WIN_UHS The Universal Hint System Reader for Windows 3.0 version 2.10 What is UHS? It is the Universal Hint System, a system designed by Jason Strautman to allow gamers to get hints to games without giving the puzzles away completely. UHS is designed to support multiple gaming machines, as many game authors and companies write for multiple platforms. Many game players have used the Universal Hint System for years now. I know a common wish has been to allow the hints to "pop" up on top of the games while they are being played. I experimented for a while making a UHS reader that could do this, but I gave up, as many games use unusual graphics modes. Instead, I wrote WIN_UHS, using Borland's TPW. If you can run Microsoft Windows on your computer, and run your game in a "DOS window" or as "full screen" DOS application, then you will be able to flip back and forth between your game and WIN_UHS. To re-enter Windows from a full screen DOS application, just press and hold the ALT key, and then press the ESC key. A full explanation of how to do this is in your Windows manual. Even if you can't get your game to start from under Windows, you can still use WIN_UHS to view the hints for your game. I feel that the reading of clues under WIN_UHS is a lot more fun than it was under the my old DOS version. All the normal mouse and keyboard conventions are followed, I think. You can use the space bar to advance through the clues if you don't have a mouse. Also, WIN_UHS accepts command line parameters. Why is that important to you? The nicest thing about is is that you can use Windows to "associate" any file that has the extension UHS with WIN_UHS. (Check with your Windows manual on how to use the file manager to associate an extension with a program.) After you do this, you can just double-click on any UHS file in the file manager, and WIN_UHS will start up and show you that file. You are free to use WIN_UHS as long as you like. It is not freeware however. I would like you to register your copy of WIN_UHS if you enjoy it and continue to use it. Just send $10 in U.S. funds, or equivalent, (or $12.50 if you want a disk with the newest version) to me at this address: Robert Norton 706 Copeland St. Madison, WI 53711 I will send you a registration code which you can put into your Windows configuration to turn off the nagging messages. If you feel that the fee is too much money for you, just send me a letter with a self-addressed stamped envelope, and I'll send you a code anyway. Of course, donations above the requested amount will be gratefully reinvested in our economy. Any suggestion you have, or ideas for improvements, or outright bugs that you find should be sent to me at the same address above. You can also reach me on CompuServe at my ID: [70017,1765]. Thank you for supporting shareware. Version 2.00 adds support for UHS 91a specification. Version 2.01 improves the handling of images. Version 2.10 adds checksum verification. *** AMENDMENT *** UHS is a really cool hint system, which is why we put it on the disc. UHS hint files can be downloaded from most of the major online services, good FTP sites, and will be included in future episodes of IE. What old games would you like to see the UHS files for? Let us know! Drop us a line at: Interactive Entertainment Main St. P.O. Box 327 Rochester, VT 05767 FAX: 802 767 3382 - Tim Keating, IE Editor