Command & Craft/COMCRAFT.iso/comcraft/warcrft2/cheats/uhspc/uhs.txt

Text File | 1995-10-30 | 19.6 KB | 424 lines

Universal Hint System
Revision 95a
Documentation for UHSWIN & UHSDOS, Version 3.10
  (October 30, 1995)


1. Copyright Information
2. Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) Statement
3. About the UHS
4. Loading the File (and where to find new UHS files)
5. Hint Restrictions
6. Basic Interface Options
7. Advanced Interface Options
8. Shareware Information (how to register, what you get for registering)
9. Addresses (how to write to me)


1. Copyright Information
========================

These programs and all related documentation are copyright 1991-1995 by
Jason Strautman and Robert Norton.  All rights reserved.

Some product names referenced in this documentation are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.


2. ASP Statement
================

This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle
works for you.  If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem
with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to
help.  The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an
ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.
Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI
49442-9427 USA, FAX [phone] or send a CompuServe message via
CompuServe mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.


3. About the UHS
================

I created the Universal Hint System (or UHS) to provide computer gamers
with an alternate method for getting hints when they are stuck on a game.
The UHS offers a large number of hint files that cover many of the current
and classic games, all for the price of a single registration fee.  UHS
files were designed to be exchanged across computer formats, so a file
written on any computer can be uploaded and shared with users of any other
computer -- as long as an up-to-date reader is available.  The files will
also provide hints ranging from subtle clues to outright answers.  You only
see what you need to.

This is the third version of the UHS.  The first version, now called 88a,
and its accompanying programs were released in 1988.  The second version,
91a, was created in 1991, although the first batch of programs was delayed
until 1992.  That new version offered improved hint options, the ability to
include 16-color pictures, and a new file structure that makes future
revisions easier to implement.  The UHS 91a format was codesigned by Robert
Norton.  The current version, released in 1995 and known as 95a, adds even
more options, including cross referencing between multiple sets of clues
and the ability to embed additional types of data (such as pictures) inside
hints.


4. Loading the File
===================

These UHS readers won't be enough to give you hints for a game.  If you do
not already have a hint file for the game that you need help with, you
should download it from the proper library.  Hint files aren't available
for every game on the market, so if you cannot find one, it may just be
because no one has written a file for that particular game.

America On-Line: Look in the PC Games Forum, keyword "PC GAMES" or "PGM".
There is a "Universal Hints" library for all UHS files.  You can also use
the "Software Search" command and specify "UHS" as a keyword to find
related files.

CompuServe: Users can find UHS files in various LIBraries on The Gamers'
Forum (GO GAMERS).  If you're not certain as to how the game is classified
or in which LIBrary the file would be found, either ask a SysOp or specify
a search in all LIBs.  Consult the documentation of the program you're
using to access CIS (such as CIM or OzCIS) for more information on
performing searches.

Exec-PC BBS: A free file area for the UHS that all callers can access is
available on this BBS.  The main phone number is [phone].

Internet FTP: The FTP site ftp.gmd.de (directory /if-archive/solutions/uhs)
and its United States mirror wuarchive.wustl.edu (directory
/doc/misc/if-archive/solutions/uhs) should contain a complete collection of
new UHS files.  Check the on-line index (filename "Index") within those
directories to locate a particular hint file.

Internet WWW: Look on the World Wide Web page
  http://wcl-rs.bham.ac.uk/GamesDomain/uhs/uhs.html
for UHS files and programs.

Software Creations BBS: Type "F 155" from the main menu to reach the UHS
file area.  Current phone numbers are

  [phone]  2400 baud Public Access
  [phone]  9600-16.8K Public Access
  (Additional numbers are available to BBS members)

Subscription: If none of the above methods work for you, or you'd just like
a more convenient way of getting new UHS files, you may get a subscription
that will provide you with all of the latest files about every two months
via postal mail.  The price of for six disks is just $20 per year.  See the
"Shareware Information" section at the bottom of this document for more
information.

Now that you have downloaded the file, make sure that it and this program
are in the same directory of your hard drive (or floppy).

UHSWIN: Use Program Manager to start UHSWIN.  Select "Run" from the "File"
        menu and then enter the path and name of the reader when prompted
        (as in "C:\UHS\UHSWIN.EXE").  If you want to, you can also insert
        UHSWIN within a Program Manager group.  The "File | New" option
        will let you add an icon to start the program.  See your Windows
        documentation for more information.

        Once you've loaded the UHS reader, select "Open" from the reader's
        "File" menu.  You should find a familiar dialog box from which you
        can select the file that you want to load.  The reader will open
        only one file at a time, but if you need hints with multiple games,
        you can open multiple copies of the reader.

UHSDOS: Type "UHSDOS", followed by the name of the file (you may omit the
        .UHS extension) and hit ENTER.  For example, to view LOL.UHS,
        simply enter "UHS LOL" and the file will be loaded.  Or use the "F3
        Open" item option at the bottom of the screen and select the file
        that you want top view from the dialog box.


5. Hint Restrictions
====================
(For unregistered users only)

As you may notice, certain UHS 95a-format files will contain data that
cannot be read by unregistered users.  Most files will have a section that
warns you in advance about such data.  Please take a look at this
information, so that you can be aware of which parts of the file will be
unavailable to you.  Registration is the only way to enable these hints,
and I encourage you to register before you find that you need the hints.
Please note that I will not provide any hint support to unregistered users
beyond what is in the file (except to clarify legitimate errors and
omissions) -- no request to provide information contained in the restricted
hints will be answered.


6. Basic Interface Options
==========================

This section is intended only for users of UHSDOS.  UHSWIN is a standard
Windows program which follows basic conventions in its interface.  If you
need help handling basic tasks such as opening or closing windows, please
consult your Windows documentation for more help.

Experienced computer users will find the interface fairly basic and may
want to skip this section of the documentation.  But for those who need the
help, there are a few basic things you might need to know.  To use the
menus at the top of the screen, click (press and release the mouse button
when the cursor is over the item) on one of the headings, and then click on
the item that you want to choose.  Or you can click and hold the mouse
button, releasing it over the item.  Keyboard users should hold ALT while
pressing the key for the highlighted letter of the menu name.  Then press
the key of the highlighted letter on the menu item, or use the arrow keys
and ENTER to select.  You can also use the shortcut keys, listed either at
the bottom of the screen or on the right side of the menus.  For example,
the shortcut key to close a window is ESC.

When the file is loaded, double-click on the item in a window that you want
to select, or use the arrow keys to move through the choices and press the
space bar or ENTER to select.  Some windows have more choices than will fit
inside the available space.  If you're using a mouse, click on the arrows
on the scroll bar at the right of the window to display more choices.

Any window can be closed by hitting the ESC key.  You can also click on the
box in the upper-left corner of the window.  To expand the window so that
it fills the entire screen, click on the button in the upper-right corner
or hit F5.  And to change to another window, either click in any portion of
that window or hit the F6 key to scroll through the available windows.  You
can also use SHIFT-F6 to move through the windows in reverse order.  All
four of these options are also available from the "Windows" menu.

If you want to move a window, you can either click on the title bar and
drag, or hit CTRL-F5 and use the arrow keys to move the window around.  Hit
ENTER when finished.  To resize a window, either use the size "box" in the
bottom right corner or press CTRL-F5 and hold the CTRL key while pressing
the arrow keys, followed by ENTER to accept.


7. Advanced Interface Options
=============================

Hints will be displayed one at a time in the appropriate window, as is the
nature of the UHS.  If you want to view additional hints, you should press
the button at the bottom of the window or hit ENTER.

In addition, certain hints may contain additional windows of data inside
them. Links to such data will be denoted by colored text in the hint window
in place of the usual black.  Any time you see one of these links, you can
double-click on the line of colored text to display the data.

Here is a list of all of the available menu commands:

File | Open
-----------
Opens a UHS hint file.

File | Verbose Directory
------------------------
If you don't remember a particular hint file's name, you can use this
option from the menu to locate it.  The verbose directory will bring up a
list box with all of the files in the current directory, their version
numbers (88a, 91a, or 95a), and titles.  Double-click on any selection as
with all other list boxes to open that particular file.  Only one verbose
file window can be open at the same time.

File | Change Directory
-----------------------
Use this option to change the current directory, which is used when
scanning files for the verbose directory command.

File | Information
------------------
Provides information about the currently-loaded file.  For files written in
version 91a or higher, this will bring up a window containing the format
used to write the file and information about the compiler used.  You should
view this window any time you are having problems with a file to determine
the cause of your problem.  If the version reported is higher than 95a
(such 95b, 96a, etc.), first attempt to replace your reader with the most
current version before reporting a bug.

In addition, all UHS 95a files contain an additional information section,
which specifies the author of the game, the game's publisher, date and time
of creation, and copyright information.  This information can be displayed
by selecting "File Info" from the "Help" menu -- it may prove useful to
those compiling collections of UHS files (such as BBS sysops).

88a files don't include version information.  However, many files include a
few words from the author of the file or compiler that can be displayed by
going to the top window and selecting "A note from the author."  If there
is no such option, then you will have to check with the person who uploaded
the file for more details.

File | Decode to Text
---------------------
This option is available only to registered users.  You can use this option
to convert a UHS file into straight text for later printing or viewing.
Note that most files contain copyright restrictions which prohibit the
distribution of any decoded UHS file, and unless permission to distribute a
decoded file is specifically granted by the author, you should assume that
you may *not* distribute a decoded or otherwise modified UHS file.

File | Registration Code
------------------------
After you register your UHS reader, you will be given a code to activate
all the features of the registered reader.  Select this option and enter
your name and code both exactly as they were sent to you in the dialog box.

File | Print Registration Form
------------------------------
Prints to the default printer a copy of the registration form that you
should send in with your registration.

File | (History List)
---------------------
The last four UHS files that you opened will be displayed under the file
menu.  Select any of their filenames from the menu, and the files will be
opened again.

File | Exit
-----------
Exits the UHS reader.  All of your preferences will be saved for the next
time that you open your UHS reader.

Windows | Cascade or Tile
-------------------------
Rearranges the open windows to make them easier to view.

Windows | Arrange Icons (UHSWIN only)
-------------------------------------
If any windows have been minimized (so that only their icons are visible),
then the icons wil be nicely lined up.

Windows | Close All
-------------------
Closes all open windows inside the UHS reader.

Windows | Show Top Window
-------------------------
Opens the top-level window of the current file (the one that is displayed
when the file was first opened) or brings that window to the front of the
display if it is already open.

Windows | Clean Up
------------------
Cleans up the display by combining the "Close All" and "Show Top Window"
functions.

Windows | Save or Print
-----------------------
If you want to print or save a copy of the contents of the current window,
select the appropriate item from the "Window" menu.  If you select the save
option, a file will be created with the same name as the hint file, except
the ".UHS" at the end is replaced with ".EXC".  For example, the contents
of any saved window from GOBLINS.UHS are placed in a file called
GOBLINS.EXC.  If the save file already exists, the contents of the window
are appended to that file.

In a hint window, only the hints that are currently displayed will be saved
or printed.  If you want to save (or print) all of the hints in a question,
you must first click on the "Another Hint" button until all the hints have
been displayed and then save (or print) the contents of the window.

UHSWIN: If the current window contains a picture, the window's contents
        will be saved into a file named UHSGIFxx.GIF in the same directory
        as the UHS file.  This file can then be displayed or printed from
        any graphics program that can read standard GIF files.  Pictures
        cannot be printed under this version of UHSWIN.

UHSDOS: Since graphics are displayed in a full-screen display (you will
        need at least an EGA card or better, such as VGA or SVGA), you
        cannot access the menu bar when a picture is open.  But you can
        click on the "Export" button in the window that is displayed before
        a picture is loaded, and the picture will be saved as under UHSWIN.

Options | Hint Counting
-----------------------
The reader will count the total number of hints in each question.  Both the
number of the current hint and the total number of hints are displayed
inside the button at the bottom of the window, as in "Hint 1 of 5".
Clicking on this button will reveal the next hint just as the "Another
Hint" button does.

If you want to disable the hint counting for any reason, click on the
"Options | Counting" menu item, and the counting will be turned off.  Click
on this menu item again to turn it back on.  Buttons currently on-screen
will not be affected by your selection.

Options | Maximize Hints (UHSWIN only)
------------------------
Whenever this option is on, any window containing hints will automatically
be maximized to the full size of the UHSWIN application for easier reading
of the text in that window.  Under UHSDOS, all such windows are always
maximized.

Options | Font (UHSWIN only)
--------------
You can change the font used in most of the windows in UHSWIN by selecting
this option.  Select any of the available fonts on your system from the
dialog box.


8. Shareware Information
========================

These programs are shareware.  If you continue to use them, you should send a
registration fee of $20.  In return, I will send you a code that will disable
the registration reminders, enable full viewing of hints in both programs, and
allow you to convert UHS files to plain text.  Please use the "Print
Registration Form" option from the "File" menu to print a copy of the
registration form.

Anyone who sends me an extra $8 (or more) will receive high-density 3.5"
disks with all of the latest files and the newest DOS and Windows readers.
As of this writing, there are more than 115 different UHS hint files.

I am also offering a year-long subscription of files disks to registered
users.  For $20, you will receive one set of disks with the complete set of
hint files and readers and five additional disks over the course of a year
with all of the new hints and updated readers.  Disks will be sent at
intervals of roughly 2 months apart, but the exact dates of updates may
depend on the availability of new files (which in turns depends on the
availability of new games).

Please note that the primary purpose of subscriptions is to save you the
trouble of seeking out and downloading new files -- hints are not sent
earlier to subscribers than they are to the major on-line services.
Subscriptions are currently available only to those who have US addresses,
but others interested in receiving subscriptions should contact me at any
of the addresses below in case of any changes in this policy.

If you want a list of available files and the place where you found the UHS
does not frequently update its UHS files, you can send a self-addressed
stamped envelope to me at the address below.  Registered users may purchase
disks with the latest versions of UHSDOS, UHSWIN, and all of the hint files
at any time for $8.  Please give me your registration code with a request
for extra disks, since the code is the easiest way to verify that you are
registered.

Compuserve members can also register via the SWREG service.  Register
program #7948 ($24.00) for a registration code only or #7949 ($34.00 +
$2.00 for shipping charges to addresses outside the U.S. and Canada) if you
want both a registration code and the hint collection on disks.  The higher
prices are due to Compuserve's handling charges.

Anyone who writes a complete UHS file that follows the guidelines included
with the compilers will be registered automatically for both the DOS and
Windows readers and will receive the files disk.


9. Addresses
============

If you have any questions or comments about this program or the UHS in
general, you may contact me at any of the addresses listed below.  Please
note that I am not the author of every UHS hint file that has ever been
written, nor have I played many of the corresponding games, so I may not be
able to answer certain requests for game hints.

Jason Strautman
Universal Hint System
One Kendall Square, Suite 2200
Cambridge, MA  02139-1562

America On-Line: JStrautman
CompuServe: [72337,2611]
Internet: [e-mail]