Monster Media 1996 #14

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╔════════════════╗ ║ ║ ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ║ ╔╝ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ║ ║ █ ▄▄▄ █ █ ▄▄▄ █ █ ▄▄▄▄█ █ ▄▄▄▄█ █ ▄▄▄ █ ║ ╔╝ █ ▄▄▄▄█ █ ▄▄▄ █ █▄▄▄▄ █ █ █▄▄▄▄ █ █▄█ █ ║ ║ █▄█ █▄█ █▄█ █▄▄▄▄▄█ █▄▄▄▄▄█ █▄▄▄▄▄█ ║ ║ ║ ║ ▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ║ ╔═╝ █ ▄▄ █▄ █ ▄▄ █▄ █ ▄▄▄▄█ ║ ║ █ ▄▄▄ █ █ ▄▄▄ █ █▄▄▄▄ █ ║ ╔╝ █▄▄▄▄▄█ █▄▄▄▄▄█ █▄▄▄▄▄█ ║ ║ ║ ╔══╝ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ╔═══╝ ║ █ ▄ ▄ █ █ ▄▄▄ █ █ ▄▄▄▄█ █ ▄▄▄ █ █▄▄▄ ▄█ █▄ ▄█ █ ▀██ █ █ ▄▄▄▄█ ║ ╔╝ █ █ █ █ █ ▄▄▄ █ █ █▄▄ █ █ ▄▄▄ █ ▄█▀▄██▄ ▄█ █▄ █ █▄▀ █ █ ▄▄▄█▄ ║ ╔╝ █▄█▀█▄█ █▄█ █▄█ █▄▄▄▄▄█ █▄█ █▄█ █▄▄▄▄▄█ █▄▄▄█ █▄█▀█▄█ █▄▄▄▄▄█ ║ ╠═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╩═══╗ ║ March 1996 Volume 4 Number 3 ║ ╟───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╢ ║ Board of Trade BBS New Port Richey, Florida (813) 862-4772 ║ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ In This Issue ------------- ■ The Complete Shareware Gaming Catalog - A separate file with a look at over 250 popular Shareware game titles ■ Jill of the Jungle versus the Vinyl Goddess from Mars ■ Ultimate Software's Casino Game Machines ■ Doom Level Design: An Overview - Written by Paul Pollack ■ DA BUCS v1.4 Released ■ The latest news, humor and much more + + + + + Editor's Welcome ---------------- Welcome to another issue of the Pasco BBS Magazine! This month we present our second Special Gaming Issue. This has not really been an annual event, as our first Special Gaming Issue was back in September of 1994, but it was felt that it was time to take another look at one of the most widespread aspects of computing. There is a separate file included in this month's archive, which has an updated version of The Complete Shareware Gaming Catalog. Be sure to check out that file for a peek at over 250 of the most popular gaming titles on the market. This main magazine file also has several feature articles relating to computer games. Jill of the Jungle versus the Vinyl Goddess from Mars compares these two action games. There is an article on Ultimate Software's line of casino video game programs and Paul Pollack has written a wonderful overview of Doom level design. Toss in all our regular features, including a PBM Flashback featuring Dan Linton talking about his popular Trivia Shell games, and it makes for a very exciting issue. Before the games begin, I do want to mention some of what is planned for next month's issue. The April issue will include a few comments from readers of the magazine. In the last couple of issues, the offer has been made to those who may disagree with January's Pasco BBS Tour to send along their own comments, or a rebuttal, for publication. So far, all the comments received for publication have been positive and I do want to encourage those who have an opposing viewpoint to send it along. Another thing I want to mention is that brief comments can be left by taking the Pasco BBS Magazine script questionnaire on the Board of Trade BBS. With your permission, these comments could also be considered for publication, so it only takes a couple of minutes to help out. Next month's issue will have some comments from readers of the magazine, I would like to include yours. Thanks for reading! + + + + + ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ PASCO BBS MAGAZINE │ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Tampa Bay's Oldest Free On-line Magazine! │ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Member of the Association of Online Professionals │ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation │ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ EDITOR: Richard Ziegler │ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ HOME BBS: Board of Trade BBS (813) 862-4772 │ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.sanctum.com/pasco │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ + + + + + Jill of the Jungle versus the Vinyl Goddess from Mars ----------------------------------------------------- PART 1: Introduction When Epic MegaGames released Jill of the Jungle in 1992, it became a popular title. That was around the time when people began to realize that Shareware programs could actually rival what the commercial game manufacturers were producing. It was a time when Wolfenstein 3D was proving Shareware could even surpass many commercial titles. It was indeed a landmark year for the Shareware industry and it seems so long ago. In 1995, Union Logic Software Publishing released a game called the Vinyl Goddess from Mars. When you played it, it sure was reminiscent of the old Jill of the Jungle game. The graphics seemed to improve with time, and the hardware requirements were definitely stiffer, but was the game itself better? That is one of the goals of this article, to decide once and for all, which of these games is the better effort. The similarities are so extreme that some may say the Vinyl Goddess from Mars is just a rip-off of Jill of the Jungle. That is not a fair statement, as many programmers have tried to improve on a past program. Many of today's best games had their birth in the earliest days of the computer age. The newer versions have just tried to build upon the early classics. Wolfenstein 3D was based on an old game for the Commodore computer called Castle Wolfenstein. Nels Anderson, one of the most popular Shareware authors, based his EGA Trek and SuperFly games on early mainframe games. That scenario is repeated frequently in this industry. Look at how many different variations of tetris have been created. Write a popular application and bet that others will copy the idea. Enough with the preliminaries. It is time for Jill of the Jungle versus the Vinyl Goddess from Mars. This article will present some background information for each game, compare the hardware requirements, look at each of our heroines and rate the games. This article will take a level by level look at each game, presenting sort of a handbook for each. Then, we will rate each game on a number of factors. Which game is better? Can Jill of the Jungle hold on to her title? Will the newer Vinyl Goddess from Mars be too much for the old girl to overcome? We are about to find out. Let's get ready to rumble. PART 2: Jill of the Jungle Background New 256-color scrolling arcade adventure, supports VGA/EGA/CGA/Jys, Sound Blaster. HOT! Epic MegaGames brings you a new era in gaming with this immense 16-level world featuring Super Nintendo-quality animation, effects and sound track. Try JILL OF THE JUNGLE now! This was the FIDE_ID.DIZ description file when Tim Sweeney, and Epic MegaGames, released Jill of the Jungle in 1992. The game's documentation told more about the game. "Guide the beautiful Jill through sixteen huge smooth- scrolling levels, each filled with vivid new scenery and animated creatures. Not only can Jill run, jump, and use objects -- she can also magically transform into other creatures such as birds, fish, and frogs. In fact, you will do quite a bit of hopping, flying, and swimming to solve this game." The first episode in the trilogy, the Shareware version, was simply called "Jill of the Jungle." Registration brought two additional episodes, "Jill Goes Underground" and "Jill Saves the Princess." PART 3: Vinyl Goddess from Mars Background ╓─────┤ VINYL GODDESS FROM MARS ├──────╖ ║ The Vinyl Goddess' space ship has ║ ║ crash landed on a forbidden planet. ║ ║ Can you guide this beautiful goddess ║ ║ through dangerous and exotic ║ ║ locations in order to free herself ║ ║ from the planet. GET READY for sexy ║ ║ arcade action in this new release ║ ║ from UNION LOGIC that will blow your ║ ║ mind at 70 frames per second. ║ ║ REQ: 386+ SUPPORTS: SB,ADLIB,JOY ║ ╚═─ Union Logic Software Publishing ─═╝ This was the FIDE_ID.DIZ description file when the Vinyl Goddess from Mars was released by Union Logic Software Publishing in 1995. The documentation gave more of the story. "In the year 200 billion, a small ship races across the galaxy taking The Vinyl Goddess From Mars to the esteemed intergalactic B Movie convention. In mid transit, a meteor shower strikes without warning and the ship is engulfed in a sea of rocks and debris. Badly damaged by the cosmic storm, the ship careens off course. Desperately, The Vinyl Goddess twists knobs and pulls levers to regain control. The best that she can hope for is to eject and let the ship crash land on the strange planet below. It's up to you to help the lovely goddess find and repair her ship and collect all of her belongings before it's to late to reach the convention." The first episode in the trilogy, the Shareware version, is called "Forests of Old." The registered episodes are "Caverns of Chaos" and "The Return." PART 4: Give Credit Where Credit is Due Jill of the Jungle Vinyl Goddess from Mars Produced by: Epic MegaGames Six Pound Sledge Studios Distributed by: Epic MegaGames Union Logic Software Publishing Game design: Tim Sweeney Jason Struck and Mark Lewis Programming: Tim Sweeney Mark Lewis Artwork: John Pallett-Plowright Jason Struck and Joe Hitchens Music: Dan Froelich Marc Gravelle Sound effects: Frank Krul Special thanks to: Larry Tipton, Adam Rixey Ian Ward, Stephen Keef PART 5: Comparing the Requirements Jungle Jill Vinyl Goddess From Mars Requirements: Graphics card VGA, EGA, CGA VGA CPU 286 or better 386DX or better RAM 512K 560K Supports: Sound card Yes Yes Joystick Yes Yes Gamepad No Yes Registration: $30.00 $29.95 Released: 1992 1995 PART 6: A Look at Our Heroines This is where we have to be careful. Even judging the looks of animated characters in a computer game will lead to charges of sexism. Jill of the Jungle and the Vinyl Goddess from Mars are not the most politically correct games around. Both feature characters who run around in bathing suit type outfits, which some may think are too revealing (especially from behind). Like some stranded space traveler is going to be running around in a swim suit. Plus, when talking about looks, it is mostly opinion. In any case, here are some of vital statistics for the two heroines. Name: Jill of the Jungle Vinyl Goddess from Mars Outfit color: Green Red Boots: Black, ankle high Red, thigh high Hair: Blond Dirty blond Eyes: Blue Dark (Black?) PART 7: More on Jill of the Jungle Controls: Arrow keys - move left/right. Shift key - jump. Alt key - fire weapon. Gems open gem-gates. Keys open locked doors. Arrow key up/down turn on/off switches. Map Level: The map level has some tricks to solve and some apples to collect. There is a key to one level and a bonus level to be found. Main Screen: High scores for the game, statistics and small photo of Jill of the Jungle along the left side of the screen, game played to right of that display. Miscellaneous: Offers "Noisemaker" menu option which uses QWERTY keys to produce sounds from the game. Has "turtle mode," which runs the game at half speed. PART 8: More on the Vinyl Goddess from Mars Controls: Arrow keys - move left/right. Ctrl key - jump. Alt key - fire weapon. Keys open locked doors. Arrow key up/down turn on/off switches. Map Level: The map level features no puzzles with the exception one easily discovered key. Main Screen: Statistics and small photo of the Vinyl Goddess from Mars on bottom of screen, game played above that display. PART 9: Jill of the Jungle - Level by Level Level 1 - The Boulders. This level introduces some of the enemies that you'll encounter during the game. Early in the level you pick up a knife, which can be used to kill the alligators, frogs and flaming fire birds. The alligators are low to the ground and tough to kill, the hopping frogs can be tricky, and it is easy to get burned by the fire birds. This level also introduces the apples, which have a bite taken out of them, but give Jill additional health. Since this is the first level, there are not many secrets to solving it. Level 2 - The Forest. This level is the first where Jill has to climb vines to get around. This level is also the first where Jill has the multi-blade star knife at her disposal. This will also be your first encounter with the huge ants, falling stalactites, spikes coming up from below and the swam of bees. The ants are not too hard to kill, but you cannot kill the swam of bees, however, you can knock out their hive. There is nothing you can do about the stalactites falling, except time it so Jill does not get hit on the head with one. The spikes are another timing thing, however, they are not that difficult to avoid. You must pick up the extra jumping power icon, which looks like a couple of arrows, to reach the key to exit this level. Level 3 - The Hut. You have to pick up the key on the map level to enter the locked door to level 3. This level acquaints you with several new enemies, such as snakes, spiders, huge balls rolling around and flaming wall torches. The snakes and spiders are not too hard to kill, especially with the star knife. The balls and flaming wall torches are just timing, but the balls can be a bit tricky. This level is also the first time that Jill has chains to climb and uses elevators to get around. Level 4 - This short untitled level is a continuation of Level 3, as you do not have to go back to the map level. This level is filled with elevators, spiders and a new foe, the blue ghosts from the arcade classic pac-man. Level 5 - This is another untitled level, which is a continuation of Level 4, so you do not return to the map level. This short level has metal chains to climb, along with spiders and the rolling balls to look out for. Level 6 - The Castle. This level has no enemies to worry about, however, it is a tricky maze of doors and keys. You may have to look around this level more than once to find all the keys needed to advance. Level 7 - The Forest. This is the first level to feature water as a factor. There are water bubbles which can kill you and, if you are not careful, Jill will drown in the water. Use the star knife to kill the alligators and look for the extra jumping power icon to solve the level. Bonus Level - Before you move on to level 8, take a look around for the Bonus Level, as it has plenty of apples to collect. This is also the first time you will come across the switches, which at first may seem impossible to activate. The instructions do not tell how to move these levers, so some may never get past this point. The switches work with the arrow keys, up is on and down is off. You will also need the extra jumping power to exit this bonus level. Level 8 - Arg's Dungeon. This level will be the first time where you will have to use the star knife to break up rocks. You will have to gather the keys, and fight off the pesky fire birds, to advance. Level 9 - Phoenix Maze. This is the first time when Jill will make the transformation to another character from the game. There is a magical icon that will turn Jill into one of the fire birds. It is a little tricky to control the flying Jill, but there is no other way to solve the level. Jill's weapon is now a fire ball, which she tosses at the blue ghosts from pac-man. Once you get all the keys, you can use the Jill icon to return to the game's namesake. Level 10 - Knight's Puzzle. You will have to solve the sequence of the switches to get out of this level. Some switches deactivate the knights found in the level, others control barriers which must be passed. If the knights are not deactivated, they will kill you upon contact. Use the star knife to break up rocks, while collecting the keys, to advance to the next level. After exiting the Knight's Puzzle, you will see a small bonus level, but you'll have to come back to it later. Level 11 - Dark Forest. This level features more water and will be your first encounter with some nasty looking fish and the dreaded jellyfish. With the knife as a weapon, you will also encounter frogs, fire birds, giant ants and rolling balls. There is a switch that creates a bridge over the pond, which you will have to cross to leave this level. Level 12 - Underground River. This level introduces another foe, snails. There are also the fish and jellyfish to deal with. Jill also makes another magical transformation, this time into a fish. It is easier to maneuver in the fish mode, than it is as the fire bird. While swimming around a maze of rivers, she has the fish bullet as her disposal. Jill has to become a fish to pick up most of the necessary gems to exit the level. The Jill icon completes the transformation and returns Jill to her normal self. Level 13 - Yet Another Puzzle. Jill is magically transformed two different characters in this level. For the first time, Jill turns into a frog. The frog mode is a bit tricky to control, however, Jill does not stay a frog very long. Later in the level, she turns into a fire bird again. Once Jill becomes a bird, she can fly out of the level. Level 14 - The Plateau. This is the final level before reaching the ending sequence. Jill uses the star knife to battle spiders, fire birds and swarms of bees. After exiting this level, Jill jumps up and down, then turns into a fire bird. She flies out into outer space and returns to a land of purple mushrooms. "Congratulations! You have conquered the jungle" is displayed, along an ad for "Jill goes Underground," the next episode in the trilogy. PART 10: Vinyl Goddess from Mars - Level by Level Level 1 - The object of the game is to help Vinyl recover storage capsules and find her way off the planet. Most levels have hidden rooms that contain storage capsules, so you will have to look around to be successful. However, many times there are windows tipping off where the hidden rooms are located. Many of the enemies, and items to collect, in the first level are found throughout the game. This level introduces flame shooting trolls and pottery that discharges fire. You do have a knife at your disposal, which can be used in a rapid fire mode by holding down the key. Most of the enemies will have to be hit more than once to kill them. There are health jugs and health pots, which are smaller than the jugs, to collect for extra life. There are also gems, potions, rings and cherries to pick up. Climb vines, cross sagging wood bridges and use the spring pads for extra jumping height, as you try to find the exit. Level 2 - This is the only level where you must find the key on the map level before entering the level, however, that key is very easy to locate. While this level has the same foes and pickups as the previous, it is the first time that moving platforms are used. Level 3 - This level presents some new enemies and situations to deal with. There are plants tossing deadly seed pods and wood stakes coming up from the ground. The wood stakes can be a bit tough, as they keep popping up rapidly and are sometimes difficult to jump without getting stabbed. Unfortunately, the stakes do not kills any of Vinyl's foes. This is also the first level where there are doors to levels within the levels. The up arrow key is used to enter these rooms. This level has apples to collect, ladders to climb and moving bamboo platforms to traverse. Level 4 - Vinyl has a new weapon, an exploding jug, which is not as easy to use as the knife. Since the jug has to be lobbed into the air, the proper distance from your target must be determined. However, after tossing a few jugs, you should be able to get the hang of it. When you find the knife later in the level, it will make things easier. Level 5 - Another new weapon is introduced, the multi-blade star knife, and there are some new foes to use it on. There are skeletons that toss bones at you and one of the better sound effects is the rattling of the skeleton's bones when you destroy them. There are also walking microscopes and eyeballs that hang from the ceiling. Watch out for the eyeballs, as they are a bit tricky to kill and have a deadly aim. This is the first level where you have to collect different color keys to open the doors of the same color. This level is the first to feature blueberries, strawberries and oranges to gather along the way. This is also the first time there are chain ropes to climb. Level 6 - In this level, the fire throwing pottery has been replaced with eyeballs that toss the fireballs. This will also be your first encounter with swinging platforms, which are attached to the ceiling by large chains. These platforms are merely timing, so patience is the key to moving on. Level 7 - This level has many hidden areas with storage capsules to collect, so spend some time looking around. There are also doors to other rooms and moving platforms to confront. Level 8 - Vinyl now has the fire ball as a weapon and a new enemy to use it on. This level has these green blob-like monsters, which are the fastest moving foe of the game. Your timing will also be tested by pendulums, bouncing star knifes, and fire that comes up from the floor and down from the ceiling. This level is also the first encounter with levers, which are controlled with the up and down arrow keys. These levers activate moving platforms and remove barriers, both of which are necessary to completing the level. This level also has gold chain ropes to climb. Level 9 - This final level in the Shareware episode has doors to the levels within the level, bouncing star knifes, keys and locks, swinging platforms, moving platforms, and lots of wood stakes coming up from the ground. During the ending sequence you are told, "After a long and perilous trip the Vinyl Goddess finds the wreckage of her ship, but the damage was more serious than originally thought." Then there is the plug for the next episode in the trilogy. "Calling all Space Cadets! Journey on to 'The Caverns of Chaos' to help our heroine out of this sticky situation." PART 11: Rating the Games, Which is Better? Graphics: As a newer game, Vinyl Goddess from Mars has the better graphics. An example would be the vines that our heroines must climb. In Vinyl Goddess from Mars these vines are more brilliantly colored and look far more realistic. Advantage: Vinyl Goddess from Mars. Sound: While both games feature plenty of sound effects, Vinyl Goddess from Mars wins this category based on realism. The sound that Vinyl makes when injured, or the sound effects when she uses a weapon, are far superior to the sounds in Jill of the Jungle. Advantage: Vinyl Goddess from Mars. Music: Since each game has a wonderful musical sound track, this is a close call. While the Vinyl Goddess from Mars may have a more suspenseful sound track, the music in Jill of the Jungle is catchier. Advantage: Jill of the Jungle. Plot: The plot of both games is very similar, help our heroine out of this dangerous foreign land. Jill of the Jungle gets the edge, just because that game came first. Advantage: Jill of the Jungle. Animation: While both games are smooth and colorful, Vinyl Goddess from Mars has the more intense graphics. Since Jill of the Jungle is an older game, it is hard to compete in this category. Advantage: Vinyl Goddess from Mars. Puzzles: Jill of the Jungle gets the edge for having tougher puzzles to figure out. The level called Knight's Puzzle may be the best puzzle in either game. Jill of the Jungle must get some credit for being first, as many of the puzzles are duplicated in Vinyl Goddess from Mars. One similarity would be the different color keys for different doors. Advantage: Jill of the Jungle. Humor: Jill of the Jungle wins this category hands down. One factor would be her transformation into a bird, fish, and a frog. Another would be her actions during periods of keyboard inactivity, during which the Vinyl Goddess from Mars does nothing. At first, Jill puts her hand on her hip, then nods in the affirmative when "Are you just going to sit there?" appears on the bottom of the screen. The longer the period of inactivity the stranger the comments. When "Your shoes are untied" is displayed, Jill looks down. When "Look, an airplane" appears, Jill looks up. Advantage: Jill of the Jungle. Fun Factor: Each game has elements that make it enjoyable to play, so this category may strictly be a matter of opinion. Advantage: None. Re-play factor: Neither game will motivate someone to obsession, such as Wolfenstein 3D and Doom have done, but the puzzles contained within Jill of the Jungle gives the game the advantage here. Advantage: Jill of the Jungle. Controls: Many of the controls are the same for both games, such as the arrow keys for movement, the alt key to fire a weapon and the up/down arrows to activate switches. However, Vinyl Goddess from Mars' use of ctrl key for jumping is not only more common, but easier than Jill of the Jungle's use of the shift key. Advantage: Vinyl Goddess from Mars. Technical factor: Neither game had any technical problems, such as locking up, so this category may be strictly opinion. Jill of the Jungle has the advantage of being able to run on older machines, but the fact that Vinyl Goddess from Mars has stiffer hardware requirements may be a better use of resources on newer machines. Advantage: None. Concept: Jill of the Jungle wins simply because it came first. Advantage: Jill of the Jungle. Bang for your buck: The registration for the games is about the same with Jill of the Jungle costing a nickle more. Since Vinyl Goddess from Mars offers better graphics and larger levels, it may be a better value for your hard-earned money. Advantage: Vinyl Goddess from Mars. Ending: While neither game really offers anything exciting for their ending sequence, Jill of the Jungle wins for having more than simple display screens advertising the next episode. At least Jill flies off into the next world. Advantage: Jill of the Jungle. Overall: If you look at the twelve factors on which the games were compared, and these factors were borrowed from game guru Paul Pollack's rating criteria, Jill of the Jungle wins more categories than the Vinyl Goddess from Mars. Jill prevails in the categories for music, plot, puzzles, humor, re-play factor, concept and ending. Vinyl takes the nod for graphics, sound, animation, control and bang for your buck. Two categories, technical factor and fun factor, were rated even. So, does Jill of the Jungle simply win with a 7-5-2 record? Some may say that a couple of the categories went to Jill just because she came first, or a couple went to Vinyl just because it took advantage of the technology available three years later. The argument could be made that some categories should be rated higher than others, but it would be too subjective to decide how they should be weighted. The result is that Jill of the Jungle wins this comparison. PART 12: Conclusion The winner, and still champion, Jill of the Jungle. If nothing else, this comparison has shown that there is more to a program than graphics and animation. While the Vinyl Goddess from Mars is the newer game, and had the advantage of coming out three years later, Jill of the Jungle still received the nod in some of the most basic concepts of game production. Better puzzles, and the injection of humor, tipped the scales in Jill's favor. They are both great games, even if they are a bit sexist. PART 13: For More Information Epic MegaGames Union Logic Software Publishing, Inc. 10406 Holbrook Drive P.O. Box 31039 Potomac, MD 20854 100 Bayshore Drive Orders: 800-972-7434 Nepean, Ontario, Canada Questions: 301-983-9771 K2B 8S8 Orders: (800) 583-4838 Support: (613) 828-1173 + + + + + ╒╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤════════════════════════════════════════════╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╤╕ ╞╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪ Board of Trade BBS ╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╡ ╞╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪ New Port Richey, Florida ╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╡ ╞╪╪╪╪╪╪╪ (813) 862-4772 (28.8 Rotary) ╪╪╪╪╪╪╡ ╞╪╪╪╪╪ FidoNet: 1:3619/10 ╪╪╪╪╡ ╞╪╪╪ ╪╪╡ ╞╪ Pasco County's Information Source ╪╡ │ Home of Pasco County's Most Popular Publications │ │ Home of the Pasco BBS Magazine, the 813 BBS Directory, │ │ GamePlay Magazine, DA BUCS and BBS Basics │ │ │ │ Call here FIRST for the BEST in Shareware │ │ Home of Shadoware, DragonHawk Productions, Maximus Productions │ ╞╪ and an Official Distribution Site for Everybody Else!! ╪╡ ╞╪╪╪ ╪╪╪╡ ╞╪╪╪╪╪ Official Support BBS for Pasco ComPats Computer Club ╪╪╪╪╪╡ ╞╪╪╪╪╪╪╪ ╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╡ ╞╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪ Member: Association of Online Professionals ╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╡ ╞╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪ Member: Electronic Frontier Foundation ╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╡ ╘╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╧╛ + + + + + Ultimate Software's Casino Game Machines ---------------------------------------- Game machines are the latest rage in all the gambling establishments. In many cases, casinos are removing gaming tables to put in additional machines. Upon entering a casino, the first thing you notice are the loud noises associated with these game machines. The casinos love the machines, as the noise draws attention to the gaming floor and it also distracts those sitting at the tables. Whether replacing tables with machines will help the industry is not really the scope of this article, but much has been written on how the casinos are losing their traditional support base. The scope of this article is to look at a collection of casino game machine programs for Windows. Ultimate Software, based in Central Point, Oregon, has produced a collection of six casino game machines. The programs, written by Mike Comish and distributed through the Shareware market, are written for Windows and require the file VBRUN300.DDL to operate. The collection includes three slot machine games, Cherry Delights Video Slots, Lucky Stars Video Slots and Double Dynamite Video Slots. Real Video Poker, Real Video Blackjack, and Noisy Video Poker and Blackjack round out the collection. The description file for the slot machine programs claim: "This isn't your grandmother's slot machine!" The slot machines each have nine wheels, three row of three, and eight different ways to win. You can win vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Up to eight coins may be bet on each way to win, so a total of 64 coins can be wagered on a single spin. The programs have the option of changing background colors, setting the speed, having all the wheels stop at the same time and you can also borrow credits. The optional sound card support adds the digitized sounds of the coins being feed into the machine and a click when the wheels stop. There is the additional feature of a statistics option in the registered version. The main difference in the three games, other than the colors, are the items found on the wheels. All three have bonus spins and a progressive pool bonus. The wheels on Cherry Delights Video Slots feature cherries, bells, grapes, watermelons, 7's, plums and lemons. The wheels on Lucky Stars Video Slots have watermelons, stars, lemons, cherries, grapes, lightning bolts and apples. The wheels on Double Dynamite Video Slots feature sticks of dynamite, happy faces, targets, stop signs, traffic signal walk lights, outlines of the United States with a U.S. flag overlay, outlines of Canada with a Canadian flag overlay and the Earth. The video slot machine programs include a very nice payoff chart, which is a table that shows up as a window to the right of the main window. When you win, another window pops up with a table of your winnings. The registered version has the option of doubling down on winning spins, which is betting your winnings in a hi-lo poker game. All the slot machines have a similar look and feel, however, the movement of the wheels is a bit jerky and does not give a true spinning feeling. The Ultimate Software collection of video slot machines can be registered for $20 each, two for $30, or all three programs for $35. There was a time when casinos only offered the mechanical one arm bandit slot machines, but in this technological age there are a wide range of gaming machines appearing. Traditionally, the most popular are the video poker and video blackjack machines. With a video poker program, a video blackjack program, and a program which has both poker and blackjack, Ultimate Software's collection of gaming machines reflects this trend. Just like the video slot machines, these programs run under Windows and require VBRUN300.DDL to operate. The Shareware version of Real Video Poker is based on the traditional jacks or better video poker machines. Registration adds two new games, Joker's Wild and Deuces Wild poker, along with the ability to use cheat codes to hit hands such as a Royal Flush. You may play up to four coins in the Shareware version and registration allows for playing five coins. Winning hands are highlighted on the payoff table, so the payoff can be determined quickly. This is a nice rendition of the popular casino machine, with an easy to use interface and sound card support. Real Video Blackjack is based on the video blackjack machines found in most casinos, which are based on the popular table game of twenty-one. In the Shareware version you only have the option of betting $1, however, the registered version lets the player wager up to $10. An insurance window is displayed whenever the dealer has an ace showing, but the option of taking insurance is not available in the Shareware version. The Shareware version does not allow the player to spilt cards, or display the current statistics. Registration also adds more sounds to the game, including the shuffling of the cards. The program explains the basic strategy of the game and has an easy to use interface. Noisy Video Poker and Blackjack is basically a combination of the other two video card games, but offers more sound effects. The sound effects include upbeat music when you win a hand, the sound the of cards hitting the table and the clanking of winnings dropping into the metal coin tray. When you lose a hand you will hear, among other effects, pig grunting, gun shots, or breaking glass. The description file distributed with the program rightfully claims: "The included sounds make even losing fun." The registration fees for the video card games are, one program for $20, two for $25, or all three programs for $30. Those looking for more information about Ultimate Software are encouraged to visit their home page on the World Wide Web at http://softsite.com/util/ultisoft.htm. + + + + + ▄█▄ ▄▄█▀ ▄▄██▀▀ ▄▄██▀▀ ▄█▄ ▄▄██▀▀ ▄▄█▀▀ ▄▄██▀▀ ▄▄█▀▀ ▄██▀ ▄█▀▀ ██ ■▀▀▀████▄ ▄████████▄ ▐█▀ ▄█▀▀ ████ ▄▄ ▀████▄ ██ ▀██▄ ██ █▀ ██ ███ ▄█▀ ▀████ ██ ██ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄███ ▄█▀ ██▌ ███ ▄██ ▀███ ██ ▄▄██▀ ■▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ■▀▀▀▀▀ ███ ███ ███ ███ ██ ■▀ ▄▄▄▄ ▐██▄▄ ███▀▀▀▀▀▀███ ▀███▄ ██▀ ██ ■▀▀▀▀███████▄▄ ▐██▄▄ ▀▀▀██▄▄▄▄ ███▄ ▀████▄ ▄█▀ ██ ▀▀██▄▄ ▀▀▀██▄▄▄▄ ▄███▀██▌ ████■ ▀████▄▄█▀ ▄███ ▀▀██▄ ▀▀██▌ ▐█ ██▌ ▐█ ▄█▀▀ Association of Online Professionals ▄▄██▀ ▄█▀▀ █▄ 7578 B Telegraph Road ▄██▀▀ █▄ ▀█■ Suite 635 ██ ▀█■ Alexandria, VA 22315 ▀▀█▄■ (703) 924-9692 (Voice) Telenet: aop.org + + + + + PBM Flashback - March 1993 -------------------------- This month's PBM Flashback continues with the theme of this issue, as we look back to an interview with Dan Linton from the March 1993 Pasco BBS Magazine. Most people know him as the President of Software Creations, one of the biggest players in the BBS industry, but Dan Linton has also written a few Shareware games. When he visited Pasco County for that exclusive interview, he discussed his popular Trivia Shell game. "Trivia Shell started with my mother. My family was brought up in Maine, I was born in Augusta and moved to Massachusetts when I was seven, so I've been in Massachusetts most of my life. What happened was my mom has always had a strong interest in Maine, because that was where her parents and my dad were from. She wanted me to do her a trivia game on Maine, just on Maine. I told her if she did all the questions, I'd do the game for her. She did over 1,800 questions on Maine, and I found them to be so interesting, that I started writing a program. I worked on the program, on and off, for about two years. I was going to make it the best of any program which had ever been written on trivia. I put more bells and whistles in this program than anything I'd ever seen, thus, making the project huge. By the time I was about ready to finish things up, I had started up the BBS and didn't have time to finish it. That is when I heard about Jason Blochowiak leaving Id Software after the Wolfenstein project, and I asked him if he wanted to work on a project for me. Jason really wanted to team up and started working on Trivia Shell. He took one look at it and there was a lot of things he wanted to do different, as far as the user interface and all that. He ended up rewriting 90 percent of the program, and really put his expertise and flair into it. Since that time my mother kept cranking-out databases, and others started getting involved. We started getting book authors and other people interested. Charles Rose, the author of The Programers Guide to Networks from McGraw Hill, did a database on Novell. By the time Trivia Shell came out, which was just last Thursday (February 4, 1993), we had over twenty-five databases from various people. And people ask, why do we call it a shell? The whole reason for the name Trivia Shell is because we've created an engine, or shell, which is the entire working program with all its features. Anybody can do a database, if you have a word processor and can crank out 600 questions, you can do a game. What we do is incorporate it into our shell, put new graphics with it, and produce a brand new game. It is a new concept in educational programs. Time to market has been extremely fast, therefore, the retail channels picked it up. All the ones I had done, like Maine, Connecticut or Rhode Island, the retailers thought to be too geographically specific. So, I was able to do something that no other author could do, I said to them "what do you want?" They came back and said how about general trivia, sports, science or movies. Two weeks later we had them done for them and ready to go into the market." Editor's Note: PBM Flashback will appear on a regular basis in future issues. Each issue will have this brief look back at some of the features which have appeared over the history of the Pasco BBS Magazine. + + + + + ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ In this SPECIAL GAMING ISSUE of the PASCO BBS MAGAZINE ║ ║ ║ ║ THE COMPLETE SHAREWARE GAMING CATALOG ║ ║ ║ ║ The Complete Shareware Gaming Catalog features a look ║ ║ at over 250 of today's most popular Shareware titles. ║ ║ ║ ║ Look for the file GAMING.CAT included with this month's issue! ║ ║ ║ ║ The Pasco BBS Magazine - Tampa Bay's Oldest Free On-Line Magazine ║ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ + + + + + DA BUCS Version 1.4 Released ---------------------------- The latest version of DA BUCS, the "History of Tampa Bay Football," was released on Tuesday January 30, 1996. Version 1.4 of this menu driven sports database has updated information on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1995 season, including the hiring of a new head coach. Along with the interesting history of the NFL Bucs, are the histories of the old USFL Tampa Bay Bandits and the defending Arena Football League champion Tampa Bay Storm. This jammed packed program includes complete results of the Super Bowl, Arena Bowl, Outback Bowl, Florida Classic and enough statistics to satisfy even the most avid football fan. DA BUCS is released as copyrighted Freeware by the Board of Trade BBS and the latest version is always available as free download at (813) 862-4772. Look for the file DABUCS14.ZIP on better BBSs everywhere. Recently, Ziff Davis Publishing has been granted permission to distribute DA BUCS on CD-ROM, so look for that channel of distribution to become available soon. + + + + + EFF Quote of the Month ---------------------- "The more people use computers, the more they find ways to abuse things." - Rick Sigurdson, IRS investigator & chairman of Federal Computer Investigations Committee (from AP Wire story "Policing Cyberspace", by Ted Anthony). Editor's Note: The Electronic Frontier Foundation Quote of the Month is a collection of the wittiest and stupidest, most sublime and most inane comments ever said about cryptography, civil liberties, networking, government, privacy, and more. For more information on the Electronic Frontier Foundation, contact the EFF via the Internet, phone, fax, or US Mail. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, 1001 G Street NW, Suite 950 E, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 347-5400 (voice), (202) 393-5509 (fax), (202) 638-6119 (BBS), Internet: ask@eff.org. + + + + + ▓▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▓▒ THE NEWS ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ DIRECTORY ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▒ ▓▓▒▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒▓▒▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▒ A brief look ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒▓▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▒ at some of ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▒ ▓▓▓▒▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ the news of ▓▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▒ ▓▓▓▓▒ the month Dataquest, a market research company, has published information about the top computer manufacturers during 1995. In the United States, Compaq Computer Corp. sold the most personal computers, followed by Packard Bell Electronics Inc., Apple Computer Inc., IBM and Gateway 2000. Worldwide, Compaq was followed by IBM, Apple and Packard Bell. Almost 60 million PCs were shipped worldwide and 22.5 million were shipped in the U.S. The Association of Online Professionals announced they will hold their AOP Annual Conference at Web.X in Chicago September 24-26, 1996. Attendees will also have access to PC Expo in Chicago, a sister event to Web.X. The AOP is similarly sponsoring a Web.X event as part of PC Expo in New York, June 18-20, 1996. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has closed the investigation in the highly publicized case of Rusty & Edie's BBS. The agency raided the BBS in January of 1993, but no charges were ever filed against the system operators. The FBI has returned all seized equipment to Sysop Russell Hardenburgh. + + + + + ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ ▀█▀ █▀▀█ █▀▀█ █▀▀▀ █▀█ █▀▀▀ █▀▀█ █▀▀█ █▀▀█ ▀▀█▀▀ █ █ █▀█▀█ ║ ║ █ █ █ █ █ █▀ █▀▀█ ▀▀▀█ █▀▀█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ ║ ║ ▀▀▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▀ ║ ║ ║ ║ █▀█ █▀█ █▀▀▀ ║ ║ █▀▀█ █▀▀█ ▀▀▀█ ║ ║ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ║ ║ ║ ║ Since 1985 - Pasco County's Oldest BBS ║ ║ ║ ║ Sysops - Rob & Carolyn Marlowe ║ ║ ║ ║ Popular Chat Board, On-Line Games, CD-ROMS, Internet, FidoNet ║ ║ ║ ║ Ten Lines - (813) 848-6055 Voice - (813) 845-0893 ║ ║ ║ ║ telenet: sanctum.com ║ ║ ║ ║ READ THE PASCO BBS MAGAZINE AT: http://www.sanctum.com/pasco ║ ║ ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ + + + + + ROTFL! ------ Computer humor courtesy of Sandy Illes The CyberSpace Mental Heath Quiz Do you worry when you call home and you're not there? (a) Only if I answer the phone. (b) Only if a burglar answers the phone. (c) Only if my dog answers the phone and starts talking about quantum mechanics. Have you ever been kidnapped by aliens? (a) Not recently. (b) I'm answering this quiz via telepathy from the mother ship. (c) Not by aliens... but definitely by zombie androids from the planet Preparation H. When asked to draw the circumference of a circle, do you: (a) Get a bucket to draw circumferences from the circle? (b) Get a pencil and draw some squiggles that you mistakenly believe could be interpreted as a circumference by anyone lacking basic knowledge? (c) Get a protractor and immediately poke out your left eyeball? Answer True or False to each of the following questions: (1) I have never poked out somebody's eyeball. (2) I have never poked out somebody's eyeball on purpose. (3) I have poked out one of my own eyes. (4) I have poked out the eyeballs of small living creatures. (5) I think eyeball poking is over-rated. (6) I live to poke out eyeballs. (7) I have never eaten SPAM. (8) I have eaten SPAM at gunpoint. (9) I willingly ate SPAM for the hallucinogenic effects of the many chemicals contained in the product. (10) I once used SPAM to make the foundation for a garage. (11) I worship SPAM. (12) I think SPAM is under-rated. (13) I think SPAM is not given enough credit for its usefulness in situations that do not involve eating mystery meat products. (14) My computer is secretly in love with me. (15) My computer is secretly Elvis. (16) My computer has been kidnapped by aliens and replaced with a Commodore 64. (17) My computer hates me and is trying to kill me. (18) My computer is powered by weak hamsters. (19) My computer allows me to communicate with David Koresh. (20) No one has ever been able to substantiate those charges of insanity against me. Pick the answer that best indicates your attitude: I enjoy burying small animals in SPAM pits. (a) Yes. (b) No. (c) Only when the moon is as full as my hard drive and I can't download. I have never seen Elvis. (a) Yes. (b) No. (c) Elvis is living in my fridge. I have never locked myself inside my car. (a) Yes. (b) No. (c) Just that one time and I couldn't call 911 on my cellular phone because I forgot the number. I enjoy collecting used Kleenex. (a) Yes. (b) No. (c) I gave it up because used toilet paper is much more readily available. Editor's Note: Thank you to ROTFL Digest!, and its editor Sandy Illes for allowing the above to be reprinted from a prior issue of the on-line humor magazine. ROTFL Digest! is published by Access Media Systems, which may be contacted at (905) 847-7143, or (905) 847-7362. You may also email Sandy Illes at sandyi@pathcom.com, or visit their home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.pathcom.com/~sandyi. + + + + + ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ █████ ████ ██████ ████ ████ ██ ████ ██ █ │ │ ▄ ▄ ██ █ ██ █ ██ █ █ ██ █ ██ █ ██ ██ █ ██ █ ▄ ▄ │ │ ▄▀▄ ▄▀▄▀▄ ██ █ ██ █ ██ █ █ ██ █ ██ █ ██ ██ █ ██ █ ▄▀▄▀▄ ▄▀▄ │ │ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀ ██ ██▄█ ██ █ █ ██▄ ██▄█ ██ ██▄█ ████ ▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ │ │ ▀▄▀▄▀▄▀ ▀▄▀▄▀ ██ ██ ██ █ ██ █ █ ██ ██ ██ █ ██ █ ▐█▌ ▀▄▀▄▀ ▀▄▀▄▀▄▀ │ │ ▀▄▀ ▀▄▀ ██ █ ██ █ ██ █ █ ██ █ ██ ██ █ ██ █ ▐█▌ ▀▄▀ ▀▄▀ │ │ ██▄▄█ ██ █ ██ █ █ ██▄█ ██ ██▄█ ██ █ ▐█▌ │ │ │ │ =======FOR THE SERIOUS ONLINE GAMER======= │ │ │ │ The hottest gaming magazine ever just got even better! With more reviews │ │ of shareware and commercial games/demos, more game hints, Windows 3.1 │ │ compatibility, an updated list of the best shareware games, demos and │ │ more! This is one magazine you simply can't afford to miss! Now with a │ │ terrific all-new 256-color menu system, an awesome new RPG narrative, a │ │ complete One Must Fall 2097 strategy guide, and a terrific strategy │ │ guide to Privateer. You haven't known gaming until you've read GamePlay! │ │ │ │ ==========DragonHawk Productions========== │ │ │ │ Home BBS: Board of Trade BBS, New Port Richey, FL (813) 862-4772 │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ + + + + + Doom Level Design: An Overview ------------------------------- Written by Paul Pollack, editor GamePlay Magazine, New Port Richey, FL If you had any contact with a computer last year, you know that a tiny little program called Doom had been sweeping the country, costing more productivity than even the infamous OJ Simpson trial. The reason for such a commotion was clear: Doom was one great game, and id, the company that created and distributed the game, managed to market it in precisely the right way, maximizing both sales and ultimately profit. One of the decisions that id made proved to be revolutionary, in allowing computer users to legally distribute levels, and editors, that worked with the registered version of their products. Now, with the release of Doom, Doom II, and more recently, Heretic, id is continuing the tradition, and a flock of new editors are being unleashed. If you log onto a BBS, you can't help but be surrounded by seemingly thousands of add-ons, called PWAD's (P for Patch, WAD for the extension used on Doom add-ons); millions of users across the country have donated their PWAD's to the Doom fandom, and with the release of Gladiator, the PWAD to be discussed shortly, I joined their ranks. I borrowed Doom II from a friend a while back, and I immediately became interested in designing, and eventually distributing, homemade levels. I had done it for one of id's earlier releases, Wolfenstein 3D, and I knew that creating a Doom level would have an even greater audience. So I downloaded a few editor programs off my favorite BBS, the Board of Trade, eager to get started on my first level, but trouble started before I laid down my first segment or even inserted my first vertex. I was still used to Wolfenstein, where map editing was as simple as laying down blocks and objects on a map screen, but the editor I used, DEU2C by the UN-NATURALS, went by a completely different format, and I had to learn about level editing all over again. And learn I did -- I'd estimate that my first PWAD file, Gladiator (for Doom II), took at least a good hundred hours (no exaggeration). Almost every day after school, I'd go into my Doom directory, run one of my editors, and start building and improving the existing level structure. Doom level design is no different that many other activities in the fact that the more time and effort you put into your level, the better it will become. The more experience you gain from creating a level, the better -- it seems that no matter what you create in your level, there's still room for improvement, and the opportunity to add special effects to all of your levels abounds. By reading the following text, you'll learn about a few of the aspects of Doom level design that I find most interesting. You'll learn the basics (creating doors, stairs, setting linedef types, creating wells in Heretic, creating tombstones in Heretic, converting Doom I PWAD's to Doom II format via DM2CONV/DM1TODM2, and even how to create levels for the shareware version of Heretic [while waiting for your registered version to arrive]) as well as some lesser known tricks of the trade (extracting/replacing sound effects, adding/editing graphics, changing texture patch assignments, inserting new patches, creating animated walls like the cyber demon wall at the end of Gladiator, etc.). So with no further ado, I present Paul Pollack's guide to creating Doom/Doom II levels. Let's start with the basics, and let the games begin. Part I - Choosing an editor While choosing an editor may sound like the easiest step in the process, it can also be the step that has the biggest impact on what the final version of your PWAD should look like. Many PWAD authors, myself included, choose not to limit themselves to a single editor, but often times work with a variety of editors, each one working well in a certain aspect, so that the finished PWAD file bears the mark of many different editors. By far, the most common editor, and the best (go ahead, call me biased) in my opinion, is DEU (and its variants) v5.21, programed by Raphael Quinet and Brendon J. Wyber. This program features a terrific, easy to use interface, with fairly accurate nodes, reject, and blockmap builders, so that each of your levels comes out looking professionally made. Let's look at some editors and compare and contrast their features to determine which one is right for you. Since my main experience was with Doom II, the editors that I write about here will all be judged upon their ability to work well with that particular program. Keep in mind however, that many of these listed below will work with either Doom, Doom II, or Heretic, and this will be indicated when examining each particular editor. Ready? Here I go: DEU2C by the Un-Naturals: This clever program, coded by two people who call themselves ADMiRAL and SONiC, is a clever adaptation of Quinet and Wyber's original code, adapted to work with the new Doom II textures and linedef types (although the linedef type list isn't as complete as that found in DEEP). There aren't as many enhancements to the code as there are in DeeP, but those familiar with DEU know that a program this good doesn't need many enhancements. On the negative side, the node builder that comes with DEU2C, is adequate at best, and the ability to only utilize conventional memory (unlike DeeP and HeeP) slows down the editor and the nodes builder. Still, it's not a bad editor, and my level's first few rooms were designed with this program. If you can't find DeeP or HeeP, give it a look. [DEU2C supports only Doom II] DDT v1.0 BETA: The Doom Developers Toolkit is a program based on the ever- popular DEU 5.21, enhanced with support for new Doom II textures, linedefs and items, as well as the added ability to utilize all your memory, which can make for some very large PWAD's. Also, the added memory increases the speed tremendously, and this is most noticeable when DDT begins rebuilding the nodes, blockmap, etc. Much of Gladiator was designed with DDT, and even though I use DeeP much more often, DDT will always have a warm spot in my heart. On a less positive note, the node-building in DDT could stand some improvement, so you'll want to keep a copy of Colin Reed's BSP v1.2 lying around. [DDT supports only Doom II] DEEP -- Doom Enhanced Editor Program: Doom Enhanced Editor Program, along with HEEP -- Heretic Enhanced Editor Program are based on Quinet and Wyber's ever popular DEU 5.21, but as the names suggest, both have been enhanced tremendously, and editing with either of these is fast, quick, and easy. And the included node builder, DEEPBSP (binary space partition), runs about six times faster than Colin Reed's BSP, and seems to be just as accurate. Among the features DeeP and HeeP sport are the ability to view objects simply by selecting them, the ability to view floor and ceiling textures of any sector simply by entering sector mode and dragging the cursor over them, and the ability to "snap to grid," a term used that means an object is automatically placed on one of the 64x64 grid lines. This is useful for lining up teleporter pad floor and ceiling textures. All of these features, combined with the already solid DEU 5.21 interface, make DeeP and well worth a download, and they get my vote as the most solid Doom/Heretic editors available out there. [DEEP supports Doom/Doom II, and HEEP supports Heretic (registered only)]. Doom Construction Kit: Representing the non-DEU variants is the Doom Construction Kit, a clever and original program that in my book runs a close second to the wonderful DeeP and HeeP. In fact, in many areas, the Doom Construction Kit is simply a better program, offering a refreshing approach from DEU 5.21. Of course, to be this good, DCK must have a terrific list of features, and that's an understatement. Besides the fairly standard ability to allow "snapping to grid," and the variety of prefab structures available, DCK offers the most comprehensive texture list available, sorting the textures by wall/floor and ceiling, offering descriptions for nearly every texture, offering sizes for every texture, and even listing whether the texture was present in Doom only, Doom II only, or in both (unfortunately, it does NOT come with a list of textures found in Heretic). Unlike DeeP, HeeP, and DEU2C, where you select a wall texture from a list of textures as you view each one, DCK offers a texture browser you view before assigning a texture. In this list, you move horizontally from texture to texture, and then remember the name of the one you want as you input it later. Level design is pretty easy with this program also, offering a quick and easy motif selection, allowing level designers to automatically assign pre-assigned texture layouts to give their levels a certain atmosphere. And when you've been designing levels as much as I have, you know how big a help that can be. How's the node building? Well, the designers of DCK opted to use Colin Reed's own BSP v1.2, perhaps the best known nodes builder in the business. The result is a program you can trust to create exactly what you want done. Even if you have DeeP and HeeP, I'd recommend you download a copy of DCK, let me just say that you won't be sorry. [DCK works with Doom, Doom II, and/or Heretic (registered)] BSP v1.2: BSP, by Colin Reed, is one of the most famous, most accurate, and most useful node builders ever to reach the on-line community, and for good reason. Often times DEU2C or DDT make a few mistakes when rebuilding the nodes, causing flickers and sector/movement errors at different places on the map. At times like that, BSP comes in incredibly handy; all that's necessary is to run the PWAD through it, and bingo -- a fixed PWAD. No matter which editor you have hanging around, it's a good idea to keep a copy of BSP around just in case. [BSP supports Heretic, Doom, and Doom II PWAD's] DeuTex v3.1: DeuTex v3.1, written by Olivier Montanuy with documentation by Kevin McGrail, offers a quick and easy way for Doom PWAD authors to replace nearly everything that the original Doom/Heretic (shareware)/Doom II PWAD contains, ranging from the original title and credit screens to the very music that's contained in your PWAD; in fact, you may find that DeuTex v3.1 is the only replacement tool you'll ever need, and since it works with Doom, Doom II, and Heretic, you may never outgrow it. If you're a Doom PWAD author, DeuTex is a must download!!! Get it today!!!!!!! Part II - The GLADIATOR FAQ -- (F)requently (A)sked (Q)uestions Area #1: General Questions About DragonHawk Productions Q: What exactly is DragonHawk Productions? A: DragonHawk Productions is an entity devoted to creating the ultimate gaming experience for all of you gamers out there. As gamers ourselves, we decided to write a magazine `by gamers, for gamers' and that ended up becoming GamePlay. Q: OK, now I know what it is, but who's on the team? A: The primary two contributors for DragonHawk Productions are Paul Pollack (myself) and Alex Thomas. An intermittent contributor, Andy Stevens, also occasionally takes part, and without his help, this PWAD might never have been created. Q: Where can I get software from DragonHawk Productions? A: The Board of Trade BBS is THE official distribution sight for DragonHawk Productions. Yes, you may be able to find a few of our products elsewhere, but for the latest releases, look no further than the Board of Trade. And while you're there, you may want to check out some of there other fine features, like the extensive file library or the well-written Pasco BBS Magazine. Area #2: General PWAD Editing/Creation Q: How long did it take you to make Gladiator? A: Hmmmmm. That's a toughy. Not counting the time it took to write the documentation, I'd estimate around 100-120 hours (no joke). Much of my free time was spent daily on this PWAD, and I'm fairly happy with the results. As for the documentation, that went by pretty fast (largely because of the premade PWAD template): I'd estimate around two hours. Q: What editors did you use? What's your favorite? A: To create Gladiator, I used a whole lot of editors, ranging from pure map- makers like the Doom Construction Kit and DoomCAD v5.1 to replacement processors like DeuTex by Olivier Montanuy. (A pretty complete list can be found in the template). Toward the start, I used a nice little editor created by ADMiRAL AND SONiC, the UN-Naturals, called DEU2C (or the new DEU for Doom II). But as the level grew larger, the time it took to rebuild the linedef/reject/blockmap grew also, and I realized it was time I looked for a faster editor. A little before my level grew to that size, I came across a nifty little program called DDT, or the Doom Developers Toolkit. The program boasted the ability to use all your memory, so that it could edit practically any-sized PWAD and rebuild its data quite quickly. This I used for quite a while, even though it did have a few bugs that managed to really screw up the vertex placement. Toward version 2.0 of the PWAD, I downloaded DeuTex, and it proved to be essential in creating the custom graphics that appear in this version of the PWAD. (Download a copy today). After that, I downloaded a copy of DeeP (Doom Enhanced Editor Program) and a copy of the Doom Construction Kit (DCK) by Ben Morris. Both of these programs were very well constructed. Q: That's all very well and good but you didn't answer the second part. What's your favorite PWAD editor and what would you recommend to new Doom PWAD authors? A: Another toughy... Some of them are just plain different; it's pretty hard to compare DeuTex and something like the Doom Construction Kit, since they serve different purposes. Even if you narrow it down to level design, it's still a tough question, but I can narrow the choice down to two excellent editors that new PWAD editors should be sure to try. One of them is DeeP (Doom Enhanced Editor Program), and the other is the Doom Construction Kit by Ben Morris. Another great tool, but one that falls into a different category, is DeuTex by Olivier Montanuy. Q: What features make these editors stand out? A: Most of the editors I've seen out there for Doom ][ were based on Brendon Wyber and Raphael Quinet's excellent DEU 5.21. While this in itself made for a pretty sophisticated editor, many authors could have greatly enhanced it, by changing a few features and adding more prefab structures. That's where DeeP comes in. DeeP's based on the familiar DEU 5.21, but adds a few neat twists when it comes to prefab objects, viewing things, and adjusting textures. Viewing objects in DeeP is easy. Just move the cursor over it and press enter to get info; a nice, color picture of the object comes right up on your screen. Even if you decide not to press the enter key, the way the object looks shows up right at the bottom of the screen. With sectors it's just as easy; just move the cursor over a sector while in "sector mode" and it automatically displays the floor and ceiling textures at the bottom of the screen. And if you've spent any time editing Doom levels at all, you know how much of a timesaver this can be. And DeeP has its own nodes builder, aptly titled DeePBSP, and while most of these node builders aren't that accurate, DeePBSP can hold it's own against Colin Reed's famous node builder. (It builds nodes just as accurately, and probably a lot faster; I didn't time it, though.) The Doom Construction Kit, a program NOT based on DEU, also offers some pretty nifty features. While moving the cursor over a sector doesn't immediately bring up what the textures look like, just a single press of the enter key does. And the object viewing is also very good; after going into thing mode, pressing T again loads up several sprite files, which give you a graphical representation of the objects on the Doom MAP (sorry, it doesn't show the enemies.) And if you really need to see it any clearer, just a press of the enter key on an object brings up a great picture. And unlike DeeP, which sometimes cuts off the image of some sprites (like the big tree), DCK doesn't. As for the node builder, DCK has Colin Reed's famous BSP 1.2x built right in. Get it today! DeuTex, by Oliver Montanuy and docs by Kevin McGrail, was actually originally derived from DEU 5.21. But yet it's not a level editor, a nodes builder, or a reject data builder. What exactly is it? DeuTex, like the previously mentioned DeeP and DCK offers support for both Doom, Doom ][, and Heretic. But unlike those others, DCK supports the shareware version of Heretic (because the author hadn't received the registered version at the time of release). Anyway, DeuTex is a replacement processor. You create text files telling it what to replace, and then you can simply run the program and compile your changes into a finished PWAD. It has a somewhat steep learning curve if you're a newbie, but after you get used to it, you'll wonder how you ever got along without. DeuTex is definitely THE tool to have when you want to replace graphics, sound, or music for your PWAD. Q: What's your favorite PWAD, besides Gladiator? A: I spent a lot of time with a neat little episode for the original Doom, called Return to Phobos. The construction was great, and everything just seemed perfect. It served as inspiration for one part of my level, although my imitation was a mere shadow of the original. But I digress. Area #3: Specific Questions About Doom Level/Gladiator Design Q: How do you make stairs? A: Look below; I created mine simply by messing with sectors with a higher floor height and equal ceiling height. I made mine a generic wooden texture because I didn't want to spend time getting the stair textures to line up properly. Each step in my stairs is a separate sector, and that allows each to have different light levels (like one of the secrets in the Wolfenstein part). Q: How do you make doors? A: This is covered in almost any tutorial you find, but just in case, here's the gist of it. You want an intermediate sector to serve as the door connecting two sectors adjacent to it. The height of this sector should be 0, as the floor height should equal the ceiling height for the door to start off in a closed position. The first sidedef of the door lines should always face the sectors they are connecting; neither of them should ever point toward the connecting sector. Each of these lines should be a type like "1 DR door," a standard Doom door type. The lines not connecting the sectors (the "door jamb" lines) should have a texture like DOORSTOP and carry the flag "unpeg lower." That's basically it; more detail can be found later. Q: How do you make crossing a line turn off lights in a specific area? Whenever I tried to make mine, it turned off lights in almost all of my level. What gives? A: This is actually easier than you might think. Use one of the linedef types your editor has built in (something like `lower light level to 0') and change the sector tag of the linedef to match the linedef tag of the sector. If the line's sector tag is 0, the lights will go off in all sectors which have sector tag 0 (which is the default). The moral is: just don't do that. Q: How do you make a teleporter? And: My teleporter texture won't line up correctly. A: First of all, you should decide what textures you want to use (most users stick with the generic hexagram floor and ceiling combo). Secondly, you should insert a 64x64 rectangular sector where you want the teleporter to be created. This new sector should have a raised floor and a lowered ceiling (probably around 6-12 units each), and this can be obtained by following the instructions in the next section ("GLADIATOR: WHO, WHY, AND HOW"). Users of DeeP can simply press F9 and insert a rectangular object, with each dimension having measure 64 units. When you have that done, actually put in your ceiling and floor textures you decided upon in the first step. You'll also notice you need some upper and lower textures; this is because Doom needs to know what to put when the floor height is higher and the ceiling height lower (I use textures like GRAY1 and GRAY4 for Gladiator). If you ran your PWAD right now, and went to the area where the unfinished teleporter was located, you'd see exactly what it will look like when you're done; in fact, the only major difference is that what you have now won't function. To get it working, you need to set the linedefs (there are four, for each side of the rectangular teleporter) to one of the "Teleport to another sector" types. Now you have a teleporter, so you need an exit. Insert your exit at the location you want. Then select the original four linedefs, and give them a free sector tag number. Select the sector the teleport exit is in, and give that sector the same tag number. That's all very well and good, you may be saying, but my teleporter textures still won't line up and there are no X and Y offsets for floor and ceiling textures. What's a PWAD editor to do? Most Doom editors allow you to snap something to grid. Select a sector while having that option on, and move your teleporter sector into one of the 64x64 squares on the grid. Now, when you run your level, the teleporter textures will be properly aligned. Q: How do you make a lift? A: For the end room of my level, you call down a lift, which brings you to the top of the sector, and allows an impressive view of the cyber demon animations. For this example, I'll assume you're using DeeP, or one of the many variations on DEU. First off, we want to create a sector between two other sectors to serve as our lift. Once this is done (you should know how to do this; it's almost the same as creating a door), you should be left with three sectors, which should look approximately like this (ASCII art strikes again): Legend: X= Vertex, - or | or / or \ = line X---------X / a \ X-X---------X-X | b | X-X---------X-X / c \ X-----------------X In the diagram, sector "b" is the middle, connecting sector between the two other sectors (each with its own floor and ceiling height). Make sure that one sector is substantially higher than the other, else a lift serves no purpose. Enter sector mode by pressing S, and then go to the top menu and select "Make lift from sector." This will cause the middle sector to serve as a lift and to go as high as the higher sector's floor height, allowing you to get off at the right spot. All the hard work's done; all that's left is selecting the textures (I recommend the SILVER* series or SHAWN*). Another thing that's interesting to note is that if you have a sector like a pool (one that's raised to a specific height, and stands as a separate sector inside another; like the ones talked about in the next section), you can simply select that entire sector and then run the option "Make lift from sector." All that's left is to finish texture selection. Another thing that's interesting to note is that if you have a sector like a pool (one that's raised to a specific height, and stands as a separate sector inside another; like the ones talked about in the next section), you can simply select that entire sector and then run the option "Make lift from sector." All that's left is finish texture selection. Q: I've played Trinity WAD, and I've seen the cyber demon movie. I shrugged it off as some genius PWAD editor creating a nifty level, and thought that he's probably the only one who knew how. Then I got hold of your PWAD and saw almost the same thing, and since I know you're not a genius, it can't be that hard to do. So, how's it done? A: Like "Trinity: How I made it," by Steve McCrea, I too will quote the same passage of Matt Fell's Unofficial Doom Specs. In it, he states the following (don't worry if you don't quite understand it at first; I didn't either). "It is possible to change the walls and floors that are animated, like the green blocks with a sewer-like grate that's spewing green slime (SLADRIPx). The game engine sets up as many as 8 animation cycles for walls based on the entries in the TEXTURE resources, and up to 5 based on what's between F_START and F_END. The entries in FirstTexture and LastTexture, below, and all the entries between them (in the order that they occur in a TEXTURE list), are linked. If one of them is called by a sidedef, that sidedef will change texture to the next in the cycle about 5 times a second, going back to First after Last. Note that the entries between First and Last need not be the same in number as in the original, nor do they have to follow the same naming pattern, though that would probably be wise. E.g. one could set up ROCKRED1, ROCKREDA, ROCKREDB, ROCKREDC, ROCKREDD, ROCKREDE, ROCKRED3 for a 7-frame animated wall!" (He sounds pretty excited about it, doesn't he?) What that basically says is that if there's an animated wall, like FIREBLU1, you can change it and create a number of intermediate frames for the animation. Doom will go through the original frame, all of the intermediate frames, and finally the ending frame (FIREBLU2, in my PWAD). But to get a good animation, you'll need to redefine some textures, and I recommend DeuTex (an EXCELLENT program!!). First of all, you'll need to make an entry in your WADINFO.TXT file for textures, with a heading called [TEXTURE1]. (For Doom ][, for Doom I it can be either TEXTURE1 or TEXTURE2). Under the heading, you should put the name of the texture definition file (it's assumed it's in the TEXTURES sub-directory), containing the changes you want made. So under my WADINFO.TXT file, it has a nice heading of [TEXTURE1] with the file name TEXTURES under it, since TEXTURES (which resides in the sub-directory TEXTURES) is the definition file. Well, now that you've referred the program to the file, you need to create it. Here's what the one from Gladiator looks like. ; Same texture definition file for my Gladiator documentation. ; The stuff after a semi-colon is a mere comment. ; FIREBLU1 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE1 0 10 ZZZA 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE2 0 10 ZZZB 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE3 0 10 ZZZC 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE4 0 10 ZZZD 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE5 0 10 ZZZE 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE6 0 10 ZZZF 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE7 0 10 ZZZG 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE8 0 10 ZZZH 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRF1 0 10 ZZZI 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRF2 0 10 ZZZJ 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRF3 0 10 ZZZK 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRF4 0 10 ZZZL 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRF5 0 10 ZZZM 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRF6 0 10 ZZZN 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRF7 0 10 ZZZO 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRF8 0 10 FIREBLU2 128 128 * BLANK 0 0 * CYBRE1 0 10 ; ; End of file Each of the intermediate frames contains two patches (actually CYBR* is a patch, but I'll get to that later). BLANK, a patch I created from a blank 320x200 screen, is the background for the CYBR* series, while each of those CYBR* files are different frames from the cyber demon's actual animation. Notice the numbers to the right of the patches. Those numbers signify the x and y offsets, respectively. Use this to get a patch properly aligned. As I said earlier, those cyber demon frames are actually sprites, but Doom has no problem treating them as patches for the sake of these animations. Download DeuTex and check it out for yourself. Part III - Gladiator: Who, Why and How (A look at Doom & Doom ][ level design) Disclaimer: I, Paul Pollack, take no responsibility for any destruction or Doom PWAD disasters that may befall your computer from following any of this advice. This is not meant to be a tutorial; more accurate information on Doom level design can be obtained by writing to me via the Board of Trade BBS or by downloading the Beginners' Guide to DEU (not written by me) or the Doom Level Design FAQ (also not by me). (Don't get too concerned about the previous disclaimer. It probably won't cause any damage to any parts of your computer, but I put it in just to be safe.) (Hey, I'm a magazine writer; you should have expected this editorial piece.) The way I see it, there are basically three main types of players: the guys at id (obviously), the general public, and the craved lunatics who dabble with Doom modifications. As a member of the latter group, I know what it's level creation is like; frustrating. There are literally thousands of Doom PWAD files floating around on BBS's out there, ranging from excellent to utter #@$!. Some replace graphics, others music, and even sounds, but the vast majority of these PWAD's center around one aspect: levels. Most of the PWAD's out there are actually pretty decent, some of them even approaching id's lofty standards, but ones that go beyond that are pretty rare. But I digress. Gladiator is essentially a new level for id's Doom ][ v1.666 or above; yes, I did modify a texture via Olivier Montanuy's DEUTEX V3.1, but that was only with already-existing patches. If you're reading this, and you're already familiar with Doom level design, you'll probably know the techniques I'm describing. Aspiring Doom authors may find this an invaluable source; I know I would've when I first started creating PWAD's. It's incredible how much I've learned about PWAD creation; from the old myths and assumptions I took with me from Wolfenstein designs to the linedefs, uppers, lowers, and flags that are so essential to every single level. I've learned stairs, doors, lifts, pits, and even the ability to redefine textures via a program like DEUTEX (an AWESOME program). I'd like to share some of these steps in the creative process with you now. First off, in the beginning, I had a very big problem with doors. The problem lay in the fact that I simply, no matter what I did, could figure out how exactly doors worked; this is apparent from the beginning parts of my level. Since I used to be a self-titled Wolfenstein level designer (I created a set of nine levels for the shareware version), I immediately thought back to that experience, and came up with a bunch of wrong ideas. Doors in Wolfenstein were pretty darn simple. All that was necessary were two rooms and a tiny object called a door to fit between two of the blocks. But in Doom, you simply can't do that, and that's where I messed up. What I'd been trying to do was to simply lay down a line that connected two sectors, and then make it one of the door types that my editor (at first DEU2 by Adler, then DEU2C by the Un-Naturals, then DDT (Doom Developers Toolkit), and finally, DoomEnhancedEditorProgram, and finally DCK (Doom Construction Kit)) listed. (I'm a former Wolfenstein level creator, and if you've done into Doom editing at all, you know that they're worlds [closer to universes] apart). Unfortunately, that's not the correct way to go about creating doors. To create a door in Doom you need three things: two sectors to be connected, and a sector between them to serve as the door. For example, let's say you have two rectangular sectors, with one on top of the other. This would look something like this (x stands for a vertex, - means part of a line): A. B. C. x-------x x-------x x-------x | | | | | d | x-------x x--x-x--x x--x-x--x a| |b x-------x x--x-x--x x--x-x--x | | | | | c | x-------x x-------x x-------x But we need our nifty little connecting sector, so what we can do is to split the line sectors up and connect the resulting vertices. First, refer to figure B for what it would look like with the vertices split. To connect the vertices (figure C), select all four in a clockwise motion and pressing the insert key. So far, so good. But yet we still need that middle section to be a sector. So we select the four center linedefs (the one to the right of a, the left of b, down from d, and up from c) and press the insert key once more to make a new sector. This sector will serve as our door. (It's easier than it looks.) What we can then do is to select our doors sector and to adjust the ceiling height to be the same as the floor height, just making our door start off in a closed position. We then select the linedef just below d and the linedef just above C and give them one of those exotic door types like `1 DR Door'. Be sure that the linedef's first sidedef is facing towards the room, not the middle section; almost all the time one of the linedefs will be facing the wrong direction. Select it and then go to `flip linedef'. After that it's time to pick the doors texture. When creating a door, you have to remember that it's pretty much only the first sidedef of the two door lines (the ones next to d and c, not the "door jambs" next to a and b) that deserve a texture, and that the texture you put should be an upper one. The two "door jamb" should carry the unpeged flag, have only one side, and have the impassible flag. Examples of textures that look good here are ZZWOLF10, DOORTRAK, and DOORSTOP. But instead of going through all that, you could have simply used DEU's premade feature that translates a sector into a door. So once you had your middle sector, you could select it and then run the option "Make door from sector." Nifty, eh? Of course, you'd still have to adjust the textures yourself, but it takes most of the hard parts out of level design. Another thing that bugged me was that I could never quite figure out exactly how some PWAD authors made certain sectors of their's only go up a certain distance. After all, whenever I inserted a premade object inside my sectors, they always went all the way up to the ceiling. But after tinkering for quite a while, I figured out a very simple method to create some nifty looking pools, pits, or crate columns. First of all, I'm going to assume for a moment that you have a copy of DEU (or a variant) nearby. This isn't asking too much, since the general consensus is that DEU is the king of Doom editors, and every PWAD author should keep a copy close at hand. (I could go into more detail about why I think it's the best, but I would then digress). First off, select your sector. Then hit F9 (at least that's what it is in DEU2 by Adler, DEU2C, DDT, and DEEP) to insert a premade object INSIDE a sector. Make sure it says inside, or you'll screw yourself up. If you have DEEP, you're pretty much set -- they have premade routines for acid pools and the like. But since the majority of PWAD authors out there aren't using DEEP, here's how it goes. At the menu you'll see a list of premade items to insert. Select either a rectangle or a polygon, whichever shape you're going to use. Fill in the information on the radius/width & height, and voila, your object is there: only problem is that it goes all the way to the ceiling. So what's a PWAD author to do? Select all the lines and then press the insert key to join them all into a sector. Now you can adjust the individual height of the item. But that isn't quite it. Select the sector, and put in the height you want, as well as the floor/ ceiling (using F_SKY1 in the middle of a regular room can make a great skylight) texture. After the height's selected, select all the linedefs again. You'll find that a texture (indicated by the red) is now missing but needed, and that if not put in, you'll get major HOM (Hall of Mirrors). So fill in the upper or lower texture (depending on whether it's higher or lower than the floor) and voila, finito. (That's assuming it works; if it doesn't you might use some less pleasant foreign words.) Now your sector should go up the correct distance; if not, feel free to contact me about any problem you may have. Editor's Note: Thanks again to Paul Pollack for another great article. There will be more from Paul and GamePlay in next month's Pasco BBS Magazine. Paul is an avid gamer and frequent BBSer who, if you would like to contact him, can be reached at Gator's Place BBS (813) 376-0087, or Dr. Duck's BBS (813) 849- 3562. Paul is also the moderator of the GamePlay Conference on the Board of Trade BBS (813) 862-4772. You may also wish to visit his home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.intol.com/paul/paul.htm. + + + + + ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▓ ▓ ▓ Board of Trade BBS New Port Richey, Florida ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ (813) 862-4772 12/24/48/96/144/28800 baud ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ Home of the Pasco BBS Magazine ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ Home of the 813 BBS Directory ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ Home of DragonHawk Productions ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ Home of Shadoware ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ Home of Maximus Productions ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ Official Distribution Site: ▓ ▓ Alive Software, Apogee Software, Epic MegaGames, Gamer's Edge, ▓ ▓ Id Software, Impulse Software, MVP Software, Safari Software, ▓ ▓ Software Creations, Soleau Software and Union Logic Software ▓ ▓ ▓ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ + + + + + Index to Game Reviews, Articles in Past Pasco BBS Magazine Issues ----------------------------------------------------------------- Bass Class ................................................... February 1993 Billy the Kid Returns ........................................ November 1993 Bio Menace ................................................... September 1993 DeQuoter ..................................................... July 1993 Elf's Christmas Adventure .................................... December 1993 Elfland: Gorgimer's Castle .................................. December 1993 Funball ...................................................... May 1995 God of Thunder ............................................... September 1995 Goldhunt ..................................................... July 1994 The Greens ................................................... May 1993 Heretic ...................................................... October 1995 Humbug ....................................................... December 1993 Jack Flash ................................................... October 1995 Jazz Jackrabbit .............................................. January 1996 Jetpack ...................................................... June 1993 Jetpack Christmas Special .................................... December 1993 Ken's Labyrinth .............................................. May 1993 Major Stryker ................................................ March 1993 Megagopoly ................................................... August 1993 One Must Fall 2097 ........................................... February 1996 Rise of the Triad ............................................ August 1995 ScubaMan's Adventure ......................................... July 1995 Secret Agent ................................................. August 1995 Shooting Gallery ............................................. April 1994 Space Chase .................................................. June 1995 Starfire ..................................................... January 1993 Super Ball ................................................... October 1993 Three Point Basketball ....................................... February 1994 Trivia Shell ................................................. April 1993 Wolfenstien 3D ............................................... May 1993 WordMax ...................................................... November 1994 WWIII: Global Thermonuclear War ............................. October 1993 + + + + + Next Month ---------- A couple of the highlights from the April issue of the Pasco BBS Magazine will include comments from readers of the magazine, a new regular feature for new computer users, a look at world chess champion Garry Kasparov's match against a computer program and some interesting developments related to this summer's BBS conventions. The "Editor's Welcome" for this issue encourages readers to send along some comments for publication, and it is hoped that some of you do. The next issue will publish a couple of comments already received and, hopefully, some that are received between now and then. There will also be the first installment of a new monthly feature with information for the new computer user. Those who have been at computing for some time may also pick up some tips from this series of articles. As the deadline for this issue approached, there were some interesting stories developing. We will take a look at the match between world chess champion Garry Kasparov and a computer chess program. There were some interesting news related to this summer's BBS conventions, which will be covered as well. Of course, all our regular features will return as well. The April issue of the Pasco BBS Magazine will be available on, or before, March 22. Make sure you do not miss a single issue of Tampa Bay's oldest free on-line magazine! + + + + + Important Information --------------------- The Pasco BBS Magazine is distributed free of charge, as long as it is unaltered and complete. When uploading make sure the original archive is intact with all files included. The Pasco BBS Magazine is the sole property of the Board of Trade BBS and Richard Ziegler. It is legally copyrighted material and all rights are reserved. No part of this magazine may be used without permission. No compensation of any kind may be received for the viewing, distribution, or for any other use of the magazine files. By submitting something, you are agreeing to allow publication of the material in the magazine. Articles reprinted with permission remain the property of the cited source. Guest contributions may not necessarily reflect the views of the Pasco BBS Magazine. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions, however, this is normally only done to correct spelling or grammatical errors. The editor makes all determinations on what and when articles will run. Every effort is made to insure that all information contained within the Pasco BBS Magazine is accurate, but inadvertently mistakes can appear. The Pasco BBS Magazine, Board of Trade BBS or Richard Ziegler cannot be held liable for information contained within this document. It is intended that this magazine exists for the personal enjoyment of the readers. Rather than place a trademark symbol at every occurrence of a trademarked name, it is stated that trademarks are only being used in an editorial fashion with no intention of any infringement of the trademark itself. More information can be found in the other files distributed with the magazine's archive. Comments, questions, suggestions and submissions can be left on the Board of Trade BBS (813) 862-4772, or mailed to Board of Trade BBS, P.O. Box 1853, New Port Richey, FL 34656. + + + + + (C)Copyright 1996 Richard Ziegler - All Rights Reserved + + + + +