Acorn RISC PD-CD 1

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Acorn RISC PD-CD 1 / Acorn RISC PD-CD 1.iso / games / _corewar / _help < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1991-04-07 | 14.5 KB | 385 lines

!Help for !CoreWar Version 7.01 ------------------------------- *** Compliant to the May 1986 International *** *** Core Wars Society specification *** [Docs as of 7-Apr-91] Files included in this package :- !Run !RunImage !Sprites Sprites !Help Templates code ArmCode chkspr ) my chkspr util, rename the app and see what !Boot ) happens (nothing!). Notes in Comments. and a directory 'Source' with lots of files! The Core War is a game originally devised by A.K. Dewdney and published in the 'Computer Recreations' column of the May 1984 Scientific American. This application provides a multi-tasking version of the game along with an intergrated stand alone version that runs somewhat quicker! Usage ----- For instructions on how to play the game I advise you to get a copy of the BBC Acorn User May 1991 editon, which gives a gentle tutorial into the corewar (I would include it verbatim, but it is their copyright now!) however if you can't/don't get a copy the appendix provides some introductory notes. You should be able to use the actual application without any documentation, so long as you know redcode!, since I have tried to make the user interface completely common sense - well it is to me anyway, all the same ... To commence a battle simply drop two battle programs onto the corewar iconbar sprite. A battle program can either be a text file with 'redcode' source or an object code file with filetype 'data' or 'corewar'. The advantage of the object code is that there is no time wait for assembly (even though the machine multi-tasks during assembly which is normally less that thirty seconds), you can double click (corewar files) to load them and more importantly you can post your programs to your friends in a form that is much harder for them to crack and copy your ideas! (for an appropriate sum I can provide you with my dissasembler ...). I suggest you create a directory 'Object' and place all the object code versions of you programs in there, otherwise it can be all to easy to overwrite your source - not such a good idea!. Once two battle programs have been dropped on the iconbar sprite then clicking on 'Commence Battle' will do just that! A battle screen opens with the names of the opponents in their appropriate colours and assosiated number of tasks running. You can run the Core War as a full screen version (reeping the signifcant speed benefits) by choosing the 'Single Task' option in the iconbar menu. <Escape> will return to the desktop and the Core War will continue playing in a window. Clicking on the quit icon on the battle screen removes it from sight and significantly increases the speed of the simulation (in mode 12 this can approach the stand alone speed when maximum speed is selected), clicking on the iconbar sprite will reopen the battle screen. Hopefully the appearance and dissapearance of the dialogues and windows should be fairly intuative (ie Adjust clicks work) - if you don't think so then tell me and I will fix it! Menu Choices ------------ Info : As per usual! Pause/ : Pauses the game } one or the other displayed Continue Continues the game } at any one time! Stop : The battle is teminated, can NOT be continued. This option returns any surplus memory to the system. Show Screen : Opens the battle screen. Cycles : Sets the number of locations executed before returning to the WIMP. min is 1,max is 150 and < 15 is very responsive. Single Task : If ticked then the full screen 625 cps version of the CoreWar will be used. All tasks are suspended during the battle. If chosen while a battle is in progress then the application will go into full screen mode. As normal <Escape> returns to the desktop. Save Code : If ticked a save window will pop up instead allowing saving of the assembled code. Quit : You've guessed it! System Variables ---------------- There are a few features of the application that you can configure with system variables, if you input stupid things/nothing the the application will adopt the indicated defaults (they are pretty good starting points) :- CoreWar$Cycles XXX : This sets the default parameter 'cycles' as in the menu. Default is 10. CoreWar$SaveAssembly y/n : This sets the 'Save Code' option. Default is n. CoreWar$SingleTask y/n : This sets the 'Single Task' option. Default is n. Appendix -------- A VERY Rudimentary Introduction to the Core War ----------------------------------------------- The 'Core War' is a game played within a simulated computer using a language called 'Redcode' which is much like the 6502 assembly language of the BBC micro. Two programs are placed randomly in the memory array (which is accessed through a modulo statement so if a location is required that is bigger than the array size then the address 'wraps' around) and then left to run, being supervised by the executive program which simulates a multi-tasking operating system. The idea of the game is to 'kill' the other program by making it execute a non-executable instruction! The simplest RedCode program is Imp, MOV 0 1. It copies itself one location forward, the very location to next be executed. Hence Imp trails all the way through the core one loaction at a time. The following programs are examples of the Redcode assembly language that the !CoreWar application uses (the command set is included below). The '.' followed by a number is a label much like Basic assembler labels but only numbers are allowed. This program is called Dwarf. JMP .0 .1 DAT -1 .0 MOV .1 @.1 ADD # 5 .1 JMP .0 The program simply pokes the number 0 in every fifth location in the memory array. The 'JMP .0' skips the non-executable data statement at '.1'. 'MOV .1 @.1' puts 'DAT x' in the memory location pointed to by the value stored at x (where x is the data stored in the DAT location). 'ADD #5 .1' increments the data stored at .1 by 5 and 'JMP .0' returns the PC to the beginning of the loop. A more interesting example is a self-copying program. This example copies itself 100 locations forward and then executes from there. It is called Gemini. JMP .2 .0 DAT 5 .2 MOV #5 .0 MOV #100 .1 .3 MOV @.0 <.1 DJN .3 .0 JMP @.1 .1 DAT 100 The only new feature in this code is the use of the auto-decrement indirect addessing mode, '<'. With this addressing mode the location specified is decremented and then treated as if it had been specified with a '@'. The entire reason for this mode is to speed up coping of code to encouage interesting programs. That assembler allows up to 40 lables and about 250 generated lines of object code. The assembler is not case sensitive and comments are added by using the \ character. Table of valid redcode menonics :- Mnemonic Args Function +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | | DAT | - B | B is a data value. Non executable | | | | | | MOV | A B | Copy the contents of A to the | | | | contents of B | | | | | | ADD | A B | Add the contents of A to the | | | | contents of B | | | | | | SUB | A B | Subtract the contents of A from | | | | the contents of B | | | | | | JMP | A - | Jump to statement at A | | | | | | JMZ | A B | If the contents of B is zero, jump | | | | to A | | | | | | JMN | A B | If the contents of B is not zero, | | | | jump to A | | | | | | DJN | A B | Decrement the contents of B. If | | | | the contents of B is not zero, | | | | jump to A | | | | | | CMP | A B | Compare the contents of A with | | | | the contents of B. If they are | | | | equal skip the next instruction | | | | | | SPL | A - | Spilt the exection to the next | | | | statement and the one at A | | | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ and addresssing modes :- Type Prefix Definition +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | |Immediate| # | Val specified used | | | | | |Relative | none | Val specified acts relative to PC | | | | | |Indirect | @ | Val specified points relatively to the | | | | val to be used (acting relative to its | | | | loc in mem, not the P.C.'s) | | | | | |Auto- | | As indirect by the location is decremented | |Decrement| < | by one before calculating the resultant | |Indirect | | location | | | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ For those in the know the core size is 8000 locations - this is hardwired into the code for speed - sorry - if you want something different please get in contact with me & I will provide you with another 'ArmCode' file. Versions -------- 1.xx : The inital BBC versions (no graphics!) 2.xx : The BBC teletext graphics versions (BAU published one of these!) 3.xx : The inital Master 128 versions 4.xx : The inital Archimedes versions 5.xx : The corewar converted to 'C' 6.xx : The ARM code versions of the CoreWar and after all that - and a good three years - we have the one and only brand spanking new, heavily re-coded ... 7.00 : The first release of the multi-tasking version. Fully featured with a built in assembler, stand alone battle version and, I would guess the world's first, multi-tasking battle version. 7.01 : Full screen/Window toggle rather than one or the other. Having written 7.00 I started to develop some battle progs and decided that this was required. Also including various tidy ups, merging of the wimp and stand alone code and, par for the course, bug fixes! Comments -------- This is my biggest application so far. The depressing thing is the basic version is about 3k long! (small fib there seeing it doesn't have an assembler and I didn't count the variable store but even so!). The 96k slot is deceptive, the program can require up to 192k but you will only ever notice the slot going up to 144k, the 48k required to store 8000 core locations of 5 bytes each. The extra 48k is used to convert between the full screen and the battle screen window since the screen needs to be saved as a sprite and then plotted onto the battle screen sprite with a scale factor (WOW, isn't RISC OS easy to use!). So be careful otherwise the game will refuse to do things. Oh yes, on assembly the game slots an extra 1.5 times the size of the source code. The ChkSpr Utility The chkspr utility will, when run, examine the '!Sprites' file and check if the first sprite is the application's name. If not that sprite's name will be changed to the application directory's name. The !Boot file contains 'Run ChkSpr', this runs the util, the next line contains 'IconSprites <Obey$Dir>.!Sprites' this loads the new sprite in. The filer always calls any new (ie renamed) app's !Boot file so the new sprite is automatically loaded for display. Please feel free to use the utility separately from the rest of the package but note that the conditions set out below apply to it. Conditions of Use ----------------- This application is supplied free to everyone 'as is', I do not give any guarantee that it is free of bugs, or supply any warranty about its suitabliliy for use. However if there are any problems with it and you notify me of them then I probably will do my best to recify them. You may give this application to anyone, via any medium, so long as :- 1) It is delivered with ALL the supplied files and unaltered (except !Run & !Boot files). 2) It is not supplied on a disc you are charging for (except for media and postage costs). You have permission to use any part or the whole application in a project you intend to place in the public domain, as long as I am fully credited. If you wish to use any part or the whole of this application in a product that you wish to sell (for however much and for whatever reasons) or release as copyright material then my express permission in writing must be obtained. I maintain copyright on all the material supplied and reserve the right to amend these conditions in cases where I deem misuse. A large number of hours of work have gone into the production and maintenance of this application and although I have supplied the application free, donations will be gratefully received (and if over 7 pounds I will send you a disc with updates of this and all other pd stuff I have written. Please include a letter telling me which apps of mine you use and their version numbers). Contacts -------- My address: 6 Parklands Place, Guildford, Surrey GU1 2PS. BBSs I call frequently: Archive BBS [0603 745932] mbx 23 Arcade BBS [01 654 2212] mbx 23 The World of Cryton [0749 679794] mbx 273 email : maurp@uk.ac.warwick.cu (try email during term time if you want a quick reply and an even quicker update!) © Emmet Spier 1991 - USE and Enjoy!