                    DOCUMENTATION FOR USUS LIBRARY VOLUME 9
                                     Games

     The programs on this disk represent games in various stages of develop-
ment, from ADVENTURE, which is superb and complete, to SPACEWAR, which will
work fine now if you and a friend have your Microengines hooked together,
but needs work for other configurations.

ADVENTURE.....There are a number of files on this disk that comprise the game 
              Adventure, all of which boil down to four (a code file and three 
              data files) when the game is actually run.  This is the FULL, 
              ORIGINAL FORTRAN Adventure, translated into UCSD Pascal via a 
              PL/I version.  Several of us have played it, and we have all 
              found it the fastest disk-based ADVENTURE going.  Splendid job, 
              Mike Turner!
              
              To get started, READ THE DOCUMENTATION, which tells you how to 
              set up the data files with ADVINIT, and don't forget 
              ADV.MISCINFO, which tells the system how big your screen is.  
              Total setup time with a fresh disk is about 10 minutes, required 
              once only.
              
STARTREK......Barry Demchak wrote a good if relatively routine Pascal version
              of the BASIC classic; it has the added feature of Klingon
              starbases to make life interesting.  
              
              Startrek always seems to inspire game programmers to further 
              heights, and if this is your passion, Barry's given you a good 
              start...maybe add real time?  If so, several caveats:  use a
              counter to time moves, rather than the system clock, which few
              of us have (and scale the counter with a startup query of slow,
              medium, or fast processor).  Put all your screen control in one
              place so we can find it, perhaps in your own screen control unit
              (a USUS standard screen control unit is being drafted).
              
CASTLES.......This is Pat Horton's implementation of a strategic board game.  
              Board and move codes are described in CASTLES.DOC, which you 
              should probably have printed out and sitting beside you when you
              play.
              
SPACEWAR......Pat Horton has done an excellent job of putting together the
              start of the classic battling space ships.  It is designed to be
              used with two computers hooked together by their remote ports
              (or is it two terminals and one computer?).  To get an idea of
              how the game functions with only one terminal, delete the 8th
              line from the end ("WHILE NOT...") and play with one ship
              inoperative.
              
              Playing is easy, since there are only five commands.  Control H, 
              J, K, and L are used to control the ship:  ^H and ^L turn it 45 
              degrees to the right and to the left; ^J causes the ship to 
              accelerate in its current direction; and ^K causes the ship to
              fire.  Typing a "q" or "Q" quits the game.
              
              This version lacks a sun, although there seems to be a 
              gravitational field pulling you toward the center.  If you move 
              to the edge of the screen, you'll bounce back like a tennis 
              ball, rather than appearing on the other side of the screen as 
              is usually done.  "Bullets" fired have little momentum, and 
              mostly follow your ship; I saw only one at a time.  Action
              happens only if you or your opponent press a key, though it
              keeps up with "repeat" keys nicely and moves fast.  Pat has
              done a nice job of indicating the orientation of your ship (it
              requires all printing ASCII characters, however, and may not
              work on a standard Apple).  There are several instances of 
              writing an ESC-"*" sequence to the screen, which I believe is 
              meant to clear it.
              
              
                                 Good playing!!
                        Jim Gagne, USUS Library Chairman
       Datamed Research, Inc., 1433 Roscomare Road, Los Angeles, CA 90024
