Winplan/registered introduced not only a new interface, but also a new TRN/RST file format giving players submitting Winplan-style turn files some advantages over players submitting old-style turns. PHost tries to compensate these differences as good as possible.
PHost distinguishes between three types of client programs: Winplan (turn files submitted with registered Winplan or compatible), DOS Planets (turn files submitted with DOS planets (registered or shareware), or Winplan shareware), and VPA (same as DOS Planets, but sends a client VPA command). When we say "players using Winplan", we actually mean "players using a program that generates Winplan-style turn files".
- Players using Winplan can see all scanned enemy ships. Others will receive only the 50 closest ones in their RST, the excess targets will be transmitted using util.dat. Thus, if you have a program that reads util.dat, you will see all your targets.
- Players using Winplan will see Ufo objects, and automatically receive the current race name file each turn.
- DOS Planets cannot handle extended missions. To avoid that planets.exe gets confused, PHost resets all extended missions to "none" at the end of the turn for those players. They can set these missions using the extmission command, or a program which handles extended missions.
- DOS Planets cannot handle waypoints larger than 160 ly in X direction or 140 ly in Y direction. Therefore, PHost will trim waypoints before generating RSTs for these players.
- Players who use Winplan automatically see all their minefields without having to mine sweep. If a Winplan player offers you mine-level, you'll also see all his minefields.
- PHost will reformat messages to DOS Planets players to fit into the DOS Planets message window (21 lines a 40 characters).
- In PHost up to version 3.4g/4.0d, only Winplan players can jettison ammo or cash. In these PHost versions, Winplan-shareware players cannot jettison at all.
These are the restrictions enforced by PHost. Client programs might impose further limitations. For example, not every client program allows you to set a mission with a parameter larger than 500. Not every client allows you to give a unload-to-planet order as well as a transfer-to-enemy-ship order.
