Game: TREKTOS.83g
Version: Beta 0.4
Author: Mark Cummings
E-mail: figjams@primus.com.au

This is the classic game of STAR TREK written for the TI-83 and TI-83+.

History:
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This version was taken from a Apple ][ CP/M version that I have. It was transferred as a BASIC.txt file to a DOS3.3 disk then ProDOS disk then onto my Apple ][GS. From there it was transferred via Appletalk to my PC via a Macintosh Quadra605 running Appletalk Bridge software. I imported the text file using the Tools... Import... ASCII Program... in the PC version of TI-Graph-Link. I originally did this just to see if it would fit onto the calculator although I realised it would require an extensive re-write. The original file took about 20K on the TI-83. After I re-wrote the program it magically shrunk to about 14.5K then when I added instructions it came back up to about 21K. I have included the original Apple ][ CP/M listing if you are interisted in looking at it (see the file TREK.BAS.TXT). 

At the time of writing this I still don't have a Macintosh version of the TI-Graph-Link hardware which much nicer and has extra features the PC version doesn't have, like the ability to change the size of the edit window. My PC TI-Link hardware I have is a homemade BCC Serial Link made from instructions at:
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~tsinger/link/TI-83/cable.html#bcc. The cheap $4 Serial Link at ticalc.org site didn't work on my PC, many thanks to the designer of the BCC interface design without which I would have had to purchase a more expensive TI cable.

I referred to other versions of the game in writing this, one from Digital's "101 Computer BASIC Games" book another from Radio Shack's "BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition" and the other from my Apple ][ RED manual.

Many thanks to the Beta testers who provided valuable feedback. Because of the complexity of the game some bugs may have slipped through. Should you be unlucky enough to find one please e-mail me and I will try to fix it in the next version. If you have any suggestions for improving the game let me know too. Just don't ask for a real time shoot-em-up version as this get's away from the original design too much in my opinion.

Since starting the program I purchased a 2nd hand TI-83+ which gave me the ability to get it running on both calulators.

Setup & Compatability:
----------------------
Because of the large size of the file you may need to erase most of you programs or data from the TI-83 to fit this on.

For TI-83: send the TREKTOS.83g file to your calc. If you want instructions on your calc you should also send the TREKHELP.83p file, but note that this program will crash without the TREKTOS.83g on your calc because it uses some of it's subroutines. Easier would be to just print the TREKHELP.txt file instead.

For TI-83+ without a Shell App: Send TREKTOS.83g to your calc. Ungroup TREKTOS.83g on your calc. All ungrouped programs must be in main memory to run TREKTOS.
If you want to send TREKHELP.83p to your calc you will need to archive prgmTREKTOS first. You can then run prgmTREKTOS. After running prgmTREKHELP you should archive it then unarchive prgmTREKTOS before running it. prgmTREKTOS and prgmTREKTOS require all other sub-programs to be in main memory to run, this includes: prgmZ18, prgmZDEL, prgmZDIR, prgmZDLY, prgmZEND, prgmZENERGY, prgmZENT, prgmZGAL, prgmZHOLE, prgmZKEY, prgmZKLI, prgmZMSG, prgmZNUM, prgmZQUAD, prgmZSTI. I recommend you get Mirage OS or similar to avoid all this trouble.

For TI-83+ with Mirage OS: Send TREKTOS.83g to your calc. Ungroup TREKTOS.83g on your calc, then archive prgmTREKTOS. If you want to send TREKHELP.83p to your calc just make sure prgmTREKTOS is in archive RAM first, then after sending it you should archive prgmTREKHELP too. As above all other prgmZ*** files must remain in main RAM. You can run either TREKHELP or TREKTOS from the Mirage OS shell.

For other TI-83 & TI-83+ shell users: To date I have not tested the program with ION or any other shell app. I suspect it will work the same as for MirageOS users, so try that first. If you have success or failure with one, could you let me know and I will include that in this file, including adding you as a Beta tester if you like.

A Strategy Guide is also included called STRATEGY.txt, but it is only there if you are having problems winning the game. Try to go without it at first as you will get more satisfaction winning without it.

To start, run the program run TREKTOS, and you are off on your first mission. If you don't get the graphic screen followed shortly after by "Here are your orders:" on your first run, you need to quit the game using <ON> 1:Quit <ENTER> then type <0> <STO> <ALPHA> <SIN> <ENTER>, this clears the variable "E" which is used to allow continuing of a game in progress. Occasionally other applications may affect the same variables used in TREKTOS, so you may need to perform this operation once.

If you downloaded the instruction file TREKHELP.83p you will have to quit the game in process using the aformentioned sequence, then run the prgmTREKHELP, when it is finished you can re-run TREKTOS to continue your game. I do not recommend running other programs if you have not finished your mission, although this depends on the variables used by other programs. I included the 'continue' feature so you could either do some other calculations or want to switch the calc off because you don't have time to finish the mission at the moment.

After reading the mission brief you should end up with a screen displaying SRS. At the bottom of the screen there is a row of commands: "NAV....SRS....LRS....COM....???". Use the 5 blue buttons on the top row of your TI-83 to select each of the command menu options. For example press the <ZOOM> key to get LRS, <GRAPH> key to get ??? etc. Pressing the <2nd> key toggles the second row of commands so you get "PHA....TOR....SHE....DAM....XXX". If you press the COM command you will get a third menu "GAL...STAT...TGT...DOCK...PLT" however this is only available if your Enterprise's computer is not damaged during the game. Press the <2nd> key to return to the main command menu. The ??? command should tell you what to read/print to play the game.


Version History:

suspected bugs (unproven):
1. shields can be more than total energy under certain circumstances. this may result in an unexpected ending of the game.
2. SRS displays two enterprises, moving to another quadrant may fix this, otherwise you may have to resign and start again.

Ver 1.0		Apr 2002
1. added - delay after end of game for Mirage OS compatibility, so user can read comment.
2. added - KEN STANTON as beta tester.
3. change - spelling of vaporised to vaporized.
4. fix - put Pic1 into group file instead of Pic2

Beta 0.4	Apr 2002
1. change - shortened "DAMAGED BY HIT" to "DAMAGED" to speed up program.
2. change - move "STATE OF REPAIR" left a couple of pixels.
3. fix - continuing the game on a TI-83+ after changing batteries caused a graph to be displayed on the screen.
4. fix - missed a lot of lowercase letters in Beta 0.3, fixed about 4 more.
5. change - message about crossing of galactic perimeter now on full screen to speed up game.
6. fix - "THE" cut off in orders screen after uppecase conversion.
7. added - HOMER, EDWIN84, BOB B-1 & VICTOR PETROV as BETA testers.
8. fix - improved reliability of continuing game after running other apps.
9. fix - remove ending " for Mirage OS info line in TREKTOS and TREKHELP.
10. fix - splash screen was blank with phaser lines if the graphics limits were changed by another program or run the first time.
11. added - horizontal lines to help screens in TREKHELP.
12. fix - the "O{" in the TREKHELP was different to the "o{" in the game.
13. added - info about the right hand side of the SRS display into prgmTREKHELP.
14. change - added hard Return to TREKHELP.txt to force all lines under 70- chars.
15. change - merged prgmZABOUT, prgmZEND, & prgmZSRS into main program to free up main RAM on TI-83+.
16. change - perform an SRS after continuing game instead of just the command line.
17. change - renumber all of main prgmTREKTOS to make it easier for the programmer (me), and anyone else editing the code.
18. change - incorporate array [H] into [G] by using the sign bit, to save 661 bytes of RAM.
19. change - shorten "DIRECTION/DISTANCE CALCULATOR..." to "DIR'N/DIST. CALCULATOR..." to speed up game.
20. change - "SHORT RANGE SENSORS ARE OUT." to full screen to speed up game.
21. fix - removed "Return" missed when inserting prgmSRS into main code.
22. added - included original Apple ][ CP/M listing for anyone interested in looking. edited CR/LF to clean it up.
23. change - better instructions above for loading onto different TI-83 configurations.
24. fix - prgmTREKHELP crashes if run before prgmTREKTOS.


Beta 0.3	Mar 2002
1. added - graphical startup screen including programmable version number.
2. change - shorten message SHORT RANGE SENSORS ARE OUT to speed up game.
3. added - message RETURNING TO BRIDGE, CAPTIAN when continuing game.
4. change - capitalize all text in game for clarity and TI-83 compatability.
5. change - made the TREKHELP.83p as a separate program for optional download to save space when not required.
6. added - included a separate printable version of TREKHELP.txt with the .zip file as an alternative to using TREKHELP.83p.
7. change - changed ??? to give the 'about' screen with minimul help.
8. added - made a separate printabe Strategy guide to help players who are having problems winning.
9. changed - "SHIELDS DROPPED FOR DOCKING PURPOSES" message reduced to single screen instead of scrolling message to speed up game.
10. added - compatability for TI-83+ and Mirage OS
11. added - random phaser fire to startup screen while galaxy was being generated.

Beta 0.2:	Dec 2001
1. added - "PRESS <ENTER> TO CONTINUE" subroutine to let user know what to do.
2. added - "THE END" after finishing game to clean up screen.
3. completed - allow technicians to fix Enterprise, after you dock, on your authority.
4. added - "YES...NO" confirmation to Resign, in case you accidentally hit the XXX command.
5. added - "PRESS <ENTER>" to first page.
6. fixed - shields could go negative after being hit and you didn't die.
7. fixed - enemy occasionally stayed in SRS after moving to a new Quadrant with no enemny. the opposite also occurred, where enemy were not in a SRS but were in a LRS.
8. fixed - new torpedo course not being displayed after deflecting from a star.
9. changed - "repair completed" to "repaired" to fit screen better and speed up game.
10. changed - "Computer active and awaiting command" to "Computer awaiting command" to fit screen better and speed up game.
11. completed - PLT command.
12. fixed - torpedos deflecting off stars which were originating from Enterprise again.
13. deleted - "Enterprise Destroyed" 20% of the time, when hitting a star with a Torpedo. Now the torpedo has to actually hit the Enterprise after deflecting, which is far less likely.
14. changed - 25% of the time a torpedo will be absorbed by a star instead of deflecting.
15. fixed - screen not cleared when Enterprise was destroyed by a stray torpedo.
16. added - "All Torpedos Expended" information to replace "Photon Tubes Inoperable" when you have run out of torpedoes.
17. fixed - COM menu not cleared leaving some text at the end of the line.
18. fixed - not displaying the invalid Warp factor if you enter a value that is too high.
19. added - single quotes (') around all reports to make it sound like the crew is actually saying it.
20. added - Stardate to "...continues on Stardate XXXX" message.
21. complete - help menu
22. fixed - energy hit on enemy is fractional under certain circumstances. this causes the line to run over the end.
23. changed - only allow firing of one torpedo to make the game harder to play and more realistic. Also this is how most of the original versions worked.
24. added - a few defaults at the start of the program to set the mode of the calculator.

Beta 0.1: Nov 2001
first version almost completed with lots of bugs and incomplete code, most of which I found after playing the game a few times.

---end of readme.txt---

