Usenet 1994 October/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicoctober1994disk2.iso/games/volume4/conquer3/part01/README

Text File | 1988-06-16 | 15KB | 338 lines

            NOTES TO INSTALLER OF CONQUER

What you have here is a copyrighted release 3 version version of CONQUER.
I make no guaranties to the sanity or style of this code, but do believe
that it should work as documented.  I have included numerous bugfixes
from previous releases posting, and have added numerous enhancements.

My current email address is {ihnp4}!homxc!smile.  I try to answer all
mail, but sometimes it is dificult.  All feature requests that are sent
in will be considered, and these are my primary method of deciding what
to add to the code.  Your interest is appreciated.
Note that I only work on Conquer out of work hours, and so sometimes it
will take a while to get to it.

Included in this file are the following:

    1) A Brief Description of Conquer
    2) Installation (unpacking) Instructions
    3) Configuration Instructions
    4) Compilation Instructions
    5) Administration instructions
    6)   Changes in this version
    7)   Problems that I know about are or desired changes

This version should not be redistributed.
Any comments and bug reports would be appreciated.

-----------------------------------------------------------
I   A Brief Description of Conquer
-----------------------------------------------------------

READ the files "man.page" and "conquer.docs" for a description of
conquer.  Conquer.docs is equivalent to the on line help, found in
the file "help".  These two documents are created when the program
is compiled.  I have tried to make the documentation as good as possible,
but I guarantee that I have missed a lot.

-----------------------------------------------------------
II  Installation (unpacking) Instructions
-----------------------------------------------------------

This program came in several shar scripts, which can be unpacked
by using "sh filename".  If you are reading this, you know this.

If you suspect missing files, please check the MANIFEST.

-----------------------------------------------------------
III Configuration
-----------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING FILES SHOULD BE MODIFIED TO REFLECT YOUR ENVIRONMENT
AND THE TYPE OF GAME YOU WISH TO PLAY.

header file:    header.h    modify as per instructions
             data.h        probably needs no modifications
makefile:    Makefile    modify as per instructions

I have tried to comment this stuff appropriately.

The options specified in the configuration files will be reflected
in the conquer.docs and help files when the program is compiled.

-----------------------------------------------------------
IV  Compilation Instructions
-----------------------------------------------------------

Browse the file header.h.  This sets up configurable parameters for the
game.  This program should be easy to compile.  Just type make.

Note: Sometimes curses does not include termcap or termlib.  If all the
    '.c' files get compiled, but do not compile together,  and
    unreferenced symbol errors occur,  try adding "-ltermcap" after
    the "-lcurses" line in the makefile.

-----------------------------------------------------------
V   administration instructions
-----------------------------------------------------------

Now that you have compiled it, this is how you administer the game.
I recommend following these instructions once yourself in a mock game
(ie. no other players) for a few turns to get things straight.  Then you
can add other players.

You can type the following commands to help administer the game

make:        Compiles the code.
make clobber:   Clobber everything but the source (destroys executables)
make clean:     Clean up objects (does not destroy executables)
make new_game:    Create a new game, make world, add players...
make docs:    Creates documentation from help file

run:        read this shell script, it permits you to run the update
        automatically.  It needs to be modified for time to update.

The command line for the two executables created can be found by reading
the help files.  The admin executable is for the game super user only,
and the conquer executable is for the players.

Again, prior to the compile, you should have followed the instructions
in the Makefile and in header.h.

You can administrate world either via "make new_game" or via:
    <admin -m>    this will make your world.
             This also sets up npc nations as per the nations file
             npc stats can be adjusted by editing nations
             prior to making the world.  Non player nations have
             the same password as god.

Add 0 or more players via
    <admin -a>    which should be self explanatory


Once you log in as a player or as god, you can get help by
typing '?'.  Play around with the commands and get your syntax right.

Try logging in as either a player or non player nation (they use the super
user password) and noticing any differences.

IMPORTANT FOR PLAY BALANCE:
The world is not created equal.  Some players may start in very bad
positions.  You can either start them over (destroy that nation in the
change nation command and create a new one), or modify the surrounding
terain appropriately (god can use the redesignate command to change
elevation and vegitation).
Now move around on the map and learn where the players are
positioned.  If there is a problem (they are surrounded by water...),
use the redesignate command to change elevation or vegetation.
In the worst case, god can destroy a nation
with 'c', the change nation command.  Once you
think the game will be fair, it is time to allow players to proceed.

Now you are all set -- play via
    <conquer>

and update with <admin -x> via an script similar to the one contained in "run".

-----------------------------------------------------------
VI   Changes in this version
-----------------------------------------------------------

The following changes have been added in this version (v3).

1) Peasant revolts should turn 25% of populace into militia.
2) nations in revolt have unique names.
3) Ships no longer can move overland
4) NPCs should only able to get WARRIOR type, MONSTER type, KNOWALL, DERVISH,
    DESTROYER, HIDDEN, VOID, ARCHITECT, VAMPIRE, HEALER, MINER, BREEDER,
    URBAN, and STEEL, ARCHER POWERS, SLAVER
    NPCs now utilize powers. If ARCHER => all non militia units = ARCHER
5) Lizard armies are limited in how far they can wander
6) Warrior power is now used by NPCs in recruitment
7) added getopt.c for ibm pc's     /* need to test it */
8) Ship costs increased
9) tyranny class name changed to warlord
10) new random events --
    volcano strikes country, earthquake, tornado, general prosperity.
11) added percentage chance that a volcano will go off somewhere on the globe.
12) added lockfile mechanism to prevent players from logging in twice.
13) creation of mountains based on map sized    /* need to test */
14) fixed the mail editor so it processes only
    printable characters and so vt220 delete key works.
15) fort,gold,and iron should be char
16) added starting # of people... for enforcement in drafting
17) moved startgold and startpeople stuff to execute.c
18) Iron for new units several places was not updated.
19) now use drand48() on sysV and random() on BSD instead of rand()
20) NPCs now have militia in all their cities.  NPC militia must not move.
21) Help file should give more details on races, diplomacy, army stats.
22) passwrod prompt made more explicit
23) magic powers now broken up more logically (magic/civilian/military)
    more powers added.  Powers should effect units you can build.
    added use of powers[i], getnumpowers(type,country),
    and getmgkcost(type,country)
24) added data.c
25) added hangup routine... need to test.
26) added control L redraw on movement screen... need to test
27) Split the game into 2 functioning units:  Move Entry and
       Move Execution.  This will help players on pc's.
28) prevent countries from taking themselves over
29) limited number of mercenaries to 1/2 your regular troops
30) Fixed destroyer power... destroyers can redesignatie their sectors.
    if they lose the sector, it reverts to desert.  All sectors in
    the radius now become desert
31) reproduction and production fall off if too many people are in a sector
32) make production ability fall off with increasing usage.  Each ??? mined
    gives 100% chance of reducing the iron/jewel value of a sector by one
33) ???% chance of a sector gaining 1 point of iron/jewels in a turn.
34) Changed the markers so that they are consistent.
    Upper case  - nation marks
    Lower case  - sector designations (rename cities to towns)
        char *ele=       "#^%-~";
        char *des=       "ctmfx$!-";
        char *veg=       "vdyblgwfjsi~";
35) Magic screen should permit use of magic spells.
36) It should take min(75,tmil/150) to take over sector only for pcs
37) Classes: all classes should start with some sort of magic powers.
38) new screen option for showing food value.
39) joined ninja and spy powers
40) reworked npc movement
41) Modified the header.h file so that TAXFOOD is only 40, and TAXIRON is 60,
    TAXJEWELS is 80.  This should significantly reduce the amount
       of gold that nations have to play with.
42) Add elephant unit type
43) -D game to make smaller executables
44) added extended commands
45) Added slaver power
46) Made buying a city cost a larger amount of money.
47) Made spreadsheet() for update,reports,npcs which returns structure of
    information on production abilities.
48) intelligent npc sector redesignation
49) have broken down my pceattr, atkattr, and defendattr() routines
    into components... the building blocks of strategies.
    These strategies have not been implemented but for example are...

    peaceful expand, peaceful hold, attack_empty_sectors(country),
    survival, fortify, build, attack(nation number), jihad(nation number),
    attack_army(nation), jihad_army(nation), take(race)...,
    defend(nation), defend_army(nation), etc...

These will be pulled together into a list of "strategies" which will
be stored in the active variable in the nation strucutre.  The higher
the number, the more likely the nation will be to jihad() against PC's.
Low numbered nations will not be likely to instigate a war...
will need to write an additional diplomacy routine.
50) Rewrote Makefile

51) "verifying that nation x exists" string changed to "Loading nation x".
52) integer and nation name input allows better deletion.
53) OGOD option will allow the god to have greater power
    (remove magic and give magic) as well as tightening security.
54) DERVDESG option will change DERVISH (and DESTROYER) power
    so that they will be able to redesignate sectors instead of
    the previous automatic food generation. (may have desert mines,
    towns, etc...)
55) rewrote tofood so that it was passed the country
    number as well as a vegetation.  (this means that display food
    will show 6 for deserts with DERVISH power)
56) HIDELOC option will make it so that the news will not print
    the sector locations for battles and randomevents. (had to create
    a disaster report that is mailed to PC players so that they can
    know where a tornado or earthquake etc... struck.)
57) saw what you did with newhelp.c and build it up so fixed it
    so that it would work to create a new help file. NOTE: make sure
    that the help file is moved to help.txt after being patched.
    Look at the makefile to see what I mean.
58) altered randevent.c so that it would select a city/mine/goldmine
    at random, not starting from the upperleft.
59) altered display in BUDGET and PRODUCTION so that it will not be
    ruined with nations started getting 500000 or more people.
60) prettified all of the things that seemed a little off.
61) did stuff to newlogin to make it beautiful
62) Miscelaneous V2.2 fixes.
    Fixed bug that generated too many nomads... now new
        nomads are based on a nations military might
    Stopped Mercenary troops from depleting population
    Fixed News section bug that lists "Country A and B declare ceasefire"
        followed by "Country B declares war on A"
    Lowered town cost to 100000.
63)
Should force defeated armies to retreat if battle lost and not city
-----------------------------------------------------------
VII   Problems that I know about are or desired changes
-----------------------------------------------------------

platinum to add add to spell points at 25K per point.
Sector ownership rules must change - capture on 8:1 odds always.
Should have SEIGE and SEIGED status for armies

Change movement so that when you move into a sector you don't own (that is also
not owned bya friend or ally) you either stop automatically or at least use
more movement, say twice normal to scout it out.

new powers :
    TRADER : Generally has very good diplomacy status, half cost to
        construct and maintain merchant ships

allow nations to redesignate a sector to devastated if they
    wish, which discourages their populace from inhabiting it.

keep track of the date... I should use a variable in nation 0
    (how about its location variable...).

make newlogin give nations added after the starting date extra points
based on the scores of the PC nations playing.  This is not for
rebel nations.

change readnews, fleetrpt, and armyrpt slightly so they only redraw the
    screen if you have something to look at.

Make the update keep track of which PC's didn't move and at the end of the
update it puts a copy of the news for that turn into their message files.
Make the update keep a copy of the newsfile in a turn log as well, which
will keep news files from all turns in a game, and in the future I will
implement a command that allows you to look up the log for a particular turn
from within the program, in place of the news command.

added to randevents so it prints a message of what happened to the nation
     it affected.  This probably isn't really necessary now since players
    that miss turns will have the news saved, but I did it before I
    implemented the news saving.  I do need to add several message
    printings to the new/newly implemented randevents, though.

rebel nations should have unique names - from table & unique nation marks
Should have ubiquitous castle designation.

Ships will now have 50 man crews - which can melee and fight.
    Troops are required on ships.
    Each fleet may carry one army of Marines (in addition to any troops
    that are ferried - who dont count in combat).  Marines add to chances
    of success in shipboard combat.

Sea combat - 3 rounds
    get nwarships nmerchants
    get nmarines/shp nsailors/shp
    each warship ship ram 20% (+10% if SAILOR) - will sink
    Boarding
        get nsolds (nships*sold/ship) and bonus (weighted average)
        use normal combat
        casualties are applied to ships!!! only -> 30% chance
            of collecting prize from boarding
Fortifications should be demolished in combats by catapults or siege engines.

I have written a
little trading system, and will send it to you, but I need just one
thing:  a command in the execute file that does *increment* of
gold, jewels, iron and food, rather than adjusting the absolute value.
Could you add that for me quickly?  I really think it would
be worth it.

There is a problem with the logic of sector taking. I have
had three sectors taken w/out battle from underneath my soldiers. The armies
were never more than three times greater (and that is pushing). Plus, one of
them, the latest, took my sector with exactly 112 soldiers to my 80 (I now
have the ninja power, so I know for sure). The sector is taken, but NOT listed
as taken in the NEWS. (The people are killed and the sector devastated,
however)