Machines of Yore
Author: Dale Pope
Copyright (C) 1996 Dale Pope
All rights reserved.
VGA Planets is a registered trademark of Tim Wisseman.
I, Dale, can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected]
An on-line and up to date version of the Machines Of Yore documentation can be found at:
http://members.shaw.ca/d4pope/moy/
Contents:
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Installation
3.0 MoY Configuration
3.1 Create Machines / Add Another Set of Machines
3.2 The Main Menu
3.3 The Editing Menu
3.4 Using with PHOST
4.0 The Machines of Yore
4.01 The Planet Walkway
4.02 The Gravity Well
4.03 The Anti-Cloak Field
4.04 The Disintegration Beam
4.05 The Happy Planet
4.06 Unlimited Tritanium
4.07 Unlimited Duranium
4.08 Unlimited Molybdenum
4.09 Unlimited Neutronium
!All of the following machines are available to registered users only!
4.10 The Flinger
4.11 The Detail Scanner
4.12 The Giant Bovinoids
4.13 The Ship-On-Ship Transporter
4.14 The Tractor Beam
4.15 The Colonist Spreader
4.16 The Board-With-A-Nail-In-It
4.17 The Fighter Commander
4.18 The Cyborg Crew Terminator
4.19 The Machine Detector
5.0 Registering
1.0 Introduction
The Machines Of Yore is an add-on for VGA Planets that scatters machines of differing functions on planets throughout the cluster. One machine provides an unlimited source of moly, another provides a more efficient form of transportation, another destroys ships lightyears away, and there are more.
These machines were constructed long ago by a very intelligent and argumentative alien species. Fortunately, this very intelligent and argumentative alien species also killed each other off long ago. Apparently, some sort of argument developed as to what engineering software was the best to design new machines. There were other arguments, too. Some wanted to be the Empire of Yorians, and others wanted to be the Empire of Yoreans. And others wanted to be the Empire of Yorelites. And others thought “of” was too wordy so they wanted to be the Yorelite Empire. As more and more others were created, they started attacking each other. Eventually, they had completely eradicated themselves from the universe. Which turned out to be a great thing for the new species!
Another great thing for the new races, all the machines were built of non-biodegradable material and are 100% intact!
2.0 Installation
First, this is a 32-bit DOS program and requires at least a 386 CPU. A DPMI server is also required. If you don’t have a DPMI server (Windows, QDPMI, 386Max, NWDOS, OS/2, Win/NT, and Linux DOSEmu all provide DPMI services) you will have to download a freeware DPMI server (CWSDPMI). You can download it from:
ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/gnu/djgpp/v2misc/
CSDPMI2B.ZIP was the most current release at the time this document was written.
To install MoY, just run ‘install <PlanetsDirectory>’ and it will copy the files and the registration information. If you are a registered user of v1.00 do not delete it, the install program will extract the registration name and key, and copy it into the new version.
If you’re using CWSDPMI you should put cwsdpmi.exe in your main planets directory, as well. The MoY programs will spawn CWSDPMI automatically so you do not need to do anything else with it.
Then run the myconfig program.
3.0 MoY Configuration
To configure MoY just run myconfig.exe with the path to the game data.
3.1 Create Machines / Add Another Set of Machines
The first thing MoY config will do is ask which planets machines should be
placed on:(1) Any random planet
Will place machines on randomly chosen planets. It also provides a further option:(1) within a Circle of a specified radius
Will only choose planets within a circle that you give it. It will prompt you for coordinates for the center of the circle and then for the radius in light years.(2) Any planet on the map
It will just go and start choosing random planets from anywhere on the map.(2) Unowned random planets
Will choose planets randomly but will only put machines on those planets that are not colonized. It also provides you with the choice of placing them within a circle or anywhere on the map (see above).(3) Owned by a specific race random planets
Will choose planets randomly but will only put machines on those planets owned by a specific player. It also provides you with the choice of placing them within a circle or anywhere on the map (see above).(4) Planets that you choose
Will provide you with a map of all the planets and allow you to select planets manually for each machine. Left clicking on the mouse will simply show you some information about the planet (ID#, name, owner, machine set, and the type of machine). Right clicking allows you to add, change, or remove a machine from the selected planet.3.2 The Main Menu
(1) List configuration on screen
Lists the usefulness settings (see 3.3 The Editing Menu), the machines, what planets they’re on, who owns them, and how long they have been owned. If you just created machines, all of them will appear to be on unowned planets whether they’re owned or not. After MoY is run for the first time everything should appear normal.(2) Save config to ‘myconfig.txt’
Makes a text file containing all the information that the ‘List’ command shows on screen.(3) Create new config
Deletes any current machines and makes new ones.(4) Edit config
Brings up a menu with several editing features.(5) Add another set of machines
Adds another set of machines to the cluster. You’ll be prompted for the same information as when you created the first set of machines. The shareware version can setup a maximum of 100 machines. The registered can put a machine on every planet.(6) Quit (and save)
Saves the present configuration and quits.(!) don’t save, just quit
Quits without saving.3.3 The Editing Menu
(1) List configuration on screen
Lists the usefulness settings (see below), the machines, what planets they’re on, who owns them, and how long they have been owned. If you just created machines, all of them will appear to be on unowned planets whether they’re owned or not. After MoY is run for the first time everything should appear normal.(2) Configure machine usefulness
Changes the “usefulness” settings of a machine. The usefulness settings include such things as the number of turns until a machine is usable, the radius (for machines like the Gravity Well), and other mimumums and maximums.(3) Enable all disabled machines
Enables all the machines that have been disabled. It will go through the “Create Machines” menu and enable the machines in the way you specify. Machines that are already setup will not be altered.(4) Disable all type X machines
Disables all machines of a certain type (ie. all Gravity Well’s).(5) Manual edit
Will provide you with a map of all the planets and allow you to select planets manually for each machine. Left clicking on the mouse will simply show you some information about the planet (ID#, name, owner, machine set, and the type of machine). Right clicking allows you to add, change, or remove a machine from the selected planet.(6) Quit to main
Quits back to the main menu.3.4 Using with PHOST
MoY will run with PHOST but with a little different results. MoY is designed to use auxhost1.ini and auxbc.ini but it can be run after phase 1 and after phase 2 with PHOST except that some machines will experience a “delayed reaction.” For example, the gravity well. If MoY runs in auxbc.ini and the gravity well pulls a ship in a player can have combat with the ship immediately; alternatively, if MoY runs in auxhost2.ini or after phase 2 of PHOST the players would have to wait until next turn for combat.
Some machines may also cause PHOST to generate warning messages about cheating but nothing too serious.
The next major release of PHOST is expected to support auxbc.ini.
The batch file should look something like this:
phost -1 [whatever other parameters and directories]
moy.exe <GameDirectory> 1
phost -2 [whatever other parameters and directories]
moy.exe <GameDirectory> 2
phost -3 [whatever other parameters and directories]
4.0 The Machines of Yore
Before colonists can use a machine they first have to find it and study it. This normally takes 3 to 4 turns (configurable) depending on the machine. As soon as the colonists figure everything out they send a message to tell their emperor what it is and how to use it. This message can be repeated at any time by setting that planets friendly code to ‘?**’ (** can be anything).
All machine activity is logged in the file ‘moy.log’.
Here is a list of all machines that presently exist but I plan to add more in the future.
4.1 The Planet Walkway
A Planet Walkway exists on two planets and they allow anything to be transferred between those two (and only those two) planets.
If colonists are transferred through the PW and the receiving PW is unowned, they colonize it. If it is owned by another race, they fight according to normal ground comat rules.
If natives are transferred through the PW and the receiving PW has no natives, they “colonize” it. If a different native race is on the planet, they fight on a 1:1 basis.
When sending the same type of natives but with a higher level of government through the PW the natives on the receiving planet will increase their level of government. It increases one point every time natives go through until the governments are equal. For example, if you had unity amphibians going to monarchy amphibians they would be upgraded to representative, then participatory, and then reach unity.
Colonist happiness increases (very slightly) on the receiving PW when they go through (it’s better than a roller coaster!).
Native happiness decreases (very slightly) on the receiving PW when they go through (natives are very queasy).
The transfer occurs before movement.
Here is a list of the friendly codes and the default maximum amount of each item you can send through the PW (‘##’ represents the percentage amount of an item to be transferred):
(all these maximums are configurable)
##N neutronium (up to 1200 kt)
##T tritanium (up to 1200 kt)
##D duranium (up to 1200 kt)
##M molybdenum (up to 1200 kt)
##S supplies (up to 1200 supplies)
##C colonists (up to 12000 clans)
##V natives (up to 12000 clans)
##$ megacredits (up 10 100000 MC)
EXP send 1 colonist clan through to explore the other PWFor example, a friendly code of ’05V’ would send 5% of that planets natives through the PW. A friendly code of ’00V’ would send 100% of the natives through the PW (or at least 12000 clans of them).
4.2 The Gravity Well
This machine can pull all ships within 50 ly (configurable) into orbit around the planet. Ships that are in orbit around near by planets are protected from the gravity well.
Occurs before and after movement.
The friendly code is ‘ON*’ to activate it.
4.3 The Anti-Cloak Field
Forces *all* ships within 80 ly (configurable) to decloak.
At the moment, this doesn’t quite work the way I want it to. I haven’t figured out how to decloak a ship without changing the ships mission. So, for now, this machine will disable a ships cloaking device by changing the mission from cloak to nothing. It will also change the mission on bird ships from super spy to nothing. When I learn how to fix this, I will.
Occurs before and after movement.
The friendly code is ‘ON*’ to activate it.
4.4 The Disintegration Beam
Can completely destroy any specified ship within a 40 ly (configurable) radius.
Occurs before and after movement.
The friendly code is the ID number of the ship you want to destroy.
4.5 The Happy Plants
Plants on the planet release a gaseous substance into the atmosphere that makes the colonists and natives very happy. Consequently, they can be overtaxed (by approximately 3 times normal). They also have an increased growth rate. Any natives on the planet have grown immune to the substance.
There is no friendly code control.
4.6 Unlimited Tritanium
It maintains a constant source of 500 kt (configurable) of tritanium
below the surface at a 100% mining rate.No special friendly code required.
4.7 Unlimited Duranium
It maintains a constant source of 500 kt (configurable) of duranium below the surface at a 100% mining rate.
No special friendly code required.
4.8 Unlimited Molybdenum
It maintains a constant source of 500 kt (configurable) of moly below the surface at a 100% mining rate.
No special friendly code required.
4.9 Unlimited Neutronium
It maintains a constant source of 500 kt (configurable) of neutronium below the surface at a 100% mining rate.
No special friendly code required.
!All of the following machines are available to registered users only!
4.10 The Flinger
It will throw all ships within a 50 ly (configurable) radius of the planet. The ship will be thrown somewhere (randomly) between 300 and 500 ly (configurable) in a direction opposite to the planet. In the process, the ships will get between 1% and 15% damaged (dependent on the distance thrown).
Occurs before movement.
The friendly code is ‘ON*’ to activate it.
4.11 The Detail Scanner
Provides a detailed scan on a specified ship within a 200 ly (configurable) radius. It will scan cloaked ships, as well.
Scans before movement.
The friendly code is the ID number of the ship you want to scan.
4.12 The Giant Bovinoids
A race of giant bovinoids that make twice the amount of supplies that normal bovinoids make.
There is no friendly code control.
4.13 The Ship-On-Ship Transporter
Similar to the chunnel. Instantly transports all ships from orbit right on top of any ship within 180 ly (configurable).
Occurs after movement.
The friendly code is the ID number of the ship you want to transport on top of.
4.14 The Tractor Beam
Similar to the gravity well, but this will not pull ships into orbit. It will lock and hold a ship (within 60 ly (configurable)) at its current point in space.
Occurs before and after movement.
The friendly code is the ID number of the ship you want hold on to.
4.15 The Colonist Spreader
Transports 1000 colonists to any planet on the map.
Occurs before movement.
The friendly code is the ID number of the planet you want to transport your 10 clans to.
4.16 The Board-With-A-Nail-In-It
Sends an artificially semi-intelligent flying board-with-a-nail-in-it to any planet on the map. The board-with-a-nail-in-it will then fly around scaring colonists into their ACME Home-To-Orbit Escape Pods. However, being a quality ACME product, the pods will either (a) go backwards into the ground, (b) fly upwards until they remember that gravity exists, or (c) not launch until someone climbs into the engine to figure out what’s wrong.
So, the board-with-a-nail-in-it causes 15% (configurable) (up to a maximum of 150 clans (configurable)) of the population to die in ACME related accidents.
And, of course, the board-with-a-nail-in-it will always return home and wait for you to send it somewhere else.
Occurs before movement.
The friendly code is the ID number of the planet you want to send the board-with-a-nail-in-it to.
4.17 The Fighter Commander
Sends a command to a carrier within 80 ly (configurable) that will cause the fighters aboard to leave the ship and fly into oblivion.
Occurs after movement.
The friendly code is the ID number of the carrier you want to unload all its fighters.
4.18 The Cyborg Crew Terminator
Beams a cyborg terminator on to a ship within 50 ly (configurable). The cyborg will terminate the entire crew, as well as any clans in the cargo bays. It will then assume command of the vessel and wait for further orders.
The Cyborg race are able to assimilate the cyborg terminator into their collective immediately, before any crew are killed.
Occurs before and after movement.
The friendly code is the ID number of the ship you want the cyborg terminator to beam to.
4.19 The Machine Detector
Detects when any machine has become active and tells the player where it is located. It cannot, however, distinguish between different machines. It will only tell a player where a machine is, not what the machine is.
Occurs before and after movement.
The friendly code is ‘ON*’ to activate it.
5.0 Registering
Registered users will be able to use all the machines, and also be able to put a machine on all 500 planets if they wish to do so. All upgrades to this program, including the addition of new machines, will be free to registered users.
To register, fill out the order form found in moyorder.txt and send it with a cheque or money order for $7(Canadian) to:
Dale Pope
7516-75 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T6C 2E8
CanadaE-mail: [email protected]