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Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso
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-README-
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Text File
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1991-01-10
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9KB
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244 lines
PC HACK version 3.6 for MSDOS(tm) computers
--------------------------------------------
Oct 22, 1986
============================================================================
Please read the configuration details below before trying to play.
============================================================================
PC HACK 3.6 Overview
- a bug with hell hounds has been fixed.
- the console driver NANSI.SYS has been included. This alternate
driver is *much*, *much* faster than ANSI for playing HACK. You
will almost think HACK is writing directly to screen memory!
- PC HACK now uses a TERMCAP file which describes the escape
sequences to send to the console driver to change display modes.
With TERMCAP, you can redefine the colors HACK uses for display.
============================================================================
PC HACK 3.5 Overview
Mostly, this is a bugfix version. The bugs were:
- Rest_on_space was accidentally removed.
- The game did not prompt you to put the game disk back in
after completing a save, so the bones files could not be copied
back to the LEVELS directory.
- After saving then restoring a game the object descriptions would
be screwed up. You could have two orange potions which did different
things.
One new restriction has been added:
- There must be a copy of COMMAND.COM where COMSPEC says it is for
the entire game. This is because the DOS copy command is used for
moving bones files to and from the RAMdisk.
This is the complete PC implementation of UNIX version of HACK 1.03.
There are a few enhancements:
1) Configuration uses less environment space.
2) PC HACK can use graphics characters for the dungeon. This *is*
supported on DEC Rainbows.
3) Floppy, RAMdisk, and HardDisk support. A RAMdisk makes the game
much faster, especially for floppy-only systems.
4) A bunch of new options. Pack sorting, confirmation before
hitting tame monsters, turning the bell off, whether you pick up
everything you step on. Numeric keypad for moving on IBM BIOS
compatible computers.
5) Protection against disk full problems.
The documentation HACK.DOC is formatted for 66 line paper in
case you want to print it out. The simplest way to print the
documentation is:
copy hack.doc prn:
============================================================================
Configuration Details
---------------------
** IMPORTANT **
PC HACK requires ANSI.SYS or NANSI.SYS to be installed. You need to
have a line like:
device=nansi.sys
in your config.sys file.
***************
PREFACE:
PC HACK 3.6 requires that there is a copy of COMMAND.COM
where the DOS environment string COMSPEC says it is.
You can get a list of all DOS environment strings with the DOS
command "set". For example, after booting my system from a
floppy in drive A, typing "set" followed by the enter key
results in:
A>set
COMSPEC=A:\COMMAND.COM
PATH=
Since I just booted from this floppy DOS already knows that
COMMAND.COM is on drive A in the root directory. If I have to
remove the floppy from drive A to put in a save disk, the save
disk must also have a copy of COMMAND.COM in the root directory.
Although this may seem confusing, the sample configurations given
later will show it is easy to configure your system.
HARD DISKS:
Basically, people with HardDisks will want to create the directory:
\GAMES\HACK for the PC HACK support files (of course, you can
choose your own directory name, but for this short discussion,
assume this name). Copy all files except HACK.EXE, HACK.CNF and
TERMCAP into \GAMES\HACK. Copy HACK.EXE, HACK.CNF and TERMCAP into
a directory accessible by the PATH environment variable (you might
use \GAMES).
Edit the HACK.CNF file to remove the comment characters `#'
from the "hard disk configuration" and put comment characters
in front of each line of the "2-floppy, 1-person setup"
section. Change OPTIONS to put in your player name and other
options. If you are using a directory other than \GAMES\HACK,
change HACKDIR to your directory choice.
At the MSDOS prompt type:
C> hack
and you should be playing.
FLOPPY DISKS:
Floppy only systems can be configured in one of 2 general ways
depending on whether there is only one or more than one person
who plays.
If there is only 1 person who plays do the following:
Format a system disk (format /s) and put these required files
- NANSI.SYS, HACK.EXE, HACK.CNF, TERMCAP, and RECORD - on it (this
disk is called the "GAME" disk and will be booted from drive A).
Create a CONFIG.SYS file on the GAME disk and put the following
line in it:
device=nansi.sys
The optional PC HACK files - HELP, HH, RUMORS, DATA - make the
game more interesting. HELP and HH are used when you do the
help command, '?'; RUMORS is used when you eat a fortune
cookie; DATA is used when you do the whatis command, '/'. Copy
as many of these onto the GAME disk as you have room for. Try
to have at least RUMORS and DATA on it.
Format a second disk without putting the system on it and use
it in drive B. This "LEVELS" disk will contain bones files
from prior games (if any), the temporary levels of the current
game, and the save file. Format a third disk called "SAVE"
which may have to be swapped in for the GAME disk on drive A if
your save game gets too large for storing on the LEVELS disk.
The SAVE disk must have a copy of COMMAND.COM on it, but it
doesn't have to have the DOS system on it.
Edit HACK.CNF to put in your personal OPTION choices (see HACK.DOC
for details).
If there are several people who play or if you want to keep
multiple save files around, one method is the following:
Format a system disk (format /s) and put NANSI.SYS, HACK.EXE,
HACK.CNF and TERMCAP on it. As before, this is the GAME disk and
will start in drive A. Create a CONFIG.SYS file on the GAME disk
and put the following line in it:
device=nansi.sys
Format (without system) a LEVELS disk and put the rest of the HACK
files on it. Only the RECORD file is required, but you should
include RUMORS, DATA, and HELP or HH.
Format (without system) several SAVE disks, each with a copy of
COMMAND.COM on it. Each player can have their own SAVE disk. The
GAME disk and LEVELS disk are to be used by everyone.
Edit HACK.CNF and put comment characters in front of all lines in
the "2-floppy, 1-person setup" section. Remove comment characters
in front of all lines in the "2-floppy, group setup". Make copies
of HACK.CNF for each person (eg JOE.CNF, MARY.CNF) and edit these
to put in their personal OPTION choices (see HACK.DOC for details).
Create a batch file like this "PLAY.BAT" which may look like:
if not exist %1.cnf goto nobody
copy %1.cnf hack.cnf
hack
goto end
:nobody
echo No setup for player `%1'
:end
At the MSDOS prompt type:
A> play joe
and JOE should be playing.
An alternative method that uses separate GAME disks for every player
and no "PLAY.BAT" is described in HACK.DOC
============================================================================
To: All beginner HACKERS
Re: An overview and some hints
The file HINTS.DOC is meant for people who have never played HACK
or ROGUE before and want a description of what they can do in HACK.
Since the major fun in HACK is discovery and surprise, there are
not many details in HINTS.DOC
============================================================================
RAMdisk
If you have a RAMdisk, PC HACK can use it for a quieter and faster
game. In HACK.CNF put a line like:
RAMDISK = d:
`d' is a drive letter, usually C or D. The colon `:' is required.
============================================================================
DEC Rainbow users
You must *NOT* use the `rawio' option. If you do, your computer
will hang. If some kind DEC Rainbow user could send me the
details of the MSDOS IOCTL call I could put `rawio' in for
DECs too.
You can use the "line-graphics character set" for displaying
the dungeon. Since DECs only use 7-bit characters (decimal
value 0 - 127), take the decimal value of the line-graphic
character you want and add 128 to it. Now it will have
decimal value from 128 - 255 and PC HACK will recognize that
you want a character from the line-graphic character set and
will output the appropriate character.
In order for PC HACK to treat the graphics characters properly,
you must use the `DECRainbow' option.
============================================================================
D. G. Kneller
UUCP: ...ucbvax!ucsfcgl!kneller
ARPANET: kneller@ucsfcgl.ARPA
BITNET: kneller@ucsfcgl.BITNET
USmail: 2 Panoramic Way #204
Berkeley, CA 94704