Multimedia Master/Multimedia Master CD-ROM.iso/dosgames/fight/omf/omfedit.txt

Text File | 1994-11-02 | 9.3 KB | 192 lines

                        OMF Pilot and Robot Editor v1.0
                                  by Ben Sze
                        ===============================


QUICK OVERVIEW
==============
   This editor allows you to edit OMF save files and change more than just
the amount of money.  Here is the list of features:

        o allows you to change the pilot's name
        o allows you to change the number of wins
        o allows you to change the number of losses
        o allows you to change your rank in the current tournament
        o allows you to change your robot type
        o allows you to change your money amount
        o allows you to change your pilot's Power, Agility, and Endurance
        o allows you to change your robot's Arm Power, Arm Speed, Leg Power,
          Leg Speed, Armor, and Stun Resistance
        o allows you to edit files with any name and extension

   To "install" this program, simply put it in the directory where your
OMF pilot files are stored (remember to backup a copy of the pilot file
before editting, just in case!).
   To "run" this program, just enter OMFEDIT at the DOS prompt, optionally
adding a filename as a parameter.


=============
LONG OVERVIEW
=============

WHAT IS THIS?
=============
   This program allows you to edit the stats and attributes of your pilots
and their robots from the save files generated by Epic's One Must Fall robot
combat game.


WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM DO THAT OTHERS DO NOT?
=============================================
   Many of the other OMF editors out there simply give you money.  This one
allows you to change more than that - this editor allows you to change almost
all important information related to your Pilot and his/her robot.  Sick of
starting with the Jaguar?  You can change your robot to any of the other
types available INCLUDING the Nova.  Can't beat #5 ranked competitor?  You
can change your ranking to skip past a nasty opponent or even lower your rank
to fight some of the easier opponents over and over again without generating
any losses.  Don't like your win/loss stats?  You can change them to anything
you like.  Tell your friends you have 5000 wins and 0 losses :).  Want to KO
your opponents with ONE hit?  This editor also allows you to change your
pilot and robot attributes even past the maximums allowable into the RED
power zones!


HOW DO I INSTALL THE PROGRAM?
=============================
   Simple.  Just place the program file OMFEDIT.EXE into your OMF directory.


HOW DO I RUN THE PROGRAM?
=========================
   Simply type OMFEDIT at the DOS prompt, optionally adding an input filename
as a parameter.  ie.  Enter either:

OMFEDIT

or

OMFEDIT BOSS.CHR

(change BOSS.CHR to whatever pilot file you want to edit).

For all you DOS experts, the convention is:

OMFEDIT [inputfile with extension]

NOTE:  If you do not include an input file as a parameter, when the program
starts, it will first ask you for an input file.


WHAT IS ALL THIS INFORMATION THE PROGRAM DISPLAYS?
==================================================
   At the top half of the screen is the simple readable information such as
the pilot's name, rank, wins, losses, robot type, tournament entered, and
money amount.
   The bottom half of the screen is a series of *'s, o's, and O's
representing the pilot's and robot's attributes.  Each *, o, or O represents
a unit of that stat and *'s represent units already filled, o's represent
units normally allowable but not filled, and O's represent units not normally
allowable and not filled.  There is also a color code for when you fill in
all or almost all the units for a stat and to tell you what units are in
what "zone":  GREEN represents units in the "normally allowable zone", YELLOW
represents units in the "not normally allowable due to robot type zone", and
RED represents units in the "ultra powerful zones" or the zones that cannot
reached regardless of robot type.  One other color that is seen is WHITE but
that is only used for the o's in the GREEN zone.
   This may be a bit confusing, but *'s can be either green, yellow or red,
o's can only be white, and O's can only be either yellow or red.  Here is a
basic summary:

        Character       Color           Meaning
        =========       =====           =======
           *            GREEN           a filled unit in the "allowable" zone
           *            YELLOW          a filled unit in the "not normally
                                        allowable due to robot type" zone
           *            RED             a filled unit in the "not normally
                                        allowable by anything" zone
           o            WHITE           an unfilled unit in the "allowable"
                                        zone
           O            YELLOW          an unfilled unit in the "not normally
                                        allowable due to robot type" zone
           O            RED             an unfilled unit in the "not normally
                                        allowable by anything" zone


HOW DO I CHANGE THINGS?
=======================
   Each stat or attribute name has a CYAN (dark purple) colored letter in it.
To change that stat, press the letter (case does not matter) that matches
the CYAN coloured letter.  The bottom of the screen will have instructions on
how to change a particular stat.
   In general, to change the Pilot's name, you simply type in the new name,
using BACKSPACE to correct, and ENTER to accept.  To change numerical stats,
use the UP & DOWN arrow keys to decrease or increase the amount, and use the
HOME and END keys to get to the top-most or bottom-most number quickly.  You
may also have the option of using the Page Up & Page Down keys to increase or
decrease the amount quickly.  When changing the money amount, you can also
use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to change the amount by $1,000K.  To get
the original amount back, use the ESCAPE key, and finally, to accept the
figure that is showing, hit the ENTER key.  To change an attribute, use the
LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to decrease or increase the *'s.  The HOME and END
keys will set the attribute at 1 * or full *'s and in the case of the pilot's
attributes, you can use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to decrease or increase
the *'s by a line.  Again, to get the original settings, use the ESCAPE key,
and to accept the current settings, use the ENTER key.
  To access the FILE options, use 'F' and then select either 'S' for SAVE, or
'L' for LOAD, or 'Q' to quit back to editting.  If you select LOAD and you
have made changes to the stats and attributes, the program will ask you if
you want to save first.  Reply with 'Y' for YES or 'N' for NO.
  To QUIT the program, simply hit 'Q'.  If you've made changes to the stats
and attributes, the program will ask you if you would like to save first.
Again, reply with 'Y' for YES or 'N' for NO.


FOLLOW-UP NOTES
===============
   This editor allows you to set your pilot's and robot's attributes into
zones not normally attainable.  If you set your attributes into these zones
you may find that you are extremely powerful...to the point that you can
beat your opponent with ONE power hit, so use at your discretion.
   One thing that this editor does not allow you to change is the tournament
the pilot is currently entered in.  This is because each tournament has a
different amount of competitors and the save file stores the competitors and
probably their stats.  This can create a complex problem in that to
incorporate changing tournaments, a "competitor generator" has to be made and
as of yet, I do not know how the competitor data is stored or what is stored
and I'm not sure how the game generates the list of competitors (it's
probably random, but who is allowable for what difficulty setting and how
are there stats set depending on difficulty settings?).  This is not a big
deal, however, as you can simply give yourself lots of money and then change
your tournament within the game.


CREDITS
=======
   I did not discover the save file encryption/decryption stuff myself, I
discovered it when I looked through David Bollinger's OMF editor source code.
I must credit him and my code may even look similar to his...but you can
only code a simple routine so many ways :).  I did not copy his code line
for line...it's like reading a sentence and then trying to write it again in
your own words - this is just to get things straight... I don't want to be
thought of as a plagurist :).
   My program is called the same thing as David Bollinger's because I tried
and I tried and I couldn't think of a better name that describes what this
program does.  I hope he doesn't mind!
   I must also credit the creators of Game Wizard for it is with game wizard
that I got a lot of the data detail (such as how the attributes were stored).
Game Wizard made it possible for me to add in the really important features
to the editor :).

HOW TO REACH THE AUTHOR OF THIS EDITOR
======================================
   Well, you can try me on CompuServe - my CIS ID is 71202,1312.  If you are
on the internet, you can try sending me e-mail at:  [e-mail]
or 71202,[e-mail] - I can never remember which one it is..although
I think it would be the [e-mail] one.

Have fun!

[EOF]