CPLAYER
A Computer Player For VGA Planets 3
very first test release

July 25, 1993

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Alpha Test 3: released August 22, 1993
Version 3.00 Beta Test released December 11, 1993
Version 3.02 released January 25, 1994

The CPlayer will not play a players turn if a
TRN is in the game directory already.

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This program was made possible by all you great folks
that registered VGA Planets, Thanks!

This program was written in Microsoft Basic PDS 7.1

By:

Tim Wisseman
PO Box 204
North Fork
CA 93643
USA

The Tim Continuum BBS (209) 877-4921

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What is CPLAYER?

CPLAYER is a simple fuzzy logic based computer player for
VGA Planets 3. It plays with the intelligence of an
average eight year old humanoid.

CPLAYER accesses the host data files directly so that there
is no need for RST or TRN files.

CPLAYER can only be run on the host system.

If a TRN from a human player is given to the HOST.EXE in the
same turn that the CPLAYER plays that same race the
HOST.EXE will accept both the CPLAYER's moves and the human's
TRN file. This will cause strange things to happen, such as
two ships to be built on a starbase or negative numbers to
appear in the game. This will cause the player's empire to
explode.

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How do I use CPLAYER?

CPLAYER needs to be placed in the same directory as HOST.EXE

CPLAYER must be run before host is run.

It will accept a path to the game data

The path must be followed by a switch "/" and the number(s)
of the races that CPLAYER will play.

Player 10 is "a"

player 11 is "b"

CPLAYER [path] /[123456789ab] [*]

If a "*" is added to the end of the command line, the
cplayer will not buy tech levels above tech 6 on all it's
star bases.

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For Example:

My HOST.EXE and CPLAYER.EXE is in the C:\PLANETS directory.

My game data is in the C:\PLANETS\GAME1 directory

I want the computer to play race 1 race 3 and race 10.

I would run from the C:\PLANETS directory:

CPLAYER game1 /13a
HOST game1

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If CPLAYER has a fatal error and does not complete it
will return a DOS ERRORLEVEL 1.
(If you don't know what this means, don't worry about it)

You can start using CPLAYER any time during a game. It
will take a few turns before it begins to understand what
is going on.

You can also stop using CPLAYER on any race any time
and hand control back to a human user.

* When starting a new game delete BRAIN?.HST and BRAIN??.HST *
* from the game data directory, or else the computer player will *
* be very confused. *

There are three reasons that I think of to use CPLAYER

1. Practice games with just you and the computer

2. When starting a game on a BBS system and the just are
not enough human players CPLAYER can play a race
until a human joins and takes over the race.

3. If a player quits the game CPLAYER can then take over.

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Bugs fixed in this version:

1. BUG: The CPLAYER deleted everybody elses messages by mistake.

This has been fixed.

2. BUG: Cplayer Ships without fuel that are in tow to be captured
gained fuel by magic and attack or fly away.

This has been fixed.

3. Cplayer ships could make torps and fighters in deep space
as if by magic.

They can no longer do that. They must return to a base.

4. ***BIG BUG*** The Cplayer could make enemy fuel dumps and
mineral storage sites EXPLODE!


Version 3.01 Bug fixes:

1. The jumping ship bug.

Version 3.02

1. New ships sent out with very little or no fuel bug.

2. The "*" low tech switch added.