Conference 7.286::atarist

    Yes, but don't look for it until after 21:00 EST.
    
    HJUXB::SYS$USERDSK:[HASLOCK.DOOM]RISK.ARC
    

    Got it, Thanks!

    Hmmm, it doesn't look good using either ARC or VMSSWEEP.
    
    With ARC, I tried CVTARC to use it both ways.  I also kermitted
    it to the ST, where UNARC didn't accept it either (no CVTARC
    though, so it might have been in the wrong format).
    
    Is the net copy good?
            fred

    Curse, spit, swear, say naughty words.
    
    I didn't check the integrity of the upload, just that the data arrived.
    
    Fortunately, I thought, I have the .arc on UNIX and I can use TCP/IP
    to copy it over. Wrong. I cannot copy the .arc and get VMSSWEEP
    to recognize it.
    
    In disgust, I have uuencoded it and copied that across. The head
    and tail look ok but I don't have a UUDECODE for VMS on this system
    so, once again, I cannot check that all is well. Let me know is
    this has worked, please.
    
    The game is moderately good once you get it working. It is you against
    two computer players with, supposedly, different strategies. I have
    conquered the world, the canary islands but not BIJLMER. The problem
    in the later stages is the time it takes to move reinforcements
    up to the front.
    

     RE: < Note 345.4 by HJUXB::HASLOCK "Nigel Haslock @ Manalapan,NJ" >
>                       -< Anybody got UUDECODE on VMS? >-


     it can be found in CIMBAD::DISK$USER:[POWERS.ATARIST.PUBLIC]
     UUENCODE.C
     UUENCODE.EXE
     UUDECODE.C
     UUDECODE.EXE

   Bill Powers
    

    More naughty words.
    
    UUDECODE.EXE produces an arc file that vmssweep will not accept.
    The file format appears to be wrong. VMSSWEEP appears to like records
    that are variable length, max 512. UUDECODE produces a stream file
    which is silly for an ARC file.
    
    Suggestions? In the mean time I will try to fix UUDECODE.

By no means is STREAM_LF silly for an .ARC file.  In fact, STREAM_LF is the
CORRECT file type for VMS ARC!  Please try using
PRNSYS::DUA1:[LOMICKAJ.UTILITIES]ARC.EXE on the file, and see if it doesn't
feel good about it.

(I have never gotten VMSSWEEP to do anything useful to an .ARC file, either
STREAM_LF or VAR max 510.)

Location for another VMS UUDECODE and UUENCODE:

NORGE::B$:[ATARI.LEIGH.CHAD.LEIGH.ATARI.UU]

UUDECODE.PAS
        .EXE
        .CLD

UUENCODE.PAS
        .EXE
        .CLD

There is also a program VMSARC   .DOC, .PAS, .CLD, .EXE there

as well as different ST versions.  Feel free.

Chad

    Has anyone got RISK in a usable format yet, then ???
    
    
    
    				Jamie.

    The .arc was ok all along. The problem was that vmssweep couldn't
    handle the file format. The version of arc that Jeff pointed to
    was perfectly happy and arc on the ST was always happy.
    
    

    Not the versions of ARC which I have on the ST!
    
    I generally use UNARC, btw, but I also have ARC 5.21.  Maybe I should
    go thru my ARC collection?

    I've been using ARC 5.21 and it works. I have but have stopped using
    any earlier version.

I got it de-arc'd easily and have generally figured
it out, but since I can't read any of the prompts or
documentation it's still a bit of an adventure game.

Does anyone have an English translation of the
documentation provided with the game?

	Thanks,
		Rich

    I don't, but on the other hand I have won a few games.
    
    The play field is divided into zones. Within each zone are a number
    of territiories. Your goal is to own everything.
    
    Each territory is occupied by one or more armies. In the first half
    of your turn you can attack neighbouring territories. An attack
    consists of staking 3 armies (less if you don't have 3 to spare)
    against 3 of your targets (less if they don't have them). The mechanism
    seems to be that of the board game where one die is rolled per army
    and the highest rolls on each side are matched. The attacker wins
    if his roll is higher than the defenders. The loser loses an army.
    In practice the attacker needs about twice the number of armies
    that the defender has.
    
    If you win an attack, you have to move at least one army into the
    captured territory and you can move upto all but one of the surviving
    attacking armies. You can now make another attack.
    
    Phase 2 of your turn consists of moving armies between the territories
    that you occupy and are adjacent. You have a budget which depends
    on either your total number of armies or your total number of
    territories. Moving one army across one border costs one unit of
    your budget.
    
    When done, the two computer players take their turns.
    
    At some point in the round there is a resupply or reinforcement
    step. If a zone is completely owned by one player, every territory
    in the zone gains an army. There seems to be some other condition
    that reinforces players regardless of territories occupied (there
    is a separate mechanism for this in the board game which this seems
    to be trying to emulate).
    
    Now. Has anyone got any clues as to how to use the editor?
    

    The language is dutch. It contains an in-joke as well, as one of the
    battle fields is "Bijlmermeer" - only 2 miles from here. It's one of
    Amsterdam's architectural disaster areas where all minority groups
    became majorities and social problems of unemployment, drugs etc
    are well out of hand.

    I'll attempt a translation, courtesy of DIGITAL/the Netherlands.
    In exchange, can someone tell me where to find the latest gulam???????
     (the text below is condensed!)



            R I S K Y    C O N S T R U C T I O N    S E T

	    the strategic game - conquer the world!!!

	    s/w by Henk & Michiel Overtoom
            english translation: Theo de Klerk
	    
	     Any similarity with existing strategic boardgames
	     is purely coincidentical and was never intended!!!

	     
                   Congratulations !

		   
   Risky was written for monochrome terminals. Using MONOWARE allows it also
   to be run on colour terminals. It's Public Domain s/w writtenby Michiel
   Overtoom 88. And runs under GEM of course.

   Risky is played by two or more players. The aim is to conquer the enemy armies.
   The game is ruled by throwing dice. Your strategical insight determines
   to a large extend the outcome of the battle.

   In this version a maximum of 6 players can join. Each player can either be
   a human being or the computer. Also the aggression level of the computer
   players can be adjusted. The game continues until there is only one player
   left: the world ruler and winner of the game.

   The battle takes place on maps. There are several maps that can be loaded.
   Currently, a standard world map, the Canary Island and the Bijlmermeer
   are available as battlefield. Surinam and the Middle East are in preparation.
   The fields are made with the Risky Editor. To draw the map, you can use
   your favourite drawing program.

   The game is played with a mouse. You drag the mouse pointer from one
   country to the other. The remainning functions are executed through the
   menu bar.


			   The Game
			   

   After starting RISKY.PRG a file selection box appears. Click one of the
   maps as the battlefield. These are are files with extention .RIS.
   After displaying the map, the program initializes the players. At
   startup, 3 players are activated: one human (you) and two computer players
   (one agressive, one passive).

   The countries are divided amongst players fairly. Each country has a number
   of armies based there. This number is around 9. You can see whose armies
   they are by the small symbol in front of the number.

   Ready for first round! Before the first player starts, every player gets
   assigned extra armies. This number of new armies is related to the currently
   occupied number of countries by the player: the more countries, the more
   armies. An additional bonus is given if you rule an entire continent.
   The extra armies are spread over the area controled by the player by the
   program.

   Then each player gets his turn. In one turn each player can undertake 2
   actions: perform a number of attacks and afterwards transport the armies
   to re-arrange the occupation level of the occupied territories.
   You can attack as often as you like, though it isn't wise to "consume"
   all your armies. The number of armies that the player can transport after
   the attacks, is limited by a maximum budget, which is larger depending on
   the number of continents he rules.

   No attacks can be made after a transport.  There is an exception to this
   rule: "free transport". After a succesful attack, the player can invade
   the conquered country with as many armies as he likes. Minimum however,
   is 1 to keep the territory occupied.


	     How to attack?
	     
   See if you want to attack. If not, don't.

   An attack is started by picking up the symbol of the attacking armies
   by the mouse pointer. Drop it on top of the army symbol of the country
   attacked. Obviously, you can only drag your own armies to enemy lines.

   If the attack is valid, a small dialogue box appears with the words

     AANVAL (=Attack)
     STOP   (=Stop)
     
   Click on "AANVAL" if you want to contine, or STOP if you reconsider.

   During the attack, the program simulates the dice throw with maximum
   3 dice for the attacker and the defender. The defender has a small
   advantage here. The attacker's throw needs to be higher than the defender's
   in order to have a succesful attack. Click on "ATTACK" to launch a
   second or third attack in case the attack it defeated by the defender's
   throw. Or click STOP if the attack does not progress successfully.

   When all defending armies are eliminated, victory is a fact. Free transport
   of armies follows. An input dialogue box appears. Indicate the number
   of armies you want to use to invade the country. If you don't give a
   number, it is taken that you want to move in with all armies.

   Now you select another country and repeat the same procedure.


               How to transport an army

	       
   When armies are not transported to newly conquered territory, you can
   move armies only to your own, already occupied, countries to redistribute
   your forces. As soon as you drag armies between two countries of your
   own it is considered as a transport request. No more attacks can be made.
   From the popup dialogue box, click the number of armies to transport.
   If you click the asterisk you will transport as many armies as allowable.
   After each transport, the transport budget is reduced. Once down to zero,
   no more transports may be done.

   If you choose transport function by accident (ending the attack phase)
   then choose 0 as the number of armies to transport. The transport
   request is then ignored.


               How to finish your turn
	       
   With a double click or by pressing the space bar. The next player then
   gets his turn.

                  The computer plays

   Since computers work fast, arrows and sound effects are used to indicate
   what it does. The sound indicates the move of armies, the success or
   failure of an attack.

   The arrows change in thickness. Each thickness means something else.
   The medium size indicates an attack. A thick arrow indicates a victory,
   a thin arrow a transport.

   There are three speeds by which the computer players are presented.
   The "slow arrow mode" allows you to see what is happening: the arrows
   even blink a few times.
   In "fast arrow mode" does the same, but quicker, without you loosing sight
   of what happens.
   The "no arrow mode" no delay is entered.

        LANGZAME PIJL   -  slow arrow mode
	SNELLE PIJL     -  fast arrow mode
	GEEN PIJLEN     -  no arrow mode
	
   when a computer player finishes its turn, the program pauses. Press on the
   mouse button or space bar to continue.


      EXAMPLE

      Situation using the Canary Islands.
      The square army player is the stongest.
      This player tries to conquer PICO NIEVES
      in the central province of Gran Canaria.

        (figure only on 1st Word Plus compatible RISKY.DOC)

      Player moves mouse to square in ARRIBA and pulls it to the "check"
      mark army on PICO NIEVES. Release mouse button. Dialogue box appears.
      Player presses "AANVAL" several times until there are only 2 armies
      left on his own country. He stops by pressing STOP. Attack goes on
      from PUNTA MASPALOMAS. Attack succeeds, he moves in with 5 armies.
      Since ARRIBA is rather weakened by the attack the player then moves
      4 armies from GUIA into it.


         Strategic considerations
	 

  *  If a country is surrounded by countries also occupied by you, there
     is no need to leave more than 1 army there
     

  *  It's handy to have a string of countries. This  way you can transport
     armies over large distances without loosing them by attacks
     
  *  Try to control continents. Not only does this give extra bonus armies
     but is also more difficult to attack by others.

  *  Divide and conquer. Let others do the fighting. Once they're weakened,
     you go for the kill
     
  *  Overkill. A large number of armies in one country does wonders to
     conquer many badly defended countries
     
  *  Kamikaze. An isolated country surroundedby the enemy can fight itself
     to death. This triggers new waves of attack, resulting in a cleanup.
     

   Menu options
   ------------
   

FILE MENU

Save Spel   (Save Game)  This saves the current game setting: number and
            type of players, person at turn, map situation
	    Indicate filename in box. File type is .SIT(uation).
	    
Load Spel   (Load Game) Restores the saved game.

Ander Speelveld  (Other map)  Loads another game field. Maps always have
            the file type .RIS

Quit        Return to desk top. Don't save game.


SPEL MENU    (Game menu)

Edit Spelers  (Edit Players)
            This selects number and type of players for the game. If number
	    changes, the countries must be re-divided. This does not happen
	    if you only change the type of player (from computer to human e.g.)
	    

Landnamen   (Names of countries)
            To remove the names of the countries from the map (if the wording
	    gets crowded). This is a toggle switch
	    
Speler symbolen  (Player Symbols)
            Toggle switch to display or remove the symbol of the army in
	    front of the number of armies displayed on the map

Geen pijlen (No arrows)
            Removes arrows from screen if computer is playing
	    
Snelle pijlen  (Fast arrows)
Langzame pijlen (Slow arrows)