* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |_o_o|\\ Copyright (c) 1988 The Software Distillery. All Rights Reserved * * |. o.| || Masterminded by Alan Beale and John A. Toebes, VIII * * | . | || Dave Baker Ed Burnette Jim Cooper Jay Denebeim * * | o | || Gordon Keener Jack Rouse Mary Ellen Toebes Doug Walker * * | . |// Bruce Drake Andy Mercier John Mainwaring * * ====== BBS (919) 471-6436 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ------------------------------COPYRIGHT NOTICE Hack Lite and HackInstall are Copyright (c) 1988 The Software Distillery. Permission is granted to distribute the programs and data on these disks provided the following conditions are met: 1. All files present in the distribution package must be redistributed with the package, including this documentation file. If you distribute on diskette, all files must be on a single diskette. 2. The distributor may charge a fee to recover distribution costs. The fee for diskette distribution should not be more than the cost to obtain the same diskette from Fred Fish or The Amigans, whichever is greater. 3. The distributor agrees to cease distributing the programs and data involved if requested to do so by The Software Distillery. Names of members of the Distillery are listed above. ------------------------------DISCLAIMER The Software Distillery will not be liable for any damage arising from the failure of this program to perform as described, or any destruction of other programs or data residing on a system attempting to run the program. While we expect no damaging errors, the user of this program uses it at his or her own risk. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Amiga HACK LITE (Plays great - less killing)! AMIGA HACK is brought to you through the efforts of The Software Distillery, a group committed to producing quality freely redistributable software for the Amiga. Alan Beale is primarily responsible for Hack Lite. John Toebes can claim primary responsibility for previous versions of Amiga Hack. Inquiries and flames should be directed via US Snail to: John A. Toebes VIII The Software Distillery 235 Trillingham Lane Cary, North Carolina 27513 Or on several of the more prominent electronic forums Bix: JToebes, Plink: JToebes Usenet: ...mcnc!rti!sas!toebes The latest version of Hack and our other projects are available for downloading from the Software Distillery bulletin board at (919)-471-6436. They can also be obtained from the Amigan Apprentice and Journeyman periodical: The Amigans P.O. Box 411 Hatteras, NC 27943 Send US$6 for a disk containing the latest Hack, or any of our other disks. (Overseas include US$1 extra for postage). Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope for a list of available disks. Many Thanks to Jeff Lee - Graphic Artist 945 S. Kenilworth Oak Park, IL 60304 For his excellent Icons and the Death Scene. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ABOUT HACK +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This is a version of the public domain program HACK (copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1984, 1985.) implemented under AMIGADOS with the LATTICE C 5.0 compiler. HACK is freely redistributable. You may upload it to public bulletin boards, or give it to users groups, and individuals you feel would enjoy it. If you plan to distribute Hack, please read the copyright notice at the top of this file. Basically, the imposing-sounding jargon there is designed to (hopefully) prevent unscrupulous vermin from making a fast buck selling Hack as a commercial program, or overcharging for its distribution. If every Amiga owner gets a copy of Hack and we don't get a cent, we would be happy, but we want to make sure nobody else makes his fortune on our work. If you do enjoy the program and would like to support further development (and receive information on the latest updates) send a contribution to John and his crew at the above address. We welcome suggestions for improvements and upgrades. Hack is not shareware, so you are under no obligation to send in money. The source is available for the original text version (1.0.1) of Hack for $6.00 at the above address. This version has just the minimum changes required from the original Unix version to get it to run on the Amiga. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INSTALLING HACK +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hopefully you have already installed Hack with the HackInstall program before you get to this file. If you are just browsing the Hack_Install diskette, please run HackInstall to set everything up. There is help available within HackInstall. HackInstall doesn't start copying files until you specifically order it to. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PLAYING HACK ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NOTE: IF YOU ONLY HAVE 512K on your Amiga.... YOU MUST PLAY HACK FROM THE CLI ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT LOADING WORKBENCH. To do this, your startup-sequence should NOT execute the loadwb command. Additionally, you must run Hack by CDing to the correct game disk and then invoking hack from the CLI. Because of the complexity of Hack, there is insufficient memory on a 512K Amiga with workbench already running. If you've played HACK under UNIX or some other environment, you won't have any trouble with this version. Many of the commands are the same. Even if you haven't, however, you can use the menus in AMIGA HACK. Just hold down the right menu button and select the command. After you get to know the commands, you will be able to use the keyboard commands. The keyboard command equivalent for each menu selection is listed next to the selection. Two commands you will want to know are '?' and '/'. '?' gives you a summary of all commands. '/' will identify a character. In graphics mode, all icons are displayed. Click on one with the left mouse button to identify it. In non-graphics mode, type in the character you want identified. You can also shift-click on any icon on the screen to see what it is without having to enter a command. Before you play, you might want to print out the files 'hh' and 'help'. 'hh' is a short-form help file; while 'help' is more complete. You can print either file during play using the '?' command. Also there is a file HINTS.DOC for people who have never played HACK or ROGUE before and want a description of what they can do in HACK. Since the major fun in HACK is discovery and surprise, there are not many details in HINTS.DOC. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE ICON EDITOR ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ So you don't like our representation of a gnome? See if we care! Draw your own bloody gnome! There is a program installed with Hack called HackIconII. There is also a help file with HackIconII. HackIconII lets you draw your own icons for any of the many objects you see in the graphics modes of Hack. Have fun! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.03B Changes +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Additional Features Keystone Kops Death Scene Spiders and Webs Magic Traps RockMoles Amiga Features Clicking on menu items substitute for typing in the letter +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.03C Changes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mostly bug fixes: Saved Games are now put in the correct directory Saved Games are now validated consistently The tombstone lettering is now in a lighter color for better readability KeyStone KOPS are no longer created incorrectly +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.03D Changes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ghost levels now work correctly Rewritten for speed and size reduction Spurious standard output window removed +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hack Lite Changes +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Major rework by Alan Beale to improve speed and playability. Many new features added as well as an unbelievable number of bugs fixed...see HINTS.DOC for a more detailed feature list. (Be sure to try the new #pray command. Sometimes the gods will have mercy even on a miserable player like you!) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ IMMORTAL Mode ! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Immortal mode under Hack allows you to play with almost complete invulnerability. It is there to allow you to learn some of the finer points of Hack. To get into immortal mode, you must enter from CLI the command HACK -I Once inside of Hack it will ask you for a character as usual. You can choose anything. As an immortal, whenever you die you will be re-incarnated. However, as with any such magic, there is the slight chance that something will go wrong and you will fail to recover. The more times you die in a row, the more the chance that it will go wrong. Note that your score will be substantially reduced each time you die. +++++++++++++++++++++ Help for the Beginning Programmer ++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you are struggling with the Amiga and with learning how to program or simply use your Amiga, there are two excellent sources of information: Amiga Transactor - generally available from your local Amiga dealer. It is a 'slick' cover magazine with advertising and fairly high level coverage of basic Amiga operations. It has been extremely informative and covers many advanced programming topics with fairly in-depth articles. Available from your local dealer The Amigan - PO Box 411, Hatteras NC 27943 - $24 for 6 issues/year subtitled 'Apprentice and Journeyman', the Amigan is aimed at both the beginning programmer and advanced hacker. The editor, Dick Barnes, has a very readable style, making for easy and informative reading. The journal comes on 3 hole punched paper ready for building an ongoing reference manual for the Amiga. The articles tend to focus on solutions to problems and approaches to take. No advertising is taken so all reviews are fair and hard-hitting. Unlike other 'help' newsletters that tend to be fly-by-night, the Amigan is informative and committed to providing useful tips to make your life easier and more productive. A must for the serious Amiga Programmer. +++++++++++++++++++++ Other Public Domain Software ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Fred Fish Amiga Library disks 1346 West 10th Place Tempe, Arizona 85281 USA Offers (now 170) disks of PD software for $6 each. These are well organized and a MUST for any user group. ++++++++++++++++++++++ From the Software Distillery +++++++++++++++++++++++ Other programs from the Software Distillery may be obtaining by calling our Bulletin board. At present this consists of: * C-Kermit (by Jack Rouse) - A telecommunications program that implements the full Kermit protocol with many features such as remote commands and batch file transfers. * An advanced UN*X MAKE program with default rules and macro expansions * POPCLI - a screen saver program and 'hot-key' extension for bringing up a new cli at the touch of a key. * ICONEXEC - a program for making AmigaDOS programs run from workbench without any changes. * SETALTERNATE a program for setting the alternate (selected) image on an icon to other than inverse. * BLINK - an Amiga Linker that is FULLY ALINK compatible and up to 4 times faster. It supports many advanced linking features as well as an excellent map facility. A must for the serious programmer. * TSIZE - a utility to list the amount of disk space taken up by the individual directories on a disk * WBRUN - A program for running workbench programs from CLI without having to load workbench * MEMWATCH - A background utility to watch for ramdom memory trashing * LARN, another UN*X game ported to the Amiga by Edmund Burnette. Similar to HACK but more strategy.