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Software Vault: The Games Collection 1
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CDR06
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TWHELP70.ZIP
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COMMANDS.TXT
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1993-09-21
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Trade Wars Helper 7.0 Commands
The following are the introductory commands. Commands are case
sensitive. That is, /k is different from /K.
/? Displays a menu of all commands on a single screen.
/a Displays the Adjacent sectors to three levels with port or other
status info. A later page contains more details about the
display generated by this command. *
/b Displays the BBS file notes for review or editing. There is one
set of notes for each BBS data file. Each is one page (20 lines)
plus an additional page for every 1000 sectors in the TW universe.
/c Displays the Configuration file notes for review or editing. There
is one configuration file for notes common to all games.
/d Displays a single path with complete detail to a Destination sector
from the current sector. The destination sector is entered
following the /, for example /23d. Enter /330,23d to view the path
from 330 to 23 when 330 is not current sector.
/e Issues the command to Explore the closest unexplored sector.
After you have explored most or all of the sectors, enter /0e to
clear he explored status for each sector and thus begin a
subsequent exploration of the universe. The port and warp to
information is not cleared.
/i Displays the five closest Isolated sectors. This is based on the
known universe and unexplored sectors may warp to those listed. An
isolated sector has only one sector warping to it and warps only to
that sector and is often referred to as a dead end sector. Like
many of the displays, this one show the path of sectors in columns.
Read down, not across! Enter /& for the next five closest isolated
sectors. *
/k Gets the sector and port information for all Known sectors using
the Computer Interrogation Mode (CIM) of the Crai computer. Use
this command first to initialize the database (just once per BBS
data file). Since the CIM does not identify class 0 and 9 ports
you will be prompted for those sector numbers. Use /K to gather
the same information including the class 0 and 0 ports without
using the CIM for those sectors not already in the database.
/n Allows entry of up to three Notation characters for the current
sector. For example an 'M' might indicate mines or 'P' a planet in
the sector. The notation characters are displayed with the other
sector information. Enter /N to search for sectors that match
specific notation characters. *
/p Displays the five closest sectors with a specified Port
capability. Enter /& for the next five sectors with the same
capability. *
/q Quits the TW Helper program without quitting Trade Wars itself.
Normally you just enter 'q' to quit both TW and TW Helper. In
either case the database is saved to the disk file.
Page 1
/r This command is used to Record the product percent and quantity
available according to the interrogation mode of the Crai computer.
Only the most significant digit of the percentage is displayed with
the /x and /p command information. 100%% is shown as a colon.
This information is optionally saved on the disk and because it is
so volatile, this command is generally issued at the beginning of
each session.
/t This exceedingly useful command will negotiate a Trade on your
behalf with the port in the current sector. It assumes the holds
are either empty or the most expensive product in them will be
sold. For the buy transaction the most expensive product is
purchased when a port is selling multiple products or by entering
/T (capitalized) the least expensive product will be purchased.
Entering a sector number after the /, for example /23t, initiates
automatic cross trading between the sector specified and the
current sector. You must have product in your holds to sell at the
specified sector before entering this command. At the end of each
trade, you will be given one second to halt the trading by pressing
the ESC key.
If you have a ship equipped with a TransWarp Drive, and you specify
a nonadjacent sector containing your fighters, the TransWarp Drive
will be engaged. Only Equipment and Organics can be traded. Fuel
Ore will be purchased to replenish the amount used. If Fuel Ore is
available to be bought at only one port, be sure to start with
enough for a complete round trip.
/+ and /- Increases (/+) or decreases (/-) the percentage used to
determine the amounts offered for a trade. The higher the
percentage the more likely the trades will be consummated but the
deal will not be as good. This percentage is saved in the
configuration file and it is not used when the psychic probe is
being utilized.
/u Displays the five closest Unexplored sectors in columns with
their paths. Enter /& for the next five closest unexplored
sectors. *
/w Displays information on the current sectors outgoing and incoming
Warps. Also shows total sectors explored and other data. *
/x Displays the five closest sectors with cross trading ports in
adjacent sectors. This means you can trade back and forth between
the ports. Enter /& for the next five closest sectors with cross
trading ports. Multiple paths cause pairs to appear multiple
times. *
* For those commands marked with an asterisk, entering a sector number
after the /, for example /23a, displays the data for the specified
sector instead of the current sector. If you run the program without
being online, you must enter the sector number since there is no current
sector.
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The following are the lower case advanced commands:
/2e Begin autoexploring. Select Run Time Option 9 for details.
/f Displays the paths to a destination sector from its nearest five
sectors containing Fighters. The paths are proceeded by the number
of hops from the current sector to the fighters. The destination
sector is entered following the /, for example /23f. This command
is available to registered users only.
/g Goes to the sector specified following the /, for example /23g. A
ship equipped with a long range scanner will density scan along the
way and stop when the next sectors density is at or above a
threshold value set via a Run Time Option (RTO). You can manually
enter that sector and then enter /g without the sector number to
continue onward to the original destination. Other RTOs specifies
whether a single fighter is deployed in toll mode, if trading is to
be done along the way and if unexplored sectors are to be holo-
graphic scanned. This command is available to registered users.
/h Used to Haul colonists, product, or shields from one planet to
another. You must be on the receiving planet with empty holds or
room for the shields. Enter the planet number following the /, for
example, /3H to haul from planet 3 to the planet you are on. Enter
/3,223H to haul from planet 3 in sector 223 to the planet you are
on when the planets are not in the same sector. You will be
prompted for what to haul and the production area. The TransWarp
Drive will be engaged if you have a ship so equipped and there are
fighters at both sectors. Start with enough Fuel Ore for a round
trip. It will be replenished at the originating planet. This
command is available to registered users only.
/l This command is used, after the /r command, to Locate enemy forces.
Enemy fighters in a sector block the Crai computer from providing
the product percentages. Thus sectors with blank percentage values
are the ones displayed. Enter /& to locate the next five sectors
containing enemy forces.
/s This command is used to initiate the automatic Sell/Steal cycle.
You must have product in your holds as this determines the number
of holds and the product that is first sold and then swiped back.
This cycle repeats until you are busted or you press the ESC key
when prompted. This command is available to registered users only.
When using the /s or /R commands, TW Helper keeps track of the
ports where you have been busted. These ports are displayed in
red. The busted status is cleared when the games running time
reaches multiples of 14 days and you play that day.
Entering a sector number after the /, for example /23s, initiates
automatic sell/stealing cycle between the sector specified and the
current sector. This mode of the /s command is for the new TW2002
version 2 and works much like automatic cross trading except
product is swiped instead of being bought. One difference is the
/t command will buy as many holds of products as possible while the
/s commands will only steal as many holds as have been sold. In
addition, if the product in the holds is being bought at both
ports, then only it will be sold and swiped back.
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/o This command is used to enter the Run Time Options. They are:
1. The minimum product percentage at ports displayed with the /x
command. Use the /r command before the /x command. This option is set
to zero at the beginning of each session.
2. The turn at which the auto /t, /s and /R commands will halt their
process. This option is set to zero at the beginning of each session.
3. The cycle at which the /B, /C and /P commands will halt their
process. This option is set to 999 at the beginning of each session.
4. Used to turn on/off the inclusion of the Hops in the Deployed
Fighter Scan. This option is set off at the beginning of each session.
5. Used to turn off/on the haggling over the price during trading.
This option is set on at the beginning of each session.
6. Specifies when a single fighter is deployed for the /g command.
This option is set to not deploy fighters at the beginning of each
session.
7. Used to turn on/off trading along the way when using the /g command.
This option is set off at the beginning of each session.
8. The value at which the /g command will stop when the next sectors
density is at or above this threshold.
9. Used to turn on/off the deploying/trading/scanning when using the /e
command. The previous three RTOs also apply to the /e command when on.
AUTO EXPLORING capability is discussed when you select this option.
Also refer to the /g command.
10. Used to turn on/off the stopping of a ship equipped with a
Holographic Scanner at the sector immediately preceding the unexplored
sector when the /e command is used and the unexplored sector not
adjacent.
11. Used to turn on/off the holographic scanning of unexplored sectors
not in the destination path when using the /g command.
12. The psychic probe optimizing number. If you have purchased a
Psychic Probe, the program will optimize the experience points realized
during the auto trading and auto sell/steal cycles. This number is used
to choose between maximizing experience points or making more successful
trades. After the first full cycle you will generally get 2 points
trading and 2 or 5 points stealing.
13. The rob percentage value which is multiplied by the experience
points to determine the credits to rob when using the /R command.
14. The number of attack fighters to be automatically used when enemy
fighters are encountered while using the /g or /e commands. The attack
is made only if there are fewer enemy fighters.
Page 4
The following are the upper case advanced command.
/B This command is used to initiate the automatic Buying of product
for a planet and/or selling of product from a planet. Enter a
sector number after the /, for example /23B, to specify the sector
containing the port to use. You must be on the planet with
sufficient credits (if buying) and/or product in your holds (if
selling) before entering the command. The cycle repeats itself
until you press the ESC key when prompted or the number of cycles
set by an RTO has been reached. See /H command for using TransWarp
Drive.
/C This command is used to initiate the automatic Colonizing cycle.
You must be on the planet you wish to populate. The colonists are
retrieved from Terra and distributed in the production area
prompted for. This sequence repeats itself until you press the
ESC key when prompted or the number of cycles specified by a Run
Time Option has been reached. This command is available to
registered users only.
Entering a sector number after the /, for example /23C, initiates
TransWarp colonizing. Again you must start on the planet to be
populated and with enough Fuel Ore to complete a round trip. The
TransWarp drive will be engaged for the sector specified and Fuel
Ore used will be replenished if available at a port in the sector.
The Autopilot then will be used to move to sector 1 while the
TransWarp drive will be engaged to return to the originating
planet. A fighter must be in the sector specified and in the
originating sector. Fuel Ore will be replenished on the planet if
it is not available at the sector.
/D Saves the database to the disk file and then shells to DOS. A
mimimum of 45,000 bytes must be available.
/E Launches an Ether Probe to a sector chosen randomly from those
unexplored sectors that have no known warp path to them. /1E
launches an E-probe to a sector chosen randomly from those explored
sectors considered to be isolated and not already visited during
the current session. /2E chooses a sector so the E-probe passes
thru the most sectors not already visited during the current
session. Note that unexplored sectors may cause TW to select a
significantly different path. /3E launches E-probes to isolated
sectors sequentially keeping track of the last sector probed so it
will pick up at the same point later. /6E and /7E are both used
following the /U command (Universe Mapping Feature). They chooses
a sector so the E-probe passes thru the most unexplored sectors.
The /k command must be used following /7E although it operates much
faster overall. All E-probe commands will continue to launch
probes until there are none remaining, a probe is destroyed, or you
press ESC when prompted. Enter /0E to mark a sector as inaccess-
ible for the /E commands. Some orphan sectors have no other
sectors warping to them and thus can never be accessed.
/F Deploys a single Fighter in toll mode.
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/G Displays a Graphical view of the current sector and the adjacent
sectors to any level. The mouse or keyboard can be used to select
several options shown in the boxes on the screen. The capitalized
letter is the hot key for keyboard entry. The items with + and -
signs can be increased/decreased by clicking on the left or right
portion of the box or entering the letter in upper case or lower
case. You can also click on a sector in the map to display its
adjacent sectors. A sector other than the current sector is
specified following the /, for example /23G. Enter /330,23G to
view the graphical path from 330 to 23. After using commands that
list the five closest sectors (/x, /p, /f, etc.) you can enter /G
and then click on the +Sector- box to graphically view the sectors.
Isolated sectors are shown as double circles. Unregistered usage
is limited.
/H This command is used to initiate the automatic Heisting of product
for a planet. Enter a sector number after the /, for example /23S,
to specify the sector containing the port to use. The cycle
repeats itself until you press the ESC key when prompted or the
number of cycles set by an RTO has been reached. See /H command
for using TransWarp Drive. This command is available to registered
users only.
/I Shows a report of deeply Isolated sectors (tunnels to dead ends).
Enter the depth factor following the /, for example /1I, /2I, /3I
etc. An * indicates the sector is part of a longer tunnel. By
entering /G afterward and clicking on the +Sector- box you can
graphically view each tunnel. This command is available to
registered users only.
/L Used to Lower population Levels to 999, 988, and 994 respectively
or until the holds are filled. These are the minimum values to
produce the maximum number of fighters on a planet. You must be on
the planet with empty holds before entering this command. This
commands simply takes colonists from the production areas, it does
not leave them anywhere.
/M Used to merge another traders database into your own. The data
merged is the port type, warp to sectors, and if being saved, the
product percentage and quantities. Merged sectors are shown in
brown. Enter /0M to remove the merged data. This command is
available to registered users only.
/P This command is used to initiate the automatic purchase of
Planetary shields from the nearest class 0 or 9 port. You must be
on the planet to receive the shields with ample credits on the
ship. The process repeats itself until you press the ESC key when
prompted or the number of cycles specified by a Run Time Option has
been reached. Entering a number after the /, for example /23P,
initiates TransWarp purchasing. Again you must start on the planet
and with enough Fuel Ore to complete a round trip. The TransWarp
drive will be engaged for the sector specified, and if not already
there, the Autopilot then will be used to move to the nearest class
0 or 9 port. The sector specified must have one of your fighter in
it and another in the originating sector. Fuel Ore will be
replenished on the planet. This command is available to registered
users only.
Page 6
/Q Used to Quash mines by launching a mine disruptor into a specified
sector. The sector number is specified following the /, for
example /23Q. The process repeats until you press ESC when
prompted, all the mines are destroyed, or all disruptors are
exhausted.
/R Used to initiate the automatic Rob credits cycle. The rob
percentage RTO is multiplied by the experience points to determine
the credits to rob. Entering the TW I command first will insure
TWH is using the most recent experience points. This cycle repeats
until busted, insufficient credits remain or you press the ESC key.
When using this command, TWH keeps track of the last time you
robbed the port and/or were busted at the port. This command is
available to registered users only.
/V Creates the TWVIEW and/or TWASSIST data file(s). The directory
path(s) must be specified with the configuration options. /1V
creates only the TWVIEW .FTR file and/or the non CIM portion of the
TWASSIST file. /2V creates only the TWVIEW .SCT file and/or the
CIM sector portion of the TWASSIST file. /3V creates only the
TWVIEW .PRT file and/or the CIM port portion for TWASSIST.
/X Request the entry of subcommands to display the five closest
specialized trading pairs which includes nonadjacent cross trading
pairs, transwarp trading pairs, triple trading pairs and other
combinations. Enter /& to display the next five closest
specialized trading pairs. This command is available to registered
users only.
/Z Zip to new BBS database file. This command is available to
registered users only.
The /a command shows adjacent sectors to three levels.
The first level is the sectors adjacent to the current sector. These
are displayed across the top row.
The second level is the sectors adjacent to the top row of sectors.
These are displayed in the columns below the top row of sectors.
The third level is the sectors adjacent to the column sectors. These
are displayed in the rows to the right of the column sectors.
The color coding and status abbreviations are as follows:
Red - An unexplored sector (une) or a port where you've been busted.
Brown - A sector with info merged from another trader.
Magenta - An explored empty sector (emt).
Yellow - A sector with ports (BBS, SBS, etc).
Green - A sector with a class 0 port (000).
Blue - A sector with a class 9 port (999).
Gray - A sector marked as avoided.
Cyan - A cross trading sector or the notation characters.
A sector with a status of 'pre' was previously displayed. Enter the /a
command a second time to display the data for those sectors not shown
because of the limited screen width.
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The following are general points to be aware of:
Trade Wars Helper waits for selected text sequences before proceeding.
Line noise or unforeseen circumstances may get TW Helper out of sequence
with Trade Wars itself and thus cause indefinite waits. If it appears
the program is not responding, press the ESC key several times or the
ESC and ENTER keys until some request is displayed.
An attempt is made to keep track of the last product purchased. This
info is displayed with the current sector information in the lower right
corner. Under certain conditions this information will not be accurate
(i.e. when you start but don't consummate a trade.) The TW I command can
be issued to correct this information. This anomaly doesn't occur when
using the /t command.
After using an E-probe or Holographic Scanner TW Helper will issue
commands to gather warp to and port information. Give it an opportunity
to finish.
TW Helper learns of avoided sectors from the opening 'Hazardous Sector'
display and when you issue the TW Computers X command. If you add to or
clear the avoided sectors, do the TW Computers X command to bring TW
Helper up to date.
When Trade Wars computes the warp lane information to nonadjacent
sectors, the warp to sector for any unexplored sector is added to the
database.
If you spend the night in a citadel, leave the citadel and planet so TW
Helper can issue the commands to gather its initializing information
before entering planet oriented commands like /B, /C, /H, /P and /S.
Use the Page Up key to view Trade Wars text that has been scrolled off
the top of the screen. The Page Down, Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Home and
End keys can also be used to view text in the scroll back buffer.
Function keys 1 and 2 can be used to Save and Restore the current
contents of the scroll back buffer.
When using the TransWarp Drive for auto trading or colonizing, you
normally start with enough Fuel Ore to complete a round trip. If you
interrupt the process by pressing the ESC key (when prompted), you can
restart the command without replenishing the Fuel Ore.
To initiate Triple Trading have two products in your holds to start with
and be at the right combination of ports. For example be at a SSB port
with Fuel Ore and Organics and /t to a BBS port to involve all three
product at each port to gain more experience points. A Psychic Probe is
recommended.
When using the TW G command to display the Deployed Fighter Scan, the
port type, notation characters, product percentages, and optionally the
hops from the current sector are included. This extra information will
be excluded if the communications buffer becomes too full.
Page 8