posted May 01, 2004 08:44
quote:
Originally posted by Xeter:
Twar for Windows is actually a GREAT program, but it was never completed. Anyone feel like picking up that ball and pestering the owner, it could become the best program, ever. When it first came out, I was one of the few players to test drive it for the author. Combine it's features with Swath, and it would definitely become THE #1.
Actually, 4 years ago when I started play TW 2002 again. (I had last played in v1.03d and v2.04b.) I went searching on the net for TWAR. As I too remembered it from when I played. And I wanted to see if I could get it again. Lo and behold, I found it had it's own website. And that it had a newer version then my Window version. (Which did not have telnet ability.) And I d/l'd the newest version. At that time, the newest version was 2 years old.
After messing with TWar for a few hours. I noticed that there was alot of major bugs in it. And I found on it's website. That there was no information about if, or when, an newer bug release would be available. I then went to it's email list, TW2002, on Yahoo and tried to find out what the story was.
And what I had found out, was that it's author had abandend the program. So, I decided that I would attempt to contact the author and see if I, or anyone else. Might be able to persaude him to sell it.
What had happened was that I, nor anyone else, got any responce from him. So I bugged the hell out of the him for a good year, about buying it. Buy bugging the hell out of him, I mean that I had sent 1 email a month with a request to buy TWar along with an offer.
And in each and every email I stated my intentions for TWar. i.e. attempting to fix it's current problems. And then improving upon it.
For the first 11 months, not including very first email I had sent. I received no reply back from the author. Then on the 12 month, I sent an offer of $20,000 + 50% of profits of all registrations for the first 5 years.
With this offer, I got a responce. In that response, he told me that my offer was too low. And he even stated that he made twice that amount, yearly, on registrations of TWar. And unless I, or anyone else, was able to come up with an offer. That was, at least, twice the amount of what he was currently making. He would not entertain such offers.
I had then gave up on the idea. As support from the TW2002 community atlarge was nil. And I just could not understand how $20,000 upfront, plus 50% of all registrations for the first 5 years, was not enough.
It was then that I had found out about SWATH. And I have not looked back.
Although I have missed the GUI TWar had. And the build in sound effects it had. I have found that SWATH is 10x better than TWar.
1. It has a semi-graphical interface, compaired to TWar.
2. It has more built in scripts.
3. It's built in scripts are better then TWars.
4. It's main scripting language is more of a true programming language. Like with QModem and Telix.
5. The program itself, if practically bug free.
6. There is support for SWATH.
7. It's main scripting language is updated, and/or made better, all the time.
8. It now has the ability to use scripts made in 1 other scripting language, REXX.
9. You are able to store note about the game, or any game sector notes, with the game database.
... and there are many, many, more things that SWATH can do, or has. That TWar can not do, or does not have.
Yet, SWATH has some problems, when compared to other helpers.
1. A feature that I used quit often with TWar. And I think would be a great addition to SWATH. The display of the sector number, that Stardock/Alpha Centari/Rylos are in, on the GUI display. (That is if you have visited the sector they are in.)
NOTE: I had suggested this to Stein long ago. And his responce was, that there was no need to have a the GUI display such information. As that information can easily be gotten from SWATH. This is fine and dandy when you are running a script. And that script had need of that information. As it could get that information from SWATH quite easily. But, when you are playing the game by hand, not using any scripts/macros. Then how are you able to get that information, without having to use a script. Or with out having to resort to looking up that information in any game notes you have made.
I have yet to find a way. With out using a script, or a Game/Sector note(s), or the new visual map feature, to find out what sector these particular station(s)/port(s) are in.
I don't know how many times I have visited the sector these station(s)/port(s) are in. But, I did not know it. Fifty percent of the time, this happens while running a script of some kind.
BTW, That I know of. TWar is the only helper that displays this information on the GUI.
2. Although SWATH now has the ability to run REXX scripts. It can not run all REXX scripts. Or if it can, there is a big chance it will not run properly. This is mainly do to the fact that there is several different versions of the REXX scripting language. The Official, and standard, version. The version created and used by ZOC, a telnet client. And there are other version out there. All have minor, to major, differences between them.
About 90% of the current TW2002 REXX scripts are made with the ZOC REXX.
AFAIK, SWATH uses the Official Standard REXX.
NOTE: Stein is always attempting to make sure that current ZOC REXX TW2002 scripts will run, and run properly, within SWATH.
3. SWATH is slow when using any script. This includes it's own built in scripts, and any player made scripts. If you ever use SWATH against anyone using another Helper, or telnet client. They will always beat you. I'm not talking about just attacking another player. But, using a script to do any other mondane tasks that can be scripted. Colo'ing, SDT, PPT, etc..
Personally, I have no idea as to why SWATH is so slow when running scripts. But, I sure wish that the SWATH could run all scripts a whole lot faster, than it does now.
Many of the 'Elite' players with not use SWATH because of the speed at which scripts run. They will either use a telnet client, like ZOC. Or use another helper that is 2, or more, times quicker than SWATH.
Personally, I use SWATH for 85% of the things I do while playing a game. For the remaining 15%, I use TWX. I use it for it's speed and the specific features that it's scripting language has. That I wish SWATH had in it's scripting language.
Maybe SWATH, or some other helper, will have 95% of the things that everyone needs. And I will not need to use 2, or more, helpers to be competitive in the game.
[This message has been edited by Michael Hagin (edited May 01, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by Michael Hagin (edited May 01, 2004).]
SWATH Support Forum
posted April 30, 2004 19:51
Stein
