DP Tool Club 15/CD_ASCQ_15_070894.iso/vrac/uabg21.zip/SYSOP.DOC

Text File | 1994-06-07 | 26KB | 502 lines

                                                                      -<1>-








             UltraSoft Animated BackGammon Version 2.1 Documentation
                          Written by Steve Hansen

                    Copyright(C) UltraSoft 1993,1994
                          Software Division of
                          UltraSystems Hawaii

                          5070 Likini St.
                          Suite 1209
                          Honolulu, HI 96818

                          UltraSoft Product Support BBS - Hawaii
                          [phone]   1200bps - 19200bps
                          [phone]   1200bps - 19200bps
                          Sysops: Steve Hansen - Alice Hansen

                          UltraSoft Eastern Distribution/Support Center
                          Middle River Exchange BBS
                          Sysop Billy D. Howell Jr
                          [phone]

                          Dan's Place BBS - Wahiawa, HI,  also
                          features UltraSoft Doors and Products
                          [phone]

                          UltraSoft Products are also distributed on:
                          ───────────────────────────────────────────
                          Mustang Software Inc. BBS - Fresno, CA
                          Home of QModem and WildCat Comm Software
                          [phone]

                          Salt Air BBS - Salt Lake City, Utah
                          Home of PCBoard BBS Software
                          [phone]

                          Public Brand Software BBS - Indianapolis, IN
                          [phone]

                          Rusty & Edie's BBS - Youngstown, OH
                          [phone]

                          Most UltraSoft programs can also be found on:
                          ,/ CompuServe
                          ,/ GEnie
                          ,/ Prodigy
                          ,/ and ZiffNet

                          UltraSoft CompuServe ID: 75120,2506
                          UltraSoft GEnie ID: A.Hansen2








                                                                      -<2>-

Introduction
────────────

║ NOTE: This version (v2.1), is a complete rewrite of previous versions, and
║ is not compatible. Please install from the beginning. With this Release, an
║ extensive INSTALL utility has been included. Simply decompress this archive
║ into a work directory or onto a floppy, move into it, and type INSTALL. If
║ manual installation is preferred, please see notes below.
╙───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Welcome to Animated BackGammon, one of the series of Animated Graphics Door
Games for BBS Systems, produced by UltraSoft. This Door Game operates in
ANSI graphics mode only. Non-ANSI callers are given a choice of changing
their graphics mode (if possible) or otherwise are restricted from playing.
This is due to the extensive animation and ANSI position controls involved,
which would not be at all feasible in a Text Mode situation. We find that
the volume of Text Mode (non-graphics) callers is diminishing rapidly as
computers become more and more enhanced and less expensive in any case.

If you are a Registered User of Animated BackGammon and this is a new release,
you need only decompress and install this archive into a subdirectory and copy
in key files from your previous operating Game. These Key Files include:
PLAYER.BGN, UABG.SYS, THE BLT'S AND BLTG'S, and the .LMO files to retain
existing scores and rankings. If you are a registered User, you will receive
a file called UABG.SYS which will open up the full registered game for you.
With registration, you will also receive some valuable utilities for use with
this and other games. Please refer to the documentation contained in those
packages, for instructions on their use.

UltraSoft Animated BackGammon (UABG) is a unique graphics version of the old
popular BackGammon game, although we have found many non-backgammon players
have tended to become backgammon players due to an interesting and
entertaining new way of presenting the game. UABG has proven itself to be
among the most popular games featured at our Hawaii support BBS. In addition
to full animation, UABG introduces extensive online sound effects. It not only
features Animation and sound but has a complete set of instructions for the
basic BackGammon game as well as the DOOR, available to your callers from
inside the game. We have been told the game graphics and animation unsurpassed
in any door games of this kind. Some have compared the graphic artwork to RIP
Graphics, but they are still fast ANSI and not bit-graphics in any form.

If you are the White Player, your Inner Table or Home Court is in your lower
right corner, and you move your pieces Counter-Clockwise. If you are the Black
Player, then your Inner table is on your lower left, and you move your pieces
Clockwise. UABG gets completely away from the older method of moving in DOOR
Games using coordinate selection of pieces for movement. (i.e. A5-D8 etc.) In
the case of UABG, a flashing cursor picks up each piece and drops it where you
tell it too. (If you choose a legal move that is. If not, the game will let
you know in no uncertain terms <grin>).. The Game View and the Players turn
are shown in the upper right corner of each game screen.

UABG features Board Flipping, so a player can view the game from the other
player's perspective. It features Animated Last Move viewing, where a player
can watch the moves that his/her opponent made last, in action. UABG also has
a messaging system within the game, allowing players to converse with each
other in one liner comments, and the O>ld Message command views up to the last
4 messages left, prior to the current one, for reference. Posted Messages
continue to be presented until a response is posted, or, they are erased by
either player entering a blank message.





                                                                      -<3>-

Players can completely Undo their moves as well, using the Undo command. This
eliminates the all current moves entirely and restarts the game where you
were when you began your current turn. The only exception, for obvious reasons
the Dice Roll is retained. Plays cannot be undone, once a game has been saved.
Only while a turn is in progress.

When a player (V)iews the active Game List, his active games are highlighted
for easier locating, and games which are waiting for another player, are also
highlighted, but in a different color.

Games will be deleted via the MAINTAIN.EXE program, normally run as an event
on a weekly basis. MAINTAIN.EXE would be run from you Event .BAT file by
first changing to the directory where the games are and then running MAINTAIN.
The MAINTAIN.CFG file controls this activity as noted inside the file.
Basically it deletes abandoned games, after the amount of days have passed,
as programmed in the MAINTAIN.CFG file, charging the player who abandoned the
game with a loss in the Player Scores file. Abandoned games do not credit any
Winners, only the Loser, or the player who bailed out, with a loss.

MAINTAIN.EXE also deletes games that have ended, also in the number of days
programmed by the Sysop in MAINTAIN.CFG. See notes inside MAINTAIN.EXE..

Getting Started
-----------------
The best way to truly appreciate the game is to install it and run it yourself.
This can be done quite easily, as you will see from the following comments.
However, if you'd like to get an Animated BackGammon Demonstration run right
now, Just make sure all files in the distribution package are accessable to
the program in a single subdirectory, and type:  UABG /L  to run it in Local
Mode. The [ /L] command line parameter detaches the program from any BBS,
making it a "Home Game" in effect, or running it completely in LOCAL Mode.

Disclaimer
-----------
UltraSoft Animated BackGammon has been extensively tested, and should provide
no possibility of harm to your system in any way. However, no warranties,
either expressed or implied are provided with this software and one must run
it purely at his/her own risk, without liability to UltraSoft or to the author.

Compatibility overview
------------------------
UABG is currently capable of being operated on any BBS System that uses a
DOOR.SYS or a DORINFOX.DEF door interface file. This includes:
GAP/PCBoard/RoboBoard/WildCat/RBBS/QuickBBS/Random Access and many others,
not to exclude other BBS Software that will run doors for the above. In some
cases, a conversion utility such as QKDoor.EXE or DoorFrame might be needed
to convert, preferably to DOOR.SYS but also to DORINFOX.DEF.  DOOR.SYS
provides much more caller information to the DOOR Program and is preferred.

Animated BackGammon may also be run at any Baud Rate up to 115,200bps and is
compatible with COM1 through COM4 with release 1.6+. Previous versions were
compatible with only COM1 and COM2 due to these limitations of the Compiler.
Animated BackGammon is Multi-Node aware, and has been tested successfully with
and without DesqView. Standard IRQ's are IRQ4 for COM1 and COM3 and IRQ3 for
COM2 and COM4. Use with non-standard IRQ arrangements is now fully featured
in version 2.1, and has been extensively tested. One may set a port up for a
non-standard IRQ, by using the INSTALL.EXE install program for Node 1 and
duplicating and modifying the resultant .CFG file for additional nodes, or
it may be done manually, by defining your non-standard IRQ for each Node, in
the applicable UABGx.CFG file, line 5. Feedback from or any other unique
system configuration is welcomed.



                                                                      -<5>-

 Running with DesqView
------------------------
Animated BackGammon has been tested with QuarterDeck's DesqView Multi-Tasker.
The only consideration necessary for this mode of operation is to activate the
ANSI driver from QuarterDeck, prior to calling the game, IF it is not already
active for your BBS. In this case, place the line  C:\DV\DVANSI.COM  as the
first line in your batch file which calls the game. (i.e. UABG.BAT)  MSDOS's
ANSI.SYS is ignored by DesqView and is replaced when necessary by DVANSI.COM,
a TSR. UltraSoft BackGammon requires ANSI support on both ends of the phone
line, to run properly.

One additional factor to consider: Normally if running DesqView, you should
define the window that is running your BBS, (and this game as a Door), to
optimize communications. Otherwise, some low memory locations are zeroed out
and some programs (including UltraSoft Games), may not recognize the COM ports.

A note of considerable importance when running DesqView: When you Enable
Communications, and/or Optimize Communications when running DesqView, you are
"Allowing" Communications to be run within the DesqView environment. When you
do not allow Communications, you are telling DesqView, I do not need COM Ports
and you can disable them. In effect, that is just what DV does, it zeroes out
KEY Communications Pointers in low memory, and saves you a few bytes. Why?
Because you told it to, by saying "I do not use communications". Now some BBS
Software gets around this with it's own Assembly Language routines, basically
skirting the issue, but not all, and not all DOORS do either. So why mislead
DV. If you are running Communications, tell it you are! Optimize Comm and set
up your BBS window to Uses Serial Ports, because with a BBS or a Door, you do.
Otherwise, sooner or later you will have problems, and perhaps never know why.
Several of our Support issue questions with previous games, and with even
non-UltraSoft Games are precisely as discussed herein.

There are two utilities included in this package that address this area..
They are called TESTCOM.EXE and SETCOM.EXE. These utilities simply test the
low memory area for the appropriate pointers, (TESTCOM.EXE) and set them to
the Standards (SETCOM.EXE) if they are not the way DOS expects them to be.
So if you are having problems with an UltraSoft Game or any other, and suspect
COM Port problems, run TESTCOM. Assuming 4 COM Ports, The results should be:

0000:0400 | F8 | 03 | F8 | 02 | E8 | 03 | E8 | 02 |
             COM1      COM2      COM3      COM4

Another helpful comment that has come from our Support BBS problem calls.
Never, never never, have COM Ports programmed out of sequence! If you have
2 COM Ports, they should be COM1 and COM2, Not COM1 and COM3. If you have
3, they should be set up as COM1, COM2, COM3. (Never leave holes). If you do,
big problems will eventually result. Honest!

Running with Windows, IBM OS/2 or a Fossil
------------------------------------------
Animated BackGammon has been tested only briefly running on a BBS under
MicroSoft Windows or IBM OS/2.. We think it will be fine, but feedback is
definitely welcomed.

Though UltraSoft Doors use purely their own internal Communications Routines,
many installations are running well with Fossil drivers and without any
complications at all. They do not rely on Fossil routines in any way, and are
not written "to" a Fossil, but seem to function very well with them. X00
seems to be the most common Fossil Driver in use to our limited knowledge.






                                                                      -<6>-

Note:
-----------
UltraSoft Animated BackGammon contains a Maintenance Utility (MAINTAIN.EXE)
to be run in a weekly event.  Pick a day.. Any day.. There is also a Config
file associated with MAINTAIN.EXE called MAINTAIN.CFG. This must be set up
prior to running the maintenance program. Line values and usage are explained
inside that file.

As a safety measure against corrupted files, the program backs up it's Player
Files each time a caller enters the Door. As such, if for any reason you lose
an active player file,  a backup will exist in the operating directory, with
the three letters of the extention being BKU.. (PLAYER.BKU) BUT, it will be
overwritten with the active file as soon as another player enters the game.
We recommend also backing up these files during a nightly BBS Event process.

If there are any unforseen complications with the use of this door game, in
any configuration, we would appreciate hearing about it. Please notify the
author(s) at one of the locations shown at the beginning of this document.

Installation
---------------
We have attempted to keep simplicity at the forefront in designing UltraSoft
Games. We hope installation is among the simplest you have ever encountered.

As such, with Release v2.1, a full Install Utility is included with your
ShareWare package and is by far the simplist method of installation. Once your
archive is decompressed, simply type INSTALL from inside the directory or
from the floppy diskette where the program files are, and follow the prompts.
This will create a basic installation for Node 1 on most systems without
complication. In some cases, additional editing may be necessary.. For
additional Nodes simply duplicate the .CFG and .BAT files, modifying them
as necessary and placing them in appropriate directories for your other Nodes.

To Manually install, if necessary:
----------------------------------
STEP 1: Create a directory where the Door Game will reside.
i.e.   C:\BBS\DOORS\UABG

STEP 2: Expand all of the files in the distribution package into the new
Directory.

STEP 3: Create a BAT file to call the Game from your BBS System. This
normally will reside in your BBS default directory.
i.e.   C:\BBS\UABG.BAT

STEP 4: Edit the existing UABG.CFG file to indicate your operational
preferences as shown below.

STEP 5: Enjoy the game and feel free to offer suggestions for future
enhancement releases.

NOTE: Be aware that the Heading File called HELLO.IMG is required to run.
This is the Title Screen for beginning the Game, and thus must be there.

The HELLO2.IMG file, however, is optional. It can be replaced by any ANSI
or ASCII screen you like, or can be eliminated completely.. If it is not
there, the game will simply skip over it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UABG.BAT file should contain lines very similar to the following.







                                                                      -<7>-

==UABG.BAT==================================================================
@ECHO OFF         <-- If you do not wish to see the BAT activity in progress
CD \BBS\DOORS\UABG<-- Or wherever this Door Game resides
UABG UABG.CFG     <-- Run it (can be assigned another CFG file as a parameter)
CD\BBS            <-- When done return to BBS Default Directory
BBS               <-- Re-Call the BBS System, if necessary
===========================================================================

Many variations to this may be included, for example:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are installing the Registered version of Animated BackGammon, you
received a Name Conversion utility to change the name SYSOP to your own
name, as you enter the Door, to allow you to enter and play the game as
you, rather than as SYSOP, without having to sign back in to the BBS to
play as yourself.. This utility is called DSA.EXE, (If running DOOR.SYS)
and DIA.EXE (If running DORINFOX.DEF). If using one of these utilities,
simply include it as the first line in your BAT file.

If you are installing the Registered version of Animated BackGammon, you may
have also received an activity tracking utility, which creates attractive User
Graphs for Sysop analysis and/or for Bulletin purposes. The line which
activates these Utilities should also be installed prior to the first line of
the BAT file, as shown above. Please see additional DOC files within each of
these packages..

UltraSoft Animated BackGammon creates User Bulletins as well, called:

BLTG.        - for the ANSI graphics Bulletin
BLT.         - for the ASCII Bulletin
UABGTURN.DUE - A reminder News File showing whose turn it is in each current
               game, for display to callers.

Normally these would be copied to wherever you like, after execution of the
game. For example:

==UABG.BAT=================================================================
CD\BBS\DOORS\UABG
UABG
copy bltg. C:\BBS\GEN\BLT15G.   <--copy bltg. to your chosen ANSI Bulletin
                                   or to a News File.
copy blt. C:\BBS\GEN\BLT15.     <--copy blt.  to your chosen ASCII Bulletin
                                   or to a News File
copy UABGTURN.DUE C:BBS\GEN\NEWS1G. <--copy UABGTurn.due to any News File for
copy UABGTURN.DUE C:BBS\GEN\NEWS1.     display. There is only ANSI but it
CD\BBS                                 has minimal escape codes and works.
BBS
============================================================================

In this case, these lines should be inserted in the BAT file just after the
line UABG, as shown above.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A configuration file is used in Animated BackGammon, to be called UABG.CFG.
Additional configuration files may be used instead, if called as a parameter
from the UABG command line in your UABG.BAT file.

i.e. UABG OTHER.CFG  <--Name of your other .CFG file..
     UABG UABG2.CFG  <--Yet another example for a Node 2

A Sample UABG.CFG is included with your package for reference.




                                                                      -<8>-

The format of this file is internally notated and appears as follows:

=UABG.CFG==================================================================
C:\BBS\DOOR.SYS    (Optionally C:\BBS\DORINFOx.DEF)
3
20
1
        <-  Line 6 entry, Node IRQ, or blank for Standard IRQ's
        <-  Line 7 entry, Optimize, Low Memory or blank for no Optimizing
=============================* DETAILS *===================================
** LINES 1-4 MUST BE FILLED IN. LINES 5-6 MUST BE USED OR BE LEFT BLANK  **
** PLEASE LEAVE THESE EXPLANATIONS IN THE FILE AND ALTER THE LINES ABOVE **
** IF USING MULTINODE, WITH MORE THAN ONE .CFG FILE, JUST COPY THIS ONE  **
===========================================================================
Line 1 = Path to DOOR User Interface File
Line 2 = Number of UABG Games allowed at one time
Line 3 = Minutes allowed each Session
Line 4 = Number of Operating Nodes on your BBS System (1 if Single Node)
===========================================================================
    ** LINES 5 & 6 ARE CRITICAL AND SHOULD BE SET UP VERY CAREFULLY    **
    ** IF EITHER LINE IS LEFT BLANK, THE STANDARD WILL BE SUBSTITUTED  **
===========================================================================
Line 5 = IRQ for this Node. (If STANDARD then COM1 & 3 = 4, COM2 & 4 = 3)
         Otherwise assign your Non-Standard IRQ for this COM Port. If you
         don't know, leave blank and the STANDARD will be used.
Line 6 = Optimize COM Port?  Y or N. In some cases Multi-Taskers such as
         DesqView zero out low memory address locations used as COM pointers
         for programs, rendering some COM Ports unusable for many programs.
         In the case of DesqView, your Nodes should be set up for "USES COM
         PORTS" in the BBS Node SetUp window. But if this Program does not
         seem to work with this assigned COM Port, this could be the problem
         and you should try entering a Y in line 7 to optimize low memory.
         Also, DesqView should be set up for Optimize Communications. See
         problem notes above..
==========================================================================

UltraSoft Animated BackGammon can be run LOCALLY in one of two ways. Either
use the /L command line parameter mentioned above, or if installed on a BBS
System, make sure the appropriate Door Interface File (DOOR.SYS or
DORINFO1.DEF) in the location shown in line 1 of the UABG.CFG, file is
created or edited to indicate COM0 (LOCAL) as the caller's comm port. UABG
also responds to any alternate .CFG file you choose, by including the name of
the .CFG file on the command line as a parameter.  i.e.  UABG OTHER.CFG.
Obviously, that .CFG file must exist, and if it is in some other directory,
the path must be included in the parameter. (UABG C:\BBS\OTHERDIR\OTHER.CFG).

REGISTRATION
---------------
For continued development of the wide variety of UltraSoft products,
including this one, please register within a period of 30 days after
installation and testing. This will entitle you to all future version
updates as a Registered Licensee. You then must only retain your
UABG.SYS file and either order the product directly from UltraSoft at
nominal cost of $6.00 for Media, Shipping and Handling or simply download
the newer shareware version from your favorite BBS, copying in your
Registered UABG.SYS file into the UABG subdirectory. This file CANNOT be
edited/altered in any way, without adverse effect to the game.

The Unregistered version of Animated BackGammon has some restrictions. We
regret that this is necessary, but for further development of this and many
other UltraSoft products, Registration revenues must be realized. We are in



                                                                      -<9>-

business to produce entertaining games and other software for you to enjoy,
and to enhance your BBS for your callers. If you work for an employer, you
expect to get paid for your time and efforts. We expect nothing more. Payment
is necessary to be able to continue this kind of software production. Earlier
versions of our variety of products which were unrestricted, sadly proved that
unrestricted products are not often registered by the public, where restricted
products are. We wish this were not the case, but this product in particular
has undergone many enhancements in its creation and in Beta Test, and the time
involved in initial design and subsequent enhancement amounts to MAJOR effort.
So if it is of benefit to you, use it with a clear conscious by Registering
within 30 days. We thank you and they thank you.

In the unRegistered version, there is a maximum number of 1 game that can
be run by any caller at one time, much like some other fine BBS games.

Registration makes this unlimited and completely under control of the Licensed
Sysop. It also credits the Sysop with his/her name posted on the Primary Game
Screen and on initial caller entry into the game.

Since this is a complete re-write, WHATS.NEW (a listing of revisions) is
obviously not included in this release.

There is another archive enclosed, which contains ANSI and ASCII artwork
that can be used as News Files or Bulletins to make your callers more aware
of the existance of UltraSoft Animated BackGammon among your Door Games.

We welcome all calls to our UltraSoft Support BBS with questions, suggestions,
or even <accckkk!> complaints..

     Once again,
     If you haven't already done so,              Aloha!
     Please Register, and Enjoy!                  Steve Hansen
                                                  UltraSoft - Hawaii