Cream of the Crop 11/Cream of the Crop 11-1.iso/games/lorri4.zip/DCG4FAQ.DOC

Text File | 1995-10-10 | 37KB | 889 lines

I. GENERAL QUESTIONS...1
1....What is DCGAMES?...1
2....What is the difference between ADVENTURE and ROLE PLAYING?...1
3....Where can I get the latest copy?...2
4....How does it compare with other game systems?...2
II. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERFACE...3
1....What kind of interface does DCGAMES have?...3
2....What are the different types of graphics tiles?...3
3....How do I create my own graphics tiles?...4
4....Can I do 3-d graphics?...4
5....Can I create variable size tiles?...4
6....How many tiles can I have of each type?...4
7....What about PCX or other graphics pictures?...4
8....What is the 'art gallery'?'...4
9....Can I create my own commands?...5
III. QUESTIONS ABOUT SCRIPTS AND THEIR USE...5
1....What is a script and when do I need to use one?...5
2....How many scripts can I have, and how big can they be?...5
3....What parts of the game system can I control using a script?...5
4....When is a character's script called?...6
5....When is an object's script called?...6
6....When is a world's script called?...6
7....When is the 'CONTROL' script called?...6
8....When is the 'RESURECT' script called?...7
9....When is the 'CASTING' script called?...7
10....Can I call one script from another one?...7
IV. QUESTIONS ABOUT PLAYER CHARACTERS AND NPCS...7
1....How are character types and classes implemented?...7
2....How do I create my own character types?...8
3....How do I create my own character classes?...8
4....Can I create (or destroy) characters on the fly?...8
5....When should a character have it's own script?...8
V. QUESTIONS ABOUT OBJECT TYPES AND CLASSES...8
1....How do object types and classes work?...8
2....How do I create my own objects types and/or classes?...9
3....Can I create (or destroy) objects on the fly?...9
4....When should an object have it's own script?...9
VI. QUESTIONS ABOUT WORLDS...10
1....What is a world?...10
2....Can I create my own world types?...10
3....How big can my world's be?...10
4....How do I use alternate graphics tiles for different worlds?...10
5....What is a door?...10
6....Can I create or modify doors during game play?...11
7....How many ways are there of moving the playing party from one
     location to another?...11
8....How do I start the game somewhere other than door zero in
     world zero?...11
9....When should a world have it's own script?...11
VII. QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING A GAME...12
1....How do I get started?...12
2....How do I prevent people from peeking into my
     game with the game builder? (or modifying it?)...12
3....How do I package the game when I've finished it?...12
VIII. QUESTIONS ABOUT VOICE, SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC...13
1....What is the difference between a VOICE and a
     SOUND EFFECT?...13
2....How do I change or create new sound effects?...13
3....What is the difference between a VOC sound and a
     PWM file?...13
4....If I don't have a Sound Card, can I hear
     anything on the PC speakers?...13
5....How do I give voices to my characters?...14
6....Can I play voice files directly (not as part of
     a character's voice file or the system sound effects)?...14
7....How do I play music?...14
8....How do I create music files?...14
IX. QUESTIONS ABOUT TIME...15
1....How does TIME work in the game system...15
2....What can I change about the time before and
     during game play?...15
3....How do I create events that occur at a given
time?...15
X. QUESTIONS ABOUT UTILITIES...15
1....What utilities are available with DCGAMES and
     what do they do?...15
2....How do I use the fractal world generator (WORLDGEN.EXE)?...17
2....How do I use the maze generator (DCMAZE.EXE)?...17
3....How do I use the report generator (DCREPORT.EXE)?...17
4....Why are there 3 remap utilities (VGAREMAP, VHIREMAP and
     VH1REMAP) and when should I use them....17
5....Why are there multiple conversion utilities and
     when should I use them?...17














===============================================================
          DCGAMES  - FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
                         Version 4.0
               Last Update: September 15, 1995
===============================================================


I. GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. What is DCGAMES?

The DCGAMES system allows you to create graphical adventure
and/or role playing games to run on MS-DOS based PCs.  This
is a short list of the features:
o Supports VGA and SuperVGA graphics modes
o Runs on 640KB but will use Extended and Expanded memory
  if available.
o Up to 1000 worlds, each of the with up to 65536 (64K)
  tiles per world, with up to 10 palettes of tiles to
  choose from and 256 tiles in each palette.
o Up to 500 characters and objects per world (total
  500,000)
o Direct support for PCX and other graphics formats.
o Over 95% of the system is configurable and can be
  modified using simple but powerful scripts.
o Supports most SoundBlaster and AdLib compatible boards.

Up to 64 automatic voices per character, unlimited script
controlled voice and music.  Can use the PC speaker if no
voice card is present!

2. What is the difference between an ADVENTURE and a ROLE
   PLAYING game?

The line between one and the other is not fixed, and some
strong arguments can occur between 'adventurers' and 'role-
players'.  Games created with DCGAMES  may be adventures or
role playing games, depending on the amount of character
development that you choose to have and the rules you
choose to follow in your game.
In general, an adventure game is one in which character
development is not very important.  The idea is to attain a
specified objective through solving a sequence of problems
or puzzles.
A role playing game is one in which it the behavior of the
character (as controlled by yourself, the player), as well
as the abilities and nature of that character, make a big
difference in the manner in which the ultimate objective is
attained. You still have to find objects and solve
problems, but there is usually an element of growth
involved. Your initial character is usually not good enough
to solve the ultimate problem, and must learn and grow
before being able to face the ultimate challenge.

3. Where can I get the latest copy?

Directly from DC Software: Send $40 (+ 8.125% tax in Texas)
+ $5 Shipping ($15 outside the U.S.A.) to the address
below, and receive the full registered version, including
the graphics block editor

  DC SOFTWARE
  7908 KETTLEWOOD COURT
  PLANO TX 75025

You can find the shareware version of DCGAMES on the
Internet. Look for file DCGAMES4.ZIP in common locations.
For more information, visit my home page at:

   http://www.iadfw.net/davidh1/index.html

The most likely place to carry it is the #1 BBS in the
US which is now on the Net!

Software Creations BBS / Home of the Authors

  WEB Access: http://www.swcbbs.com
  Internet Access: Telnet BBS.SWCBBS.COM
  BBS DIAL In Public Access:
    [phone] 2400/9600/14.4 USR HST/Dual Std
    [phone] 2400/9600/14.4/28.8 USR V.Everything
  BBS DIAL In Member Access:
    [phone] 2400/9600/14.4 USR HST/Dual Std
    [phone] 9600/14.4/16.8/28.8 USR V.Everything

Or check popular shareware catalogs, such as:
  Public Brand Software (PBS)      1-800-426-3475
  Public (software) Library (PsL)  1-800-242-4775

but you should allow at least 3-4 months lag time
before they carry it.

Finally, I will try to upload the product to both
Compuserv (Gamers Forum, CRPG Library) and AOL.
Browse for DCGAMES4.ZIP or DCG400.ZIP.

4. How does it compare with other game systems?

DCGAMES is the only game system that allows you to modify
just about everything in the system. It's claim to fame is
that you can create the best role playing games because
there is no practical limit to what you can do with it.
The 'Unlimited Adventures' gaming system has 2 advantages
of DCGAMES that are difficult to ignore.  First, the
graphics interface is in 3D form, versus the 2D Ultima IV
look of DCGAMES.  In addition to this, SSI has allowed
users of 'Unlimited Adventures' to screen  capture and re-
use all the graphics in their standard game products which
means that there is a very large and professional looking
set of still images and sprites to choose from.
Unfortunately for 'Unlimited Adventures', it is also one of
the most restrictive game systems I've ever seen.  Read
their FAQ and see for your self.  If a 3D view and a large
set of ready to use art is very important to you, UA may be
worth looking into, but be prepared to compromise at every
turn.  Again, read their FAQ.  UA appeals to a very
specific type of gamer.
If, on the other extreme, you want to create a ZORK like
text adventure game, there is a very good shareware product
for doing just that (I think itÆs called the Adventure Tool
Kit).
Another system worth looking into is the Castle Wolfstein
look-alike engine called ACK3D, which allows you to write a
game using a programming language like C and use their
engine to drive the graphics.  I'm  certainly going to look
at it when I get the time to add a 3D 'dungeon' like view
to the capabilities in DCGAMES.
Finally, there is a product called Quest Maker which can be
used to create games like the KingÆs Quest series (fixed
screen scenarios with a few objects and characters in each
screen.
If you know of other products around, please send me a
note. Each of these products has itÆs own audience and
style. I encourage you to try them if you have any doubts.

II. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERFACE

1. What kind of interface does DCGAMES have?

The DCGAMES interface includes a large window into a tile-
based world, a smaller window showing party information,
character stats and inventory, as well as doubling as a
menu selection area.  The mouse and keyboard interfaces are
tied to a script for full customization.

2. What are the different types of graphics tiles?

DCGAMES handles 4 kinds of graphics tiles.  Each world is
created by painting a landscaping using tiles from a
LANDSCAPING palette. You can have up to 10 distinct
palettes of landscaping tiles, each appropriate to a
different kind of world (example: cities, dungeons,
outdoors, etc.). You can use the graphics tile editor to
create your own tiles or modify the default ones.
There are also OBJECT tiles and CHARACTER tiles, which are
used for the objects and characters in your adventure game.
In addition to the above types of tiles, there is a system
palette of tiles used to represent cursors, boxes, icons,
etc., and which you may also modify as needed.

3. How do I create my own graphics tiles?

Registered users receive a graphics tile editor that can be
used  to create your own tiles and modify existing ones.
You can also use a paint program like neopaint, store the
graphics in PCX format and use a utility to import/export
the tiles into DCGAMES.

4. Can I do 3-d graphics?

You can give your tiles a pseudo 3D look by drawing them
from a different perspective, specially if you are willing
to limit your game to SuperVGA, taking advantage of the
higher resolution and colors variety.

5. Can I create variable size tiles?

Not at this time.  Objects and Characters can be smaller
(up to the actual tile size) since they have transparent
color, but you cannot create larger tiles (yet).

6. How many tiles can I have of each type?

DCGAMES supports 10 distinct landscaping palettes of 256
tiles each, and two separate palettes for objects and
graphics with a limit of over 32000 tiles in each of them.

7. What about PCX or other graphics pictures?

You can associate an image file with any world (maps for
example), character (portraits) and object (pictures) and
the game driver will handle them automatically.  You can
also display any graphics file under script control.
Currently it supports PCX only since GIF got æcopyrightedÆ.

8. What is the 'art gallery'?'

Since I have no artistic ability whatsoever, a graphics
artist in Canada (Beatrice A. Sodero) has made some of here
drawings available free of charge, providing you don't try
to sell your game commercially. You can distribute it as
shareware, but you should probably drop her a note anyway
if you use her images.

9. Can I create my own commands?

Certainly.  The keyboard and mouse (icon) interface are
fully customizable.  Each keypress and mouse click has a
script associated with it and can be changed without
problem.

III. QUESTIONS ABOUT SCRIPTS AND THEIR USE

1. What is a script and when do I need to use one?

A script is a set of commands that tell the game driver how
to do it's job.  Most of the game system is controlled by
scripts, which means you can modify anything you don't
like. You do not need to  know any programming to make
light use of the script language, but very powerful
features are included for those that want to do some more
serious changes.
DCGAMES includes a complete set of scripts for creating a
fantasy role playing games, including many world types,
character types, objects, magic, etc.
You can make small changes to the existing scripts to fine
tune your game's universe, writing specialized scripts for
some of the more important characters or events in your
game, or, if your  game is NOT a fantasy game, you can
trash the whole set and write your own from scratch.

2. How many scripts can I have, and how big can they be?

There is no limit to the number of scripts you may have.
Each world, character and object may have it's own script
or use a 'standard' one.  One script can also call another
one, so size is also not a problem. Each compiled script
(.SCO file) can be up to 128KB in size, but for memory
usage problems I would probably keep scripts under 30KB and
split them if they become larger.

3. What parts of the game system can I control using a script?

Just about everything.

4. When is a character's script called?

Whenever the player interacts with a character, the
character's script is given the opportunity to control the
interaction.
A default script is called when the character does not have
it's own script, the script does not know how to handle an
action or the action handling ends with 'CONTINUE' instead
of 'STOP'.
Each character type has it's own default script.  The name
of the script is also the name of the character type, so
for each name in the [CHARACTER TYPES] section of
DCCTOKEN.DAT there should be a script of that same name
available to handle characters of that type.

5. When is an object's script called?

When ever an object is manipulated, the object's script is
invoked to control the event.
If the object does not have it's own script, the script
does not handle the interaction or the script ends with
CONTINUE instead of STOP, a default script will be invoked.
The script invoked depends on whether the object exists in
the world or is being carried by a player.
The script OBJECT.SCR is invoked for objects laying around
in the world. The script CURRITEM.SCR is invoked for
objects in your backpack or being worn by the player.
A few sub-scripts are called by OBJECT.SCR and CURRITEM.SCR
using the 'runscript' command. See the script source files
for more information on these sub-scripts.

6. When is a world's script called?

When you enter or exit a world, current and destination
world  scripts are allowed to handle the event, allows you
to intercept and re-route, ,deny entrance, etc.
If your world does not have it's own script, the default
script WORLDDEF.SCR is called.

7. When is the 'CONTROL' script called?

The CONTROL script is invoked every 'minute' of game play,
to allow it to perform actions that are tied to the passage
of time (like healing, poison damage, random monsters,
animation, etc.).
It is also invoked for every keypress and mouse click to
allow you to configure your own commands in response to
each of these events.
Finally, it is invoked once for each player during a fight
to handle that player's "turn" and once for the entire
"monster" party, to handle the actions of the monsters.  In
the standard control file, it calls FIGHTING.SCR to handle
monster actions.

8. When is the 'RESURECT' script called?

When everyone in the party dies, this script is invoked to
handle the dead. You may choose to resurect the party,
transport them elsewhere, restore a previous game, restart
from the begining, terminate the game, etc.

9. When is the 'CASTING' script called?

This script contains the example magic spell system and is
invoked only from other scripts.  For example, when a magic
user casts a spell or when a magical object is invoked.

10. Can I call one script from another one?

Yes, use the ærunscriptÆ command.  See the CONTROL script
for a clear example.

IV. QUESTIONS ABOUT PLAYER CHARACTERS AND NPCS

1. How are character types and classes implemented?

Each character TYPE has it's own script that controls the
behavior of characters of that type. DCGAMES includes
scripts for everything from civilians to bartenders,
questers, healers, guards, etc., and you can create your
own.
The character CLASS allows you to differentiate between
characters according to their abilities.  For example,
DCGAMES includes Human, Elf, Wizard, Dwarf, Fighter and
Archer.  Again, you can create your own character classes.
DCGAMES can handle up to 256 character types with 256
character classes.

2. How do I create my own character types?

You add the new character type to the list in the
DCCTOKEN.DAT file and create a default script for that type
of character.

3. How do I create my own character classes?

You add the new character class to the list in DCCTOKEN.DAT
and then alter any script in which the class of the
character might affect a standard behavior.  For example, a
CLERIC class might have a different set of magic abilities
than a Wizard, so you would alter the sections dealing with
magic to handle clerics and wizards differently.

4. Can I create (or destroy) characters on the fly?

Yes.  Under script control you can create new characters
and objects and introduce them into the game at any time.
See the CONTROL script, which creates 'random monsters'
when you are in a dungeon or outdoors.

5. When should a character have it's own script?

When the character needs to deviate significantly form the
standard behavior for it's given character type or class
for one or more specific actions or events.
For example, a standard 'QUESTER' type person won't join
the adventuring party, but will rather assign the quest and
wait until it is finished.  If you want a specific quester
to be able to join the party under certain conditions, you
might want to create a script for that character.  The
character's script need only handle the TALK event (i.e.
when you talk to the quester) and the only difference is
that this character WOULD accept an offer to join the
player's party.
You could also æforceÆ the party to accept the quester and
control the conditions under which the quester would leave
the party (for example, after the quest is done and they
are back in the questerÆs abode).

V. QUESTIONS ABOUT OBJECT TYPES AND CLASSES

1. How do object types and classes work?

An object's TYPE identifies the purpose of the object, like
armor, weapons, rings, shields, food, etc.
An object's CLASS differentiates between variations of the
same object type.  For example, the default scripts define
WEAPONS as having being BLUNT, EDGED or MISSILE.
The attributes of an object also help differentiate between
two objects of the same type and class. For example, a
"Knife", a "Two Handed Sword" and a "Battle Ax" are all
EDGED WEAPONS, but with very different attributes.
Object behaviour is handled by the OBJECT and CURRITEM
scripts.  The OBJECT script handles actions on items that
you are not carrying.  The CURRITEM script handles actions
on items that you are either carrying in your backpack or
wearing/wielding.
Like characters, an object can also have itÆs own script to
handle actions that are unique to a specific object.

2. How do I create my own objects types and/or classes?

To create your own object types, you add the new type to
the list in DCCTOKEN.DAT. You must then create the [OBJECT
CLASS:] section for that new object type in the same file.
If the new object will have the same classes as another
existing object, just add the type to the list in the
correct object class section (For example, amulets and
rings have the same magical properties, so they share a
single class section).
You must now modify the script files that control object
behavior (OBJECT and CURRITEM)
Remember that each object has itÆs own distinct attributes
that help differentiate between two objects of the same
type and class.  You may add up to 5 æspecialÆ attributes
for your new object type, and use these attributes in the
scripts to control the behavior of the object.  For
example, a weapon has range, number of hands, damage and
ammunition as special attributes.

3. Can I create (or destroy) objects on the fly?

Yes. Under script control, you can use the new() and
destroy() commands to do this.

4. When should an object have it's own script?

Any time that an object needs to behave different from
other objectÆs in itÆs own type or class, you can create a
script for it.
Example: If all æplatinum ringsÆ will have the special
property of teleporting the party out of a dungeon, you
should create a new æclassÆ of ring. But, if a specific
ring, say "Morgul's ring" has the property of doubling a
playerÆs statistics, and no other ring has this property,
you may create a script for this script and handle only the
æ@WEARÆ event (if thatÆs how itÆs invoked).

VI. QUESTIONS ABOUT WORLDS

1. What is a world?

A world is the landscape or scenario where your adventure
occurs. It is built using the landscaping tiles with the
DCWORLD program. It may be a house, a castle, a dungeon,
outdoors, etc.
You may create up to 1000 worlds and create doors to go
between them.

2. Can I create my own world types?

Yes. Just add the new type to the list in DCCTOKEN.DAT and
then change any script that should behave differently
depending on the type of world you are in. For example, the
WORLDDEF.SCR which handles default world entry and exit or
the OBJECT.SCR script which handles objects.

3. How big can my world's be?

A world may contain up to 65536 tiles (64K). The number of
tiles in a world is determined by multiplying the worldÆs
width by itÆs height. The biggest SQUARE world would be 256
tiles wide by 256 tiles high, but you can also create one
that is 100 by 655.  The largest world in the example game
is much smaller than this.

4. How do I use alternate graphics tiles for different worlds?

In the W)orld screen you may choose which graphics blocks
you want to use (0 to 9). The index is used as part of the
name (DCBLOCK0.xxx to DCBLOCK9.xxx).

5. What is a door?

Each world can have up to 32 'locations' at which you may
enter and exit that world. These locations may be automatic
(you enter the door when you walk over it).  A door may
lead to another door or a specific X/Y location, usually in
another world.
NOTE: Doors are one-way. If door 1 in world 7 leads to door
3 in world 4, that does not imply that door 3 in world 4
leads back to door 1 in world 7. You probably want to setup
door 3 in world 4 to lead back to door 1 in world 7 in most
cases, but sometimes it's useful to make the way back lead
to a different place. Also, if a door leads to a specific
X/Y location instead of another door, there is no door at
the destination, which is useful when you don't want the
player to be able to 'go back'.

6. Can I create or modify doors during game play?

Yes. A world's door information is available in the script
language and may be queried and updated as needed.  You can
also intercept the game when you enter a door at three
points: before you enter, after you enter but before you go
to the destination and after you arrive at the destination.
See the WORLDDEF.SCR script file for more details.

7. How many ways are there of moving the playing party from
one location to another?

The ENTER command may be used to cause the party to enter a
door in the current world (see the LETTER_E section in the
CONTROL.SCR script file.
The TELEPORT command will transfer the party to any world
at any X/Y location without the need for a door.
Changing the PARTY.X and PARTY.Y variables will move the
player's group within the current world. And during a
battle you can move individual players by modifying
PLAYER.X and PLAYER.Y.

8. How do I start the game somewhere other than door zero in
world zero?

In the INITGAME.SCR script you have complete control over
the start of the game. You can move the party via any of
the methods described above (setting the X/Y variables,
entering doors or using the teleport command).

9. When should a world have it's own script?

When you want some mayor events to take place when you
enter or exit a specific world.

VII. QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING A GAME

1. How do I get started?

Good question. You really should start by creating an
outline of your game. What is the main purpose of the game,
who are the main players, what are the main locations
(cities, towns, etc.) and events.  I'd love any hints you
authors out there can provide.  (Good topic for a thread in
a bbs or one of the user's groups.
Create the main worlds (locations) and characters, flesh
them out and give them as much detail as you think is
necessary.  Then go back and fill in the space with side
quests (one at a time), taking care to write down the
details of each one as a reference for debugging later on.
The last thing you do is fill in the 'extras', characters
and places that have no reason for being other than making
the game play more fulfilling or realistic.  My advise is
not to over-do the realism, most people want interesting
plots and conversation, but don't want to bother with
endless and pointless interaction.
NOTE: If you have written a game using DCGAMES or any other
game building system, IÆd love to know how you went about
it.  The above is probably not the best way.

2. How do I prevent people from peeking into my game with the
game builder? (or modifying it?)

You may use the ENCODE program compress and encode your
game so it can't be edited or peeked into.  Once encoded,
it CANNOT be decoded by the DCWORLD program!
Note that the ENCODE program is very safe in that it does
NOT modify the original files. An encoded file has a
slightly different filename than the original. The game
driver (DCPLAY) will look for both types of files, so you
can actually mix encoded and non-encoded files if you just
want torestrict "parts" of the game.
The ENCODE program is only available in the  REGISTERED
version of DCGAMES.

3. How do I package the game when I've finished it?

You can use the 'PACKAGE.BAT' exec file to create the final
copy. If you modify the batch file please send me a copy.
I'm always interested in making it better.
The PACKAGE batch file is only available in the REGISTERED
version of DCGAMES.

VIII. QUESTIONS ABOUT VOICE, SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC

1. What is the difference between a VOICE and a SOUND EFFECT?

Both are sounds recorded in .VOC format and played back
during game play.  The sound effects are small sounds (like
bang, clank, boom, etc.) recorded and stored in file
DCSOUNDS.*** and are used whenver a sound effect is desired
in a script, while voices are usually conversation recorded
and played back during character interaction.

2. How do I change or create new sound effects?

The PACK utility may be used to add or remove sound effects
from the DCSOUNDS.*** file. See PACK.DOC for information
onhow to use the PACK utility.
NOTE: In version 3.0, DCGAMES stored sound recordings in a
file ending '.VFL'.  Up to 64 sounds could be stored in
these files using the MKVFL.EXE utility.  The UNMKVFL.EXE
utility could be used to extract sounds from the .VFL file.

3. What is the difference between a VOC sound and a PWM file?

See the next question!

4. If I don't have a Sound Card, can I hear anything on the PC
speakers?

If you don't have a sound blaster or compatible card, you
can use the PACK utility to extract the sounds in any sound
file, then use the VOC2PWM utility to convert all of the
sounds to PWM format (e.g. BANG.VOC -> BANG.PWM). Using the
PACK utility again, create a new sound file using the PWM
sounds instead of the VOC sounds.  When you play the game,
the sounds will be played through the PC speaker!.
WARNING: Not all sounds will translate properly.  Recording
frequency and the type of sound affect the quality of the
playback on the PC speaker.  Developers that record their
own sounds should create the PWM versions and distribute
them ready-to-use rather than have the game player do it at
setup time.

5. How do I give voices to my characters?

Create scripts for each character, then have your friends
and family record the sentences.  You can use any recording
program.  If your program creates recording in .WAV format
(like most windows programs do) you can use the WAV2VOC
utility to translate the recordings to VOC format later.
NOTE: A single recording may not be longer than 48KB which
is about 1 minute of speach. Use 8Mhz sampling rate for
deep (male) voices and 12Mhz for high (children and female
voices).
Each recording should be stored in a file with a unique
name.  A good name is the keyword that triggers that
response (like HELLO.VOC, GOODBYE.VOC, JOB.VOC, BUY.VOC,
etc.).
To have the voices used during regular game play, use the
PACK utility to combine all of the voices for a single
character into a single file (VOICEnnn.RSC) and associate
that number (nnn) with the character when you create him.

6. Can I play voice files directly (not as part of a
character's voice file or the system sound effects)?

Yes. From a script you can invoke any voice, be it in a
voice file or otherwise.  The only restriction is the size
of the file, which must be no more than 64KB.

7. How do I play music?

The script language allows you to play music in the
background at any time by using the MUSIC command.  You
must first create a music file containing the music you
want to play. DCGAMES supports the CMF (Creative Music
Format) for music. Support for MIDI format is also
possible, but I havenÆt seen a call for it.  Most people
use the MOD format, so IÆve provided a utility to convert
MODs to CMFs.

8. How do I create music files?

Good question.  If you have an answer give me a buzz!
You need to get a music program. There are many freeware
and shareware programs as well as some very nice commercial
ones. For a profesional touch there are hundreds of
musicians that will record some jingles for a fee (surf the
Internet to find them).
BUMMER: DCGAMES currently supports only the CMF file
format. The MOD and MIDI formats, which are much more
popular are not supported at this time.  SORRY!

IX. QUESTIONS ABOUT TIME

1. How does TIME work in the game system

A full scale calendar system is built into DCGAMES.  From a
script you can change the currentime and date as well as
alter the calendar parameters (# of months/year, etc) as
well as the number of moves that the player takes for every
minute of game play. The game driver will then keep time
for you.
SEE ALSO: The CONTROL script has a section devoted to time
keeping.

2. What can I change about the time before and during game
play?

Everything.

3. How do I create events that occur at a given time?

If by time you mean a date, you will have to put a check in
the CONTROL script that verifies the time every now and
then.  At the appropriate time the script can make the
event happen.
Another place to put events is tied to entry into or exit
from a world in the WORLDDEF script.
Yet another way is to tie the event to an action, like
talking to someone, wearing an object, camping, or
whatever.  Just put the appropriate checks into the correct
script.

X. QUESTIONS ABOUT UTILITIES

1. What utilities are available with DCGAMES and what do they
do?

The lis of utilities grows all the time. Some are written
by 3rd parties and I just make them available as a service
to  registered users. In general, the utilities are not
distributed with the shareware product due to space
limitations and also because they are part of the benefitst
I offer for registration.
The following is a partial list of utilities and their
description:

Game Builder Utilities To create a game scenario

- WORLDGEN.EXE Generates a pseudo-fractal world (3rd party)
- DCMAZE.EXE   Generates a maze world
- DCREPORT.EXE Print a full report on your (not-encoded) game
- ENCODE.EXE   Compress and ENCODE a game so it can't be edited

Graphics Utilities    To create/modify graphics tiles

- DCBLOCKS.EXE Edit graphics TILEs
- BLK2PCX.EXE  View tiles and export them to a PCX format graph
- PCX2BLK.EXE  Import TILES from a PCX format graph
- VGAREMAP.EXE Convert VLO to any other resolution tiles
- VHIREMAP.EXE Convert VHI to SuperVGA (VH1,VH2,..)
- VH1REMAP.EXE Convert VH1 down to VHI (color remaped)

Upgrade Utilities     To upgrade a game froma previous version

- DCCNVT3.EXE  Upgrade from 2.x to 3.x
- DCCNVT4.EXE  Upgrade from 3.x to 4.x
- DCCNVT4G.EXE Upgrade graphics tiles from 3.x to 4.x

Sound & Music Utilities

- MKVFL.EXE   Create an old style (ver 3.0) sounds file
- UNMKVFL.EXE Extract sounds from an old style sounds file
- PACK.EXE    Create/Maintain a new style (ver 4.0) sounds file
- WAV2VOC/VOC2WAV Convert VOC sounds to WAV and viceversa
- VOC2PWM.EXE Convert a VOC sound to PWM (PC speaker)

Miscellaneous Utilities

- VPCX.EXE    View a PCX format graph on the screen
- VGIF.EXE    View a GIF format graph on the screen
- VPCX256.EXE View a PCX graph and store with 256 colors
- VLBM.EXE    View an LBM format graph on the screen
- LBM2PCX.EXE Convert an LBM graph to PCX format
- DIFF.EXE    Compare 2 scripts and display the differences
- PACKAGE.BAT Create a finished product to distribute the game

2. How do I use the fractal world generator (WORLDGEN.EXE)?

See the WORLDGEN.DOC documentation file.

2. How do I use the maze generator (DCMAZE.EXE)?

See the DCMAZE.DOC documentation file.

3. How do I use the report generator (DCREPORT.EXE)?

See the DCREPORT.DOC documentation file.

4. Why are there 3 remap utilities (VGAREMAP, VHIREMAP and
VH1REMAP) and when should I use them.

VGAREMAP will convert VLO tiles (256 color, low resolution
VGA) to the other resolutions. Use if you have a lot of
graphics in low resolution and want to create high
resolution equivalents. You will have to edit the converted
graphics with the tile editor, but you will get the low res
graphics as a starting point. It does COLOR MAPING when
converting to resolutions with less colors.
VHIREMAP will convert VHI tiles (16 color, high resolution
VGA) to the higher super-VGA resolutions. Use when you have
a ton of VHI tiles and want to migrate to superVGA.  Agai
n, you have to edit the resulting tiles in order to take
advantage of the higher resolution or number of colors, but
you get the original image as a starting point.
VH1REMAP will convert VH1 tiles (256 color, 640x480 SVGA)
to VH2 and VH3 (256 color, 800x600 and 1024x768 SVGA).
Quite frankly I think this is overkill. Ithe VH1 resolution
is more than enough for most applications.

5. Why are there multiple conversion utilities and when should
I use them?

Every major release of DCGAMES has had some changes in the
way the game files are written, so I've written
'conversion' utilities to take your old games into the new
format.
In theory, you can take a game written in version 1.0 and
run it through the complete sequence of conversions and get
it to play without modification with version 4.0.  In
reality, you probably will have to do a bit of editing with
the world builder, but hopefully most of the game would get
translated properly.