From: Steffen ...
Subject: planets vga info...
Date: Mon, 7 Feb 1994 07:35:39 +0100
Newsgroups: alt.games.vga-planets
Hello planeteers,
VGA-planets is a shareware multiplayer-game in a virtual universe.
* To get in you can do a ftp to risc11.cahs.colostate.edu
and search under pc games for an directory vgaplanets.
Make sure you selected the 3.0 directory (not the old 2.0)
there you find the files: vp???1.exe until vp???4.exe
BERLIN: For europeans I suggest ftp-site:
ftp.fu-berlin.de:/pub/pc/msdos/games/vgaplanets
- These files are the shareware files.
- unpack them
This is a multiplayer-game but for exercises you can it also play alone.
- Follow the first steps in the docs.
- At beginning select two races to play and then when you got the principles
join an internet game.
How I can exercise my first game?
- Make sure you have unpacked all files vp???[1-4].exe on your MSDOS-PC
- Run "master.exe GAME1"
- select two races
- select - passwords: no
- randomize: yes
- mode: 1
- every: high and very high
- engine tech: 6
- Run "host.exe GAME1" (you get for this two races player??.rst files)
- Unpack this rst-files via "unpack.exe GAME1"
Now you are ready to make your turn - Run "planets.exe GAME"
In planets make Try-and-Error
aim: you have to colonize as much as possible planets to get these
ressources to build the large battlestars. - (Always) Run "maketurn.exe GAME1 " with that you get the player??.trn files (In internet-games you have to send your trn-file and you get the rst.file)
- Run "host.exe GAME1"
And so on with Step 4.
Enjoy, but the real fun will come in the 11-player-internet games!!!
Hope this helps.
Steffen
=========================================
Now the official README de TIM:
I wrote VGA Planets in Microsoft PDS Basic 7.1. (Extended Quick Basic)
If you haven't tryed out VGA Planets yet here is how you can get it started for a little test drive. After you have installed the game in the directory of your choice. Run MASTER.EXE to create the game universe. Then you can run TURN.BAT to run all the programs needed to pop you into the game.
Give the game a try! If you get lost just hit the key to call up a help screen to explain what is going on. After you have got a basic feel of the game you can exit the game ( just hit the key until you exit ) and read the doc files PLANETS1.DOC, PLANETS2.DOC, PLANETS3.DOC, PLANETS4.DOC, PLANETS5.DOC PLANETS6.DOC and PLANETS7.DOC.
VGA Planets is meant to be a Play By E-Mail game for up to 11 players. One person hosts the game by gathering up all the mail packets from all the players and running a Host program and sending the result mail packets back to all the players.
The game universe exists only on the Host computer. The players interact with the universe by sending files to and from the Host.
Ideally the game should be on a BBS. This may be the perfect game for all those one line BBS's out there. Once a day at a preset time (clean up time?) the BBS computer copies all the uploaded game packets into the game directory and runs the HOST.EXE Program. The BBS computer then copies all the result gamepackets to a directory that the players can then download from.
Hopefully all you sysops out there will be able figure out a way to set up VGA Planets. I would really like to hear from any sysops out there that get VGA Planets up and working.
The shareware\evaluation edition of VGA Planets you are welcome to upload to BBS's and share it with all your friends. After giving the game a try you may become registered user by sending in a $15 registration fee. As a registered user I will send you a special expanded edition of VGA Planets that only registered users are allowed to have. The expanded edition will give you new tech levels (tech 7 through tech 10). This will allow you to build larger, faster ships with and more powerful weapons. Just think of the terror you will strike in the hearts of your enemies when they see a shiney new tech 10 Battleship headed their way! The expanded edition is completely compatible with the evaluation edition, so you can switch to the expanded edition in mid game if you wish.
I have made a set of four 8 1/2" X 11" starcharts that show the position, names and ID numbers of all the planets in the game. If you would like a set of starcharts send $3 and I'll sent you a set postpaid. If you want more then one set of starcharts send $1 for each addionial set. You don't have to be a registered user to order the starcharts.
see VGA Planets Home Page for further information to VGA Planets and/or Tim Wisseman