VECTIS: IntroductionThese instructions refer to versions 3, 4 & 5 of the VECTIS bus operation simulation written by Dave Parker. The programme (and the Spectrum 'emulator' needed to run it) are both 'Freeware', that is you may copy the programmes free of charge and keep them as long as you wish without charge. You may make as many copies for you and your family and friends as you wish (see Vectis license agreement). I wrote the bus simulation 'VECTIS' in 1986 for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer. These instructions are for version 3.2 onwards; the previous versions are lost in my attic! The differences are mainly related to minor variations in the route map. The simulation is based on part of the Isle of Wight bus system. The routes depicted by the simulation depicts part the network in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Limitations with what could be done with a small computer mean that the spirit of the bus network is retained but route numbers and other aspects retain the spirit of the system but not are not totally accurate The user is challenged to run the bus network for a day. The simulator realistically allows for different seasons, times of day, bus sizes, customer behaviour, breakdowns and much more. You control twenty buses (four different sizes) on seven routes, working from 6 depots covering the Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Blackgang and Newport areas. Despite the age of the simulation and the fairly basic graphics (by today's standards) the game is still very playable (even addictive). The action takes place on a single screen where a route map, bus stops, waiting passengers and bus movements are displayed. The screen is therefore very 'busy' and daunting at first but if you spend a few minutes with the instructions it should be reasonably clear. User input is a bit 'clunky' with a slight delay due to the speed of the Spectrum when running a 'basic' programme. You will soon ignore this as the delay allows time to assimilate the latest information being displayed and allows time to formulate your next traffic movement. Versions 3 and 4 work with three seasons. If you select Winter, don't expect too many customers at the touristy areas such as 'Blackgang'. In Summer, Blackgang will be busy all day (and into the evening as it was floodlit until 10 p.m. in the late 70s and 80s). Simulated response to season and time of day covers the entire network and Blackgang is only an example. Knowledge of the Island will help you run the system effectively. Version 5 is a special 'holiday' edition which simulates the three busiest bank holidays, Easter, Whitsun (now known as Spring Bank holiday) and the busiest of all, August Bank holiday. Whereas versions 3 & 4 simulate busy weekdays, version 5 begins the day with fewer passengers as there is no 'rush hour' it being a holiday. However traffic builds quickly through the morning and you'll have no problem making a profit with the Island 'heaving' with tourists. Seaside areas such as Sandown, Lake, Shanklin and Ventnor will be busy as will the attractions such as Godshill, Blackgang Chine, the Botanic Gardens, Rare Breeds centre, St Lawrence (which had a bird park and a glass centre then). The biggest problem on these holidays will be to avoid losing too many passengers by keeping them waiting. You'll need to keep all your buses running so ensure you ensure you go for the higher maintenance option to avoid starting the day with broken down buses. This will of course add to your operational costs but will hopefully be compensated by high passenger receipts. Route 4 has been extended to the busy Balckgang Chine in version 5. My Isle of Wight website will help you get a feel for the area. Passenger levels will also change depending on the cost of a ticket and the frequency of the service you run (running more buses will attract extra customers). You'll need all twenty buses during the busy periods of a Summer's day. You can select to improve maintenance to keep more buses on the road but this will add to your fixed costs. Buses come in four sizes (and hence numbers of seats). Bigger buses cost more to run with a greater diesel cost. However when full they are very efficient and cost effective. That's a brief overview. The detailed instructions below will help you get to know the features of the game. It all looks a bit complicated but the user interface is simple to use once you get the hang of it. The idea of the simulation is to make as much money as possible (which will mean keeping the passengers happy). However don't expect to make as much in the Winter. In fact minimising the loss is a reasonable target in Winter. The Spectrum computer was advanced for its time but basic by today's standards. Therefore the sound, graphics and limited number of colours may not be what you are used to. However hopefully the game play will make up for the lack of racy graphics. Enjoy yourself and good luck! Please email me with any feedback on what you think of the simulation. I can make changes to the instructions etc. if they are unclear. This simulation is fairly new on the internet and I'm interested in how easy you found it to set up the simulation, and suggest any changes to the instructions you feel may help simplify it. I am considering a new version which will simulate busy holiday Sunday traffic patterns. I don't have any idea yet when this might be available. If you'd like me to keep you updated with progress, please click here. | Map of the routes used by the simulation programme, versions 3 and 4; Click image for larger version or here for the Bank Holiday route map. |
1. Starting the emulator and simulationWindowsThese instructions assume you have downloaded the spectrum emulator and VECTIS programme from the internet. If not, you will need to do this prior to using these instructions. Click on your desktop icon (like the one to the left) to start the emulator. The emulator application should start up as per the diagram right. The emulator supports different versions of Spectrum. It should work in any version but if you experience problems, select {options} {hardware} and set to 48k. The window will occasionally open using more than the available screen and overlap 'diagonally. In this event, drag the top of the window so that the window is centred; then reduce the size by clicking the mouse on the bottom right-hand corner and dragging it to make a smaller window. If you close the emulator and open it again, it should remember the new size and open correctly the second time. Click the {ZX} and {OPEN} tabs and browse to where you stored the Vectis application. After the first time you load it, the emulator will remember the application and you'll just need to select {FILE} and click on the Vectis application as a menu option. The application will load leaving a blank blue screen and the word RUN in the bottom left of your screen. Simply hit the [RETURN] key and VECTIS will be activated. AndriodThere are now Spectrum emulators available for an Android phone or tablet. Different emulators require varying file formats. I have included two or three file formats of Vectis (depending on the version) which will work from most Android emulators. A good (free) one is Marvin. Marvin has an option to download from a large database of Spectrum programmes which includes version 3 of Vectis." |
2. Simulator optionsVectis will now generate data based on the input assumptions you have just made (you don't need to worry about this - the data is used automatically by Vectis during the simulation). This will take a minute or so and a 'please wait' banner will flash to indicate this is in progress. When data generation is complete you will receive a number of game options. The first is which season would you like to simulate; Enter your choice (in lower case - no capitals).
|
You will now be asked to decide your fare structure. Using the 'u' and 'd' keys, you can change the fare per 'fare stage'. Higher fares will result in lower traffic; lower fares will lead to less revenue. A difficult choice?
|
You now need to make some decisions about the quality of your maintenance.
|
And finally, you can now select when you would like the simulation to start. The default is 06:20. You'll need to get the appropriate buses from their terminus to a starting point for their first 'real' journey when the rush hour begins (although buses never run without being in service, so passengers will still be transported while you are getting buses into position). You may decide you need less time in Winter, or even that the buses are already in suitable locations. You will need to try it out a few times to determine this. So set the clock and you're ready to begin.....
|
|
4. Game controlsControlling Vectis is very straightforward. The simulation will run, updating the map and other data until instructed otherwise by the user. The interruption can be in one of two forms:
Starting a bus: Press the {SPACE} bar and wait until the 'BUS' indicator in the status indicator panel lights up in yellow accompanied by a conformation sound. The simulator is now in pause mode awaiting your input so there's no rush. Study the display and decide which route requires a new service. Each terminus has a blue indicator with the number of buses available. If there's more than one, refer to the capacity chart and select which bus is the optimum size for the number of passengers you might expect to board. Enter the bus identification letter (lower case B, C, D, ..... , U). If you change your mind, simply press 'a' and the simulator will restart. Having selected a bus, the 'BUS' panel will return to dark blue and the ROUTE indicator will be highlighted. The bus identifier will be appended to the end of the BUS indicator to remind you. Now you need to select a route. Enter the route number required. The route will need to terminate at the terminus where your selected bus is waiting to start. An inappropriate selection will get an error message. Be careful not to use the 'F' keys when entering route numbers as they may cause unwanted changes to the emulator. A confirmation beep should verify the bus has been despatched (and it will appear on the map at the appropriate terminus having collected any waiting passengers. You may now enter another bus letter or 'a' if bus despatch is complete for now. This will restart the simulator. Control options: While the simulator is running (i.e. not while selecting a bus or route), you can choose what to display in the simulation information panel, either accounts, passenger, or bus journey data (see status indicator panel section for details); you may change this as often as you like during the simulation. Alternatively, entering 'w' will delete all data from this simulation and restart the simulator (you'll be asked to confirm so you can't do this accidentally). Whichever control option you select, the simulator may take a second or two to respond. The simulation information panel will provide conformation of the current status. Vectis will then automatically revert to 'simulator mode' without further user intervention. | BUS 'lights up' to confirm data entry (which bus) is required. Terminus indicator - in this example, 4 buses are available at the NE (Newport) terminus. This panel shows the number of seats in each of the twenty buses. There are four sizes of bus from 15 to 30 seats |
5. Bus indicator panel
|
6. Status information panel
|
7. Route, terminus and bus stop indicators
|
8. Simulation information panels
|
10. Saving a gameTo save a game, select {ZX} on the menu bar and {save as ...}. You can save the game anywhere on your computer. To load a save game, start the emulator and open this saved file rather than the Vectis application. The file will start from where you left off in 'emulator pause' mode. Click the small arrow (top left of window) to resume. |
11. Hints and tipsA few hints, tips and answers to common problems.
| Try organising your fleet like this |
12. Versions
|
These instructions were last updated: February 2015.
My websites with transport related content | ||
Email: Dave Parker |
VECTIS ©1986-2015 Dave Parker