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IACMAN.TXT
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1989-09-04
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The It's A Crime! Utility
User's Manual
Version 1.5 - August 1989
By Bruce H. Graw
INTRODUCTION
The IAC! Utility is a program designed to help the general
It's A Crime! gang leader plan his strategies and enter his turns
from week to week. It keeps track of the last reported statis-
tics of blocks, makes suggestions of which blocks to perform
actions on, and automatically calculates how many men and guns
are being sent on each order and how many points of strength you
are attacking with. What's more, the program is so easy to use
that even an inexperienced computer user can use it to make his
life as a gang leader easier.
Before reading this manual, you should be familiar with the
It's a Crime! game itself. If you don't already know how to
play, print out the IAC! Rules (IACRULES.TXT), found on the
program disk, and read through them. You might also want to
print one or more of the sample gang files (.TXT files that begin
with GANG followed by a number) and the TURNCARD.TXT file. These
are all you need to have to get started with It's A Crime!
STARTING THE PROGRAM
The program (IAC.EXE), this help file (IACMAN.TXT), and all
gang data files (which end in the extension .IAC) must be on the
current drive of your computer. I recommend you copy them (and
all files on the IAC! Utility disk) to a hard disk in a specific
directory, to make access time faster. However, they will work
from a floppy drive without any problems. Remember, if you use a
hard drive, you must be in the directory with your gang data
files in order to use them properly.
To start the IAC! Utility, type IAC followed by a space and
your game number. For example, if you are running a gang in game
number 35, enter IAC 35 and hit Return. This accesses the data
files for game number 35. These files are named MAP, GANGS, and
CARD, each followed by the game number and the .IAC extension.
For example, the map data file for game #35 would be MAP35.IAC.
Note that you are not required to use a game number. If you
don't, a null (blank) game number is assumed. However, I recom-
mend you use the number in case you should ever start a second
game while the first is still going. This will avoid confusion,
since you will need two separate sets of data files for these
different games.
If you have two or more gangs in the same game, you can
store the information for each under the same game number. There
is no need to use different numbers when loading the program,
unless your gangs are in different games. This is to your advan-
tage, as it enables gangs in the same game to cooperate, and
helps you avoid any duplication of effort.
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THE DATA FILES
The Utility will start by reading in information on your
gang from the data files MAP.IAC, GANGS.IAC, and CARD.IAC.
(Remember that the game number you used when activating the
program will precede the .IAC extension, as previously described,
as in MAP35.IAC.) The MAP file holds all the data on the map of
the city as you have entered it so far. The GANGS file stores
the names and numbers of all gangs you have met during the course
of the game. Finally, the CARD file keeps a copy of the last
turn card and gang statistics you entered for this game. That
way, if you have to quit while filling in a turn card, you can
come back to it later and not have to re-enter the information
again.
IMPORTANT: The IAC! Utility saves changes to your data only
when you quit the program or use the "V" command. If you just
turn the computer off, or hit Control-Break, the data will NOT be
saved and you'll have to re-enter it. Of course, sometimes you
may want this to happen, if you've made a terrible mistake some-
where, but aborting like that should be used with caution.
If any of the data files do not exist, the information they
normally store will be blank. Thus, if you are starting a new
game, the map, gang list, and turn card will contain no informa-
tion. The same thing will happen if you delete these files, so
be careful. All Utility data files end in the suffix .IAC for
easy copying.
USING THE PROGRAM
Once you've started the program, you will see a map on the
screen. This map is a 5x5 view of the city, as though you were
on a helicopter flying above the buildings, looking down on
glorious New York. The next question you'll have is, "What do I
do now?"
At this point the IAC! Utility is waiting for you to enter
commands. To enter a command, press a single key on the keypad.
For example, pressing "?" will display the Utility's Help, an
online list of commands. "?" should be used whenever you need
your memory refreshed as to what keys perform what actions.
The IAC Utility's commands are further described in the
following sections.
MOVING AROUND IN THE CITY
Every square you see on the screen is a block of the city.
The numbers on the right and bottom are the X- and Y-coordinates
of these blocks. You read across the bottom for the first two
numbers (the X-coordinate) of any block, then up along the side
for the second number pair, the Y-coordinate.
To view any block, you first have to get to it by moving
around in your "helicopter." You can go directly to any block by
using the "G" command. This will prompt you for a block number
to go to. Enter the 4-digit number (no commas) and press Return.
The map will shift to a view of the correct block, which will be
in the center of the screen. The block in the middle of the
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screen, which will also be highlighted if it contains any infor-
mation, is the one all later operations will affect.
Another way to get to a block is to use the arrow keys on
your computer's keypad. This will move up, down, left or right
in the city depending on which arrow you pressed. Note that you
cannot move outside the edges of the city, even though you can
see squares in those directions. If you don't have a keypad on
your computer, use "H" to move left, "J" to move down, "K" to
move up, and "L" to move right.
BLOCK EDITING
Once you're at the block you want, you can press "E" to edit
it. You will be asked several questions about the contents of
the block, described in the following paragraphs.
OWNER: Enter the NUMBER of the gang who owns the block and
press Return. If it's uncontrolled, enter "-" instead of a
number. If the police own it, enter "Police".
If you enter a gang number the computer doesn't know about,
it will prompt you to enter the name of the gang. Type in the
name and hit Return. Now the computer knows the name of that
gang and won't ask you for it any more, and it will appear next
to the owner number in the block on the map.
Note: You can enter any information you want in this space
(not necessarily a number), but if you don't use a gang number,
the block will not work properly with the control or ambush
selection commands, and it won't count the block when determining
gang statistics such as block income.
DEFENSE LEVEL: Enter the NUMERIC code for the defense level
of the block. These are listed on the Map/House Rules card you
received with your IAC! Rulebook. So you don't have to look
these up, they are shown in a box in the upper right corner of
the screen when this question is being asked. Remember that the
lower a defense level, the better chance you will have at suc-
ceeding in any action you attempt on that block.
BUILDING INFORMATION: When asked, enter the percentage of
each set of buildings on the block and hit Return, followed by a
NUMERIC code for the type of building. Numeric codes will be
listed in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Note that
there is no need to type in the dollar value of the block, as the
IAC! Utility automatically calculates and displays this for you!
FIREBOMB/ROB/MUG: This is a set of three "flags" you can
use to note whether or not you have performed any of these ac-
tions on a block recently. If you enter "F" here, for example,
it will toggle the firebombing flag so that an F will appear on
the block to remind you not to bomb it again for a while. You
can enter any combination of "F", "R", and "M" as an answer to
this question; for example, "FM" will turn on both the firebomb
and mugging flags.
If you just hit Return here, the current set of flags will
remain unchanged. To clear the flags, enter a "-" by itself.
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After you've entered all the answers to these questions, the
editing function is complete and the Utility will display the new
block information on the map. The owner of the block appears
first, followed by the buildings, defense level, and F/R/M flags
(if set). You will also see the value of the block in the lower
right corner, as calculated automatically by the computer.
If something on a block has changed, you can use the "E"
command again to modify it. When editing, if you just hit Return
to answer any question (without entering any information), the
current info for that question will not be changed.
You can also edit a specific part of a block without having
to answer all the questions by using any of these commands:
"C" - Edit block owner
"D" - Edit block defense level
"P" - Edit building percentages
"F" - Edit F/R/M flags
SUGGESTIONS
If you are looking around for a block to perform a specific
action on, the IAC! Utility can help you out. Built into the
program are several commands that suggest possible blocks to use.
These commands are all used by holding down on the control key
while pressing the required letter. To remind you of this they
are designated with a caret, for example, "^F".
ROBBERY: To suggest a block to rob, use the "^R" command.
The Utility will look for any block with a low defense level that
contains office or financial buildings. It won't suggest any
blocks more than 25 away from any block you own, or that you have
noted with the R flag as having recently robbed.
By the way, before any of these commands you may be asked
what gang you are. This is because the program has to know where
your blocks are located so it won't suggest blocks farther than
25 away from your turf. Enter the NUMBER of your gang and hit
Return. The Utility won't ask you this if you've previously
entered it, and it can be changed at any time with the "I" com-
mand.
ARSON: You can find a block to firebomb by using the "^F"
command. Blocks suggested will always have industrial, ware-
house, religious, school, or police buildings, and will have a
defense level of 4 or less. They will also be within 25 blocks
of your turf and mustn't have an F flag turned on.
Note: You get money from bombing warehouses and industrial
buildings, and notoriety for the others mentioned above. The
larger percentage of block you can use, the better, but make sure
you have enough bombs!
Note also that it isn't easy to find a police block with a
defense level less than Invulnerable, but it can be done! Figur-
ing out how to accomplish this feat (and what to do with it when
you have) is one of the more interesting side attractions of this
game.
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MUGGING: Blocks that the Utility will suggest for muggings
(when you use the "^G" command) contain restaurants, entertain-
ment, retail, or apartments, and have a low defense level. As
you might expect, they also won't be selected if they are too far
away or have been recently mugged. You never get much from a
mugging, but it's good for gang promotions.
CONTROL: The IAC! Utility is capable of suggesting blocks
for you to control whenever you press "^C". These will always be
adjacent to one of your blocks, but there is no defense level
requirement, plus they can be owned by anyone.
AMBUSH: If you use the "^A" command, the Utility will look
for a block controlled by a gang you specify (it will actually
ask you which gang to ambush, and you can get a list of known
gangs by entering a "?"). If there is no such block within 25
blocks of your turf, the suggest command will fail. Defense
levels have no effect on which block is selected.
NICE: The Utility can choose blocks to be nice to if you
use the "^N" command. These will always be blocks you own and
will contain either firebombable or robbable buildings. They
will always have a high defense level (at least 6) to make being
nice worthwhile. If you ever manage to control a police block
(which is possible, by the way), these may also be selected.
The Utility does not keep track of which game week you are
currently on, as this has very little effect on play. Be aware,
however, that Nice orders (and certain others) do not work before
week 5 or after Boss Level has started.
Note that the IAC! Utility does not attempt to suggest the
BEST block, only an ACCEPTABLE block to use with the above or-
ders. Thus, some of your own judgment will be required. For
example, you will get more money by firebombing a larger percent-
age of buildings, so if it suggests several blocks, you should
pick the one with the larger percentage of industrial or ware-
houses on it.
The IAC! Utility knows only the basic parameters of block
percentages and defense levels, and cannot know other attributes
of the database used by IAC!. Thus, on occasion an order will
fail on a block this program suggests. The author takes no
responsibility for such failures. Determining which of the
suggested blocks to use, and why, is YOUR decision.
OTHER COMMANDS
The following miscellaneous commands are also available:
GANG STATS: You can enter the statistics for your gang
(amount of pros, punks, 'cruits, shotguns, submachine guns, small
bombs, streetdope, walkie-talkies, and morale) using the "S"
command. After entering the correct stats, the program tells you
your total gang strength, calculated as the attack factors of all
men and weapons added together. (Walkie-talkies are special
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items not available until around game week 15.)
Note that while asking you these questions, you will see a
number in brackets, such as [0]. This is the "default value" for
that statistic and indicates its current value. If you just hit
Return without entering a new value, this amount will not be
changed (the old value, between the brackets, will be retained).
IDENTIFY YOURSELF: This command, "I", is used to let the
computer know which gang you are playing. Type the NUMBER of
your gang, not the name! This information is required for var-
ious actions such as block suggestion commands. Normally you
will only have to tell the computer who you are one time (the
first time you run the IAC! Utility), unless you are starting a
new game, or are playing more than one gang in the same game and
switching between them. In this latter case, be sure to change
your gang stats as well before trying to create a Turn Card.
After you enter your gang number, you will be shown a page
of statistics on your gang. This includes the normal statistics
entered with the "S" command, as well as a breakdown of your gang
strength, the last gang you were suggested to ambush, how many
blocks you own, your total block income and gang expenses, and
how many blocks are entered in the computer's memory. Be sure to
check these stats, especially the number of blocks and block
income, as they are a handy way of locating errors in your data
entry, as well as turf changes that occurred between turns.
You might notice that on this page the Gang Expenses may not
match the similar stat shown on your Results Sheet. This is
because on the Results Sheet, the amount is calculated BEFORE the
gang promotions have been added in. The number the computer
calculates is the amount from AFTER the promotions.
Note that there are a maximum number of blocks that your
computer can have in memory. If you try to add more blocks, you
will not be allowed to do so, and commands such as "E" will fail.
This is not likely to happen unless you control a LOT of gangs,
so it isn't something you should have to worry about.
NAME GANG: If you've met another gang recently, you can
enter its name using the "N" command. If you ever attempt to
perform an action on another gang (such as find a block to am-
bush) that doesn't have a name yet, this same command will be
executed automatically so no confusion results.
You can also use this command to change a gang's name if
you've mis-entered it, or if the gang splits and you wish to name
each one separately (such as Bad Guys #1 and Bad Guys #2). The
"N" command also works equally well with Mob Boss names.
While being asked for the gang name to change, you may enter
a ? to see a list of all the gang names entered so far. This
will help you find the correct gang. This list may cover several
screen pages, so press any key when asked to do so until you have
returned to the gang name entry line.
SAVE DATA: To force the Utility to save all changes you've
made so far, use the "V" command. This writes the new files to
disk. Use this command if you want to be absolutely sure you
don't lose a lot of changes by accidentally hitting Control-Break
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or turning the computer off. It's also useful if you're working
on your computer during a thunderstorm....
ERASE BLOCK: You can erase the information in any block by
using the "X" command. This will completely blank out the cur-
rent block shown in the center of the screen. BE SURE you are
looking at the correct block or you'll have to retype all the
information in again.
SET HOME BLOCK: The "Y" command will identify the current
block as your "home" block. All this means is that when you
start the IAC! Utility, this will be the block you see first.
ERASE MAP: To completely erase the entire map, use the "^Z"
(Zap) command. This will delete all block information, but won't
affect the gang names or gang stats you may have previously
entered, nor will it affect your current turn card. It has the
same effect as deleting the MAP.IAC file for your game.
BLOCK BORDERS: To set a border around a block, use the "B"
command followed by the direction to place the border. If you do
this, a thick line will appear in that direction from the current
block. This is commonly used to easily show the edge of your
turf, or to identify police blocks.
Blocks with an Invulnerable defense level (11) are automati-
cally surrounded by borders after editing is complete. Addition-
ally, a block on the edge of the city automatically gets a border
in the appropriate direction. However, placing and updating your
turf borders are your responsibility!
NOTE MOB BUSINESS: The IAC Utility does not (as yet) per-
form Mob Boss functions, but it does have the ability to note the
positions of mob businesses. To do this, press the "*" key.
This toggles the mob business flag on or off for the current
block. The flag appears as a "*" on the map, indicating that
there is a business there. The presence of this flag does not
affect block suggestions or any other action, although as a
player you should be wary of performing any actions there as they
may have a reduced chance of success.
ZOOM MODE: When you press "Z", your "helicopter" rises
higher into the sky, and you get a long-range view of the city
from farther away. When in zoom mode, you see an 11x11 map
instead of a 5x5 one. Obviously, at this range you can't see the
intricate details of each block, so only the owner, defense
levels, and mob businesses are displayed. You can still move
around in zoom mode or do anything else you normally could in the
regular mode. Use "Z" again to return to the normal 5x5 view.
MOVE BLOCK: The "M" command is used when you wish to move a
given block to another location. Typically, when you start a new
game, your initial block and surrounding 4 blocks will be relo-
cated by Adventures By Mail, so that they can adequately fill up
the city with gangs. Thus, when you get back your first Results
Sheet, you may have to move your initial blocks.
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To do this, simply go to the block you wish to move and use
the "M" command. You will be asked where you want to relocate
the block, so type in the new location. The block will be in-
stantly moved (in its entirety) to that spot, retaining all its
borders, flags, and other attributes. In addition, if another
block is already at that location, it will trade places with the
other one, effectively swapping block positions.
QUITTING THE PROGRAM: Use the "Q" command when you are done
with the IAC! Utility. After you confirm that this is really
what you want to do, all your changes (if any) will be saved on
disk for later use. If you don't want these changes saved, hit
Control-Break instead of using "Q".
THE TURN CARD
Now it's time to learn how to use the second major feature
of the IAC! Utility, the Turn Card Editor (TCE). The "T" command
gets you into the Editor, from which you are able to fill out a
normal IAC! turn card, but with a few advantages over the paper
version.
Note: If you try to enter the Editor without having previ-
ously used the "S" Gang Stats command, that command will be
automatically executed beforehand. Fill in the required data as
requested, and the TCE will then appear. Accurate entry of these
values is essential to the TCE's accuracy, as you will see.
The Turn Card Editor shows 10 orders at the top of the
screen (these will be blank on a new turn card) and asks you
which one you wish to edit. To modify a given order, press the
number of that order (note that order #10 is accessed by pressing
the "0" key).
You will then be asked for the order type. Press the single
letter of that order, such as "A" for Ambush, "B" for Buy, etc.
The TCE will then proceed to the next question, unless you
pressed an illegal key, in which case it will abort and go back
to asking you which order you wish to edit.
Now, depending on which order you entered above, the TCE
will ask up to three additional questions, enabling you to fill
in the rest of the order parameters as described in the It's A
Crime! Rulebook. These questions are explained below.
BLOCK NUMBER: Many orders, such a Rob and Firebomb, require
a block number. Enter the block number you've decided to use,
"?" for a suggestion, or "*" for the current block (your location
on the map before you entered the TCE). Hit Return after enter-
ing either of these options. Note that the suggestion order
works exactly like the appropriate command does at the map. For
example, if you're entering a Control order and type "?", it
works just like the "^C" command does.
After you enter a block number or get a suggestion, it will
appear on the screen next to the appropriate order, and a de-
scription of that block will appear. At this point the Turn Card
is waiting for you to confirm this choice, so press Return again
to accept it, or try a different block. The Editor will not
proceed from this point until you press Return by itself.
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%GANG: A good number of orders require a %Gang as described
in the IAC! Rulebook. As with the block number, you can directly
enter a value here or use "?" for a suggestion. Again, the TCE
will wait until you press Return on a line by itself before
moving to the next question.
Sometimes the suggested value will not meet your specifica-
tions. In this case, you can enter "+" to increment the %Gang
parameter to the next value which adds a new pro, punk, or
'cruit. Occasionally, it is wise to do this once or twice to
send extra 'cruits or punks as "padding" in case you get caught
(but not always!). Note that because of the suggestion and
increment feature, you should never have to look at a %Gang chart
again!
BUILDING NUMBER: This question is asked for Rob and Fire-
bomb orders, and requests a building to "hit." If you just press
Return, enter an illegal number, or the block has no building
information entered, a "1" is assumed. The building type you
enter will be highlighted for easy reference.
OTHER QUESTIONS: The Editor may also ask you for an amount
of money to spend, a gang number to spy on or defend against, or
similar things. Answer these questions with your best judgment;
there is no suggestion capability here.
If you are being asked for a gang number (such as in the Spy
or Defend order types), you can use ? to get a list of previously
entered gang names. This works exactly as the ? query does when
changing a gang name with the "N" command.
Notice that in the middle of the screen there is a list of
the current amount of your gang's people and items remaining
unused. As you enter orders on the turn card, this will decrease
appropriately. The number of men and guns you send on any order
will be displayed to the right of that order, along with any
other relevant comments.
Items you Buy as an order on the turn card are NOT added to
your gang's statistics. This intentionally pessimistic attitude
is meant as a warning to you: if you utilize items you assume
you are going to acquire, you are taking a risk that you won't
get them as you expect to. For example, if you Buy drugs and
then try to Push them later, you are taking the chance that your
Buy order will fail (for whatever reason), and then the Push
order will fail as a result. Because of this possibility, the
Turn Card Editor will not show the drugs you bought being Pushed.
You can edit any of the orders you've previously entered.
Simply choose the appropriate order number and make the changes
you need. Pressing Return at any question will leave the exist-
ing value unchanged. Note that you can enter orders in any
order; you don't have to start from number 1. Many players put
an "E 99" as their last order; this might be the first thing you
enter, so you won't forget to do it!
Street actions, with the W, X, and Y orders, sometimes
require different parameters than the Editor will ask. This is
because it is impossible to prepare for all the different actions
9
you might receive as part of IAC! In these situations use your
best judgment.
Block scouting is implemented in a very simple way in the
TCE. Simply type "S" when asked for an order number, and then
type in the scouting slot (there are eight such slots, as shown
on the IAC turn card). Then enter the block to be scouted (or
"*" for your current location on the map before you entered the
TCE); the block information will be shown on the screen to verify
that you entered the correct number. No suggestion feature is
implemented here; only YOU can know what blocks are best for you
to scout. This limited function is intended only as a handy way
for you to record the blocks you scouted along with the rest of
your turn card for the current game week.
When you're done with your turn card, you should copy it
onto the IAC! official card and mail it in. I suggest that you
also use the Shift-PrtSc key combination to dump the turn card to
your printer, just to be sure the Adventures by Mail people don't
mis-enter any of your moves. (This is very rare, but it can
happen.) Alternately, after you quit the program, this turn card
will be saved in the appropriate CARD file, which you could then
copy elsewhere as an archive.
To clear the Turn Card, use "Z" when you are being asked to
select an order to edit. This is known as "zapping" your turn
card. It does not clear your gang statistics.
To exit the Turn Card Editor, press "Q" when you are being
asked to choose an order. This will return you to the normal map
"helicopter" view.
CONCLUSION
You now know everything you need to use the IAC! Utility.
This program is Shareware, so if you enjoy using it, send $12 (10
pounds in the U.K.) to the following address:
LZ Software, Inc.
Bruce H. Graw
1003 Courtney Drive, Suite C
Dayton, OH 45431
Your payment will make you eligible to receive any later
upgrades or additional software, such as a possible Boss Level
Utility, or similar products. If you have any suggestions or
comments, or discover any errors, let me know by mail.
The IAC! Utility Version 1.5 was completed in August 1989.
10
