

              *VGA Planets - FAQ - version 1994 06 12*

     FAQ by Gary Grothman <grothmag@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu>.

Thanks to everybody who has contributed . . . and thanks especially
to Tim Wisseman, the author of VGA Planets!  Honourable mention to
Roger Burton-West, creator of the a.g.v-p FAQ.

        This is  the  FAQ  for  alt.games.vga-planets.   Each  section
begins with "Subject:"; pressing  ^G  in  some  newsreaders (trn) will
advance to the next section.

Players (especially novices) may also want to take a bo-peep at the
"HINTS: periodic strategy posting" which appears about biweekly on
alt.games.vga-planets.  

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Administrivia

Input is invited, send mail to grothmag@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu

Please tell me if you think something should be added, removed, or if
you have any corrections.  I'm not a wizard, I just maintain this
FAQ.  I rely largely on others to keep it relevant, current, &
correct.

Changes since version of 1994-05-15:
Included a mention of v3.16 (OS/2) in "What is the latest version?".
Added a UK distribution site.in "Where can I get a copy?".
Added question: Why didn't my Federation starbase make that ship?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Questions in this FAQ:

PART 1:
What is VGA Planets?
Who is the author?
What hardware do I need?
Where can I get a copy?
Why should I register?
What is the latest version?
What is this group for?
What if someone just begs to be flamed?
How long do games typically last?
What happens if I am out of town and miss a turn?

PART 2:
What about cheating?
So how do I run a game over the Net?
What about similar games and related newsgroups?
(Specific game-play questions follow:)
I have tech 6, but xxx doesn't show up on the build hull screen.  Why?
Why didn't my planet capture that attacking ship?
Why did the colonists I dropped on a new planet vanish?
How do I transfer fighters/torps between ships?
Why doesn't that ship conform to spec?
What is the order of movement/combat/actions in a turn?
What is the real Order of Battle?

PART 3:
In what order do Privateers Rob ships?
Is there a way to save old messages?
Where can I get sheet.exe?
What happens when 500 ships have been built?
I've captured a <race x> ship, can I now [Rob, Pillage, Cloak]?"
What's the deal with science ships?
How do I simulate battles?
What is the formula for ...
Why didn't my Federation starbase build a ship?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What is VGA Planets?

        VGA Planets is a graphical  multi-player play by mail strategy
game, which simulates conflict in space between galactic empires.  The
game  emphasizes  mining,   colonization   and   the  construction  of
starships.  The players  compete  against  each  other  on  a galactic
scale.
        Although there is an  economic  component  to  the game, it is
mainly a tactical and strategic wargame.  Although the player with the
best economy usually has  the  best  potential  to  win,  it's not the
purpose of the game - and the scoring system reflects this.
        The  game  system  allows  players   to  construct  their  own
starships by selecting various components and  placing them on a given
hull type.

        The game can be  played  on  one  computer  alone,  but it was
really designed to be a BBS or  net  game.   The game can be played on
any BBS that supports  file  transfers,  with  or  without the sysop's
help.  Many people are playing  VGA  Planets  over the Net using Email
and UUENCODE.
        Players upload their turn  (.TRN)  files  to  the  host BBS or
Email account.  The host  runs  the  actual calculations involved, and
produces result (.RST) files which are  sent back to the players.  The
players run the local program to view their situation and set up their
orders for the next turn.

        The game can be compared to  a  11  player chess game in which
all players move all their pieces simultaneously, one turn at a time.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Who is the author?

Tim Wisseman
PO Box 204
North Fork
CA 93643-204
cocomax@gorn.echo.com
BBS (The Tim Continuum): +1 209 877-4921 (N81)

Note: if you would like source code or file format information, don't
      bother.  Tim is no longer releasing this data.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What hardware do I need?

        The game can be played on any IBM compatible PC with VGA and a
hard drive.  The standard  version  runs  on  286 and faster machines.
The Host program doesn't need a graphics card, only a hard drive and a
286 or faster machine.
        There is also a version available for the PC-XT, but this must
be obtained directly from the author.
        The author is reportedly working  on  a Unix host program, but
this is a low priority.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Where can I get a copy?

     The REGISTERED version of  VGA  Planets  is available directly
from the author (see Subject: Who is the author?).  The documentation
for the unregistered game includes information on how and why to
register.  Overseas, I know of two distribution sites:

UK:

    PAW PBM: UK support site for VGAP, sells registered copies &
offers PBM service.  For registration, try:

    100117.1333@compuserve.com, which allows on-line registration
                                through CIS.

The above is preferable, but you may also try:
     andy@blakhol.demon.co.uk.


Continental Europe:
     The distributor is Henrik Moerk:
          Lene@vax.psl.ku.dk
          AKA: Hmk@research.novo.dk
          FIDO: 2:231/306



     You can get the SHAREWARE version of VGA Planets, as well as
some of the useful utilities discussed on a.g.v-p, by anonymous
FTP from:the following sites:

USA:

site:   ftp.ucsc.edu [128.114.2.10] (California)
dir:    /PC/vgaplanets-2.2 (for those who long for the old days)
or:     /PC/vgaplanets-3.0 (the current version)

     Get all the files (remember, binary mode!) and run INSTALL.

     The latest host update may be available in the above directory.
Also take a look in /incoming at the same site.


site:   risc11.cahs.colostate.edu (129.82.159.19) (Colorado)
        (subject to change to: ftp.cahs.colostate.edu)

dir: /pub/planets
              .../planet30 for the unregistered package
              .../hosts for upgrades & utilities, etc.

Problems with this site should be mailed to:
     Brian Convery: convery@osprey.cahs.colostate.edu
File contributions should be "put" to:
     /pub/incoming
& you should also inform Brian (email) so he can move the files to
the appropriate directory.


EUROPE:

site: ftp.fu-berlin.de (Germany)
dir: /pub/pc/games/vgaplanets
                          .../vp-3.0-install for the game package,
                          .../ps-files for postscript files,
                          .../maptool for map utilities, and
                          .../util for the latest files & also most of
                                   the useful utilities that you may
                                   hear about on this list.


site: ftp.cp.tn.tudelft.nl (The Netherlands)
dir: /pub/pbm/VGA-Planets

This site is a mirror of ftp.fu-berlin.de, so uploads should be sent
to Berlin, not here.  Thanks, Frits, for the new site!


NOT FTP SITES:

In addition to the anonymous ftp sites listed above, you may find bits
& pieces of VGAPlanets on local BBS's.  If you're willing to spring for
a long distance call, or if you live in the 209 area code, there is
also the Tim Continuum BBS: (209)877-4921.
I haven't called myself, but I imagine you can reach the Tim there, as
well as getting various utilities & the latest host updates.

In the UK, check out The Black Hole BBS +44 272 65107.


There is also an email server for VGAP files:

This is particularly useful for those lacking ftp access.  However,
you do need a copy off uudecode to process the files when they are
sent to you.

To get instructions for the archive server send mail to
vgap-bin-get@slammer.atl.ga.us.  In the body of the message, include
the word help all by itself.  Instructions will be mailed to you.

To get an index of the archive, send mail to
vgap-bin-get@slammer.atl.ga.us.  In the body of the message, include
the word index all by itself.  The index of the archive, including any
blurbs for the files, will be mailed to you.

To get the basic VGAP package, the body of the message should read:

get vp300d1.exe
get vp300d2.exe
get vp300d3.exe
get vp300d4.exe

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Why should I register?

#include <shareware.ethics.h>

        Apart from that, consider that:
(1)     In v2.2, only registered players can attain tech levels 7-10.
(2)     In v3.0, all players can attain the high tech levels, but it's
        rather more work.
(3)     If Tim doesn't  get  any  money,  he  doesn't  have  a  lot of
        incentive to develop the game any further!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What is the latest version?

        The current version of VGA Planets  is v3.0.  v3.0 offers many
additional features over v2.2, the  last major upgrade.  However, v2.2
is still widely in use, and is likely to remain so for some time.

     Newer host versions have been released, the latest being v3.15.
There is also a v3.16, which is 3.15 for OS/2 hosts.  The more recent
releases allow the host (only) to modify many game parameters,
including race special abilities, minefield size maxima & decay rates,
cloaking efficiency, and many others.  These new releases are only
necessary for the person hosting the game; players need only version
3.0.  However, players should examine the documentation of the release
being used by their host, as many of the changes have a huge influence
con game play.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What is this group for?

        This group serves two purposes:
(1)     It is a contact point for prospective players and hosts.
(2)     It is a discussion forum  for  the  game, tricks and tips, and
        suggestions for future versions.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What if someone begs to be flamed?

GROUP BAITING:

Every once in a blue moon, some extremely "clever" individual will
decide to have a little fun by baiting the readers of a newsgroup.
The general theme and content of these posts are fairly predictable;
typically, they assert the newsgroup readers: are nerds, geeks, and/
or weenies, etc.,  have obviously never kissed a girl, and also,
presumably, covet the "irrefutedly" successful romantic lifestyle of
the group's detractor.  Posts, such as these, will show up at various
game oriented newsgroups, the Trek groups, and possibly others as
well.  One likely motivation of these posters is precisely to generate
a slew of responses, although they may not even read the newsgroup
again.  Also, sometimes inflammatory prank posts are written when an
account is left unattended.  Readers should quench their
understandable urge to refute unfounded accusations; responses are
wasted bandwidth, especially since they probably only encourage these
diatribes.     [Peter M. White, pmwg1641@edu.uiuc.cso.uxa]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: How long do games typically last?

        Generally at least 50  turns.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What happens if I am out of town and miss a turn?

         The game will continue  normally.   Your ships and bases will
continue performing their last order.  Ships will continue on the same
course and speed,  and  planets  will  continue  to  mine minerals and
produce supplies.
        A missed turn /can't/ be  made  up!   And  make sure, when you
submit the next turn, that  it's  based  on  the most recent available
.RST file - if you make  a  .TRN  based  on  an  old  .RST, it will be
ignored.
-- 
Gary Grothman # grothmag@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu # grothmag@snysyrv1.bitnet 
 last resort: # bz334@freenet.cleveland.edu
 even worse:  # (315) 652-5488

Subject: Questions in this segment of the FAQ:

What about cheating?
So how do I run a game over the Net?
What about similar games and related newsgroups?
(Specific game-play questions follow:)
I have tech 6, but xxx doesn't show up on the build hull screen.  Why?
Why didn't my planet capture that attacking ship?
Why did the colonists I dropped on a new planet vanish?
How do I transfer fighters/torps between ships?
Why doesn't that ship conform to spec?
What is the order of movement/combat/actions in a turn?
What is the real Order of Battle?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What about cheating?

        Well, it happens.  v2.2 was notorious for being fairly easy to
hack around, and there has been  some fairly acrimonious discussion in
this group about what to do with those  who cheat, and how it might be
prevented.  In essence, there's no /quick/ way to catch a cheater; but
not many people are foolish enough to  try it.  Let me reiterate: it's
EASY to hack v2.2!  It doesn't  show  that you're clever, and it's not
particularly impressive.
        If you suspect a fellow player  of cheating, probably the best
course of action is to send  a  message  to the host, setting out what
you suspect has gone wrong.  Be reasoned!
        Tim has produced a  program  called CHKSHIPS (distributed with
the game) which tests for  overloaded  ships  (too much fuel, cargo or
equipment).
        A related problem is  accidental  use of high-tech equipment -
if a player is in several games, it can be hard to remember which ones
are  unregistered.   Torben   Thellefsen  Nielsen  <monty@iesd.auk.dk>
produced a program for v2.2  called  UBI,  which scans for tech levels
greater than 6 in an unregistered game.

        A specific area  of  concern  regards  player  passwords.  The
passwords are trivially easy to discover  from  an .RST file, and with
this knowledge one could  download  someone's  turn  from  a BBS, give
inappropriate orders, and upload them.   Although  this  is not such a
problem over the Net, the danger still exists.
        My  own  preferred  solution  is   to  ignore  game  passwords
completely, and to use an encryption  package such as PGP (Pretty Good
Privacy), which  is  available  for  downloading  from  (among others)
wuarchive.wustl.edu [128.252.135.4] and garbo.uwasa.fi [128.214.87.1].
        This package serves  four  purposes:  it  creates a validating
signature so that the recipient can be sure the file has come from the
right person, it encrypts the file so that only the intended recipient
can read it, it compresses the file, and it converts it to a uuencode-
like format for mailing.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: So how do I run a game over the Net?

        Post an announcement to  alt.games.vga-planets, with a subject
such as "players wanted".  In  the  post,  try  to cover the following
points.  (Typical answers are shown in square brackets.)

*       Which version of  the  game  will  be  used?    [v2.2, v3.0 or
        later, give host version; Shareware or Registered]
*       When will the game be starting (i.e. first .RST files get sent
[B        out)?
*       How  often  will  turns  be  run?   [Once  per  day;  Mondays,
        Wednesdays, Fridays]
*       When are the turn deadlines, and  when will turns be sent out?
        Given the international nature of  this newsgroup, try to give
        a GMT time as well as your local zone.
*       Will you be playing in the  game?  Some players don't like the
        host to play, so it's only fair to warn them off.
*       What setup parameters are  used?   v3.x  especially has a very
        large array of options, so be clear on the sort of game you'll
        be running.
*       What skill level will the game be?  (In practice, what sort of
        player are you looking for?  Novice, intermediate, expert?)
*       Are alliance negotiations by Email allowed?  [Usually, yes]
*       Are player passwords in use?  [Normally not, over Email]
*       How should players choose races?  ["State first three choices"
        seems to work well.]
*       Are non-standard race names usable?  [Up to you as host]
*       What is the ending condition for  the game?  [First to reach a
        specified number of points;  highest  score on specified date;
        last player left alive, specific objectives...]
*       What subject line should Emailed  turns carry?  (Useful if you
        can extract files automatically.)
*       Where should the turns go, and  where should queries go?  [The
        account from which the message is posted]
*       Any other information.  Remind players  that  they will need a
        uuencode and  uudecode  package.   (You  could  use  something
        unusual, like PGP radix-64 or  xxencode, but it's probably not
        worth it for most purposes.)

        Leave at least a few days  for  responses to come in, and make
sure you have connectivity to  each  player's site before starting the
game!  After  that,  it's  just  a  matter  of  capturing  the  turns,
uudecoding, running the Host, uuencoding  the results and mailing them
out.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What about similar games and related newsgroups?

        The newsgroup rec.games.pbm  has  postings about play-by-email
games, many of which have a space theme but don't have fancy graphical
front-ends.  You can obtain the  FAQ  for that newsgroup via anonymous
ftp from ftp.erg.sri.com.
        The  newsgroup   comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic  occasionally
carries material on VGA Planets.


(questions related to game-play follow)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: I have Tech 6 but don't see a Large Freighter on the "hulls
     available" list.  Why?!

You don't have the resources to build it; when you do, it will show up
on the list.  [Ryan Grant <rmg53668@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Why didn't my planet capture that attacking ship?
...it had no crew but was still fighting my planet!

Tim is aware of this - his reply to a similar message:

   I know about this bug and there is nothing that can be done about
   it short of replacing the VCR program that everyone is using and
   doing so would be a nightmare. So we will just make it a rule
   instead of a bug.

   Ships with no crew will continue to fire at planets.  The targeting
   computer is locked onto the planet. The planet is such an easy
   target that the targeting computer can continue to fire even after
   the crew is all dead.
[Scott@Hades.equinox.gen.nz (Scott McNabb)]

[Note: I have seen a case where a planet captured a ship...the crew
were killed, but the battle was timed-out before either the ship or
the planet could be destroyed.  At this point the VCR declared the
ship captured...Gary]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Why did the colonists I dropped on a new planet vanish?

Amorphous planet, perhaps? [Scott@Hades.equinox.gen.nz (Scott McNabb)]

Anther possibility: the "planet" was still in revolution from a 
previous owner [Gary]

With host 3.1x: No fuel on the ship?  If you drop something on a 
planet when you have no fuel (or drop all your fuel), everything is
lost. [spock@dobag.in-berlin.de (Thomas Voigt)]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: How do I transfer fighters/torps between ships?
 
I really hate to say this but "I've heard" (there, I did it) that on
the transfer screen, you can use 7 to transfer fighters, even though
it only shows options 1-6.  [Scott@Hades.equinox.gen.nz (Scott
McNabb)]

Torpedoes: the solution is not so simple.  You can have one ship lay
a minefield, then use the special friendly code included with your
registered game to "scoop" up the minefield with another ship.  This
works regardless of the torpedo type.  Transfer between races also
works like this...[Gary]

Actually, torpedoes aren't too bad if both ships are at the same 
StarBase.  This is what you do: choose which ship you want to transfer
from and from the StarBase menu select fix.  It will then ask you 
something about leaving torps on board and the minus key will remove 
them.  Now the torps are on the starbase.  From there just put them on
the other ship. [un03@clark.edu (Craig S Barnhill)]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Why doesn't that ship conform to spec?

Example: In the manual, the D7a Painmaker Class Cruiser is listed as
cloaking-capable.
...It's the D7 Coldpain Cruiser that cloaks not the Painmaker.
[mrh0631@Zeus.tamu.edu (Mark Hesidence)]

The manual has several errors of this sort, as Tim is too busy 
changing the actual game to spend much time changing the manuals...

A comprehensive list of these discrepancies is being worked on by
mdl@world.std.com (Michael D Lemon).  I'm sure he would appreciate
any additions people could send to him.

     In the meantime, rely on the ship stats reported by the game
(in the build screens), not the documentation.  Also, certain 
utility programs like ships.exe, vputil.exe, and others will report
the actual capabilities...
 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What is the order of movement/combat/actions in a turn?

     Special missions (Super Refit, "Hssss"ing, Spying, Plundering, 
Robbing, Cyborg repair, Dark sense, presumably building fighters in
space (?)) probably occur first. [Gary]

Beaming up/down to planets (minerals, Clans, Supplies...)
Alchemy missions
Mine laying
Mine Sweeping
Mine Field check
Web Field check 
Building of new ships
Surrendering
Movement
Intercept Missions
Star Base Functions
Colonize Missions
COMBAT!
Science Missions (Science Ships - Planet Climate changing)
Planet Production
*Assimilation
	(* added by me, may be in wrong slot)
[marjola@cc.Helsinki.FI (Kalle J Marjola)]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What is the real Order of Battle?

    The OOB in the docs is bogus; until the version 3.1 host, with
the numeric friendly code determining OOB, the lowest ID fights first.
Period.  Except, I believe, that freighters will fight last.
[Andrew Jones (lrpr@unb.ca)]


1. Games versions 3.0x and 3.1x are both buggy for OOB.
2. Their docs are bogus for OOB.
3. The emendations proferred here are bogus too.
4. Everyone should do thorough simulations of multi-ship combats.

- It is not true that lowest ID combat ships always fight first in 
     versions 3.0x; the real OOB is not simple, but it is not
     documented anywhere.  [Lower ID ships very often do fight first;
     but this depends on other factors which are not correctly
     documented.]

- SIMULATE before you commit your ships to combat.
[harwood@umiacs.umd.edu (David Harwood)]
-- 
Gary Grothman # grothmag@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu # grothmag@snysyrv1.bitnet 
 last resort: # bz334@freenet.cleveland.edu
 even worse:  # (315) 652-5488


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Questions in this segment of the FAQ:

In what order do Privateers Rob ships?
Is there a way to save old messages?
Where can I get sheet.exe?
What happens when 500 ships have been built?
I've captured a <race x> ship, can I now [Rob,Pillage,Cloak...]?
What's the deal with "Science ships"?
How do I simulate battles?
What is the formula for ...
Why didn't my Federation starbase build a ship?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: In what order do Privateers Rob ships?

     When a Privateer ship is set to "rob ship" and there is more
than one enemy ship present, it robs the ship with the lowest ID
number first.  The Privateer ship will remove all fuel first.  If the
Privateer still has space in its tanks, it will suck more fuel from
the next highest ID, and so on.

     Cargo is robbed independently of fuel, since cargo space is
independent of the fuel tank.  Again, the Privateer ship will rob from
the lowest ID ship first.  It will steal Moly first, then Tritanium,
then duranium, and I can't recall if colonists or supplies are next.
Once the first ship is completely drained of cargo, if the Privateer
has space left, it will move on to the next highest ID and begin again
(Moly, Trit, etc.)

     Privateers cannot steal fighters (even if robbing with a carrier)
or torpedoes.

     Robbing occurs at the start of a turn, in the "special missions"
section.  Therefor, it occurs before movement, and before transfers
between ships & ship <-> planet.  Cargo being uploaded to ships by
planets will be fine after robbing, but if a ship that was set to
transfer cargo away is robbed, that cargo is gone (assuming the 
Privateer had enough room).  Thus, transferring fuel between ships
does not give immunity from Privateers!
[Eric Pawtowski, epawtows@polaris.async.vt.edu or epawtows@vt.edu]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Is there a way to save old messages?

     Yes, the newer versions of the SHEET.EXE utility let you save
messages to a file or printer.  I's available on Tim's BBS, I don't
know about the FTP sites.
[Daniel@polaris.async.vt.edu (Daniel Pawtowski)]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: where can I get sheet.exe?

     Sheet.exe is not available by ftp, since this is a bonus program
for people who register.  Either get it from the Tim Continuum BBS or
just register to get it.  I think Tim will get you the latest release
on your disk.  [lumpi@dobag.in-berlin.de (Joern Lubkoll)]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What happens when 500 ships have been built?

     VGA Planets has a built-in limit of 500 ships allowed at one
time.  Once 500 ships exist, further ship build orders at starbases
are not performed until new "slots" have been freed up (by colonize
missions, recycling, or battle).

     When slots are available, VGA Planets scans through the 
starbases by ID# (starting at 1, up to 500) for build missions, and
performs them until the 500 ship limit is reached.  ID# of a base is,
of course, identical to the id# of the planet where the base is 
located.  What this means in practice is that a base at planet #1
will always get first crack at filling any available ship slots, 
while a base at planet #500 will seldom if ever build ships once the
limit has been reached.

     This limit is not reached in all games, but where it does, it
can significantly alter strategy & the balance of power (see the
HINTS document for comments).

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've captured a <race x> ship, can I now [Rob,Pillage,Cloak...]?

Capturing ships, with or without the owners' consent, is common in VGA
Planets.  However, not all "special features" will operate for the
new owner.  The basic rule of thumb is: if the feature is a property 
of the crew/race, it is not transferrable.  If the property is a 
feature of the ship, it is transferrable.  See the lists below:

Transferrable:
Cloaking
Gravitonic Accelerators (& associated 1/2 fuel consumption)

Not Transferrable:
Super Refit
Hissss
Take 150% Damage before spewing pixels across the screen
Super Spy
Pillage
Rob
3x "kill" damage with beams
Repair Damage mission
Web Mines
Dark Sense
Build Fighters (as mission or Rebel innate ability)
Sweep mines with fighters

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What's the deal with "Science ships"? [CROSSD@scarab.ag.uiuc.edu 
(David Cross)]

With the newer host versions, 3 "science ships" have been added, that
allow players to "terraform" their planets to create a more suitable
environment for the colonists.  Planets have a "climate value" up to
100.  All races prefer climate "50", which is in the "warm-temperate"
range.  The exception is the Crystals (& Siliconoids), which prefer
climate 100 (hothothot), if host configuration is set with this
option.

The 3 science ship types:

Bohemian Class: Warms planet until climate "50" is reached.

Eros Class: Cools planet until climate "50" is reached.

Onyx Class: Warms planet until climate "100" is reached.

In all cases, the ships function regardless of mission setting or
friendly code, merely by orbiting the planet to be modified.
Science ships adjust climate by 1 point/turn, and I believe this
is cumulative (yes? no? let me know...).

In the newest host versions, the exploration mission will report
the climate value, so you can keep track of how your terraforming
is progressing...

Remember: each verbal climate description represents a range of
climate values, so just because a planet stubbornly remains 
temperate-cool doesn't mean your Bohemian Class is defective...
make note of the numerical climate value from turn to turn before
posting to the net 8-) .

Also remember: if you're Crystals in a game where the host has set
"Crystals like it hot" ON, make sure your host provides you with
a suitable (read: climate 100) homeworld!

[Gary]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject : How do I simulate battles?

I know basically two ways to simulate a battle.
The easy way uses the battle simulator from the Tim Continnum BBS,
also available at ftp.fu-berlin.de (and probably at the Colorado
State ftp site). However, the simulator is pretty limited in its
capabilities since you can simulate no multi-ship-battles, planet-to-
ship-battles or battles against damaged ships. It seems also that the
hit percentage of the Torps is lower and the fighters come out faster.

The better way is to set up a test game. 
Make a new game directory, select homeworlds that are next to each
other and run vpus before you host for the first time (vpus should be
available at ftp.fu-berlin.de).
Build ships and colonize planets if you want a ship-to-planet battle.
Colonize or recycle all ships that are not involved in battles and
set up the battle. Run maketurn and zip the host data directory
(you can also use any other compress utility that works like pkzip).

Now you use a batch file to simulate the battle as often as you want.
The key to the battle results is the output from unpack. If you have
just one matchup you can determine from the unpack output who has won.

So you could use the following batch file :
----------------------------------------------
cd %1
pkunzip -o %2
cd ..
host %1
unpack %1 >> test.out
-----------------------------------------------
(the -o option forces pkunzip to overwrite existing files)

Copy this 20 times and you will have a batch file that simulates 20
battles and stores the results in test.out.  Don't forget to remove
test.out before you start simulating :-)

Assumed your batch file is called simulate.bat, the host data is in 
.\testgame and the zip file is test.zip you have to type
'simulate testgame test'

Now you have the output of xx battles in test.out. Of course you can
count the ships manually :-) but the better way is to write a little
program that scans the output file and adds all ships (enabling
you to simulate as much battles as you want).
[voigtgob@cs.tu-berlin.de "Thomas Voigt"]


And here's a method that works with host versions 3.1x:

 Set up a test game and select 2 (or more) homeworlds very close to
each other.  Then, run HCONFIG and set ALL taxes and mining rates to
500%(maximum).  Run host, unpack your RSTs and run PLANETS.  Build the
number of defenses needed for your simulation and as many factories
and mines as you can.  Set your taxes to a level at which your
colonists will be angry but not HATE YOU (You wouldn't want riots!).
Run MAKETURN and run host a few times over.  This will give you enough
cash and minerals to build any ship for any race.  Build all ships
you need for the simulation and use the procedure described in the
previous hint to actually run the simulation.  This method is faster
than waiting for the minerals to be mined and the taxes to be paid at
the normal rate.  It requires no program other than a new(any new)
version of HOST.EXE .

[ai578@freenet.carleton.ca "Slawek Chmiel"]


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: What is the formula for ...

FEDERATION MINERAL MINING, HOSTS EARLIER THAN 3.1:

Feds mine 1/2 (normal with reptilian natives) and always get 25 KT of
each remaining mineral with >= 100 mines, no matter how scattered the
minerals are.


MAXIMUM POPULATION:

For native races:
     For the new host [3.1+? ...Gary] there is a maximum population
of 25 million.  [Klein@badlands.NoDak.edu (Michael P Klein)]

The formula for natives is in the 313c doc, the formula for the
colonists should be similar (like 10 000 000*sin(temp*pi/100))
[voigtgob@cs.tu-berlin.de "Thomas Voigt"]

[Note...use radians, not degrees, in the above formula.  For
Crystals, with Crystals_Like_Hot host-option ON, use the formula:
10 000 000 * (temp / 100)...Gary]

maxcolonists = 10.000.000*sin(temperature*pi/100)
maxnatives   = 15.600.000*sin(temperature*pi/100) (approx)
use radians (for the sin() ) here, not degrees.
[spock@dobag.in-berlin.de (Thomas Voigt)]


POPULATION GROWTH

(host 3.14, definitely different for <= 3.00f)

Colonist_Growth%=5*sin(temperature*pi/100)/(1+tax_rate/5) 
The growth is cut to 0 if 
(a) the happiness is lower than 70
(b) the temperature is arctic or desert (<16 or >84)
(c) the maximum population would be exceeded at the current growth rate
    
Native_Growth%=4*sin(temperature*pi/100)/(1+tax_rate/5)
The growth is cut to 0 if
(a) the happiness is lower than 70
(b) the maximum population would be exceeded at the current growth rate

Again, use radians for these formulae.


changes from v3.00f : v3.00f had double the rates for colonists, and there
was still growth if the happiness was below 70. I don't know about
arctic/desert worlds.

There was no population limit in v3.00f (or was there one for natives ?
I always taxed them high so they hadn't a chance to grow), but the
colonist growth slowed down if the limit was exceeded.
[spock@dobag.in-berlin.de (Thomas Voigt)]


HAPPINESS

Natives :
happy_change=trunc(5+native_government/2-sqrt(natives/1.000.000)
                    - (mines+factories)/200 - tax*.85)

where native_government is :
1=Anarchy
2=Pre-Tribal
(...)
9=Unity

Colonists :
happy_change=trunc(10-sqrt(colonists/1.000.000)-(mines+factories)/300
                    - tax*.8 - abs(temp-50)/33)
[spock@dobag.in-berlin.de (Thomas Voigt)]


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: Why didn't my Federation starbase build that ship?

Situation: the 500-ship limit has not been reached, and the Fed
player begins construction of some ship at his starbase.  With the
next .rst, the player finds the ship has not been built.

  If the Feds build a ship and have a ship set for Super Refit during
the same turn, it is possible for the Super Refit to use the last
engine that was to be used for the new ship.  Bingo, no new ship.
Luckily, the Host just gives a message saying: 'Trying to build a ship
with no engines, ship not built.'  It does not appear to have provoked
an attack from the Tim Continuum.  [ddeden@cwis.unomaha.edu (Doug
Deden)]

     I believe this will also happen if the refitted ship used the
weapons intended for the new ship.  Remember, refitting occurs before
new ship construction!  [gary]
-- 
Gary Grothman # grothmag@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu # grothmag@snysyrv1.bitnet 
 last resort: # bz334@freenet.cleveland.edu
 even worse:  # (315) 652-5488


