GivePlan: VGA Planets Transfer Protocol

Author: Ryo Nakamura

FREEWARE: This program can be freely distributed and copied.

Introduction
============

VGAP Planet Transfer Protocol (GivePlan) allows players to automatically transfer planets and starbase in orbit to another player. I have made this program very simple to use and only 1 new friendly code is required.

This is the full version of GivePlan as I promised in the doc file for version 1.5 beta. This version has all features originally intended to have by the author. Future versions will be bug fixes.

RE: v2.4
========

Resets ships in build queue. Bug found by Bane & MEGA.

Installing GivePlan
===================

GivePlan is designed to be used as AUXHOST1 add-on. Therefore, you need to include the following command in AUXHOST1.INI or AUXHOST1.BAT:

GivePlan.exe <game directory>

eg. GivePlan.exe game1

This program works on data in the current directory or the directory specified by <game directory>. GIVEPLAN.LOG is made by the program to show what the program did during the turn. This log file is made in the same directory as the executable file.

NB. Hosts must send out the BMP file to Winplan users before the game starts.

Using GivePlan
==============

First of all, Winplan users should copy the VPAUX800.BMP to the BMP directory of Winplan. This way, players will get the correct picture when they see GivePlan messages.

To transfer a planet, just set the friendly code to ‘GPN’ where N correspond to the race number (123456789AB). NB. The friendly code MUST be in upper cases. Next turn the planet (along with the starbase if it existed) will belong to the race specified by the letter N. The friendly code of this planet would be reset to “AAA”. If a starbase exists in orbit, hulls will be deleted from the starbase’s stock as they become different hulls when the starbase is owned by another race. A ship in build queue will be lost.

If colonist happiness if less than or equal to zero, then the planetary transfer will not occur. The friendly code is resetted to “AAA” after any transfer attempt successful or not.

NB. All ships with GPN friendly code will have its friendly code reverted back to ‘AAA’. This is to stop Birdmen from using SuperSpy to transfer planets as they like (it is an universal limitation).

Players will get status messages after each transfer. There will be no messages for ships having its friendly code reset though. You have been warned <g>.

Credits
=======

Special Thanks to Ocie Hudson for helping me compile the source code.

Special Thanks to Tim Wisseman for making VGAP and making the source code for cplayer public which allowed to me to work out the VGAP file formats.

Acknowledgements
================

This program edits the host data files for a VGAP game. This game comes ‘as is’ and I make no guarantees on the behavior of this program on your PC. This program worked fine in the test game on my PC. Please use GivePlan with the understanding that there is NO GUARANTEE or WARRANTY given. When using add-ons, I recommend all hosts to make back-ups of ALL HST files, TRN files, RST files and just about all the data VGAP uses just in case something goes wrong.

Please report bugs to Ryo Nakamura (http://www2.rosenet.ne.jp/%7Eryo123/vgap/). Thank you.

More RCC add-ons are available at the Den: http://www2.rosenet.ne.jp/%7Eryo123/vgap/

History
=======

v1.0b – First version. Uncompiled in QBasic language.
v1.1b – First compiled version.
v1.2b – Second compiled version. Realized that Birdmen can use SuperSpy mission to transfer planets as they like. Commented on by Ocie Hudson.
v1.3b – Programmed really long handed method around SuperSpy.
v1.4b – Came up with easier way to get around problem in v1.2b.
v1.5b – First public release version. Was branded beta version as it had no status messages. This one also has better logging system compared to v1.4b. No bugs reported yet.
v1.6 – Full version. Comes with status messages and a BMP file. It also has better sequential file processor.
v1.7 – Supports multiple directories.
v1.8 – Fixed a problem in the multiple directory support. Bug found thanks to Dan de Haan.
v1.9 – Registered the alternative message tag with Tim Wisseman. This add-on now uses slot 800 instead of 189.
v2.0b – Beta version programmed to fix a file handling problem found by Tim Hester. Thanks to Tim Hester and Halfling for testing this version on the data files in question. The file handling problem was worked around by coding better file handler in the program. There has been no reports of this problem occurring in other games, but users of this program are requested to change to the latest version to avert possible future problems.
v2.1 – This version has better logs and prints out transfer statistics in the log.
v2.2 – Added routines to stop planets without colonists clans transferring. This caused problems when combined with the Scorched Earth tactics. Thanks to Mags, Ed and Perry for reporting this problem.
v2.3 – If colonist happiness if less than or equal to zero, then the planetary transfer will not occur. The friendly code is resetted to “AAA” after any transfer attempt successful or not. Extra log info added.
v2.4 – Resets ships in build queue. Bug found by Bane & MEGA.