Shareware Grab Bag/Shareware Grab Bag.iso/009/zt18.arc/ZT18.DOC

Text File | 1986-09-29 | 12KB | 219 lines

                                ZorkTools 1.8

        ZorkTools is a collection of utility programs which provide
          capabilities not normally available for INFOCOM games.
              These capabilities greatly enhance game play.

System Requirements:

        IBM PC, XT, Jr, AT, and some other PC Compatables.
        Color, Monochrome, or Both Displays.
        PC-DOS 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.1, 3.0 or Compatable.

        Minimum Memory (depending on menu option selected):

                ICP     22k     free space above DOS
                IGC     35k     free space above DOS
                IGL     65-128k free space above DOS depending on extensions
                                  loaded.
                IIC     65-128k free space above DOS depending on extensions
                                  loaded. (standard to converted)
                        37k     free space above DOS depending on extensions
                                  loaded. (converted > standard)
                IPP     22k     free space above DOS
                IUP     22k     free space above DOS
                IVD     65k - 128k      free space above DOS depending on
                                        extension loaded.

        Drives (depending on menu option selected):

                ICP     floppy drive A and drive B
                IGC     floppy drive A and any other drive supported by DOS
                IGL     floppy drive A (standard game)
                        Any drive supported by DOS (converted game)
                IIC     floppy drive A and any other drive supported by DOS
                IPP     floppy drive A
                IUP     floppy drive A and drive B
                IVD     floppy drive A (standard game)
                        Any drive supported by DOS (converted game)

1.      ICP - Infocom Copy Program

    ICP allows you to copy any INFOCOM game disk from drive A to drive B.  ICP
no longer requires the target disk to be formatted before the copy is made.
ICP will use all available memory for the copy.  A copy generaly takes about
26 seconds on a system with 160k free memory.  The copy results in a Standard
copy of the game which IS NOT diskcopy-able.  Unlike the one-time backup
facility provided by INFOCOM in there games, ICP can make multiple backup
copies of any INFOCOM game disk.

2.      IGC - Infocom Game Converter

    IGC is a program designed to convert a Standard INFOCOM game to a
Converted INFOCOM game.  The Converted INFOCOM game is stored in the form of a
DOS file.  This DOS file can then be stored on ANY type of drive including
Ram-drive & Hard-disk.  To execute a Converted INFOCOM game simply selected
IGL from ZorkTools Menu.

3.      IGL - Infocom Game Loader

    IGL will load any INFOCOM game (Standard, Unprotected, or Converted) from
disk.  Once in memory, the game will be modified to allow it to run under DOS.
When the modifications are complete, the game will be started.  Once the game
has booted up it should work just as it does standalone (without DOS).  To
return to ZorkTools simply exit the game as always (use "quit" command) or
press Ctrl-Break.

    A new feature has been added to IGL.  This feature is called ZORKEDIT.
The editting capabilities provide by INFOCOM for their games leaves a lot to
be desired.  ZORKEDIT makes DOS' editting capabilities available to any
INFOCOM game.  Normally, DOS' editting capabilities are pretty limited, but if
you use PC-DOS with DOSEDIT you will have DOSEDIT's extended editting
capabilities.  These capabilities will be available to you while you play the
game.  (I highly suggest that you use DOSEDIT, if possible.  With it you can
INSERT, DELETE, LEFT, RIGHT, HOME, END, BACKSPACING, COMMAND STACKING, ....
and more thats just not available while playing any of the INFOCOM games.  Try
it...  you'll like it !!!!!)

4.      IIC - Infocom Image Converter

    IIC allows you to convert any INFOCOM game images produces by a Standard
game to a form (DOS file) usable by a Converted game.  IIC also supports the
reverse operation, converting a Converted game image back to a Standard image.

5.      IPP - Infocom Protection Program

    IPP will modify the FAT tables of an INFOCOM game disk so that the sectors
which are used by the game will be protected from DOS.  (This means that you
will not be able to "erase" the game or "copy" another program on top of it.
WARNING!!  - This protection scheme does not prevent "diskcopy" or "format"
from working.) Once the game has been protected from DOS you can store files
on portions of the disk not being used by the game.  (Most game disk leave
about 40K bytes FREE.) If you use the CATDISK Catalog Program, you can now put
.LBL files on your disk so they can be cataloged.  (Note:  once IPP has been
run on an INFOCOM game disk IGC will not be able to convert this protected
disk.)

6.      IUP - Infocom Unprotection Program

    IUP allows you to copy a "standard" INFOCOM game disk from drive A to
drive B.  Every INFOCOM game disk has tracks 1 - 3 formatted to 4 sectors of
1024 bytes instead of the normal 8 sectors of 512 bytes.  Diskcopy does not
have the ability to copy an INFOCOM game disk because of the way tracks 1 - 3
have been formatted.  When IUP writes track 1 - 3 to the Target disk in drive
B it does so at 8 sectors of 512 bytes.  IUP also modifies the boot sector of
the Target disk so that the disk will boot up properly.  The result is an
Unprotected working copy of an INFOCOM game which IS diskcopy-able.

7.      IVD - Infocom Vocabulary Decoder

    IVD is a program which locates, reads, decodes, and displays the
vocabulary of any INFOCOM game disk.  This program will produce a numbered
listing of all the words that any game will allow the player to type in (plus
a few you can't).  This routine will compensate for a 40 column display.  You
will undoubtedly notice that some words in the vocabulary will start with a
space or have a space imbedded in them.  This is not an error in IVD.  The
decoding technique used by INFOCOM leaves 6 "special" character codes which
have no display-able character defined for them.  Some of the words contain
some the "special" characters.  Too see where the "special" character are you
must invoke ZorkTools with the /S (Special character) option.  Since INFOCOM
did not define display-able character for the "special" character, the ascii
values of 0 - 5 have been chosen.  With the /S option the digits 0 - 5 will be
displayed for the respective "special" character instead of a space.  In the
vocabulary every word has a 3 byte suffix which, I believe, tells the game the
attributes of the word (like adjective, verb, noun, etc.).  To list the 3 data
byte suffix you must invoke ZorkTools with the /D (Data bytes) option.  (i.e.
"ZT18 /s" or "ZT18 /d" or "ZT18 /d/s").

                        A LITTLE HISTORY

    I have been, from the birth of PC to date, a brave and daring adventure in
realm of the Great Underground Empire, a space traveler who captures a giant
alien space craft, a detective attempting to locate a murderer, a human
computer backup who repaires an underground worldwide control complex, and a
experienced sorcerer who battles evil wizards to save the world.  Through all
these truly enjoyable escapades I could not help the feeling that something
was missing.  I couldn't get over the fact that a game like these require you
to have a pencil and a piece of paper (for maps, secret words, notes).  Think
about it.  A game made for a computer, that forces the player to use something
else to accomplish what could and should be done on the computer !  That's
crazy !  I started thinking about this problem and ways to get around it.  For
a long time I couldn't think of a relatively easy way to accomplish this.
Then multi-tasking programs hit the scene.  I found that the multi-tasking
programs allow the user to operate several DOS programs simultaneously.  The
catch is that all of these programs must run under DOS in order to work.  I
then had the task of making INFOCOM game run under DOS.  That is how IGL came
about.  With a multi-tasking program, it is now possible to play an INFOCOM
game and have an editor online simultaneously.  That means (depending on the
multi-tasking program) that the player can usually use one key as a toggle and
switch back and forth from the game to editor.  The player now has a
convienent place to store any game related data (maps, save image
descriptions, secret words, etc.) all, and this is the key, WITHOUT having
their hands leave the keyboard.  I have tried this and it works great!

                                                Happy Zorking,
                                                Softbeard the Pirate

Development History:

V1.0    10-16-84        Initial release

V1.1    10-17-84        Added ZORKEDIT feature.

V1.2    10-22-84    1.) Fixed bug in V1.1 IPP (wasn't
                        modifying the FAT tables correctly for
                        Interpreter sectors).
                    2.) Fixed bug in previous releases of IFP
                        (wasn't able to format a disk that
                        didn't have a FAT table).

V1.3    10-24-84        Fixed bug in previous releases of IVD
                        (wasn't displaying the correct data
                        bytes when using the /d option).

V1.4    10-25-84        Added Ctrl-Break trapping in all
                        routines. Ctrl-Break will get you back
                        Main Menu from anywhere. When at the
                        Main Menu, Ctrl-Break return you to DOS.

V1.5    12-11-84    1.) Added IGC program.
                    2.) Modified IGL to execute Converted games.
                    3.) Modified IVD to execute Converted games.
                    4.) Added IIC program.
                    5.) Added free memory check to make sure
                        there is enough free memory to run the
                        desired option.

V1.6     2-19-85    1.) Changed ICG and IUP to automaticaly do
                        a format of the target drive while
                        copying.  This eliminates the need for
                        the IFP (Infocom Format Program).
                    2.) Added the ability to display current
                        games or save images while using ZT18.
                    3.) Fixed bug causing a DMA Across 64k
                        boundary error on some systems.
                    4.) Modified ZT to use all available memory.
                    5.) Modified ZT to handle latest level of
                        INFOCOM interpreter. (This allows
                        recovery from the restart command in
                        the new games).
                    6.) Modified ZT to recover from all errors.


V1.8     9-05-86    1.) Added enhanced error checking routines
                    2.) Fixed bug on tracks 41-42 error readings




    This program is for free distribution as is as long as there is no
consideration above the cost of a diskette (max $3.00), and the program and
documentation are distributed together unchanged.  Any risk in using ZT is
limited to the user.  The author implies no warranty as to the usability or
legality of ZT.  The user accepts ALL responsibility for using this program.
SPI maintains the right to modify without notice any and all software in this
package.

        NOTE:  Unauthorized duplication of INFOCOM software is illegal.