* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * a i s C r z E h t !!!!! y g * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Original AmigaBASIC author unknown. (Many, many thanks). Converted to a Metro Door by Peter Deane Release 4 was (5 June 1991) This 2.0 release 23 November 1994 (c) 1991 by Peter Deane * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! You must have two .bmap files on your SYS: disk before you run this door. They are the 'graphics.bmap' and 'dos.bmap' files which must be in the libs: directory of your SYS: disk (ie boot drive) These .bmap files are supplied in the distribution archive. WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! * WARNING! [This is a version of my old Crazy 8s Door, now recompiled with a couple of very small changes to get it to run under the new OzMetro BBS program. These docs are pretty well 1991 vintage, but any notes added for this release will be in square brackets like this note]. Copyright Status: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The copyright as a Metro Door is held by me. This package may be re-distributed electronically, provided a profit is not made by such distribution. If a profit is made, then the proceeds MUST be forwarded to me. Contact Me: ~~~~~~~~~~~ Postal: Peter Deane PO Box 228 Swansea NSW 2281 AUSTRALIA Call Inquestor BBS 24 Hours: 011-61-49-72-1647 from the USA (049) 72-1647 from within Australia To set this up: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Doorfiles1 or Doorfiles2 or (...) create a blank directory called DoorX. (X=a spare number in accordance with the Metro Docs). Copy all the files from this archive into this directory, and then rename the file 'Door60' to 'DoorX'. You will need to also have a copy of the file '8s.scores' in this directory. Then add a command to BBSFILES/DoorCmdsY so the users can get to it. Okay, if you DO have any probs, see the Metro Docs... [Under OzMetro it's simply Door.exe in the DoorfilesX/DoorXXX directory, also the Menu to add the command to is MenuCmds_XX] Files: ~~~~~~ 8s.bas 8s.doc 8s.scores 8s.scores.blank (This is a spare if you want to reset the scores) door.exe dos.bmap <--- this isn't actually required, but it's here, anyway graphics.bmap All you need for this to run is a copy of the Door and '8s.scores' in your door directory. That's it. No menus, or any other files are required - they are now internal to the program. The Game: ~~~~~~~~~ For instructions as to how to play the game, run the door and use the nstructions option. As an interesting feature, the original program made use of the narrator.device. So I left it in: for LOCAL logins only. Naturally, you need the translator.library and the narrator.device on your boot disk if you want to take advantage of this. (Hard drive users yawn...)! Don't forget to turn the sound up! Changes in this version are many. First and foremost, there is local ANSI graphics. An 8 colour Hi-Res/non-interlace screen is opened (for 48k of chip ram), and the Sysop can see all the pretty stuff only remote callers have been getting with my doors before. Because I can see what the output really looks like, I made a few changes to the choices of colour from the original. Also, some of the output has been tidied up, and it's been made SLIGHTLY more user friendly. Again, credit must go to Craig Jackson, whose 'Wall Door' inspired the methods I use for getting local ANSI. The game now has a Top Scores Table (actually, the LOWER the score, the better), so this will hopefully increase the popularity of this door. Players can now compare their results with others'. The way this works is best explained in the instructions within the door. It is now also possible to Quit from a game without having to play it out to the end. Simply enter 'Z' as the card to play, and you'll be asked to confirm your request to quit the game. If you should quit while halfway through a Competition game where the high scores are at stake, your current score will NOT be added to the High Scores Chart. By the way, the window is opened up 2 pixels down from the top, so you can get to the push-to-back gadget without fumbling for ScreenX or a similar program, if you don't want the door at the front when working on your Amiga. In release 1.0B, some screen clearing between turns and at the end is attempted. I originally had this in in the very first version I got running, but took it out. Well, it's back now, so I hope this works okay. I also fixed up the time decrement bit so the after-midnight caller doesn't get 1570 minutes left at the witching hour! With the old system if a user was in the door at 11:59pm and had 5 minutes left, at 12:00, he'd have about 1600 minutes left! :-) If you wish to tell the difference between 1.0A and 1.0B, have a look at the dates on the high scores. The format of the date is now like 01-Jan-91 (Fido format). Version 1.0c didn't do all that much. A couple of small changes when I noticed that the version number was wrong in the output. Changed two of the colours and eliminated 1 unnecessary line. Version 2.0 has been specially recompiled to run under the OzMetro BBS system, and has a few VERY minor changes not worth mentioning. Menus: ~~~~~~ The menus make use of the IBM font, and you, too can get it running on your Amiga globally, replacing the horrible old Topaz font that comes standard. What I do is have two fonts directories containing the IBM font set up. The first one is called IBM and in it is the file '8' which is the font itself. I leave this one well alone for the other programs to use. The other font directory is the same, but has a different name. Let's say it's called 'PCFont'. To get the Amiga to use this everywhere (including with Metro) you need to simply make use of the 'FF' command that comes on the workbench 1.3 (+) release. In your startup-sequence, simply issue the command: FF PCfont.font It should then say that the Topaz font has been replaced, and warn you that the font X or Y dimensions do not match. I don't know why it does this, but I have been using it since the first GFA Metro version came out, and have never had problems from any application at all. I am now looking at a nice smooth, round font in the editor. Heaps better than topaz ever was! If you should ever need to access the Topaz font, it will be now accesible as PCfont. Basically, all FF does is to swap the two types around. (And this is why you need two IBM font directories and fonts. Some programs DO ask for the IBM.font, and if you only had 1 copy, they'd then be using what they call ibm.font, but what the SYSTEM calls topaz!!) Known Bugs: ~~~~~~~~~~~ If a player plays an Ace, and the next player draws a card, the NEXT player will be skipped, too! I can't track down where in the original program this is handled, so it's still in. Not a major problem, actually! An interesting variation. (Yep, still in, in version 1.0. Fast to become a 'House Rule' I think. The original code is such spaghetti, I can't see where it is....). Source: ~~~~~~~ I have supplied the full source code to the door in AmigaBASIC. You are warned to never, under any circumstances, attempt to modify this code. Doing so will cause severe headaches, many sleepless nights, psychoses, severe personality defects, and strain. It may also cause damage to computer equipment - smashed monitor glass and malfunctioning keys being the most common occurences. I disclaim all responsibility for any adverse affects received by attempting to modify this code. In other words, it's a BIG MESS. I have never inflicted such unstructured rubbish upon anyone before, and will attempt to never do so again. This is mainly due to the fact that I did not actually write the playing sections of code, and simply modified an existing AmigaBASIC game. It apparently started life as an 8-bit game, was modified to run under AmigaBASIC as a stand-alone game, was modified to give version 0.5 of the door a few months ago, and has now been modified yet again to give this version. Accordingly, it's not going to get any better. However, rest assured there are no major bugs, it compiles without error, and runs beautifully on my system. I am only including the source so you can see how NOT to write a door!! Conclusion: ~~~~~~~~~~~ In all, there's not much else I can say about the door in the docs. It's real easy to setup, looks great, and has a high scores chart. Get to it and make your mark on the high scores table while it's still easy!! [This is a TOP door, it really gets you in. I have spent TOO MANY hours playing this one, and too many now while recompiling it :-) ]