it is really easy. This can now be made from the setup program. Start the setup program and choose the option Character Edit. Then all the characters currently in the game is shown and you can easy delete or create a new one. To make a PCX compatible with Nuclear War read number 3 below. To make a own character with the ini file follow these simple steps : A simple pattern. [NAME] [CHARACTERISTIC] [PIC.PCX] [STORY] The first box must contain the characthers name. Not; more than 16 letters is premited. Next is the characteristic for the characters. Choose; between MILITARIST, CHARISMA, LUCKY or INDUSTRIALIST After that is the name of the 59x81 PCX file, with; 256 colors and using the color table char.act. Remember to write the extansion PCX after the name. If you dont have any picture just write NO PIC instead, and your character will have a shadow picture instead. To make a pcx file with the color table char.act use some sort of graphic program, like photoshop or paint shop pro. Normally a picture is of the type RGB, it is a format that is not supported by Nuclear War 2.0. To change this look for a menu index color and then choose a own color table and the you use char.act. Also remember that the picture shall be 59x81. The last is text story about the characther. Each line; cant exceed 36 letters and not more than 10 lines. Not all special character is available, such as numbers and these ' ; So be sure not to use those. You must have more than 5 characthers to run Nuclear War. *How do I get sound? To be able to have soundeffects in the game you need a soundblaster or a soundblaster clone. To set the nesessery settings for you sound card, start the setup program, choose "CONFIGURATE SOUND CARD", and enter your settings. For a normal soundblaster card the following settings should work, IRQ = 5, BASEIO = $220, DMA = 1. If you get a error message that there is not enough memory avalible to start sound, you must close all other programs thatīs opened. You can also turn the sound on/off when it is your turn to choose move by pressing F1 *What is a network? A network is a series of computers with network interface boards linked together by special cables. Nuclear War can be played over any network that has IPX support.IPX (Inter-Packet Exchange) is a widely used standard for data communication on many network cabling systems. The most common form of network cabling today is called Ethernet. Ethernet is a cabling and signaling specification originally developed by Xerox in the late 70's. Over the years many new specifications have been created for faster network access and throughput. The cost and popularity of these systems have finally reached the point of home use. *What type of Ethernet Network do I need? That depends on how many computer you plan to connect together. Nuclear War can connect 10 games at the same time, but after they started the network ID can be reused for another players to start a new game. This gives you virtually no limit to the number of users that can connect to Nuclear War on the same network. What cabling system and networks cards is not at importent. Nuclear War doesnīt need much to work. So get the cheapest if you only playing Nuclear War over your network ( I hope you donīt play anything else ). I recommend a BNC cabling system, it is cheap and works alright. If you are running under Win95/98 there is needed that the IPX network drivers is correctly loaded. If you donīt have a network card installed or the drivers doesnīt work,and you press in MULTIPLAYER, Nuclear War will almost certain crash. This is because networks is very instabel things. And my knowledge about them is limited. *Error LOG files When you start up a game of Nuclear War and following message is displayed The last game of Nuclear War was not quit properly. This could be the result of a error. Last games game information is stored in the file ERRLOGxx.$$$. Please send that file to REDCREEK@HOTMAIL.COM Thanks for helping to making Nuclear War free from bugs. Press any key to countinue... (This error message will not be showed again) It is very importent that R.C Software gets all this error log files, becuase with them we can recreate the game that crashed and therfor easier find ther bug that was behind it. This file ERRLOGxx.$$$ is saved in the LOG directory in your Nuclear War directory. Just attach this file to a email and send it to R.C Software, there is no need for any error description if not you feel like it of course. Is the source code available? The Nuclear War Source Code is not available to the public at this moment. R.C Software has been wondering to relese the over 18000 lines of code. So if it is requested by many we are going to relese the code. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Bug Reports As in every piece of software it is easy for a small ( or large ) error to occure. That's becuase software is a very complex problem and is not easy to solve. So often it is easier to find the errors when you play and not when you are coding the program. R.C Software hired some Beta testers to eliminate most of the bugs, and they did a great job. But still there must be more small bugs hiding in Nuclear War. So if you find a bug please report it so that it can be fixed and Nuclear War can become the really great game is should. ______________________________________________________________________________________ How do I report a bug? The only thing you have to do is write down a little description on the error you have found and send it with a email to R.C Software. If not the description is quite good enough or the bug can't be find the assigned programmer will contact you and asks for more information about the bug. To aviod this time wast please write so detailed as you can the first time. If you report a bug that hasnīt been reported yet you will be rewarded, this reward is your name in the credits, not so bad. ______________________________________________________________________________________ License Agreement NUCLEAR WAR, all versions, are copyright protected and are the property of RedCreek Software. Until further notice, this software is totally beerware. Therefore by charging anyone money or services for this software you are a really nasty bastard. Individual commercial use is forbidden if not a payment of $666 is sent to R.C Software. NUCLEAR WAR may be copied, distributed and used in any other manner without the prior written consent of R.C Software. Because NUCLEAR WAR is beerware, you are required to send a beer to the vice president of R.C Software before one month after the day NUCLEAR WAR was installed. If not the program will destroy your computer. It will turn up the heat in your freezer so all your icecream melts, erase all your channels on your TV. With ultraviolet radiation it will destroy all your CDs. It will give out your phone number to your last girlfriend/boyfriend. It will drink up all your beer and leave your dirty clothes all over the apartment when your mother is coming. It will hide your car keys when you are late. It makes you fall in love with a penguin. It will give you nightmares about circus dwarves. It will go out with your girlfriend/boyfriend behind your back and charge everything on your credit card. It will randomly move around your car in the parking lot so that you can't find it. It will kill your dog. It will give you HIV. So don't underestimate the wrath of Backmask! To get all the updates on Nuclear War delivered to you send an email to redcreek@hotmail.com. After a confirmation-email is received, you will be notified if any updates or other improvements have been made to the game. Thanks for playing the great game of Nuclear War. By using this software, you are agreeing to the above terms. NUCLEAR WAR is Copyright (C) 1997-1999 RedCreek Software. ______________________________________________________________________________________ RedCreek Software R.C Software was formed on a dark november night. The year was 1994. This was the day the first R.C Software produced game was released. It was just a small demo version that unfortunate never was completed, but still it was a huge success because the main monster in the game, a evil witch, was so real that many thought she was. But noone so evil can walk the earth or? Her name was Kerstin Melin. The game was constructed with the help of Marcus Ljadas, who had written most of the horrible story that could scare little children to death. Of course as this stage R.C Software didn't have the resources to work on the technical and graphic details. So after a short period of time the game was cancelled. After having lost the game writer, Marcus Ljadas, R.C Software started to focus on small programs, not games. But not many was relesed to the public. But some of them are, R.Cd Player, EasyInstall, TSR Send. During the year of -96 some small games was under development, like Worms and Space Invaders, but none of them reach the public. It was during the boring summer of -97 that Nuclear war slowly started to develop inside the walls of R.C Software. Soon all the working staff of R.C Software was working their brains to overheating levels. Slowly the game idea developed. The hardest part at this time was the graphics, this because the limited machines and money that R.C Software had to work with. So no graphic program or faster computer could be bought. But our graphical expert Markus Backman did his best and he really worked for his little salary. Many game ideas had to be cut away because of time shortage. The relase date for the first version was set to the first of august -97. And the most amazing was that it was released then. This after a very long last week with no sleep for the R.C Staff. But still no sound had been added and no random events had been added, this was so be added to version 1.1, that was relesed exactly one month after. Version 1.1 look like it would be the last of the Nuclear War versions. So it seemed until R.C Softwares president Markus Backman attended Tomas "Foppa" Wållbergs party. There he was persuaded to make a new version with network support. So the day after he called his team of programmers and gave them the day to look over the possiblility to make a new version . And they come to the conclusionen that it could be done. And now it is!