MTREK-PLUS Release Notes


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     1.0  Task image sizes

     For an M system, there is only one task build configuration  possi-
     ble for PLAYER , MTREK.  This is with disk-resident overlays.  Each
     task in this case will use between 24 and  32KW  each.   Therefore,
     the  memory  requirements for an M system with x users playing will
     be;
      
     	TRKCOM	- 4KW
     	UNICOM	- 32KW
     	MTREK	- 28KW
     	PLAYER	- 32KW per user
      
      
     	so for x players, the memory requirements will be 64KW (overhead) +
     	32KW * x for the player tasks.
      

          For M+ V2.0, there  are  a  few  more  possibilities  allowed.
     Using  FCSFSL as common code, drops the PLAYER task down to approx.
     29KW.  Under 2.0, since the task is overlaid I/D  space  cannot  be
     used.   Without I/D space there is not enough room to make the task
     multi-user.  If multi-user is attempted without I/D space  support,
     the task will build, but there will not be a free APR for PLAYER to
     map to the universe common.

          For M+ V2.1, the possibilities expand.  Not only can the  task
     be built I/D, but also multi-user, if and only if FCSFSL is used in
     super-mode.  With this combination, the read-only segment  of  code
     is 4KW, and is shared by all PLAYER tasks.  Also, with memory resi-
     dent overlays, the actual size of the player task gets  to  be  ap-
     prox.   60KW if all segments are accessed.  Using this combination,
     the actual PLAYER memory map looks like;
      
     	ROOT	- I space	000000-024000	APR 0
     		  D space	000000-044000	APR 0-2
      
     	UNIV	- D space	060000-100000	APR 3
      
     	R/O seg	- I space	160000-177777	APR 7
     		  D space	111000-161777	APR 4-7
      
     	FCSFSL	- super		000000-020000	APR 0 (super-mode)
      



     2.0  Utility tasks TRD,MDA

     Two utility tasks are provided with  MTREK-Plus.   TRDEMO,  is  the
     display/alter  program  to change parameters during actual playing.
     It provides many different display screens, 1) to alter ship  char-
     acteristics,  2)  to alter game parameters and black hole movement,
     3) a universe display to show where ships are and some ship parame-
     ters, 4) an individual ship/black hole display to show the position


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     of any single black hole/ship, 5) a full ship display  which  shows
     most  of  the  dynamic  parameters of all active ships, 6) a system
     parameter display, which has a few problems updating.  Also,  built
     within  this  utility  is  a verification process, which can be run
     during normal playing to verify the universe  data  structure  with
     the  known  locations  of  objects  as  defined  by the data common
     TRKCOM.  

          MDA is the MTREK-Plus utility similar to the systems  CDA,  or
     DECNet's  NDA.  If any unusual things happen during the course of a
     game, this utility should be used to analyze the  current  universe
     structure.   If  this  utility  is used during game play, all tasks
     will stop, and the player task will display the message that a dump
     is  in progress.  The complete, full dump shows the entire universe
     structure, and all ship  characteristics.   On  the  universe  map,
     bases  will  not  be  decoded as enemy or friendly, since all ships
     will be included.  Using this utility, the universe data  base  may
     be "captured" at any point in time.



     3.0  Known bugs


          The biggest known bug at this time, is that if a universe  ex-
     tends above 160000 in the universe common, some type of overlap oc-
     curs, and ships moving into that section may "dissappear".  A  dump
     of  a  universe in this configuration may turn up extraneous ships,
     ships in universe 1 that where in the highest universe, or  garbage
     characters  in  the  universe.  We have not determined the cause of
     this error.  For the time being, no universes should  extend  above
     the somehow imposed 160000 limit.

          We have sometimes seen, but have no idea why, that occasional-
     ly  a  user  will  notice that an enemy starbase turns into a black
     hole.  Sometimes vice-versa.  Universe  verification  at  the  time
     this happens, shows that all data structures are intact.  We cannot
     determine if this is a conceptual problem, or a real bug.   Due  to
     the  nature  of  the game, another users action may destroy a black
     hole, place it near the ship seeing the problem,  and  swap  places
     with the base , which is all normal.

          There is a bug in TRDEMO, as noted before.  The  only  problem
     is  with  the system parameters diplay which will be corrected in a
     future release.