THE SEUCK VAULT
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MAKING A FINISHED GAME
In order to make a finished game from one of your efforts you must make a data disk or SEUCK Game Disk. This will be the disk you use for storing what you have just done. Plus it will contain everything you need to boot your game from scratch, or allow it to be started from an icon on Workbench.
Load your Workbech disk, and format a new disk. After the disk is formatted select Rename from Wokbench menu bar and rename it SEUCK Games Disk at the prompt. Now insert the master games disk into your drive and open it up. Double click the Make Games disk icon with the left mouse button. Follow the on screen prompts until all relevant files for making the stand-alone game are in the computer's RAM.
You will then be prompted to insert the blank formatted disk you have named SEUCK Games Disk and all the files will be transferred to this disk. This is a good time to make several spare copies of the SEUCK games disk. It can be copied with Workbench and will save you going through the preparation stages each time you need a new disk - but be sure to rename each copy SEUCK games disk.
To make a stand-alone game you will have by now created players and objects with sound effects, onscreen start position and movement paths etc. As you create each part, save out the file to your SEUCK games disk using the same name for all the different types of data. When you are happy with your design work, ensure all separate parts are in memory (having checked that it works by selecting test game). Now you can save out all this separate data as one file. So, with your SEUCK Games disk inserted, select Save Everything and use the name you have chosen to give your game.
Boot up your workbench and then insert your SEUCK games disk. You can prepare your loading screen by using any utility that saves to IFF format. Make sure you save to the EDIT_FILES directory. This will automatically be included as part of the game when you click the icon. If you have not included a loading screen there will be a message indicating that this file has not been loaded and the name of the game will be displayed instead.
In order to autoboot your game when you insert the disk at an inssert Workbench prompt, you must use the notepad facility in your utilities drawer on Workbench to alter a file called startup-sequence in the S directory on your master games disk. (Startup sequence is a text file which the Amigas operating system looks at when it starts up. It then executes any commands which are that file.See your Amiga manual for details of startup sequence). You can replace LOADWB command with the name of your game.