                                

             DOCUMENTATION FILE FOR MAXOVED VER 1.0 

MAXOVED is a PILOT file EDITOR for Novalogic's Comanche Maximum
Overkill helicopter simulator.  This version supports the ORIGINAL
game and the MISSION DISK SET #1 package.  It is simple, easy to
use, and provides help for those helicopter pilots (like me) who
are unable to successfully complete some of the Comanche missions.

MAXOVED is a windowed, menu-driven editor.  Rather than forcing the
user to keep track of unique data values and byte offsets into the
structured records, all you do is make menu selections or enter
simple numerical values. 

MAXOVED supports a mouse device.  When MAXOVED starts, it checks your
system for a mouse driver.  If a driver is found, a mouse cursor
will appear in the upper left area inside a menu window.  If no
mouse cursor is seen, a mouse driver was not found.  To use the
mouse, simply "point and click" on menu items using the LEFT mouse
button.  At present, the right button is not supported. 

Please spend a few minutes reading this file before running MAXOVED. 
If you garble a pilot file, just exit MAXOVED without saving it.  


                          INSTALLATION 

Installation is easy.  Just copy the MAXOVED.EXE file (and this
README.TXT file if desired) to any directory that is included in
the system path. Run MAXOVED from the directory containing the
pilot files you want to edit.  See below for a path to the pilot
files.  

MAXOVED uses 80x25 color text mode (DOS "mode co80" command).  Most
computers run this automatically so no special setup is necessary.
MAXOVED has been tested in both expanded and extended memory
environments and no memory conflicts have been found. 

With some video systems, the hilighted menu bar will flicker a
little when the mouse cursor is placed on top of it.  This is due
to the clashing refresh rates of the hilighted menu bar and the
mouse cursor. 


                BACKUP YOUR ORIGINAL PILOT FILE! 

BEFORE you edit ANY file, be sure to make a BACKUP of it.  For
example, if you want to edit the file "comanche.nam", copy it to
"comanche.org" or some other name you can remember. MAXOVED saves
your original file under a temporary name (TMPxx.$$$).  The temp
file is NOT erased, just in case...  Don't forget to erase the
TMPxx.$$$ files from your system when done with your edits.  MAXOVED
does not save a pilot file until told to do so, so if you garble an 
edit, just exit MAXOVED without saving and start over. 

I have made every attempt to ensure that MAXOVED is bug-free and can
process all pilot data files, but if a MAXOVED error occurs while
reading or saving your data file, I hope you have that BACKUP you
PREVIOUSLY made! 
 

                   PILOT FILENAME AND DIRECTORY

The Comanche Pilot file is 1450 bytes in length and is named "comanche.nam".
It is usually stored in the \comanche directory.


                         RUNNING MAXOVED       

To run MAXOVED, type "maxoved" followed by the name of the pilot 
file you want to edit (i.e., "maxoved comanche.nam").  Just enter
"maxoved" for a brief usage statement for the program. 

If begun with a filename, MAXOVED opens with a logo window.  Hit any
keyboard key or the LEFT mouse button to clear the logo.

As soon as the logo window clears, MAXOVED will read your pilot file.

If MAXOVED suspects that your file either isn't what you say it is or is
somehow corrupted, you will not be allowed to proceed.  Better safe than
sorry...  If you try to edit a valid file and MAXOVED halts with a file
read or other file error message, please LET ME KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.  It
is always possible that the file structures I use for verifying file
type may have been changed by this or a future version of Comanche. I'll
be glad to analyze the problem and hopefully issue a "fix".

Editing a file is painless. Just use the keyboard arrows or mouse
to hilight the menu item you want, and press <Enter> or the LEFT
mouse button. Some prompts require you to enter a number value. 
Enter the number and press <Enter> to log your change or press
<Esc> to exit the prompt with no change. 

SPECIAL NOTE TO MOUSE USERS:  MAXOVED gives the mouse cursor
priority over the menu item selection routines which use the
keyboard arrows.  Using this technique, the hilighted menu
selection bar moves automatically with the movement of your mouse
cursor.  This avoids having to click twice on the menu item you
want - once to hilight a menu item and once again to select the
item for execution.  The down side of this approach is that when
you place the mouse cursor on a menu item and it becomes hilighted,
the keyboard arrow keys cannot be used to move the hilighted menu
bar.  Therefore, to use the keyboard arrow keys and a mouse
simultaneously, PLACE THE MOUSE CURSOR AWAY FROM ALL MENU
SELECTION ITEMS WHEN USING THE KEYBOARD ARROW KEYS. 

Most menus can be exited by moving the cursor to the "<Esc> - BACKUP" 
area and pressing <Enter> or clicking the LEFT mouse button.  Data 
entry windows can be exited by pressing <Esc>.  To exit the program,
just <Esc> out of the menu that opens when the program is started. 

When finished with all edits, SAVE your file -- PROVIDED your edits
are what you want and PROVIDED you made a BACKUP of the original
file! 


                      EDITING PILOT FILES 

This pilot editor allows you to change pilot total scores, total
kills, total victorious missions, change the completion/incompletion
flags for all missions, edit awards received at campaign completions,
and set default (startup) campaigns and missions for all pilots.
The last item was added because I like to play some of the Comanche
missions repeatedly and this feature lets you get to the mission
you want quickly.

Most of these parameters are straightforward and no explanation is
needed. Some selections require you to enter a number -- scores,
levels, etc. There are LIMITS to the values you can enter, so be
reasonable with your entries.  If your entry is rejected, the
original data is retained and the menu exits.

The following list contains several things to be aware of when
changing pilot file data: 

     1)   The maximum value you can enter for a total score is
          94967295.

     2)   The maximum number of pilot kills is limited to 9999. 

     3)   The maximum number of missions completed is 999.  

     4)   Do NOT use a pilot name beginning with a SPACE character.
          It will not be recognized as a valid pilot name!

     5)   The option for selecting "default" campaigns and missions
          for each pilot is used by the game to keep track of where
          each pilot leaves off at the end of a session.  This editor
          uses the same data area as a "memory" to recall preselected
          campaigns and missions when you first begin a play session.  
          Personally, I like this option because there are a few
          missions I enjoy playing over and over, and the "default"
          settings I give my pilot file enable me to quickly go to these
          missions.

     6)   Note that there are TEN possible TYPES of medals, and MAXOVED
          lets you assign any one of these medals to any campaign.
          I never found a reference to the individual names for the 
          ten types of medals, so I simply numbered them 1 to 10 and
          assumed they are campaign completion medals (my analysis
          indicates there is room in the pilot file for 10 campaigns,
          but there are only 5 current campaigns -- 2 from the original
          game and 3 in the mission disk set 1). 


                         FINAL COMMENTS 

MAXOVED was not written to allow one to cheat his/her way through
Comanche. It is intended as a tool to allow your progression through
the game when confronted with an impossibly-difficult mission or to
give yourself a little credit for attempting a mission several times
with no success.  Please use it with this attitude in mind.  

If you find MAXOVED to be a useful tool, a DONATION or CONTRIBUTION
of $5 to $10 will be greatly appreciated and will also be viewed as a
definite incentive to continue my work in designing pilot and mission
editors for various games and flight sims.  If you have any questions
or comments concerning this program, or YOU WISH TO MAKE A DONATION
(please make any checks payable to WAYNE SIKES), please contact me at:

Wayne Sikes
435 Sego Lily
Bosque Farms, NM  87068

CompuServe:    70733,1562
Internet E-Mail Address: sikes@meediv.lanl.gov 
Phone:  (505)-869-3522

Feel free to distribute copies of this program. The only thing I 
ask is that you DO NOT MODIFY this readme file or the MAXOVED.EXE 
program.  When distributing, PLEASE ALWAYS INCLUDE A COPY OF THIS 
README FILE ALONG WITH THE EXECUTABLE.  If you include this program
in any retail or wholesale software packages, compilations, libraries, 
archives, etc. please contact me.  As with all my analysis and
engineering software, this program is copywritten by K & W Computer Works.

Thank you for using MAXOVED and enjoy Comanche Maximum Overkill!


*********************  END OF README.TXT FILE ***********************
