Game Killer/Game_Killer.bin/546.UHS.TXT

Text File | 1992-11-18 | 16KB | 320 lines

Universal Hint System
Revision 91a
Reader for MS-DOS, Version 1.30
  (November 18, 1992)


READ THIS FIRST
===============

This reader is shareware.  Under the shareware concept, you must register a
program if you continue to like it and continue to use it.  Continued use is
defined as using more than one hint file with this reader.  If you do not like
this program, you should stop downloading or using UHS hint files and find
other methods of getting hints for your game.

The UHS is not a commercial effort, and does not provide a substantial income
to its programmers or file authors.  So far, I have received a total of ten
registrations out of literally thousands of total downloads on services where
the UHS can be found.  Many people have asked me when a hint file for the
latest game will be available, and some have even demanded new files.  Anyone
who depends on the UHS enough to notice that a file is missing obviously likes
this program and should register.

Please do not complain if you feel that files are slow to be released.  I
cannot afford to purchase games simply to write their UHS files, nor can I
afford to delay other activities to rush out a file.  The old saying "you get
what you pay for" applies to the UHS.  Do not expect everyone else to pay for
the UHS, since almost no one else has.

I have received about thirty registrations since releasing this program, but
please keep in mind that any money I spend on the UHS is gone forever.  I now
have a bit of extra money to send out a free game to encourage file authors or
buy a game that I otherwise wouldn't have played.  But these games will only
allow me to distribute one or two additional files, and won't provide files
for next month's latest releases -- much less next year's releases.  I figure
that I've only received between $0.10 and $0.20 per copy of the reader
downloaded from CIS, GEnie, or AOL.

If you do not register your copy, I cannot justify spending as much time and
money as either you or I would like me to spend on the UHS.  That means that
files will take longer to be uploaded, and changes to the reader and file
formats will be less likely to be made.

The $10 registration is cheap, when you consider the price of the alternatives
to the UHS: multiple calls to 900 numbers, an official hint book, or posting
messages on CompuServe and similar services.  The UHS registration need only be
paid once, while you must pay for each hint if you find other methods of
receiving help.  Details on registering are found at the bottom of the
documentation.


Copyright Information
=====================

This program is copyright 1992 by Jason Strautman.  Portions written and
copyright 1992 by Robert Norton.  The Graphics Interchange Format, used in
some UHS files, is copyrighted by and a service mark of CompuServe
Incorporated.  Thanks to Jim Griebel for his GIFSLOW program, which helped
me with the GIF decoder used in this reader.


About the UHS
=============

I created the Universal Hint System (or UHS) to provide an alternative way
for computer gamers to get hints when they are stuck.  Rather than wait for
a reply to message requests, many gamers choose to use relatively expensive
hint books or 900 hint lines.  The UHS offers a large number of hint files
that cover many of the current and the 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 second version of the UHS.  The first version, now called 88a,
and its accompanying programs were released in 1988.  This version, 91a, was
created in 1991, although the first batch of programs were delayed until
this year.  This new version offers improved hint options, the ability to
include 16-color pictures, and a new file structure that will make future
revisions easier to implement.  It has also given the UHS programmers an
opportunity to update each of the readers with more modern interfaces.


Loading the File
================

This UHS reader will not be enough to give you hints for a game.  If you do
not already have the hint file for the game that you need hints on, you
should download it from the proper library.  Hint files are not available for
every game on the market, so if you cannot find one, it may just be because
no one has written that particular file.  CompuServe users can find UHS
files in various LIBraries on The Gamers' Forum (GO GAMERS).  If you are 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.  Use the
command "LIST /LIB:ALL /KEY:UHS,[game]" from any LIBrary.  Users of programs
such as TAPCIS or CIM should check the documentation of those programs for
instructions on performing the search.

GEnie users should search in library 8 (Universal Hint Library) of the
Games Roundtable (SCORPIA).  You only need to specify the game title as a
keyword; all files in the library relate to the UHS.  Messages about the UHS
can be left in CAT 1, TOP 37.

America Online subscribers should look in the PC Games Forum, keywords "PC
GAMES" or "PGM".  There is a Universal Hint System library for all UHS
files.  You may also use the "Software Search" command and specify "UHS" as
a keyword to find related files.

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).  Type "UHS",
followed by the name of the file (you may omit the .UHS extension) and hit
ENTER.  For example, to view KQ5.UHS, simply enter "UHS KQ5" and the file
will be loaded.

You can also specify a filename within the program.  Either hit the F3 key
or click on the "F3 Open" option at the bottom of the screen.  (You will
need to have your mouse driver installed in order to use the mouse.)  Note
that you do not need to quit the program and re-run it in order to change
files.  Simply open another file as described above and the first file will
be closed.  If you want to keep two files open at once, you will need a task
switcher such as one found in the DOS Shell of DOS 5.0.  A separate version
of the UHS is also available for Windows 3.X.  Check CompuServe, GEnie, or
AOL for a copy.


The Interface
=============

Experienced computer users should 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, 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, either listed 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 that you want to select,
or use the arrow keys to move through the choices and press the space bar.
Some windows have more choices than will fit inside the available space.  If
you are 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 that window.  To zoom the window to fill the
entire screen, click on the button on the upper-right corner or hit F5.  And
to change to another window, either click on any portion of the window or
hit the F6 to scroll through the available windows.  All three 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" on the
bottom right corner or press CTRL-F5 and hold the CTRL key while pressing
the arrow keys, followed by ENTER to accept.

The "Tile" and "Cascade" options, also on the "Windows" menu, will
re-arrange the desktop so that all windows are displayed.  However, if too
many windows are on the screen, you will probably find that these commands
make the windows too small to be practical.


More on the Interface
=====================

Windows with hints in them will automatically zoom to the maximum space
available.  To display additional hints, either click on the "Show Another
Hint" button at the bottom of the window or press the RETURN key.

In case the display becomes cluttered with many windows, you can either use
the "Show Top Window" or "Close All" option from the "Windows" menu.  The
first option will simply bring the highest-level window (i.e. the first one
that is displayed upon loading a file) to the top of screen.  "Close All"
will first close all of the windows for a file, and then re-open the file,
re-displaying the top window.

The "Help" menu provides information about the currently-loaded file and
the reader.  For files written in version 91a or higher, the "File Version"
information will bring up a window containing the format used to write the
file and information about the compiler used.  You should bring up 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 91a (such 92a, 92b,
93a, etc.), first attempt to replace your reader with the most current
version, before reporting a bug.

88a files do not 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.


Hint Counting
=============

Newer versions of the reader will count the total number of hints in each
question.  Both the current hint and the total number of hints are displayed
inside the button at the bottom of the screen, as in "Hint 1 of 5".  Clicking
on this button will still reveal the next hint.

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.  Your preference will be saved for the next
session in a file called UHS.INI.  Unregistered users cannot disable hint
counting.


Verbose File Open
=================

If you do not remember a particular hint file's name, you can use the "File
| Verbose" option from the menu to locate it.  This option will bring up a
list box with all of the files in the current directory and include their
version numbers (88a or 91a) and title.  Double-click on any selection (or use
the space bar and arrow keys as with all other list boxes) to open that
particular file.  Only one verbose file window can be open at the same time.

The "File | Change Dir" will change the current directory for use with the
Verbose file opening routine, as well as the normal "File | Open" option.  Use
the arrow keys and ENTER key to change directories -- this is one of the few
times that you should use ENTER rather than the space bar -- or double-click
on the directory you wish to change to.  The "Revert" button will return you
to the directory that you were in before opening the dialog box.


Displaying Pictures
===================

Some files will contain pictures that the reader will display.  In order to
view any picture, you must have a EGA card in your system.  When a picture
is available, there will be a button in the window reminding you of this
fact.  Click on this button, or hit the ENTER key, and the picture will be
displayed.  You may stop the drawing routine with the ESC key.  Use any key
to return to the main display once the picture is completely drawn.  (You
should hear a beep from the internal speaker.)

If you either do not have a EGA display, or want to use another program to
print the picture, click on the "Export" button in the window.  A file named
UHSGIFxx.GIF will be placed in the same directory as the UHS file.  The "xx"
will be replaced by a two-digit number, starting with 1 and continuing to
99.  You can then load the file into a GIF viewing or printing program.  This
feature is enabled only in the registered version.


Shareware Notice
================

This program is shareware.  If you continue to use it, you should send a
contribution of $10. In return, I will send you a code to disable all of
those annoying nag messages.  The codes from the DOS and Windows versions
are not interchangeable; you should register each program separately if you
keep both.  Please use the REGISTER.FRM text file included in this archive
when sending in your registration.  Anyone who sends me an extra $5 (or more)
will receive a low-density 3.5" disk with all of the latest files and an
unregistered copy of the Windows reader for you to try out.  As of this
writing, there are about 50 different UHS hint files.

Foreign users may register this program through CompuServe's shareware
registration service (GO SWREG).  The registration ID is #352.  I have added a
$2 service charge to pay for CompuServe's commission.  Disks will not be
mailed to anyone who registers through SWREG.  If you live outside the UHS and
want a copy of the files disk, please let me know before sending a check so I
can look into mailing costs.

Anyone who writes a complete UHS file that follows the guidelines included
with the compilers automatically will be registered for both the DOS and
Windows readers and receive the files disk.  But you must check with me
before beginning the file to prevent duplication.  I will also send you the
authorization code that the compiler requires.

This program may be distributed on non-commercial BBS's, provided that this
archive is not modified, that no fee is charged for access to the UHS and
its related files, and that the BBS is open to the general public.  But
please send me a letter letting me know when the UHS has been uploaded to a
BBS.

Anyone else wishing to distribute the UHS must receive prior approval from
me.


Changes since version 1.00
==========================

1.30: Counts the number of clues for each question.  Registered users
        can disable the count if they want to.
      Picture display is now about 25% faster than in previous versions.
      Verbose file open added.
      Several common errors are recognized and an appropriate text message is
        displayed in place of a simple error number.

1.20: Adds registration dialog box to make registration simpler.
      Removes the drop-to-DOS function for unregistered users.
      Corrects minor bugs in the picture display routine.  The border now
        will always be in black, and the first line of pixels is properly
        drawn.

1.10: Adds support for EGA systems while displaying pictures.
      Removes the run-time errors that sometimes appeared after a picture
        was displayed or after an invalid filename was entered.
      Reminders to register are displayed in different places.

1.01: Corrects an error that falsely reported that a file transfered through
        the XMODEM protocol was corrupt.


Jason Strautman
239 Redwood
San Antonio, TX  78209
CIS: [72337,2611]
  (Please leave messages in The Gamers' Forum -- GO GAMERS)
GEnie: J.STRAUTMAN
AOL: JStrautman