quote:Originally posted by Runaway Proton

OK, I'll input my two cents, and you guys can hand me my change I'm sure!
I played in the mid 80's without the aid of scripts, and macros were becoming an aid (at least to me). I wasn't in it as real compitition, but I could get in a game, and have fun with it for months, before someone finally "won" the game.
I got into this game again about 6 months ago, Trying to just not get blown up was a challenge untill someone asked me if I was using TWX or Swath. My reply "what's that?" was answered by someone helping me get the sofware, and helping me learn to use it. So my bad experience became a good one, and I've stuck with the game to have some fun. If nobody had stepped up, I wouldn't be playing now, and wouldn't be trying to start a server of my own.
Personally I don't want to see TW become a graphic game. There are lots of graphic games out there, and TW would just become another game.
We have to face that Scripting has become part of the game. I think it's here to stay. Personally I think we need to make the game more challenging to scripters. We need more options in the game it's self to make the game more flexable. We need different options on ships, we need maybe more sides to the game then blue or red, we need aliens to be more challenging, and more configurable.
Scripts have grown to meet the game challenge, but the game didn't continue to evolve so the scripts have won.
We need games on the net that are friendly to new players where maybe limited scripts are available, even if it's on the honor system that you don't run them. If you don't want to play those games, you don't have to, there can be other more challenging games for advanced and expert players.
Scripting should also not be limited to players. Why can't sysop's have game scripts that can make them more challenging. My game with a wandering planet is a good example. I took a script, expanded on the idea, and implemented it in a game. More scripts shoud be made for this end of the game as well.
In a nut shell, I think we need to advance the game to meet the level of the scripts being used.
I also need to learn to write scripts. I really can't find much information that can help me get started. Uncompiled, compiled, code, I know nothing of it. I'd like to learn if someone is willing to get me started.
If we advance the game, the scripts will need to advance, and we need to keep this cycle going.
Ok, I think I've spent my penny worth now. Stepping off my soap box now.




TW is going to be evolved into a graphic game, but the game we now play will still be around too, the term that will apply to it will be Trade Wars Classic, it is also getting some new features with the next beta fix on things as well, like the jumpgate project, and some other things to be added to it. JP will hopefully be putting out the next beta upgrade soon, and we all can see what things have been added and what has been changed. But the thing is the original setup will still be around too. We have a new web portatl sitting and waiting for the new changes and all to launch it, the EIS forums will be incorporated into the new portal as well so no one will lose data or post counts either.

OK, as I was working on designing a game for future play, I've found something I wish I could do, that I don't know how or isn't available. In a future version maybe it can be done.
I was editing planets, and ships, and wish there were a quick way to print out a catalog of them both so I can read it on paper with ALL the attributes listed, rather than have to go through several menues for each item, and try to compare them on screen.

Well, there is a somewhat pracital solution for you:


[url="http://www.tw-attac.com/TWForum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18882&whichpage=1"]GameOp WorkSheets[/url]

I'd seen, and used them before, and they are excellent by the way. I just was trying to avoid the having to fill in the blanks via pencil I know, lazy, but it takes time to copy all these settings. There are so many of them, three quarters of them I have no clue (yet) what they do but learning, and I'm asking for even more settings to be available in my earlier posts. I must be mad! I'm really liking the idea of being able to set up an alien race for someone to play against the typical red/blue guys. Would add a whole different aspect to the game. Imagine if you could play a ferrengi! I think it would be fun! Till my previous corpie blows me up

What were you hopping to get your cake, your icing, and eat them all up? hahaa

Well, in a nutshell, YES! Maybe some clever soul can find a way to import the data from the data files, into your forms! Now that would be awsome!

You will need to talk Xentropy in doing something like that. [;)]

Darn your fast! I wasn't saying you should, just put the plug out there if anybody wants to take it on. If I had the know how I would, but I'd rather learn scripting right now.

Hahaa, Xen already has the know how and an understanding on the TW data files, he just needs the motivation to actually do it.

Hmm, what would that take? Seriously, we keep doing this we ought to move to icq!

Besides knowing the file structures, you would need to know a language to bring the TW data files together with the Excel files. I was thinking TWX would be able achieve this just as well. I was also thinking about a front end utility that you would fill out similar to the sheets, that would auto adjust all the settings for you as you go and then when ready you would “engage” and it would run through the editors for you and bang your new game off those settings and it would also save a copy in Excel for you to print whenever needed… or possibly even do this in Excel were Excel would auto adjust the setting in the other fields for you, but then you would need to run a separate program that would pull the info from those Excel files and send into the editors to bang your game for you. It does not appear that Excel files can be actually viewed outside of Excel though so everything would need to be within a program or TWX and then could update the editor and send the results in a HTML format for printing, this is an alternate route, that would be workable I think.

quote:Originally posted by Runaway Proton

Well, in a nutshell, YES! Maybe some clever soul can find a way to import the data from the data files, into your forms! Now that would be awsome!
you mean like this:


Vulcan running Vulcan's Forge Game Server on TWGS version 3.13
[url]telnet:\\vulcansforge-online.net:23[/url]
100 nodes; multiple simultaneous logons from a single IP are allowed.
********************************************************************************
Global (server) settings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Ship Delay¨¨¨¨¨¨¨0 s/TPW¨¨¨¨¨Probe Movement Delay:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨0 s/sector
¨¨Command Limitation:¨¨¨¨¨¨30 cmds / 1s¨¨Output Segment Size:¨¨ Unlim bytes
¨Days Until Deletion:¨¨¨¨¨¨30 days¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Ack Interval:¨¨¨¨¨300 s
¨¨¨¨Daily Log Length:¨¨¨¨¨800 bytes¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Inactivity Timeout:¨¨¨¨¨300 s
¨¨¨¨Local Display On?¨¨¨¨true¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Local Beeper On?¨¨¨¨true
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨User Aliases?¨¨¨¨true¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Aliens Sleep?¨¨¨false

********************************************************************************
Local (game) settings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game A - Stargate - 20000 sectors - Unlim turns
This is the Stargate Game from Tizwits server and was popular there. I hope it w
ill do well here as well. It is inspired from the popular TV Series', Stargate S
G1 and Stargate Atlantis. It has some really good ship and alien edits as well a
s some really good planet edite as well. Game rules are: No Duping, Alien Planet
Farming, and No Mega Corping.
[url]tw2002:\\vulcansforge-online.net:23\new?game=A§ors=20000&name=Stargate[/url]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Age of Game:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨8 days¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Game banged on: Sun Sep 10 2006
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Closed game?¨¨¨false¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Extern last ran on: Sun Sep 17 2006
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Sectors:¨¨20,000¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Max users:¨¨¨¨¨200
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Max ships:¨¨¨¨¨800¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Max ports:¨¨16,000
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Max planets:¨¨¨¨4000¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨New player planets?¨¨¨false
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Turns per day:¨¨ Unlim¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Turn bank:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨1 days
¨¨Time limit per day:¨¨ Unlim min¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Time penalty:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨0 min/logon
¨¨¨¨Starting credits:¨¨25,000cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Starting holds:¨¨¨¨¨¨20
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Starting figs:¨¨¨¨6000¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Death delay?¨¨¨¨true
¨¨Radiation duration:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨5 days¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨NavHaz clear rate:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨3% / day
Times Class0/9 Blown:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨0¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Cloak failure rate:¨¨¨¨¨¨10%
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Port regen:¨¨¨¨¨100% / day¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Port regen max:¨¨¨¨¨100% / visit
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Max product:¨¨65,530 units¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Built port density:¨¨¨¨¨¨95%
One-way warp density:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨4%¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Two-way warp density:¨¨¨¨¨¨30%
¨¨¨Max course length:¨¨¨¨¨¨45¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Fighter lock decay:¨¨¨¨1440s
¨¨¨¨¨Terra max colos:100,000,000¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Terra regen rate:¨¨65,535 colos/day
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Squatters:¨¨¨¨¨¨10 ships/sec¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Corp size:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨3 users/corp
¨¨¨¨¨¨Planetary nego:¨¨¨¨¨¨60%¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Planets per sector:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨3
¨¨¨¨¨Photon duration:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨0s¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Fedsafe Photons?¨¨¨¨true
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Multi photons?¨¨¨¨true¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Photon cost:¨160,000cr
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Gold mode?¨¨¨¨true¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨MBBS mode?¨¨¨false
¨¨¨¨¨¨Steal from buy?¨¨¨¨true¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Steal delay?¨¨¨false
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Steal Factor:¨¨¨¨¨100%¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Rob factor:¨¨¨¨¨100%
¨¨¨Busts clear every:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨7 days¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Last bust clear: Sun Sep 17 2006
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Bubbles:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨4¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Min size:¨¨¨¨¨100¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Max size:¨¨¨¨4975
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Min links:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨1¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Max links:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨5
¨¨¨¨Min tunnel depth:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨0¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Max tunnel depth:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨3
Ship reregistry cost:¨¨20,000cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Cloak cost:¨¨10,000cr
¨¨¨¨¨Armid mine cost:¨¨¨¨1000cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Limpet mine cost:¨¨25,000cr
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Beacon cost:¨¨¨¨¨100cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Limpet removal cost:¨¨20,000cr
¨¨¨Genesis torp cost:¨¨¨¨5000cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Atomic det cost:¨¨¨¨3750cr
Density scanner cost:¨¨¨¨8000cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Holo scanner cost:¨¨10,000cr
¨¨¨¨¨¨Corbomite cost:¨¨¨¨¨250cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Planet scanner cost:¨¨10,000cr
¨¨¨¨Ether probe cost:¨¨¨¨5000cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Mine disruptor cost:¨¨¨¨6000cr
¨¨¨Planet xport cost:¨¨12,500cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Plnt xport upg cost:¨¨¨¨7000cr
¨¨TWarp I drive cost:¨¨12,500cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨TWarp II drive cost:¨¨20,000cr
¨¨Twarp upgrade cost:¨¨47,500cr¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Psychic probe cost:¨¨10,000cr
¨¨¨¨¨Internal aliens?¨¨¨false¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨Internal Ferrengi?¨¨¨false
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The preceding table was produced by the TWGS Game Settings Exporter v1.10!
http://twgs.xiuhtec.com


You need to see Xentropy for this and some things similar to it.

Yep, stuff like that! I'm starting to drool I guess I need to make friends with Xentropy, Doesn't look like he's been here lately though. Where does he hang out?

hey wait, don't evolve it yet, I am still learning this one, hehe.
sorry, just had to do it.

This is one game you will never fully learn, unless your like RExx, or Vulcan, or ,... ok, maybe you can learn it.