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TWTERM VERSION 2.1 Copyright 1993, 1994 by Will Boyett - All rights Reserved Compatible with versions 2.0 of Trade Wars by Gary Martin. *WARNING* You will need the following to properly run TWTERM: EGA or better graphic card DOS 3.0 or later 350K to 550K of memory 300K to 1 meg of free disk space for files created by TWTERM 386 or better recommended (but not necessary) ************************************************************************* DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY THIS SOFTWARE IS SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. ************************************************************************* What is TWTERM TWTERM is an off-line utility for strategy mapping. TWTERM is a terminal program designed specifically for use in playing Trade Wars, the popular BBS door game. The advantage of using TWTERM is that it is custom designed just for playing the game. Thus you have a lot of features that your normal term program like Telemate or QModem can't offer. Not only that, it also helps to add to the realism of the game. TWTERM is designed with 3D graphics, and arranged to give the appearance of an actual ships console. Thus you feel like you are really at the helm of your vessel as you travel through space. I have a lot more ideas to implement to make TWTERM an even better tool for playing TW. If you don't want to miss out on more features and excitement then please register today! ************************************************************************* How To Register TWTERM (please use Order.Frm to register) Anyone wishing to use this program as an aid in playing TW is welcome to do so without registering with me. So think of this version as a fully functioning demo of what TWTERM is like. You are free to use it for all your playing needs without sending me any money. So have fun and enjoy Trade Wars through the eyes of TWTERM. If you like what you see here and are a serious TW player who wants real power, then please support the development of TWTERM. All monies received will go right back into creating a better program with more of the features you want (just send what you want and I'll try to put it in). As you can see, TWTERM is making a major step forward, to the ultimate Trade Wars utility. Combining on-line use as a term program, and also offline as a stand-alone offline utility. To get in on all the action, send $15 plus $3 p/h in a check or money order, along with your name, address, phone number (or use the order form included with this package): Will Boyett 1955 209th St. Lakewood, Ca, 90715 BONUS: Don't like to create your own macros? Now you don't have to. I've written them for you. TWTMACROS is a collection of macros written with the TWTERM script language. Macros that will move colonists from one planet to another, move product between planets, drop a fighter, fire photon and move into sector, plus more. Whether you register TWTERM or not you can still order TWTMACROS. They work either way. See ORDER.FRM for details on how you can get yours. *************************************************************************** What's in TWTERM (those marked with an * are in the Registered version only) 1) Superb 3D graphics, sound, animation for playing Trade Wars on-line. 2) Built in warning system that warns of Planets, Ports, Mines, Traders, and Ships. *3) Built-In (Registered Users Only) Macros. 4) Script language so you can custom design your own macros. 5) Display/Save/Edit macros on-line or off. 6) Toggle sound effects on and off. 7) On-Line and Off-Line dual screen mapper. 8) Built in CIM access for fast downloading of your port/sector files. 9) Utility Menu that allows you to run EXE/COM/BAT files while on-line. 10) Ship Control Center where you locate, calculate distance to, set passwords, and more. 11) Sound effects including phasers, sirens, explosions and more. 12) Print files created by TWTERM on or off-line 13) Your choice of 24 or 41 line display. 14) Scrollback buffer 15) Ship's Library where you can view all the files created by TWTERM as well as any text files, PLUS Catalogs featuring info on all the ships and planets found in TW. 16) Level Diagram mapping of your universe. 17) Create capture files of your playing session *18) Display Transwarp/Standard path 19) Flight Recorder, record/replay your session in 3D graphics and sound 20) Scan current directory for files *21) Merge Corp members database with yours, or merge your Level-Diagram info with your CIM info. *22) Track down other Traders. *23) Find and save One-Way warps. *24) Find and save Paired-Ports listing. *25) Find and save best ports to rob and steal. *26) Find and save Dead-Ends listing. *27) Find nearest ports and unexplored sectors to any sector. 28) Keeps track of busted ports and gives warnings *29) Enter reminder notes as you play. 30) Supports COM 1-4, 2400-14.4 modems (See MODMHELP.DOC on how to connect) *31) Find, list, and save assets grouped by sectors. 32) Displays on main screen, location of Stardock, amount explored, and your current path. > What's new in this version is at the end of this document. If you are reading this file in a text editor, then press <END> to jump there. ************************************************************************* To run TWTERM, take the following steps: (Warning: This version will not work with the files from previous versions of TWTERM. Make sure you have none of those files in the directory when run this version of TWTERM, else it may crash due to the new formats used by this version of TWTERM) To run TWTERM, simply type at the DOS prompt: TWTERM gamename Where "gamename" is the name of the game files you wish access to. "gamename" is optional and can always be entered from within TWTERM, I just find it easier to do from the command line. If you want to start a new set of game files. Then enter a gamename that doesn't exist yet. TWTERM will use it for naming your files. If you want to just check out TWTERM, but not access any files, then just enter anything for a gamename. If you don't enter a gamename from the commandline, TWTERM will prompt you for one before it proceeds further. When you first run TWTERM you must configure it to work with your modem. This can be done on-line, but to save you're on-line time you may wish to run TWTERM off-line first, to set it up and get acquainted (recommended). Since TWTERM can not call a BBS and log on to it, you will need to call your BBS with your communication program. You can run TWTERM once you are connected to the BBS. This can be done in several ways. 1) EXIT your comm program and start TWTERM. 2) Shell to DOS then start TWTERM. 3) Set up a hotkey in your comm program, that when pressed will start TWTERM. See your comm programs docs for more details on how to do this. FINAL NOTES: If you shell to DOS to run TWTERM, or use a hotkey, you'll probably need to to configure your comm program to shell itself to EMS/XMS/DISK. Just remember TWTERM needs 350K to run in a 1000 sector universe and up to 550K in a 5000 sector universe. While in your comm program, shell to DOS and type "MEM" to see how much memory is available. Now if you want to run other programs while in TWTERM, then you'll need more memory) TWTERM will only work with BBS that uses "8 N 1". If the BBS you use to play uses something else. Your out of luck for now. Most all BBS's are "8 N 1" so there shouldn't be a problem. LOCAL MODE use: No guarantees here (I haven't tried it). But if you want to use TWTERM in local mode (and you are using multi-tasking software). Try specifying COM 0 as your com port. See MODMHELP.DOC for more info. *************************************************************************** Tip's on getting the most from TWTERM Before you log into a game of TradeWars, I highly recommend you play with TWTERM off-line first and configure it to work with your modem. Simply specify a "Game Name" for each TW game you will be playing in. For instance I play on PhotoPro BBS and Warlock's Domain BBS. I specify two gamenames, PP and WD. TWTERM then creates a configuration file for each. To specify a game name, you can enter it on the command-line or from within TWTERM when you first start it. For Unregistered users to specify additional gamenames, you'll need to restart TWTERM each time. Registered users can use the "Change Game Files" option to switch between databases without having to restart TWTERM. Now that you have your games configured, you're ready to play. You'll need to use your regular Comm program to dial and log into a game of TW. You can then EXIT or SHELL from your Comm program and start TWTERM. You can start TWTERM after you're into TW already or as the BBS loads the TW game. If you plan to use the "Find Traders" feature, then I suggest you start TWTERM as TW is being loaded. You then will have time to open a capture (LOG) file so you can record TW's opening messages. The ones that report which ships have entered sectors where you have deployed fighters. You'll need this info later when tracking opponents. Once TWTERM is started, you should see your ships shielding being raised and the main TWTERM ship console. You are now in the default 24 line display mode. To switch to a 41 line display, hit <CTRL> Z. The main screen displays all the <CTRL> and "F" keys that are at your disposal. There is a large patterned grid on the right. Here will be displayed most of TW's commands that you can use while in the game. You should also notice some Cyan colored windows. These dispaly some of your current stats: GAME NAME current games database name. This name is used to access all the data files of that game. SD is the location of Stardock. If you have found Stardock and have used the "SCAN A LOG" feature, then you should have the location of Stardock saved in your .DAT file. This location is taken from the .DAT file and displayed here so you'll never again forget the sector Stardock is in. KNOWN when you load the .SCT and .PRT files for the game, TWTERM calculates the percentage explored and displays it here. LAST PATH this reminds you of the last path you took. The sector on the right is the current sector you are in. The sector on the left is the sector you just came from. TWTERM can now be used as an interface to TW. But if you want real power, and the ability to use many of TWTERM's features, you'll need a database to work with. You're main database will consist of three files. From these 3 files TWTERM creates other files that can be examined and used while on or off-line. Two of the files you'll need, can be downloaded from TW itself. To download these, you must be in a game of TW. Then use the "CIM Access feature <CTRL> C. TWTERM downloads a .SCT and a .PRT file that contain info on all the sectors you have explored and ports you have found. The third file you'll need is a .DAT file. This file contains info on the game, all your planets, mines, deployed fighters, ship locations, class 0's, busted ports, etc.. This .DAT file is created by yourself. To create this file, you'll need to: 1) Open a Log file ("F3") 2) Dispay from TW the game stats("V") and all your personal and corporation info. I've included a macro in TWTERM that will help you in displaying this info. Run TWSTATS.MAC. You can also edit TWSTATS.MAC to fit your personal needs. 3) Run the "Scan A Log" feature to gather all this data and save it in the .DAT file. Congratulations! You've now configured TWTERM to work with the games you'll be playing in, and you've got you're database for each one. Now you're ready to start putting TWTERM to work for you. If TWTERM looks like a simple program, then I've done my job well in making this an easy to use program. However, don't let that fool you. TWTERM is very powerful in many ways. Let me go thru a few of the features to give you an idea of how to use them. I run daily at the end of my playing session <CTRL> C (CIM Access) to get me the latest info on my explored universe. I also run the TWSTATS macro to keep me updated as to the location of my assets. In addition, there are some other features that can be put to good use. F4 is the key to use when you want to gather info on your universe. Then use the F1 key to go to the Library and view all this info. I suggest running these features as you need them. F10, the Utility Menu is the place where you can store/save the commands of other programs you would like to run from within TWTERM. I mostly use this for running DOS commands (that way I don't have to shell to DOS and the entries are saved in a text file for later use also). I like to rename files or move files about here. For instance, you can only load and run 9 Script macros (Editable Macros as I call them) on the Macro Menu. By using the Utility Menu I can move around my macro files so that TWTERM will load a different set of 9 macros. This way I have an unlimited amount of macros at my disposal. Play with it and I'm sure you'll discover dozens of uses. F7, the Macro Menu is where you can create and save your own personal macros. For instance, I can't anticipate every players playing style. So if there is not a Built-In macro to do something you need done, you can always customize TWTERM to your needs by creating your macros here using the TWTERM script language. I know what you're thinking... "I don't know how to code those things". Let me tell you, this language is so simple my 8 year-old can do it. There are basically only 1 command you need.. SEND which sends a text string to the modem (just like your keyboard sends input to the computer) and then it waits for the next prompt to be recieved from the modem, where it then returns control back to TWTERM (unless you specified another SEND). I've included a few macros here for you to play with and study. TWSTATS.MAC and TWMACROS.FIL are text files that contain the macros. Read more about these later in the docs. F5 is the map screen where you can view any sector and it's surrounding sectors. Good to use when searching for a home sector, or for checking out others homes sectors. I also use this a lot when I want to block Stardock, as I can study the warps in and out. F5 is also where you can get info on particular ports in the game. This info tells what that port buys and sells and how much is on hand. <CTRL> C is the Flight Recorder. A lot of folks ask what this is used for and how it differs from a capture file. A capture file (created by using F3) is a text file of all the text that was displayed to the screen AFTER the ANSI escape codes are taken out. With the Flight Recorder, these ANSI codes are kept in. That allows one to actually replay your playin session off-line in full color. JUST AS IF YOU WERE ON-LINE. Why would you do such a thing? For one I find it easier to study my game play by watching this instead of reading a capture file. Secondly, you could send your playing session to a teammate who can replay it on his computer. Thus your teammate can open and close capture files of your playing session and gather data from it. A third use, may be in creating a library of your game. I rename each days flight recorder file to the gamename and date. I then save it. I have one for each day I've played. I can now replay and review any one of my playing sessions at any time. Did you lose that scrap of paper that told where Ferrengal was? No prob, pull out the recording that has it, and get it again. You'll never lose another bit of data with this baby. Lose your .DAT file and now you don't know where your assets are? Use this to create another .DAT file. F2 is the Ship Control Center. Here you can set a password for your ship (in case you want to use the password in macros), tell TWTERM whether your current ship has a T-Warp Drive or Planet Scanner (needed by some of the Built-In macros), and for calculating the distance from your current sector to the ships in your fleet (real helpful if your current ship has a small transport range). Registered users get even more features. They have access to the Built-In macros displayed on the F7 menu. They have access to all the features listed on the F4 menu. I hope you decide to register and help the growth of TWTERM. In exchange I promise to bring you more exciting features to enhance your playing session. *************************************************************************** Files created and/or used by TWTERM (A "*" denotes a file used in the registered version only) TWTERM20.EXE the terminal program TERMHELP.DOC term documentation. This file. Can also be printed MODMHELP.DOC help file for configuring your modem SCRIPT.DOC help file for creating script macros FILE_ID.DIZ use this to describe TWTERM when u/l to a BBS ORDER.FRM easy to use registration form TWSHIP.LIB help file used by "Ship's LIbrary" TWPLANET.LIB help file used by "Ship's Library" TWSTAT.MAC example macro file that displays all stats in game TWRECORD.TWT demo text file for playback in the Flight recorder TWMACROS.FIL text file that contains your editable macros TWUTIL.FIL text file containing the configuration of utility(s) to run .MAC files text files for use by TWTERM to run large macros .SCT file CIM file containing all explored sector's warp info .PRT file CIM file containing all explored sector's port info .WRP file Created by the Level Diagram mapping feature, containing warps found during it's processing. Same format as .SCT .CFG file one file for each TW game you play in. Contains the configuration data on that game .LD file Temporary file for storing LD warps *.DAT file text file containing game stats, fleet location, busted ports location of Stardock/Class 0's, deployed fighters/mines, more *.TRD file text file used to store trader findings and notes. *.BST file text file containing list of best ports for trading and robbing *.END file text file listing dead-ends, how deep, and if port exists *.ONE file text file containing your known one-way warps *.AST file text file containing your major assets grouped by sectors (does not list sectors that have 1 fighter or mine in them) *************************************************************************** Features of TWTERM Previously I explained how to start TWTERM and how to correct any problems when running it. So this section will focus on the features in TWTERM and how to use them to your best advantage. ------------------ Summary of TWTERM Keys ----------------------- F1 Ship's Library F2 Ship Control Center <CTRL> P Print Menu F3 Toggle Capture File <CTRL> B Black Box - Flight Recorder F4 Data Menu <CTRL> C CIM Access F5 Display Map F6 Level Diagram Mapping <CTRL> X Exit TWTERM F7 Macro Menu <CTRL> Y Reset Database Files F8 Config Menu <CTRL> Z Toggle Display F9 Shell To Dos F10 Utility Menu ------------>>>>>>>>>>> F1 - SHIP'S LIBRARY <<<<<<<<<<<<-------------- Selecting this feature allows you to view all your files created by TWTERM plus any other text files you may wish to view. If you want to view a file on another drive or directory, simply supply the path when specifying the file name. This feature is also used when you just want help with the Icons or to view the Scrollback Buffer. ---------->>>>>>>>>>> F2 - SHIP CONTROL CENTER <<<<<<<<<<<<------------ Here is where you can keep track and maintain your fleet. This menu can display up to 15 ships. Some of the features here include: NEARBY SHIPS By running this you can see how far away your ships are from your current location. This is very handy when you want to teleport and need to know which ships are within range. NOTE: To calculate the distance, TWTERM needs to know the current sector you are in. While on-line this info is stored in variable %18 for this feature to access. However off-line, no info is stored in %18, and thus you must supply it in order for this feature to work. Use your "Black Box" to do just that. Start replaying your session via your ships Black Box (<CTRL> B). Stop the display when you get to the sector you wish to calculate from. SHIPS PASSWORD Here you can set a password you wish to use to protect your ships from invaders. Type in the password you want. It is instantly saved and displayed. You'll never forget your password again. The password is saved in variable %20. Thus by using variable %20 and TWTERM's script language, you can easily create a macro to send your password when requested by TW. T-WARP and PLANET SCANNER In TW, you get different prompts from the game depending on whether you have these items on your ship or not. In order for the Built-In macros to work properly, they need to know which TW prompts will be sent their way. By entering YES or NO for these you customize the macros to work with your ship. And since you can own many ships, you will want to change these when changing ships (providing you are going to use the macros that are affected by these - if not then don't worry about this). The Colonize macro uses the T-Warp one, while Planet Maintainence, Planet Trading, and Colonize macros all use the Planet Scanner one. -------------------->>>>>>> F3 - STARLOG <<<<<<<<<-------------------- Use this to open and close a capture file. Each time you open a capture file you can add a distinctive name to it. The file is then given an extension of .LOG automatically. If you plan on scanning this log file via "SCAN A LOG" to gather data on your game, then I suggest you give your log file the same name as the gamename. Else TWTERM won't scan it. ------------------>>>>>>>> F4 - DATA MENU <<<<<<<<<<<----------------- (Registered version only) Come here when you need info on your universe. Kinda like your ship's library, where you can look up all kinds of stuff. 1) Change Database Switch from one set of game files to another set. 2) Merge Database Merge another's SCT, PRT, or WRP file with yours. (always merge the most recent file last). Use this also to merge your .WRP file created by the Level-Diagram mapper with your CIM .SCT file. 3) Scan Log Scans a .LOG file for all your assets, planets found, game stats, ports you have been busted at and more.. 4) Nearest Ports Use this to quickly locate the ports nearest to any sector you specify. 5) Paired Ports Choose the type of pair you want, and get a listing of those ports. Those marked with a "*" are near full capacity and should be your first choice. 6) Rob/Steal Ports Lists the ports that contain credits to rob and ports that have Equipment to steal. 7) Delete Busted Use this when you wish to erase from disk and memory Ports the list of ports where you have been busted. Useful to use after the 14 day cycle is up, and you are free to rob and steal again. 8) Near Unexplored Use this to quickly locate the nearest unexplored Sectors sectors to any sector you specify. 9) Find Dead-Ends List dead-ends, how far deep, and Class of port should one exist in the dead-end. 10) Display Path Display a Transwarp or Standard path between two sectors. 11) One-Way Warps Finds and displays all the one-way warps you have found. 12) Find Traders Keeps a chronological list of all reports you have found on other Traders. Excellent for tracking down players. For best results start this term and open your Flight Recorder or capture file while TW's opening screen is displayed. Then TWTERM can scan your opening messages also for the most complete report. (if you have trouble interpreting this report, go to the end of this doc and read "How To Read Trader File" 13) Add Reminder Use this to post a reminder of who's ship belongs to who. Attaches to the Trader log (.TRD file). Can also use this feature to post notes about your game. 14) Delete Old Use this to delete old Trader reports and notes that Reports may be too old to be reliable. Just specify how many days back you wish to save, and all previous days will erased from the .TRD file. ------------------>>>>>>>> F5 - MAP SCREEN <<<<<<<<<<----------------- Here you have the latest in TW technology. A dual screen mapper that works on-line or off. Here you'll find info on any explored sector of the universe. You'll see the surrounding sectors, up to 9 sectors away. All dead-ends and ports are clearly marked. The dual screen allows for viewing two different parts of the universe at the same time, or for extending the view of the path in the first window. This is one feature of TWTERM that will take some practice at mastering. However anyone skilled with this mapper has an advantage over one using the same term program with no skill on the mapper. Learn it well. Also while in the mapper, should you wish to examine any port that appears on the map, you can do so by entering "P" then the sector # where the port is located. Final Note: Some sectors may appear to be dead-ends, but in reality may have a one way warp that comes in to it. The mapper does not check for this. The sector that warps in may not be explored yet, thus the mapper can't tell. If you are using the mapper as an aid in travel, then it doesn't matter since you can't use that warp anyway. If you are using it to scan an area to put a planet, then use the "Check For One-Way Warp" feature. Can also check while playing TW by marking the sector before the dead-end as an avoid, then trying to move there. TW will inform you if a warp exists. ------------>>>>>>>> F6 - LEVEL DIAGRAM MAPPING <<<<<<<<<<------------- Use this in a new game to explore your universe quickly without having to use Ether Probes or to go there manually. Since this feature can take some time, especially in a 5000 sector universe, you are now allowed the option of running this feature in 3 different stages. No need to do it all in one day. TWTERM keeps track of where you left off and can continue from there whenever you wish. After you have finished with all 3 stages, TWTERM collects the data and and formats the data in the same format as your CIM's .SCT file. The file is assigned an extension of .WRP. You can do 2 things with this .WRP file. If you are a registered user, you can merge the .WRP file with your .SCT file for a most comprehensive listing. You can also rename the .WRP file and give it an extension of .SCT and load into TWTERM just like you would do with CIM's .SCT file. One word of warning though. It would take an awful long time to map 100% of the warps in the game, instead the time has been cut down to a more manageable amount, the trade off is that you won't have 100% of the warps. So just keep that in mind when using the data. A sector that appears to have only 1 warp out in reality may have 2 or more. ---------------->>>>>>>> F7 - MACRO MENU <<<<<<<<<<-------------------- The Macro Menu displays all the macros you have available to use. In the unregistered version it also displays the macros that come in the registered version. This way you can get an idea of the extra goodies you'll get by registering. Also you'll see a special FLIP button. This allows you to toggle the display of Editable macros. When you first open the menu you will see a description of your Editable macros. By using the FLIP button you can display (and edit) the macro's script code. TWTERM can run three types of macros: 1) .MAC files. This is a text file with an extension of .MAC. This file can hold 10 lines of 80 characters each, or 800 character total for your macro. That's one huge macro capability. These macros must be created using a word processor, text editor, or DOS's COPY CON command. These macros must be saved in a text file with an extension of .MAC. If you use TWTERM's Utility menu to run your text-editor, then you can edit these macros while in TWTERM. I've included one here as an example to learn from. The macro is called TWSTATS.MAC and is used when you first log-in to a game or before exiting. It provides a complete list of all your assets, game stats, trader list, and more. Make sure you start a capture file before running it in case you want to save all the info. 2) Another type of macro is an Editable macro. These are saved in a text file called TWMACROS.FIL. I call these "Editable" because you can create these macros off-line or while on-line from within TWTERM. Included with TWTERM are macros already written for you. Modify, erase, or replace them as you wish. 3) The last type is the Built-In macros. These macros are coded into TWTERM and cannot be modified. These are ones that are complex to code so I did it for you and added it into the term itself. They handle all your mundane chores such as trading and stealing. Also a couple for Planet Maintenance. (Sorry, only registered users have access to these macros) To create macros that TWTERM understands you'll need to use TWTERM's script language (see SCRIPT.DOC for complete details). ------------------------ NOTE: While running a macro, should you wish to abort it, simply hit the <ESC> key. Sometimes, if you coded the macro wrong, you could find yourself in an endless loop (you'll know it when the screen stops displaying and none of the keys in TWTERM work). Again, press <ESC> to exit from such a loop. ------------------------ The easiest way to create your EDITABLE macros is within TWTERM. However if you would like to create the TWMACROS.FIL file off-line in a word processor the format is as follows: 1) Add a "'" to the beginning of the description line 2) put the description line above the macro line Not all macros need to be described. Here are some examples of proper format: EXAMPLE 1 (both macros described): 'this macro does todays news when at the Main prompt {send c}{%9}{send d}{e :}{send %8}{use]} 'moves to sector 3 from sector 1 {send 2;}{%0}{send 3;}{%0} EXAMPLE 2 (only third macro described): {send 2;}{%0}{send 3;}{%0} {send c}{%9}{send d}{e :}{send %8}{use]} 'displays info on your ship {send i}{%0}{set} If all this is confusing to you, then create your macros and descriptions in TWTERM. Then Exit TWTERM or Shell to DOS and examine the TWMACROS.FIL file to see the format it is created in. To create Huge macros (.MAC files) you'll need some sort of text editor. Each .MAC file can be up to 10 lines long at 80 characters per line max. See TWSTATS.MAC as an example FINAL NOTE: Many of these macros can be sped up by turning off the ANSI color in TW before running the macros. ------------->>>>>>>> F8 - CONFIGURATION MENU <<<<<<<<<<<------------- Here you can configure each TW game you play in to work with TWTERM. Some things you'll need to configure is your modem settings for that BBS, the number of sectors in that TW game, whether you want sound on or off, should Space graphics be displayed (turning this off can speed up your screen displays), and what Class types of port to be warned about. The 2 port alarms will warn you when you come across the type of port you have selected. When robbing I usually set this for 1 and 6. When searching for Stardock use 9, and to be kept aware of class 0 ports use 0. Final Note: Some warning beeps are not affected by this feature. Whether sound is on or off, you will hear these. ---------------->>>>>>>> F10 - UTILITY MENU <<<<<<<<<<<------------------ This menu allows you to run other programs while on-line. These programs can be on any drive and in any directory you specify (as long as it is valid). This is most useful for running 3rd party utilities for TW, but you can also use it to run any piece of software or DOS commands, or even .BAT files. If the file is in the current directory all you need do is enter the name of the program to run along with any command line parameters it uses. If the file is on another drive or in another directory, then you will need to enter the full path also. Example: Suppose you want to run TED3 to edit your Huge macros while on-line. TED3 is a text editor that resides in another directory you would enter something like... C:\edit\ted3 Now, no matter where TWTERM is being run from, you have access to TED3.COM Should TWTERM not locate the file, an error message will be displayed. However should it exist and you attempt to run it, but it doesn't work, then chances are you don't have enough memory for the other utility to run. TWTERM can not check for this since it has no way of knowing memory requirements for all the utilities out there. TIP: You can also use this feature to run DOS commands (much easier then shelling to DOS), to copy, move, or delete files. ------------->>>>>>>> <CTRL> Z - TOGGLE DISPLAY <<<<<<<<<<<--------------- This option allows for switching between 41 or 24 line display. Actually both are 43 line displays. However the 41 and 24 refer to how many lines of text are taken up by the TW display, while TWTERM uses the rest for it's graphics display. -------------->>>>>>>> <CTRL> P - PRINT MENU <<<<<<<<<<<---------------- Here you can print the many data files created by TWTERM, or any text file for that matter. Even those created by other TW utilities. --------->>>>>>>>>>> <CTRL> Y - DATABASE RESET <<<<<<<<<<<<-------------- Use this to reload your games PRT/SCT files, busted port info, and ship info. Used after you have just downloaded the latest PRT/SCT files. After merging a .PRT, .SCT, or .WRP file. Or after changing from one game databse to another. This feature can also reload any games settings (max amount of sectors,etc) -------------->>>>>>>> <CTRL> C - CIM ACCESS <<<<<<<<<<<----------------- This feature access TW's CIM (Computer Interrogation Mode). Here you will find all the data on the sectors and ports you have explored. TWTERM creates two files that contain the info on your universe. Both files are given a file name that is the same name you use for the game you play in. The file containing sector info has an extension of .SCT, while the port file uses an extension of .PRT. Depending on how much of the universe you have explored this d/l of data can take some time (and depends on your modem-usually 3-4 minutes). The only way to abort is to hit <ESC>. There is known to be a bug in TW when it comes to the CIM. This bug can cause problems with this feature of TWTERM (this TW bug existed in 1.03 and 1.03d, as of this writing, I am unsure whether it still exists in the new TW. To avoid the bug in the first place, make sure you make a few moves in TW before accessing CIM. Should you encounter the bug while already in the process of d/ling (you can tell when the scanner stops moving for a lengthy period of time, or an unusual amount of time has passed and it is still not done), you can hit the <ESC> key to escape. Once you have d/l the files and returned to TW, you may want to load the freshly updated port and sector files into TWTERM. Hit <CTRL> Y to load your data files. Cannot use this feature off-line. -------->>>>>>>> <CTRL> B - BLACK BOX/FLIGHT RECORDER <<<<<<<<<<<-------- This baby is like the black box in an airplane. It records your every move. I like to think of it as a VCR tape of my playing session. TWRECORD.TWT is the tape and TWTERM is the VCR. When off-line simply hit <CTRL> B and your playing session is played back in full 3D graphics and sound. This feature comes in handy when working off-line. * Handy in reviewing mistakes you may have made, or reviewing something you may have missed. * Corp members will find it invaluable when replaying another teammates playing session. * Create a capture file of it off-line for later scanning by TWTERM * Use it as an aid in creating your macro's off-line When running this off-line you can push the <PAUSE> key to temporarily halt the display. One word of caution though. This feature requires lot's of free disk space for saving your playing session. Probably about 300K per 30 minutes of play at 2400 baud. (Don't be concerned about size if you want to u/l to a teammate. Since it is a text file, an 800K session will PKZIP to about 50K.) TIP: I created a .BAT file that I run from within TWTERM that renames the TWRECORD.TWT file to any name I want. By doing this, I can give each file a name that reflects the date of that particular file. I now have a library of tapes dating back months. I can replay and review anyone of my playing sessions. *************************************************************************** Built-In Macros (Registered Version Only) Here is a list of the Built-In macros and how to operate them: <ALT> A Lower Alignment Start at the Stardock main prompt. Lowers your alignment by 1 point for every experience point you wish to spend. Costs no turns or credits to lower your alignment, only experience points (unless you have no experience points, then it'll cost you nothing but time). Takes about 5 minutes to lower alignment by 200 points at 14.4 baud. <ALT> T Paired Port Trader Start from TW's Main prompt, and make sure you are in the sector of one of the ports. Hit <ALT> T and you will be prompted as to what type of trading you want to do. Equip/Org, Equip/Fuel, or Org/Fuel. Since Equip/Org is the most used, it is the default choice if you wish to just press <ENTER> at this prompt. This macro will port, move, select the right products, and haggle for you. This macro keeps running till you end it or the products on hand run low. <ALT> P Single Port This one is used when you just want to port, trade, and move on. You'll do this a lot when exploring or travelling. This macro also selects the most profitable commodity for you. For instance if a port sells 2 or 3 items, it will get the best item first. If you want to purchase something else then the best available, then don't use this macro. <ALT> D Credit Drainer Pull into a port that has lots of credits. Use this macro to port and steal credits. Will keep doing so until credits run down to less then 2000, or you stop the macro, or you get busted. <ALT> S Steal Equipment Use this to port, then steal a load of equipment. Make sure you're holds are empty before attempting to steal, and that the port has enough product on hand to steal. <ALT> C Sell/Steal/Move Loop This macro will dock at a Port that buys Equipment. Sells the Equipment you have then steals it backs. It then moves to an adjacent sector you specify and does it again. It then returns to the previous sector and starts the routine all over again. You will need a load of Equipment on your ship before running this macro. <ALT> K Colonize Planet So you started a planet and now need colonists. Start from the sector of your home planet. Make sure the path to sector 1 is clear of enemy fighters and mines. Start the macro. It will take you to sector 1, land, fill up with colonists, then return back to your planet where it will land and deposit the colonists. This macro also allows you the option of using a Transwarp Drive for colonizing should you so desire. If you are using the Trans-Warp, then you must have enough ore on your ship to TransWarp from sector 1 back to your planet BEFORE unning the macro. Figure 3 holds of ore for every hop. Whenever you are done with transportation, just press the <ESC> key to end this macro. NOTE: If this macro hangs on you, make sure you have specified whether your ship has a Trans-Warp Drive (F2). If you have an incorrect setting then reset and restart the macro. <ALT> O Planet Trader Start in the same sector as your planet. Make sure there is a port there to use, and your holds are empty. You can choose between 3 options: 1) Sell planet commodities (great for unloading unwanted product or when raping a planet you just invaded). 2) Buy commodities for your planet (great when you need to start a planet, or to fill a Q-Cannon with Fuel Ore. 3) Trade between planet and port. While it sells an unwanted product to the port, it also buys a product you want (maybe Ore for Q-Cannon) and puts it on the planet. This macro runs till you stop it or until the product on hand is less then the number of holds used in the transaction. NOTE: If this macro hangs on you, make sure you have specified whether your ship has a Planet Scanner (F2). If you have an incorrect setting then reset and restart the macro. <ALT> M Maintain Planet This macro you can start while on the planet or in the sector. If you start while on the planet, the macro finishes with you on the planet. If you start from the sector you will end in the sector. If there is no Citadel on the planet (or only a level 1) it grabs the fighters and puts them on your ship (make sure you have room for them first before starting the macro). Run the macro once for each planet in the sector. NOTE: If this macro hangs on you, make sure you have specified whether your ship has a Planet Scanner (F2). If you have an incorrect setting then reset and restart the macro. <ALT> L Launch Disruptor Use this when you want to eradicate mines in a sector. Make sure you have some disruptors first and are adjacent to the sector with the mines. Start the macro, tell it the number of Disruptors to fire, and into what sector. Then sit back and watch the fireworks (and I mean "Fireworks" literally, as you view the mines explode in vivid color). <ALT> F Fire Photon Fires a photon missile into an adjacent sector, then moves you into that sector. <ALT> U Unlock/Lock Underground Make sure you are at the Stardock main prompt when you begin this macro. Also make sure you have a few thousand credits on you. Start the macro, and it will go to the Grimy Trader and get the password, then take you to the Underground, gives the password and Bingo! you're in. When asked for a new password, it gives one that is rather complex thus making it very hard for anyone else to get into the Underground. Ever see passwords like this? "#!@$#$R&^&)(*&_**^&*(&^*&^^*^&*(*&(*&*&" No problem with this macro. You don't have to type a single character. Not available in any other TW utility! (at the time of this writing) *************************************************************************** How To Read The .TRD File Your .TRD file lists the days, any Traders trail you have picked up, and notes you may have made for that day. TWTERM gathers this info from "Docking Reports" and from your "opening messages". When displayed in the .TRD file, dockings are left-justified while findings in your messages (you get these when traders enter sectors where you have placed fighters or mines) are indented one space. You will also notice, that Docking reports use the ships name and the other uses the Traders name. If you find a ships name in your .TRD file that has a time close to a traders name, then you will know the name of that traders ship. (in case you want to change ships names for some reason). Also you will notice a listing of the times the sectors were visited. To find where you fit on that listing. Look for the time you played (top line) go down the list and see who has the time right before you. That is the player who played last, all times below and above that are the times others entered those sectors within the last 24 hours. You can use these times to track down other players movements and where they or came. But you can also use them for setting traps. After you have a few days of reports in your .TRD file, you should be able to spot sectors or complete paths that another trader is using. Well, I don't have to tell you what to do with those paths, do I? *************************************************************************** If the program doesn't work If you have trouble getting this program to run properly, check this document or MODMHELP.DOC. Chances are you will find information to help you there. If you can't find the solution to your problem in the document feel free to contact me at the places listed below. VOICE: (310) 924-4184 MAIL: 11955 209th St, Lakewood, CA 90715 BBS: Trade Wars conferences on RIME, Metrolink, and Wildnet SUPPORT BBS: 1-213-221-0172 Log on with this name: *Willy Boy Software for instant access. 6 lines, supports all modems. Conference 4 is my personal support conference where you can address problems or bugs you may experience. You can Freq TWTERM at the above number using the magic name of TWTERM20 Fido node: 1:102/757 *************************************************************************** Special Thanks For all their help in the development of TWTERM, I'd like to take this moment to give special thanks to David Spellman, Sysop of PhotoPro who graciously has provided a distribution and support outlet for my programs. Special thanks to Michael Jones, Brock Rozen, and Carolyn Stoffel for their help in beta-testing (so if you find a bug, blame them), and ideas in product design. Thanks to French Flyer BBS and Greg French for allowing me access to TW for 3 hours everyday while I coded TWTERM. *************************************************************************** That's all there is to it. Happy hunting, and I hope it helps add to your personal arsenal of tools for Trade Wars. If you should have any suggestions or ideas about TWTERM, or if you find a bug drop me a line. TWTERM has a long way to go before it becomes the Ultimate Term. I can only do it with your support. So please, join the TWTERM family and help make this term the best it can be. Please register today. Will Boyett Author of such great game utilities such as: TWTERM, TWTRAK, UUDEVICE, UUTERM *************************************************************************** Program Revisions What's new for 2.0 (compared to TWTERM 1.4 which is for TW 1.03d and before) 1) New Features.. * This version is compatible with the new TW 2.0. Handles 1000 to 5000 sector universe in increments of 500. * Added Level-Diagram Menu, to aid in breaking down the mapping of a large universe. * Removed "Find Stardock" since it is no longer feasible (?) in TW 2.0 * Much internal stuff has been changed to accommodate larger TW universes Because of this you should see an increased speed of 10-20% while running many of TWTERMs' features. (based on a comparison of a 1000 sector universe vs. the TWTERM used for TW 1.03d's 1000 sector universe) * Removed Steal/Sell macro <ALT> E and replaced it with Sell/Steal/Move macro <ALT> C * Now saves to disk your found One-Way warps. * Improved format and increased amount of personal info that is saved to disk in the .DAT file * Previously a registered feature, but is now included in the Unregistered version is the FLIP button on the Macro Screen. This now allows for all to add helpful descriptions to your macros * No longer need to create .BAT files to run DOS commands from the Utility Menu * Added option to specify amount of sectors in Universe. (Config Menu) * Removed feature that highlights the Port Class Type in the current sector since the new TW displays this already. One less thing for TWTERM to check, so increased display speed should result. * No longer loads .SCT and .PRT info when starting TWTERM. Thus if you don't use any features that require this info, you no longer have to wait for the files to load. * Optimized memory usage so a 3000 sector game should fit into the same amount of memory as was used in previous versions for a 1000 sector universe. Games larger then that will require more memory while those less will require less. * Processing speed of calculating paths has increased 40-50% faster. * When exiting the Map Screen, use "L" now instead of "0" * No longer need to hit "A" to exit Utility Menu. <ENTER> or <ESC> will now do it. * Increased size of Utility Menu so more DOS commands or utilities can be stored. * Increased number of Editable and Huge macros that Unregistered users can use. * Added Tavern menu to the menu window. * Added room on Macro Screen for an additional Editable Macro * Added "Best Sell/Steal/Move Ports" to Paired-Port Listings. * Replaced Steal/Sell macro with Sell/Steal/Move macro. * Variable 17 now used for storing haggling price in macros Variable 16 moved to 14 Variable 16 now contains current path Variable 15 now used for location of Stardock Variable 20 now used for storing your ships password Variable 21 informs this term on whether you have a T-Warp Drive or not Variable 22 informs this term on whether you have a Planet Scanner * Added Ship Info and Fleet Location to Log Scan * Made Scan A Log available to Unregistered Users * Changed "View A File" to "Ship's Library", and added 12 new features * Changed names of UTILITY.TW to TWUTIL.FIL, MACROS.TWT to TWMACROS.FIL and RECORDER.TWT to TWRECORD.TWT * Fixed bug in MAP screen * Added creation of .AST file to "Scan Log" feature. The .AST file lists your major assets grouped by sectors. * Now displays Stardock location and current path on main screen * Moved Port Class info from main screen to Library Menu. * Added a new section in the documentation, that explains how to get started using the features in TWTERM. * Script Language now has a command for doing loops and many more neat things. * Removed Alarm Clock * Added a Ship Control Center for handling your fleet of ships. New in 2.1 * Bug fixes: 1) When scanning for personal planets and none are found, the .DAT file no longer gets messed up. 2) Mine alert displayed 1 pixel to low. 3) When setting ships password via a macro, it added a ";" to macro. Now corrected. 4) HAGGLE command had a bug in it pertaining to buying a commodity.