============================================================================ Wheel of Fortune, v6.0b HISTORY! File by Dotoran! ============================================================================ -- v6.0b -- - More Bug Fixes: - The odd [heart]F1 printing for some of you seems to be caused by using the Arexx CLS command. It only appears to those using v2.63 I've found, but in any event, all occurances of this CLS command were replaced with the "\f1" MCI command directly. - There were some instances using the DELETE command to attempt to delete a file that didn't exist. Normally, nothing bad would be caused by this, but some 040 configurations were choking, so I included some checks before an actual DELETE is performed. - I tightened up the use of the "dfile" variable, which stores the game file directory. This should fix those "unable to lock on directory" errors some of you reported. - The "?" command to display the MENU was not working in any of the main "Game." modules. It now works, as does it's alias command, the "/" (A ? without pressing SHIFT). - When playing the BONUS ROUND, the first screen that comes up asking for the consonants and vowels was not correctly using alternate HIDE Characters. (It would always use the @ char) - The DOCS files will now only advance when the RETURN/ENTER key is pressed, instead of ANY key. The prompt wordings were also changed to reflect this. - The following were ADDED to the "Config" module: - There are now two variables that allow you to easily adjust the rotating spin speed used in the "Spinning" graphics for users of 9600 and 14400+ modem speeds. - You can now give PRIZES for solving either a Regular Puzzle, or the Bonus Puzzle. This prize can either be Extra Minutes of Online Time, Added PFile Game Points, UD Byte Credits, or UD File Credits. There is also a "None" setting for those who wish NOT to give additional prizes(over Congratulating the user). - Please refer to the README! file for more info on the newest CONFIG options added. - This looks like it may be the last release for the 6.0 version as far as BUG FIXES go. If you know of any bugs which were not caught and killed in either 6.0a or 6.0b, please let me know about them. I can only fix those I find or know about. The majority of the bug fixes to date were caused directly by either the CNet Version running the file, or the hardware setup being used. -- v6.0a -- - God I hate v2.63! Sheesh! hehe - Bug Fixes(within 2 hours of initial release): - The Loader was not using the path file variable when trying to load the "Game." modules. - The Loader was using a GETWHERE, instead of GETUSER in the v2.63 port scan routine, and the CNet Version flags were in the wrong order. - The Config file was missing a semicolon, which was producing an odd [heart]f1 code before the screen was printed. - All three "Game." files had their use of the SORT command changed from using the MCI {#4 } command to ADDRESS COMMAND, because 040 machines like to barf on {#4 }'s. - The More? Command is turned OFF in the "Config" file. - Note to those who haven't already done this: You need to change your OVERSCAN settings(In Prefs) so you're using a 203 line screen, instead of a 200 line screen in order to correctly view 23 line ANSI screens. - Note that NOW the only PATH hardcoded into ANY of the files is the one where the "WoFortune.Config" file is located(in "pfiles:"). You can now place the "WoFortune.Loader" file wherever you want to, even inside the "WoFortune/" directory, but don't move the "WoFortune.Config" file, unless you go through and change all the hard-coded paths in these files: Loader, Game.???, SetUp, Maint, and Register.Viewer. -- v6.0 -- - Well, the more I thought about it, the more I began to decide that ALL SysOps should be allowed to have the new BONUS ROUND, so here it is! - There have been so many changes made between August and November that I hope I can remember all of them(There was also a complete rewrite of the BONUS Round, due to a slight crash I had which lost my only copy of the original BONUS Round coding, which is the main reason you're reading this file NOW, instead of my previously stated October release date). Here are some bugs I was told about, and which were fixed: - If either all the vowels had been guessed, or the last vowel in the puzzle had been guessed, and the user typed BUY VOWEL, they were taken into the BUY VOWEL routine and were LOCKED in there, until they dropped carrier. They are now given the same reminder they see if they try to guess a consonant when all of those have been guessed. - Two of you told me about another way your users have found that they can CHEAT in the game. If they entered the game and played out their turn in full, then used the EU command to change their handle, they could then play the game again. Also, if you had husband-wife/brother-brother teams on your board, they could take turns playing the game through different ports on multi- line boards. This problem was taken care of this way: - A file containing the following info on the last player of the game is created containing: - Handle - Serial ID Number - Street Address - Voice Phone Number - Date Phone Number - When a new player attempts to play the game, a check is performed against the above info from the lastplayer and the current player. If ANY of the data matches, the player is NOT allowed to play again. - There is a new feature that gives the last player a 1 in 10 chance of being able to play again, but this is SysOp Definable if you wish to use this or not. - Using this technique, I can't see HOW it is possible a user can CHEAT in this game anymore! - I also noted that NEW users and GUESTS were also allowed to play the game, which might also be used as a way to CHEAT in the game, so I added an option in the config that would allow you to specify whether or not you wished NEW/GUEST user's to play or not. - The following are changes and additions that were made to the game over the past few months: - Of course, the BONUS ROUND is now fully integrated in ALL THREE modules. It includes: - Two New Hall of Fame Entries. - A new "Last Bonus Winners" file now exists. - The Loader now has the ability to show info on the last Bonus Winner, how much they won, etc. - An automatic count-down timer. - Player is given R,S,T,N,L, and E to start. - They supply an additional 2 consonants and 1 vowel. - Whether they are allowed to type letters which have already been given to them or not is SysOp definable. - Ability to specify the MINIMUM length Bonus Puzzles can be(instead of simply selecting the next puzzle in the list, even if it's only 10 characters long!) - User who solves regular puzzle is ASKED if they wish to play the Bonus Round, instead of actually HAVING to play it if they don't want to. - The Bonus Round has a prize amount between 10,000 and 50,000 dollars, and the user's accumulated Bonus Money is kept separate from their regular puzzle winnings. - Having to edit variables manually in any of the command files is now obsolete. There is now a new command file "Config" that allows you to specify over 30 different variables pertaining to how the game, and it's loader operates and behaves! See the README! file pertaining to the CONFIG for more info! - Certain colors, and wordings were changed to better interact with the newer features. - The unregistered version now includes 350 puzzles, while the registered SysOps will receive close to 1400 puzzles. There is a new format to the "Puzzles" file, using packed character relative type technology, instead of the previous sequential type ordering. The puzzles are still encrypted, but they are now saved relatively, which makes reading them into the game much faster, especially for the registered SysOps, who are using over 1000 of them! - There is now a common "SetUp" command file that is used by all three modules to initially set the game up. Color and IBM chars are used in this file, because it is thought that the SysOp will be the only one ever using this routine. - There is now a SysOp Maintenance command file "Maint" that will let the SysOp: Restart a game completely, or partially, delete older players from the "Players" file, Configure the game using the new "Config" command file, and will load any of the three registered utilities(if the game is a registered version) - The Wedges used in the ANSI version of the game have been COMPLETELY ReDrawn. (I told you I wasn't quite satisfied with them!) I think I like this new look enough to want to use them over the "rotating" wheel. - A little COMMA routine was added to each file that inserts commas into large monetary values as needed, so you'd get: $27456 into $27,456 and $1286932 into $1,286,932, etc. This routine works with values up to: $999,999,999 - The "List All Players" routine received an update: - The current player's stats will always be the FIRST entry printed(and will appear again where it normally comes in the alphabetized listing) - New columns for Number of Bonus Wins, and Amount of Bonus Cash were added. - The Handle column was widened to allow for the ENTIRE handle to be printed, instead of being chopped. - You can now ABORT the listing if you press any key OTHER than the ENTER key it asks you to press. - All Random Numbers are now "truly" random, in that I am now using the technique of only seeding the generator ONCE at the START of the file, instead of EVERY time a random number was needed. This was found to be a MUCH more precise way to make random numbers. - There is now an "Errors Log" created whenever one of the Game Modules experiences an error. This file can be viewed by the SysOp from within any of the Game Modules. The error notations were also removed from the Game Logs, so as not to "publicize" the fact an error occurred(which will stop a user from trying to deliberately create the error over and over). - The Game Logs are now segragated, as are the Game Docs into the ASC, ANS, and IBM interpretations. This makes each module now a COMPLETE translation into each terminal emulation. - You may have noticed in this version, an attempt was made to make this program "modular", whereas only the modules that are NEEDED are ever loaded. However, this method is NOT the method utilized by Crazy Cad in Empire, where his modules were used via the INTERPRET command, these modules need to be loaded in as separate pfiles. Although each module is written to be able to be run as a stand alone pfile, it IS possible to load them through the command file. At the MOST, one port could load up to FOUR(4) separate pfiles, as shown below: - "WoFortune.Loader" - "Game.???" - "Maint" - "Config" Because of this fact, you will want to be sure to use a setting high enough in your "Max Pfiles to Run at Once" in CONFIG. A setting of "# of ports" x 3 should be good, so if you had 1 local port and 3 modem ports, use a value of 12, etc. - Hopefully, this release is as bug-free as possible. I deliberately kept my hands on this file for an extra 2 weeks just to run it under numerous different settings in hopes of finding any bugs that may have crept in, but as is generally the rule, one or two MAY have slipped past me. You know what to do in the event you ever find a stray bug by now! -- v5.3b -- - A misplaced BUFFERFLUSH command was causing a "no carrier" problem in the .IBM and .ANS modules. It was correctly coded in the .ASC module. - I decided to go through these modules with a fine tooth comb, to hope- fully make this the last release version in the 5. series. As far as I was able to determine, there are only four places in each module where this bug might show itself, and I checked all four places in ALL THREE Modules, so NOW I think we've finally solved this problem! - Release: August 24, 1993 -- v5.3a -- - The new CNet MCI {i } command does not correctly handle Lost Carriers, so a slight addition had to be added to each "Game." file to correct this problem. - This bug-fix version was released in two flavors: - The "do-it-yourselfer" text file way. - The full 60+K archive method. - Release date: August 18, 1993. -- v5.3 -- - STARTING THIS VERSION: ONLY REGISTERED SYSOPS MAY USE WOF5! - The "Registered" file is no more. There are now THREE separate files, one for each term mode, ASCII, ANSI, and IBM-ANSI. - A new WOF utility, "RegEditor" was introduced allowing the SysOp to modify the COLORS used in the REGISTERED Graphic Files. - All Command Files(Game.'s, Editor, RegEditor, etc.) were modified to work with the new "Reg." Graphic Files. - The "txt" equivalents to the "Puzzles" files were included with the archive. Getting ready for the next utility to Code/Decode "Puzzles" files. - Release Date: August 12, 1993. -- v5.2 -- - Looks like I lied about v5.0b being the last BUG FIX Version! :-) - I still missed one "No Carrier" location(in the Winner Creates NEW Puzzle routine). HOPEFULLY, that is ALL the possible locations! - I rewrote the Wedge Graphic SPIN Routines(AGAIN), as I was noticing it STILL wasn't acting true to the wheel(I spun 7 FREE SPINS in a ROW!) I think I've come up with a good algorythm now, so hopefully things will appear more randomly. - There's a new variable that allows the SysOp to choose which character will be used to HIDE any UNSOLVED letters, in case you don't like my preference of the @ symbol. - Another variable allows you to let the WINNER of one game be the FIRST player of the NEXT game(provided they Auto-Generated the Puzzle). - Users now have a 1 in 10 chance of being able to play again if they were the LASTPLAYER to play the game. - The "rotating" wheel graphics were updated to look and act a little better than previous versions. Slight delay loops were also added if the user was at 9600 or above for their Baud Rate. This slows down the spinning effect just a bit, so as to be enjoyable. - Some "little" typos, spelling mistakes, format oddities, etc. were also taken care of in this version. Hopefully, this will be the last version you'll have to download for awhile. - Release Date: August 10, 1993! -- v5.0b -- - My first attempt at correcting the Loader checker wasn't correctly checking for the "Game." files. All four files were given new, updated WHO displays so proper checking COULD be done. - The "Data" file was renamed "GameData". This was done to allow for CNet's "data" directory to reside within the "WoFortune/" directory in case you wished to add the "Game." files as stand-alone Arexx Pfiles. - The "shuffle" routine was slightly modified to work correctly with "Puzzles" files of greater than 250 puzzles. Now, ALL puzzles will be efficiently randomized. - This SHOULD be the LAST "bug-fix" version, until v6.0. - Release Date: July 20, 1993 -- v5.0a -- - CNet Amiga, v2.63 has a bug in the Arexx GETWHERE command that does NOT correctly respond to what the users on your bbs are doing. - This "WoFortune.Loader" file is written using the LONG, 7-Digit GETUSER OFFSET values to determine what the users are doing, in other words, whether or not they're playing the WOF game or not. - The "WoFortune.Loader3" file is the loader you will use when updating to v3.0 CNet Amiga. It reverts back to using the GETWHERE command, a more STABLE way of finding out what users are doing on your bbs. -- v5.0 -- - Time for a MAJOR ReWrite of this Game's idea. Too many conversions to different formats & BBS programs made the coding very choppy, and in some places, downright redundant. - This version was WRITTEN for the Amiga CNet BBS software, v2.63 & beyond, with separate modules for ASCII, ANSI, and IBM-ANSI users. - Two Graphic Wheels provided: Wedges & a Rotating Wheel. - Complete LOG is kept for ALL activity done within the game. - The WOF Logon file was combined with a Game Loader. The window now lists who the last player was, as well as how the CURRENT Game is coming. It also checks to make sure no other ports are playing! - High Scores Saved to Disk, as well as ALL Scores. - The Winner can either WRITE their OWN puzzle, or have the BBS pick a new one for them. - All puzzles are encrypted to disallow cheating on ANYONES part! - MUCH, MUCH more.... Read the README! and REGISTER! files! - Release Date: July 13, 1993! -- v4.0 -- approximate version number. - Trebor (Robert Smith), converted the BB(Baud Bandit) BBS version to run under the Amiga CNet BBS. - Created an ASCII and ANSI version, mentioned a future SKYPIX version, but offered no IBM-ANSI version. - Trebor was the first that I know of to include a WOF Logon file that listed who the last winner was, and what the winnings were... - Was still quite buggy, and the different modules weren't TRUE to those term protocols. (The ASCII version was using IBM Graphics, etc.) - All puzzles were viewable by whoever could get into the programs directory. -- v3.0 -- approximate version number. - Matt English converted the SkyLine BBS version to the Amiga BB(Baud Bandit) BBS. - Started out using scrolling wedges, then went with the rotating wheel. - No separate ANSI / IBM-ANSI modules existed, and the ASCII mode was built into the ANSI version, making it operate NO more quickly than the ANSI version. -- v2.0 -- approximate version number. - Nick Brenckle wrote a version for the Amiga SkyLine BBS. - This is the first AMIGA WOF file that I knew of for ANY AMIGA BBS! - First version I knew of to utilize the Wedge Graphics. -- v1.0 -- approximate version number. - Unknown author wrote a version for the Commodore 64/128 CNets. - Recall this version used a rotating wheel, and allowed for playbacks. ============================================================================ Written by Dotoran of Frontiers BBS (716)/823-9892! ============================================================================ Last Modified: November 25, 1993 Please REGISTER This Game! ~~~~~~~~