gordons@dbase.A-T.COM (Gordon Storga) (04/11/91)
Archive-name: games/empire/storga-pc-empire/1991-04-03 Archive: ftp.pitt.edu:/software/general/emp*.zip [130.49.253.1] Original-posting-by: gordons@dbase.A-T.COM (Gordon Storga) Original-subject: PC Empire Reposted-by: emv@msen.com (Edward Vielmetti, MSEN) Please read the entire post before e-mailing to me. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I have written a version of PC Empire modeled after the Un*x pre-nuclear version. It is shareware. You can put it on BBS's or ftp sites or give a copy to your friends. Please let me know what sites and BBS's. Shareware "suggestion" is $20. I cannot send it e-mail nor can I post it. Our mail system has trouble with any files over 6k. PC Empire is about 300k when ZIPped. I do not want to send out several mailings of 50 pieces or more. I have been trying to get it on an ftp site, but haven't heard back from the 2 people I've sent the disk to (spring break being what it is). Dan Dare, if you're out there call me. I do not have outside ftp capability. So, "How do I get it?" you ask. Simple. Send me a note and $5 P&H to: Gordon Storga PO Box 18213 San Jose, CA 95158 PLEASE DON'T SEND DISKS OR DISK MAILERS. It is a small PO Box and I keep getting notes from the Post Office to come in and get packages (people send me disks). It really isn't necessary. I can send you a copy on 3.5" or 5.25" high or low density. Please specify when ordering. Also, I can send you different world sizes if you want: 32x32 to 88x88. Specify this also when ordering (usually people want the 64x64 size), since the game has to be compiled to the world size (currently). I can fit 1 world size per 300k of diskette, please allow $3 for any extra disks. (EX: 4 worlds on 1.2M floppy = $5 (one disk) 5 worlds on 1.4M floppy = $5 (one disk) 3 worlds on 360k floppies = $11 (first disk $5, + $3 each additional disk) Also, please include your address INSIDE the envelope. The US Postal service is less than kind when cramming things into a PO Box. Current version is 1.47. I have made bug fixes and corrections to previous versions. If you have a really old version I can post a version revision list so you can decide if you want to upgrade. Those who have registered (i.e. paid the requested shareware amount of $20) can request any one additional version free of charge (1 disk). The game is playable and very enjoyable. Obviously no software is bug free, but I try to be responsive to fixes and suggestions. Keep 'em coming. Here is a listing of the major differences between Un*x Empire and PC Empire. Thanks for your time. Gordon -------------------------------------------------------------------- Differences between Un*x Empire and PC Empire Many people who have played the various Un*x versions of Empire have asked what the differences are between my PC Empire and these older versions. Good question. First, PC Empire is screen oriented. You see about 500 sectors per screen. The screen can be scrolled. Your sectors and ships appear automatically. Second, most commands in PC Empire have been reduced to one or two keystrokes with some commands using sub-menus to aid in selection. Un*x versions have an involved syntax which is more flexible but time-consuming to non-typists. PC Empire uses a cursor pointing mechanism instead of typing in the coordinates you want to act upon. Consquently most commands effect only the current sector or screen. Third, PC Empire is pre-nuclear, currently. Comparisons here are against the pre-nuclear Un*x versions. Other changes (PC Empire method described first, Un*x second): Number of players: 8 players allowed at this time (1 Deity, 7 players). Un*x allowed 32+. Auto-defend: Forts will now automatically defend any sector within range. You are sent a telegram telling you where the defense took place. Un*x versions required you to specify which fort should defend which sector. Census: PC Empire only displays the current sector. In Un*x versions you could give coordinates and ranges that you wanted displayed. Radar: Now a single keystroke command involving the placement of the cursor. Since the screen is immediately updated you get a whole different perspective from Un*x version, In Un*x versions you had to give the coordinates of the radar station(s) and you didn't get the over-all relationship. Telegrams: Writing telegrams now supports sending to a specific person or ALL players. Separate commands in Un*x versions. Declarations: In PC Empire if you are at WAR with someone you will automatically fire on their approaching ships and visible planes. Also, while at war the cost of your military doubles. If you are Allied with someone you will automatically aid their defenses. In Un*x versions declarations were more for general information with little, if any, effect on the game. Enlistments: In PC Empire, if you are at WAR you can enlist the full amount (to 127) even in Urban Centers. Un*x versions were simple: you couldn't enlist more than half of the civilian population in a sector, and never in an Urban Center. Discharge of military: In PC Empire you can discharge them back to civilians. In Un*x versions military were forever. Fire: In PC Empire you just point to the sector you want to fire on and the program will prompt you for every fort or ship within range. In Un*x versions you had to specify the sector to fire on and from which to fire. Torpedo: Works like Fire. In fact, most PC Empire commands work like Fire. Naval Status: In PC Empire you can get instant fleet evaluation. You can see which fleets are the most powerful and which are weakest. Not available in Un*x versions. Sector Information: In PC Empire you can get instant information about a sector: what ship/sector is defending it, barometric pressure, and plague status. Also displays firing range of forts. Not available in Un*x versions. Ship report: PC Empire shows ship's firing range, Un*x versions didn't. Food: Food is implemented as a level instead of a commodity. Similar to Tech level and Research level. Less tedious. Un*x versions implemented it as a commodity. Update: Update messages are sent to the telegram file for perusal at your leisure. Verbosity of messages determined by a player controlled setting. Un*x versions just sent them to the screen to scroll away. Excavation: New sector type. You can excavate a mountain to wilderness, and a wilderness to water sector. Expensive. Dropping mines: You can drop mines from Destroyers while navigating. You can also perform Radar and display mines while Navigating. Display Mines: Yes, you can now display all those pesky mines you have off your coast. It only shows your mines, not others. Un*x versions didn't display ANY mines. Loans: You can now GIVE money to others in addition to loaning. Routes: Delivery routes are displayed on the active screen. Plague: Plague is now very transferable. Plague can be spread by attacks, assaults, landings, deliveries, moves, tending, boarding, granting, loading/unloading, collecting, or purchasing. Market: The market has been redesigned. The magic transportation of goods has been eliminated. You now need to go to the Exchange Center and pick up the items you want. The point-and-shoot mechanism makes it much easier. It is much more realistic than teleportion. Map: No MAP command. However, if you have a color monitor the enemy question marks show up as different colors (each person has their own color) when performing a radar scan. Logfile: A logfile is kept in the DATA directory. It is updated at the end of your turn. You can check it to see if it's your turn. EMPCRE: You can set the percentages of mountains, wilderness, and water when you create the world. EMPIRE: Command line options for maximum BTU limit, game turn length, update frequency, and ship price multiplier. EMPRINT: External program to print out a world map, census, and ship report. Can be redirected to a file or printer.
gordons@dbase.a-t.com (Gordon Storga) (05/13/91)
Archive-name: games/empire/storga-pc-empire/1991-05-09 Archive: ftp.pitt.edu:/software/general/emp*.zip [130.49.253.1] Original-posting-by: gordons@dbase.a-t.com (Gordon Storga) Original-subject: PC Empire Reposted-by: emv@msen.com (Edward Vielmetti, MSEN) I have written a version of PC Empire modeled after the Un*x pre-nuclear version. It is shareware. You can put it on BBS's or ftp sites or give a copy to your friends. Please let me know what sites and BBS's. Shareware "suggestion" is $20. I cannot send it e-mail nor can I post it. Our mail system has trouble with any files over 6k. PC Empire is about 300k when ZIPped. I do not want to send out several mailings of 50 pieces or more. IT IS FINALLY ON AN FTP SITE! See ftp.pitt.edu in software\general directory. Three world sizes are available there, 32, 64, 88. If you don't have ftp capability, send me a note and $5 P&H to: Gordon Storga PO Box 18213 San Jose, CA 95158 PLEASE DON'T SEND DISKS OR DISK MAILERS. It is a small PO Box and I keep getting notes from the Post Office to come in and get packages (people send me disks). It really isn't necessary. I can send you a copy on 3.5" or 5.25" high or low density. Please specify when ordering. Also, I can send you different world sizes if you want: 32x32 to 88x88. Specify this also when ordering (usually people want the 64x64 size), since the game has to be compiled to the world size (currently). I can fit 1 world size per 300k of diskette, please allow $3 for any extra disks. (EX: 4 worlds on 1.2M floppy = $5 (one disk) 5 worlds on 1.4M floppy = $5 (one disk) 3 worlds on 360k floppies = $11 (first disk $5, + $3 each additional disk) Also, please include your address INSIDE the envelope. The US Postal service is less than kind when cramming things into a PO Box. Current version is 1.47. I have made bug fixes and corrections to previous versions. If you have a really old version I can post a version revision list so you can decide if you want to upgrade. Those who have registered (i.e. paid the requested shareware amount of $20) can request any one additional version free of charge (1 disk). The game is playable and very enjoyable. Obviously no software is bug free, but I try to be responsive to fixes and suggestions. Keep 'em coming. Here is a listing of the major differences between Un*x Empire and PC Empire. Thanks for your time. Gordon -------------------------------------------------------------------- Differences between Un*x Empire and PC Empire Many people who have played the various Un*x versions of Empire have asked what the differences are between my PC Empire and these older versions. Good question. First, PC Empire is screen oriented. You see about 500 sectors per screen. The screen can be scrolled. Your sectors and ships appear automatically. Second, most commands in PC Empire have been reduced to one or two keystrokes with some commands using sub-menus to aid in selection. Un*x versions have an involved syntax which is more flexible but time-consuming to non-typists. PC Empire uses a cursor pointing mechanism instead of typing in the coordinates you want to act upon. Consquently most commands effect only the current sector or screen. Third, PC Empire is pre-nuclear, currently. Comparisons here are against the pre-nuclear Un*x versions. Other changes (PC Empire method described first, Un*x second): Number of players: 8 players allowed at this time (1 Deity, 7 players). Un*x allowed 32+. Auto-defend: Forts will now automatically defend any sector within range. You are sent a telegram telling you where the defense took place. Un*x versions required you to specify which fort should defend which sector. Census: PC Empire only displays the current sector. In Un*x versions you could give coordinates and ranges that you wanted displayed. Radar: Now a single keystroke command involving the placement of the cursor. Since the screen is immediately updated you get a whole different perspective from Un*x version, In Un*x versions you had to give the coordinates of the radar station(s) and you didn't get the over-all relationship. Telegrams: Writing telegrams now supports sending to a specific person or ALL players. Separate commands in Un*x versions. Declarations: In PC Empire if you are at WAR with someone you will automatically fire on their approaching ships and visible planes. Also, while at war the cost of your military doubles. If you are Allied with someone you will automatically aid their defenses. In Un*x versions declarations were more for general information with little, if any, effect on the game. Enlistments: In PC Empire, if you are at WAR you can enlist the full amount (to 127) even in Urban Centers. Un*x versions were simple: you couldn't enlist more than half of the civilian population in a sector, and never in an Urban Center. Discharge of military: In PC Empire you can discharge them back to civilians. In Un*x versions military were forever. Fire: In PC Empire you just point to the sector you want to fire on and the program will prompt you for every fort or ship within range. In Un*x versions you had to specify the sector to fire on and from which to fire. Torpedo: Works like Fire. In fact, most PC Empire commands work like Fire. Naval Status: In PC Empire you can get instant fleet evaluation. You can see which fleets are the most powerful and which are weakest. Not available in Un*x versions. Sector Information: In PC Empire you can get instant information about a sector: what ship/sector is defending it, barometric pressure, and plague status. Also displays firing range of forts. Not available in Un*x versions. Ship report: PC Empire shows ship's firing range, Un*x versions didn't. Food: Food is implemented as a level instead of a commodity. Similar to Tech level and Research level. Less tedious. Un*x versions implemented it as a commodity. Update: Update messages are sent to the telegram file for perusal at your leisure. Verbosity of messages determined by a player controlled setting. Un*x versions just sent them to the screen to scroll away. Excavation: New sector type. You can excavate a mountain to wilderness, and a wilderness to water sector. Expensive. Dropping mines: You can drop mines from Destroyers while navigating. You can also perform Radar and display mines while Navigating. Display Mines: Yes, you can now display all those pesky mines you have off your coast. It only shows your mines, not others. Un*x versions didn't display ANY mines. Loans: You can now GIVE money to others in addition to loaning. Routes: Delivery routes are displayed on the active screen. Plague: Plague is now very transferable. Plague can be spread by attacks, assaults, landings, deliveries, moves, tending, boarding, granting, loading/unloading, collecting, or purchasing. Market: The market has been redesigned. The magic transportation of goods has been eliminated. You now need to go to the Exchange Center and pick up the items you want. The point-and-shoot mechanism makes it much easier. It is much more realistic than teleportion. Map: No MAP command. However, if you have a color monitor the enemy question marks show up as different colors (each person has their own color) when performing a radar scan. Logfile: A logfile is kept in the DATA directory. It is updated at the end of your turn. You can check it to see if it's your turn. EMPCRE: You can set the percentages of mountains, wilderness, and water when you create the world. EMPIRE: Command line options for maximum BTU limit, game turn length, update frequency, and ship price multiplier. EMPRINT: External program to print out a world map, census, and ship report. Can be redirected to a file or printer. -- comp.archives file verification ftp.pitt.edu -rwxr-xr-x 1 jjc _0025809 247842 Mar 26 10:16 /software/general/emp32.zip -rwxr-xr-x 1 jjc _0025809 247836 Mar 26 10:17 /software/general/emp64.zip -rwxr-xr-x 1 jjc _0025809 247851 Mar 26 10:17 /software/general/emp88.zip found storga-pc-empire ok ftp.pitt.edu:/software/general/emp*.zip