There are several features to this Database that are not apparent unless you look for them. The biggest feature is the Pull Down Menus! They allow you to do everything with out ever having to leave the Main Menu! Be sure and read the section on the Pull Down Menus even if you don't take the time to read anything else! Another feature is in the view program. Not only will a Ctrl-P send the map to a printer, but by pointing and clicking on a sector you can view your notes and the Port status for any given sector. There are many uses for the various options available as you use the database you will see that alot of effort went into making it very fast and very ease to use. Give it a try with the included Test Database or call and play a game with the scripts and then use the Grab Info script to collect your game reports. Then use the database to generate that info into the data you need to win! It's quick and easy! Give it a try today! ********************* The Opening Screen ******************************* Enter BBS Name: This is the name you wish to use for your Data Files. For example I play on a BBS called "Pair O Dice ][". I use "pod" as the name of the database. That way I can remember the name of the data file I need. Pick a name that reminds you of the bbs your making the database for. I recommend you keep it short and sweet. In my example above I could have picked "Dice" or "Pair" just as easily but for some reason "pod" was what comes to mind. All of the other options you will be presented with in the initial screen are detailed in the elp option of this menu and are also covered in the Build Database section of this doc file. ************************* The Main Menu ********************************** Evil Pairs: Command: E This option lists ports that are adjacent to each other and that buy Equipment. This option is useful for finding "Evil" pairs for the Sell-Steal-Move (SSM) method of earning credits. Paired Ports: Command: P This option lists ports that are adjacent to each other and that buy products the other half of the pair sells. This option is most useful for the standard trading method called "Paired Port Trading. It will give you the option to list only Org-Equ Pairs or all pairs. Toggle Avoids: Command: A This option allows you to set and remove avoids. It's useful for testing dead-ends and finding alternate paths. Be warned that the avoids you set in the database will only affect the data you have already collected. It becomes most useful once you have 100 percent of the map in your database. It is not possible to toggle an avoid in a sector you have not explored or one that is un-reachable. Classify Ports: Command: C This option lists the ports by type ie. SSB, BSB and so on. There is also an option to list all Equipment buying ports and all Fuel Ore selling ports. Make E-probe List: Command: M This option allows you to make a list of sectors to feed into the Guru Script E-prober. It will list the following types of E-probe targets: Unexplored = You have never been there. But know where it is. Unreachable = These are what you shoot first to get a big map! Dead Ends = Sectors with only 1 way in. Useful when hunting Planets The dead-end list will allow you to pick targets with or without ports or both types combined. You can View these reports with any Text Editor and add in or remove sectors as you please. We often cut up a list and shoot them in a different order just to keep from being predictable and allowing our enemies to move into an area they suspect we have just finished probing. Got to keep them guessing! Nearest Ports: Command: N This option provides a listing of all the ports nearest the sector you input. It's great for finding the closest port near you that has what you need. Nearest Sectors: Command: S This option lists the nearest sectors to the sector you input. It's useful for finding an empty sector for a Blind T-warp. This way you won't waste a probe shooting it to a sector that contains a port. Nearest Interests: Command: I This option lists the nearest location of the Item you select. It's useful for locating the mines, fighters, planets, etc nearest you. Nearest Dead-end: Command: D This option lists the nearest dead-end to the sector you Input. Very useful for finding a parking spot at the end of the day, or a safe place to hide that newly taken planet that is low on Fuel Ore. Nearest Unexplored: Command: U This options lists the sectors you have never been to, but know how to get to. Handy for those scouting via Holo-scanner. We gave you a state of the art E-prober and the means to earn Credits and you still want to do this.... Get real! Why this is useful we don't know but it's here anyway. Build Database: Command: B This option takes you to the Build Database Menu it will be explained latter in this file. View Space: Command: V This option will allow you to view a graphic map of a small part of space. You can use the mouse to click on a sector for more info. Ctrl-P will send the map to the printer. You can also use a Screen Graber to grab a copy of the map and save it off. (Screen Graber not included!) Options to view your chosen sector showing only sectors going towards or only those leaving are available. The option to show All or Both ways in and out is the default. The map also defaults to a range of 3 sectors but very often you can take it out to 4-6 sectors so if you don't like the first picture redraw it. Sooner or latter your going to get a very nice shot of the sectors your looking to view. By using the Change Screen Size option you may be able to view an even larger section of space. Take a look at the Port Colors chart in the 2.0 or 1.03d Game Charts Drawer for more info about what the View Option offers. Other Info: Command: O This option takes you to the Other Info menu that will be explained latter in this file. Find Path: Command: F This option will find the shortest path between the two sectors you input based only on the data you have in your database. It can not use those sectors that are un-explored or un-reachable when finding a path. Be advised that it may not be the same path that the Game itself will use. Use of this function is therefore limited when you have a small database. Quit: Command: Q This option does just what it says it does. And just to keep you from screwing up it will prompt you to save the database if changes were made. ************************ The Build Menu ********************************** Read in a Database: Command: D This command will re-read in your already created database. Read in a Sector Report: Command: S This command will read in the most current Sector report. Read in a Port Report: Command: P This command will read in the most current Port report. Read in a Misc File: Command: M This command will read in the Misc File and is used to update the current locations of all of your Fighters, Mines, Planets and a current Misc file is sometimes required to update the Statistics option in the Other Info menu. If you read in a misc file at the start of every day you will have the current info in your database and up to date info on when your busts will clear. Also see the comments in the statistics option. There is important info there on how the game determines your busts have cleared. Read in an Unknown Explorers Database: Command: U This command reads in an .unk file. An .unk file is another traders database that has been renamed from (BBS Name).dat to (BBS Name).unk This option is what allows corp partners to share info on explored sectors. Note that the .unk file must be renamed by you and the database will only accept data from another Guru-Dat. To use another Traders data who is running an IBM player aid have them send you their Port and Sector reports and create your own .unk file with their raw data. Then just add it in as you would a Guru-Dat .unk file. Read in a Major Space Lanes File: Command: L This command reads in the Major Space Lane file that is created by the Grab MSL script. It will mark all of the Major Space Lanes that you have explored. It will not mark unexplored sectors. Once you have this file there is no need to grab another one. Just enter it in again and it will check and mark your MSL's again. Add in a Note: (Sub-Menu of the Build Menu) Command: A This option allows you to add in a note to the Database from the pre-defined list of allowed notes. You can not add in notes of your own. But creative use of the allowed notes will let you tag sectors with enough info to let you know what's going in there. We still highly recommend that you keep notes on paper about each game. The pre-defined notes are: Spacelane For use after you E-probe that one unexplored MSL that the Read MSL option told you, You missed. Enemy Not an Avoid just a reminder of who controls this sector. Class Zero Alpha, Rylos, and Sol (Sector 1) StarDock Everybody needs to know this! NavHaz For those really nasty places. Special For whatever you want to mark. I use it to mark Ferrengal along with a Special and Enemy note. Fighters The Grab Info script marks these for you but if you don't take a new Misc file every day you may want to remove and re-mark the assets you have lost or moved. Mines See the comments about Fighters. Limpet See the comments about Fighters. Planet See the comments about Fighters. Busted For those places you don't want to be porting at! Ferrengi For marking the home sector or trapped Ferrengi ships. Also useful for marking Ferrengi Toll Fighters. Rate a Port: (Sub-Menu of the Add-Note Menu) Command R This option allows you to mark each of the ports you visit with the Following rating system: P = Poor (Waste of Turns!) F = Fair (Not even close to worth it! ) G = Good (About what you would expect!) E = Excellent (Now we are turning a profit!) B = Best (It couldn't get any better!) This feature was added to assist Evil Traders in picking the best ports to steal at. After all there is no point is getting busted at a bad port. You might as while use one paying top credits if your risking a bust! You can gather this info by noting the reports you are shown as you are Stealing. You do watch the scripts run....Right? (aahhh No!) These notes must be entered by you. No attempt was made to rate them for Experience points awarded due to your chances of getting 5 pts are controlled by several variables. If you are running the jettison option of one of the scripts the port rating will not be correct. This is due to the script taking into account the product your tossing out of the door! Keep this in mind if you are rating ports! Also note you may not get accurate results if you are using a ship with holds padded with colonists. There is an unlisted option here. If you hit the R key you can remove a ports rating. This is useful if you have entered in a wrong number and do not want to enter a rating. Write Database: Command: W This option writes the Database to the disk. Remove a Note: (Sub-Menu of the Build Menu) Command: R This option will allow you to remove a note from a sector or to remove all of the Notes or all of the Bust notes with one key press. Take Port Out of Database: Command: O This option allows you to remove a port that has been destroyed, from the database. Unless you remove then with this command the Database will assume that the port is blocked and not destroyed. Show Files: Command: F This command will show all files in the TWdata: drawer. If you are told a file doesn't exist the odds are it's not there or it is mis-spelled this option lets you do a quick check. Quit Back to Main Menu: Command: Q This option returns you to the Main Menu. ************************ The Other Info Menu *************************** Statistics: Command: S This option gives you alot of information about how much of the universe you have explored. By reading in a current ,Misc file it will also give you info on how many Fighters, Mines, Planets, and Citadels that are in the Universe, and how many of then are yours. It's one of the most useful options to see just how well off you are when stacked up with the rest of the universe. Try it, and then tell me you didn't find this option very interesting! You will note that it also tracks the number of days the game has been running, and will tell you when your busts have cleared. One thing to note about the bust clearing feature is that the busts clear when extern is run. Extern normally runs on most BBSs at midnight, however on some it may run at other times. This is a sysop thing, and can be checked by noting the time when the Ferrengi move. Check the Daily Log to find out when extern runs. If you see a report in this option that says "Your busts have cleared today if extern has run." YOU must check to see that you are playing after extern or you may find your busts are not yet cleared. Jump From Where?: Command: J This options tells you where a one way jump originated from. Considering how fast the View option works this is of little use but it was left in anyway. Phony Dead-ends: Command: P This option will search the database for those areas of space that are not true dead-ends. Often this is a dead-end that has a 1 way out. These areas make good traps when mined or stocked with fighters. Analyse Dead-ends: Command: A This option will search the database for all of the dead-ends and provide a listing showing the sectors that make up the dead-end. It also marks those sectors that have ports, and reports on total length and 1 ways in or out. Multiple Dead-ends: Command: M This option will search the database for sectors that protect more then one dead-end. These often make the best locations to build your Planets. An example would be 1 sector that guards the entrance to 2 one sector dead-ends and 1 two sector dead-end. By guarding 1 sector you can control 5 sectors. Try it, and then go and view the sectors that have 3 or more dead-ends behind it. By feeding one of these numbers into the Test Control Points option you can get a better understanding of what that one sector controls. List Controlled Sectors: Command: L This option will generate a report that shows those sectors your deployed fighters are guarding. It will also provide a listing of sectors that do not contain fighters, and that are also protected by fighters in other locations. Most useful once you have 100% mapped. You might just find your controlling a bug hunk of space and don't even know it. Full Computer Upgrade: Command: F This option will search the database and generate a report that shows the very biggest and best dead-ends to build in. It will take a very long time to run this option and the program will make a guess as to how long it will need to finish. It will be close so don't hope for the best, take the computers word for it! Once you have 100% mapped this will be the way to pick that special dead-end. Until then I recommend that you try the multiple dead-end option for a good dead-end. Very often you can find 1 sector that can control several sectors made up of 1 and 2 sector dead-ends. If your looking to control an area of space this is the way to find the best area. Test Control Points: Command: T This option will test your defenses to make sure you didn't forget to protect a sector. Guarding your planets is a must! By entering the sectors you are controlling or intend to control you can generate a report of the sectors you do control. Ways In to Fedspace: Command: I This option shows all of the ways into Fedspace including 1 ways. Both this option and the next one are useful for those times your feeling mean and just happen to have a load of mines...... Look out for the MSL's though! Ways Out of Fedspace: Command: O This option shows all of the ways out of Fedspace including 1 ways. Busiest Ports: Command: B This option will give you a list of all of the busiest ports. It will not list those still at 100 percent as they are obviously not busy. If your intent on trying your luck at robbing credits try these places first. The ones that Sell Equipment should have the most credits. Both E-Prober scripts will shoot the .txt file this option can create. Quit Back to Main Menu: Command: Q This option does as it says it does! *********************** The Pull Down Menus **************************** The pull down menus are the way to go! You can access ALL of the options and several other options that are not in the standard menus from almost any prompt in the database. There are several options that are ONLY in the pull down menus. They are: MAIN Pull Down: Change Screen Sizes: This option will allow you to adjust your screen sizes to allow you to make the most out the View option and your monitors abilities. Restart Database: This option allows you to avoid the set-up delay when you finish playing one game and want to play another game on another bbs. It will remove the old info and ask for a new database to be loaded. Update Database: This option will allow you to add a fresh .prt, .sct and .misc file to your active database. It will skip over any reports that are not in the TWdata: drawer. This is useful for refreshing your database when you are online. INTERESTS Pull Down: Stardock: By using this pull down only option You will be shown the location of Stardock with the distance to your current sector and the ports stats according to your most current port report. Busts: This pull down only option will allow you to view or create a text file listing all of the locations you have marked with a Busted note. Special: This pull down only option will allow you to view or create a text file listing all of the locations you have marked with a Special note. Ferrengi: This pull down only option will allow you to view or create a text file listing all of the locations you have marked with a Ferrengi note. BUILD Pull Down: Create Database: This option will normally be ghosted. When you use the Restart Database option you can then use this option to auto create your new database or you use if from the pulldown menu in the build database option. ************************Some Last Minute Notes ************************* We both hope you find this program and the script package to your liking John put alot of work into it and had to put up with my badgering and crazy ideas. In the end, we put together what we believe to be the finest Tradewars players aid out there. Many of the scripts have no match in the the IBM world. At this time, ONLY Amiga has the Scout Attack for the 103.x games, and John and I both feel that the Find SGA script for the 2.0 game is going to send the IBM writers into a fit of programming and re-release nightmares. You may notice that we did not include scripts to do many of the things that the IBM player aids do. For example there are no scripts to play Tri-Cron, or to shoot P-torps for you. There are no scripts to drop a fighter in every sector as you move along. Why? The answer is simple. They are worthless and not worth the waste of your time! Tri-Cron is for fools unless the jackpot is outragiously high. There are no secrets to winning! P-torps are easy to use and there is no need for us to do it for you. Why would you want to drop fighters all over the place so the Ferrengi can come along and replace them? It only makes it hard on your own E-prober to find the enemy. We went right for the real tools your going to need to become a better player not the "Fluff" that you see the IBM player aids offering as a "Feature" Gary Martin has added enough useless "Features" to the game. We won't be adding in a bunch more! You will have to learn all of the tricks and tips that are out there. We have given you the finest set of tools available it's now up to you to take the time and effort to put them to work for you. I can only suggest to you that you read the Tradewars Echo and get the tip files. Even John and I still find some of the information useful. You can never learn to much! Please keep in mind that this package TwGuruIV.lha has been released prior to the "Final Release" of the Tradewars 2.0 game by Gary and Mary Ann Martin. If that "Final Release" is ever made, and major changes require a re-release of our package we will consider it at that time. There are no current plans to add or create another release. However there may be a a few bugs we overlooked and a bug fix may be made if needed. Remember that you paid nothing for this package and we don't build programs for a profit. This package was created for our own use and released as a gift to the Amiga Tradewars players. We encourage you to share it with other Amiga users! After all if we didn't share it with you....... If you would like to send your suggestions, comments, or questions to us I can be reached in the following ways: As Mike Magero in the Fido Tradewars echo. Via net mail at Silicon Beach Fido 1:369/68 Via private mail at Silicon Beach (3O5) 474-6512 Via net mail at Pair O Dice ][ Fido 1:369/46 Via private E-mail at Pair O Dice ][ (3O5) 753-9259 I will ALWAYS attempt to answer questions sent to me in the Tradewars echo. If you send me netmail include a return address or I will not be able to reply except in the Tradewars echo as a public message. I sometimes wonder if my outgoing netmail gets delivered but I do send the replies. If you send me mail and don't get an answer inside of a week send another netmail or try posting in the Tradewars Echo. The origin lines are often stripped in my netmail (Wildcat?) make sure you include a return address if you want a net-mail reply! ** Remember to allow for Mail Lag and read your own mail daily! ** If you want to speak with John you will have to send me Netmail with your home phone number and a suggested time to call. The call will be collect! John does not read the TW echo and will not even see messages aimed at him. **Sysops** If your a sysop and intend to make the TwGuruIV.lha available on your bbs. You may send me mail stating that you want your bbs added to the list of bbs that it can be downloaded or Freq'ed from. We want to be able to send the people searching for this file in the right direction and only to quality BBS's. Hopefully in their own area! We request you provide the following information: BBS Name, Fido Net Address, and the Name of the Sysop! Your BBS Number (Include Area Code!) and the Baud Rates you can handle. Do you allow First Time callers to download? (Yes/No) Can the File be Freq'ed from your BBS? (Yes/No) Do you also have IBM Tradewars Files? (Yes/No) Do you also have Other Amiga Files available? (Yes/No) Do you have Tradewars (IBM) running on your BBS (Yes/No) 24 hour 7 days bbs's only! please! And last but not least You Will TRY and keep your bbs up and the File available. If you know your going down let us know so we can take you off the list. We want to make it easy to obtain this file. No one likes to pay LD charges only to find out the "Current" info. is dated. There is limited space in the Ad and only a few "dependable" bbs listings will be used. Your location will also be considered. We want the Amiga Tradewars Players to speak up and start fighting back!!!! Good Luck and Good Hunting!