                        ATMAP         Version 1.00

There are some disadvantes of the normal starmap:
1.) it is to big. distances between the stars are so big, that with 2 or
    3 turns a week, the game develops very slowly.
2.) You have an unfair disadvantage, if your homeworld is placed in a corner.
3.) You never know where you are, because the starmap has no shape and you
    only see a small part of it.
4.) A starmap with local clusters may be better for a teamgame.

With this little ms-dos tool, you can create alternative starmaps for VPL 3.0
and WINPLAN 3.5. ATMAP.EXE generates a new XYPLAN.DAT in the directory you
are just working. Be aware, not to loose your original XYPLAN.DAT, there is
no kind of overwrite-protection.

The program offers you 4 kinds of starmaps and for each kind, you have to 
give 2 parameters for the size, the amount of local clusters, the size of
local clusters and so on. Then the program makes some debugging output and
then shows you the whole starmap. If you like the starmap, hit 'x' and the
starmap will be stored. If you hit any other key, you can create a starmap
with different parameters. 

There is a random-function in this program, so the same parameters will
probabply never generate the same starmap.

If you want to use your new starmap, it is imperative that you copy the new
XYPLAN.DAT in your gamedirectory AND into your WINPLAN or VPL-directory. 
The XYPLAN.DAT in your gamedirectory may sit there for ever, but you allways
have to copy the actual starmap into your VPL/WINPLAN-directory.

I am not responsible for any damages my program causes. Please send bug-
reports or comments to:
        Armin.Trott@hamburg.netsurf.de

