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By
╔═══════════════════════╗
║ Half Past Productions ║
╚═══════════════════════╝
SYSOP DOCUMENTATION FOR Version 2.0
═════ ═════════════ ═══ ═══════ ═══
Contents
════════
1. Introduction
2. Disclaimer
3. What You and Your Users Need To Play
4. IMPORTANT NOTE FOR SYSOPS CURRENTLY RUNNING VERSION 1.0
5. Registration
6. Contents of INTRIG20.ZIP
7. Installation
8. Running INTRIGUE as a Door on Your BBS
9. Sysop Playing INTRIGUE Locally
10. Running INTBBS.EXE in Local Mode
11. Running INTRIGUE on a Multi-Node BBS
12. Resetting Games and Installing New Games
13. Registration Details
14. Support BBS
15. New Support BBS!
16. Commonly Asked Questions and Answers
17. Technical Information on File Formats
18. Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
══ ════════════
Welcome to the world of INTRIGUE! INTRIGUE is a strategy type door game with
some very unique features. First of all, INTRIGUE requires none of the dreaded
system or configuration files required by most BBS programs. That is, it does
not require your board to create any external files like DOOR.SYS, PCBOARD.SYS,
CHAIN.TXT, etc. INTRIGUE is also unique in that users play ONLY through a term
program. The user has to initially download the term program, but after that,
he is no longer hindered by ANSI screens that take all day to be sent over the
modem. He is only restricted by the speed of his own machine! Also, INTRIGUE
is novel in that most of the user's time playing (or, better yet, thinking
about) the game can be done in local mode. Thus a user can log on, play his
turn quicly, get the necessary information about the game via a small download,
and be done. This will free up valuable BBS time for both this user and other
users. From a game players' point of view, INTRIGUE uses the computer to allow
humans to interact. We all know that some games lose their charm once a player
figures out how to beat the program. In INTRIGUE, it is 7 people playing the
game, and the computer serves only as a "scorekeeper".
In this document, we will instruct you as to how to set up and maintain
INTRIGUE. We will also provide details of game structure that you may want to
pass on to your players (if they become dedicated players, they will demand
it!). Also contained in this document is some registration information along
with information on how to obtain support for INTRIGUE.
2. Disclaimer
══ ══════════
The authors make no warranties expressed or implied as to the quality or
performance of this program. The authors will not be held liable for any
damages resulting from the use of this program. Your use of this program
constitutes your agreement to this disclaimer and your releasing the author
from any form of liability or litigation. No part(s) of the package
INTRIG20.ZIP may be altered and redistributed.
3. What You and Your Users Need To Play
══ ════ ═══ ═══ ════ ═════ ════ ══ ════
To play INTRIGUE, it is highly recommended that you have an EGA or VGA color
monitor. A CGA color monitor will work, although the maps will be "snowy".
Tandy monitors will work fine, except that the special characters we have
designed for the game will revert back to their original ANSI assignments.
Monochrome monitors are not recommended due to the game's heavy reliance on
color. The sysop needs INTRIG20.ZIP and INTTRM20.ZIP in order to successfully
install and run the game. Your users need only INTTRM20.ZIP to play.
4. IMPORTANT NOTE FOR SYSOPS CURRENTLY RUNNING VERSION 1.0:
══ ═════════ ════ ═══ ══════ ═════════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══
Due to a major problem we discovered when trying to handle multiple
scenarios, we have been forced to make certain changes that make Version 1.0
and Version 2.0 imcompatable. We realize this is a major inconvenience, but it
would have had to be done sooner or later. We feel that now is the best time.
We also feel that the changes we have made in terms of better game play will
compensate for any problems incurred by sysops/users. By the way, we have at
this point taken strong measures to insure that this incompatibility problem
should never happen again. The bottom line: If you run Version 1.0, your
users must use the Version 1.0 term, and if you are running Version 2.0, your
users must use the Version 2.0 term.
If you are currently running Version 1.0, re-installing Version 2.0 is as
easy as unzipping this package to the proper place (see details below). Also
any games you currently have running will NOT be affected in any way.
We have also added a utility called UNHIDE.EXE. From the game directory, you
may issue the command UNHIDE CONFIG.DAT to unhide the file CONFIG.DAT.
5. Registration
══ ════════════
Registration for the door programs to run INTRIGUE is optional. The game may
be played unobstructed or uncrippled with the exception that unregistered
sysops will only be allowed to run one game of INTRIGUE and also may only use
the World War I (WWI) scenario. Registered sysops have the ability to maintain
up to 10 games and will also receive a Middle East Scenario. Other scenarios
will be released at later dates. We are also considering custom-made scenarios
for sysops who might like something more personal for their users. More
registration details are included in the INTTRM20.ZIP package.
6. Contents of INTRIG20.ZIP
══ ════════ ══ ════════════
The following files should be included in this package:
INTBBS.EXE - The executable program to run the INTRIGUE door.
RESOLVE.EXE - Maintenance program for the game.
INSTALL.EXE - Installation program for INTRIGUE.
VC0.EXE - Program to check for winner of any game using WWI scenario.
INTNODE.EXE - Program to allow sysops to run INTRIGUE on multiple nodes.
DESTALL.BAT - Batch file to remove all 10 game subdirectories.
INTBBS.BAT - Batch file to run INTBBS.EXE.
INTNODE.DOC - Documentation for using INTNODE.EXE.
SYSOP.DOC - This manual.
PROTOCOL.INT - ASCII screen that prompts user to run terminal program.
SYSSCR.COM - Sysop menu screen.
LOCALDOR.ZIP - John Wright's program for detecting carrier
INTRM20.ZIP - ZIP file containing Term program for both you and your
users. Make this file available to your users for
download.
7. Installation
══ ════════════
NOTE: Sysops who have successfully installed version 1.0 may just unzip
════ version 2.0 into their game directory. Overwrite all files. Your new
version will then be properly installed and ready to go! Those sysops who
want to totally scrap Version 1.0 and start fresh need to change to their
game directory and run the DESTALL.BAT program provided in INTRIG20.ZIP. Then
follow the installation instructions below.
INTRIGUE is different from most other door games in that the game MUST be
played from a protocol installed by the user. To install INTRIGUE so that your
users can run their protocol, and you can play the game locally, follow the
steps outlined below.
1) Make a directory to hold the game.
2) Unzip INTRIG20.ZIP into this directory.
3) INTRIG20.ZIP contains another ZIP file, INTTRM20.ZIP. You must also
unzip this file into the game directory.
4) Switch to the directory/disk that holds your game and issue the command:
INTRIGUE /L
You will be prompted for a communications port number that your modem
uses. This information along with a unique identification sequence is
stored throughout the data files present on the directory/disk.
You will now be sent into the WWI scenario and given Italy as your
nation. You may wish to look around at this point (Use Esc, arrow keys,
and ENTER to go through the menus and arrow keys to scroll the map), but
to continue the installation process, hit Esc, use the arrow keys to go
to the UTILITIES menu, and choose Quit.
5) Type the command INSTALL. INSTALL creates subdirectories to hold games
0,1,...,9. If you are unregistered, you may only play game 0, but
periodically, the program checks other directories, so please do not
remove them. More information about the INSTALL program for registered
sysops will be provided later.
6) Edit the batch file INTBBS.BAT to your liking. All that the program needs
is contained in the batch file you were given. At present, INTBBS.BAT
consists of the following commands:
CD INTRIGUE
INTBBS
CD ..
NOTE: For sysops running high speed modems and/or desqview, we have
════ noticed a problem with sending the protocol message out the
com port. If this happens with your BBS (usually the game locks up
on the BBS end right after PROTOCOL.INT is sent to remote), you may
want to use the following batch file:
CD INTRIGUE
TYPE PROTOCOL.INT > COM1
INTBBS /NM
CD ..
The /NM (no message) switch tells INTBBS.EXE that you will send
PROTOCOL.INT to the user in the batch file. If you use Desqview, you
may not be able to simply TYPE PROTOCOL.INT out the com port. DOORWAY
is one program that will successfully send PROTOCOL.INT out the com
port. (DOORWAY is available on most BBS'. The latest version is
DRWY212.ZIP).
If you wish to use DOORWAY to solve this problem, do the following:
1) Create a text file containing one blank line and put it in your
game directory. Suppose this file is called BLANK.TXT.
2) Use the batch file
CD INTRIGUE
DOORWAY SYS /O:t /Z:BLANK.TXT
INTBBS
CD..
NOTE: Those sysops who run multi-node BBS's will want to make sure
════ to check out the Running INTRIGUE on a Multi-Node BBS Section
later in the documentation.
7) Make sure your timed event runs the program RESOLVE.EXE exactly once a
day. If you do not have a timed event, you will have to make sure you
run RESOLVE.EXE once a day. As soon as a game begins, players will be
wanting to know when your event runs, since RESOLVE.EXE resolves all
combat occurring in the game.
8) Configure your BBS program so that it will recognize INTBBS.BAT as the
batch file to run your INTRIGUE door.
9) Place the file INTTRM20.ZIP in your downloads directory for your users to
download. They cannot play the game unless they have properly installed
INTRIGUE on their systems. Tell them to consult USER.DOC for
instructions.
NOTE: Sysops should realize that this door game is MUCH different from your
════ standard door game. By following the steps above, you have installed
both the BBS program and your OWN personal term program for INTRIGUE. You
NEED NOT follow the steps in USER.DOC for installing the term program. If
you have followed the steps above, you have successfully completed the
installation process!
8. Running INTRIGUE as a Door on Your BBS
══ ═══════ ════════ ══ ═ ════ ══ ════ ═══
Once you have properly installed INTRIGUE, you should encourage your users to
Download INTTRM20.ZIP. (C'mon! Make it a free download if you are one of
those ratio people!!). Again, we cannot emphasize enough how important it is
that your users have set up the term.
When a user who has properly installed the protocol opens the door, he will
be sent a message telling him to run his protocol. This message is contained
in the file PROTOCOL.INT. You may use any text editor to edit this message
more to your liking (ANSI graphics are not allowed and the message size must be
less than 2000 bytes. Desqview users may want to do this if they use DOORWAY
because DOORWAY sends a RETURNING TO BOARD message after sending PROTOCOL.INT).
Upon running the term,you will see the Sysop Status Screen appear on your end.
This screen contains a clock telling you how much time a player has remaining
in the door; a menu that tells you the status of all games; and, a menu
containing information pertaining to the current game the player has joined.
The bottom menu will eventually display your BBS name if you are a registered
sysop, and will show UNREGISTERED!!! if you are not a registered sysop. If a
user decides to exit the door without joining a game or just viewing a game he
is not in, the menu on the right will not fill up and the BBS name will not
appear on the bottom menu. Due to the nature of the game, the sysop is kept
"blind" to the user's moves. If you are curious as to why we have done this,
join a game yourself and think about how you would feel if the sysop were
playing in the same game and watching your moves!
Your users are only allowed in a maximum of 3 games per BBS. We have found
that even the most addicted INTRIGUE players cannot handle more than 3 games.
If you have a user who cannot get enough, let us know and we will see what we
can do!
Once you have game(s) underway, the RESOLVE.EXE program you installed in your
event becomes very important. Each turn in the game lasts for 2 days. We think
of a "day" as being the period between times RESOLVE runs. No doubt your users
will soon want to know when your event runs! It is important to game play that
your event runs consistently and your players are aware of the time/frequency
that it runs.
9. Sysop Playing INTRIGUE Locally
══ ═════ ═══════ ════════ ═══════
Sysops can (and should) try their hand at INTRIGUE! It is very important
that you understand how to play locally. Since INTRIGUE runs from a term, we
have had to build a terminal emulator into INTRIGUE.EXE to allow sysops to play
locally. INTBBS.EXE is a program for remote players!! Its purpose is to act as
a clearinghouse for the remote player. It sends/receives necessary files and
that is all! Sysop who wish to play locally must drop to DOS from your BBS,
change to the INTRIGUE directory and type the command:
INTRIGUE /S
The /S tells INTRIGUE that a sysop is playing locally. If you have multi-
nodes, DO NOT call out on one modem and try to open the INTRIGUE door! It will
not work. If you want to play locally, it is as simple as we have described it
above. If you want to test out your door from remote, you will need to get
someone who is really "remote" to help you out. Sorry about the inconvenience,
but this is the best way we've found to do it.
The parameter /L forces the program the program to run in local mode and
bypasses the game select menu. If you have a problem with your modem falsely
detecting carrier, you may want to use this switch. This switch just allows
you to look around in local mode while online your BBS. Any messages or orders
you send will not have any effect. Use the /S switch if you want to send
messages or orders.
For sysops who do not like to shell to DOS, you can do what we have done here
on Cedar Lake BBS. We wrote a batch file that runs a carrier detect program
(there are several nice shareware programs for this out there... we are using
John Wright's LOCALDOR program -- it works great and is included in this zip
package) to determine if carrier is detected. If carrier is detected, we
branch to INTBBS.EXE and if carrier is not detected, we branch to INTRIGUE /S.
Below is the exact Batch file we use here at Cedar Lake:
Batch file for Running INTRIGUE (Allows sysop to skip drop to DOS)
═════ ════ ═══ ═══════ ════════
@ECHO OFF
LOCALDOR
Rem LOCALDOR is in my path.
Rem LOCALDOR returns an errorlevel 1 if carrier not detected.
Rem Any program that detects carrier will work. LOCALDOR is one such
Rem program.
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO Local
CD C:\BBS\INTRIGUE
INTBBS
GOTO End
:Local
CD C:\BBS\INTRIGUE
INTRIGUE /S
:End
CLS
CD C:\BBS
This batch file will allow you to open your INTRIGUE door just like your
users and play INTRIGUE on your BBS.
10. Running INTBBS.EXE in Local Mode
═══ ═══════ ══════════ ══ ═════ ════
INTBBS.EXE can also be run in local mode. The purpose is to allow you to
check on all games' status. To run INTBBS.EXE locally, just shell to DOS from
your BBS and type the command INTBBS /L. You will then be allowed to check
the status of any game. The second column of the menu on the right side of the
Sysop Status Screen is titled FILES. If an O appears next to a country, then
that player has orders turned in for the next turn. If an M appears next to a
country, then that player has mail waiting for him to pick up. When your users
are first learning INTRIGUE, you will no doubt want to keep players posted on
when orders are due in your public mail. We realize this is a hassle and you
may wish not to do it, but we have found after a few turns, players caught on
to the game, and we could quit posting this information.
11. Running INTRIGUE on a Multi-Node BBS
═══ ═══════ ════════ ══ ═ ══════════ ═══
It is now possible to run INTRIGUE Version 2.0 on a multi-node BBS. All that
is required is the ability to create a DOOR.SYS file like the one that PCBoard
is capable of creating for any door game. If your BBS has this capability,
then you can run INTRIGUE on any number of nodes (not simultaneously, however).
If you are interested in running INTRIGUE on a multi-node BBS, please consult
the file INTNODE.DOC.
12. Resetting Games and Installing New Games
═══ ═════════ ═════ ═══ ══════════ ═══ ═════
Included in this package is the utility program INSTALL.EXE. This program
serves a variety of purposes. You have already used this program to initially
set up your game directories. At some time, you may wish to reset a game back
to its initial state. Also, you will always have that user who starts a game
and noboby else joins it. You may want to reset it. Or, if you are a a
registered sysop, you can use INSTALL to install various scenarios on any of
your 10 available games. Unregistered sysops may only run Scenario 0 (the
World War I scenario) on Game 0.
If you wish to reset a game at any time to its original state, issue the
command:
INSTALL N M
where N is the scenario number and M is the game number. For example, suppose
you are a registered user and you wish to install the mideast scenario
(scenario 1) in game 0. Then you would enter the command INSTALL 1 0. Of
course, unregistered sysops may only enter the command INSTALL 0 0, which will
reset game 0 using the WWI scenario (scenario 0). When you first run INSTALL,
do not use any command line parameters, and the program will create all
necessary subdirectories and data files.
Current Scenarios Available:
═══════ ═════════ ═════════
Scenario 0 (World War I, available to all sysops).
Scenario 1 (MidEast, available to registered sysops).
13. Registration Details
═══ ════════════ ═══════
If you have an avid following for INTRIGUE, you may wish to register the
program. Sysops who register receive both the term and the bbs programs, along
with the MidEast scenario. The sysop may then run up to 10 games on his BBS,
and install the WWI and MidEast scenarios as he sees fit. You will also
receive updates on new scenarios as they are made available. Currently, we are
working on a Civil War Scenario, a World War II scenario, along with new
victory conditions for the WWI scenario and the MidEast scenario. The WWI
scenario is currently an "every man for himself" type game, but we plan to
release a version that allows for team play. The MidEast scenario already
allows for team play. We are also considering custom design scenarios for the
those who would like to design their own games. Sysops who register will also
have their BBS name (or whatever they want) displayed on the user's menu when
he logs on. Information on how to register is contained in INTRIGUE. Just
type INTRIGUE and choose REGISTRATION under the UTILITIES option.
14. Support BBS
═══ ═══════ ═══
Support for INTRIGUE is provided primarily on Cedar Lake BBS (618)-529-1839,
during the hours of 10:30pm - 7:00am (CST). Leave questions and comments for
Dave Eubanks, Mark Jones, or Pat Van Fleet. We welcome any constructive
criticism you have and any comments on how we can improve the game. If you are
a registered EXECUTIVE HOST sysop, you can leave mail for Pat Van Fleet on John
Wright's ESP BBS at (618)-993-5091 24 hours a day. Mail may also be addressed
to Mark Jones on Compuserve at 76066,1521 or Dave Eubanks at 70034,557. We
welcome questions from both unregistered and registered sysops!!
15. NEW Support BBS!!!
═══ ═══ ═══════ ══════
With the release of INTRIGUE 2.0, we have added Ethereal Realms
(618)-536-7950 24 hours a day and soon to be running a USR HST, as an
official Support BBS for INTRIGUE. Ethereal Realms is a member of the
International WWIVlink network with a node number of @16850. You can post on
the INTRIGUE Support Sub and grab the latest copy on first login by using the
Sysop Autovalidation. If you have access to another WWIVlink BBS, you can
reach the INTRIGUE Support Staff by E-mailing 15@16850.
16. Commonly Asked Questions and Answers
═══ ════════ ═════ ═════════ ═══ ═══════
Q) I tried to install INTRIGUE with the modem online and it didn't work.
What did I do wrong?
A) You probably forgot to include the command line parameter /L. If you're
trying to install INTRIGUE while the modem is online, this parameter tells
INTRIGUE to ignore communications and run in local mode.
Q) I have two nodes. After installing the BBS end and the protocol end, I
tried to call out on Node 2 to Node 1. Why did I get the message
"COMMUNICATIONS ERROR!!"?
A) The problem is that both INTRIGUE.EXE and INTBBS.EXE are trying to use the
same com port. If you wish to test the game from remote, you'll need to
have a friend call you up and try it out. If you are a sysop who wishes
to play INTRIGUE on your BBS, simply shell to DOS from your BBS, change to
the correct directory, and issue the command INTRIGUE /S.
Q) I would like to play INTRIGUE on my friend's BBS. Is that possible?
A) Sure, simply call your friend, open the door on his BBS, shell to DOS,
change to the proper directory, (you may want to use INTRIGUE.BAT to
do this) and issue the command INTRIGUE.
Q) I run 2 nodes. I tried calling my friend as instructed in the previous
question, and the game hung. What is the problem?
A) If you are running 2 nodes, you will want to open the door on his BBS,
shell to DOS, change to the proper directory, issue the command
INTNODE OUT, answer the question at the prompt, and then issue the command
INTRIGUE. (You may wish to make this addition to INTRIGUE.BAT).
Q) I have multiple nodes. How do I run INTRIGUE?
A) Make sure your BBS has the ability to create DOOR.SYS (like the one PCBoard
creates). Then consult INTNODE.DOC for more details on how your batch file
should look.
NOTE: Actually, all the INTNODE.EXE program requires in order to run
════ successfully is a file called DOOR.SYS that resides on the current
path (when you run INTNODE.EXE) with the following format: the fourth byte
must be the character representing the COM port the caller is on. For example,
if an INTRIGUE player has called in on COM2, the DOOR.SYS file should have
ASCII character 50 (i.e. "2") as the fourth byte. The rest of the file can
be anything. This enables you to have up to 9 nodes functioning.
Q) I use Desqview. I shelled to DOS, ran INTRIGUE /S, then I hit my Alt key
to view another window. When I returned, my INTRIGUE screen was all
garbage.
A) Each time you switch windows in Desqview, it calls up its own ANSI driver.
This driver interferes with the driver we use to write the stars, anchors,
and circles to the screen. Our suggestion is to not switch windows while
running INTRIGUE /S!
Q) One of my users asked if he could be removed from a game. Can I do this?
A) We are currently working on a feature that allows the sysop to manage games.
The feature will allow sysops to remove players from games if they so
desire. You can use the INSTALL program to completely re-initialize the
game. The data files on each subdirectory contain information about all
current players. If you feel you must know how to edit these files to
remove players, please see the section below providing technical information
for INTRIGUE data files.
Q) When I choose Help or Rules or Registration while running INTRIGUE, I get
garbage. How can I fix this?
A) You do not have an ANSI driver loaded. You may add the line
DEVICE=ANSI.SYS to your CONFIG.SYS file, or you may use one of many ANSI
drivers available as shareware. To use the example above, ANSI.SYS must
reside on your root directory.
Q) The first time I ran INTBBS.EXE and it crashed. Any particular reason?
A) You must run INTRIGUE prior to running INTBBS for the first time. INTRIGUE
will configure communications parameters for both programs.
Q) My users report getting an "INCOMPATIBLE VERSION" error message when they
run their term program. Why?
A) Two reasons: 1) They may not have the same version of INTRIGUE as you do,
or 2) they are running their term program too fast for INTBBS.EXE to
establish proper communications. Tell them to wait a few seconds at the
initial screen.
Q) My users report that the game crashes after opening the door and seeing
the initial title screens. The disk drive runs only briefly. Why?
A) They are probably running an incompatible version of the term.
Q) INTBBS.EXE locks up after sending PROTOCOL.INT. Why?
A) This problem has been noticed on systems running Desqview and a HST Hayes
Robotics Modem. We have included the switch /NM that will tell INTBBS
not to send PROTOCOL.INT to the user from within the program. You must
provide some other means of sending PROTOCOL.INT to your users. DOORWAY
has been found to work in this situation. You may want to modify
PROTOCOL.INT to tell your users that DOORWAY expects an ENTER before they
run their term program.
17. Technical Information on File Formats
═══ ═════════ ═══════════ ══ ════ ═══════
In this section we describe the workings of two data files: CONFIG.DAT, and
GAME.DAT. If you wish, you may make use of this information to remove players
from games, instruct your users on how to allow multiple players from one
location, etc. We realize that providing this detailed information will allow
dishonest players to play more than one country in a single game. We don't
think this should be a problem, but we are welcome to any suggestions or
comments on this.
NOTE: If you choose to edit these files and you make an error, chances are the
════ game will crash and burn. Proceed with extreme caution!!!
CONFIG.DAT
══════════
This file contains eight parameters that INTRIGUE.EXE and INTBBS.EXE use.
They are:
1) ID number (8 digits). Unregistered users will have 0000 as the last four
digits. This number is the sole means of identification of the player
by INTBBS, and is used to check which games a player is in, etc. At initial
log-on into the door, the users end sends their CONFIG.DAT to the BBS, which
is renamed CONFIG.PLR by INTBBS. Thus the CONFIG.PLR file always contains
information about the last player that logged on.
2) Comm port. This number is one less than the comm number of the port used
by communications. Ex: if your modem uses COM2, this number will be 1.
3) Baud rate. This parameter is always set to 1200, which is the minimum
rate that INTRIGUE supports. This parameter is only used to initialize
communications. The actual baud rate that is used by INTRIGUE is the baud
rate that was being used by your communications package (Telix, Procomm,
PCBoard, etc.).
4) Country number. This is the digit (0,1,2,...,6) that corresponds to the
nation you are playing in the last game you logged onto. These countries
are listed in NAMES0.DAT in the correct order. They can also be viewed by
choosing the "Game Status" option on the "Utilities" menu in INTRIGUE.
5) Turn number. The turn number of the last game you were logged onto.
6&7) Date when the last turn's orders were resolved (respectively, the month
and day). INTRIGUE uses this information to calulate and display when
the next set of orders is due.
8) Scenario number. The original scenario is scenario 0, and its data files
have names ending in 0. The mideast scenario is scenario 1. We will
release additional scenarios if there is sufficient demand.
Example: The contents of a sample CONFIG.DAT are
91250000 1 1200 5 3 4 5 0
This user is unregistered, with ID# 91250000, uses COM2, is playing a game with
scenario 0, and has country 5--Russia. Current turn is turn 3, and turn 3
orders will be resolved on 4/7 (two days after the previous turn).
GAME.DAT
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This file resides on each subdirectory \0, \1, ... ,\9 of the game directory
of the BBS. It contains information about players and status of a single game.
The parameters of GAME.DAT are:
1) Scenario number for this game.
2) Number of players currently in the game (7=full).
3) Turn number. Initially, the turn number is set to 1, and begins
incrementing as soon as the game starts. When the game is over, the turn
number is set to zero.
4) Counter. This parameter simply switches between 0 and 1. The combat
resolution program RESOLVE.EXE uses this number to determine if orders
should be resolved. If it finds a 0, it simply increments it to 1;
if it finds a 1, it resolves orders, sets the counter to 0, and increments
the turn number. Normally, RESOLVE.EXE should be run once each day, so that
a new turn will begin every other day.
5) This is the ID# for the person playing country 0 in this game. If set to
0, there is no player for this country.
6) Unused parameter for country 0. (Initially set to 0). We may use this for
keeping track of scores, or other enhancements. Feel free to write your
own utilities that use it.
7-18) Same as 5-6) above for countries 1,2,3...,6.
Example: The contents of a sample GAME.DAT are
0 3 1 0 23420000 0 0 0 0 0 65560001 0 0 0 91250003 0 0 0
This game is using scenario 0 (the World War I scenario) and currently has
3 players signed up for play. The current players are countries 0,3, & 5 --
Italy, Germany, and Russia.
18. Acknowledgements
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We would like to thank the following playtesters for their patience and
useful comments on the initial go around of INTRIGUE:
Jay Fuller
Allen Hannaford
Michael Kloepfer
Ming Li
We would also like to thank Allen Wittenhauer for editing our docs and
hopefully making them a little better this go around.