Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/games/linwar.zip/LINEWARS.DOC

Text File | 1989-07-17 | 14KB | 298 lines

                        L I N E W A R S   Version 1.xx
                       Made in Finland by Patrick Aalto

      First words

        This is a game I personally have long been waiting for. After
      I got tired of waiting, I decided to give it a try myself. This
      is actually my first attempt to create anything remotely useful
      using assembly language.

        This is essntially a two player game, played on two computers
      that are connected with a  RS-232 cable and/or modems.  You can
      play it alone, but then it is not very entertaining.


      Disclaimer (Sorry about this...)

        LineWars and LineWarC are distributed on an "AS IS" basis.  I
      assume no responsibility for damages or loss of busines arising
      out of the use or incorrect use of this program on your machine
      or machines.


      Hardware Requirements

        You can play this in any PC having either EGA or CGA card and
      monitor.  You should also have a RS-232-cable connected to your
      opponent's computer  or you should have a modem  if you plan to
      play it in a so called 'Duel Mode'. You can select the baudrate
      to match your connection between 300 and 19200 bps. In practice
      the lowest applicaple baudrate is  300,  which is barely enough
      to drive the game somewhat over 15 frames per second. You ought
      to have a faster than 6 Mhz machine.  On my PC/XT clone,  which
      is an  8 Mhz 8086 -based machine,  the actual frame rate varies
      between  10 and 18 frames per second.  That is a bit slow,  but
      tolerable.  On the other hand on a  12.5 Mhz 80286 machine this
      game will run too fast for human reactions  (mine,  anyway)  if
      you do not slow it down (using the FrameRate settings).

      The game

        The main objective in this game is  to destroy your opponent.
      You are flying a  Cobra Mark IV  multi-purpose  General Contact
      Vehicle,  which is a very fast and manoeuvrable spaceship. Your
      opponent has a Cobra IV too, so you both have equal chances for
      winning.  Which one wins depends on your reactions and tactical
      skills!

        The events of this game take place far away  in intergalactic
      space, where stars are few and alien vessels common. Therefore,
      you should pay attention not only to your opponent  but also to
      all other ships in your vicinity. Failing to do so may cost you
      your ship (not to mention your life!).

        Your ship is equipped with an Energy Shield, up to six Missi-
      les and two Beam Lasers, front and rear.  If your Energy Shield
      is totally exhausted, your ship will cease to function.  Energy
      shield absorbs incoming laser fire, as well as missile explosi-
      ons, if it is fully charged.  Missile hit reduces shield energy
      very substantially,  so it is always better to outmanoeuvre any
      incoming missiles (if you learn how to do it...) Energy shields
      will recharge gradually when you are not in fight.

        When you fire lasers (using ALT-key),  your Laser Energy will
      decrease. When it is exhausted,  your lasers start to go on and
      off. This is not dangerous, release the ALT-key, and soon Laser
      energy will increase.  Any laser fire that hits your  ship will
      show in blue, while your laser rods are yellow if you miss, and
      red if you hit your target.  When your target is destroyed, the
      lasers register  a  sudden energy burst  and turn white  for an
      instant (EGA version). In CGA version all lasers are white, but
      if you miss, your laser rods are thinner than when you hit.

        To fire a  Missile you should have your target on crosshairs,
      then press  CTRL  and a missile will be launched,  provided you
      have any left.  I should also tell you  that there is  a chance
      your Missile Launchin System (MLS) jams.  If this happens,  you
      cannot use missiles during the battle.

        If you get yourself killed, the computer will complain (loud-
      ly!). So be carefull...


      Game Keys

        The keys you need in this game are as follows:

      Up Arrow         = Dive  (nose down)
      Down Arrow       = Climb (nose up)
      Left Arrow       = Rotate (roll) ship counter-clockwise
      Right Arrow      = Rotate (roll) ship clockwise

      PgDn = F9        = Decrease Speed
      PgUp = F10       = Increase Speed

      Alt              = Fire Laser
      Ctrl             = Target/Fire Missile

      F1               = Front View
      F2               = Rear View
      F3               = Left View
      F4               = Right View

      ESC              = Quit (that is, surrender!)

        All other keys are sent to your opponent's CommScreen, so you
      can chat in the middle of a game. (But don't fall into that old
      trick, when your opponent asks you something,  and then attacks
      while you have your 'pants down',  ie.  your fingers not on the
      control keys!)

      Ship's Console

        Your  Cobra IV  has a large  MainViewScreen,  which shows you
      all that happens outside your ship. You can set it to 'emulate'
      front, rear, left or right windows using function keys F1,F2,F3
      and F4. In front and rear views you can use your Laser's sights
      to shoot accurately.

        On the bottom left corner of your console  are the meters for
      Speed, Energy Shields, Laser Energy, View and Missile status.

        Below the MainViewScreen is the RadarScreen. This is a highly
      sophisticated  3-D  viewer that shows you the locations  of all
      ships in your vicinity.

        On the bottom right corner  is the  CommScreen.  All messages
      you get from your ships computer or your opponent show in here.
      All messages that you send will also show on the screen.


      Main Menu

        When the game begins, you are presented a menu.  This menu is
      what I call 'Main Menu'. It has eight options, each of which is
      described below in detail.  You can select using either cursor-
      keys and pressing RETURN (or ENTER or <┘), or you can press the
      appropriate function key (F1 ... F8).  ESC will get you to main
      menu from anywhere,  and pressing  ESC while in main menu drops
      you back to DOS (or to BBS, if that is the case).

      Instructions

        Basics of the game, like what keys to use,  plus a very short
      summary of menu functions.

      Play LineWars

        This is IT! When you select this, the game will begin. If you
      are using a line (War Mode: Duel), the game will now attempt to
      'wake up' the other side and start the game. The game will then
      begin after a few parameters are exchanged between machines.

      Line Settings

        This is a menu that needs to be used if you play LineWars via
      communications line (which should be the case, although this is
      ofcourse not necessary).  If you plan never to use a line,  you
      can skip to the following chapter.

        There are four switches on this menu, as follows:

      1) Port.  You must select which Com Port to use.  Currently the
         options include COM1 to COM4.

      2) Baud.  You also need to tell the game  what is the baud rate
         of the connection.  You can select  a fixed rate between 300
         and 19200 baud,  or Check to make LineWars use the presently
         active baudrate of the line.

      3) Connect Mode.  There are three  possible positions  for this
         switch. If you plan to use LineWars with a direct line or if
         you use  some other program  to make calls  with your modem,
         you can set it at the 'Direct Line' - position.  If you plan
         to use the LineWars Terminal (described later) and dial your
         opponent using LineWars,  or if you plan to use LineWars for
         answering incoming calls,  you should set this switch to the
         'Hayes-modem' - position  (provided your modem is compatible
         with the Hayes 'AT-commands'). The third position, BBS-door,
         is explained in detail in LINEWBBS.DOC.  Normally you should
         not set Connect Mode to this option.

      4) Dial.  Use this switch  to tell LineWars  whether your modem
         should use tone- or pulse signals when making a call.

      Note,  that the communications line MUST be 8 databits,  1 stop
      bits and no parity !

      War Settings

        This menu you need to use  whether you play single  or with a
      friend. The switches are:

      1) War Mode. Select 'Duel' if you want to use the line, 'Single'
         if you want to play alone. If Single, the Line Settings will
         have no effect on the game.

      2) Key Damp. Turn this switch off,  if you are very experienced
         in flying a spacecraft! Try it, at least.

      3) Framerate. Use this setting to select the best framerate for
         your skills and machine. I think the 18 Hz (that is,  18 new
         pictures,  'frames',  every second) is the best.  Unless you
         have a 6+ Mhz AT, 'Fast'-position will not make the game run
         any faster.  On 12.5 Mhz AT  the difference is very notable!
         If you are just practicing, the 9 Hz might be right.

      4) Enemies. Against how many at a time can you handle?  Note by
         the way, this the maximum number of ships, not the number of
         ships that attack you all the time.  This has no effect when
         playing 'Duel'.

      5) Codename.  If you are playing  'Duel',  you can now select a
         horrifying nick-name that creates terror in your enemy...

      Terminal

        If you have no other terminal program to use when dialing the
      computer of your friend,  you can use this one  integrated into
      LineWars.  It is very simple,  for example it doesn't interpret
      ANSI-codes, but it works. When Terminal is started, you can see
      the active com port  and baudrate  from the bottom left corner.
      From the bottom right corner you see whether you are Offline or
      Online. The keys you can use are as follows:

      F1. If you have selected 'Hayes-modem' and you are Offline, now
          pressing F1 lets you dial a number.  If you are Online, you
          can hang up pressing F1.

      F3. Pressing F3 switches between Server-mode (Local echo on, if
          Offline and Hayes-modem, wait for a caller) and Normal-mode
          (Local echo off,  don't answer incoming calls).  You should
          not change this  unless you can't see  what you have typed.
          If both ends are in Server-mode,  characters will echo from
          one machine to another endlessly !  By convention only BBS-
          door activates Server-mode automatically.

      ESC quits Terminal and returns you to main menu.

      Ctrl-X quits LineWars running at the other side under BBS-door.

      All other keys  will be sent to the line  just as in  any other
      terminal program.

      View Scores

        Here you can see  your current status,  against who  you have
      played,  how many times did you  lose or win,  and what is your
      overall score against any of your enemies.  If Score is greater
      than one, you are ahead,  if not,  you are behind your enemy in
      your Combat Rating.


      Regardless of the Connect Mode,  if either player selects  Play
      or Terminal and the other player is in the Main Menu,  the same
      operation will be performed on the other end too.


      What's ahead for LineWars?

          - Sound effects
          - More and different ship types
          - Better line-error check during the game
          - A real BBS-door-game with multiple players (?)
          - More speech
          - Hercules and VGA versions
          - Steering also with Joystick or Mouse

      If you want to register  this version and  receive new versions
      in the future  (which will include above mentioned enhancements
      and many more), please send $24 to the address mentioned at the
      end of this document.  If you wish to have  a full source code,
      please send $42 to that address. In the case of the source code
      registration,  please enclose one diskette (5.25" 360KB or 3.5"
      720KB).  Please  use the  registration form  supplied with this
      package (LINEWARS.REG).


      Thanks to:  (in random order)

          - Frank M. Ramaekers Jr.      for FontEdit and FontLoad
          - Vesa Lappalainen            for RS-232 comm. package
          - Alan D. Jones               for Play (voice output)
          - Janne Niinistö et al.       for many valuable ideas
          - Pekka Koivunen (SysOp of Spruce Wood Lane MBBS, 358-41-832162)
            Kim Heino      (SysOp of BCG-Box,               358-21-404036)
                                        for many hours of testing and
                                            many good ideas

      My address is:

      Patrick Aalto
      Hiekkapohjan koulu
      40270 PALOKKA
      Finland