Loadstar 128 36/q36.d81/t.1000 miler

Text File | 2022-08-28 | 7KB | 163 lines

                            1 0 0 0    M I L E R

                     Original Program by Karen Middaugh

                      C-64 Conversion by Alan Gardner

                    128 Program and Text by Bob Markland

                      Program is in the 40-column mode


    "Well Chris, it looks like we have a perfect day here in Shreveport for
the LOADSTAR Grand Prix."

    "Yah Dave, some of the best drivers in the world will be racing here in
the shadow of the magnificent LOADSTAR Tower."

    "The race is just about to get under way, let's move down to the
starting line as the drivers get their final instructions."

    This is going to be a torturous 1000 mile race through the streets of
Shreveport. You will have to contend with blown tires, accidents and other
hazards, but 1000 MILER is not an arcade-style game. Instead, it is a
graphics-oriented version of the French card game "Milles Bornes," where
the key to victory is skill and strategy rather than quick reflexes.

    This is a head-to-head duel between you and Chip Fastlane, the computer
player, or another human. Most will prefer to compete against Chip because
two human players share the screen, and one must look away during the
opponent's turn. Make your choice from the menu.

    The race is run on a well designed graphic screen. Player 1 (always a
human) is displayed at the top and Player 2 at the bottom. Contestants'
stats -- mileage, fuel, tire condition and speed limit -- are displayed for
both players at all times. Between these displays, seven cards are dealt
from a deck of 106, which is shuffled at the start of the game and again
(minus the safety cards) if the deck is exhausted. The cards are
categorized as: mileage, hazard, remedy and safety.

    Both players begin at the starting line with a Red Light. To get
underway a player must draw a "Right-of-Way" safety (which is automatically
played when drawn) or play a "Roll" card. Lacking a Roll or Right-of-Way
card, the player must discard one card, and the turn passes to the
opponent.

    When Player 1 has completed his turn, Player 2 plays a card or
discards. The last card drawn is always displayed on the right (7). The
race continues until one player has accumulated EXACTLY 1000 miles -- no
more, no less.

    Strategic planning is an integral part of the game, and familiarity
with the distribution of the cards is important. The deck is broken down as
follows:

  Mileage Cards:
    10 each - 25, 50, 75 mile cards.
    12 - 100 mile cards.
     4 - 200 mile cards.

    Play these cards to accumulate mileage on any turn when you are not
stopped by a hazard.

  Hazard Cards:
    3 each - accident, out of gas, and flat tire.
    5 - Stop cards.

    If one of the hazard cards is played the opponent may not play a
mileage card until the appropriate remedy or safety card is played. Hazard
cards cannot be played against an opponent who is already stopped or has
the corresponding safety.

  Speed Limit Cards:
    4 - Speed Limit Cards

    Speed Limit cards inhibit travel. When a speed limit is in effect, the
player is under a yellow caution light, and the maximum playable mileage
card is 75. An "End of Limit" remedy or "Right-of-Way" safety cancels the
speed limit.

  Remedy Cards:
     6 each - spare tire, repairs, gas, and end of limit.
    14 - Roll cards.

    The appropriate remedy card may be played during any turn to remove the
current hazard.

  Safety Cards:
    1 each - driving ace, right-of-way, extra tank, and puncture-proof.

    When a safety card is drawn, it is immediately posted to the player's
display and remains in effect for the remainder of the game. The player
receives an additional card and the turn continues as it otherwise would.

    If the corresponding hazard is in effect at the time, it is immediately
remedied. And, in any case, the opponent is barred from playing that hazard
again.

  Card relationships:
    To emerge victorious, keep the following chart handy until you
understand the various relationships.

  HAZARD         REMEDY        SAFETY
  ------         ------        ------

  Out of Gas     Gas           Spare Tank
  Flat Tire      Spare Tire    Puncture-proof
  Accident       Repairs       Driving Ace
  Stop           Roll          Right-of-Way
  Speed Limit    End Limit     Right-of-Way


    1000 MILER is suitable for players of all ages. However, should you
tire of the usual game, try for a "Shut-out," by winning the race while
your opponent is still at the starting line.


 BACKGROUND
 ----------

    It is rare indeed that LOADSTAR 128 contains a program in 40-column
mode with a Commodore font. However, Fender and I agree the original
Thousand Miler was so well executed it should be an exception.

    Thousand Miler was first written by Karen Middaugh for the Apple
platform and was published on Softdisk. It was converted to C-64 by Alan
Gardner and published on LOADSTAR #37.

    Karen and Alan both deserve a great deal of credit. When this program
was written, more than ten years ago, it was definitely ahead of its time.
Even today, it's still an excellent program, and I did very little to
change it from the original.


 FENDER'S POSTMUMBLE: I think you'll all agree that Bob Markland did an
excellent job of adapting this program to the 128 mode. I checked out the
code and it was NOT a trivial task. So now you have a classic game and
program for your archives that's not only historic, but a lot of fun to
play. Try it and you'll find you just can't quit playing.

 I looked in all of my reference books for the exact spelling of the name
and couldn't find it. Parker Brothers has a trademark on the name "Milles
Bornes" according to their web site, and that's probably what it was called
when it was invented by a French-speaking person. But as I searched the web
for more info I found that the spelling seems to be whatever feels good at
the time. Several sites had it spelled differently each time it was used --
Mille Borne, Mille Bourne, Milles Bournes -- and one site, probably in a
valiant effort to avoid copyright problems, called it "Mile Bones".

 To me, it's simple. I just call it the name that it was called when I
played it as a child in the 50s: TOURING. About ten years ago I found a
mint copy of the 50s version in an antique store in Vermont so that's the
way I'll always remember it. I'm pretty sure that I've seen modern versions
of the card game under the name TOURING. Of course the fifty-year-old
version is more charming.

 But no matter what you call it, it's a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Our grandparents did, and we can too.

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