PRO! B.B.S. NEWS The Official newsletter for BBS Express! Professional! Users and operators. Jun/Jul 1989 Vol 1 No 2 Editor's Note Hello once again! Boy, its hard to believe that June is already here! Many things have been going on with Pro! since the last issue! There are a couple new additions to the letter. These include a Pro! Programming Tips column. As I have been stating on the support board, we're in need of quality articles related to Pro! or the Atari 8 bit in general. I'd like to thank this issue's contributors, PT SysOp, Tom McComb, and Mister Z. Contributing information is later in this issue. In upcoming months there will be a special area strictly for uploading articles to the Basement BBS. I'd also like to see a section devoted to Express- Net (remote message base networking) subjects. I'd also be interested in starting a "network" directory and list the network subject and what BB's its available on. If these ideas peak anyone's interest, please get in contact with me! The more the help with the newsletter, the fastest it can be released and the better the letter will be in supplying information, you, the reader, will enjoy seeing! Well, that's about it from this end! Thanks for downloading this letter and see you in a few weeks!!! Sincerely, Mark Leair Editor 2 What's Happening? o @ircular Logic has released a new game, similiar to Othello, called Reversie. o Coinman has completed version 1.0a of Kentucky Derby. He has also released one upgrade so far which included a more sufficient Event Scheduler module and two versions of the Event Scheduler program -- one that supends the modem when running, and one that does not. o Chris King has done an upgrade on the Ueditor. New features include the abillity to skip over the first new and edit the "next" new user, also allows partial handle inputs. He also wrote a neat utillity known as UE. This can only be used remotely and is an editor that uses arrow keys and scroll down menus to edit users. o We at PBN apologize to the contributors that were unable to upload their articles to the Basement BBS. At the present time, we'll have to pre-validate an account so you can upload. Hopefully by the next issue, a special account or login procedure will be present so one can go right in and upload their article(s). o Chris King and Keith Ledbetter are currently working on the next "big" upgrade to Pro!. For "security" reasons very little details have been released yet, but the support BBS is beta testing the IBM Lmodem and Sealink protocol. The BBS also looks like its beta testing a feature that's going to allow the SysOp to alteast customize the main command prompt of the BBS. o We are pleased to see that Network: Atari, Node #2 is back up again, after being down for a couple months...Welcome back Mister !!!!!! o =kc= has released Ver. 3.0 of Colony! This new version contains many "hidden" fixes plus some new game features. 3 Node News The Part-Time BBS. PRO Express node X7. 216-582-1196, 300-2400 baud. 24 hours. The Part-Time BBS started about four years ago when, while helping a friend get his board up and running, I caught the BBS bug. Starting with a 48k Atari 800 and two 1050 disk drives the board grew to become what it is today. Today Part-Time runs on a 320k 130XE. The drives have grown to two 30meg hard drives, SeaGate ST138s, and an Atari XF551 for backing up the hard drives. PT has sixteen local message bases and three networked bases. There are fourteen file SIGs with over 1,000 files available for downloading. PT is open to user of all types of computers although the main thrust of the board is towards the Atari 8-bit systems. The game room has such greats as Colony, Arena, Lady Lisa, ZSS Express, Chess Manager, Reversi Manager, and Nebula just to name a few. The Chess Manager is a special League version which keeps track of whom has won over whom and a composite score. A special thanks to Tom McComb for this version. At the current time PT has about 200 active users and gets about 35 to 45 callers a day. Another special thanks goes out to that great team at Orion Micro Systems without whom the current version of PT would not exist, Keith Ledbetter and Chris King. Thanks guys, and keep up the great work. The PT SysOp (Ken) 4 Software Review A review of the Reversi Manager. Another great software product from Circular Logic. Reversi Manager is a software package from Circular Logic which allows two users to play a game of Reversi. The Manager will support 11 banks of games with 10 games in each bank for a total of 110 games at one time. As each user calls the board they can make a move, if it is their turn, then leave a 3 line by 79 character message to their opponent. This message is private and can be read only by their opponent. Other board users can look over the game in progress and can see how others are doing. There is a game scanner with which a user can find all the games, no matter how many banks are running, in which it is their turn. If you want to bone up and improve your skills before playing another user there is an option to play against the computer. The computer is a very tough opponent since it plays against you by using a module which is based on artificial intelligence. If the SysOp happens to be around, there is even an option to play an on-line real-time game against the SysOp. But be careful about beating the SysOp, there is nothing worse then an upset SysOp. If your board does not have the Reversi Manager, get in touch with Circular Logic and order a copy now. It is a fun game to play and the well designed options make it a hands off operation for the SysOp once it has been installed. The PT SysOp (Ken) The Part-Time BBS. Node X7. 216-582-1196. 300-2400 baud. 5 Pro! Game Tips! N/E/B/U/L/A Tips from the Corner Pub, home of Circular Logic. Here we go. What should be done first is a raise of velocity to 3 and weapons to 2 or 3. This will help in initial expansion. You MUST expand as rapidly as possible. If you get boxed in by another empire you will be dead and in a hopeless situation unless you can get another empire to attack. When I mean being boxed in, I mean if another empire has your development routes blocked off while there are still planets to be claimed. This strangles development which is critical. The most critical part of the game is the beginning, with expansion. Where you are positioned on the map plays a big role also. Being in the center is the best position if the other empires don't combine attacks against you, and by the time they do you will be too powerful because you will have the easiest time of finding unclaimed planets. Conversely the edges are the worst because of the lack of expansion space and the very good possibility of being boxed in by a more central empire. The center empire will almost always win if it is not jointly checked by the other empires. That brings in a point, if an empire becomes more powerful then the rest, it must be jointly attacked by the others to keep it in check, if it's not, by the time it controls about 20 planets with a nebula of 4 or more people, it will be too late. This creates a dilemna: If you are not adjacent to the dominant empire, how can you help keep it in check? I have found that this game in order to do that has to be built on trust. You have to trust that credits sent to another empire is being uses wisely and that the empire your supporting is not growing too strong itself. If you are attacking a central empire you must know what shape the other players are in and if you are the small empire you must attack the other players in their weak portions when the central empire seems to be being held. This can be done by deals of non-aggression with the other empires or the central one being held in check. ---David Chen. Opening Game: Like David, I feel that the opening is the most important in this game. First off, the thing I like to do best is to up my tech levels. Push up the Weapons level to 3 and the velocity to 3. Always try to keep your velocity to range ratio 1:2. This way the longest it'll take for any task force to get to a destination is 2 moves. How fast you get to a planet is very important. Also form at least 4 other task forces other than the one your emperor is in. Make sure that the other four task forces have a carrier, some fighter cover and one jumptroop. That is really all you need. Keep your coursairs with your emperor. In the early stages, don't expect too many encounters and fights. Its in everyone's best interest that you don't attack, especially your own, in the early goings. Send task forces in all four directions. Now if you're boxed in a corner, send two task forces in different directions and have them leapfrog over each other to get to the planets you want. Another thing you should do in the opening is to buy at least two more troops for your homeworld. I've gotten lucky many times finding a homeworld with only 1 jumptroop in the early turns and manage to take it over. So with an additional 2 troops, you'll be able to avoid these lucky bums. Everytime you get to an uninhabited planet, land your jumptroop, buy another jumptroop for you task force and go on to the next planet. Keep it simple. Only when you have about 5 maybe 6 planets should you start building up the industry and planetary defenses. ***Remember*** expansion is the name of the game. That is where you'll be getting your credits from and with a lot of credit comes alot of power. One last thing I want to point out in the opening game. Don't try to keep too many credits in your treasury. You don't need it there. Everyone will be starting on an even footing so there's no need for a large warchest. Just keep enough to so you'll be able to buy jumptroops for all your task forces. Diplomacy: Don't trust even your father in this game. I've done my share of back stabbing. The beauty of the game is that the users don't know who you are so that if you back stab someone in one game, chances are they won't remember in the next game or they won't even know it was you or which empire you're playing the next game. Never let anyone know where your homeworld is. That is an absolute no-no. Just remember that if you have an alliance with anyone, they'll be able to "see" any planets that you have a task force circling it. So that means your "ally" may know where your homeworld is without you letting them know or you knowing they know. Never give credits unless you absolutely have to. Like in a life or death situation between you and your allies against a much larger enemy. Other than that, keep your money to yourself. There are no guarantees that you will get the money back. Don't even trust your grandmother in this game. If you do find out where the empire's homeworld is, I'd suggest you make plans to take it over as soon as possible if it is within your power. The name of the game is to win and in order to win, you have to conquer other empires by taking their homeworld and that is essentially why you are expanding. To build up enough credits and power to wipe out the homeworld of your enemy. So in your messages, be as sneaky as you can but at the same time, naive, unassuming and "new" to the game. Any trust or doubt you could give to your opponents is your advantage. Like the book, The Art of War (Sun Tzu,I think?), when you are near make as if you are far away and when you are far away make as though you are near. Works everytime. War...: Going to war with another empire is always costly. Unless you know where the other empire's homeworld is, don't go to war with them. Its a losing battle in which you'll let the other empires have a chance at the unclaimed worlds. If you know where the homeworld is, make a beeline for it and take it over. Forget about how many planets they're trying to take from you. That's meaningless. If you take over they're homeworld fast enough, you've just found the root to all your problems and miseries. Like I always say, attack the homeworld fast and furious. If the other emperor wants to nitpick and take your planets away from you, fine. Build up a big force, stamp out his homeworld and he'll be wondering where he went wrong. Always try to keep your weapons tech one ahead of the other. You can find out your opponents weapon's tech from a battle summary. Defense: Troops are the best defense. If you have 10 troops on your planet, it only costs you 80 credits. If someone wants to take it over, it'll cost them 120 credits with no guarantees of taking it over. Buy missile bases over planetary defense units (PDU's). Its cheaper and you probably won't even know the difference and probably won't feel it. Missile bases are really only good for shooting down fighters and bombers to keep them from destroying your industry. But troops will be able to keep the enemy from taking over your planet. I wouldn't go overboard with the mb's or pdu's. I'd say an average of 2 or 3 is enough for any planet besides your homeworld and those that are strategically important to you. On your homeworld, its obvious to have as many of anything that you can buy. I'd be willing to waste 10 jumptroops to try to take your homeworld but I'd be less inclined to waste that type of money and jumptroops on a planet. Again, BUY TROOPS! Its more important than mb's and pdu's in keeping your planets. Various strategies: 1-Don't try to do anyone favors. Remember that everyone is your enemy. Eventually you'll have to fight even your ally. The best thing to do is try and create chaos. Try to pit two other empires against each other. Use 9 PRO! Programming Tips Welcome to the first edition of Pro! Programming Tips. In order for this section to survive, we'll need submissions! For sumission info see the back of this letter. This month's "tip" came to me real easy. Being a fairly lazy SysOp I am, I hate making 80 column screens on my 40 column Atari 8 bit, so, I wrote this little Pro! Utility that'll take a present 40 column file and write a user specified 80 column version of the file. Well, it doesn't exactly. It actually just centers the text for the 80 column user by inserting 20 spaces in front of the text. A copy of the source code and the actual compiled program is in this newsletter packet. While on the subject of 40 to 80 column conversion, I may as well share some other techniques I use with 40 to 80 column text in programs. Basically I declare the following procedures: Proc OutE(Byte Array ST) ;This procedure formats the text to ;the user's video width and echos ;it plus a carriage return/line feed If u_vw >40 ;u_vw is a byte holding the video width Then Echos(" ");20 spaces Echose(ST) Else Echose(ST) FI Return Proc Out(Byte Array ST) ;This proc formats the text, echos ;it. Doesn't send a [CR/LF] If u_vw >40 Then Echos(" ");20 spaces Echos(ST) Else Echos(ST) Fi Return o Whenever you need to send some text just call the procedures: OUT("Hello World!") ; without [CR/LF] Oute("Hello World!"); with [CR/LF] P.S. Because a couple submissions were formatted in 40 columns, I ran the 40 to 80 converter on them for this newsletter! 10 The Event Scheduler! This section will be devoted for upcoming events, etc. If you know of a Pro!, Atari, or other computer related event please tell us about it! o Sometime around the beginning of July a new version of Pro! will be released. o C.L.A.S.S. and the Cleveland Free-net Atari S.I.G. will be sponsoring a small computer related get together and swap meet on July 16th. For more info call Node X7 or Node 127 (Part-Time and the Basement respectively) or Mark Leair at (216) 381-8248 for more information. Wish List This section is where Pro! SysOps can speak out at what they'd like to see for Pro! o An online text editor similiar to Action! (Atascii control) o A message base spelling checker. This utillity is actually quite easy! The core can basically consist of Pro!'s POS and Scompare functions. I suppose the hardest part is compiling the words. Maybe someone could offer to do this in return for the feature to be added into the message bases. Directories This section lists new files on the support board since the last issue of PBN. Sig # 1 - Wtcall96 Cmd 2822 Sig # 1 - T_Lmodem Arc 17482 Sig # 2 - Wofdat Txt 3873 Sig # 3 - Ffind2 Arc 65280 Sig # 3 - Unarc20 Com 9905 Sig # 3 - Sortit Obj 8275 Sig # 3 - Logindat Arc 6158 Sig # 3 - Autochat Arc 3978 Sig # 8 - Toons2 Alf 28449 Sig # 8 - Jackjone Alf 57383 Sig # 8 - Ninja Alf 32719 Sig # 8 - Cptrshow Txt 3690 Sig # 8 - Reactor Txt 2878 Sig # 8 - Usrobo Arc 19502 Sig # 9 - Notice_1 Txt 605 Sig #10 - Colony Arc 91613 Sig #10 - Coldocs Arc 57350 11 Submission Info! PBN needs good quality Pro! related articles, ideas, suggestions, programming tips, game tips, product reviews, etc. If you have one, its real simple to submit it. One can simply send it to us in E-mail on the support board if its short enough... My handle is "Wl's SysOp". Or one can call my BBS and upload it to me. (216-381-7859 The Basement X127 3/12/24oo BPS). At the present moment new users cannot upload -- sorry, but we are working on on setting up a special account for PBN writers to submit their articles. Stay Tuned! Network: Atari HD Express! PRO List Nodelist Is Courtesy Of PRO Node #2 This List Current As Of: 16 Jun 89! Please Keep Your Info Up-To-Date! ### Name Of Your BBS Phone Number ------------------------------------- 1 Support Board-Keith 804-674-0835 2 Network: Atari 512-662-9765 (Node #2 is Back Up and Running!!!) 3 The Mouse BBS 219-674-9288 4 The Big Byte BBS 516-884-4140 5 ECB 804-379-9239 6 Express BBS 314-225-8710 7 Part Time BBS 216-582-1196 8 The Atari Airport 904-258-7202 9 The Axe 314-696-3506 10 --------------------------------- 11 Villa Bargain Cellar 414-265-5149 12 Snakepit 215-779-7859 13 --------------------------------- 14 Buford Byte size 404-945-6021 15 El Dorado 804-473-0199 16 Center City BBS 206-964-8260 17 --------------------------------- 18 --------------------------------- 19 Crypt ][ Systems Number Soon 20 The Bookstore 213-921-0055 21 The 8-Bit Tar Pit 404-388-7482 22 The Keep 717-675-4068 23 No Name Yet Number Soon 24 Bullpen BBS 815-942-4412 25 --------------------------------- 26 Shadazar Kingdom 907-479-4524 27 The God's Playland 516-579-9738 28 Rabitt Hole BBS 805-529-0662 29 S.W.A.T BBS 508-675-8503 30 --------------------------------- 31 Megaplex 813-823-1471 32 8-Bit Express 318-322-8747 33 WQNR/Ol' Hackers 516-696-4246 34 RatCom 301-437-9813 35 --------------------------------- 36 Public Domain BBS 907-338-5005 37 --------------------------------- 38 LDS/BBS 408-226-6523 39 --------------------------------- 40 --------------------------------- 41 --------------------------------- 42 Enid Atari 405-242-7416 43 --------------------------------- 44 --------------------------------- 45 Silicon Swamp 504-340-7876 46 My House 805-929-1624 47 Inside the 8-Bit 404-798-2474 48 The Pyre 408-226-2889 49 SLO-PRO Express 805-481-9604 50 Astral Plane 602-575-8925 51 StormBringer 206-697-3496 52 Traveller's Inn 814-825-9410 53 The Repair Shop 801-967-8738 54 --------------------------------- 55 Southern Express 64-24-877-440 (This BBS is in New Zealand!) 56 --------------------------------- 57 Word BBS 314-739-5185 58 --------------------------------- 59 The 19th Hole 416-648-8359 60 Cookie Shoppe 508-226-8028 61 The Restaraunt 613-828-0295 62 --------------------------------- 63 Microstop III 416-264-3028 64 River Styx II 312-432-2659 65 Orient Express 205-277-0453 66 MicroLab Software 817-249-5768 67 Blue BBS 718-296-1682 68 --------------------------------- 69 StarFleet Command 215-289-5247 70 --------------------------------- 71 Inner Space 707-252-0631 72 --------------------------------- 73 RamJet BBS 512-657-3657 74 *PAC* BBS 217-892-8739 75 Deeper Dungeons 512-736-6121 76 TVS (Lima,Peru) 011-5114-479305 77 Excalibur 512-691-2468 78 --------------------------------- 79 --------------------------------- 80 The Crypt 512-675-7188 81 The Circuit Board 904-767-3304 82 Unity BBS 817-732-5004 83 BBS Elite (Down) 504-393-6784 84 Korea Computer Club (Unlisted) 85 Satan's Hollow 512-684-5480 86 --------------------------------- 87 --------------------------------- 88 Hackers System 914-693-2488 89 Schwarzer Drache 816-637-6163 90 --------------------------------- 91 Dark Tower 804-526-4674 92 P.A.U.G.S. BBS 602-247-5363 93 --------------------------------- 94 Super Micro Chip 803-553-1047 95 OtherWorld Elite 214-986-7037 96 Traffic 516-737-6179 97 Treasure Chest 216-455-0604 98 Paradox 215-269-0719 99 Aardvark 613-727-6915 100 Outer City Limits 617-665-0977 101 3rd World Infonet 404-758-8498 102 Ayer Force 508-772-9009 103 Titanic's Safe 518-439-3191 104 Rising Power 216-454-2237 105 RuneQuest 312-728-7784 106 --------------------------------- 107 --------------------------------- 108 Bavarian's Gasthaus 303-367-5877 109 Home Bace 805-872-0377 110 Wizards Attic 716-681-1654 111 --------------------------------- 112 --------------------------------- 113 (Node Down) New Number Later 114 Modem Hell 209-526-2847 115 Enchanted Castle 505-769-1880 116 --------------------------------- 117 The Village 219-884-5126 118 Alderaan Outpost 512-699-6597 119 --------------------------------- 120 --------------------------------- 121 S.N.A.C.C. 702-438-2208 122 --------------------------------- 123 Unknown BBS Name 713-446-4933 124 --------------------------------- 125 --------------------------------- 126 --------------------------------- 127 Wl's Basement 216-381-7859 128 --------------------------------- 129 OMNI 416-549-5276 130 --------------------------------- 131 Ups & Downs 401-683-5961 132 Black Panther 602-435-2887 133 Heartbreak Ridge 816-231-3002 134 Time Zone 914-354-1185 135 --------------------------------- 136 Nite Lite 318-635-0871 137 --------------------------------- 138 221b baker Street 416-466-5447 139 Scorpion 404-531-0444 140 --------------------------------- 141 --------------------------------- 142 --------------------------------- 143 H.O.T.S. 516-331-6079 144 Time Warp 405-672-8094 145 --------------------------------- 146 --------------------------------- 147 --------------------------------- 148 --------------------------------- 149 --------------------------------- 150 --------------------------------- 151 --------------------------------- 152 Cobra 814-456-0869 153 Party Zone 912-781-1666 154 Treasure Island 606-342-5521 155 --------------------------------- 156 --------------------------------- 157 --------------------------------- 158 --------------------------------- 159 --------------------------------- 160 The Sign Shop 714-843-1951 161 --------------------------------- 162 --------------------------------- 163 AsGard 201-689-7632 164 Piscataway Exp. 201-752-7466 165 Comm_kill 804-242-9350 166 --------------------------------- 167 --------------------------------- 168 BrowBeat 305-435-8786 169 Warehouse 215-432-3679 170 Nola Atari Users 504-738-3600 171 Universe BBS 516-367-2850 172 --------------------------------- 173 --------------------------------- 174 --------------------------------- 175 --------------------------------- 176 --------------------------------- 177 Tower Of Sorcery 804-520-1318 178 G.r.e.a.t.-8 BBS 503-297-2565 179 --------------------------------- 180 B.U.B.B.A. 305-344-3644 181 Slidell Express 504-649-7921 182 Hackers Zone 813-584-2425 183 --------------------------------- 184 Roundtable 513-528-5833 185 --------------------------------- 186 Corner Pub 718-948-9146 187 The Sanctuary 412-343-1422 188 --------------------------------- 189 The Lord's House 619-579-7354 190 --------------------------------- 191 Blue Parrot (Private #) Unlisted 192 The Winery 714-989-7745 193 Monastery 904-389-0213 194 --------------------------------- 195 --------------------------------- 196 --------------------------------- 197 G.K.A.U.G. BBS 616-657-2665 198 Wesport BBS 508-674-8361 199 The Key System 415-352-5528 200 --------------------------------- 201 The Stupid BBS 416-422-2593 202 Pengoland 818-708-8576 203 Surfboard II 313-777-7873 ; 40 -> 80 column conversion ; V1.0 ; Written Especially for: ; Pro! BBS News ; By Mark Leair ; Call The Basement 216-381-7859 set 14 = $7000 set $491 = $7000 Byte Array header = [ 0 0 0 $10 5 2 89 ] module Byte array s(40) ;Source filename (40 col) Byte array d(40) ;destination filename (80 col) Byte array t(40) ;last line of text read from 's' file module proc file_stat = $32A2 (Byte Array FN) proc Echos = $3203 (byte array s) proc Echose = $3284 (byte array s) proc cr_lf = $3209 () proc get_String = $320C (Byte array s Byte maxlen, mask, allowreturn) proc miosuspend = $3212 () proc mioresume = $3218 () proc main_loop = $3299 () module include "D:>action>sys.act" Proc my_error(byte errnum) MIOSUSPEND() Close(2) close(4) MIORESUME() Print("Error #") printbe(errnum) printe("Exiting to main loop...") main_loop() return proc main() error = MY_ERROR Echose(" Lazy SysOp's") Echose(" 40 -> 80 column conversion") CR_LF() CR_LF() CR_LF() Echose("Enter the already created 40") Echose("column file.") Echos("->") Get_string(s,255,0,0) file_stat(s) Echose("Enter the destination file.") Echos("->") Get_String(d,255,0,0) file_stat(d) Miosuspend() close(2) close(4) open(2,s,4,0) open(4,d,8,0) DO Inputsd(2,t) printd(4," ") ; 20 spaces printde(4,t) Until Eof(2) OD Close(2) Close(4) Mioresume() Echose("That's all folks!") return