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 Tanks [2004.02.21] by Andy Dufilie (^Andy)
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 This is an addon made for mIRC32 v5.61 and after
 Website:  http://pages.cthome.net/pdufilie/

 To install:
   Put all the files in the same directory.
   If you put them in the same directory as mIRC.exe, then type the following:
     /load -rs tanks.mrc
   If they are in another directory, then type:
     /load -rs "C:\path\to\tanks.mrc"
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 ===================
  To start the game
 ===================
   /tanks
     This will start a single player game against the computer.

   /tanks <nick> [port]
     This will send a request to another person on the same IRC network as you.
     The port parameter is optional.

   /tanks 0
     This will start a server.

   /tanks <port>
     This will start a server on the specified port.  This is useful if you're
     behind a network or firewall and people can connect to you through certain
     ports.

   /tanksd [port]
     This starts an empty server.  The port parameter is optional.

   /tanks <ip>:<port>
     This will join a game in progress.

   /tanklist
     This will list available Tanks servers.


 ==================
  Game Description
 ==================
    Tanks is a game for one or more players.  You take turns picking the angle
   and power to get your explosive shells through the wind and past the scenery
   to hit your opponent's tank.

    Each player begins the round with 11 shield points.  You lose shield points
   according to the number of the explosive that hits your tank.  As your tank
   gets damaged, your maximum power level decreases.  During your turn, you can
   use credits to repair your tank and increase your maximum power level.

    Players receive credits at the beginning of each round and at the end of
   their turns.  You earn more credits by damaging your opponents' tanks.
   Credits are used to repair your tank and buy explosive shells.


 =============
  How to play
 =============
    Start the game by typing "/tanks" for a one player game against the AI,
   or "/tanks <nick>" for a multiplayer game against a friend who has also
   installed Tanks.  You can also type /tanklist to list servers you can join.

    During your turn, click on the up and down arrows at the left of the window
   to change power, and click the left and right arrows to change the angle.
   The [1] and [5] buttons in the lower-right corner change the increment used
   when changing angle and power.  Remember to account for the wind when
   picking angle and power.

    The slider bar at the right selects an explosive shell.  The number of the
   explosive is how many shield points it removes when it hits a tank.  Click
   on the "Fire" button to launch the explosive and end your turn.

    A shield bar for a tank will turn red when an opposing player can destroy
   it on the next turn if they hit the tank with the biggest explosive they
   can afford.  As your tank gets damaged, your maximum power level decreases.
   Use the repair button to raise your maximum power level and protect your
   tank.


 ===========
  Item list
 ===========
   +-------------+-------------+------------------------------+
   | Item        | Price       | Effect on tank               |
   +-------------+-------------+------------------------------+
   | Repair      |  30 Credits | Shield +1, Maximum power +10 |
   | Explosive 1 |     Free    | Shield -1, Maximum power - 5 |
   | Explosive 2 |  50 Credits | Shield -2, Maximum power -10 |
   | Explosive 3 |  75 Credits | Shield -3, Maximum power -15 |
   | Explosive 4 | 100 Credits | Shield -4, Maximum power -20 |
   | Explosive 5 | 125 Credits | Shield -5, Maximum power -25 |
   +-------------+-------------+------------------------------+


 ==============
  Hints & Tips
 ==============
   - If you can't destroy a tank completely with a 2, 3, or 4, then I recommend
     you use a 5.  You can see why when you look at the table of prices above.
     The first one is free, but every level after that costs 25 more credits.
       Example:  If you fire two 2nd-level explosives in two turns, you can
         deal a total of 4 damage for 100 credits.  If you fire a 4th-level
         and a 1st-level explosive, you can deal 5 damage in two turns for the
         same price.
   - Copying text from the chat:  Hold down CTRL or SHIFT and drag the mouse
     over the lines you want to copy.
   - Team games?  For team games, simply play normally until one team wins
     (when all the tanks that are left are on the same team), and then have all
     remaining team members select the 'vote to end this round' option in the
     popup menu.
   - Hold down the Shift or Control key while changing angle and power for
     a different accuracy (use the [1] and [5] buttons in the lower right to
     toggle the normal setting).
   - What do the red exclaimation points (!) mean?  When you see one of these
     above a tank, it means that the tank below can buy a big enough explosive
     to blow up the current player.  If it's your turn, either repair your tank
     or try to destroy the tanks that have these marks above them.
   - In a two player game, only repair your tank when your shield bar is red
     (meaning the opponent can blow you up next round), or when your maximum
     power is lower than you want it to be.
   - You shouldn't pick a low angle, because if someone hits you with a level 5
     explosive, you'll end up having to pick a new angle anyway.
   - When there isn't much wind, Angle 65 & Power 70 is a good guess with
     two players.  Power 65 is better when the other tank is below you, or a
     bit closer to you than normal.  Power 75 is better when the other tank is
     above you.
   - Try to make your opponent fall into a hole by shooting the base of the
     tank and removing the dirt underneath.  This will make it harder for your
     opponent.
   - When you have a wall in the way and the wind is preventing you from
     hitting the other player with a high angle, blow up a part of the hill and
     pick a lower angle.


 =======================
  Buttons on the window
 =======================
        Up and Down arrows = Change power
     Left and Right arrows = Change angle
           1 and 5 buttons = Change increment for angle and power
                    Repair = Repair tank
   Slider bar on the right = Change explosive strength
                      Fire = Fire cannon


 ===================
  Keyboard controls
 ===================
  Playing the game:
       UP and DOWN = Change power
    LEFT and RIGHT = Change angle
               TAB = Change increment for angle and power
       1 through 5 = Select explosive strength
    DELETE and END = Change explosive strength
   INSERT and HOME = Select the lowest and highest explosive strengths
             SPACE = Repair tank
             ENTER = Fire cannon

  Scrolling keys:
     PGUP and PGDN = Scroll the chat display one page up or down
         CTRL+PGUP = Scroll the chat display up one line
         CTRL+PGDN = Scroll the chat display down one line
         CTRL+HOME = Scroll the chat display to the top
          CTRL+END = Scroll the chat display to the bottom
           [ and ] = Scroll the list of player names


 ====================================
  Copying text from the chat display
 ====================================
   To copy text from the chat display, hold down the control or shift key and
   drag the mouse over the lines you want to copy.  This is useful if you want
   to copy a URL.


 ===============
  Chat commands
 ===============
   You can use the following commands inside the Tanks message box.  To open
   the message box, press 'T' in the Tanks window.

   /chat [on|off]
     - This will enable or disable the chat and player names.  If neither
       'on' nor 'off' is specified, it will simply echo the current setting.

   /log [on|off]
     - This will toggle logging on or off.  If neither 'on' nor 'off' is
       specified, it will simply echo the current setting.

   /sname [name]
     - Change server name (server only)

   /port [port]
     - Change server port (server only)

   /name [name]
   /nick [name]
     - Changes your name

   /me <text>
     - This makes "* your_name <text>" appear in the chat display.

   /vote
     - Toggle your vote to end the round

   /color [0-11]
     - This changes your color.  The number is optional.  If you specify 0 as
       the number, then a random color will be picked.

   /clear
     - Clear the chat buffer

   /ping
     - If you're the server, this will ping all the clients.  Otherwise, this
       pings the server.

   /list
   /tanklist
     - List available servers

   /help
   /about
   /readme
     - Open this file (tanks.txt)

   /bot [skill]
     - Add a bot (server only)

   /nobots
     - Remove all bots (server only)

   /end
     - End current round (server only)

   /join [name]
     - Add a new local player (server only)

   /quit
     - If you're the server, this will remove the current local player.
       Otherwise, this will disconnect you from the Tanks server.

   /exit
     - Close Tanks

   /ooh[text]
     - oOoOOOooOOo...


 =====================
  Fixes and additions
 =====================

   v0.9 [2000.03.17]
   - First working version, for mIRC v5.51.

   (...)

   2001.07.28 - 8 players, bigger window
   - You can now play tanks with up to eight players total. :)
   - Type /tanks <nick> to start a game with someone, join the game they are
     playing, or invite them to your current game.
   - The window is bigger (640x460).
   - New animated buttons.
   - Right-click in the window for changing nick or color, and for server
     controls if you are hosting the game.
   - Chat commands added: "/nick [name]", "/color", and "/clear".
   - More than one player can have the same color now (for teams maybe?).
   - Servers have two modes: Rounds and Fraglimit.  These are described in the
     dialog.  Right-click in the window when you're running a server, and click
     on "Server settings."
   - You can prevent more people from joining the game with an option in the
     popup and in the server settings dialog.

   (...)

   2001.10.04 - Tanks server list
   - Added an option to remember your angle/power increment setting or not.
   - Changed "Missile X" display to a slider.  The Tanks don't actually shoot
     missiles.  I named them missiles before because I used to play Scorched
     Earth.  In Scorched Earth, the bombs are called missiles, nukes, etc.  Now
     I'll just call them explosive shells. :)
   - Added buttons 1-5 for selecting the corresponding explosive.
   - Dialog interface added for listing & joining servers that are currently
     running.  Type /tanklist to open the dialog.
   - There's an option in the popup for listing your server in the /tanklist or
     not.
   - Thanks to Shikkie for writing the original php/mysql/socket interface for
     the Tanks server list.
   - Thanks to fubar at mircscripts.org for hosting the php/mysql.

   (...)

   2002.06.14 - mIRC v6.02
   - In mIRC v6.02, I had to disable the little name display over the tank when
     you move the mouse on the player names.  A bug in /window -o prevented it
     from working properly.  (Update: mIRC 6.03 also has this bug.)  All other
     versions of mIRC are unaffected.
   - As promised, this version has a scrollbar in the chat display.
   - You can now copy text from the chat display by holding down the shift or
     control keys while dragging the mouse over the lines you want to copy.

   2003.02.09 - Bug fixes
   - Tanks no longer works with mIRC v5.6 (it hasn't for some time).
   - Chat scrolling is no longer disabled after disconnecting from a server.
   - Improved chat text copying.
   - Fixed a problem with /tanklist sockets not closing.
   - Fixed a wrapping bug on server name echo.
   - Fixed an "idle three times" bug.
   - Added an option to hide the window when running a dedicated server.
   - Fixed the server settings dialog (text was being cut off).

   2003.07.09 - New option to disable the chat, new font
   - Added an option to disable the chat & player names (for client only).
   - Chat commands added:
       "/name [name]" (same as /nick)
       "/chat [on|off]" (enables/disables chat & player names)
   - Reorganized the popup menu.
   - Popup menus now use real checkmarks on newer versions of mIRC.
   - Added an option to limit the number of players that can connect to your
     server.  This replaces the old "closed server" option.
   - Changing server settings no longer resets the game.
   - Added an option to use either Tahoma or MS Sans Serif for the chat font.
     Tahoma is the new default.

  2003.07.12
   - Bug fixes and chat commands added:
       "/list" and "/tanklist" (List servers)
       "/help" "/about" and "/readme" (Open this file)
       "/quit" and "/exit" (Close Tanks)

  2003.07.13
   - Added popups for enabling and disabling parts of the titlebar display.
     They can be found under the "Window" sub-menu.

  2003.07.18 - 32 players, instagib mode
   - Added support for up to 32 players.  You can scroll the player list with
     the bracket keys, [ and ].
   - Added an instagib mode.  When this is enabled, one hit will destroy a tank
     and players have no starting credits.
   - The max idle time is now 20 seconds in instagib mode.
   - Now you can play with others on the same screen.  You can add or remove
     players in a local game using the popup menu.
   - Tanklist dialog will now wrap a long list of player names.

  2003.07.20
   - Idle time management has been improved.  It's now less likely that a
     lagged player will be seen as idling by mistake.
   - The player list now scrolls vertically instead of horizontally.  Player
     order is now left to right, top to bottom.

  2003.07.21
   - I cleaned up the voting code.  There should be no more voting-related
     problems.

  2003.08.06
   - Fixed some display bugs and a small problem with joining/quitting.
   - Improved the displaying of some information.

  2003.08.22
   - Added an icon (check mark) for indicating which players have voted.
   - When changing wind is enabled, "Changing wind" is now displayed at the
     top of the window instead of just "Wind."
   - Decreased the amount of starting credits for multiplayer games.
   - Improved all AI skill levels.
   - Now you can disable the round or frag limit.

  2003.09.10 - Bots & local players in multiplayer games
   - Added an icon (@) for local players.
   - Servers can now add local players to games.  Local players now have the
     same idle time limits that remote players have.  When no local players
     remain, the server becomes a dedicated one.
   - Added a computer icon for bots.
   - Servers can now add multiple bots to games.
   - Added a dialog to manage bots & local players.
   - Added a shield bar to the name display (when you move the mouse over a
     tank).  Not shown in instagib.
   - The name of your server is now separate from your player name.
   - Added chat commands (for server only):
       /sname [name]  -  Change server name
       /join [name]   -  Add a new local player
       /bot [skill]   -  Add a bot
       /nobots        -  Remove all bots
       /end           -  End this round
   - If you're the server, typing /quit will now remove the active local player
     instead of closing the server.
   - Redesigned the server settings dialog.
   - Moved tanklist to a different host.

  2003.09.13
   - The server port you specify is now saved.  Using the "/tanks 0" command
     will use the port you had last time.

  2003.09.14a
   - Added an option to stop bots from playing on their own.
   - Fixed the bug that was saving your server name as your player name.
   - Fixed a bug that sometimes made the color selection window close after
     moving the mouse over it.
   - mIRC's $portfree has a bug, so now Tanks tests the ports a different way.
     If the port you want to use is unavailable, error messages will show up in
     mIRC and a message will echo in Tanks telling you to ignore them.  Tanks
     will still run properly even if these errors show up.

  2003.09.14b
   - Fixed a bug that was remembering the last color you selected with the
     "Color..." button in the bots & local players dialog.
   - Fixed a bug where the color selection window wasn't showing up sometimes.

  2003.09.15
   - Fixed a bug that was preventing /tanks <nick> from working.

  2003.09.18
   - /tanks <nick> will now create a private game instead of a public one.
   - Fixed a bug that occurred when the round or frag limit was reached.

  2003.09.20
   - Removed debug code that I forgot about.  It was listing active timers.

  2003.10.09
   - Fixed a tanklist display bug.
   - Attempted to fix an inconsistency bug.  I don't know if this will fix it,
     because I have never seen it happen.

  2004.02.21
   - Fixed disabled chat display bugs.
   - Fixed bugs in the code that switches to the backup tanklist server.


  If you find any bugs, please contact me.  If you don't report bugs when you
  see them, it will take longer for them to be fixed.  Don't assume I will find
  all the bugs or someone else will report them.

  Contact me here:  http://pages.cthome.net/pdufilie/


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