Various Comments

Various Comments


Comments About Icons:

There are a few icons that you probally should be familar with.

The Bushfire application icon.
The icons for games saved by Bushfire.
The icons for maps saved by Bushfire Editor.

Out of laziness, I didn't bother adding support for Bushfire to open maps that have been either double clicked on, or have been dragged and dropped onto the Bushfire icon. Depending on interest and comments by users, these features may or may not be added in the near future.


Comments About Memory Usage:

Bushfire is a game that can get away with not needing much memory. To play a single 40*40 hex map you need slightly under 2 meg of RAM to run the whole application. Smaller maps use less memory, while larger maps can use more memory. In fact, the default memory allowance is set at 10 meg since you need at least this much to open a 100*100 hex map - it also gives you the option of opening several maps, of a smaller size, if you so chose.

The amount of memory used is ultimately up to you. If you need to change the amount of RAM that Bushfire will be allocated, then you can use the Finder to change how much memory Bushfire uses by first selecting the Bushfire icon, selecting the Get Info menu item from the File menu, and then changing the Prefered Size text field - remembering that the value that you are typing is in kilobytes.


The future of Bushfire:

As of the present version, all the quirks and bugs have been completely ironed out. Does this mean that Bushfire is now dead? No. In the future I would like to come back to the theme of fighting bushfires and completely redesign the whole game.

How long would it be before this re-design occurs? Probally years...depending on user interest of course. In the meantime there's plenty else for me to do.


Comments About Version Numbers:

I have a convention about the use of version numbers that give information about the edition of a certain piece of software. I use three numbers separated by dots, in the form of: A.B.C. The number A is the major version number - this changes whenever I do a complete rewrite of the application source. The number B represents a large change to the application that doesn't involve a complete rewrite of the source but still adds features to the application that the user can detect. The number C represents a minor bug fix, where no functionality is added, but one of those inevitable bugs that arise in software is fixed.

When it comes to registering and changes in version numbers, I only ask that people re-register after the change of the first number A, as this is a massive amount of work and really should be rewarded. Changes to the other numbers (B and C) won't result in the need to re-register.


Game History:

  • version 1.0.0 - 15 August 1998.

    The existance of Bushfire begins. It is a bit rough and needs a little cleaning up but it is a start.

  • version 1.0.1 - 28 August 1998.

    The ability to read edited maps is added.

  • version 1.1.0 - 29 September 1998.

    This is a massive re-write. Technically, the version number should change into 2.0.0, but who's checking?

  • version 1.1.1 - 12 October 1998.

    This is a minor update - a few little quirks were ironed out.

  • version 1.1.2 - 7 December 1998.

    A few bugs in the file management routines have been flushed out.

  • version 1.2.0 - 20 June 1999.

    The registeration codes were removed, resulting in the game becoming donationware.

  • version 1.3.0 - 2 February 2000.

    In a no doubt unpopular move, the registration codes were re-introduced - converting Bushfire from freeware to shareware.

    Editor History:

  • version 1.0.0 - 28 August 1998.

    The existance of Bushfire Editor begins.

  • version 1.1.0 - 12 October 1998.

    This is a major re-write. The whole interface has changed.

  • version 1.1.1 - 7 December 1998.

    A few bugs in the file management routines have been flushed out.

  • version 1.2.0 - 20 June 1999.

    The registeration codes were removed, resulting in the editor becoming freeware.

  • version 1.3.0 - 2 February 2000.

    The preference file now has the correct filetype.

    Reporting Bugs:

    If you find a bug (no matter how small) then please tell me about it by sending me an email. In your email please provide the following information:

    1) Your CPU (eg 68040 25MHz).

    2) Your MacOS version (eg 7.5.1).

    3) The Application name (eg Bushfire).

    4) The Application's version (this can be found be doing a Get Info on the app icon).

    5) A description of the bug.

    6) A detailed run through of what you did that lead up to the bug.

    This all might seem like a lot of information to be sending but it is all useful in helping me to track down those inevitable bugs.


    Disclaimer:

    If, for whatever reason, there is a system crash, or there is loss of data, or there is some other situation from which a complaint can be raised against Bushfire, then no body but the user shall be responsible. Although the quality of the Bushfire application and its documentation is set as high as the developer can get it, he shall not be held responsible for anything either related in connection to any software that he writes, or the related documentation that he creates, or any other aspect of his life in general.


    The Single Brain Cell Web Site