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SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE COMMANDANT, STARFLEET ACADEMY
UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS
AUTHOR: ADMIRAL GREGORY EPLEY, COMMANDANT, STARFLEET ACADEMY
STARDATE: SUPPLEMENTAL (OLD CALENDAR, PRESENT DAY, AUGUST 6, 1991)
SUBJECT: URGENT HIGH-LEVEL ACCESS COMMUNIQUE
RE: RELEASE TWO - REVISION 1
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - TRIVIA CHALLENGE
CONTENTS: 1.0 RELEASE HISTORY
1.0.1 OOPS!
2.3 INSTALLATION
3.2 KNOWN BUGS AND FIXES
3.2.2 GAME MODULE BUGS AND FIXES
5.1 TITLE
D.1 DISCLAIMER
D.1.2 MODIFICATION CLAUSE
E.1 EDITORIAL
F.1 CONTACTS
1.0 RELEASE HISTORY
RELEASE: One REVISION:
STARTED: June 1990 COMPLETED: October 29, 1990
COMMENTS: Original release, containing game module and entire first season
database. Distributed on Fred Fish disks 404 and 405.
RELEASE: Two REVISION:
STARTED: February 1991 COMPLETED: June 1, 1991
COMMENTS: Second release, containing new game module, entire second season
database, and updated first season database (textual portion).
Distributed on Fred Fish disks 506 and 507, also requires disks
404 and 405.
RELEASE: Two REVISION: 1
STARTED: June 13, 1991 COMPLETED: July 25, 1991
COMMENTS: Second release update, containing new game module. Distributed on
Fred Fish disk ???, also requires disks 506, 507, 404, and 405.
1.0.1 OOPS!
This Release/Revision of NGTC (hereafter referred to as "this release") fixes
a major bug I discovered shortly after I sent Release Two off to Fred Fish.
See Section 3.2 for details. Section E.1 also has some new info you should
check out. Following are a few additions or clarifications to the Release
Two documentation...
Entries in the high score display take the format:
<rank> <name> <score> <db's>
Item <db's> shows the databases which were selected (in play) when the score
was posted to the high scores table. The <db's> entry was added in Release
Two so players would have a record of the databases they were playing when
they obtained the score. Some people might forget, others might "stretch the
truth," so I figured this solved two problems. Does that clear things up?
This release runs fine under Release 1.2/1.3 Kickstart, but it runs most
efficiently under Release 2.0 Kickstart.
The minimum memory requirement for this release is 1 Megabyte. The suggested
safe minimum is 721K (738,304 bytes) BEFORE startup (after loading Workbench
but before opening any windows). All Amigas rated 1 Megabyte should have at
least this much memory available under the above conditions. This release
uses FAST memory to buffer often used data, but will automatically use CHIP
memory if FAST memory is not available for some reason. This release has
been fully tested at the suggested safe minimum memory under the above
conditions on an Amiga with a 68000 processor, rated 1 Megabyte, 2 floppy
drives, 1.2 Kickstart, running ARP 1.3.
It is possible to create a bootable PLAY disk for floppy systems. If the
large Game Module icon is deleted, you should be able to replace it with the
proper minimum system files, create a small "Startup-Sequence" file to run
the game, and "Install" the disk so it will boot. Since this is an advanced
operation, requiring some knowledge of how the Amiga uses certain files, I
will leave the specifics to you.
NGTC employs a high-resolution interlaced display of a maximum of 16 colors.
This type of display typically plays havoc with multitasking and disk access.
It particularly affects the sound of floppy disk access; i.e., you may notice
a lot of "grinding" or "gronking" noises. If this bothers you, the best way
to reduce it is to use a disk optimizer, such as B.A.D., to reorganize files
on the NGTC disks. Always use a copy - NEVER optimize your original NGTC
disks - if any errors occur during optimization you'll have a backup to work
with.
Other distributors should distribute Release Two as-is and make this revision
available separately. DO NOT replace any Release Two files with these files.
It is YOUR responsibility to obtain any upgrades or bug fixes. To facilitate
this, I will post a Release History which includes a list of the Fred Fish
disks required for each release. You can also find this information in the
Fred Fish index published in AMAZING COMPUTING'S bi-annual Product Guide,
available in locations worldwide. Listings of recent Fred Fish releases can
also be found in each issue of AMAZING COMPUTING magazine.
If you obtain any NGTC files by modem from any source, or on disk from any
other source other than Fred Fish, you may encounter installation problems.
I am sorry if you spend a lot of time or money obtaining such files, only to
encounter some installation problem. I realize this puts you in a difficult
position, but you must also realize it puts me in a difficult position. I
cannot solve your problem over the phone as a general rule; I cannot see your
system; I cannot type in the correct commands on your system; I cannot see
what, if anything, you may have done wrong during installation; I cannot see
what, if anything, has been done to my files. All I can do is offer several
options to try to solve your problem - no guarantees - no promises.
The term "freely distributable" means that this release may be distributed
by anyone provided the distributor agrees to the terms and conditions in this
documentation and the Disclaimer (Section D.1 in its entirety).
2.3 INSTALLATION
You may choose to install this upgrade directly over your old Release Two
files if you have NGTC installed on a hard drive. However, if you have NGTC
installed on floppies, or want to be on the safe side, you should extract the
archive into RAM:, RAD:, or VD0: (preferably where there are NO other files),
and copy the files to their destinations later using the CLI or one of the
many point-and-click Workbench directory utilities. The following sample
command would extract the archive file contents from Fred Fish disk #??? to
virtual drive VD0:
1> lharc -m e amigalibdisk???/ngtc/ngtcr2r1.lzh vd0:
Refer to the "NGTC-Index" file and copy the extracted files to the places
shown.
Notice the "proj2" file. This is a copy of the original file for those users
without access to PowerPacker. Hard drive users may use the larger, orginal
file, but floppy users should use the smaller, packed file.
The current game module has reached the stage where I can update most of the
game module files to reflect release updates without releasing a new game
module .film file. However, it is possible that someone could alter some of
these files and pass the result off as a new release. Only original Fred
Fish disks, ordered directly from Mr. Fish or another reputable source, can
be trusted. I only provide copies to users under very special circumstances;
I am not a "mail order" house, nor store, nor shipping service.
3.2 KNOWN BUGS AND FIXES
If you can help with any of the items below please contact me (see Section
F.1).
3.2.2 GAME MODULE BUGS AND FIXES
Items marked ???BUG are suspected bugs; bugs that have been fixed are marked
FIXED; known bugs are marked BUG; all other items are marked NEW or PROV
(provisional) as appropriate.
NOTE: Future releases will only convert old high score or exam files from
the previous release unless otherwise noted. It is your responsibility to
see that older files are up to date.
???BUG - Oddly Formed Display / Forcing Non-native Video Mode: The display
appears oddly formed on NTSC machines trying to run under PAL (possibly vice-
versa). Recommendation: Run only under your native video mode (NTSC or PAL).
Possible Cause(s): A bug in Director 2; the odd size of the NGTC display (680
x 402) confuses D2 when attempting to force the display into a non-native
mode, as it normally self-adjusts.
???BUG - Freeze During Title Display: NGTC freezes during title display.
Recommendations: Cold-boot (i.e., turn your machine off for a few seconds and
then back on to boot); try to avoid using ANY PowerPacked files with NGTC;
use the original "proj2" file instead of the PowerPacked version; try using
a newer version of PowerPacker to re-pack existing files. Possible Cause(s):
A bug in Director 2; a bug in PowerPacker v2.2a; some PowerPack-ed files work
fine but seem to conflict with D2 films.
FIXED - Exam Save and Load Routines: These didn't take but 6 of the rank
levels into account in the questions per rank level chunk of the exam file.
Since this info wasn't getting into the exam file, the middle item on the
status line showed "0:0" for the top 5 rank levels (those above "Captain").
As a result, all scores above "Captain" level are invalid, and all exam files
saved above that level are invalid.
FIXED - RED Clue File Warning Requester: This did not RETRY on the second
failed attempt as it should have; it acted as if SKIP had been selected.
FIXED - Game Sounds: I resampled and boosted the "pingy" shipsound and one of
the computer access sounds a bit.
FIXED - Keyboard Entry Overflow: If you enter keystrokes too rapidly for the
key-catch routine to process, it will wrap around and refill the buffer from
the start. The side-effect is a possible loss of some keystrokes.
PROV - Release One High Score File: This file is considered corrupt since
Release Two has a different scoring system. This file should have been
manually deleted by the user during Release Two installation. If it is not,
or if the game module attempts to read an unrecognized high score file, the
message "HIGH SCORE FILE IS CORRUPT." will appear.
PROV - Release Two High Score File: Due to the exam file bug outlined above,
Release Two scores at rank levels above "Captain" are invalid. All other
scores are obviously valid. When the Game Module reads the high score file
and determines it is Release Two, the file header is updated to this Release
and Revision, and the ranks and release id's are scanned to determine if the
entry is valid or invalid (see above). If the entry is valid its release id
is updated to this Release and Revision and the entry will appear in WHITE in
the high scores display. If the entry is invalid it is left as-is and will
appear in BLUE in the high scores display.
PROV - Release One Exam Files: If you attempt to load these they will be
deleted automatically, accompanied by the message "OLD EXAM FILE - DELETED."
PROV - Release Two Exam Files: Due to the exam file bug outlined above,
Release Two scores in exam files with rank levels above "Captain" are invalid
and you MUST replay the game from the beginning to achieve a valid score.
All other exam files are obviously valid, but are lacking the top 5 levels of
rank level information. When you attempt to load a Release Two Exam File,
the file header is updated to this Release and Revision, and the rank level
is checked to determine if the file is valid or invalid (see above). If the
file is valid the missing level information is added. If the file is invalid
all level and score information is reset to replay the game and the missing
level information is added; this change is automatic; you are not given a
choice to reset such files. These conversions are accompanied by the message
"CONVERTING OLD EXAM FILE..."; the old file is loaded, converted, written
back to the disk under the same name in the new format, and loaded as a
normal exam file.
WARNING: Should any errors occur during conversion of the old Release Two
high score or exam files (FILE READ or FILE WRITE are most likely), the
resulting files will most likely be corrupt and cannot be recovered. The
chances of this happening are slim, but you need to be aware of it.
NEW - Messages in Options Selected From EXAMINATION OPTIONS Menu: These are
color-coded as described in the original Release Two docs (BLUE for error
status, WHITE for confirmation).
NEW - Database Item in High Score Display Entries: All databases are shown.
Selected databases appear in WHITE; all others appear in BLUE. Apparently
the old display confused some players; the empty spaces between database
numbers made it difficult to find the score, whcih was to the left of this
item. Of course, since the final number of seasons is still unknown, the
maximum number of databases is subject to change, as is the display format.
NEW - Exam Files: These are only as large as they need to be. Not much of a
space savings, but every little bit helps.
NEW - BLUE Game In Progress / Option To Save Game Requester: Recently I lost
a game I had been playing when I absentmindedly selected option F5 (LOAD) to
save my game in progress. Thus, the "Game In Progress" Requester was born.
A game is considered "in progress" if the game has been played since it was
started (F1) or loaded (F5). If you attempt to reset (F2), load (F5), exit
(ESC), or change databases and start a new game (F7, F1) while a game is in
progress, the entire game display will turn black-and-white, and a bright
BLUE rectangular Game In Progress Requester will appear. This gives you the
chance to save the current game before you do something stupid and wipe it
out like I did. There are two cotinuation options in the requester - YES and
NO. Select these with the mouse or the keyboard; select from the keyboard
using the first letter of the option (e.g., <N> or <n> for NO). Select NO to
continue without saving the game in progress. Select YES to save the game in
progress.
WARNING: If an error occurs during the save operation, it is possible that
you will lose the current game and continue with the operation you had
selected (e.g., reset) without the option to try the save again. There are
several things you can do which may prevent this from happening: (1) save
the game to RAM:, VD0:, RAD:, or any other disk-type device which is less
prone to typical disk-related problems (e.g, write-protected, full, or
physically damaged) - you can always transfer the file to a disk once it's
saved; (2) if the save fails for some reason and you had selected F5 (LOAD)
- when asked for the file to LOAD - press <RETURN> alone - don't enter
ANYTHING - you will see a message which says "CANNOT ACCESS THAT FILE." -
your current game will remain undisturbed and you can select the REQUEST
Panel to return to the EXAMINATION OPTIONS menu to try again (use option F6
just to be safe). Best advice: be VERY careful when you are given this
"second chance" to save your current game - that's what it's there for!
NEW - Title Display: Optional release/revision notice appears before title
screen. Game initialization time reduced. Title screen colors cycle. You
can abort loading NGTC by pressing the LEFT MOUSE BUTTON during opening
titles.
5.1 TITLE
A brief notice fades in before the title for 5 seconds identifying the game
module as "Release Two, Revision 1".
Game initialization time during title display has been reduced to 5 seconds.
Actually it only takes about 1-1/10 seconds on my stock A2000 but I added a
time delay for effect. I always knew these routines could be faster, I just
needed a little more time to polish them up.
Since I couldn't have the flashy opening title I wanted, and since I couldn't
decide which color scheme looked the best for the titles, I decided to cycle
through all of them as the game loads. Suggestions? Comments? If you don't
like it you'll have to give me a very good reason...
You can abort loading NGTC during the title display by pressing the LEFT
MOUSE BUTTON.
D.1 DISCLAIMER
"Star Trek: The Next Generation", all characters, concepts, and audio/video
segments, are registered trademarks, trademarks, or copyrights of Paramount
Pictures Corporation. This release is distributed without license from
Paramount Pictures Corporation. No infringement is intended by this freely
distributable release. This release may not be sold for profit, or offered
commercially, by anyone under any conditions. No parts of this release may
be included in a commercial product by anyone under any conditions. Second
Sight and the author(s) of this release do not request or deny any fees to
distribute this release, however, Second Sight and the author(s) of this
release reserve the right to charge reasonable fees to provide any end user
with a fully installed and working copy of this release only in the event of
installation problems, to cover the costs of media, shipping, time, and use
of its equipment and resources. All other fees or payments received by
Second Sight or the author(s) of this release shall be considered donations
without any legal or moral liabilities or obligations pertaining to their
acceptance. In no event shall Second Sight or the author(s) of this release
be held liable for any illegal distribution or use of this release by anyone.
At the written and signed request of Paramount Pictures Corporation, or any
individual authorized by Paramount Pictures Corporation, Second Sight or the
author(s) of this release will terminate distribution of this release at the
original source(s) of distribution, which shall include Second Sight, the
author(s) of this release, and the Fred Fish Freely Distributable Library for
the Commodore-Amiga. All other sources of distribution are exempt from such
termination as they are outside the boundaries of reasonable control of
Second Sight and the author(s) of this release. Second Sight and the
author(s) of this release reserve the right to cease distribution of this
release without further notice or explanation as to the cause.
D.1.2 MODIFICATION CLAUSE
Effective June 1, 1991, for existing and new Release One files and beyond, no
modifications may be made to any of the archive or non-archive files relating
to NGTC, with the following possible exceptions:
D.1.2a Any modifications outlined in any original NGTC documentation
pertaining to specified releases.
D.1.2b Archiving non-archived files for other distribution sources.
D.1.2c Renaming archive or non-archive files for other distribution
sources.
D.1.2d Splitting archives for other distribution sources.
In any of the above cases of exception, the person(s) submitting such files
must provide some additional support to the end user to reconstruct such
files such that they produce an equivalent facsimile of the original files
distributed by Fred Fish, or cease further distribution of any NGTC files.
E.1 EDITORIAL
There has been no contact with anyone associated with "Star Trek: The Next
Generation" or Paramount Pictures Corporation prior to the date given in this
document. NGTC is no big secret, but I haven't bothered to contact Paramount
to see what they think about it either.
I understand Release One of NGTC reached overseas as of July 1991. Greetings
to the Wiesbaden Amiga Users Group in Wiesbaden Germany. Hope you like the
game, even though the show is late getting over there. I look forward to
hearing from more of you.
PSSSTTT - Tobias Richter - are you out there? I finally got my little
Trekkie hands on your "Star Trek" game. Nice job - lot of work there.
Only complaint I have is the status messages (the red text that pops up
in a box in the middle of the screen) are hard for me to read, and they
don't stay up very long. How about putting a button on the panel so I can
call up the message again if I want to, and/or allow me to change the
timing on the message. If you'd like some help with a game based on "Star
Trek: The Next Generation" - I'm the person to ask! My address is in
Section F.1 (I would write you, but I've had mixed results getting mail
to some parts of Germany - I don't know what the problem is).
Some of you may have noticed the early completion date on this release. Let
me explain what has happened. I had originally planned to release this fix -
a new game module and finalized first and second season databases (textual
portions) - in late July or early August 1991. I intended to use a copy of
the ST:TNG Technical Manual, which Pocket Books was to publish in July 1991,
to correct any remaining technical or content errors; to check the databases
and see that the interface design was as accurate as possible.
Unfortunately, Pocket Books decided to throw me a curve ball and has held the
release of the Tech. Manual until October (perhaps even November or December,
to coincide with the release of the ST-VI movie and the upcoming 25th
anniversary celebration).
So I had two choices - release this fix now or hold it until the Tech. Manual
release. Since the bug was rather serious, I opted to release this fix now
as Revision 1 (of Release Two), and release the databases later (possibly
with another game module, depending on how accurate the current interface is)
as Revision 2 (of Release Two). Keep your eyes and ears open for these and
other future releases on Fred Fish so you'll be up to date.
Meanwhile, I apologize for the numerous database errors. I will correct
these as soon as the Tech. Manual is released and get the updates out as soon
as possible.
F.1 CONTACTS
If you are having problems installing this or any release of NGTC, please
call or write with your problem.
Please report ANY bugs in the Game Module or Databases so I can include the
fix in a later release.
Comments...if you like the game...constructive criticisms...if you don't like
something...
The address and telephone number to contact for this release:
Second Sight
306 Arbor Drive
Lexington, NC 27292
USA
ATTN: Gregory Epley
(704) 249-1331
Writers, please enclose a SASE if you want to guarantee a reply. I am not
obligated to reply if a SASE is not included.
Callers, please call between the hours of 10AM-6PM (10:00-18:00) EST. If you
cannot reach me during these hours try 7PM-10PM (19:00-22:00) EST. This is
my home phone, so please ask to speak to "Greg." Please SLOW DOWN when you
announce yourself and where you're calling from. I'm very bad with names.
If you encounter an answering machine please call back later - I will not
return calls at my expense - or leave a message if you wish.
September 8, 1966: Happy 25th Anniversary STAR TREK!
Enjoy the game and remember:
"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a
weakness. That is life."
--- Captain Jean-Luc Picard,
"Peak Performance"
SINCERELY,
ADMIRAL GREGORY EPLEY
COMMANDANT, STARFLEET ACADEMY