The Arsenal Files 6/The Arsenal Files 6 (Arsenal Computer).ISO/doorware/sara36.zip/SYSOP.DOC

Text File | 1996-01-21 | 18KB | 342 lines

            UltraSoft SARATOGA RACEWAY Version 3.6 Documentation
                        Prepared by Steve Hansen

                    Copyright(C) UltraSoft 1993,1994,1995,1996
                          Software Division of
                          UltraSoft Computers, Hawaii

                          5070 Likini St.
                          Suite 1209
                          Honolulu, HI 96818

                          UltraSoft Product Support BBS - Hawaii
                          [phone]   2400bps - 28800bps
                          Sysops: Steve Hansen - Alice Hansen

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


   Please see WHEREARE.WE for Distribution Center Locations and Numbers
   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Introduction
----------------
Welcome to Saratoga Raceway, 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 anyway.

If you are a Registered User of Saratoga Raceway and this is a new release,
you need only decompress this archive into a subdirectory and copy in key
files from your previous operating Game. These Key Files include: PLAYER.$$$,
SARATOGA.SYS, THE BLT'S AND BLTG'S, and the .LMO files to retain existing
scores and rankings.

If you are not a registered User, then with registration you will receive
a file called SARATOGA.SYS which will open up the full registered game for
you. With registration, you will also receive several useful utilities, for
use with this and other BBS Door Games. Please refer to the documentation
contained in those packages, for instructions on their use.

Saratoga Raceway is a Horse Racing game which has proven itself to be among
the most popular games ever, featured at our Hawaii support BBS. In addition
to full animation, S/R introduces extensive online sound effects. It not only
features betting on horses to Win, Place or Show, and winning the Big Bucks,
one must go to the Raceway (which is not in the best part of town), prepared
for possible approaches by the Tax Man, a variety of Pick-Pockets and hoods,
who frequent the track, preying on any opportunity for the fast buck from an
unsuspecting winner, and other sinister characters, some of which have your
best interests at heart, and some who may not. There are also several other
opportunities to gain riches there, other than simply winning at the horses,
if one can survive that long.

Getting Started
-----------------
Special Note:  For those who are upgrading from an older version, please
note that you MUST change to the NEW .CFG File Format, included herein.

The use of Line 8 of the .CFG File(s) is introduced with version 3.5+. This
is the Racing Speed Adjustment and allows you to adjust the way the horses
run, to match your own preferences. The default is 50 (mid-range), 0 is
fastest (much too fast) and 100 is slowest. Leave the number 50 there if all
is well, otherwise you may adjust the number on Line 8 of the .CFG Files.

The fastest possible way to either test or install this product, and
usually the most efficient, is to have all Files in the unzipped archive in
either a Sub-Directory on your Hard Disk, or on a Floppy Diskette.

TEST IT
-------
You may easily Demo the Door Game prior to installation, by typing
SARATOGA /L. This will run the game in LOCAL Mode and independent of
any BBS. It can even be run as a Home Game, in this manner.

INSTALL IT
----------
INSTALL Saratoga Raceway by typing INSTALL while within the Directory or
external Floppy Disk where the Files reside.

If Manual Installation is preferred, follow the instructions and technical
notes to be found below. NOTE: Please leave the .CFG file and internal notes
intact, modifying the line entrys as required. The automated INSTALL
mentioned above does this for you for 1 Node, to be duplicated to others and
modified as necessary. These notes are crucial. Many have created their
own .CFG Files, only to have to call UltraSoft Support, to get the info that
is already in the existing .CFG Files. So Please, leave the internal Notes
in the .CFG File, in place for future reference.


Disclaimer
-----------
Saratoga Raceway has been extensively tested, and should provide no
possibility of harm to your system in any way. However, no warrantees, 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
------------------------
Saratoga Raceway 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, (since this is a highly animated
Game, and requires awareness of the Caller's connect speed) or DORINFOX.DEF,
which does not pass the caller's connect speed to the Door, but is
accomodated inside the Saratoga Raceway Door.

Saratoga Raceway may also be run at any Baud Rate up to 115,200bps and is
compatible with COM1 through COM4 with release 2.0+. Previous releases were
compatible with only COM1 and COM2 due to these limitations of the Compiler.
Saratoga Raceway is Multi-Node aware, and has been tested successfully with
and without DesqView. Standard IRQ's are 4 for COM1 and COM3 and 3 for COM2
and COM4. Use with non-standard IRQ arrangements was introduced with a former
Release, as is NON-STANDARD Port Addressing. Any COM Port can now be used
with an IRQ assignment of 2-15. If Non-Standard IRQ's are used, they MUST be
defined in Line 6 of the applicable SARATOGx.CFG file(s). Otherwise Line 6
MUST be left blank, but it still MUST be there..

Running with DesqView
------------------------
Saratoga Raceway runs very well 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, unless it has already
been made resident by the BBS or some other program. In this case, place
the line  C:\DV\DVANSI.COM  as the first line in your batch file which calls
the game. (i.e. SARATOGA.BAT)  MSDOS's ANSI.SYS is ignored by DesqView and is
replaced when necessary by DVANSI.COM, a TSR. Saratoga Raceway requires ANSI
support to run properly.

Running with Windows & OS/2
---------------------------
Saratoga Raceway has been tested running on BBS Systems under MicroSoft
Windows and also under IBM OS/2. It is also reportedly running well under
Galacticomm's Major BBS.

While Fossil Drivers are not needed or recommended, (Saratoga contains all
it's own internal Comm Interface Routines), Saratoga is running in many
environments with Fossils, and without complication/alteration of any kind.

Note:
-----------
Saratoga Raceway is maintenance free, in that no Maintenance program exists
or is necessary for any reason. All data is fully updated at PLAY time.

As a safety measure against corrupted files, the program backs up it's Player
File 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 last two letters of the extention being BU.. (PLAYER.$BU) This will help
in the case of lock up, due to abnormal terminations etc., BUT, it will be
overwritten with the active file as soon as another player enters the game.
So if you are restoring from a back up file, do it as soon as possible.

Saratoga Raceway is designed to store all data files at their current state,
in the event of abnormal terminations, but this is yet another precautionary
measure to ensure non-disruption of game ongoing play. 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.

Manual 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.
Again, the INSTALL process is by far the easiest, but here are the manual
guidelines, if ever needed.

STEP 1: Create a directory where the Door Game will reside.
i.e.   C:\BBS\DOORS\SARATOGA

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
often will reside in your BBS default directory, but sometimes elsewhere.
i.e.   C:\BBS\SARATOGA.BAT

STEP 4: Edit the existing SARATOGA.CFG file (and the SARATOGx.CFG file(s)
(if running Multi-Node) to indicate your operational preferences as shown
below.

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

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

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

==SARATOGA.BAT=============================================================
@ECHO OFF         <-- If you do not with to see the BAT activity in progress
CD BBS\DOORS\SARATOGA <-- Or wherever this Door Game resides
SARATOGA SARATOGA.CFG <-- (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 Saratoga Raceway, 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 Saratoga Raceway, you may
have also received an activity tracking utility, which creates User Graphs
for Sysop analysis and/or for Bulletin purposes. This 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..

Saratoga Raceway creates User Bulletins as well, called:

BLTG.   -for the ANSI graphics Bulletin
BLT.    -for the ASCII Bulletin

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

==SARATOGA.BAT==============================================================
CD\BBS\DOORS\SARATOGA
SARATOGA SARATOGA.CFG
copy bltg. C:\BBS\GEN\BLT15G.   <--copy bltg. to your chosen ANSI Bulletin
copy blt. C:\BBS\GEN\BLT15.     <--copy blt.  to your chosen ASCII Bulletin
CD\BBS
BBS
============================================================================

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

A configuration file is used in Saratoga Raceway, to be called SARATOGA.CFG.
Additional configuration files may be used instead, if called as a parameter
from the SARATOGA command line in your SARATOGA.BAT file. This is for multi-
Node operation.

i.e. SARATOGA SARATOG2.CFG  or  OTHER.CFG  <--Name of your other .CFG file..

Normally the 2nd .CFG file would be used for additional Nodes.

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

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

==SARATOGA.CFG====================================
C:\BBS\DOOR.SYS
3
20
30
1
4     (Leave Blank if Standard IRQ's are used)     (Lines 6 & 7 must exist)
0370  (Leave Blank if Standard Comm Port addressing is used)
25    Speed Adjustment added. (25 is mid-range, 0 = Fastest, 50 = Slowest).
=============================* DETAILS *===================================
** LINES 1-5 MUST BE FILLED IN. LINES 6-7 MUST BE USED OR BE LEFT BLANK   **
** LINE 8 (Speed Adjustment) was added. It must contain a number (0 - 50) **
** PLEASE LEAVE THESE NOTES IN THIS FILE AND SIMPLY ALTER THE LINES ABOVE **
** IF USING MULTINODE, WITH MORE THAN ONE .CFG FILE, JUST COPY THIS FILE  **
** TO THE .CFG FILE USED BY OTHER NODES, (i.e. SARATOG2.CFG) AND MODIFY.  **
===========================================================================
Line 1 = Full Path to DOOR User Interface File (Sometimes called Drop File)
Line 2 = Number of Sessions allowed per Caller in one day
Line 3 = Number of Saratoga Races allowed per day. (5 if unregistered).
Line 4 = Minutes allowed each Session
Line 5 = Number of Operating Nodes on your BBS System (1 if Single Node)
===========================================================================
 ** LINES 6 & 7 ARE FOR ADVANCED USERS. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO PUT **
 ** PUT IN THESE LINES, LEAVE THEM BLANK.. STANDARD VALUES WILL BE USED **
===========================================================================
Line 6 = 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 7 = Use ONLY if you are using a NON-STANDARD COMM PORT ADDRESS. Or else
         leave line blank. If line is left blank, the blank line still must
         be there. If a Non-Standard Port address is entered here, it must
         be in HEXIDECIMAL format and must be exactly 4 Digits. i.e.  03F8
Line 8 = Speed Adjustment. (range: 0= Fastest, 50= Slowest, Default = 25)
         The default is 25. Adjust lower for faster speeds, higher = slower.
         This adjusts the general running speed of the horses.
==========================================================================

Saratoga Raceway 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 SARATOGA.CFG, file is created or edited
to indicate COM0: as the caller's comm port.

Saratoga 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.  SARATOGA OTHER.CFG  ..
Obviously, that .CFG file must exist, and if it is in some other directory, it
must be included in the parameter. i.e. SARATOGA C:\BBS\OTHERDIR\OTHER.CFG.

REGISTRATION
---------------
For continued development of the variety of UltraSoft products, including
this one, please register withing 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 SARATOGA.SYS file and either order
the product directly from UltraSoft at the nominal cost of $6.00 (not to be
confused with initial Registration) for Media, Shipping and Handling or
simply download the newer shareware version from your favorite BBS, copying
in your Registered SARATOGA.SYS file into the SARATOGA subdirectory. This
file CANNOT be edited/altered in any way, without adverse effect to the game.

The Unregistered version of Saratoga Raceway 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. Earlier
versions of our variety of products, which were unrestricted, simply proved
that unrestricted products are not frequently registered by the public, while
restricted products are. We wish this were not the case, but this product in
particular has undergone many enhancements in Beta Test, and the time
involved in complete creation and enhancement actually amounts to some years
of major effort, beta testing, more re-writes and revision updates.

In the unRegistered version, there are a maximum number of 5 races that can
be run by any caller in one day. Registration makes this unlimited and
completely under control of the Licensed Sysop. It also credits the Sysop
with his/her name at the top of the Game Screens and on initial caller
entry into the game.

Please see WHATS.NEW for a listing of revisions included in this release.
There are other achives enclosed, one of 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 Saratoga Raceway among your Door Games.

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