Copyright (C) 1995-1996 Dave Killingsworth - All Rights Reserved
Overview
The RacePlus is an add-on utility for VGA Planets 3.0 / 3.5 that takes advantage of the AUXHOST features found in HOST 3.20. This add-on provides all eleven races with new racial and ship abilities. This add-on allows for abilities ranging from a modest native government modification ability to the ability for a ship to generate a massive gravity well. The abilities provided to the races are many and varied.
There have been 21 new friendly codes added. They are divided by race as follows:
Feds:
HUD - Improve native government up to participatory.
(Planet code)
Lizards:
!xx - Activate Chameleon Device and emulate ship type xx (see chart in Lizard Ability Section)
!!x - Activate Chameleon Device and emulate ship type 10x (see chart in Lizard Ability Section)
(Ship Codes).
Birds:
EGG - To place a bomb on targeted enemy ship.
(Ship code).
Fascists:
BAC - To send boarding part on to enemy spacecraft.
(Ship code).
Privateers:
TCC - Transfer clans as crew to target vessel.
(Ship code).
Cyborg:
STB - Activate Super Tractor Beam. (Ship code).
Crystals:
MKx - Planet code for starbases built over Siliconoid Planets.(x = 1-8 or P = proton torps, G=Gamma Bombs).
Empire:
SUK - Activate Gorbie Gravity Well Generator.
(Ship code).
Robotics:
RDV - Repair Damaged Vessel. (Ship code).
Rebels:
BBT - Activate Boobytrap (Planet code) - On a Rebel ship this friendly code makes them immune to boobytraps.
Colonials:
SFG - Stealth Fighter Gather mission activation. - If set on target planet of the SFG mission it will make the defenses of the planet inactive. (Ship code).
xxx - Friendly code on Gemini where xxx equals target planets ID# (Ship code).
Contents
RacePlus contains 2 programs:
RPCONFIG.EXE
RACEPLUS.EXE
Place these programs in the same directory that HOST normally runs from. RacePlus requires access to the VGA Planets data bases (HULLSPEC.DAT, BEAMSPEC.DAT, ect.) as well as the host databases (SHIP.HST, XYPLAN.HST, PHONEY.HST ect...) You do not place these programs in the game data directory. The configuration program will provide RACEPLUS.EXE with all of the PATH data it needs.
New Game Setup
Before RacePlus can be used the configuration program, RPCONFIG.EXE, must be run. The running of this program will take care of setting up your AUXHOSTx.BAT files so that the program will execute properly. RacePlus accepts one command line parameter, the DOS path to the game directory.
For example; to configure a new game in E:\PLANETS\NEWGAME...
type RPCONFIG E:\PLANETS\NEWGAME
When RPCONFIG starts, a configuration dialog will be displayed. Notice that the DOS path provided on the command line is displayed in the PATH to Game Directory edit box. Default values are automatically provided. Change them to suit the requirements of the game. Each value must be within the valid ranges listed.
Select the OK button when all of the changes have been made. The following files will be written to the Game Directory:
RPCONFIG.HST
A confirmation dialog will be shown, at which time if YES is selected the RacePlus database will be initialized. Additionally, the following files are written to during the initialization process:
RACEPLUS.HST
The last thing to do now is make sure that the AUXHOST1.BAT and AUXHOST2.BAT files are present in the HOST directory. Your install program (INSTALL.EXE ) should have placed these files in your HOST directory. If not copy them from your RacePlus install disk to your HOST directory. Or just create these files as empty files. Without these files the program will not run properly. The RPCONFIG.EXE program will automatically path the execution of the RacePlus program and write all files that you need to the game data directory.
The New Race Abilities
The following section covers all of the new race abilities and ship abilities that are provided by RacePlus. This is broken down by race and explains the abilities in depth. All of the new abilities can be turned on or off in the RPCONFIG program.
The Solar Federation