Snipes
Encyclopedia
Snipes is a text-mode networked computer game that was created in 1983 by SuperSet Software. Snipes is officially credited as being the original inspiration for Novell NetWare
.
The player must first specify the number of snipes, hives and difficulty before they play. Each game is different because the computer generates a random new maze.
The creature is moved using the keyboard arrow keys and shoots in different directions with the A, S, D and W keys. By combining keys, diagonal movement and shooting can be achieved. Pressing the spacebar can provide extra velocity to run away from difficult situations from the snipes.
Several level options are available. First, a letter is chosen, which controls the environment settings. These include what bad guys are available, whether or not diagonal shots bounce off the walls, and whether running into a wall will simply block or kill you. The next choice is a number, which controls the maximum number of snipes that may exist and how many hives are initially created within the maze.
, provided that each user maps a drive to the executable location with read/write rights. This also implies that IPX is not directly used by Snipes to communicate between clients. A re-implementation was also made for Linux
.
2.06 game, that came bundled with Personal NetWare 1.0 and Novell DOS 7 since late 1993.
Novell NetWare
NetWare is a network operating system developed by Novell, Inc. It initially used cooperative multitasking to run various services on a personal computer, with network protocols based on the archetypal Xerox Network Systems stack....
.
Game play
The objective of the game is to control your creature by moving it around a maze to destroy snipes and their hives.The player must first specify the number of snipes, hives and difficulty before they play. Each game is different because the computer generates a random new maze.
The creature is moved using the keyboard arrow keys and shoots in different directions with the A, S, D and W keys. By combining keys, diagonal movement and shooting can be achieved. Pressing the spacebar can provide extra velocity to run away from difficult situations from the snipes.
Several level options are available. First, a letter is chosen, which controls the environment settings. These include what bad guys are available, whether or not diagonal shots bounce off the walls, and whether running into a wall will simply block or kill you. The next choice is a number, which controls the maximum number of snipes that may exist and how many hives are initially created within the maze.
Technical details
A requirement to play the multiplayer version of Snipes is that all users share a common network drive. It suggests that the various clients communicate to each other via shared file. The exact implementation details of this is not known but experiments have shown that Snipes can be played between Windows workstations in a "DOS" window under Windows XPWindows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, provided that each user maps a drive to the executable location with read/write rights. This also implies that IPX is not directly used by Snipes to communicate between clients. A re-implementation was also made for Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
.
NLSNIPES
A newer implementation of the game was developed and shipped with NetWare Lite 1.1 in September 1991. Its NLSNIPES.EXE executable had a filesize of less than 18 KB. It was replaced by the NetWarsNetWars
NetWars was an IPX-based 3D vector-graphics computer game released by Novell in 1993 for DOS to demonstrate NetWare capabilities. It was written by Edward Hill, one of Novell's engineers in its European Development Centre in Hungerford, UK...
2.06 game, that came bundled with Personal NetWare 1.0 and Novell DOS 7 since late 1993.