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1990-09-22
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SFFCTTRV
SPITFIRE TRUE FACTS TRIVIA DOOR
by
Dr. Feelgood
INTRODUCTION
------------
SFFCTTRV is a fascinating fact-filled trivia game designed to run
as a door feature within the SPITFIRE Bulletin Board System. It can
also be installed as a sysop configurable command from the Main, File
or Message menus of SPITFIRE. A data file containing 500 fascinating
trivia questions is randomly accessed and displayed to the screen.
With each question that is displayed, four multiple choice options
are provided from which the player may select. SFFCTTRV allows the
player ten seconds to read the question and respond with the number
corresponding to the answer they wish to select.
SFFCTTRV SETUP AS A SPITFIRE DOOR
---------------------------------
To set up SFFCTTRV to be executed as a door, it is recommended that
a separate directory be set up for it. For explanation purposes, let's
assume the directory DOORA is created for use with SFFCTTRV. The following
files must then be placed in the directory:
SFFCTTRV.EXE The actual game program.
SFFCTTRV.DAT The data file containing the trivia questions.
SFFCTTRV.TOP This is a listing of the top ten players. SFFCTTRV.EXE
will create this file if it is not found.
SFFCTTRV.LMT This allows you to set time limits according to the
callers security level.
The Sysop will then need to use a text editor to edit the SF.BAT file
as illustrated below:
:DOOR_A
COPY SFDOORS.DAT C:\SF\DOORA
CD \SF\DOORA
SFFCTTRV
ERASE SFDOORS.DAT
CD \SF
GOTO LOOP
:DOOR_B
You will notice that the commands needed to execute SFFCTTRV are placed
between the :DOOR_A and GOTO LOOP command lines. These are entered in
place of the existing REM Place Program Name Here. The following will
briefly explain each of the commands which were set up within SF.BAT to
run SFFCTTRV as a SPITFIRE Door program:
SFDOORS.DAT is created automatically by SPITFIRE when a user enters a
door. It contains information about the user such as name and password.
SFFCTTRV requires access to the information within SFDOORS.DAT. Therefore,
before executing the program it must be copied to the directory in which
SFFCTTRV is running.
SFFCTTRV is the program name and executes the game program from within
the door program.
Once the user has terminated the game play of SFFCTTRV, SPITFIRE
erases the SFDOORS.DAT file.
Before trying the door, the sysop needs to edit the SFDOOR.MNU in the main
SPITFIRE directory showing this fascinating fact trivia door and the
minimum Security level needed to enter it, like so:
Fascinating Facts Trivia,10
In addition, the files included with this package include TWO screen
displays which will show when the user FIRST enters your door. They are
called SFDOORA.CLR and SFDOORA.BBS, change the letter A to match the letter
corresponding to your door and place BOTH of these files in your display
area. Most are called C:\SF\DISPLAY.
SFFCTTRV SETUP AS A SYSOP CONFIGURABLE COMMAND
---------------------------------------------
SPITFIRE has a sysop configurable command for the Main, Message and
File menus. The sysop configurable command is executed through a
batch file which corresponds to the menu it is being run from. In
other words, SFMAIN.BAT runs the sysop configurable command from
the Main Menu, SFMESS.BAT runs the one from the Message Menu and
SFFILE.BAT the one from the File Menu. The commands necessary
to execute SFFCTTRV can be set up in the batch file which corresponds
to the menu you wish to have SFFCTTRV run from.
The first thing you will need to establish is which of these menus
you wish to use to run SFFCTTRV. For this purpose, let's assume that
it is going to be set up so it can be run from the Main Menu. (It
should be noted the set up procedure is the same regardless of which
Menu you are running SFFCTTRV from.)
Next, you will need to decide what you wish to name the command
option and establish what security level will be required for
users of your system to be able to access this option. Once this
is determined you will need to modify the SFMAIN.MNU file using
your favorite text editor, as long as it saves in ASCII format.
(Refer to the SPITFIRE manual for further documentation on this
if needed. It should also be noted that if SFFCTTRV were being
set up to run from the File Menu, you would need to modify the
SFFILE.MNU file and if it was being set up to be run from the
Message Menu you would need to modify the SFMSG.MNU file.)
Examining the default SFMAIN.MNU file, you will notice the sysop
configurable command appears as:
<K>. Fascinating Facts Trivia,,1000,@
This will need to be replaced with a Command Character that will
be used to select the option from the menu. It is ASOLUTELY IMPERATIVE
that the Command Character must not duplicate an existing Command
Character for another menu option. You will then need to include
a brief description of the SFFCTTRV door program you are running, two
commas, the security level required to access this feature, and another
comma followed by the a @. The @ must not be changed! (For more detailed
information on modifying your SFMAIN.MNU, SFMSG.MNU or SFFILE.MNU refer
to your SPITFIRE manual.)
<K>.... Brief Program Description,,10,@
Now you will need to modify the corresponding batch file, SFMAIN.BAT,
so that it can be executed from the Main Menu. Do this using your
favorite text editor, as long as it saves in ASCII format. (Again, it
should be noted that if SFFCTTRV were being set up to run from the File
Menu, you would need to modify the SFFILE.BAT file and if it was being
set up to be run from the Message Menu you would need to modify the
SFMESS.BAT file.)
Place the SFFCTTRV.EXE file in the directory you wish to run the
program from. SFFCTTRV will create its own player score file,
SFFCTTRV.TOP, if does not already exist.
The commands set up in the SFMAIN.BAT file are very similar to
those used for executing the game through a door in the SF.BAT file.
For instance, if you were running SFFCTTRV from the main SPITFIRE
directory your SFMAIN.BAT file might look like this:
ECHO OFF
BRK OFF
SFFCTTRV
BRK ON
(BRK is not included in the SFFCTTRV package because it is written
and copyrighted by Solid Systems, 1985, but can be downloaded from
"HOME" BBS at 714-735-2573 and Buffalo Creek's BBS as well as a number of
other BBS systems. BRK is not required to run SFFCTTRV, however, it
is recommended since it will prevent a user using the CTRL BRK command
to terminate the batch file, gaining access to your system at the
DOS level.)
If you wish to set SFFCTTRV up in a separate subdirectory from
SPITFIRE, for instance, a subdirectory named SFFCTTRV, your batch
file might look like this.
ECHO OFF
BRK OFF
COPY SFMAIN.DAT \SF\SFFCTTRV
CD \SF\SFFCTTRV
SFFCTTRV
ERASE SFMAIN.DAT
CD \SF
BRK ON
When SFFCTTRV is executed, from either the door with the SF.BAT file
or from the sysop configurable command through a menu with the
corresponding batch file, it will first look for the SFMAIN.DAT file,
then the SFMESS.DAT file, then the SFFILE.DAT file and lastly the
SFDOORS.DAT file. It will look for each of these files until it finds
it and the commands required for its execution. If none of these
files are found, SFFCTTRV will halt its execution.
TRUE FACTS TRIVIA HIGH SCORE BULLETINS
--------------------------------------
A command line parameter is available which will automatically
create Ansi and Non-Ansi high score bulletins for your BBS system.
If you would like to use this option, a "/P" should follow the
SFFCTTRV in the command line to indicate a valid DOS path where the
bulletin file will be created. (NOTE: This should be the same
as the display file path you have set up within SPITFIRE.) The path
is then followed by the file name of the bulletin to be created. It
is not necessary to include the file extension. SFFCTTRV will
automatically add a .BBS extension for the Non-Ansi display file and
a .CLR extension for the Ansi display file created. The correct
syntax should look like this:
SFFCTTRV /P C:\SF\DISPLAY\DORBUL1
The "/P" command line is optional and SFFCTTRV will operate perfectly
fine without it. However, it is a convenient means of providing and
posting high score bulletins for the fascinating facts trivia door.
LOCAL PLAY OF SFFCTTRV
----------------------
It should also be noted that a Sysop can play SFFCTTRV locally by
entering the following command at the DOS prompt:
C:>SFFCTTRV /L
** SPECIAL NOTE ** The "/L" and the "/P" command parameters can
be used together in one command line to specify the drive, path
and filename of the bulletin to be created when playing in
local mode.
DTE LOCK FEATURE
----------------
SFFCTTRV automatically detects if the DTE is locked at 19200 baud. If
SFFCTTRV detects that the DTE is locked, then SFFCTTRV opens the serial
port to the maximum baud rate of your system. If SFFCTTRV does not
detect that the DTE is locked, then the serial port is opened to the
baud rate of the caller.
SYSOP FEATURES
--------------
First, a status line is now displayed on the BBS monitor that
provides information concerning the caller's name, baud rate of the
caller and the security level of the caller.
A SFFCTTRV.LMT file allows the sysop to establish a time limit for
door play according to the security level the caller has on the system.
To modify the accompanying SFFCTTRV.LMT file, use your favorite text
editor to represent the various security levels you have available on
your system, a comma then the corresponding time you wish to allow for
that particular security level in minutes. For instance, it might
look like this:
10,15
25,20
50,25
999,30
Each security level should begin a new line and you should have a
setting for each security level you have available on your system.
If you do not have a time limit set for a particular security
SFFCTTRV will default to the level 10 security level setting.
Pressing the Shift Key and the F1 key simultaneously will
terminate game play of SFFCTTRV and return the caller back to the
BBS. Pressing the Shift Key and the F9 key simultaneously will
terminate game play of SFFCTTRV and log the caller off of the BBS.
If the Shift Key and the F9 key are pressed together, logging the
caller off the BBS, SPITFIRE will recycle and return to the
SPITFIRE Ready For Caller Prompt.
SFFCTTRV EXECUTION
------------------
When first executed, SFFCTTRV will display a list of the Top Ten
high score players and the percentage of correct responses they acheived
while playing SFFCTTRV. Initially, this will be a dummy listing with
ten lines that display:
0%...............YOUR NAME COULD BE HERE
However, as the game is played, this will fill with the name of the
players, their percentage ratings and the date that the player was
added to the top ten listing.
NOTE: At least twenty questions must be attempted before SFFCTTRV will
will figure the percentage rating for the player.
To keep things interesting...the Sysop can erase the file which contains
the top ten listings SFFCTTRV.TOP on a routine basis to give additional
players a chance to have their name added to the list.
As the top ten list is displayed, at the bottom of the screen is a
question which prompts the user whether they want to have ANSI Graphics
(y/n)? available to them during game play. If the user responds with a
y (for yes) the game will display in color and if the user responds with
a n (for no) the game will display in monochrome.
PLAYING SFFCTTRV
----------------
Immediately after pressing any key (other than <Q> for Quit) from
the Top Ten listing the game screen is displayed. The screen will
look like the following:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ >>>>>>>>>> TRUE FACTS TRIVIA <<<<<<<<<< ║
║ Version 1.0 ║
║ Trivia Door Game For SPITFIRE BBS Doors ║
║ "Home" BBS (714) 735-2573 ║
║ In Cooperation with Buffalo Creek Software ║
║ Copyright (C) by Dr. Feelgood, 1990 ║
║ UNREGISTERED VERSION! ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════╝
RIGHT: 0 WRONG: 0
QUESTION:
The fascinating fact trivia question will be displayed
here.
<1> Choice 1 <2> Choice 2
<3> Choice 3 <4> Choice 4
Enter Answer: [ 1 2 3 4 <Q>uit]?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The first randomly choosen trivia question is selected from the data
file and is displayed to the screen.
The player makes his selection by entering the corresponding number.
As the game progresses, SFFCTTRV will provide a running total of the
correct answers and also of the wrong answers the user has selected
during the game play.
If the ten second timer should elapse before you respond, SFFCTTRV
will count this as a wrong response and add an incorrect answer to
the total WRONG answers obtained so far.
EXITING PLAY
------------
When you are ready to exit the game, simply select press "Q" for
<Q>uit. If you qualify as one of the top ten players to date,
SFFCTTRV will congratulate you for becoming one of the top ten scorers
and add your name to the Top Ten listing. You will once again see the
Top Ten list displayed with your name added to the list.
If you exit the game before you have completed the twenty
questions required for eligibility to the Top Ten list or if you do not
qualify as a Top Ten player, the Top Ten listing will be displayed and
you will be prompted to press any key to return to SPITFIRE.
DISTRIBUTION
------------
Please feel free to share SFFCTTRV.ZIP with others. However, it must
be distributed with SFFCTTRV.EXE, SFFCTTRV.DAT, SFFCTTRV.TOP, SFFCTTRV.LMT
and the SFFCTTRV.DOC in the SFFCTTRV.ZIP distribution package. The
files must not be altered in any way or by any means.
SFFCTTRV.ZIP is distributed as Shareware software. You are free to
try SFFCTTRV, and if you find it to be a program you use please send the
required $10.00 fee, for a "Registered" in YOUR name program, to:
"HOME" BBS
P.O. Box 416
Norco, California 91760-0416
with the following information:
Sysop Name:_________________________________________________________
As YOU wish it to appear on YOUR registered version
BBS Name:___________________________________________________________
BBS Number:(_____)___-_______________ Voice Number:(____)___-_______
Mailing Address:____________________________________________________
City:_____________________________State:___________Zipcode__________
Tell me whether to send a 3.5" or 5.25" disk.
You, in turn, shall receive a Registered version with MORE trivia on
it with YOUR name and BBS Name showing YOU to be the PROUD owner!
And my THANKS!!!
ENJOY!
DISCLAIMER
----------
"HOME" BBS shall not be held responsible for any damage incurred
by the user to hardware, software, or peripheral devices while running
SFFCTTRV. All responsibility lies in the user of the software.
Many thanks are indeed owed to Mike Woltz of Buffalo Creek BBS (515)-
225-8496 for his assistance. Without his help this program would not
have been possible.
SFFCTTRV and other SPITFIRE programs are available for download from:
Buffalo Creek BBS "HOME" BBS
Sysop - Mike Woltz Sysop - Dr. Feelgood
(515) 225-8496 (714) 735-2573
19200/9600/2400/1200 2400/1200