ProfitPress Mega CDROM2 …eeware (MSDOS)(1992)(Eng)/ProfitPress-MegaCDROM2.B6I/BBS/DOORS/MCRACE20.ZIP/MCRACE.DOC

Text File | 1991-11-07 | 21.0 KB | 411 lines

                                   McRace 2.0
                              Motor City Dragstrip
                    Copyright 1990,1991 by Motor City Software
                               All rights reserved



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│░░░░░░ LICENSING INFORMATION ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
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This program is not Freeware.  This is SHAREWARE which means it is user-
supported software.  If you use this program for more than 30 days, you are
required to register or remove it from your system.  The registration fee is
a mere $15.00 and is not a lot to ask.

The concept works only with your support.  If you find that you can use this
program, then a registration fee of $15.00 * U.S. FUNDS * will help defray the
development cost and encourage the authorship of other programs that might be
useful to you.  A  Registration Form for this purpose is included with the
distribution archive and is called REGISTER.??? where ??? is one of the
countries which have a registration site.

Motor City Dragstrip was written by John Parlin and is Copyrighted 1990,91 by
Motor City Software and all rights are reserved.  You may copy this program
and documentation for backup purposes.  You also may copy and share UNMODIFIED
copies of the program package, providing that the copyright notice is
reproduced and included on all copies.

You may not sell the product for a fee and/or distribute the product
along with other products without expressed written permission from Motor
City Software, nor may you modify or remove the Copyright Notice from the
program or the documentation.

Comments, suggestions and bug reports are welcome.  If you have any, you
should contact one of the Motor City Software Support Systems listed below.


Sysop Name           Location               Phone           Net Address
----------           --------               -----           -----------
Rod Hancock          Oshawa, Ont. Can.      [phone]  1:229/418
Jeff Wilson          Bowmanville Ont Can.   [phone]  1:229/414
Peter Kling          Albany NY USA          [phone]  1:267/169
Denis Bennet         Faversham Kent UK      [phone]:440/11
Peter Janssens       Venray Netherlands     [phone]:512/1
Terry Harvey         Burwood NSW Australia  [phone]   3:712/704

We also have a VOICE support line.  If you have any problems which require
immediate help, feel free to call us.

Motor City Software
Oshawa Ontario Canada
[phone]  (9am - 5pm)  VOICE ONLY


If you're reporting a bug, please give as much detail as possible about the
problem you are experiencing so that it can be duplicated and fixed.



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│░░░░░░ INTRODUCTION ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
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Motor City Dragstrip is an online door program for RemoteAccess*, QuickBBS*
and other BBS packages that create an RBBS-style DORINFOx.DEF drop file and
use a FOSSIL driver for communications.

The game challenges players to achieve the highest monthly score possible
through a series of races.  Players race against computer opponents such as
Leadfoot Larry, Bo Nose, Harry Scarey and others.

The player with the most amount of money for the month is the winner and has
his or her name displayed as the "last month's high scorer" throughout the
next month's play, along with the second and third place winners.

Motor City Dragstrip runs fine as a type 7 door.  User time remaining, user
inactivity and carrier detect are all tracked from within the program.  If
DesqView is detected, the DesqView video buffer will be utilized.

Although Motor City Dragstrip does not require players to have ANSI graphics
turned on, those who do will benefit by being able to watch the race progress
on a full-screen, ANSI graphic dragstrip.

This program will work on multiline systems as well as single line systems.
The configuration file MCRACE.CFG is shared by all nodes in a multiline
configuration.

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│░░░░░░ INSTALLATION ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
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IMPORTANT:  If you are running a previous release of Motor City Dragstrip,
            be advised that command line parameters are no longer accepted
            with the only exception being the path to DORINFO1.DEF.  All
            configuration parameters are edited via the setup program
            RACEFIG.EXE (see below).

McRace is a very simple game.  It allows the Sysop to customize many of the
game settings such as maximum number of daily races, maximum number of daily
gambles, maximum amount per wager, cost of crew members, and more.  This is
done through the use of the Motor City Dragstrip setup program, RACEFIG.EXE.
This utility creates a configuration file called MCRACE.CFG which Motor City
Dragstrip looks for at program startup.

To use the setup utility, change to the directory containing the Motor City
Dragstrip files and enter the command RACEFIG.  Default values will be
created and may be edited by selecting the items you wish to change from the
bounce bar menu.  A list of the items you can edit is as follows:

Menu Item                       Description
---------------------------     ----------------------------------------------
Maximum Daily Races             This is the maximum number of races that
                                players may have per day.  Valid entries are
                                5 to 99.  The default setting is 15.

Maximum Daily Wagers            This is the maximum number of times that
                                players may wager per day.  Valid entries are
                                1 to 99.  The default setting is 5.

Maximum Wager Amount            This is the maximum dollar amount that may be
                                gambled, per wager.  Valid entries are 100 to
                                1,000,000.  The default setting is 100,000.

Crew Paycheck Amount            Each time a player enters the game on a new
                                day, crew members expect to get their
                                paychecks.  Here, you can specify how much
                                money each crew member receives per paycheck.
                                Valid values are 100 to 5,000.  The default
                                setting is 1,000.

Crew Member Cost                This is the dollar amount cost of hiring crew
                                members.  Valid entries are 500 to 10,000.
                                The default setting is 2,500.

Purchase Extra Turns            If this field is set to ON, players are
                                allowed to purchase extra turns once they have
                                used their daily turns.  The cost of an extra
                                turn is half that of the race value which is
                                determined by the player's ranking.

                                If this field is set to OFF, players are not
                                allowed to purchase extra turns.

Status Bar Setting              If this field is set to ON, the local status
                                bar is displayed.  If set to OFF, the status
                                bar is supressed.

High Speed Modem Setting        This field should be set to ON if you are
                                using at least one high speed modem on your
                                BBS.  In other words, if you have a single
                                line system with a high speed modem or a
                                multiline system with at least one high speed
                                modem, this should be set to ON.  Otherwise,
                                it should be set to off.

Once RACEFIG.EXE has been executed, Motor City Dragstrip can be run in the BBS
system directory or in a directory of its own.  If you choose to run it in a
separate directory, you must specify one command line parameter when executing
MCRACE.EXE, and that is the path to DORINFO1.DEF.  For example, you might call
Motor City Dragstrip as a type 7 which in turn calls a batch file:

Type 7 command line:

 *C /c \RA\PLAYRACE.BAT

PLAYRACE.BAT:

 CD \RA\DRAG
 MCRACE \RA\
 CD \RA

In the above example, the Motor City Dragstrip program files are in a
directory called \RA\DRAG.  When executing the program, the path to
DORINFO1.DEF is specified as a command line parameter ( \RA\ ).

Or, if you are running Motor City Dragstrip from the BBS system directory,
no batch file is needed:

Type 7 command line:

 MCRACE.EXE

That's all there is to installing the Motor City Dragstrip door.

Restarting a Game:

At any time you can restart a monthly tournament by deleting the file
MCRACE.DTE.  The Motor City Dragstrip will do the rest.


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│░░░░░░ THE PIT MASTER MAINTENANCE UTILITY ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
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The program PITMAST.EXE is a utility which can run in standalone mode.  This
program should be run as a maintenance task on your BBS.  Pit Master will
read through the driver roster searching for dragsters that have no tire
tread or empty fuel tanks.

When a dragster is found that has no tire tread or an empty fuel tank, Pit
Master will change the tires and/or top off the fuel tank and charge the
player for the cost of tires and/or fuel, if the player has that much money
available.

This utility makes it possible for the Sysop to keep the player-versus-player
action going, even when some players do not frequent the game door to keep
their dragsters in running condition.

NOTE:  Pit Master will not perform these maintenance tasks on players who
       have a wrecked dragster or blown engine.

The Pit Master program accepts no command line parameters.  It must be run
from the same directory that contains the Motor City Dragstrip program files.
No user interaction is required, so the program can be run during regular
BBS system maintenance routines.


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│░░░░░░ SUPPORT FILES ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
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The following is a list of files related to the operation of this program.
It is noted whether or not the file is absolutely required in order for the
program to run.

 Filename       Required   Description
 ------------   --------   --------------------------------------------------
 MCRACE.EXE       Yes      The main progam executable.

 RACEFIG.EXE      Yes      This is the setup utility executable.

 PITMAST.EXE      No       This is the Pit Master driver maintenance utility.

 MCRACE.CFG       Yes      This is the configuration file created by
                           RACEFIG.EXE which holds the game configuration.

 TRACK.ANS        Yes      This is the ANSI graphic race track

 MCRACE.ANS       No       This is an ANSI file that is displayed to users,
                           only if it exists, when the program is started.

 MCRACE.ASC       No       This is an ASCII text file that is displayed to
                           users when the caller does not have ANSI graphics
                           enabled or when the MCRACE.ANS file does not
                           exist.

 MCRACE.DRV       Yes      This is an ASCII text file that contains a list
                           of opponent driver names.  You may edit this list
                           of names, chosing your own driver names.  The
                           only limitations being that a driver name may not
                           be more than 18 characters long and this file may
                           not contain more than 100 driver names.  Also,
                           there must be NO BLANK LINES within this file. Each
                           line must contain an opponent driver name.

 MCRACE.NUM       No       File created and used by the program to track the
                           last driver number used.  This is so that McRace
                           knows which driver name to use next.

 MCRACE.DTE       No       This is the McRace date file.  This is the file
                           McRace uses to determine when the end of month
                           has arrived.

 MCRACE.HSC       No       This file contains the last month's high scorer
                           statistics.

 MCRACE.DAT       Yes      This is the McRace player data file.  If it does
                           not exist, McRace will create it.

 MCRACE.DOC       No       This documentation.

 MCRACE.HLP       Yes      The online Instructions file.

 MCRACE.LOG       No       This is an ASCII text log of player activity.
                           It is intended for your viewing pleasure.

 MCRACE.SCR       No       This is an ASCII text file containing the current
                           top-15 player scores.  This file may be viewed by
                           other programs or from a BBS menu, for example.

 RACE_ERR.LOG     No       This is an ASCII text file created by McRace when
                           an error is encounted.  If this file exists, it is
                           intended for your viewing pleasure.

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│░░░░░░ PLAYING THE GAME ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
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Welcome to the wild-n-crazy world of BBS drag racing and the Motor City
Dragstrip.   The Motor City Dragstrip is located just south of that hot spot
where you used to neck in the back seat as a teenager.  Back then, you could
hear the roar of the engines even over the hot and heavy breathing.  But today,
you're right there, in the cockpit of your very own dragster.  Well... okay,
so it's a computer keyboard and monitor but you feel like you're right there.
Ahem...  On with it then.

The object of the game is obvious.  Players try to win as much money as
possible to obtain the highest score.  Oh sure, there's nothing to it, right?
Wrong!  Obstacles get in the way from time to time.  Like getting started
trying to turn a profit.  Tires and fuel aren't exactly cheap (especially at
this track!) and since you're burning rubber at every start, one set of tires
will only carry you through 3 races.  Fuel is another story.  The bigger your
engine, the more fuel that is consumed.

Yet these aren't even the major obstacles.  They're just a fact of racing.
Other obstacles lay waiting.  A vandal might get into the trailer at night
and slash your dragster's tires.  The track security is on duty 24 hours a
day.  But, since they're paid a measley $4.25 an hour, they tend to sleep or
spend the night drinking and looking at girly magazines.  A crew member may
have found a better job since you last raced (and that's not hard).  These two
obstacles are ones that are run into from time to time when a player enters
this game door.

There are other obstacles too.  Players are only human and as such, tend to
blow their engines once in a while.  The computer opponents are no angels
either and may also blow their engines, which would be to the player's
advantage.  Players may also find themselves swirving into the wall in order
to avoid striking a drunken fan on the track.  Or running into oil slicks and
wiping out.  Or even blowing an axle which also causes a crash.  But, rest
assured, the computer opponent can also crash and even run out of gas allowing
his opponent an easy win.

But watch out!  Be careful not to attempt to race with an empty fuel tank
or shot tires.  This will always ask for trouble (and get it).

False starts are another obstacle to watch out for.  If you 'red light' you
lose the race.  But don't fear, if your opponent 'red lights' you win the
race and the money!  The trick is to press any key as soon as you see that
green light!  Once you have the green light, you must start the race by
pressing a key.  If you press before the green light, you'll 'red light'
and lose.  If you wait too long (more than a couple of seconds) your
engine will rev too high and blow.

Yes, and other little obstacles lay waiting.  But I won't reveal any more
of them here.  I'll let you find them for yourself.  After all, that's
half the fun.

The fans in the stands will more than likely voice their opinions of your
driving from time to time.  But you have to understand how fans get after
a few big-gulp cups of beer.

You'll be stopping by Pit Row quite a bit to change tires, top off the fuel
tank, buy a new engine, and more.  You'll find that it takes a certain number
of pit crew members to perform the different tasks in the pit.  It's typical
to find that a crew member might quit if you work him too hard.  What can I
say?  These American union-shop employees are pretty adamant about how much
abuse they'll take.  But one thing is certain; if you put 5 crew members to
work on a job that should only take two, they will get the job done faster!

Another note about crew members is that they don't come cheaply.  When your
racing team is initialized you'll be given a skeleton crew.  If you care to
hire any additional crew members, you'll find they will cost you some bucks.
The SysOp may define how much it will cost to hire crew memebers.  The SysOp
also defines how much each crew member gets paid each paycheck.  Crew members
receive a paycheck each time you enter the game on a new day.  When you enter
the game on a new day, your crew members will want their paychecks.  But don't
worry, the game will take care of that for you.

The Motor City Dragstrip uses one parts shop and one parts shop only.  That
parts shop is Parts 'R' Us and they don't give a very good price for core
parts.  What's worse is that they don't give any credit for wrecked parts,
although they will be glad to laugh at you, take it off your hands, and sell
it for scrap.  Just the good old American business that we've come to expect.

Your opponents will vary.  There are computer opponents such as Leadfoot
Larry, Harry Scarey, Rick Rachet, along with a host of others.  These guys
drive anything the computer feels like giving them.  From V-6's to Super-
charged Hemi's.  But you can also race against human opponents.  If you
chose to do so, the computer will run through the driver roster searching
for a qualified opponent.  The computer will then run through the list of
qualified opponents, giving you the opportunity to choose one.  Qualified
opponents are players who have the necessary equipment.  You know, like a
dragster, an engine, tires, and fuel.  If your opponent wins a race, your
opponent will be awarded a purse according to his ranking.  Also, your
opponent's tire and fuel status changes accordingly.  So be careful.  You may
be helping the other guy out by challenging him.

If all this wasn't exciting enough, players can also place bets on their
races.  The BBS System Operator may define the maximum number of times players
may gamble each day.  The track's betting limit is defined by the System
Operator (up to $1,000,000 per wager).  So if you place a bet and win the
race, the track will pay you back the amount of money that you bet and match
it for 2 to 1 odds. If you lose the race, the track will glady keep your
wager.  But watch out!  You don't know who is going to be assigned in the
lane next to yours until race time, so it's sort of a blind bet.

At the beginning of each month, all player scores are reduced back to 0 and
the game begins again.  The player with the highest score will have his/her
name and score displayed to players throughout the following month's
competition.

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│░░░░░░ PLAYER RANKINGS ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
╘═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛

As a player, your ranking progresses throughout the game according to the
amount of money you have.  The higher your ranking, the more money a race is
worth, should you win.

             AMOUNT OF MONEY       RANKING           RACE VALUE
             -------------------   ---------------   ----------
             $0       - $ 99,999   BEGINNER             $ 5,000
             $100,000 - $249,999   NOVICE               $10,000
             $250,000 - $999,999   ADVANCED NOVICE      $25,000
             $1,000,000 or more    DRIVING ACE          $50,000