

       Galactic Spy for VGA Planets Version 1.01

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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.

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
(about 160 ly), 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.

Galactic Spy can also tell you what VGA Planets hides from
you...  what enemy ships are hiding behind nearby planets.  
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 their ships.


Installation:
=============

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                  SHIPxx.DAT
            XYPLAN.DAT                    SHIPXYxx.DAT
            RACE.NM                       GENxx.DAT
            PLANET.NM                     TARGETxx.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 <Files> menu to
save the current information to disk for a more accurate
analysis in future turns.  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 <View 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.  You can double check this by disabling
<Include Database> under the <View> menu.  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:
============================================================

For those players who depend on cloaking for their main
advantage, 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.

You will not be able to completely thwart Galactic Spy, but 
you can have it on your side by registering!  That would put
you on the same playing fields as your opponents.  



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.

* 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:
===========================

My hope is to make Galactic Spy bigger, better, and smarter.
I may make a DOS version in the near future, which I invision 
will be a flexible front-end shell for VGA Planets, which I am 
finding I need very much.  I will try to keep up with changes 
in the game, including when version 4.0 is released.  I can't 
make any predictions on when, so don't wait for me, go ahead 
and register Galactic Spy now, so you won't be at a disadvantage 
to those who already have their registered copy!


Registration:
=============

In order for Galactic Spy to show you enemy ships (including cloakers!) 
behind nearby planets, you need to register.  By registering, your 
registration code will register all future versions of Galactic Spy 
should they become available.  You can register by sending $5 to:

                     Karl Eric Beisel
                     1965 Fountainbrook Ct.
                     Woodbridge, VA  22192

If you wish to contact me about bug reports/suggestions,
here are several ways you can contact me:

                     BBS:  (703) 491-2272
              VirtualNET:  1@1703014
                Internet:  kbeisel@mason1.gmu.edu
              Compuserve:  73223,612

I will always upload the latest version of Galactic Spy to
Tim Continuum (209) 877-4921.  If for any reason it is not
posted immediately, please call my BBS (listed above), where
I can gaurantee the latest version.


Compatibilty Issues:
====================

I have confirmed Galactic Spy works with VGA Planets' Host
versions 3.0 - 3.11d.  All 3.x data files should work, but 
I can not guarantee 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 accross any problems, please contact me.


Legal Stuff:
============

There are no warranties, explicit or implied, no guarantees
whatsoever, and no promises of anything.

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