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Knot v1.00
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A freely distributable Postcard-Ware online game.
Originally written in Turbo C++ for MS-DOS by Jeff Knechtel.
Enhanced and re-written with SAS/C as a door for FalconCBCS
on the Amiga by Chris Rea and Jeff Knechtel.
(C)1992 by Chris Rea and Jeff Knechtel
User Documentation (within Knot) by Jeff Knechtel and Chris Rea.
Sysop Documentation (what you now read) by Chris Rea.
Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knot is the most amazing online game in existence in this universe. It
exists for FalconCBCS, but possibly other BBS programs. If your BBS program
has the ability to launch programs simulating a RAW window then most likely
Knot will work with your BBS program. We do not, however, guarantee that it
WILL work with anything BUT Falcon. (In fact, we do not guarantee ANYTHING.
How's that for free software?)
Requirements
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You require an Amiga computer with a reasonable version of Kickstart. The
only Amiga specific functions we used while porting Knot to the Amiga were
Open(), Close(), Read(), Write(), and Delay(); the rest were standard ANSI C
functions. Knot will definitely work on an Amiga equipped with Release 2, and
most probably work on an Amiga equipped with Release 1.2 or 1.3. (I have not
tested it on such lowly machines.) To my knowledge, Knot does not have any
drastic memory requirements. The executable is 44 some odd kilobytes, and the
datafile is 10 kilobytes. While running, Knot consumes 78 some odd kilobytes.
This is reasonable considering it is the most amazing online game in existence
in this universe. (Ok, so maybe I'm a little biased.)
A modem and BBS program would be nice, but aren't particularly necessary.
If you wanted to, you could run Knot from a Shell, provided that it would be a
RAW window and not a CON window. You'd also need a font or window size so that
80x24 characters would be visible. This font would also have to support the
IBM 8-bit extended character set. (Most likely one of the fonts you use with
your terminal program has these.) You would also have to run it on an 8-colour
screen with the right colour scheme. But, like I said, this IS an online game.
Best be running it with a BBS program. (Falcon is nice for this.)
Setting It Up
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will only document here how to set up Knot to work with FalconCBCS. If
you have a BBS program other than Falcon then it will be up to you to figure
out how to get Knot to work. (You probably will. As I've said, Knot is the
most amazing online game in existence in this universe. But I'm a little
biased.)
First, you must have a directory where you keep your doors or executable
files. Personally, I like to use BBS:BIN for this. You must have the volume
name DOORS: assigned to this path. (Sorry to those of you who hate
assignments. I would have used the Release 2 DOS function to get the program
directory to avoid Yet Another Assignment, but this would have rendered Knot
completely useless to lower life forms. Lower life forms deserve to experience
the most amazing online game in existence in this universe, don't they?)
As I was saying--You need DOORS: assigned somewhere. At the DOORS:
level, then, you need to create a directory called "Knot". Usually it is a
good idea to put the Knot executable itself in here, though it is not required.
(Why you would put it anywhere else, I do not know.) This directory
("DOORS:Knot/") is where Knot will be looking for it's only two datafiles,
which are the Universe file ("KnotUniverse.dat") and the High Scores file
("KnotScores.dat"). The Universe file MUST be found in order for Knot to work,
however the high scores file does not. Knot will create a high score file if
one does knot exist.
You must also create a command from within your Menus.BBS file so that
lusers on your system can have a way to access the most amazing online game in
existence in this universe. The following is what I use:
MENU Doors
NORMAL K RAW C "DOORS:Knot/Knot «LASTNAME»"
NORMAL M GOTO Main
MENU Main
NORMAL D GOTO Doors
Note that I am using the last name only in my configuration. We have
found that it looks best that way. (Knot doesn't try to be serious, friendly,
or formal.) You can pass anything you want, provided it does not exceed 20
characters. (Actually, you CAN exceed 20 characters but Knot will rudely chop
it off at 20 characters.) If you do not pass anything, Knot will default to the
luser name "Gwar".
Note that Knot works exclusively with 8-colour ANSI and an 8-bit IBM
extended character set, regardless of whether the luser has ANSI colour or IBM
characters switched off in Falcon's Change Menu. If you think this is a
problem, your best bet would be to write a script informing the user that Knot
uses ANSI colour and an IBM character set if he does not have them toggled on.
(Just so he doesn't wonder why everything on the screen doesn't look quite
right if his terminal isn't capable of ANSI colours and an IBM character set.)
You can kindly inform them that in order to play the most amazing online game
in existence in this universe that they will have to use a terminal supporting
the aforementioned capabilities.
The instructions on playing the game can be displayed from Knot's initial
Options menu. Hopefully they will not inform you as much as you are expecting.
Hopefully you will discover what 'it' is all about when you actually play the
game.
How To Reach Us
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If ever you need/want to reach us, both myself (Chris Rea) and Jeff
Knechtel can be contacted through The IntuitionBase, my BBS, at (416)569-1482.
It is located in the western suburbs of Toronto (in a not-so-little city called
Mississauga, to be more particular.) (BTW, why DO Torontonians call the city
itself "Metro"? Where I'm from (Montreal) the Metro is a fantastic underground
method of transportation. For some reason they call it a "Subway" here. And
for another reason it's not so fantastic. And for yet another reason it's not
completely underground.)
You can also reach me (Chris Rea) both through FIDONET and Usenet. My
FIDONET address is "Chris Rea @ 1:167/104". That is the address of a Falcon
system run by Robert Williamson in Montreal. I still call once in a while, and
Robert has fairly stable feeds, so that is a reliable method. Thanks to Rob
for that. My Usenet address is "cwrea@eastern.UUCP". Eastern is a public
access Usenet site in Toronto that I have recently joined. Thanks to the sysop
there for that.
Lastly, we'd LOVE to get a postcard from you. If you are a Sysop and have
installed Knot on your BBS, PLEASE send us a postcard! We just want to see who
from where uses it. Here's the address you can send your postcard to:
Chris Rea
3058 Council Ring Road
Mississauga, Ontario
L5L 1N8
Special thanks to the folks at Commodore (and before) for creating such a
wonderful piece of hardware, the Amiga. Special thanks to SAS (and before) for
creating a fantastic C compiler, SAS/C, which I can use to program my wonderful
piece of hardware. Special thanks to the guys from Midnight Oil and Hunters &
Collectors, whose recordings provide me with hours and hours of fantastic
musical entertainment while I program with my aforementioned fantastic C
compiler on my aforementioned wonderful piece of hardware, the Amiga.
That's everything! Hope you enjoy the most amazing online game in
existence in this universe. (But I AM a little biased.)
Chris Rea
07-Sep-92
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