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1992-07-29
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Version 1.5
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▀█▀ Copyright (c) 1990-1992 by Bentley C. Griffith.
█▀▀█▀▀▀ All rights reserved worldwide.
█ █ ▀█ Esterian Conquest is a Trademark of Griffith
█▄▄█▄▄█ International.
▄█▄ Sysop's Guide written by Joel B. Cohen, Ph.D.
Fourth Edition, July, 1992.
Published by: Griffith International, P.O. Box 530703,
Birmingham, AL 35253
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Using this sysop's guide
Background
Popularity of this game
What makes Esterian Conquest unique
Test-drive this software
INSTALLING THE PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
System requirements for Esterian Conquest
Files on the program diskette
Installing Esterian Conquest
ESTERIAN CONQUEST SYSOP UTILITY (ECUTIL.EXE) . . . . . . . 6
Running ECUTIL
The Main Menu options
Message files created by this program
ESTERIAN CONQUEST PLAYER INTERFACE (ECGAME.EXE) . . . . . 9
Running ECGAME
Sysop options available
Message files created by this program
ESTERIAN CONQUEST MAINTENANCE PROGRAM (ECMAINT.EXE) . . . 10
Running ECMAINT
Starting a new game
Command line options available
Message files created by this program
TROUBLESHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Checklist for complete setup of Esterian Conquest
Symptom: The game was restored from a backup and
there is a file named ERRORS.TXT in the game-file
directory
Symptom: The ECGAME program does not take players'
orders and there are files ending with ".TOK"
in the game directory
APPENDIX A. DATA FILES STORED IN THE GAME DIRECTORY BY
ESTERIAN CONQUEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
APPENDIX B. FEEDBACK/SUGGESTION SHEET . . . . . . . . . . 15
APPENDIX C. REGISTRATION OF ESTERIAN CONQUEST . . . . . . 16
ESTERIAN CONQUEST ORDER FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5)
=============================================================
INTRODUCTION
=============================================================
USING THIS SYSOP'S GUIDE
-------------------------------------------------------------
We assume that you are a System Operator (SYSOP) on a
Bulletin Board System (BBS). This manual contains the
information needed to run Esterian Conquest on your BBS.
We also assume that you are familiar with running your BBS
software and installing software on your computer. You
may want to refer to your BBS software manual for
information on installing a door game.
The main purposes of this Sysop's Guide are to:
1. Familiarize you with Esterian Conquest's features.
2. Provide you with the information needed to install and
maintain Esterian Conquest.
3. Serve as a reference for more detailed information.
We suggest that you read this entire document, or at least
familiarize yourself with it. Refer to the Players' Guide
(in the file "ECPLAYER.DOC") for information on playing
the game.
BACKGROUND
-------------------------------------------------------------
Esterian Conquest is the brainchild of a relentless gamer
who is also an electrical engineer and a professional
programmer. Dissatisfied with existing galactic conquest
programs, he wrote his own game from scratch. He designed
it to realistically simulate the actions of interstellar
fleets, planetary production, land-based armies, starbases
and more. He made it easy for players to command their
empires so they could spend their time on strategy rather
than on struggling with complex commands.
The planning and writing of the first release took almost
two years and incorporated suggestions from many
experienced gamers and sysops. This new version
implements requests and suggestions from hundreds of users
and sysops. It is much more playable, realistic, and
addictive.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.1) 2
POPULARITY OF THIS GAME
-------------------------------------------------------------
Sysops tell us that Esterian Conquest has become one of
the most requested and used door programs they own. The
positive feedback and number of suggestions have exceeded
our expectations. A review in Computer Gaming World (June
1991 issue) said: "Esterian Conquest could be one of the
best 'on-line games of the '90s.'" At the time of
writing, it is registered in fourteen countries and 45
States; five independent groups of programmers have
written utility programs to enhance the play of the game;
and we average 125 e-mail suggestions, questions, or
comments per week.
Our goal is to create the best and most used BBS door game
in existence. The players' enjoyment of the game is our
highest priority and we are willing to do whatever is
necessary to enhance their fun. We welcome your comments
and suggestions.
WHAT MAKES ESTERIAN CONQUEST UNIQUE:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Players tell us they enjoy the realism of the simulation
and the ease of use. Many spend hours a day plotting
their campaigns or retelling the stories of their glorious
victories. Sysops like it because it requires almost no
attention and because it is practically foolproof.
REALISM. Players issue their orders between maintenances,
while game-time is stopped. Esterian Conquest's
maintenance program uses a sophisticated simulation to
model what would happen in real-time. During a battle,
the program actually plays every ship in each fleet
and tracks the results.
As in a real-life war, fleets, starbases and planets
report to their commanders when they've accomplished a
mission or when they see something that could be a threat.
These reports are verbal and word-wrapped and they add a
feeling of "being there" to the game.
LOW-MAINTENANCE. We went to great lengths to make Esterian
Conquest sysop friendly. It is easy to install and is
self-reliant. Simply install the program, initialize one
or more player games, and forget about it until you want
to re-initialize a game. When the game maintenance
program runs, it checks all data files and databases for
corruption that can occur during power failure. If the
files pass the test, maintenance backs up the game. If
maintenance detects corruptions in the databases, it
restores the game from a previous backup.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 3
TROUBLE-FREE OPERATION. Unlike many door-games, Esterian
Conquest allows simultaneous multi-node use. It handles
input from several players at the same time even under the
most punishing situations. This is a very well behaved
program that will run reliably and return to your BBS
software correctly when done.
Also unlike many door-games, Esterian Conquest directly
handles the serial communications hardware and interrupts.
Esterian Conquest's door-game program is interrupt driven
so it does not miss characters typed by players, nor does
Esterian Conquest lock up when a remote player hangs up
his modem in the middle of play. If carrier is lost, the
program stops, saves the state of the game, restores the
state of the machine, and then exits. Thus, you do not
need Watch-Dog type programs to guard Esterian Conquest.
Esterian Conquest uses as much memory as is available. We
recommend turning off the Watch-Dog type programs to allow
more memory for the game to run faster.
TEST DRIVE THIS SOFTWARE:
-------------------------------------------------------------
We are very proud of this game and grateful for the
feedback and suggestions we received. Find out for
yourself about how popular this game can become. Run this
shareware version on your BBS.
The shareware version of Esterian Conquest is identical to
the registered version except that the shareware version
halts player games after 30 moves and declares the current
leader as the winner. When the game reaches this stopping
point, you can either register Esterian Conquest and
resume the halted game at move 31 or you can re-start a
new 30-move game with the shareware version.
Buying the registered version of Esterian Conquest also
offers you additional benefits such as:
1. Free minor upgrades & highly discounted major upgrades.
2. Your name and BBS name appearing at the game's start.
3. A professionally printed manual containing the full
Sysop's Guide and Players Guide.
4. BBS support for general questions.
5. VOICE support for bug information. When we correct
program bugs, you will get the bug fix for free.
Please refer to the order form at the end of this manual
for information on buying a registered version of Esterian
Conquest. We rely on your support for maintaining and
improving this game.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 4
=============================================================
INSTALLING THE PROGRAM
=============================================================
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR ESTERIAN CONQUEST
-------------------------------------------------------------
Esterian Conquest will run on any IBM PC,XT,PS/2, or
compatible machine with the following capacities:
MS-DOS version 2.11 or later.
512K of internal memory (640K is recommended for larger
games involving 25 players).
A hard disk with at least 1MB available disk space.
BBS software that can generate any of the following
door file formats:
PCBOARD.SYS . . . . (PCBoard v14+)
DOOR.SYS . . . . . . (as suggested by GAP software)
DORINFOx.DEF . . . . (QBBS, RBBS, RA, FoReM, etc.)
CALLINFO.BBS . . . . (Wildcat!)
SFDOORS.DAT. . . . . (Spitfire)
CHAIN.TXT . . . . . (WWIV)
INFO.BBS . . . . . . (Phoenix software)
Esterian Conquest is currently running successfully on
the following BBS software:
Autie Kitten Remote Access Teleguard
Feather Net MaxiHost RBBS TPBoard
Fido! Maximus RyBBS Tritel
Force MBBS Sapphire USSR
FoReM OPUS Searchlight UBBS
GAP OSIRIS SE Simplex Ultra BBS
Genesis PCBoard Spitfire WildCat
GT Power Prologon SuperBBS WWIV
Host 4.4 QuickBBS TAG Zylem
FILES ON THE PROGRAM DISKETTE
-------------------------------------------------------------
EXECUTABLE FILES. Esterian Conquest consists of three
program files:
ECUTIL.EXE (Sysop Utility) initializes player-games, sets
up the maintenance schedule, changes the status of
empires, and sets switches for how the game will run.
ECGAME.EXE (The User Interface) allows players to enter
their moves, review the status of their empires, and
send messages to other players.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 5
ECMAINT.EXE (The Maintenance Program) simulates the
movements of all the empires and figures out the
results.
DOCUMENTATION FILES. Four documents (ASCII text files) are
included with the Esterian Conquest software package.
These are:
ECREADME.DOC: Sysops' brief document on setting up the
game and last minute changes to the game.
ECSYSOP.DOC: This sysop's document.
ECPLAYER.DOC: Esterian Conquest players' Guide. Make
this file available to your users for downloading.
ECQSTART.DOC: Esterian Conquest players' Quick Start
document. Make this file available for downloading as
well.
WHATSNEW.DOC: A history of revisions and enhancements.
INSTALLING ESTERIAN CONQUEST
-------------------------------------------------------------
Installing Esterian Conquest is straightforward involving
four steps:
STEP 1. COPY THE PROGRAM FILES. Create a directory on your
hard disk to hold the program files (we will call it \EC
in this manual). Copy the three program files (ECUTIL.EXE,
ECGAME.EXE, and ECMAINT.EXE) into this directory. Create
a separate directory for the game files (call it \GAME01).
If you wish to run multiple player games simultaneously,
create a separate directory for each game (\GAME01,
\GAME02, \GAME03, etc.).
STEP 2. CREATE A DOOR-GAME BATCH FILE. This batch file will
run the ECGAME.EXE program. First switch to the directory
that stores the player game data files (\GAME01). The
command to run ECGAME must have the path which contains
the doorgame file.
EXAMPLE OF DOOR BATCH COMMANDS:
COMMAND: EXPLANATION:
----------------------------------------------------------
C: (switch to drive C:)
CD\GAME01 (go to game directory \GAME01)
C:\EC\ECGAME C:\DOOR (from c:\ec, run ECGAME followed
by directory \DOOR which
contains the door file such as
PCBOARD.SYS, DOOR.SYS, etc.)
----------------------------------------------------------
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 6
When calling ECGAME, you can specify either the directory
containing the door file or you can specify the path and
the exact door file name:
ECGAME C:\DOOR (Path only)
ECGAME C:\DOOR\PCBOARD.SYS (Path and file name)
ECGAME DORINFO1.DEF (File name in current path)
STEP 3. ADD THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM TO YOUR BBS DAILY EVENT
BATCH FILE. The maintenance program (ECMAINT.EXE) should
be run from the player game data directory.
NOTE: Adding the ECMAINT program to the event batch file
will start the game. You should advertise the start of
a game and wait several days to allow users to sign up for
empires before adding this command to your event batch
file.
COMMANDS TO ADD TO THE BBS DAILY EVENT BATCH FILE:
COMMAND: EXPLANATION:
----------------------------------------------------------
C: (switch to drive C:)
CD\GAME01 (go to game directory \GAME01)
C:\EC\ECMAINT /R (from c:\ec, run ECMAINT and
generate rankings file)
COPY RANKINGS.TXT \BULLETINS
(copy the player rankings to your
bulletins directory)
----------------------------------------------------------
STEP 4. PLAYER DOCUMENTATION FILES. Make the player
documentation files (ECPLAYER.DOC, ECQSTART.DOC) available
to your users. You may wish to compress these files with
programs such as PKZIP.
Now use the ECUTIL.EXE program to initialize a game (see
the section on running the ECUTIL program which follows
immediately).
=============================================================
ESTERIAN CONQUEST SYSOP UTILITY (ECUTIL.EXE)
=============================================================
The ECUTIL program initializes and modifies player games
and sets configuration switches for operating the
maintenance program (ECMAINT.EXE) and player interface
program (ECGAME.EXE).
Each screen gives instructions at the top and a menu for
selection of options. The function keys pick menu options
and the arrow keys and space bar make choices. The ESC
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 7
key exits back to a previous menu in the program from
anywhere. A list of functions in the program follows.
RUNNING ECUTIL
-------------------------------------------------------------
Before running the ECUTIL program, switch to the directory
in which you store the player game data files.
EXAMPLE:
----------------------------------------------------------
CD\GAME01 (change to directory \GAME01)
C:\EC\ECUTIL (from c:\ec, run ECUTIL)
----------------------------------------------------------
There are two times you must use ECUTIL: the very first
time you install the game directory and when you
initialize (or re-initialize) a game. Otherwise, this
utility is needed only for changing defaults.
FIRST TIME: From the main menu, choose the SETUP PROGRAM
option by pressing the F4 key. This creates system files
needed by the other programs. See the section below on
how to fill in the information on the screen.
INITIALIZING A GAME: From the main menu, choose the
INITIALIZE GAME option by pressing the F1 key. This
creates a new player game.
THE MAIN MENU OPTIONS
-------------------------------------------------------------
F1. INITIALIZE A GAME. This starts a new game or resets a
finished game. You can specify the number of players in
the game (4,9,16, or 25), reserve game slots for parti-
cular users, and decide which days of the week maintenance
will occur. It also generates a new galaxy map.
F2. MODIFY MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. This option specifies the
days of the week in which maintenance will occur for a
player game.
F3. EDIT THE PLAYERS' FILE. There are three options: (1)
make an empire unowned, (2) have the computer play an
empire, or (3) assign the empire to a player (assign or
change player, or change empire name).
F4. MODIFY PROGRAM OPTIONS. You can control several program
parameters through the option keys.
A. Auto-purge expired messages or results. This saves disk
space used by outdated messages.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 8
B. Computer autopilot runs the empires of inactive
players. Set the number of missed moves that defines a
player as inactive. When the computer takes control,
it emphasizes developing defenses. The player can
regain control if he/she logs into the program.
C. Snoop ON/OFF. Players' moves will echo on the sysop's
screen when snoop is ON.
D. Local User Keyboard Timeout ON/OFF. The program will
log off a local user or sysop if they don't press a key
within the number of minutes specified in option F
below. This is disabled if option F is set to zero.
E. Remote User Keyboard Timeout ON/OFF. The program will
log off remote users if no they don't press a key
within the number of minutes specified in option F
below. This is disabled if option F is set to zero.
F. Set time for keyboard timeout. This applies to the
Local/Remote Timeout settings in options D & E above.
Setting this to zero disables options D & E.
G. Set minimum daily time for each player. Guarantees a
minimum amount of time even if they've almost used up
their daily time limit on the BBS. Set to zero for no
minimum.
X. Exit back to the previous menu.
F5. CHANGE MODEM/COM PORT CONFIGURATION. Use this option to
set the interrupt request numbers (IRQ) for COM1 through
COM4 and to enable or disable hardware flow control for
each of the COM ports. This is designed to allow sysops
with non-standard hardware configurations to run Esterian
Conquest.
A,B,C,D. Change the IRQ Number for each of COM1 through
COM4. For each COM port you can assign interrupts 0
through 7.
E. Restore the Default IRQ Numbers for COM1 to COM4. This
returns the com ports to the standard IRQ numbers
(COM1=IRQ4, COM2=IRQ3, COM3=IRQ4, COM4=IRQ3).
F,G,H,I. Set the hardware flow control for COM1 through
COM4. Typing the letter toggles the flow control ON or
OFF. If your software or modem does not support
hardware flow control, turn it off for the specific COM
port.
X. Exit back to the previous menu.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 9
MESSAGE FILES CREATED BY THIS PROGRAM
-------------------------------------------------------------
ECUTIL generates the file GALAXY.MAP which contains the
entire galaxy map for the current game. You can make this
file available for players to download so that they can
chart their forces and planets.
=============================================================
ESTERIAN CONQUEST PLAYER INTERFACE (ECGAME.EXE)
=============================================================
The game door program accepts players' moves and relays
their messages to each other. It allows true simultaneous
multi-node use.
RUNNING ECGAME
-------------------------------------------------------------
Call ECGAME.EXE from a door-game batch file. The path
containing the door file (such as PCBOARD.SYS or
DORINFOx.DEF) should follow the program command. Before
running ECGAME.EXE, the batch file should change to the
directory containing the player game files.
When calling ECGAME, you can specify either the directory
containing the door file or you can specify the path and
the exact door file name:
ECGAME C:\DOOR (Path only)
ECGAME C:\DOOR\PCBOARD.SYS (Path and file name)
EXAMPLE OF DOOR BATCH COMMANDS:
----------------------------------------------------------
C: (switch to drive C:)
CD\GAME01 (change to directory \GAME01)
C:\EC\ECGAME C:\DOOR (from c:\ec, run ECGAME followed
by directory \DOOR which
contains the door file such as
PCBOARD.SYS, DOOR.SYS, etc.)
----------------------------------------------------------
SYSOP OPTIONS AVAILABLE
-------------------------------------------------------------
The sysop has a few options while ESTERIAN is running.
They are the following:
F2. DISCONNECT USER. Immediately disconnects the user
from the BBS and exits the door.
F8. FORCE DOOR CLOSED. Immediately exits the door and
returns the player to the BBS.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 10
F10. CHAT WITH PLAYER. Allows you to chat with a player.
MESSAGE FILES CREATED BY THIS PROGRAM
-------------------------------------------------------------
ECGAME.EXE creates or appends to a file: ERRORS.TXT when
it encounters any errors.
=============================================================
ESTERIAN CONQUEST MAINTENANCE PROGRAM (ECMAINT.EXE)
=============================================================
The maintenance program determines the results of the
moves submitted by the players in a turn. It sends result
reports to the players to alert them of the outcomes of
the moves. It also creates a file called RANKINGS.TXT
containing the rankings of all the players for that turn.
ECMAINT checks the integrity of the game files to be
certain they are not corrupted. If the files are valid,
the program performs the maintenance and backs up the
results. Otherwise, the program restores the game from a
previous valid backup and notifies the players.
RUNNING ECMAINT
-------------------------------------------------------------
Call ECMAINT from your BBS daily system event batch file.
The calling routine must change to the directory holding
the player game data before calling the ECMAINT program.
The syntax is:
ECMAINT [/B] [/C] [/F] [/I] [/R] [/S=n] [/Y=n] [/?]
COMMAND LINE SWITCHES. Specify one or more switches after
the ECMAINT command to alter the operation of the
maintenance program. The possible switches are:
/B - Suppress auto-backup of old game data files
/C - Close the present game (makes all unowned
empires computer controlled).
/F - Check File validity but do not process orders.
/I - Ignore Maintenance schedule and run maintenance
now.
/R - Generate player ranking text file (RANKINGS.TXT)
/S=n - Specify a minimum amount of disk space (n
kbytes) to run ECMAINT (ECMAINT will abort if
available space is lower than this amount).
/Y=n - Run maintenance "n" years in a row this time
(accelerates game).
/? - List possible options.
/HELP- List possible options.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 11
STARTING A NEW GAME.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Do not put the maintenance command into your event batch
file until you want the game to start processing. We
recommend that you give all players advance notice of a
new game's availability before you put ECMAINT into the
daily event batch file. That way, they can sign on and
reserve empires before the game starts running. Then, at
a specified time, add the ECMAINT program to start the
game. You can run ECMAINT with the "/C" option switch
after the close of a game to make any unowned empires
computer controlled.
If you generate a player rankings file (RANKINGS.TXT) by
using the "/R" option switch, you can copy the rankings
file to a bulletin area so players can view their
progress.
EXAMPLE OF COMMANDS TO ADD TO THE BBS EVENT BATCH FILE:
----------------------------------------------------------
C: (switch to drive C:)
CD\GAME01 (change to directory \GAME01)
C:\EC\ECMAINT /R (from c:\ec, run ECMAINT and
generate a ranking file)
COPY RANKINGS.TXT \BULLETINS
(put player ranking file in your
bulletin directory)
----------------------------------------------------------
MESSAGE FILES CREATED BY THIS PROGRAM
-------------------------------------------------------------
ECMAINT.EXE creates or adds to the file: ERRORS.TXT when
it encounters any errors.
ECMAINT also creates the rankings list and puts it into a
file called RANKINGS.TXT if you run ECMAINT with the "/R"
option switch.
=============================================================
TROUBLESHOOTING
=============================================================
We have tested Esterian Conquest very carefully to make it
as problem-free as possible. It takes full responsibility
for handling telecommunications while it is active and
will recover correctly even if the player suddenly
disconnects. In most cases, the ECMAINT program can
correct the problem when it performs maintenance so you
usually do not have to do anything.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 12
IF YOU ENCOUNTER ERRORS: In very rare instances you may have
to restart a game if ECMAINT cannot restore it. This is
especially true if you run ECMAINT with the "/B" option
switch so that no backup files are generated. If this
ever happens to you, please fill out the form in Appendix
B and mail it to us. If possible, please compress the
game data files and send that to us as well. We are
striving to make this game completely self-sufficient and
your help will prevent similar problems from recurring
with your BBS.
CHECKLIST FOR COMPLETE SETUP OF ESTERIAN CONQUEST:
-------------------------------------------------------------
If Esterian Conquest does not run correctly on your BBS,
first check that you have installed it completely. We
encourage you to re-read the installation section of this
manual. Here is a list of what should exist on your
system:
DIRECTORIES:
-----------
Directories for storing the Esterian Conquest programs
and game files can have any name. If you run one game
on your BBS, you can put both game files and program
files in the same directory. However, if you run more
than one game simultaneously, keep the program files in
one directory and reserve a separate directory for each
set of game files. In this manual, we have used the
following names:
\EC - holds the programs: ECGAME, ECUTIL, ECMAINT.
\GAME01 - holds the files created by ECUTIL for player
game 1. A list of these files is in Appendix A.
\GAME02 - holds the data files for player game 2 (and
so on).
BATCH FILES:
-----------
DOORGAME batch file: the file which calls ECGAME. It
must first switch to the \GAME01 directory and then
call ECGAME (see the earlier section on running
ECGAME).
EVENT-BATCH: the daily event batch should switch to the
\GAME01 directory and call ECMAINT. You can call
ECMAINT every day even if maintenance is not
scheduled to run that day. The ECMAINT program is
smart and will only process moves on scheduled
maintenance days.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 13
SOFTWARE SETUP:
--------------
ECUTIL is called from within the games file directory
(\GAME01) for two purposes: FIRST-TIME setup (the F4
option) to initialize general defaults, and then the
GAME INITIALIZATION option (F1) to create or initialize
the game data files (see the earlier section on
ECUTIL).
PROBLEM: THE GAME WAS RESTORED FROM A BACKUP AND THERE IS A
FILE NAMED ERRORS.TXT IN THE GAME-FILE DIRECTORY:
-------------------------------------------------------------
CAUSE: Any corruptions or data problems encountered by either
ECGAME or ECMAINT are reported in a file called
ERRORS.TXT. When ECGAME detects errors in the data files,
it will not take any more orders, and the ECMAINT program
will restore the game from the previously backed-up
position which should be valid. The ERRORS.TXT file is
there mainly for your benefit so you will know why
a previous backup of the game data has been restored.
SOLUTION: Normally, the ECMAINT program restores the game
from the previous backup and play continues from there.
If, for some reason, the ECMAINT program is unable to
restore a game from a backup, you can restart a game using
the ECUTIL program.
PROBLEM: THE ECGAME PROGRAM DOES NOT TAKE PLAYERS' ORDERS AND
THERE ARE FILES ENDING WITH ".TOK" IN THE GAME DIRECTORY
-------------------------------------------------------------
CAUSE: Esterian Conquest uses token files (files ending with
".TOK") to control which user has access to the game data
files at any given time. This prevents conflicts in which
more than one node on a multi-node BBS tries to modify the
game files at the same time. Normally, no node holds
control of a data file for more than a second or two, so
there is usually no noticeable delay to the players when
they enter their moves. However, if a system crash were
to occur during an access, it is possible that a token
file will remain in the directory which will "lock out"
any other player from entering or accessing the game.
SOLUTION: The ECMAINT program removes all token files when it
runs and therefore clears the game to continue. If, for
some reason, the ECMAINT program is unable to restore the
game, you can restart a game using the ECUTIL program.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 14
=============================================================
APPENDIX A. DATA FILES STORED IN THE GAME DIRECTORY BY
ESTERIAN CONQUEST
=============================================================
ECUTIL creates the following data files when it
initializes a game:
BASES.DAT - information on all starbases.
DATABASE.DAT - Planetary Information each player learns
in the game.
EMPIRES.DAT - data of all empires.
FLEETS.DAT - status and composition of all fleets.
IPBMS.DAT - a database reserved for future versions
of Esterian Conquest.
PLANETS.DAT - the position, ownership, defenses, and
production for all planets,
MESSAGES.DAT - a database containing inter-player
messages,
RESULTS.DAT - a database containing combat & fleet
mission reports,
CONQUEST.DAT - a data file containing general game
information, and
GALAXY.MAP - an ASCII-text map of the entire
generated galaxy for the current game.
All the above files except "GALAXY.MAP", are needed
Esterian Conquest and must reside in the game's directory.
The "GALAXY.MAP" file is created for the players to
download. Files ending with ".SAV" are the backed up
versions of the corresponding ".DAT" files.
TEMPORARY FILES
-------------------------------------------------------------
ECGAME and ECMAINT use temporary files that are either
token files (with a ".Tok" suffix) or work files (with a
".Tmp" suffix). ECMAINT generates and uses the temporary
work files for storage while performing maintenance.
Esterian Conquest uses token files to implement its
simultaneous multi-node access to the game. The presence
of a token file tells all other nodes that a particular
data file is reserved by the node currently using it.
Before a node uses a data file, it checks for the
existence of the corresponding token file. If no token
file exists, the node creates one to reserve the data file
for itself. When done, the node deletes the token file.
A node will wait up to 30 seconds for an existing token
file to be deleted. A typical wait is less than one or
two seconds. If the token file does not go away after 30
seconds, ECGAME informs the player, closes the door, and
adds an error report to the error log file "ERRORS.TXT."
This occurs very rarely and is corrected automatically by
ECMAINT when it performs maintenance.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 15
=============================================================
APPENDIX B. FEEDBACK/SUGGESTION SHEET
=============================================================
Please Mail Suggestions or Comments to:
ATTN: ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm)
Griffith International
P.O. Box 530703
Birmingham, AL 35253
YOUR NAME: _________________________________________________
STREET...: _________________________________________________
CITY, STATE ZIP: __________________________________________
FEEDBACK/SUGGESTIONS ON ESTERIAN CONQUEST
VERSION NUMBER (Appears when you log in): __________________
BBS YOU PLAY ON: ___________________________________________
BBS PHONE NUMBER: (______) ______ - ____________
COMMENTS:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) SYSOP'S GUIDE (TEST DRIVE v1.5) 16
=============================================================
APPENDIX C. REGISTRATION OF ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm)
=============================================================
You can register your version of ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) for
your BBS. Currently ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) runs on any IBM
PC,XT,AT,PS/2 or compatible having the following:
MS-DOS version 2.11 or later.
512K of internal memory (640K recommended).
A hard disk with at least 1 MB free disk space.
BBS software that can generate any of the following door
file formats:
PCBOARD.SYS . . . . (PCBoard v14+)
DOOR.SYS . . . . . . (as suggested by GAP software)
DORINFOx.DEF . . . . (QBBS, RBBS, RA, FoReM, etc.)
CALLINFO.BBS . . . . (Wildcat!)
SFDOORS.DAT. . . . . (Spitfire)
CHAIN.TXT . . . . . (WWIV)
INFO.BBS . . . . . . (Phoenix software)
ADVANTAGES OF REGISTERING YOUR ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) PROGRAM:
-------------------------------------------------------------
A campaign will run for unlimited time (the Shareware
version stops each game after 30 rounds).
Discounts for minor revisions and upgrades:
All minor revisions are free.
Upgrades (major revisions) are available for a
substantial discount.
Your name and BBS name will appear to all who use the
game. Registration messages appearing at the beginning of
the game are removed.
A professionally printed manual containing both the
SYSOP's guide and the PLAYER's guide.
BBS support for questions.
VOICE support for bug information. We correct program
bugs and send you the corrected version absolutely free.
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) REGISTRATION FORM
Make checks or money Send your order to:
orders payable in ATTN: ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm)
U.S. Currency to: Griffith International
GRIFFITH INTERNATIONAL P.O. Box 530703
Birmingham, AL 35253
PAYMENT INFORMATION:
Description Each Total
-------------------------------------------- ------ -----------
ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm) DOOR GAME US $35.00 US $35.00
Check One: [] 5.25" Disk [] 3.5" Disk
SHIPPING AND HANDLING: Inside U.S. US $4.00 ___________
(Required on all orders)
Canada US $5.00 ___________
Outside U.S. and Canada US $10.00 ___________
TOTAL ENCLOSED: US $__________
ENTER NAMES AS YOU WANT THEM TO APPEAR ON THE GAME SCREEN:
Sysop Name(s): ____________________________________________________
BBS Name: _________________________________________________________
SHIP TO:
Name: _____________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
PHONE:
Voice: (______)_________________ BBS: (______)__________________
TYPE OF BBS SOFTWARE: ________________________ VERSION: ____________
HOW DID YOU HEAR OF THE GAME? (Check Main Sources):
[] Download from Support BBS (Salt Air, WildCat, etc.): ___________
[] Download from a local BBS
[] User(s) Requested/Uploaded Game to BBS
[] Played on another BBS
[] ECHO Conference(s): ____________________________________________
[] Sysop or friend told you about Esterian Conquest
[] Other: _________________________________________________________
DID YOUR USERS PAY FOR THIS REGISTRATION?: [] All [] Part [] None
__________________________________ +-------+
| Place |
__________________________________ | Stamp |
| Here |
__________________________________ +-------+
ATTN: ESTERIAN CONQUEST(tm)
Griffith International
P.O. Box 530703
Birmingham, AL 35253
Place Feedback Form or Order Form inside this page. Fold into thirds.
Insert any checks or money orders. Tape on bottom and sides.