17 Bit Software 3: The Continuation/17-Bit_The_Continuation_Disc.iso/amigan/amigan 22/information

Text File | 1994-01-27 | 14KB | 308 lines

/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
/* |_o_o|\\ Copyright (c) 1988 The Software Distillery.  All Rights Reserved */
/* |. o.| || This program may not be distributed without the permission of   */
/* | .    | || the authors:                  BBS: [phone]    */
/* | o    | ||   Dave Baker    Alan Beale     Jim Cooper           Jay Denebeim  */
/* |  . |//    Bruce Drake   Gordon Keener  John Mainwaring    Andy Mercier  */
/* ======      Jack Rouse    John Toebes    Mary Ellen Toebes  Doug Walker   */
/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */

------------------------------LEGAL STUFF

Hack and HackInstall are Copyright (c) 1988 The Software Distillery. All
rights are reserved.  See the bottom of this file for more information.

------------------------------THE SCENARIO

OK, you've just gotten this super-wonderful new version of HACK from the
Software Distillery (or Fred Fish, or wherever) and now you can't wait
to play, right?  But what's this?  There must be a HUNDRED files on here!
and each one of them has to be in just the right place!  Oh, never mind,
I guess I can go back to doodling in Deluxe Paint. . .

BUT NO!  JUST AS YOU WERE GIVING UP. . . IT'S HackInstall!!!!

Yes, HackInstall can solve all your problems!  It can format diskettes!
It can copy files!  It can make directories!  It can feed the baby, empty
the garbage and let the cat out!  (or is that. . . format the baby, copy
the garbage and let the bits out? Hmmm. . .)

But seriously, folks, you have just obtained a copy of The Software
Distillery's new version of Hack, with HackInstall.  This version of
Hack is called Hack Lite (plays great - less killing) and is largely
compatible with what you've probably seen before, but many new features
have been added to make the game more exciting and more balanced.

Before you can play, though, you will have to make yourself a playing
environment.  That's where HackInstall comes in.  To run HackInstall,
just double-click on its icon or type "HackInstall" from the CLI.

At this point you might be saying "Hold it!  I didn't have to do this to
install my last copy of Hack!"  In fact, if you haven't said it yet, go
ahead.    I'll wait.

Yes, it's true that previous versions of Hack didn't require you to run an
installation program, but there are several good reasons for using one.
First, despite the volume of this documentation, using the program is very
straightforward and will probably be easier for you than installing all the
little pieces by hand.    Second, you can customize your installation of Hack
much more easily with HackInstall than you could without.  Why should the
owner of a 8 meg 68020-based machine with 60 meg of hard disk be limited to
running Hack from a single floppy every time, just because he doesn't care
to learn enough about Hack to install it on his hard drive?  In fact, why
would this person be running Hack at all?  He probably has servants to do
that.

------------------------------THE HACK ENVIRONMENT

Before I begin describing the gadgets, I will first describe the
environment Hack will be looking for after it is installed.

THE HACK DRAWER
------------------
Hack looks in this drawer (or "directory") for permanent work files like
the file containing the graphics characters, the rumors file, and so forth.
These files do not change from one game of Hack to the next.  In previous
releases of Amiga Hack, you had to either have a diskette named HACK_GAME
or have the name HACK_GAME: assigned to the directory you put these files
in.

THE SAVED GAME DRAWER
---------------------
Hack puts your saved games here.  In previous versions of Amiga Hack, this
drawer was kept inside the HACK_GAME: drawer or on the HACK_GAME: diskette.
Hack Lite allows you to specify a default save location anywhere on your
system.

THE LEVELS DRAWER
-----------------
Hack puts working files it needs during your game here.  A good place might
be a RAM disk if you have lots of extra memory.  Previous version of Amiga
Hack put these files in the HACK_GAME: drawer.

THE RAM DISK
------------
Hack can put some working files in a RAM disk, then spill them over into
the levels drawer if the RAM disk gets too full.  If you have expansion
memory, you can set up a RAM disk.  Specify its location as RAM: if you
don't care where the RAM disk files go.


------------------------------THE FIVE DEFAULT SYSTEM TYPES

Depending on your system setup, you will want put the directories discussed
above in different places.  We have provided five different default setups
with the HackInstall program, accessible by selecting one of the menu items
under "defaults".

The five "default" systems are:

MINIMAL SYSTEM
--------------
512k, one drive system

All your HACK working files are on one diskette, just like previous
versions of HACK.  You may have problems fitting everything on the
diskette if you keep any saved games on the diskette or go very deep in
the dungeon.  No RAM disk is set up.  If you have more than 512k, you
can speed things up by setting up a RAM disk.

TWO-DRIVE SYSTEM
----------------
512k, two-drive system

The HACK program files are on one diskette, everything else is on another.
This is a good way to do it if you have a one drive system, but need more
space to save games in.  With this configuration, only one disk change is
needed, after the game is loaded into memory.  No RAM disk is initialized.

TWO-DRIVE ALTERNATE SYSTEM
--------------------------
Extra memory, two-drive system

This configuration also uses two disks, one for the game, and one for save
files, but most of the auxiliary files are on the game disk, not the save
disk.  This requires more disk changes on a single disk system, but leaves
more room on the save disk for your saved games.  This is also a good way to
do it if you have two people trying to use the game:  each person has their
own save diskette, and they use the same program diskette.  This allows them
to compete for slots in the high scores table.    Additionally, a 100k RAM disk
is enabled, which will speed up access to the game files.

MINIMAL HARD DISK SYSTEM
------------------------
Extra memory, hard drive

The Hack program directory is kept on the hard disk; saved games are kept
on floppies.  Levels are kept on the hard disk for speed.  RAM disk is
enabled by default: disable it if you have less than 1 meg of RAM.  Note
that some of the extra utilities and files such as HackIcon II are not
copied in this configuration.

FULL-BLOWN HARD DISK SYSTEM
---------------------------
Extra memory, big hard drive

You power-user, you!  EVERYTHING is kept on the hard drive.  RAM disk is
enabled by default: disable it if you have less than 1 meg of RAM.

------------------------------HACKINSTALL FIELDS AND GADGETS

Now, on to the other fields of the HackInstall window.    The first thing to
realize is that you can get help for most of the sections of the window
just by clicking on the words describing that section.    For example, click
on the words "Hack Directory" in the upper left-hand corner.  The text
field at the bottom of the window says "Pathname for permanent files".  If
you're not sure what a field does, try clicking on the field description.

I have already covered the first four string fields:  Hack directory, Save
location, Location for levels, and RAM disk.  There is one more string
gadget on the left side, "Player name".  You can set a default name for
yourself here by clicking on the name that is there ("Amigan") and typeing
your name in.

Notice the small gadget next to the Save location name.  It says "Prompt".
Click on this gadget. It should change color to indicate it is now
selected.  The text line at the bottom tells you what the option means.  In
this case, it means the program will stop to make sure you want to put your
saved game in the usual location before it saves.  Click on again.  This
time it changed back to the original color, indicating the option is now
turned off, and the status line says "Do not prompt before saving".  Most
of the gadgets in the window are boolean gadgets like this.

Continuing down the screen on the left side, we next come to the "Size"
gadget.  You can click inside the size gadget and type in a maximum size
for the RAM disk.  If Hack ever gets too much data to fit in the specified
maximum size, it will spill over into the Levels directory.

Below the Size gadget is the "Class" gadget.  You can select a default
character class by clicking on this gadget and typing

   C for Caveman
   S for Speliologist
   K for Knight
   F for Fighter
   W for Wizard
   T for Tourist

Note that if the Amiga flashes the screen at you as you attempt to tell
it whom you wish to be, just press the delete key to make it forget the
old one and empty out the string gadget.

The "OK" and "CANCEL" gadgets at the bottom are for when you are done. "OK"
tells HackInstall to go ahead and install everything the way you have it
right then;  "CANCEL" aborts everything and quits.

Moving over to the right, we come up to the "Game Play Options".  These are
options that you can set up to affect the way the game works.  The Game
Play options are:

NEWS:  Turning this on means that you will see the news file every time the
game starts up.

SILENT: Turning this on means the game will not flash or beep at you when
you make an input error.

TIME: If this is on, the number of moves you have made so far appears on
the bottom line of the display at all times.

WORKBENCH: If you turn this off, you will not be able to run HACK from the
workbench.  None of the HACK icons will be copied over.  This might be
useful on a single-drive system if you are trying to save all the space
you can.

ORDER PACK: If this is turned on, items in your pack will be sorted by
type.  For example, all foodstuffs will be kept together; all weapons will
be kept together, and so forth.  You can specify the order they will be
kept in by clicking on the line below and retyping it.    The characters in
that line represent different types of items:

     " = Amulets (you should be so lucky!)
     ) = Weapons
     [ = Armor
     % = Food
     ? = Scrolls
     / = Wands
     = = Rings
     ! = Potions
     ( = Tools (whistles)
     * = Gems
     0 = Heavy Iron Balls

If you like this order, you can keep it by leaving the string gadget alone.
If you would rather have Heavy Iron Balls listed first and food last,
you could click in the field, delete what is there, then type

0")[?/=!(*%

REST ON SPACE: Selecting this allows the space bar to mean 'rest' - i.e.,
do nothing.  If this is not selected, space bar is treated as an error.

PICKUP: Selecting this means you automatically pick up any items you move
onto.

MALE/FEMALE: Toggle this gadget to change the sex of your character.

TOMBSTONE: Selecting this shows you the tombstone picture at the end of the
game.  Deselecting it saves you the disk space it takes to store the
picture, though, so for single-drive systems, you should deselect it.

ENDGAME:  Selecting ENDGAME lets you choose how the scores in the score file
will be displayed.  You type your preferences in the string gadget
immediately below.  There can be up to three entries, separated by slashes.
For instance, the default is:

      5t/4a/!o

This means to list the 5 top scores, and 4 scores around your current score,
but not to list any of your other scores.

An entry composed of a digit followed by 't' says how many top scores to list.
An entry composed of a digit followed by 'a' says how many scores around your
current score to list.    An entry of 'o' says to list your other scores, and
an entry of '!o' says not to bother.  Any entries you do not put in are taken
from the defaults.

------------------------------HACK FUNCTION KEYS

In addition to the above options, you can program your ten function keys to
do various commands that you find tiresome.  They are assigned to default
values.  To change their values, just click in the gadget, delete the text
that is there, and replace it with the command you want.

------------------------------OK, LET'S GO!

Once you have everything set up the way you want it, just click on the
"OK" gadget, and away you go!  If you have chosen to install hack on
floppies, HackInstall will prompt you to insert floppies in drive 0 only.
The floppies do not have to be formatted;  HackInstall will format them
if necessary.

------------------------------COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Hack Lite and HackInstall are Copyright (c) 1988 The Software Distillery.
Permission is granted to distribute the programs and data on these disks
provided the following conditions are met:

   1.  All files present in the distribution package must be redistributed
       with the package, including this documentation file.  If you
       distribute on diskette, all files must be on a single diskette.

   2.  The distributor may charge a fee to recover distribution costs.
       The fee for diskette distribution should not be more than the cost
       to obtain the same diskette from Fred Fish or The Amigans,
       whichever is greater.

   3.  The distributor agrees to cease distributing the programs and data
       involved if requested to do so by The Software Distillery.  Names
       of members of the Distillery are listed above.

------------------------------DISCLAIMER

The Software Distillery will not be liable for any damage arising from the
failure of this program to perform as described, or any destruction of
other programs or data residing on a system attempting to run the program.
While we expect no damaging errors, the user of this program uses it at
his or her own risk.