
                              Documentation for
                  Galactic Spy for VGA Planets, version 1.20

                             by Karl Eric Beisel 

                             
             For new features information, please read README.TXT.
                             

What is Galactic Spy?
---------------------

Galactic Spy will help your game of VGA Planets 3.0 by providing you with an 
easy way to record enemy ships' locations so they can continue to be tracked 
even when they leave your race's short-range scan area.  Your short-range
scan area is the area that can be immediately scanned by your ships and 
planets.  There is also a long-range scan, which is can set from VGA Planets' 
HCONFIG.  In the long-range scan area, you can see the positions of enemy 
ships, but only know their mass and the race that owns them.

NOTE: Galactic Spy will accurately record every known enemy ship in its scan 
      range, but in order to view it, you must register Galactic Spy.

Before I wrote Galactic Spy, I felt I should write down the positions of 
enemy ships at every turn, then compare them with the next turn, and in that 
way, predict their destination.  I started to do that a few times, but it was 
just too much to write down every turn.  So I wrote Galactic Spy to read 
enemy ship locations and save them, then update them at every turn.  That 
way, I could keep an up-to-date listing of every enemy ship I had ever 
encountered, their current location or their last known location.

When an enemy ship enters you're short-range scan area (configured in 
HCONFIG), your scanners determine much more about enemy ships, such as the 
type of ship, course, and speed.  So, even if the enemy ship leaves the 
short-range scan area, Galactic Spy will still remember its ship type.  You 
can also print a complete listing of Galactic Spy's tracking database to your 
printer.  In VGA Planets, you can only view an enemy ship if it is within the 
160 LY "box" around the planet or ship that is conducting the scan.  Most of
the time, HOST sends information about ships beyond that area, which you can 
not access from within PLANETS.EXE.  Galactic Spy breaks that barrier.

Galactic Spy can also tell you what enemy ships are hiding behind nearby 
planets, provided your game is using a HOST version earlier than version 
3.12.  In this case, Galactic Spy will show you every ship behind nearby 
planets, even if they are cloaked!  This information could be invaluable to 
any player.  For instance, in the game I was participating in while I wrote 
Galactic Spy, my ships were converging on a Cyborg-held planet.  When 
Galactic Spy ran for the first time, I was shocked to learn their were five 
Cyborg warships waiting for me.  I had anticipated only 1 lightly armed 
warship, but these 5 ships were reasonably powerful.  It allowed me to 
rethink my strategy.  Without Galactic Spy, it could have been disasterous.

Galactic Spy also has an alternative scoring method to that of VGA Planets. 
VGA Planets scores based on sheer numbers.  This is somewhat misleading as to 
which race really has the advantage, since 90 KT scouts are counted the same 
as 900 KT battleships.  Galactic Spy shows you two scores: Total Strength and 
Technology.  The total strength of opposing fleets is calculated based on a 
fleet's average hull mass, beam weapons, torpedo tubes and fighter bays, and 
of course, how many they own.  Planets, starbases and freighters are not 
considered, since they can actually through off the score.  Technology 
estimates a race's overall technological achievements, based on the tech 
level of their ships.  I often worried about my ability to compete with other
players, but Galactic Spy assures me whether or not my technology is up to 
galactic standards.  These scoring methods will at first be somewhat 
inaccurate.  Of course, your own race's scores will be reflected perfectly 
because Galactic Spy is aware of all your ships.  Galactic Spy can only score 
other races based on the ships in its memory or database.  Scores become 
increasingly accurate as a race nears the "front lines", your borders.  Also, 
a race's scores will not be displayed until you come within fairly close 
range of at least one of their ships.  


Installation:
-------------

Before you install, you must have the following:

         * Microsoft Windows 3.0 or 3.1
         * Visual Basic Runtime DLL (VBRUN200.DLL)
           VBRUN200.DLL is available from many
           BBSs as VBRUN200.ZIP.

When you first run Galactic Spy, you will need to enter the full path to your main VGA Planets directory and the 
directory with your game files.  Galactic Spy supports up to 10 different 
games of VGA Planets.  You can add a game to Galactic Spy by selecting the 
<Add Game> option from the <Setup> menu.  You can remove the current game by 
selecting <End Game>.  If at any time you wish to change the main path to 
your VGA Planets data files, choose <Set Path>.

Galactic Spy needs the following VGA Planets data files:

          VGA Planets main dir:           Game dir:

            HULLSPEC.DAT                  SHIP??.DAT
            XYPLAN.DAT                    SHIPXY??.DAT
            RACE.NM                       GEN??.DAT
            PLANET.NM                     TARGET??.DAT

If you are missing any of these files, Galactic Spy will not run.


How to use Galactic Spy:
------------------------

Once you have setup the first game, you will be presented with Galactic Spy's 
scan.  These are the ships your race's scanners have detected, with varying 
degrees of accuracy.  You can format the list many different ways by 
adjusting the combo boxes above the ship listing.  After each turn, you 
should select <Update database> from the <Database> menu to save the current 
information to disk for a more accurate analysis in future turns, or you can 
select <Auto-update> from the same menu if you want Galactic Spy to update 
the database automatically every time you run it.  Normally, Galactic Spy's 
database will be loaded every time you run it, showing you ships it has 
recorded in the past.  You can view only those ships viewable in the current 
turn by unchecking <Include database> from the <Database> menu.  You can 
filter out any combination of races from the <Races> option in the <View> 
Menu.  Also from the <View> menu, you can select <Combat Strength> to see 
Galactic Spy's analysis of enemy fleet strength and technology.

You can view the specifications of each ship in Galactic Spy's ship listing 
by double-clicking or pressing <ENTER> on the entry.  NOTE: If the currently 
displayed ship was destroyed or left your scan range, the last known location
will be displayed.  The turn number in which the ship was last recorded will 
appear below Location.  You can double check this by unchecking 
<Include Database> under the <Database> menu, which will show you only ships 
that are in the current turn's scan.  If the ship does not appear, then odds 
are it was destroyed or left your long-range scan area.


The Receiving End: How to hide your ships from Galactic Spy:
------------------------------------------------------------

The best way to defeat Galactic Spy's hidden ship detection is to use VGA 
Planets HOST version 3.12 or later.  This version fixes the bug that allows 
Galactic Spy to detect these ships.  

If you are playing a game with an older version of HOST, there is a way you 
can hide your ships from Galactic Spy.  Galactic Spy can only detect cloaked 
ships when they are orbiting planets.  The best way to hide the locations of 
your cloaked ships is not to put them around planets.  Try stationing them a 
few light years away from the planet (but outside the planet's gravity well).  
Also, be aware that your opponents could be using Galactic Spy, and plan your 
strategy accordingly.


Troubleshooting:
----------------
  
* Text in ship list is not aligned with combo boxes at top.  

  Under large font modes supported by many video cards, the alignment of each 
  columns may be off.  This does not affect the operation of Galactic Spy.

* I get an error when I click on the Info menu item.  

  For best operation of Galactic Spy and Windows, your Windows directory
  should be in your DOS path.  If you are not sure, check your AUTOEXEC.BAT
  to see if your Windows directory is listed in the PATH= section.  Add it if 
  it is not listed.

* I get a "This program requires Microsoft Windows" error.

  This program requires Microsoft Windows.

* I get a "Missing one of its components" error.

  You need to put VBRUN200.DLL in the Windows \SYSTEM directory.

* Something wierd happened. 

  Please send me E-Mail or call my BBS.  My Internet and Compuserve 
  addresses and my BBS phone number are listed below.


The Future of Galactic Spy:
---------------------------

I am currently working on a complete rewrite of the program, called 
"The VGA War Room" which will have a great deal of enhancements over 
Galactic Spy.  It will also be written for the MS-DOS environment and it will 
be smarter than ever.  Here are some of the features I plan to add to
War Room:
 

         * Map-centered database: In addition to the text listing,
           a full-view map of the galaxy will graphically pinpoint
           the locations of enemy ships, mines, and planets.

         * Automatically plot the location of enemy and friendly mine 
           fields and planets as your ships scan them, so you no longer 
           have to write it down!
 
         * Course tracking feature that graphically shows the course of 
           every enemy ship within your scan range, as well as its course 
           history over any number of turns.

         * You will be able to zoom in on any ship or planet for a more 
           detailed view. 

         * When your fleet destroys an enemy ship, it will be automatically 
           removed from the database, and the ship that dealt the final blow 
           will receive a "Kill Point" Some of your starship crews will 
           become aces or even aces aces of aces!             

         * You will be able to manually edit War Room's database to 
           comphensate for what VGA WarRoom doesn't know, but you do know.

         * Graphically display your ship's range with a circle on the map, 
           incorporating factors such as fuel, engine tech level, and mass.

         * There will be an "Alliance" feature that will allow you to
           merge your WAR database with those of your allies and vice
           versa.

         * Integrated viewer for displaying totoal defense of planets, 
           ship combat results, tax rates, etc.

         * You will be able to run VGA Planets, run UNPACK, MAKETURN, AUTO
           and the Combat Simulator from inside War Room.  Use custom race
           names easily and painlessly!

         * ProSim, the enhanced combat simulator, will be build in.


Ideas:
------
 
I am making a list of ideas for VGA WarRoom.  Many of the above are ideas 
were submitted by users of Galactic Spy.  I can't think of everything (I have 
my own style of playing the game, so I may never think of something you could 
really use in the program), so I encourage anyone who has an idea to contact 
me via my Compuserve or Internet addresses, or by calling my BBS.  The more 
ideas I have, the better the new version will be, and the more fun VGA 
Planets will be!


Registration:
-------------

If you find Galactic Spy useful in helping you to play our favorite game, 
VGA Planets, please register.  By registering, Galactic Spy will most 
reliably detect enemy ships, and will enable the ship tracking database. 
You will also receive early registration credit for The VGA War Room.  Your 
registration code will register all future versions of Galactic Spy and 
The VGA War Room should they become available.  You can register by filling 
out the registration form (REGISTER.TXT) and sending $5 to:

               USA:                          Europe:

               Karl Eric Beisel              Survival BBS
               1965 Fountainbrook Ct.        P.O. Box 1538
               Woodbridge, VA  22192         DK-2700 Bronshoj
                                             Denmark

If yo have any questions, comments, or suggestions, or any problems running
Galactic Spy, please contact me through one of the following networks:
          
                        BBS:  (703) 491-2272    (14400-n81)
                   Internet:  kbeisel@mason1.gmu.edu
                 Compuserve:  73223,612

Questions and information about registration in Europe should contact 
Henrik Moerk at one of the following networks:

                        BBS:  +45 38 89 52 53   (9600-n81)
                    FIDONet:  2:231/306
 

The latest version of Galactic Spy will always be available at my BBS (listed
above).


Compatibilty Issues:
--------------------

I have confirmed Galactic Spy works with VGA Planets' Host versions 3.0 - 
3.14.  All 3.x data files should work, but I can not gaurantee it.  I will 
try to keep Galactic Spy compatible with changes in the VGA Planets data 
files, but then again, anything can happen.

If you come across any problems, please contact me.


Legal Stuff:
------------

There are no warranties, explicit or implied, but there is a money-back 
gaurantee, if for some reason you are unhappy with your registered version of 
Galactic Spy.  Again, contact me with complaints. (I hope there are none!).

VGA Planets is a trademark of Tim Wisseman.
Galactic Spy, (C) 1993, 1994  Karl Eric Beisel.
