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# LOD Newsletter file
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NUMITEMS 4
LODNEWS1 Volume 1, Issue 1: Premier Issue!
LODNEWS2 Volume 1, Issue 2: LODNews Continues!
LODNEWS3 Volume 1, Issue 3: Yet Another LodNews!
LODNEWS4 Volume 2, Issue 1: March, 1993
@@LODNEWS1
                   Land Of Devastation News
                      Volume 1 Number 1

                    Editor: Scott M. Baker

Contents
 1) Welcome To the Premier Issue!.......Scott Baker
 2) Planned LOD Updates.................Scott Baker
 3) LOD's Graphics: How it works........Scott Baker
 4) User Submissions....................Scott Baker
 5) LOD Thoughts from Nick..............Nick (David Doyle)
 6) Xenon's Jounral Entry...............Xenon (Jonas Saunders)

Welcome to the Premier Issue!
By Scott M. Baker

    Welcome to the premier issue of the LOD newsletter. A few
users have requested that we start up a newsletter, so here it
is! (Now, if those same users would just submit something!)
    First of all, let me talk a little bit about my current
work on LOD. As I write this issue, I am taking a break from
the deisgn of LOD 3.00. Origanally, version 3.00 was going to
be a simple bug fix release, but the demand for new features
is so strong, I have decided to do what I can while I have the
time.
    For those of you who have complained that LOD is not
finished, version 3.00 is getting very close to what I am
going to consider "completion". The Puritron routines are
finally installed and fully functional. This means that the
users can finally win and restart the game. Also, if we we can
figure out the best way to do it, I'm going to try to throw in
some player-vs-player games and some player-vs-player combat.
    I've also been working on a set of new weapons for the
power hungry players out there. Already added are a few exotic
items such as the Pulse Bazooka and Xenon's Surprise. To power
these weapons, we have a nice Vortex Cell which can hold an
immense amount of power.
    Medical lining is also having some addition - there are
two new classes available which are quite handy out in the
wasteland. The price for these items? Well, let's just say
you'd better have played for a while before trying to buy one!
    For those of you who have completed all of the special
quests, I'm going to throw in a few more that you can work on.
Perhaps the first person to complete them in each game
will get a special award.

------------

Planned LOD Updates
Scott M. Baker

    Currently, here is a list of what updates I plan on making
in the future. These aren't listed in any particular order,
just whats on my mind:

    1) Finish player-vs-player combat! We all know you players
out there want to kill each other, so let me see if I can get
an option for it.

    2) Multi-level support. Not similar to the previous
multilevel support where the landscape was duplicated, but
actual inner maps for buildings and such. (i.e. You enter
Xeboc's lair and there is a sub-map for it)

    3) More monsters. We need the 4th, 5th, and 6th levels
populated. I threw in a few, but I could really use some
suggestions for a few more. (hint, hint)

    4) Player-vs-Player games. One of the major complaints
about LOD is that there isn't enough player-vs-player
interaction. I'd like to throw in some games to use that game
account and let the users interact a bit.

    That's whats on my mind for the next versions. If anyone
out there has any suggestions of other important things to be
added, or any ideas on the above, then let me know!

------------

LOD's graphics: How it works.
By Scott M. Baker

    The most often design question I get asked is about LOD's
(and GTERM's) graphics - how are they implemented? Well,
there's quite a long story to the actual process. Let's begin
by talking about where they came from.
    Shane Chambers has drawn up the bulk of the images. From
my understanding of the process, they start out on a clean
white piece of paper. Shane sketches them out freehand with a
pencil. Then he scans them in with a 2-color (monochrome)
scanner. The pictures are then converted and edited with Dr.
Halo and Dr. Halo DPE, colorized, and exported in a .GIF which
Shane sends to me.
    We chose the GIF format because it was something that is
somewhat popular and something that both Shane can write to
and I can read them. When the image arrives to me, I load it
into a little utility that I wrote which converts it to a
turbo pascal format.
    For the final step in organizing the images, they are
packed together into the various RESOURCE.xxx files. Some
people are under the impression that these files are in some
kind of proprietary format. They really aren't in any actual
format at all. They are simply all of the images stuck end to
end one right after the other. Small images (such as inventory
and map items) get thrown in one file and large images (such
as monster and town pictures) get thrown in another.
    The way I read these pictures in is really a complex
matter involving memory buffering and caching, EMS support,
etc, but the concept is really pretty simple - you "blockread"
them in to memory, and then display them onto the screen. It's
as simple as that. If you want to get fancy, you can RLE or
LZW compress your images to save space; You can buffer the
images in memory to increase speed, etc.
    The final thing that remains to be discussed is how does
LOD tell GTERM what pictures to display? This is accomplished
by a miniature error-correcting protocol that is operating
mostly in the background. LOD sends "packets" of data to
GTERM. GTERM interprets the contents of these packets and acts
accordingly. If you haven't already, then reading a good
discussion of XMODEM will help you understand the operation of
error correcting protocols. While xmodem is not very highly
regarded for it's efficiency or security, it's basic
foundation is the key to understanding how a door may
communicate with remote terminal.
    Well, there you have it, a very basic discussion of how
the graphics routines in LOD and GTERM work.

-------------

User Submissions
by Scott M. Baker

    This newsletter is open to submissions by anyone - if you
have something to submit, then just upload it to my bbs. If I
decide it belongs in the newsletter, then it'll show up in the
next issue.

    Here's a few things that I would like to see submitted if
some people out there have the time:

- Newuser tips, playing strategies, etc.

    At times, LOD can be a very comlex game. Sometimes,
    these complexities are a bit hard for new users to
    pick up. So, those of you experienced LOD maniacs
    out there, please send in some tips, your winning
    strategies, etc.

- Historical Text

    If you like to do SF writing, then a few "background"
    stories about the nuclear history in LOD would be
    nice. In my own discussion of LOD's history have left
    some details out. If for example, you would like to
    document the fall of society to nuclear holocaust in
    2005, then go for it! After all, LOD really is just an
    interactive multiplayer story!

- Monster Designs

    Although they probably won't appear in the newsletter,
    I am always looking for more monsters. Particularly
    ones to populate the outer zones. If you like, write
    me up some and I'll see if I can throw them in. Note:
    Please try to fit them into the existing LOD framework
    and plot. Monsters that have unknown weapons and
    origins sometimes just don't fit.

- Combat description text

    Are combat descriptions sometimes seem a bit limited.
    Sometimes I myself can get real tired of hearing "You
    slash into the Rad Hound with your sword." If you have
    a talent for writing up good descriptions, I wouldn't
    mind seeing some of these either.

    The newsletter will be published as often as enough
material accumulates to make it a decent size.

-------------

LOD thoughts from Nick...

I never thought I'd become an adventurer:  I'm really not the
type for blasting mutant creatures, executioner robots and
such with gizmos I can't even pronounce, much less understand.
But then again, I never thought the civilized world would come
to an end either.  You have to do you best with what you have
to work with though, and so, with the world the way it is, I
guess I'm real fortunate to have had the sense to enlist.  And
you know what?   I found out I'm not half bad at it either!

Now most people don't do things quite the way I do -- and
nobody can tell you what you ought to -- a body's gotta decide
such things himself and live with it.  But I noticed some
things I thought might make it easier on those that take up
where I leave off.  Maybe what I tell might help.  Then again,
maybe not.

First off:  Money.  Figure out what's worth collecting
depending on your net worth and level.  At first, a real quick
trip out to pick up anything you can find will get you that
extra 100 to buy a razorlance.  Also, suppose you hop out of
base in your shorts and not so much as a butter knife on you
(don't waste your money on equipment [more on this in a
minute])  I wouldn't be afraid to run away from a scavenger or
insane soldier -- they might shoot at you, but you can just
heal it.  Later on in the game, don't waste your inventory
carrying cheap stuff -- some of the armor is worth a lot.
Also, keep some cash in the bank ... compound interest is the
8th wonder of the new world!

Second:  Use the technology.   Some say we're better off back
in the caves wearing skins and fighting with rocks 'cause
"technology" got us into this mess.  But its what people  did
with it that caused the devastation and besides, when a death
warrior comes after you, energy armor and a neutron rifle sure
keeps you alive better.  Also, its our only hope ... we have
to get the puritron on-line or we're stuck!

Oh yeah, I was talking about using the devices:  The stealth
buckles are great!  You can use several at a time to cover
some dangerous ground, and scavenge some good equipment up.
Also the computer store has some handy stuff -- the DIET
program sure saves you hassle and food bill.  (Nobody enjoys
eating now anyway)

Third:  Pay attention to where you are.  If you find yourself
in a new area, remember what you did to get there and what it
looks like.  If you can't close your eyes and still see the
scenery, you're not concentrating on what's around you enough.
You should have a sense for how far away from things you are,
too:  the dist/zone monitor helps you develop a feel for this.

Fourth:  Cooperate.  Use the mail, talk to the others out
there.  And remember, we're all trying to save the world --
there's enough opponents out in the wasteland without us
killing each other off.

----------
Xenon Journal Entry - Date ????

        Today as I set out from Sacre Base, in search for the
missing puritron devices, I had an uneasy feeling.  This
wasn't going to be a easy journey.

                                Xenon

Ok, guys, so you wanna be an adventurer?  Here's some hints
from the greatest adventurer ever, Xenon (aka Jonas Saunders).

Getting killed by monsters too quickly?  Buy a stealth device.
Activate the stealth's Quiet Mode.  Go as far as you can, in,
say zone 3 or 4.  Find some better weapons.  (There's bound to
be some laying around if the game has been running for a
while) If you happen to encounter a monster, RUN.  If you get
hit, use your medkit. Don't attack until you have better
weapon and armor. When you do find some, go back to Zone 1 and
start attacking monsters.  ALWAYS surrender if your HP go
below 10.  Or take risks.

Starving to death?  Buy the laptop and the DIET program.  Get
the GSRZ/50 rations.  You'll last about 1 month.  (Real-time,
not game-wise)

Dying and starting over?  Buy the laptop and find the EM-Warp
ROM. Find some Warper/5's.  You'll save some precious time and
won't have to start over so much.

Collecting items the monster drop off the wasteland and
selling them is the BEST way to earn money.  As soon as you
have about 2 million credits (About 20 minutes worth of
work/play time) BUY the Neutron Sabre and Neutron Rifle.
Those weapons will help. Getting a Pylon key will really help
you later on the game.

Find the EEEE Center and the Clone Center AS EARLY IN THE GAME
AS YOU can.  The EEEE Center has a nifty weapon, called
Xenon's Surprise. This weapon will blow the monsters away with
ease.  Get one of the Vortex Cells also.  You can add
unlimited amounts of power to it and don't have to worry about
going back to one of the base to buy more power.  Get Stizli
Medline and you'll regain 1 HP each 2 move.  This may help out
in tight situations where you're out of Medkits.

Build a Fortress in each Zone.  (Zone 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Give
all fortresses Teleporters.  This will help you teleport back
to Sacre Base to resupply.  Then you can go back to Zone 1
base and teleport to whatever zone you were in last.  This
strategy has helped me greatly.

Use the Pylons to find TASDU - the machine may have some
useful information.  Use the Pylons to find Xeboc too.  He has
one Puritron Device.  Use the Pylons to find the Nuclear Silo.
There is a Puritron Device there.

Talking to monsters may yield some interesting answers and
solutions for the Quests.  Some monsters might have the Tetris
ROM, buy it.  (or destroy the monster and risk the Tetris ROM
being dissolved)

I think this should be good enough to get you guys started.
Xenon Out.

----------

You can download copies of this newsletter, upload
submissions, or whatever from the following bulletin board
system:

The Not-Yet-Named bbs
Node #1: [phone]  (V.32)
Node #2: (602) xxx-xxxx  (USR DUAL)  (Temp Down)
@@LODNEWS2
                 Land Of Devastation News
                    Volume 1 Number 2

                  Editor: Scott M. Baker

Contents
 1) Welcome to Issue Number Two!......Scott Baker
 2) Version 3.30: Team Support........Scott Baker
 3) Some Tips for Advanced Players....Art Rainy
 4) Special Questing..................Gurlock The Almighty
 5) Crippleware/Bonusware/Delayware...Scott Baker
 6) The Death of Nuke Man.............Pit Bull (James Cox)
 7) Salvation of the Puritron I.......Pit Bull (James Cox)
 8) People I wish to thank............Scott Baker
 9) Letters to the Editor.............n/a

Welcome to Issue Number Two!
By Scott M. Baker

    Welcome to the second issue of LODNEWS. If everything
goes as planned, then this issue will be released on the
same date as Land of Devastation version 3.30 which has
some nice new features. (See the section about version
3.30 below)

    We're still running a bit low on user submissions. I
know there are many of you out there playing Land Of
Devastation, so how about sharing your knowledge and
strategies with the rest of us? Or why not personalize
your character by sending in a short story describing his
history?

    We'd really like to hear from you!

------------

Version 3.30: Team Support!
By Scott M. Baker

    I'm very excited about version 3.30 and I hope some of
you are too. This is the first version of LOD that has
team support built in! You can now band together with your
comrades! For you lower players out there, teaming up will
allow you to make some progress against those higher above
you.

    So what can a team of lower players do to fight
someone immensely larger than them? How about laying siege
to your enemy's fortresses? Although a fortress's defenses
may be great and powerful, a band of determined players
can exhaust the fortress's energy supply, effectively
neutralizing it's defenses. Then you just walk in and take
inventory of your new home! Or perhaps you sell out it's
defenses and self destruct the fortress! That ought to get
your adversary more than just slightly upset.

    A prime advantage for team play is a pooling of
resources. Sharing fortresses can be a great advantage.
For example, you may have more Warper/5's then you know
what to do with, but your friends may be in desperate need
for a warper. So, leave it in your fortress and your
teammate [assuming he has your fortress's password] can
pick it up when he needs it.

    Those are all things that you could previously do on
your own. So, what does the new built in team support
grant you?

    First of all, if you buy a smart mine and set it
somewhere, it is smart enough not only to spare your life
if you re-enter the area, but your teammates as well. The
nice thing about mines is that an adventurer never knows
how many are there. This element of uncertainty can allow
you to build up a decent defense around an important area
(such as your favorite fortress!)

    Secondly, your teammates can view the location of your
fortresses (with the fortlist ROM and with the fortress
teleporter command) and teleport to/from them for free.
This allows you to set up a "transportation network". One
of you could build and maintain a fortress by Sacre Base,
another by Freedom City, and another by the Death Warrior
camp. Instantly, you have the capability to travel between
three of the main cities!

------------

Some Tips for Advanced LOD Players
By Art Rainy

Warpers--The EM-Warp program always uses the highest
numbered warper in your inventory.  Free up inventory
slots by always placing your lowest numbered warper
highest in your inventory.  That should eliminate the
problem of two or three warpers with only one warp left on
them.

[Editors note: Making the EM-Warp program a bit smarter
about which Warper is used is on my list of things to do,
so the above may or may not be valid at the time you read
this]

Stealth fields and Inviroblurs--These units operate
cumulatively.  The use of multiple units can double your
chances of increasing those valuable experience points or
of surviving as you sneak away from dangerous territory.

Kill Objects--Most players quickly learn the advantage of
leaving items where they fall if they need neither its
cash value or its advantage in conflict. Thus they
exchange items of value and bypass Sacre Base.  However,
when most players have advanced into levels two and
higher, no player is interested in picking up daggers and
cloth armor.  It is to your advantage to kill those
useless objects and benefit from the janitorial fee.
Sysops might consider raising that fee to more than $5 per
unit to further temp players to clean up the board.

Map the Board--LOD's intrepid designer has included
editing capabilities that allow sysop's to modify the
design of the map.  Just because the Clone Center was at a
certain location in the last game does not imply that it
will remain there after a reset.  To avoid confusion about
locations prepare a 125 by 125 grid and map the locations
of obstructions as well as those of cities and camps.  You
can eliminate trips into cul-de-sacs and excessive danger
zones

--------------

Special Questing
By Gurlock The Almighty

[Editors note: The following gives information on solving
2 of LOD's special quests. Players who don't want the
secret "given away" may wish to skip this secion]

    Ok now, the best way that a starting player can get
going quickly is to use the quests.  Land Of Devastation
has many special quests.  There's hard ones and there's
easy ones.  I'll describe an easy one or two for you new
guys out there!

    The first thing that you should do is perform the
steaks special quest.  Do this when you are like level 2
or 3 (other wise you might get wasted).  Ok - here's what
you do: Follow the road that leaves sacre base and keep
going east.  If you come to any "T" intersections, then
choose the upper path.  At some point you'll enter zone
#2, so start running from all of monsters (otherwise
they'll waste you).  Eventually, you'll come to another
city. This city is freedom camp.  Now, follow the
mountains south of Freedom Camp.  You'll first see a pylon
(ignore it) and the as you continue, you'll run into the
horticulture center (HS).  Enter the HS, talk to the
manager, and pick up Troy's Steaks.  Then go back the way
you came - back to sacre base.  When you will return, you
will have won the first special quest!!!!!!!!

    The next quest is also pretty easy.  First you'll need
to buy a pylonkey.  Do this at either Sacre Base or
Freedom City. Remember that pylon you passed in the above
quest? Well, go back there.  Now, try all the code
combinations at the pylon.  Write down where you end up
with one. Important-- if you run into Xeboc, RUN FROM HIM!
or he'll waste you!!! Eventually, you'll find the
T.A.D.S.U.  When you find it, you've won another special
quest!!!!  (Now, you just gots to remember the right pylon
code [You wrote them down, right?] to get back to where
you cam from!]

    If I remember, you got like 5,000 experience for each
of those quests!  Wow!  For a beginner, that's a level or
two!!!  Plus you also get to talk to the tadsu and learn a
bunch of information!  And theres more! Once you buy a
laptop, you can go to the computer store and pickup Troy's
Rom and get a whole lot of info!!!

------------

Crippleware/Bonusware/Delayware
By Scott M. Baker

    As most of you notice, LOD is distributed in a manner
similar to shareware. The fully functional working version
is distributed to everyone. Those who like the program,
use it a lot, etc are supposed to send in a registration
fee (aka donation) to support it. Once a donation is
received, I enter their information into the Reglook door
on my bbs where they can call and pick up a code. The code
then enables the message "This copy is registered to xxxx.
Please thank your sysop for registering."

    I have had several sysops who have told me that this
is not enough incentive for them to register. They say
they would only register if they receive something above
the current version. They want their registered copy to be
something better than John Doe's unregistered copy across
town. They want users to appreciate the fact that they
have registered. Before I continue, let me explain a few
terms:

    Crippleware: In this method, the game is distributed
to the public with many of it's features disabled. Limits
on the number of players are imposed, etc. When the sysop
sends in the donation, he receives a "key" which enables
the full features.

    Bonusware: Very similar to crippleware, but the
philosophy is slightly different. The full version is
distributed, but sending in a donation will get the sysop
some sort of "bonus". Something like an external player
editor. The problem is, there is a fine line between
bonusware and crippleware. Is removing the editor
considered "crippling" a program or is the editor a
"bonus" for registered users?

    Delayware: This is where you put a delay in the
unregistered version. Something similar to "This copy is
unregistered. Please wait 10 seconds."

    Annoyware: Here we find other ways to annoy the sysop
into registering. We could throw up a long message on the
screen every time a user enters the door. We could put in
a message attacking the sysop for not registering, etc.

    As I said before, I don't currently use any of the
above methods. You get the full version whether you
register or not. Sysops who send in registrations simply
have the piece of mind of knowing they have paid for the
software, and of course, a message saying "Please thank
your sysop for registering."

    As more and more people keep telling me they think I
should do something more, I am starting to consider it.
After all, LOD is no small project - it does require a lot
of my time and I wouldn't mind an increase in donations.

    So what I would like is comments, what would people
think? Here is what I would do under each of the above
ideas:

    Crippleware: (Out of the question - I hate crippled
programs)

    Bonusware:   Only give registered sysops the editor
package (LODxxxE.ARJ)

    Delayware:   Add in a 5 or 10 second delay after the
"encourage your sysop to register" message.

    Annoyware:   Make the user read a screen at the end of
the game (i.e. when the user quits or camps out) about how
his sysop should register, how important registering
shareware is, etc.

    My question is, if I was to instate one of the above
policies, which one would people prefer? Right now, I like
the delay idea. 5 seconds isn't too long to turn people
off and it is long enough to make the "please register"
message stick in peoples' minds. If you have a response,
you can send it to me at the bbs number listed at the end
of this document.

------------

The Death of Nuke Man
By Pit Bull

    I woke up to an alarming situation. I was no longer
within the safe confines of my fortress - I was laying on
the bare wasteland. It is pure luck that I am alive. A
single Biomutant could have done me in while I slept
unprotected.
    But what had happened to my fortress? My protection
against this hellish land? I could just see it's
smoldering ruins a few meters to the east. The cause was
clear: Another warrior, one who should have been my
companion in this struggle for freedom, had ruthlessly
desecrated my base. He must pay.
    I bootup up my laptop which had luckily been spared
from the attack. I typed in the commands to retrieve the
previous few days log. And I waited.... waited... for the
name of the one who had done this. The name of the person
who would suffer my vengeance.
    And then it appeared: Nuke Man. Why had he done this
to me? Perhaps I shall never know. I had never met Nuke
Man personally. From the rankings posted in the troop
quarters, I could tell that he was nearly as good as
myself. Perhaps he was in need of some quick cash and my
glorious fortress caught his eye. Or perhaps he wanted the
glory of capturing the puritron parts himself.
    Something else caught my eye in the log. Those two
words would burn in my mind for the next two days:
"Fortress Constructed". After Nuke Man had destroyed my
own home, he had constructed himself a fortress. This
would be my vengeance. I will find his fortress and show
him that what goes around comes around.
    For two days I searched. Across the plains surrounding
Sacre Base, within the mountains around Freedom City. Even
as far as the EEEE center and then I found it. Hidden
around the bend amongst some impassable mountains.
    I leveled my phaser-3 at the base's defense field and
fired. Electric fire shot up when the two energy fields
met. By now, Nuke Man would be panicking with the sounds
of sirens and alarms. I entered the moat surrounding his
fortress and I saw it - the alligator ... It was
approaching fast. I tried to swim faster, but it was no
use - MY right leg was nearly town apart by it's jaws.
    Luckily I managed to reach the bank of the moat with
my life still intact. I slashed several times with my
electrolance, burning into Nuke Man's defense fields. I
took a few slugs from his robopistol. But I was more
powerful then his measly defense. The fortress's defense
field fell. Then it was just me and Nuke Man.
    He had an electroblade. He must have thought that he
would be able to handle me in my weakened condition - but
he was wrong for my dexterity and agility were much
greater than his. He lunged forward, hoping to stab me
with his electroblade. One quick swing with my
electrolance and the electroblade, along with the majority
of Nuke Man's hand and lower arm was now lying across the
room.
    He cried in pain and begged for his life. I was not
without mercy. I let him live. After all, I had gained a
new fortress - and I would not self destruct this one as
the foolish Nuke Man did when he conquered mine. I figured
that would be the last of Nuke Man - that he had learned
his lesson. But sadly, it was not so.
    The very next day the log showed an attempted attack
on my new fortress - by none other than Nuke Man. The log
simply said that he had perished. But I knew what had
happened. That alligator in the moat - the one that Nuke
Man had bought - had a very full belly that day.
    I hope this sad tale will convince those out there
that I, Pit Bull, am not to be toyed with. I have shown
mercy and let one evil one live, only to have him attack
my fortress the very next day. The next time someone
attacks one of my fortresses I may not show any mercy.
After all, the alligators do need to eat.

------------

Salvation of The Puritron Part I
by Pit Bull

    It was a lonely day in the wastelands. When I awoke, I
had no special feeling of greatness - no idea of the glory
that would come later in the afternoon. No idea that I
would earn my place in the great plaque of the puritron
room.
    I set out to do my usual exploring. First on my list
was the pylons. I had already mapped out two of the
locations and I was going to find the rest. These pylons
are of a powerful nature. Able to teleport matter all
around the wasteland. I wondered where the codes I would
try today would lead me.
    The first one took me out into Zone four somewhere.
Not a very pleasant place. I was nearly killed by a Black
Widow before I was able to escape back into the pylon and
get back to Zone two.
    The next one took me into some computer. The feeling
of disorientation was incredible. I think that I was
actually inside of the computer itself. The information
and insight I gained was incredible. Knowledge that would
help the fight for peace and the salvation of the
wasteland was in my grasp. I had also completed one of the
special quests. This day was shaping up tp be pretty good.
    Then I tried another pylon code. This one brought me
to a strange room. The walls were made of a metal that I
had never seen before - something from beyond this world.
I walked ahead. A lone humanoid stood before me. I yelled
"I am Pit Bull ... Of Sacre Base ... I come in search of
the lost Puritron Parts". The response I received was not
very pleasant.
    "I am Xeboc the almighty... Xeboc the all powerful...
I will destroy you!". I raised my weapons in preparation
for a fight. I sighted him in with my Comp Blaster. A
stream of electric death shot forward from my weapon...
and right into the wall next to Xeboc. Damn! I had missed.
    We clashed into hand to hand combat. I hit and he hit.
Then I missed. He missed. I hit and I hit again. Finally
he fell. I had succeeded! Or at least I thought. I was
tricked.
    The image before me vanished. I was fighting a
hologram. Xebocs voice came across the speaker, mocking
me. I would have to search elsewhere for this villain.
    I prepared to leave. But something caught my eye - it
was one of the puritron parts. I reached for it. I ran all
the way back to Sacre Base with my treasure.
    Defs Sacre and Troy Hadley were waiting for me. They
eagerly installed the part into the puritron room. "Well,
Pit Bull, you only have four more left to find" Defs Sacre
grinned.
    And then I rested, knowing that I had accomplished
something great that day.... and preparing for what would
lie ahead. I was sure I would have to face Xeboc again.
And it would not be a pleasant experience.

------------

People I Wish to Thank
Scott M. Baker

    In this section, I'm going to start listing a little
about the people who help me support LOD, who submit
information that isn't presented here.

    Anthony Malone: Anthony wrote up the nice history text
file that is used in the HISTORY ROM / special quest in
LOD. His story fit nicely into the game and is much
appreciated.

    Joseph Johnson: Joseph submitted me a very extensive
listing of combat strings for use in LOD. His board [place
bbs name here] at 212-893-2318 [Note: This is a correction
from the original LODNEWS2 where the incorrect area code
was specified], is running a highly customized copy of
LOD. I haven't seen it myself, but I hear it's quite a
thing to see.

    Jonas Saunders: The infamous Xenon in my LOD game here
on the bbs. He's as skilled a bug-finder and playtested as
he is a LOD warrior! Jonas also happens to be the very
first winner of a LOD game!

------------

Letters to the Editor

    Well, every newsletter/magazine has a letters to the
editor section, right? So here is ours! I've posted a few
messages out of my comments area on the bbs and a few of
the national echos to get things started, but in the
future, anyone who wants to, just mark that you would like
your letter to appear here and I'll post it up!


Scott,
    Let me start off by saying that I don't usually post
messages, or write letters.  Today I Installed LOD321
(from Wildcats(MSI) BBS). I have never been a fan of Role
playing games at all. But, somehow your is different, you
dont get sucked into it (although i played for 12 hours,
thats besides the point), anyway I am thoroughly
impressed, I have never seen such graphics/details (Pixels
and or ansi) in a door game, not to mention the plot of
the game. At any rate keep you the EXCELLENT work. You can
rest-assured that come pay day you will get whatever it
takes (I believe $20 or so) to get the game registered.

Craig Salmond
SYSOP of Craig's DATA Exchange [phone] 14.4k FREE!

PS, You need to hold a conference on how you got you modem
to answer flawlessly at 14.4k with a non-usr modem. Most
people I connect to I get a measly 9600, but not on your
BBS. keep on BBSing

-=-

    Thanks for the kind words, Craig. I try my best to
keep LOD at the leading edge of technology and from the
comments I get, I see that I am being successful! As for
the modem, I don't know of anything particular that I've
done, but I'm glad it works!

    Scott Baker

-=====-

  Hey Scott, I really like LOD, and am grateful that you
got my registration up so quickly... I run a bbs here, and
want to get Galactic Warzone for it as well. Also I want
to be a Registered user on your BBS, so if ya could
validate me, I would Appreciate it. And thanks for the
great game... Wish I was able to Write games myself...

                             Thanks....
                                  Wayne Gay

-=-

    I'm glad to hear you like LOD, Wayne. With my current
registration system, I usually get registrations up on the
bbs either the same day they arrive or shortly later. As
for Galwars, I have sold the rights to Jim Kiersey who
will be continuing support for it. Expect a new release
from him very soon!

    Scott Baker

-=====-

[From Joel Boutros to Jeff Hanson in Area Ooii. Subject:
L.O.D.]

JH -=>writing a door yourself.

Ah, but is it the next best thing to copying a door?  Or
Copying 5 or 6 doors?

Let's see...OOII, TW1000, Never got SZModem working and
when I mailed the wanna-be he never replied, MechWars
never worked right...  Gee, Jeff, you seem to be a
brown-noser to this guy...What else did he make that
wasn't worth 30 seconds to download?

Oh, tell the little bag of toejam that I _still_ can't get
SZ working after 1 year and a half. --- GEcho/beta *

Origin: Cosmix Station [phone]  (1:280/2)

-=-

    Joel, I'm sad to see that you feel this way about me
and my software. Such negative comments are the mark of an
immature mind and an eyesore to the entire bbs community.
    Let's start at the top. LOD is not a copy of OOII.
Galactic Warzone was written with Al Davenport's (author
of TW1000) support and encouragement. I'm sorry you
couldn't get SZModem to work - you might wish to try the
latest version which has new Async routines. I don't
recall ever receiving a letter from you. MechWars is
written by Shane Chambers, not myself, and it seems to
work fine on my system and many more across the country.
    In addition to LOD, GW, and SZMODEM, I have written
NEWGAL (GWII), Door Driver, CMENU, CDRDoor, Locread, and
the initial Echodor mail reader. (All of which have an
established registered user base)
    Jeff Hanson is a friend that I had mind the system for
a week while I was gone. And I must admit, he did a good
job here, possibly even better than when I'm operating the
bbs myself.
    You seem to be quite full of criticism. Tell me, where
is some of the software that YOU have written that I may
download and evaluate? I'll be sure to send my comments
your way.
    Scott Baker

------------

You can download copies of this newsletter, upload
submissions, or whatever from the following bulletin board
system:

The Not-Yet-Named bbs
Node #1: [phone]  (v.32)         FIDO: 1:300/9
Node #2: (602) xxx-xxxx  (USR Dual)     FIDO: 1:300/29 (Temp. Down)
@@LODNEWS3
                 Land Of Devastation News
                    Volume 1 Number 3

                  Editor: Scott M. Baker

Contents
 1) Welcome to our third issue!........Scott Baker
 2) The Player Who Has Everything......Steve Lamb
 3) Foxx's Hunters, Law of the.........Steve Lamb
 4) Nuke Mania.........................Pit Bull
 5) Lod Story..........................}{ighlander
 6) Lod Suggestions....................}{ighlander
 7) Delayware..........................Scott Baker
 8) People I wish to thank.............Scott Baker


Welcome to our third issue!
By Scott M. Baker

    The time has come for the third issue of LODNEWS. This
issue isn't as large as I had hoped for, but I decided to
rush it out with LOD 3.40 because I had a few users
submissions that I wanted to take care of. I wish to thank
those who sent me in submissions - your work has helped to
make LODNEWS a success!

    Scott Baker

----------

Subject: For the player who has everything A.K.A "The
SysOp"

    OK, so, you're a SysOp of a BBS running LoD and you
play that game. However, you find that you dominate the
game because you are the SysOp or the other players think
you dominate because you are SysOp.  Here's a suggestion
on what to do and still play:

    Play "Guardian."  You know, they support guy who never
does the heroic deeds himself, but helps the hero (in this
case, the players), indirectly? Like the kindly old man in
the swords and sorcery genre of movies who tells the hero
to complete a quest which he, the old man, cannot
accompany, BUT can give you this to "help you finish your
quest."

    In other words, since you are SysOp and can dominate
that if you so choose, dominate the game!  But don't play
to win, play to help YOUR callers complete the quest for
the Puritron.  However, in no way do I mean whip out the
player editor and give yourself god-like powers!

    On my BBS, where a game of LoD just started, I play
LoD quite a bit, more than the time limits of all my
callers (what can I say, I like LoD).  I'm currently in
the process of setting up fortresses in Zones 1,2 & 3.
These fortresses (which I call holds) offer low cost
teleportation, low cost medical & power, and weapons at
reduced price (but above the resell value).  The whole
purpose of playing the game locally is to keep these
fortresses well stocked and defended.

    LoD, unlike other "wasteland" doors, is difficult to
learn and master. Newbie's to the wasteland scenerio as
well as "pros" at the other wasteland scenerios can easily
get discouraged.  The idea of the "public" fortresses is
to give them easy access to the nessecities, but at a
price...  Not to make a profit, but to let them learn the
limits of *THIS* game w/o the discouragement of dying.
Unlike other games, if you die in LoD w/o a clone, it is
*VERY* difficult to return to combat.  Death does take
it's toll in LoD.

    On the other hand...  If one of the callers nukes a
"public" fortress, the owner/keeper does have the right to
extract payment in the form of one life. :)

----------

[Date]   : Oct 25th, 2022 [Time]   : 00:00:00.00
[Subject]: Foxx's Hunters, Law of the

    Ever since Defs Sacre, leading the Sacre Hawks, was
attacked and lost the puritron device there has been a
need for an elite group of warriors to retrieve the five
parts of the device.  Let it be known that on October 25th
of the 2022 year of the old calander makrs the birth of
the Foxx's Hunters. Following are the x laws of the Foxx's
Hunters.  Any who wish to apply must follow these laws
completely.

    01: All information/weapons/armor/misc items are
property of the Foxx's Hunters.  At the end of the day the
following procedures must be taken: a: All credits must be
deposited into FXHold. 01: Major Foxx can and will
authorize personal funds to be deposited into the Game
Account for the sole purpose of gaining interest for the
Foxx's Hunters b: All powerpacks/belts must be discharged
into FXHold. c: All medical supplies must be discharged
into FXHold. d: All items minus personal computers must be
dropped into the FXHold storage facility. e: All Puritron
device parts must be dropped into the FXHold storage
facility. 02: The sole purpose of the Foxx's Hunters is to
retrieve the five lost components of the Puritron device.
To this end the following procedures must be followed: a:
NO other recruits/fortresses are to be attacked or harmed
in any way unless ordered by Major Foxx. 01: Major Foxx
will order retalitory attacks as described under section
04. b: NO threats will be made by any member of the Foxx's
Hunters towards any other recruit or thier property. c: NO
assistance is to be rendered to any other recruit in the
form of credits/armor/weapons/information or misc items
unless otherwise authorized by Major Foxx. 03: Loyalty to
the Foxx's Hunters must be absolute.  To this end the
following procedures will be followed: a: NO fighting
between members of the Foxx's Hunters. b: NO individual,
unauthorized strikes. c: NO willful destructiong of Foxx's
Hunter property. d: NO disclosing the existence of the
Foxx's Hunters to anyone other than fellow Foxx's Hunters
recruits. e: NO willful inaction on an offensive strike as
ordered by Major Foxx. 04: Offensive action will be taken,
as ordered by Major Foxx, under the following offenses: a:
Attack on or willful distruction of Foxx's Hunters
property. b: Attack on Foxx's Hunters personell. c:
Violation of Foxx's Hunters law sections: 01.b, 01.d,
01.e, 02.a, 02.c, 03.d, 03.e.

    In a nutshell, ladies and gentlemen, you join the
Foxx's Hunters and you gain something and you loose
something.  What you gain is a guarenteed safe place to
sleep other than Sacre Base and Freedom City.  You gain
all knowledge and information that all other members of
the Foxx's Hunters have.  You gain the weapons and armor
collected by the entire group.  You gain the added benefit
of safety in numbers, in other words, if another Sacre
base attacks you, you know that the entire Foxx's Hunters
will not rest until they have paid equal to the injustice
done to you.

    What you loose is the personal freedom to do what you
want when you want. The freedom to keep personal weapons,
to act in an offensive strike on your own, and to gain
personal wealth.  But it is for the common good.  The
Earth will be a better place.  For it is easier to
overcome greater challenges from inside a group.

    Secrecy of the Foxx's Hunters is paramount.  The less
the other recuits know, the better off we are.
Information is power, and if they do not know that there
is a tangable force out there, nor it's name, they are not
inclined to attack the "all powerful" group.

    If anyone wants out, leave the room now.  However, you
are hereby warned, anyone disclosing this meetings events
will face the Foxx's Hunters.  And a dead recruit cannot
identify it's killer...

------------

Nuke Mania
Pit Bull

    I knew he would be back. I had fought him once before
and defeated him. And when I let him live without
punishment, he had double crossed me by attempting to take
over my fortress.
    When I found his chewed up body floating in my moat
surrounding my fortress the next morning, I assumed I had
heard the last of the infamous Nuke Man. I carried his
body back to sacre base with burial.
    But, to my surprise, the sacre base medics managed to
bring life back to his body. And nuke man lived again. I
didn't say much. I figured after his failure, he would
leave me alone. Not to mention that he was not in the best
of health to be fighting.
    I don't know how he managed to do it, but Nuke Man
managed to befriend one of the larger player named
Sneezoid. Sneezoid, who had accumulated quite a bit of
wealth from scavenging the wasteland, gave Nuke Man a
pulse bazooka and a neutron sabre.
    Of course, the first thing nuke man did was head for
my base. It took him ten attacks, but he wasted the
defenses and ravaged my supplies. When he was finished, he
self destructed my fortress. I should have know he would
do it.
    Lucky for me, I had built a second fortress across
some mountains to the east. And nuke man didn't know about
it. Thank God, I had relocated there when he destroyed the
first fortress. At least I was safe in my second "backup".
    I hailed Sneezoid, I explained my plight. Sneezoid
realized that he had bestowed his money into the hands of
a dishonerable worrier. And he realized that he should
compensate me for my trouble with Nuke Man. So he gave me
a whopping ONE MILLION dollars.
    I equipped my second fortress with enough firepower to
defend against Nuke Man. Then I challenged Nuke Man to
come after me again.
    And of course, he took me up on the offer. That night
Nuke Man returned to my fortress. Not realizing the
strength of my defenses, he attacked.
    All that remained of Nuke Man was a charred corpse on
the ground outside my fort. The body was so badly burned
and decimated that I knew he could not be revived. I took
his weapons and armed myself with them. Now, nobody would
fool with me!
    Then next day I would set forth to seek out another
puritron piece to save the land. When I was leaving
though, something happened that nearly gave me a heart
attack. I noticed a discarded receipt laying in the
vicinity of nuke mans remains. It said "Clone Center,
Inc."!

------------

Lod Story
}{ighlander aka Cory Doss


     The sun was beating overhead hotter than usual, but
there was no way it could ever heat me from my cold sweat.
I had finally seen the phaser cache, and I knew that I had
to make an attempt to get into it. Only a seemingly
endless trip across wasteland and radiation hell was
stopping me from getting to it, and the Black Widow's of
the area weren't to thrilled about me being there either.
I was no match for the local monsters, so what was I
thinking when I headed for the obviously guarded cache? As
I neared, I noticed signs of life which made me twitch
with a nervous energy. I finally reached the cache, and
examined it closer. I made my way inside, and when I did I
found myself standing face to face with the star of
pre-holocaust video entertainment, Captain James Kirk of
the Starship Enterprise. Seeing his reassuring face
relieved me, but the relief was short lived when the,
obviously delirious, captain started babbling about how I
was going to steal his phasers! I was shocked as he
readied himself for combat. I had a split-second to decide
which long-range weapon I would use, the sure fire
grenade, or my newly aqcuired Pulse Rifle. I found myself
answering my own question as I fired my rifle in his
direction, it was the first time I had fired that weapon,
and the results startled me. He was knocked back at least
ten feet, and was stunned momentarily. His pitiful shot
was no match for my Energy Vest, and we locked together in
a fierce battle and hand-to-hand. He wore me down, as my
fire sabre was having difficulty piercing his armor, but
finally I broke through his armor, bringing us both down
to exhaustion. I knew that whoever took the next fall
would be the victim of the wasteland, but used that
thought to power me for my last and most powerful swing. I
thought my life was over until I heard his assuring cry,
letting me know that victory was mine. After that,
everything is a blur. All I know now is that I somehow
brought a piece of the puritron device back, and I am a
local hero. This all just goes to show that in a world
like this, heroes aren't born, they just get really lucky
for their entire lives.

------------

LOD Suggestions
}{ighlander aka Cory Doss

  Ideas for enemy types.... A new military group calling
themselves the Warheads have sprung up in the southwest
central desert region. Apparantly an arms dealer back in
2003 had been stockpiling his arms here, and passed on
without letting anyone know about them. Now a group of
radicals have came across the weapons, and are using the
shelter as their home base. They are led by a deranged
military leader, who was a pre-war general in the U.S.
Army. They are also after the puritron device parts, but
for alternate reasons. They want the pieces because they
also are needed for a specific biological warhead the
group is working on building. They feel that if it is
created, the remaining humanoids would submit to them out
of fear. The types of soldiers in the army and there
leader are below..........

Warhead Soldier... Str: 24  Dex: 24  Agl: 24  Health: 34
Short Range Weapon: RazorLance Long Range Weapon: M-16 *
New Weapon * (Powerful Uzi,Weak Phas) Armor: Kevlar
Equipment: Ammo For Gun, Rations (5). Level:2
Exp:1000-1250 Money:1100-1500

Warhead Lieutenant... Str: 36  Dex: 36  Agl: 36  Health:
52 Short Range Weapon: ElectroSword Long Range Weapon:
Phaser-3 Armor: PlasmaVest Equipment: PowerBelt, Rations
(5), Communicator. Level:3 Exp:5000-7500 Money:3500-6000

Warhead Colonel... Str: 50  Dex: 50  Agl: 50  Health: 75
Short Range Weapon: GravSword Long Range Weapon:
GravBlaster Armor: EnergyVest Equipment: GravPack,
Medkit/50, Grenades(25), AccuraGoggles* Level:4
Exp:10000-12500 Money:8000-12500

The Leader... Str: ??  Dex: ??  Agl: ??  Health: ?? Short
Range Weapon: Nuetron Sabre Long Range Weapon: Pulse Rifle
Armor: Energy Vest Equipment: ?? Level:5? Exp:???
Money:???


New Items..... M-16, this would be a little more powerful
than the Uzi, little less powerful than Phaser-1.
AccuraGoggles, these help the chance of hitting with a
long range weapon by 5,10, or 15 percent depending on
class 1,2,3.


I hope you have enjoyed my submissions and there should be
more to come......

------------

Delayware
Scott M. Baker

    Well, from the responses I got from the last
newsletter, I have made a decision. LOD now has a seven
second delay on loading and exiting of unregistered
copies.
    I chose the delay of seven second because it is short
enough not to turn off the users and sysops out there and
it is long enough to make the unregistered message stick
in their minds. I've seen doors with rediculous 30 second
delays and such which sysops have outright refused to run.
I didn't want LOD to become one of those!
    The delay was necessary for several reasons. The most
obvious being that I could use a few extra $$ in
registrations. LOD is a project that takes a lot of time
to maintain and I need to take some money in from it to
cover it's expenses and my time.
    Another reason was that registered sysops wanted
something above and beyond the other unregistered copies
out there. They wanted users to notice that they had sent
in money to support the game. I hope this takes care of
that.

------------

People I Wish to Thank
Scott M. Baker

    Doug Merha: Doug sent me a very nice submission of
monsters and a nice picture of a cyclops for the game. You
should notice several new monsters have appeared in the
outer zones....

    Robby Eckert: Robby also sent in a plentiful amount of
monsters. Although I don't think you players will be
thanking him when one of his creations leads to your
demise!

@@LODNEWS4
[L]==================================================================[L]
[O] + From the Editor                                 Patrick Reed + [O]
[D]==================================================================[D]

    Welcome, one and all, to Land of Devastation (LOD).  Scott Baker
    has just  released  version 3.70,  which  contains a  variety of
    NEW  features.  Users  might  notice  fewer  delays  while  ANSI
    graphics  are  being  displayed.  Scott  has  trimmed  down  the
    displays  to show  only  necessary  information,  which  is most
    evident during combat encounters.

    GTERM 3.70 is also released  with this version of LOD, and rumor
    has it that  there  are some hot new  additions to the  graphics
    and  sound  libraries.  Be sure to try it out.  This  will be my
    initiation to GTERM,  and I am looking forward to the fun of it.

    As the game documentation will state, I must advise you all that
    GTERM  versions  earlier than 3.70 will _NOT_ function  properly
    with LOD version 3.70.  Scott will reveal more to you  about new
    features later in the game documentation.

    Included  in this  issue  are  articles from Christopher Darque,
    moderator of the  proposed  _NEW_ LOD Support Forum on  FidoNet;
    and the famed  Madonna,  lusty  wasteland adventurer.

    LOD News is published  on behalf of Scott Baker by Patrick Reed,
    with new issues  released as user support demands.  Articles are
    needed from users of LOD in order to help LOD News to thrive.

    Send  E-Mail to  Patrick Reed  on  FidoNet Node  1:300/9,  or at
    Internet  address   [e-mail]  to submit  articles  for
    publication.  Topics include, but are not limited to:


           CHARACTER STORIES
           COMMON ERRORS & PROBLEM SOLVING
           CUSTOMIZING
           LOD DOOR SETUP
           PLAYER TIPS


    Everyone is welcome to write  something up  and submit it.  Like
    I said, we need user support.  LOD News  depends almost entirely
    upon you all.  Thanks in advance for your support.

    Now, for the News ...

[L]==================================================================[L]
[O] + From the Game Author                            Scott Baker  + [O]
[D]==================================================================[D]

    Well, since I didn't get  my submission to our  editor,  Patrick
    Reed, in time, I'm  throwing this  in at the last minute, so the
    formatting  might not seems  as consistant  as the  rest  of the
    newsletter.

    First of all, let me address the subject of registrations.  Many
    people  have  questioned  why  I  don't  send  out  registration
    packages  with disks, documentation, etc.  The primary reason is,
    it's  a lot simpler to have people just pick up their codes from
    my bbs  system.  When A donation arrives in the mail, all I have
    to do  is  just  type  the  sysops name and data into the online
    database, and it is ready and waiting to be picked up.

    To  pick  up a registration, all you have to do is log on (call-
    back verification  is not needed - you may do this on your first
    call), select "REGLOOK" at my main menu, and you will be asked a
    few questions to verify your identity.  Once  that is  done, the
    bbs will display your registration code for you.

    An  added  benefit  of  this  system:  If  you  ever  lose  your
    registration code (hard drive failure, etc), then you  can  just
    call the bbs up and grab it again.

    Next, I would like to extend my appreciation  to  Patrick  Reed,
    who  has  taken up the task of maintaining our newsletter.  Also
    of mention is  Christopher  Darque, who is working on setting up
    the LOD support echo as well as  drawing  up  EGA  images faster
    than I can implement  them  into  the game!  Last but not least,
    Chris  Azure  has provided  me with  even  more of his excellent
    MOD music for the game.

    Scott Baker


[L]==================================================================[L]
[O] + Customizing LOD                           Christopher Darque + [O]
[D]==================================================================[D]

        EDITORIAL NOTE: At publication time,  a number of changes
                        have been made to LOD version 3.70.  Some
                        of these  ideas have been included in the
                        game.  An errata to this  article will be
                        published in the next issue of  LOD News.

                                                  -- Patrick Reed


    LOD  provides a  number of tools that let you tailor the game to
    suit  your  particular  desires.  With the exception of the  Ega
    graphics  almost every  aspect of the game can be changed.  This
    opens up all sorts of possibilities that intrigued me because so
    few games are open to any modification.

    In doing so, I used all my years as a GameMaster and role-player
    to  make a game  that was  based on the concept that I use in my
    BBS-based role-playing group, Zone Central.

    Zone Central  is a  multi - BBS  universe  that  is based on the
    concept of our  contacting the  AlienNet, which as similar to an
    electronic Network.  In doing so, we found that the Aliens could
    not  tell that our  Doorgames  were not actual  Universes.  They
    simply used the connections to begin  what it to them the normal
    exploration and development of a new Galaxy.

    All the  Members of  Zone Central are Dimensional Travelers,  or
    simply  Travelers.  I wanted to use the  customization of LOD to
    make it fit much more tightly with this concept.

    In doing so I realized that even though the tools were available,
    there was  little to help  Sysops (from this point on I will use
    GM, since that is what you become if you do this)  actually  use
    the tools.

    This article is an attempt to cover some of the basic  steps you
    will have to work through.  I hope that it will be helpful.  But
    keep in mind that it is only a beginning, nothing can substitute
    for the  experience of actually  working on the game and  really
    seeing what works.


    GETTING STARTED
    ---------------
    Before you do anything at all, READ THE DOCUMENTATION!  I cannot
    state this strongly  enough.  Read them, look through the values
    in the editor and  make  sure you understand  how  things  work.
    Scott has always been  quite nice about  answering  questions so
    use that  resource.  At the end of this  article I have listed a
    number of  NetMail  addresses  for  myself,  and I can always be
    reached through Scott's BBS.


    WORKING COPY
    ------------
    To begin,  never  work on a  game that is in progress.  There is
    nothing more annoying than having to restart a game  because you
    made a mistake.  Players do not take  this at all  well.  Always
    set up a separate copy of LOD and  work on it.  That way you can
    experiment in safety.  If something goes wrong and  you  have to
    erase it and  start over you will not get angry messages  asking
    what happened to my character that I have spent 3 months getting
    built up!

    So a private working copy is an absolute must.


    MAJOR PITFALLS
    --------------
    It is fortunate  that  LOD is a rather  forgiving  game.  I have
    found that most errors can be corrected without irreparable loss.
    If you find that the game is generating  errors when run you can
    usually fix the problem and the datafile will correct themselves.
    This is not always true, but it usually is.

    One of the most common problems come when editing/creating items.
    If you make a mistake in the work the game  might not be able to
    handle  what you did.  If a character has an item and you change
    it the game will still think that it has the old  stats, causing
    confusion and sometimes errors.  An easy way to test for this is
    running the Rankings in NEWLODED.  If the problem is centered in
    a character the command will fail.  Usually  simply deleting the
    item from the character will fix the problem.

    Another major source of problems is errors in the Strings, Talk,
    Monster, and Combat DEF files.  It is very important to maintain
    the structure of these files, if you do not then expect the game
    to go boom.

    Always  make  back-up  copies  of the  original  files  to check
    against.  Also at each successful step of the way copy the files
    to a back-up.  That way, if you oops you will only lose the most
    recent work.


    GENERAL STEPS
    -------------
    Concept Development
    Edit Map
    Edit\Create Items
    Modify Starting Stats
    Edit Strings
    Edit\Add Monsters
    Edit\Add Talk
    Edit\Add ANSI
    Edit\Add Combat Strings
    Edit\Add Tavern People
    Edit Terrain Specs
    Edit\Add Town Names
    Write Special Docs


    CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
    -------------------
    The first step is to decide on the  concept that you are working
    towards.   What  about the  basic  game do  you want to  change.
    There  are  really two  different  approaches to consider.  One,
    keeping the basic story-line of the game and adding to it.  This
    would mean that you are not trying to actually  change the ideas
    of the game, just  add  new  things  to it.  All of the  editing
    sections that follow apply to this style.  With the exception of
    anything that is story-line dependant.

    The  second,  and more complex, is to alter  the  story-line  to
    create a completely different environment.  This takes much more
    time  and  effort  but can be quite  rewarding.  This article is
    directed at this type of effort since it involves all the custom
    features of LOD.

    In doing a full  customization, you will  want to start with the
    Story-line.  What has  happened to put the  World in this  state?
    Who are the primary  people  involved?  What are the  conditions
    under  which the world  operates?  The subject of world building
    is covered  quite  well in any  number of Role - Playing  texts.
    If I tried to really cover that topic we would have a very  long
    article.  Suffice  to say  that  you  need  to  investigate  and
    consider every aspect of the game.

    In this  article I  will refer  from time to time to Betelgeuse.
    That  is the  name of the  Zone  Central  LOD  game.  The  basic
    premise  of  it  mixes  the  standard  LOD  story-line  with the
    Dimensional Traveler concept discussed above.


    EDIT THE MAP
    ------------
    This is where you should begin the actual work of creation.  The
    map is  literally  the foundation  upon  which  everything  else
    should be built.  No matter what you name them you will have the
    same basic pieces to work with; Cities, stores, quest locations,
    and the terrain Set.

    The primary  focus for  Betelgeuse was to make the map much more
    complicated.  I put more in more mountains and limited access to
    many  areas  to a single  route.  I also  reduced the  number of
    teleporter pylons.  To make the map more visually  interesting I
    mixed terrain types in a sort of gradual  style.  What I mean by
    that is if you are moving from a large desert area into a plains
    area you would first see small  patches of plains mixed into the
    desert.  As you move  closer,  the density  of Plains  increases
    until it is 100%.

    You need to understand  the  concepts  of LOD zones.  The map is
    divided  based on distance from 1,1.  Every 30 units you enter a
    new zone and will meet a different  group of monsters.  Be aware
    of this  while  you are placing  things in the  wilderness.  The
    farther away from 1,1 they are the higher the level of character
    needed to reach them.

    It is possible to modify the zones in that the monsters have the
    distance  where  they  can be found as  part of their  stats.  I
    found that having a few creatures  that straddled 2 zones helped
    to make  things  seem a little  less  artificial.  You  can also
    reduce the area that a monster in which a monster will appear to
    make them less active.

    Give  careful  thought to the placement of the quest points.  If
    it is too easy for  players to get all the Puritron  parts  then
    the game  will be over far too  quickly.  Use the whole  map and
    spread them out.

    You can place a number of  Sacre Base  cities on the map to give
    players supply points.  One of the main reasons to do this is so
    you can place unique people into each tavern.

    The  map is  probably the  single most  important  part  of  the
    process.  If it is too simply then players will get bored  quite
    easily.  If it is too hard  they will become frustrated.  I tend
    to err on the hard side; however,  you can always  compensate by
    giving players some information to help them along.


    Edit\Create Items
    -----------------
    The basic  item set for LOD covers all the important needs.  The
    greatest area for change  comes in the Fortress Items.  There is
    quite a bit of room for more expensive and powerful items.

    I have always  considered that there are two  phases to LOD.  In
    the first, most of the players are low level and money is scarce.
    Players  slowly  advance and build.  In this part, the quest for
    the Puritron is pursued very heavily.

    Once at least a couple characters reach the level at which taxes
    are levied the game  shifts into Phase II.  In this phase, which
    lasts  until the game is reset,  players  have large  amounts of
    money,  and  even  low  level  characters  can afford  the  most
    expensive Items.  Fortresses are rapidly constructed and quickly
    fully stocked.

    When Phase II is reached, the limitations of the basic  fortress
    items becomes  obvious.  A mid-level character armed with strong
    weapons can destroy even a fully equipped fortress.

    The other  problem  that you will see is the massive  amounts of
    money  that the players  will have.  More powerful and expensive
    fortress Items would solve both of these problems.

    There are other possible solutions to the excess credit problem.
    One is to set the taxation  level  much  higher and the  percent
    much  lower.  This will  increase the time in Phase I and reduce
    the money flow once Phase II is reached.

    You have a rather  wide latitude in creating  new items.  A good
    look into the items list will show that some are single  purpose
    devices  that  cannot  be  changed  (the  Laptop,  Communicator,
    Scanners, etc.) but many do allow for variety  (Weapons,  Armor,
    Stealths, Ammo Packs, etc.).

    In creating  new items,  try to fulfill a need.  Look at what is
    available  and balance  your new creation with the others.  Cost
    should be a big  factor but also  consider  availability.  If an
    item can be purchased, then it is open to all.  If it has to  be
    obtained from a creature then it is a much more special prize.

    There are some  inherent  limitations that you have  to observe.
    As far as I can tell no weapon can do more than 99 pts of damage
    on it's own (before strength adjustments are applied in the case
    of S.R. Weapons).  Personal armor is limited to 999 pts.  I have
    successfully  created  fortress  shields  that are 2,000 pts and
    reactors  that produce  1,500  energy;  so,  they are  basically
    unlimited.  Most packs are  limited  to 99 pts as far  as I  can
    tell.

    Here is a new  concept for you, InfoPacks.  InfoPacks  are items
    that  actually do nothing except  carry  information.  I use the
    rope application code for simplicity.  The only feature of these
    is if you 'Show' it you will get an ansi picture or text.  These
    can hold  details on monsters,  partial maps,  special hints, or
    just about anything.

    Since  items  are a  major  source of game  problems,  I want to
    restate  that you must carefully read the Documentation.  If you
    look at the existing items and base your  creations on those you
    should be ok.


    Modify Starting Stats
    ---------------------
    LOD does give you the ability to set quite a number of the basic
    starting  values.  Character attributes,  hitpoints,  credits, 3
    starting  items,  fortress  starting items,  fortress  costs and
    taxes are all under your control.

    Balance these to suit your tastes.  Consider the strength of the
    characters in relation to the  strength of the  creatures.  Give
    them enough to survive but not so much that life is too easy.


    Edit Strings
    ------------
    All of the  basic  text  strings  used in the game  are in a few
    files.  These are the  Strings.Def,  Talk.Def,  Combat.Def,  and
    Ansi.Def.  Each of these are discussed in their own sections.

    Strings.Def contains the general  text used by the  program  for
    things  like the  laptop,  commands  issued  in the  game,  menu
    selections and statistics displays.  It is difficult  to explain
    what is in here as  opposed to the other  Def files.  The simple
    answer is that  if you see it in the game,  and it is not in the
    Monster,  Talk,  Combat, or Ansi files then it is in the Strings
    file.  I know  that is not a very good  description,  but if you
    look into the files then you should be able to understand.

    In this file,  you have much of what the  player's see.  Since a
    definition is difficult, I am going to give you some  example of
    what you can do with it.

    In Betelgeuse I did  global  replaces to  make the to change all
    occurrences of  character  to persona.  In a few areas, like the
    Rankings display,  I used traveler.  I changed  the string  that
    talked about the nasty tasting food packs to say,  "The new food
    packs  taste  wonderful!"  All 'Quit'  commands  were changed to
    'Exit Dimension' or 'Retire for the Night'.  One of the simplest
    things I did caught the most attention from my  play testers,  I
    changed the laptop main drive from 'C:' to 'Z:'.

    Depending on what type of modification you are doing you may not
    need to  work on this  file at all.  Or,  you may change  almost
    everything in it.  Unless you know the game extremely well,  you
    may want to change the things you know about, run the game a bit
    and make notes on the things you wish to change.

    In version 3.51 there is a program called  COMPSTR,  to edit the
    Strings you  change the  Strings.Txt  file  and use  COMPSTR  to
    compile it into Strings.Def.  Version 3.60 uses a compiler for a
    number of the Def files,  check the Docs on the version you have
    for specifics.

    You have to be  extremely  careful to maintain the  structure of
    this file.  The game has no tolerance for changes  that  violate
    this rule.


    Edit/Add Monsters
    -----------------
    The Monster.Def file contains all the  creature specifications.
    You can modify the ones that exist and create new ones.

    The Zone structure has been  discussed previously, so I will not
    go into it again.  Place your creatures in an  appropriate area.
    There are references to origin(x,y,z)  commands in the file.  As
    of version 3.51,  these do not  function properly.  I discovered
    this the hard way when I created a number of lethal monsters and
    confined  them to a  valley  at the end of the  map.  When a few
    play testers got killed by these creatures, far from the valley,
    I realized that the commands were not functional.

    Do not overlook the fact that creatures are the major  source of
    many items.  You can make some things easier to find,  or harder
    to find by  adjusting the number  of monsters  that carry  them.
    Balance is important  here.  Try to make sure that by the time a
    player reaches the area where she/he might have to fight the new
    creature they are strong enough to have a fair chance.

    If you have any Role-Playing  references you should have lots of
    source material for new creatures.  Your new Story-line, if any,
    should also suggest possible new creatures.

    On the simple side,  I have found that  the special  quests will
    last longer if you make  them tougher.  Doubling their hitpoints
    and  increasing their stats can make them  something that even a
    strong character will have to work hard to overcome.  After all,
    there are not many of them,  and if they are killed too quickly,
    the game  suffers.  Do not make  them so strong  that they  will
    never be beaten but they can stand some work,  especially if you
    have given the players more strength.


    If you have created new items consider distributing them to some
    of the monsters, especially weapons and armor.

    Edit/Add Talk
    -------------
    The Talk.Def file is a great  place to add details to your game.
    In it,  you  can  give  creatures  a voice,  and  create  tavern
    Dwellers.  For the monsters you can add personality,  instead of
    just  the normal 'kill  them  when you see them'.  If they  have
    some information to impart  then the players  will have a reason
    to talk with them.  You should mix the information in with a lot
    of useless chatter so it is not too obvious.

    Here  is a trick  that you might  find  useful.  Have a creature
    tell a player  that it is carrying some  important  item.  It is
    best it this is set as an automatic  item that the monster  will
    always  have.  If the player hears about it they can either hope
    that it will not disintegrate,  or they can pay the price to buy
    it.  I have found this to work  well with  InfoPacks  of various
    sorts.  For example, the  Black Widow Leader  will tell you that
    she is  carrying a map that will  lead you to a secret  treasure
    house.  She is carrying an InfoPack named 'T-Map'.  Most players
    will pay almost  anything for such information.  A nasty variant
    on this idea is to set the  Disint  factor very high so the item
    will most likely vanish if not purchased.

    Each city can have a number of  Tavern  people who will  discuss
    things  with  players.  By adding to the current  stock, you can
    get information  across to anyone who  bothers to stop and talk.
    I always try to put really useful  information here.  It is also
    a good place to impart story points.

    Since each city can have different people in it, do so!  This is
    currently  the only way to make  cities different.  Once you are
    inside a  Sacre Base  style city,  all the options are the same.
    The Tavern  people  are the one  exception.  Even if they do not
    have a lot to say, a few  unique people give the city  something
    to help differentiate it from the others.


    Edit/Add ANSI
    -------------
    The  Ansi.Def  file holds all the menus,  item descriptions, and
    intro screens.  Using the ANSIPUT program you can extract, view,
    and modify all of these.  A custom menu set really adds a lot to
    the uniqueness  of your game,  even if you simply  colorize them
    differently.  Of course you cannot change the keys that are used
    on each menu,  but you can  describe the function in a different
    way.

    If you  create new items you will want to make ansi descriptions
    for them so players can have some idea of what they are getting.
    The ease of working with the Ansi.Def file is what made me think
    of the InfoPacks.

    There is one minor  complication to working on the Ansi.Def, and
    it has to do with GTERM.  Let's  say that you  have  spent  some
    time and  completely  redone  your menus.  Each one is a master-
    piece,  colorful and  functional.  You get everything  finished,
    attach  the  game  to  the  Board  and  await your first player.
    Someone calls,  hits the entry  key for the  game,  it loads and
    opens up on Sacre Base.

    So far,  so good.  But when the  player  initializes  GTERM  the
    trouble begins.  As he moves from  screen to screen,  the  menus
    scroll out, they do not pop up as they  should.  You wonder what
    is wrong.

    Actually,  nothing is wrong, but you have a bit more work to do.
    You see,  if the  Ansi.Def  you are using for the Host  does not
    match the Ansi.Def the player is using with  GTERM  things  will
    not work as they should.  The game can be played but the  player
    will not get the instantaneous  response they are used to.  This
    problem confused me for quite some time, but I have worked out a
    solution.

    What you  will need  to do is supply  your Ansi.Def  file to the
    players.  If they use it with their GTERM they will not have any
    problems.  But, wait, what if they  wish to play  standard games
    as well?  My solution to this is to provide  both your  Ansi.Def
    file and the Standard  Ansi.Def file in whatever  archive format
    is popular in your area.  Along with this add a couple of simple
    batch  files.  Most people  have a key on  their  communications
    program to start  GTERM.  They will  simply have to add two more
    keys.

    One of these will  unarchive your  Ansi.Def file  into the GTERM
    directory,  and the other will  unarchive the standard  Ansi.Def
    file into the GTERM directory.

    It is  actually  simpler than it sounds.  And of course, if your
    players  only play on your  game, then they  simply  replace the
    standard  Ansi.Def  file with your  modified one and they are in
    business.

    If you are  going to really  make a  custom LOD game, the slight
    pain of the GTERM problem is worth  overcoming.  Nothing makes a
    game more unique  than  special menus.  And it really is easy to
    handle.


    Edit/Add Combat Strings
    -----------------------
    I am not going to say a lot about the Combat strings.  It is all
    of the things that blur by as you hank and slash through a fight.
    You can edit them and even add new ones if you wish.  I like the
    idea, but it is hard to get anyone to really read them.

    The  only part that is  somewhat  interesting  is the  definable
    type  codes.   You can  create  special  combat  strings  for  a
    specific creature or class of creatures if you wish.  This would
    allow for more specific combat.  If you are creating a new class
    of creatures you might wish to investigate this option.

    I have created a number of Storms.  These are very high hitpoint
    things  that are really supposed to be evaded.  It is impossible
    to 'kill' them.  But since I have to work within the game system
    they are defined as monsters.  I have created a few new items to
    serve as weapons,  set the  Disint to 100  and made a few combat
    strings  to  support  them.  This  is  the  sort  of thing  that
    requires combat string work since  storms do not have body parts
    to be hit and never dodge out of the way.


    Edit Terrain Specs
    ------------------
    Unless you are working in an Ansi-only game there are only three
    things that you can do with the actual terrain pieces.  One, you
    can give them another name, but that is limited since you cannot
    change what they look like.  Two, you can make them  passable or
    not.  Three, alter the chance of an  encounter  occurring when a
    player steps in them.

    Renaming  them is something  that must be done with  care if you
    want to  make the game  make  sense.  Calling the swamp  piece a
    beach  will tend to confuse players, since it certainly does not
    look  like  sand.  But  calling  the  desert  piece  a  beach is
    acceptable.  Just try to make sure there is some  sort of visual
    connection to the names.

    Changing  which  pieces can be  passed  through can provide some
    interesting  mapping  possibilities.  While I was  writing  this
    article one of my team was  working on his first  custom map and
    game (convenient huh?).  He decided  to make  both mountains and
    rivers  impassable.  He then  proceeded to make a map with a low
    percentage  of  mountains but lots of  rivers.  It worked  quite
    well.

    Each  terrain  piece has a percentage  chance  that an encounter
    will occur.  This can only be modified by  stealth  devices.  If
    you  wish  to  create a bunch of stealth  devices  with  varying
    abilities,  you can increase the encounter rate by  turning each
    piece  up.  You can also  widen the  range of  levels by turning
    some pieces up, and some down.

    If you plan to make changes in the  encounter  percentages,  you
    should  test the effects of the available stealth devices on the
    new  pieces.  After such a test,  you might  wish to  adjust the
    devices effectiveness to suit you.  Sometimes a player wishes to
    explore and not have to stop every other step to fight something,
    turning a couple  stealths on can accomplish  this.  Think  hard
    before you take this ability away.  If you have  even run out of
    ammo  deep  in the  desert  and  had to  sneak  home,  you  will
    appreciate this need.


    Edit/Add Town Names
    -------------------
    As noted in the  Sysop.doc  file,  you  need to change  both the
    terrain  name and the  Town name to alter the  Cities.  Remember
    that  their are references to the ones that already exist in the
    other files which must be changed as well.

    Although, much work may be required to remove  all references to
    the  Black Widows; if you want to set your game on another world
    you  have  little  choice.  There is  always the  possibility of
    recreating their background to fit your new concept.

    It  is  quite  important  to  be  thorough.  If your  background
    setting  contains  references to the Black Widows,  and you have
    renamed them the Slar'Kar, players will be confused and the game
    will suffer.


    Write Special Docs
    ------------------
    It is a  good idea  to write a special file to be distributed to
    players.  This can contain story-line information as well as any
    notes  that they need  to be able to handle  your new world.  If
    you have created any new Ansi then  you can distribute this file
    with the ANSI.DEF.

    I find that players like to have some info files  that they  can
    read  offline.  Sometimes I write  Briefing Packs  and  memos to
    support the games that I create.  Distributing  little maps is a
    nice touch too.


    End Notes
    ---------
    In this  Doorgame,  Scott Baker has  created the  most  flexible
    format that you could want.  It has a great  amount of potential
    and I hope that this article will be of some help when you begin
    the process of creating your World.

    Christopher Darque
    Zone Central
    January 1993


[L]==================================================================[L]
[O] + "One Mean Mother"                                 /\/\adonna + [O]
[D]==================================================================[D]

    The Black Widow Gang  was another matter...     The first one of
    those  girls I saw was around  the Death Warrior Camp,  South of
    Sacre Base.  She didn't  look  like  what I  expected  though...
    Instead of the sleek,  jet-black  power  armor I was briefed on,
    this bitch was in clunky Energy Armor 500.

    She leveled a Phaser 3 at me and  missed by a mile, but I wasted
    no time  in heaving a Rad  Grenade  in her  direction.  The  Rad
    Grenades may not do as much damage as my Neutron Rifle, but they
    ALWAYS hit, unlike a random shot, which would often  deflect off
    some of the fancy powered armor I had read up on.

    Then  we  engaged  in combat.   Her  Electrolance  singing  with
    radiated power, while I parried her attack with my Neutron Sabre.
    Suddenly, she fell on the ground,  holding her back.  Effects of
    over-exposure to radiation, I suppose.  But I had her.  I showed
    no mercy as I made one final  slash into her  Energy Armor,  and
    deprived her of the last bit of life.

    I thought to myself, "These  Black Widows are a bunch of WIMPS!"
    I wondered  why  Defs and his new  guys were  having such a hard
    time with them.  Among the effects of the Black Widow, I found a
    computer  diskette  simply labeled  ROM:T-CODE.EXE.  I wasted no
    time  in copying  it over to my  trusty  Laptop,  and  prayed it
    didn't have a Virus.

    Thinking  that I'd have no problem in handling  any  more of the
    Black Widows,  I began exploring the Pylons  with the new data I
    had just  won.  Suddenly,  I was there!  I had  found  the Black
    Widow Base!

    In moments,  a Warmonger approached me, and began to boast about
    how he had helped the Black Widows steal the Puritron from Sacre
    Base.  I thought  about all those  brave men  Defs  had  lost in
    trying to  defend it,  and shoved a Rad Grenade  under his nose.
    He just  laughed  when it went off.  This geek  thought I was an
    easy mark,  and like so many  before him;  he underestimated me,
    Badly.

    I ripped him a new belly button with my Neutron Sabre, and while
    he stood  there in sheer  shock,  I thrust my  Neutron - powered
    weapon  as deep in his guts as I could  and twisted it,  just to
    see the look in his eyes as he died.  I pulled my Sabre out, and
    he fell to the ground.

    But no sooner had his guts  colored the ground red,  I turned to
    see a Black Widow Leader.  She was a handsome woman, and just as
    deadly as she was beautiful.  "So, some of you scum  from  Sacre
    Base  finally  made  it  here,  did you?  Well, you will  make a
    welcome addition to our gang...

    ...In the slave pen!  Hahahahahaha!"

    OK, bitch...   Here's  where we see how  well  that fancy Widow
    Armor 600 of yours can withstand the meanest Mother of them all!
    A well-placed  Rad Grenade  caught  her complete attention as I
    began my attack.

    She was quick.  I had to give her that; and had it not been for
    me wearing captured  enemy armor myself, I would not have stood
    a chance  against her.  My  Energy  Armor was  taking a  severe
    pounding  from  her  WidowLance, and as good as I was, I knew I
    wasn't going to make it, but I decided to go-for-broke.

    I decided to PMS all over her,  and just went  Berserk!  I have
    to tell you,  it was a close one.  I was down to less  than 10%
    of my usual  health,  but when she  suddenly quit attacking and
    fell on the  ground,  I was on  top of  her in a hot  New  York
    second to give her a new hair-do with my sparking Neutron Sabre.

    I wasted no time in examining her armor.  It was cold and black,
    and  felt  so deliciously  wicked and sexy at the same time.  I
    scooped up as much loot as I could carry with me from my fallen
    enemies, and snuck inside the Black Widow Base.

    Talk about  expensive!  Do  you have  any idea  how  much  stuff
    sells for there?  I guess the Black Widows never heard of Double
    Coupon  Days.  I ended up  paying  3 times  as  much  for a  new
    Neutron power pack there as I would have paid at Sacre Base.

    But I wanted to see how well this new armor would do,  so I sold
    off all the  junk I thought I didn't need,  and had the  balance
    put in my bank account for a rainy day and headed out the door.

[L]==================================================================[L]
[O] + LOD_SUPPORT Echo                          Christopher Darque + [O]
[D]==================================================================[D]

    Hail!

    I have  started  an  LOD Support  echo here in Indy.  It will be
    made available on the  national  Backbone  as soon as  possible.
    If you would like to connect to it now,  here is the information
    you need:

            NAME: LOD_SUPPORT
            HUB: Syn'er-gis'tic BBS
            SYSOP: Don Packwood
            Address: 1:231/50
            2400 Line: 546-1537
            9600+ Line: 549-1835

    Your Sysop  will need to send a netmail with the  following info
    to get hooked up:

            His net/node address
            A voice number in case of problems
            A Session Password
            Modem Type/Speed

    After that you can begin to poll Syn'er-gis'tic to get the Echo.
    I have a lot of good  things  planned for it,  and it  should be
    unique.

    I can answer any questions you may have as well.

        Darque


        ... (-) LOD Support Moderator (-) ...

        * Origin: NYN BBS - MegaCD-ROM 2 CD Online! (1:300/9)