+------------------------------------+ | Pumping Dude © 1992 Duncan Moran | +------------------------------------+ Older youngsters (I never find specific age ranges very helpful but if you must it's probably 9 and up) can use this to practice subtraction and other number skills. Hmmm! Doesn't sound too exciting does it? What we need are some multitasking, multimedia, interactive, hardware scrolling radio buttons with a few pointless sub games. Would you settle for.... You are employed by the Intergalactic Fuel Federation (IFF) to operate their last manned pumping station. It is pretty shabby and is in need of the planned renovation (and automation!) but most of it works quite well most of the time! You work in the Central Pumping Unit (CPU) and control all operations with the mouse. To aid you there is a Beginners User Mode (BUM). You are here to pump. If you do not operate the pump button for a while you will be given a warning and have your earnings reduced. Each warning will increase the amount deducted. You are paid via the Intergalactic Currency Unit Payment System (ICUPS). ICUPS have no real value (not unlike the Pound!) until they arrive in your personal account on Earth. You will need to retain some in case you are penalised for something. If you do not hold enough to pay a penalty you will be dismissed. As you can imagine, with craft coming from all over the universe, there is a great deal of variation in the designs of the craft. Some have a filler cap on the left, some on the right, some on the top . . . After years of negotiations the IFF has managed to reach an agreement with its customers that all craft using their stations will conform to one of 26 designs. These can be (conveniently!) allocated to a bay bearing a letter that represents each type of craft. You can change the direction that the CPU rotates; this is controlled by the Kinetic Navigational Instrumentation Control Knowledgeable Expert Rotation System (KNICKERS). From your seat in the CPU you look out onto the bays (they are some distance away so you will not see the craft coming and going!). Your controls are arranged above and below the central window. On the top: ============ 2 large direction (radio) buttons will rotate the CPU allowing you to view all the bays. Activate Weapon: Activates the weapon so you can destroy those nasty invaders. More on this later. ICUPS: Shows how much you have earnt. Clicking on this will allow you to transfer some back to Earth. Only those on Earth count as a score! Start Pump: Starts the pump in the current bay after you have entered the quantity you wish to pump. To cancel either of these two just press them again. Below these is a green `screen'. This is where the Digital Obstropulous * System (DOS - I'm sorry I started this now!) will communicate with you. DOS will sometimes ask you a question that requires a Yes or No answer. Y & N buttons are supplied for this very purpose. This `screen' can be cleared by pointing at it and clicking. (* I know this is the wrong word but it is, in my opinion, a better word.) On the bottom: ================== Calculator keys: These allow you to calculate - a `C:' is displayed on the DOS screen. Calculator mode is selected as soon as you press a key. Pressing ENTER will reset the calculator. Only figures up to 9999 will be accepted in calculator mode. All other values - the fuel quantity, ICUPS transfers etc - are entered with these keys. Time: Shows a shrinking green bar which represents the time you have left before your shift ends. This Ship: Gives details of the current ship awaiting your attention. Cap: Shows the maximum capacity of the tank. Has: Shows the quantity still in the tank. Next Ship: Tells you about the next ship. What to do: ============= Your main task is to calculate how much fuel each ship requires. You can use the calculator for this but your earnings will be halved if you do. Mental (or pencil & paper) calculations are better. Once you have calculated the right quantity press the Start Pump button. You are asked to enter (& confirm) the value. The pump will start and a red light will show on the bay indicating that the bay is engaged. The Next Ship becomes This Ship and you start all over again. However..... You will be penalised for a mis-calculation. If you fail to fill the tank to its capacity you are informed that there is a shortage and your earnings are cut. If you pump too much you are informed that there has been a spillage. Your earnings are reduced for this too. You will also damage the KNICKERS if they get too wet! If you do not have enough ICUPS on board to cover such deductions you will face instant dismissal. While a bay is engaged you can only handle ships of a different type. If the next ship is of the same type you will have to wait until the bay becomes vacant. Keep clicking the pump button and the DOS will find you something to do. The DOS has been doing this sort of stuff all it's life and would much rather play a game with you. If you take up it's offer it will reward you with ICUPS if you win and deduct some if you lose. When you become familiar with the rules click on the DOS screen while the instructions for a game are being displayed these will be aborted and you can start playing the game. The DOS will keep you informed about most things. Indeed it will interrupt your calculations to tell you things. If this happens click on Enter & start again. Sometimes a ship grows tired of waiting and will fly off. Check that you are doing the right calculation! The most urgent warning you will get is INVADER ALERT. You will then have a short time to activate your weapon and destroy the Fearless And Ruthlessly Tyrannic Subversives (some readers may wish to create their own mnemonic here!) before they explode and destroy your career prospects. You only have to point your Flashing Laser Ultra Sensitive Horrid Enemy Remover (FLUSHER) right on the aliens NOSE (Nothing Of SignificancE) to destroy them. The Invaders will change direction and speed but you will (should!) get to see them at least 3 times. After the third sighting you are living dangerously. This can seem tricky at first but practice makes dead aliens. Other problems you may meet are Power Failures, Fires, Pirates and something else I cannot recall at the moment (Ho Hum!). These will delay you and waste your time. There is a way to reduce this delay slightly but I will leave you to work it out. Indeed there are ways to play this with- out doing a single calculation - but you will not have a very high score. The IFF cannot be held responsible if some or all of the equipment does not function correctly all of the time!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO (Something or Other). . . . >>>>>>>>>>>> GOOD LUCK <<<<<<<<<<<<<< Pumping Dude was written & compiled with AMOS. Pumping Dude (C) 1992 Duncan Moran. Pumping Dude may only be distributed free of charge and must be supplied complete and unchanged. Coming soon: ============ Christmas! By when the shopping game should be amongst you. I have been asked to point out by my senior junior tester that this is not one of those pocky (educational!) - If sweets cost 2p and you have 10p how many can you buy? - efforts. A cut down music tracker for children. An Interior Designer type thingy. Some time ago, not long after we aquired an Amiga, I was reading between the lines (this is best done standing on one's head and holding the page up to a mirror) of Amiga Format and deduced that they were about to have Devpac on a cover disc. Six months on and here it is along with an announcement about the imminent release of Amos Professional. It could prove a very productive winter. Sounds like it's time to get the old anoraks down to the dry cleaners! All comments, ideas, money, offers of work & unwanted gifts can be sent to Duncan Moran, 24 First Avenue, Colwyn Bay, Clwyd, LL28 4DQ. // October 1992 {;-) \X/ ======================