1,000+ Great Games/1_1000 Games.iso/DOOM/GAMELINK.ZIP/BBSUSER.DOC

Text File | 1995-07-25 | 133.8 KB | 3,339 lines

            Welcome to The MODEM GAMELINK Multi-Player Connection  BBS!

    If you've used any BBS before, you'll probably have no trouble
    finding your way around.  If you haven't, this document is intended to
    help you learn your way around.  A few basics to keep in mind:  if you
    want to exit from wherever you are in the system, select X; all
    selections and commands must be followed by a RETURN; on menus (and
    most prompts) you may select ? for help; and hit the RETURN key to
    abort lengthy scrolling displays.

    This document will serve two purposes:  1) to help you get started
    (using The BBS for this first time), and 2) to be a reference for
    you, even after you've found your way around (to answer the question,
    "I wonder... is there a way to do <blank> in the <blank> module?").


    A Quick Overview
    ----------------

    When you first call into The MODEM GAMELINK Multi-Player Connection BBS,
    you're asked to "sign up", creating an account for yourself.  If you're
    online reading this document, you must have already signed up, and
    should now have a User-ID and password that you can use from now
    on.  Now, when you call in, all you have to do is enter in your User-ID
    and then your password. The BBS will remember who you are, and start
    by telling you if you have any mail waiting (it may also ask you if you
    want to read it right away).  You might also get some other important
    notices, but will eventually be left at the TOP menu.

    The TOP menu is the first menu on the BBS.  The various selections on
    this menu go to different areas of the BBS.  Here's an example of what
    the TOP menu might look like:

     Please select one of the following:

         T ... Teleconference            (talk with other online users)
         I ... Information Center        (get some info on this system)
         F ... Forums                    (read/write public messages)
         E ... Electronic Mail           (read/write private messages)
         L ... File Libraries            (upload/download files)
         A ... Account Display/Edit      (edit/view your account info)
         P ... Polls and Questionnaires  (answer polls and questionnaires)
         D ... Doors                     (activate a door application)
         R ... Registry of Users         (look up users' registry entries)
         Q ... QWK-mail                  (offline E-mail and Forum handling)
         X ... Exit System (Logoff)      (Logoff the system)

     Main System Menu (TOP)
     Make your selection (T,I,F,E,L,A,P,D,R,Q,? for help, or X to exit):

    By typing in one of the select characters, followed by a RETURN, you
    can enter any of these different areas.  As an example, this is how you
    might go about leaving a private E-mail message to your Sysop (System
    Operator -- the person who runs this system).  First, select E to go
    into Electronic Mail, which will bring you to this menu:

     The following E-mail services are available:

        R ... Read message(s)       (read any mail TO or FROM you)
        W ... Write a message       (write mail to any other user)
        M ... Modify a message      (modify a message you've written)
        E ... Erase a message       (erase a message you've written)
        S ... Special functions     (configure your personal mailbox)
        X ... Exit from E-mail      (exit back to the TOP menu)

     Select a letter from the above list, or ? for more info:

    Now, in this example, you would select W to write mail.  That selection
    would bring you to this prompt:

     Who do you wish to send this message to?
     Enter User-ID, ? for help, or RETURN for "Sysop":

    In this example, you'd only have to hit a RETURN (with no selection) to
    specify "Sysop".  If you wanted to write mail to someone else, you
    would simply type in their User-ID here (if you don't know the whole
    User-ID, but only know the first or last name, you can just enter what
    you know, and the BBS will help you find the exact User-ID).

    Now, you'll be asked for the topic of your message.  After entering in
    a topic, you'll be put into the editor.  Depending on whether or not
    the terminal you're using to call in with has ANSI support, you may get
    the Full Screen Editor.  This ANSI editor will act very much like a
    small word processor, allowing you to use your cursor keys to move
    around the message.  You can feel free to just type your message as you
    wish it to appear to your Sysop.  The automatic word-wrap will wrap
    words at the end of lines appropriately.  Just hit CTRL-G whenever you
    are done, and want to save your message.  Hit CTRL-O if you changed
    your mind and want to quit.  All sorts of advanced commands are also
    available.  Just hold down the control key and hit R (CTRL-R) to
    display some other commands:

     +- HELP (CTRL-W for more) ---------------------------------+
     ª CTRL-Z Select Terminal    ª  CTRL-L Redisplay Screen     ª
     ª CTRL-K CTRL-Q Quit        ª  CTRL-K CTRL-X Save and Quit ª
     ª CTRL-T Change Topic       ª  CTRL-W Extended Help        ª
     ª CTRL-X Exit to Line Edit  ª  CTRL-N Import Message       ª
     ª Line Commands:            ª  CTRL-K CTRL-U Upload File   ª
     ª CTRL-B Insert Line        ª                              ª
     ª CTRL-C Chop Line          ª  CTRL-Y Delete Line          ª
     ª CTRL-A Center Line        ª  CTRL-J Join Line            ª
     ª CTRL-F Insert character   ª  CTRL-E Erase to End of Line ª
     ª Block Commands:           ª  CTRL-V Delete character     ª
     ª CTRL-K CTRL-B Mark Start  ª  CTRL-K CTRL-K Mark End      ª
     ª CTRL-K CTRL-H Hide Block  ª  CTRL-K CTRL-F Frame Block   ª
     ª CTRL-K CTRL-Y Delete Blockª  CTRL-P Format Paragraph     ª
     ª----------------------------------------------------------ª
     ª          --- HIT ANY KEY TO RETURN TO EDITOR ---         ª
     +----------------------------------------------------------+

    If you don't have ANSI support, you'll get the line editor.  The line
    editor doesn't allow you to move around with your cursor keys like the
    Full Screen Editor, so you have to enter your message one line at a
    time.  (The automatic word-wrap feature will wrap the end of lines for
    you, just like the ANSI editor.)  When you're all done entering your
    message with the line editor, and you want to go ahead and save it,
    just enter /S on a blank line by itself.  If you want to change
    something about what you've written so far, you can edit the message by
    typing OK on a blank line by itself.  That will give you this menu:

     EDITOR OPTIONS:

       S)ave message     R)e-type a line
       A)ppend message   D)elete line
       L)ist message     I)nsert line(s)
       C)hange text      N)ew message
       H)elp             T)opic change
       U)pload file

     Select an editor option (S,A,L,C,H,R,D,I,N,U, or ? for menu):

    When you're done editing your message, just select S from this menu to
    save your message.  Then, you'll get this prompt (you come to this same
    prompt by typing /S in your message instead of typing OK and editing):

     Do you wish to "attach" a file to this message (Y/N)?

    If you answer Y to this question, your topic will be used as the file
    name (you'll get a chance to reenter your topic if it's not a valid
    one), and you'll be asked to upload a file to the BBS.  When the Sysop
    reads your mail, he'll be asked if he wants to download the attached
    file.  Answer N if you don't need to send a file along with the
    message.  After all that, you'll get:

     Do you want a "return receipt" when this message is read (Y/N)?

    In other words, when the Sysop reads your message, do you want an
    E-mail message to be sent to you immediately, letting you know when the
    Sysop read it?  Just enter Y or N (followed by a RETURN, as usual) as a
    response.  You'll then get this prompt:

     Do you want to send a copy of this message to anyone (Y/N)?

    You can send copies of your message to other User-IDs if you wish.  If
    you answer Y to this question, you'll simply be prompted for which
    User-ID you want to send a copy to, and then asked if you want to send
    any more copies.

    That's all there is to writing E-mail to the Sysop.  The only
    difference between writing mail to the Sysop, and writing mail to any
    other User-ID is the name you type in when you're prompted for who
    you want to write the message to.  When you're done, you'll find yourself
    back at the main Electronic Mail menu, where you can hit X to get back
    to the TOP menu.  (Remember, when you decide you're ready to log off,
    just select X from the TOP menu.)

    This is only the tip of the iceberg as far as features are concerned.
    The rest of this document contains more in-depth information about the
    vast number of other features that this BBS has to offer.  If you have
    any problems finding your way around, just leave some E-mail to the
    Sysop asking for help.  When the Sysop replies to your message, you'll
    be notified as soon as you log on that you have new mail waiting.  If
    you're not given the option to read it right away, just select "ERT."
    from the TOP menu to read your new mail.


    Languages
    ---------

    The BBS has the ability to communicate with users using different
    languages, and different protocols, simultaneously.  For example, you
    might be logged on to this system using a terminal package which
    supports ANSI, while another user might be logged on using a terminal
    package which supports RIP, such as RIPterm (see RIPscrip graphics,
    below).  Another example might be having one user logged on in ANSI,
    and communicating with the BBS in English, while another user is also
    logged on in ANSI, but is communicating with the BBS in Spanish.

    When you first connect with The BBS, the system will usually try
    to sense what kind of protocol you're using.  You might also, depending
    on how the Sysop has configured the system, be presented with a list of
    languages to choose from.  For example:

         Please choose one of these languages/protocols:

              1. English/ANSI   The standard English language version
              2. English/RIP    The English version of RIPscrip graphics
              3. Spanish/ANSI   Espa±ol/ANSI

         Choose a number from 1 to 3:

    The part of the language name before the "/" is the spoken language
    name, while the part after the "/" is the protocol.  If you see this
    prompt, choose the number of the language you wish to use.  The BBS
    will then prompt you for your User-ID and password, using the language
    you chose.


    Modules and Menuing
    -------------------

    The BBS is divided into two major sections:  the main menuing
    system and the modules.  Just after logging on, you enter the main
    menuing system, where you can choose to enter different areas of the
    BBS, exit from them, and choose others.  It's the main menuing system's
    job to guide you to and from the many features available to you.  The
    different modules in this system are what provide you with the main
    functionality of the BBS:  exchanging messages, talking to others,
    uploading and downloading, etc.  (The different modules are each
    discussed later in this document.)


    The Main Menuing System
    -----------------------

    The main menuing system of The BBS will allow you to choose
    different menu options, leading you into different areas, or modules,
    of the BBS.  Each main menu you encounter will display the options that
    you have available to you, and then await your selection.  To enter in
    any selection or command on The BBS, you must type it in, and
    then hit RETURN.  Each menu and menu selection is also called a "page",
    and has both a title, and a name of its own.  (The first menu you are
    given has the title "Main System Menu", and is named the "TOP" page.)

    There are a few things you can do at any of these menus:  go back to
    the previous page, jump straight to another other page, find another
    page to jump to, or redisplay the current menu.  Select X at any of
    these menus to return to the previous menu (selecting X from the TOP
    menu will allow you to log off the system).  Just hit RETURN (with no
    select character) to redisplay your current list of options.  To jump
    straight to another page, type /GO <pagename>.  To look for a page
    containing a specific topic of interest, type FIND, followed by the
    topic to look for.  Any pages that you can /GO to that refer to that
    topic will be displayed (the BBS will search only search in the names
    of the pages, not their titles).


    Global Commands
    ---------------

    Global commands are commands that begin with a / character, and are
    available to you from almost any prompt on the BBS.  Here are a few
    standard global commands:

     /GO <pagename>      Jump straight to a specific page name
     /#                  Show a list of other users online
     /P <User-ID> <msg>  Page another user on the system (with an optional
                         message)


    Concatenated Commands
    ---------------------

    You can probably find most things you're looking for by just going
    through menus one at a time.  But, concatenated commands allow you to
    save time by bypassing menus you already know your selection for.  The
    idea is this:  If selecting E from your current menu leads you to the
    main Electronic Mail menu, and you know you want to write mail, which
    is the W selection from the main electronic mail menu, you can just
    select EW from your current menu to entirely bypass the main Electronic
    Mail menu.  You can even bypass some prompts by concatenating your
    selection ahead of time.  Some prompts have "defaults", meaning you
    just hit a RETURN for a certain action.  At the prompt for who to write
    mail to, just hitting RETURN means you want to write mail to "Sysop".
    In the above example, you could specify you wanted to write mail to
    your Sysop by selecting EW. from your current menu.  Basically, by
    putting a dot (.) in your concatenated command (as opposed to a select
    character), you are saying "at this prompt, act as if I just hit
    RETURN, and give me the default".

    As you become more familiar with this system, you will find that using
    concatenated commands may save you quite a bit of time.  Most prompts
    and menus support concatenated commands, so you can feel free to
    experiment with using concatenated commands throughout the system...


    File Transfers
    --------------

    In different areas of the BBS, you will have the opportunity to
    transfer files from your computer to the BBS, as well as from the BBS
    to your computer (referred to as uploading and downloading files,
    respectively).  File transfers can be accomplished through a wide
    variety of "protocols", each of which have different characteristics,
    but all of which will have the same end-result:  transferring a file
    (or files) between your machine and the BBS.  This section simply
    introduces you to the options available to you through The BBS.

    To get you started, here's a quick rundown on the most popular
    protocols and their highlights:

     L = List          display a text file one screen at a time
     C = XMODEM-CRC  has very widespread usage, simple and to the point
     B = YMODEM Batch  widespread usage and full featured, gets the
                       file size right, and sometimes date and time too
     Z = ZMODEM        robust and efficient
     K = Kermit        works on 7-bit communication lines

    Download Protocols:

     L ... Listing (a screen at a time)    G ... YMODEM-g
     A ... ASCII (continuous dump)         Z ... ZMODEM
     M ... XMODEM-checksum                 ZR... ZMODEM (resume after abort)
     C ... XMODEM-CRC                      K ... Kermit
     1 ... XMODEM-1K                       V ... View compressed file contents
     B ... YMODEM Batch
     T ... Tag file(s) for later download

     (Add '!' to automatically log off when done)


    Upload Protocols:

     A ... ASCII                           B ... YMODEM Batch
     M ... XMODEM-checksum                 G ... YMODEM-g
     C ... XMODEM-CRC                      Z ... ZMODEM
     1 ... XMODEM-1K                       K ... Kermit

     (Add '!' to automatically log off when done)

    The terminal software you're using to call the BBS may not support all
    of these protocols.  Be sure to pick one that your terminal supports.
    (In most terminal programs, hit PgUp to get a list of upload protocols,
    and PgDn to get a list of download protocols.)  The ASCII and LIST
    protocols will only work with ordinary ASCII text files.  The other
    protocols will work on all types of files.

    Another protocol option will appear automatically when you're about to
    download a compressed file (or files).  Examples of these are .ZIP or
    .ARC files:  files that each contain one or more other files (in a
    compressed form).  The option V will appear in these cases, allowing
    you to view what file(s) are compressed into the .ZIP, .ARC, .ZOO, or
    .LZH file.

    Another download option that may be available is T to tag a file.  This
    feature allows you to tag up to 10 files for download, and then, when
    you're ready (or when you log off), you can download all your tagged
    files at once.

    Another time-saver is the ! suffix.  You can put an ! character at the
    end of your protocol selection to have the BBS automatically log you
    off when the file transfer is over.  This way, if you're not around to
    disconnect yourself when done transferring a large file, the BBS will
    disconnect you automatically, possibly saving you connect time charges.


    Modules
    -------

    Modules provide the actual areas of functionality of the BBS.  Each
    module provides unique features to you, and can be selected from the
    various menus in the main menuing system.  Below is a list of modules,
    each with an explanation of its features.  (This document may change
    from time to time as new modules are added to this system.)  The
    modules currently available to you are:


    FILE LIBRARIES
    --------------

    The File Libraries is an online service which makes a large number of
    files available for you to download. If it's allowed, you can also
    contribute to the File Libraries by uploading files. We also give you
    credit for uploading files.

    The Current Library

    A Library is like a single DOS directory of files. You always have a
    current Library or default Library. When you first log on, you're in the
    default Library for the BBS.  However, if you select a different
    Library, it will be your default Library the next time you log on. The
    Library menu header shows you what Library you're in:


    Welcome to the MAIN Library.
    Description: A general-purpose file area.

    There are 8 files available for download.

    However, searches can be configured to include all Libraries.


    Full Screen Displays

    The File Libraries normally uses full screen displays, if your terminal
    program has ANSI or RIP capability. This greatly simplifies the process
    of working with long lists of files. Without ANSI, selection screens
    will scroll by a line at a time.


    File Names

    Files can be named just like DOS files, with one to eight characters, a
    dot (.), and zero to three characters:

    FILENAME.EXT

    File names can include letters (converted to upper case), numbers, and
    these punctuation symbols:

    !  #  $  &  '  (  )  -  @  ^  _  `

    All the files within a Library must have a unique name.


    Wildcards

    Wildcards are used to specify the name of a file when you don't know the
    exact name of the file or you want to specify multiple files. For
    example:

    auto*.*              any filename which starts with "auto"

    *.zip                all files with the extension of "zip"

    patch?.zip           any filename which starts with "patch" followed by any
                         single character and with the extension of "zip"

    In the preceding examples, * means match any string (0 or more
    characters), ? means match any single character. You can use wildcards
    in most places where you're asked to enter a filename.


    Download Pricing

    The BBS may charge your account for downloading files. When you get a
    detailed description of a file, you can see an estimate of the download
    charges. This estimate tries to take into account the duration of the
    download on your session and the cost of connect time - you may see the
    amount drop if you call back at a higher baud rate.

    If the amount of credits you have is close to this estimate, you may or
    may not be able to complete the download.


    Tagging Files for Download

    When searching through files, you don't have to download a file
    immediately. Instead, you can tag it for later download. You may want to
    do this if you'd rather download all the files you've found at the end
    of your session or if you're not sure if you really want a particular
    file. You can remove the file from the tagged file list before you start
    downloading if you decide you don't want it or you found the correct
    file later in your searching. See the section on Managing Tagged Files.


    S = Selecting a Library

    If the BBS has multiple Libraries, this command will appear in the File
    Libraries menu. You select a particular Library by typing:

    S <Library name>

    Type S? to get a list of all the Libraries available on the BBS.


    D = Download a File

    If you know the name of the file you want to download, type:

    D <filename> <optional protocol>

    If the file exists in any Library or if you used a wildcard in the file
    name, the download will start right away. If many files in different
    Libraries have the same name, you will get a search screen to select the
    ones you want.


    F = Find Files

    Select the F option from the Library menu if you want to list files
    available or search for a particular file. You can list files in
    alphabetical order, by date, by number of downloads or you can search by
    file name or keyword. Setting your Library preferences will affect the
    choices you will have. In any case, you will get a search screen listing
    the files you requested. You will be able to get detailed information on
    any file, download a file immediately, tag files for later download, or
    view the contents of a file.


    R = Resuming a Search

    If you exit to the Library menu in the middle of a search list, you will
    find a new menu selection, R, to resume where you left off.


    T = Manage Tagged Files

    Select the T option to download files you have tagged. This option is
    only visible when you have files tagged. You will be given a list of the
    files you have tagged. You can untag any or all of them at this time. If
    you have tagged more than one file, you can download them all at once.

    Even if you don't bother downloading your tagged files before exiting
    the File Libraries menu, you can return later in your session to
    download them. You will also be given a chance to download them before
    you log off. If you log off, however, or are disconnected for any reason
    without downloading the files, your list of tagged files will be lost.


    L = Download Lists of Files

    Select L to download a list of all the files in a Library or all the
    files in all Libraries if you prefer to search for files offline.


    U = Upload a File

    Select U to upload files. Enter the name of the file you wish to upload
    and select the file transfer protocol. With most terminal programs, you
    would now press <PgUp> to specify the file on your computer and start
    the upload. After the upload completes, you will be prompted to enter a
    description for the file. If you uploaded multiple files (using a
    multi-file upload protocol), you will be prompted to enter descriptions
    for each of the files.

    You can upload several files at once using one of the batch file
    protocols by typing * instead of a file name. You can choose a multi-file
    upload protocol from among:

    Enter file name, *, M, ? for more help, or X to exit: *

    To start uploading these files, type:

       B ... YMODEM Batch                    Z ... ZMODEM
       G ... YMODEM-g                        K ... Kermit

       (Add '!' to automatically log off when done.)

       Your choice (or 'X' to exit):_

    In these cases, you don't need to tell the BBS the name of the file. The
    same file name will be used on the BBS as is used on your computer.
    That's possible because these protocols transmit the name of the file Q
    as well as its exact size, time, and date Q before transmitting the
    contents.

    You can use U* even when uploading only one file. That way, you don't
    have to type in the file name twice.

    A Library has an upper limit on the size and number of files it can
    contain as well as the size of each uploaded file. Usually, you can see
    these limits when you select the Upload option.

    In some Libraries, your uploaded file may not be available for other
    users to download until the Sysop or Library Operator approves the file.

    Library Operators are notified of unapproved files in their Libraries
    when they log on.  Usually, you can see the name of the Primary Library
    Operator when you select a Library.

    On systems that charge for usage, you may get a royalty for an uploaded
    file when another user downloads it. When the download completes, if
    charges are deducted from the downloader's account, then the uploader
    may get a percentage credited to his account.

    The charges based on the number and sizes of the files are subject to
    the royalty. Connect time charges during download are not subject to the
    royalty.

    You can modify the description of a file you uploaded or re-upload it if
    necessary. Select U as if you were uploading a file the first time.

    Enter the file name of the original file to re-upload or M to modify the
    description.


    P = Set Your Preferences

    The preferences menu allows you to specify a preferred file transfer
    protocol or configure your default method of file listing and searching.

    You can also request that you be asked to specify those options each
    time you transfer a file or initiate a search.


    The Messaging System
    --------------------

    Messages are used in both the Forums and the Electronic Mail areas.

     Electronic Mail:    private messages from one user to another

     Forums:             public messages from many users, readable by many

    There's a lot of overlap between the Electronic Mail and Forums.  For
    example, when you write an electronic mail message, you can send it to
    one user, and send a carbon copy to a Forum.  Or you can reply
    privately to the author of a Forum message, and other users won't see
    that reply.  And usually the best way to erase a message you wrote in a
    Forum is to use the E-mail read command to find it and then erase it.

    Electronic messages consist of:

     o   Header
     o   Body
     o   File attached (optional)

    The header contains information like who the message is to, who it's
    from, what the topic is, and when it was written.


    Message Topic:

    Each time you write a new message, you need to give it a topic.  When
    you reply to a message, you inherit the topic of the original message.


    Message Body:

    You can compose the body of a message you're writing using the editor.
    You'll get the full screen editor if you have an ANSI-compatible
    terminal.  Otherwise you'll use a line-oriented editor.

    Reading a message displays the message body on your terminal.
    Whenever you read a message's body, the BBS makes a note not to
    include that message again when you scan for new messages.


    Message Number:

    The BBS issues a new sequential message number each time anyone writes
    a new message.  Whether it's a private electronic mail message to one
    user, or a message in some Forum, it has a unique message number on the
    BBS.  This message number is used to jump directly to a message you
    want to read or reply to.


    Files Attached to Messages:

    When you write an Electronic Mail or Forum message, you usually have
    the option of attaching a file to the message.  You upload the file
    after you write the message.  Then, anyone who reads the message gets
    the option of downloading the file.


    File Names:

    When you attach a file to a message, put the name of the file in the
    topic of the message.  You can put the description of the file after
    that.  For example:

     Topic:  FONTCVT.EXE - converts printer fonts

    This file name will be used when a user downloads with a multi-file
    protocol like YMODEM Batch or ZMODEM.  That is, the file's name
    on the user's machine will be FONTCVT.EXE.  File transfers will be
    discussed in more depth later...


    Modifying or Erasing a Message You Wrote:

    First, find the message.  Whether its a Forum message or an Electronic
    Mail message, you can find it from the Electronic Mail menu.  You can
    (R)ead all messages (F)rom you, and scan through them until you find
    the one you want to change.  After reading your message you'll get the
    chance to modify it by selecting the M option.  To just erase a
    message, find it, read it, and select E to (E)rase.

    On the other hand, if you know the number of the message you want to
    modify or erase, there's another way.  Just use the (M)odify or (E)rase
    option from the Electronic Mail menu.  It will work on Forum messages
    you wrote as well as on Electronic Mail messages.


    Electronic Mail
    ---------------

    Electronic Mail allows you to send private messages to other users of
    the BBS.  Electronic Mail has several advantages over other modes of
    communication:

     o   You can dial into the BBS from almost anywhere, at almost any
         time, write your message, and forget about it -- no stamp, no
         paper to carry around.

     o   The recipient of your message has a copy he can capture and
         print out if he wants.  Or he can leave the message in his
         "in-box" and get it out later.

     o   You can attach a disk file to your message.  No need to mail
         floppy diskettes, or to bring up two computers with file
         transfer software at the same time.  You upload when you want,
         your recipient downloads when he wants.

     o   You can request a return-receipt, so you know when the person
         read your message.

     o   Your recipient can easily reply to your message, sending
         another message back to you.  Your original message will
         usually be available to you again so you can "backtrack"
         and remember what the user was replying to.

     o   You can easily copy your message to other users.

     o   You can send your message to distribution lists.

     o   You can create one distribution list of your own.


    Electronic Mail Messages

    Here's what an electronic mail message header looks like:

     Date: Thursday, April 23, 1992  12:37pm           Electronic Mail
     From: Arthur Fischel                                  Msg#: 20483
       To: Richard T. Natheson              *RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED*
     File: BOOTH.DWG - for trade show in Phoenix
           (Reply to #20461, Reply to #20409)

    The *RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED* flag indicates that the sender
    wants to be notified when you read this message.  When you do, a message
    is automatically generated by the BBS from you back to the author of the
    message, informing him that you read his message and when.


    Files Attached to Electronic Mail Messages

    To send a file to another user, you can write him an electronic mail
    message and upload an attached file.  When he reads the message, he has
    the option of downloading the file.


    R=Read messages

    The BBS keeps track of the messages that were written to you and
    the messages that you have written.

     In-box    messages TO you      messages others wrote to you

     Out-box   messages FROM you    messages you wrote to someone else

    Either of these sets can be scanned, one message at a time, with the
    E-mail read command.  These include private messages between you and
    other users as well as public messages in the Forums.  (Whether your
    in-box includes Forum messages or not is your option:  see below, under
    setting preferences.)


    R=Read messages T=To you

    You'll have these options for where to start your reading:

     RETURN or dot (.)  Start with the next message you haven't read yet
     F                  Start with the earliest message in your in-box
     L                  Start with the very latest message in your in-box
     <message number>   Start with a specific message number


    The Default or Next Message

    You'll probably be calling into the BBS regularly to get your latest
    messages.  Some of your messages are not urgent, or they require more
    work to reply to, or you just want to keep them around for a while.

    The BBS tries to distinguish between new messages and messages
    you've already read by remembering the highest numbered message you've
    ever read from your in-box.  This isn't perfect, but if you're careful
    to read your messages in order, you might find it very handy for
    keeping your urgent mail and your not-so-important mail separated.

    When you (R)ead messages (T)o you and hit RETURN when it asks for a
    message number, you'll get the message that's one higher than the
    highest numbered message that you've already read.  You can do the same
    thing in one step by typing "RT." from the E-mail menu.

    As an example, imagine you have an in-box tray on your desk.  New mail
    is always getting added to the top of your pile.  You often peek at
    your mail starting from the bottom.  After you read a piece of mail
    that you want to keep for the moment, you slip a piece of red paper
    over it.  When you read another piece, you slip the red paper over it.
    Now you have new mail on top, red paper, old mail.  To quickly see if
    you have new mail, see what's on top of the red paper.

    Here's what some other E-mail commands are like (these are the
    concatenated command sequences -- you can enter one letter at a time to
    have all the prompts displayed):

     E-mail    for
     command   reading        Analogous to
     -------   -------        ------------
     RTF       Old mail       scanning from the bottom of your mail up
     RT.       New mail       scanning from your first new message up
     RTL       Latest mail    scanning from the last message in your box

    Sometimes, you read a message and just can't handle the message right
    away, but you don't want to forget about it.  There is a way to make a
    message you have already read new again:  forward it to yourself.
    Then, next time you log on, it will appear as new mail again, and you
    can deal with it then.

    So, in Electronic Mail, the default or next message is the message
    right after the highest numbered message that you've already read.  You
    actually need to read the message (see the body of it) for it to be
    counted as "old" mail.


    R=Read messages F=From you

    Messages "from" you include all the E-mail and Forum messages you've
    written that are still on the system.

    After finding and reading a message you've written, you may get these
    options:

     (E)rase this message, (M)odify it, (P)revious or (N)ext message?


    Read Commands

     RTF  Read all your incoming mail, starting with the earliest message
     RT.  Read your incoming mail, starting with "new" mail
     RTL  Read your latest piece of incoming mail
     RFF  Read the earliest piece of outgoing mail
     RFL  Read your latest piece of outgoing mail


    (R)eply to the message

    When you reply, you are writing a new message back to the author of the
    original message.

    If your E-mail preferences have been set to allow message quoting, you
    can use pieces of the original message in your reply, and address each
    point directly (more on personal preferences below).


    Replying without Erasing

    You can set your E-mail preferences to automatically erase when you
    reply to an E-mail message, or to leave the original message in your
    in-box.  But even if you're set up to automatically erase, there is a
    way to get around it, and save the original message.

    Say you're typing in a reply to a message, and you decide you don't
    want to lose the original message.  Maybe you want to keep it on file,
    or you want to send a copy to someone.  The way to skip the automatic
    deleting of the original message is to hit X to exit before the
    deleting takes place.  The place to do this is the carbon copy
    question.  When you're asked about carbon copies, your message has
    already been saved and stored, and the original has not yet been
    deleted.  It would get deleted if you answered N to the carbon copy
    question.  Instead:

     Do you want to send a copy of this message to anyone (Y/N)? X

    (Don't exit from the attach-file or return-receipt question -- you'll
    lose your reply entirely.)


    (E)rase the message

    After reading an E-mail message to you, pick this option to just get
    rid of the message.


    (C)lear message

    After reading a Forum message, pick this option to remove it from your
    in-box.  You won't delete the message this way -- it will still reside
    in the Forum, but will not show up in your in-box any more.


    (F)orward the message

    Forwarding the message is like handing a piece of mail to someone else.
    They get the message and it disappears from your "in-box".


    Reply after Forward

    In some cases, you may want to both reply to a message and forward it
    to someone else.  The dilemma is that either of these operations by
    itself usually leaves you with no message.  You can both send the
    original message to a third person, and send a reply to the original
    author by invoking the reply after forward option.  To use this, you
    need to enter "F <User-ID> R" all on one line.

    You could also send a carbon copy of the reply to the third person
    after you're done writing the reply.


    (C)opy the message

    Copying the message sends a copy of it to another user.  You keep the
    original message in your in-box.


    (B)acktrack to the original message

    After viewing a reply to one of your messages, you can view the
    original message using the (B)acktrack option.  This is very helpful
    when you can remember asking someone a question, you now have their
    answer, but you can't remember the question.  Backtrack brings it up if
    it's still on the system.  Even if the other user deleted your message
    from his in-box, your message still remains sort of hidden in your
    out-box, just for this purpose.


    (P)revious or (N)ext message

    Skip chronologically through the messages in your in-box or out-box
    with the (P)revious or (N)ext commands.  Any time you're viewing a
    message header or body, or you've just downloaded an attachment, you
    can usually move around to other messages with (P)revious and (N)ext.


    W=Write a message

    You can write an electronic mail message to:

     <User-ID>    a specific user
     RETURN       to the Sysop
     /<forum>     to a Forum
     @<list>      to a distribution list
     !quick       to your own custom distribution list
     !mass        to all users (special access may be required)

    When writing to an individual user, if you can't remember their User-ID
    exactly, just type in an approximation and the BBS will try to find a
    match.  When writing to a Forum from E-mail, you are writing to ALL
    users in the Forum (more on the Forums later).


    Attach a file?

    After you write a message, you get the option of uploading a file and
    attaching it to the message (assuming you have access).

     Do you wish to "attach" a file to this message (Y/N)?

    Be careful to complete this step or your message will get lost.  For
    example, if you type X to exit instead of yes or no, you'll loose the
    message you just wrote.


    Return Receipt?

    The next option after deciding on the attached-file issue is whether
    you want to be notified when the recipient reads your message.

     Do you want a "return receipt" when this message is read (Y/N)?

    A return receipt is a brief message that The BBS automatically
    generates from the reader when he first reads the message.

    After answering the return-receipt question, the message is actually
    saved and stored.

     <<< CONFIRMED: MESSAGE #78933 WRITTEN TO DISK >>>

    It's important that you at least get to this point in writing a
    message.  If you don't, and you X=exit back to the E-mail menu, or lose
    carrier, your message will be lost.

    If the person you're writing to is also online when you get to this
    point, he may get a BEEP and a message on his terminal like:

     ***
     Irving R. Neely has just written an E-mail message to you!
     (You can find it by invoking (E)mail (R)ead-msgs (T)o you.)


    Carbon Copies?

    You can send copies of the message you've written to other users.

     Do you want to send a copy of this message to anyone (Y/N)? Y

     Who do you wish to send a copy of this message (cc:) to?
     You may also type "?" for help: ED CHAVEZ

     <<< CONFIRMED: MESSAGE #79833      COPIED TO #79834      >>>
     <<<               SENT TO Ed Chavez                      >>>

     Do you want to send a copy of this message to anyone else (Y/N)? N

    By the way, you may be able to save time by answering all three
    questions at once (using concatenated commands):

     Do you wish to "attach" a file to this message (Y/N)? NNN

    This means the message has no attached file, no return receipt
    requested, and no copies to anyone.


    M=Modify or E=Erase a message

    You need to know the message number before you can use either of these
    options.  You can find the message number of a message you wrote by
    (R)eading mail (F)rom you and scanning (N)ext or (P)revious until you
    find the one you're looking for.


    S=Special functions

    This is a little menu for managing various features of your Electronic
    Mail "mailbox".

     Choose a special function:

        C ... Configure distribution list
        A ... Auto-forward incoming E-mail
        S ... Set personal preferences

     Your choice (or X to exit)?


    S=Special functions, C=Configure distribution list

    Your distribution list can have up to 40 entries.  When you write a
    message to !QUICK, the BBS will send it to all of the names you have
    put in your list.

    There's no checking for correct User-ID's.  You can even specify users
    who haven't signed up yet.  But be sure and get their User-ID exactly
    right (except it doesn't matter whether you use upper or lower case).


    S=Special functions, A=Auto-forward incoming E-mail

    You can set things up so that all mail written to your User-ID will be
    automatically forwarded to another User-ID.  This is helpful if you're
    going to be out of town for a while and someone is keeping on top of
    your messages.  Or, if you want to change your User-ID, you can forward
    messages from the old User-ID until everyone gets used to using the new
    User-ID.

    This forwarding is not apparent to whoever is writing the message.

    Forum messages to you are not affected by auto-forwarding.  They'll
    still appear in your original in-box (if you have your preferences set
    to include Forum messages in your in-box -- see below).  Also, enabling
    auto-forward only affects future messages -- any E-mail currently in
    your in-box remains there.  For example:

     User-ID to auto-forward E-mail to (X to exit): SAM JONES


    S=Special functions, S=Set personal preferences

    You can personalize your mailbox with these options:

     1.  Should replying to E-mail messages erase them?  (default is YES)

         NO:  the messages will remain in my in-box.

         YES:  replying to an E-mail message automatically erases
               it, and replying to a Forum message automatically clears
               it from my in-box.

     2.  How to handle new messages when you log on?  (default is 3)

         1.  Read them immediately.
         2.  Ask me if I want to read them immediately.
         3.  Just notify me that I have new mail waiting.

     3.  Should Forum messages that are directed to you appear in
         your E-mail in box?  (default is YES)

         When you read your E-mail, you may also want to be notified of
         any new messages directed to you in the Forums.

         YES:  mix these in with my private E-mail.

         NO:  don't bother me about them.  I'll just have to see them in
              the Forums or not at all.

     4.  When will you want to quote excerpts of a message when replying
         to it?  (default is 3)

         1.  Sometimes (ask me each time I reply to a message)
         2.  Always
         3.  Never

         Replying to a message with quoting is something like taking a
         business letter and scribbling your comments in the margins and
         mailing it back to the sender, only neater.

         When you reply with quoting, you start out, not with a blank
         message, but with the contents of the original message filling
         up your screen.  You can delete and insert as appropriate to
         address each part of the original message specifically.  This is
         very helpful to the original author, especially when he writes
         you very large messages.


    The Forums
    ----------

    Forums are for gathering people and information.

    Bulletin Boards have many features that compare in interesting ways
    with things we're all used to.  A post office delivers mail to your
    door -- bulletin boards do it electronically.  A newspaper conveys a
    large amount of very timely information -- bulletin boards can convey
    more information faster, but not to as many people (yet).  A phone book
    can help you contact anyone in a city -- a bulletin board could offer
    more versatile access to more timely information.

    But there's nothing quite like a BBS Forum.

    In a forum, lots of people write messages and lots of people read or
    search or scan messages.  You can direct a message to all users, or to
    a specific user.  You can search for messages in many ways:
    chronologically, by topic, by conversation "threads", by message
    content, by lists of keywords, or by the unique message number.  You
    can also search in the same ways for messages with files attached.
    There are other features we'll get to later.

    Here's an example Forum menu:

     Your current Forum is /Hello: Welcome to the BBS!

        R ... Read messages
        W ... Write a message
        Q ... Quickscan Menu
        F ... Filescan
        T ... Teleconference
        S ... Select a new Forum
        X ... Exit from Forums

     Select a letter from this list, or ? for more info:

    When you first log on, you'll probably be in a welcoming or
    introductory Forum like this "/Hello" Forum.


    S?=See a list of Forums

    Before you do anything else in the Forums, you'll probably want to see
    what Forums are online.  Entering S? will display to you a list of
    Forums available to you.


    S=Select another Forum

    Use S to select another Forum.  Once in another Forum, you get the same
    menu, with the new Forum name and description at the top.


    Messages in a Forum

    Here's what a message header looks like in a Forum:

     Date: Monday, April 27, 1992  11:23am                   /IntSales
     From: Stuart Blaumberg                               Msg#: 108782
       To: Cristina Rodolfo
       Re: Singapore sales office (impressive growth!)     (7 replies)
           (Reply to #108623, Fw by Tom Gerhart)


    Who a message is To

    You can write a message in a Forum to a specific user, or to ** ALL **
    users.  Either way, the message is visible to anyone who has the proper
    access to the Forum.  Writing a message to a specific user gets his
    attention when he reads his mail (assuming his preference settings
    include Forum messages in his in-box).

    When writing to an individual user, if you can't remember their User-ID
    exactly, just type in an approximation and the BBS will try to find a
    match.

    All replies in a Forum are automatically directed to the writer of the
    message you're replying to.  Keep this in mind when adding your own
    message to a thread:  Which message would be best to reply to?  Which
    user are you really speaking to, or who do you want to see your message
    most?


    Files in a Forum

    The Forums emphasize messages.  Files in a Forum are always attached to
    messages.

    You can think of the way files are kept in a Forum in two ways:

     A message with a file attached
     A file with a detailed description

    Either way it's the same thing.  A message can incidentally have a file
    attached to it.  Or the message can be a description or introduction to
    the file.

    By convention, the topic of a message with a file attached contains the
    file name and a brief description of the file.  Nothing requires this,
    although whenever anyone uploads a file they are encouraged to put a
    file name in the topic field.

    If you have an ASCII file that you want to contribute to a Forum, the
    easiest thing to do is write a message and upload the file as an
    attachment.  (You can use any upload protocol, not just the ASCII
    protocol.)  The message could be empty, or explain something like
    "here's the file that ...".  Other users can use the ASCII or LIST
    download protocols to see the contents on their terminals.

    When you write a message to a Forum, you have the option of uploading a
    file and attaching it to the message.  When you read a message that has
    a file attached, you get a chance to download the file.


    Threading

    A thread is a bunch of messages on the same topic.  You'll probably
    find many different threads going on at the same time in a Forum.  Say
    you write a message and somebody else writes a reply to it.  You reply
    to that, someone else replies to it too, and then someone else replies
    to your original message.  Before you know it, a tree of messages is
    formed.  All of these messages usually keep the same topic.  We call
    this a thread.

    When you're scanning messages, you may come across a message with
     a lot of replies, or one that's a reply itself.  You can digress from your
    scan to see what else has taken place on this thread before you
    contribute yourself.

    Threading forward and backward is chronological.  So in a complex
    thread you won't always see a message next to its reply.  You may see
    the messages of one little sub-conversation alternating with those of
    another.

    If message number 123 is a reply, threading to its parent lets you see
    the message that 123 was a reply to.  You can keep threading up to the
    original message that started it all, if it's still online.


    Changing the Topic of a Reply

    You can change the topic of a reply, but by doing this you'll lose the
    "thread" of the conversation.  Then other users won't be able to find
    your message when they're threading through the other messages on the
    original topic.

    If you reply to a message and change the topic, the Thread Forward and
    Thread Backward commands won't find your message, but the Thread
    Parent command will.  You may want to do this to break off from the
    original conversation and start another one.


    Forum Header

    This is the very first message in a Forum.  You can see the Forum
    header by typing "RS0" from the Forum menu.  The header may contain
    lots of information on the Forum, including how long messages are kept,
    and the charges for using the Forum (if any).

    Here's an example of a Forum header:

     #1  FORUM HEADER: /Hello           Created 03-FEB-92 11:09
     Forum-Op: Sysop
     Forum Topic: Welcome to the BBS!

     This is the /Hello Forum Header.

     Sysop

    #1 is the message number in this case.  The Forum operator is the Sysop
    himself.  The topic of the Forum appears at the Forum menu.


    R=Read messages

    There are many ways for you to read messages in a Forum.  Actually,
    most of the features you'll find here are not for reading messages.
    They're for finding the messages you're interested in.  Once you've
    read the message, there are many options for what to do with it, and
    what message to read next.


    R=Read, S=Scan through messages, one at a time

    During a scan, you get to look at message headers one at a time in
    chronological order (the order they were written in).  You get the
    option to read the messages, download attached files, reply publicly,
    or reply privately.

    You'll have these options for where to start your scanning:

     RETURN or dot (.)   Start with the next message you haven't read yet

     F                   Start with the first message in the Forum
                         (the Forum header)

     L                   Start with the very latest message in the Forum

     <message number>    Start with a specific message number


    The Default or Next Message

    You'll probably be calling into the BBS regularly to see "what's new"
    in the Forums.  The BBS tries to keep track of where you left off
    when you last read messages in a Forum.  But it doesn't keep track of
    exactly which messages you've read.  It just remembers the highest
    numbered message.  When you come back, you pick up after that one.
    This is the default or next message that you get by just hitting RETURN
    when asked for a starting message number.

    So, in a Forum, the default or next message is the message right after
    the highest numbered message that you've already read.

    You need to read the message (see the body of it) for this to count.
    Except that reading while threading forward or backward doesn't count.


    R=Read, L=List messages out, nonstop

    If you want messages to just scroll by on your screen without stopping
    to reply or download any files, then listing could be handy.  You could
    also capture all messages and read them offline this way.  Later you
    could call back to download specific files or reply to specific
    messages.

    There are three types of listings depending on how much you want to
    see:

     o   Brief one-liner descriptions of the message

     o   Titles, or message headers, 4-6 lines long

     o   Full messages, with header and body

    In all of these cases you can specify the starting point like you do in
    a scan and the listing goes from there forward, to the end of the
    Forum.

     RETURN or (.)         Next or default message
     F                     First message
     L                     Last message
     <message number>      Any specific message in the Forum


    R=Read, K=Keyword search

    Keyword searching is just like scanning except that you'll only see
    messages that contain some special words or phrases you're looking for.

     Keyword            Example matches
     -------            ---------------
     demo               Demonstration   pandemonium   demolition
     -demo-             demo  "DEMO"
     red day            By Monday, I was tired of waiting
     red-letter-day     Thursday was a red letter day

    As you can see, a hyphen has a special purpose in keywords:

     A word with hyphens around it will specify an exact match on the
     entire word.

     A hyphen will match a space, a line boundary, any punctuation
     symbol, or any combination of these.


    Read Commands

    You can answer several questions at once by typing them all on the same
    line.  All of these read commands work from the Forum menu:

     RSF       Scan from the first message
     RS.       Scan starting from the next new message
     RS38501   Scan from message number 38501
     RSL       Scan from the last message
     RLBF      List brief titles of all messages
     RLTF      List 4-line titles of all messages
     RLFF      List all messages fully
     RLB.      List brief titles starting with the new messages
     RLT.      List 4-line titles starting with the new messages
     RLF.      List full messages starting with the new messages


    After Reading a Message

    After you read a message in a Forum, you'll get a prompt like this:

     (R)eply, (E)mail reply, follow (T)hread, (P)revious or (N)ext message?


    (R)eply in this Forum

    If you reply, the author of the original message will see your reply in
    his electronic mail, assuming his E-mail preferences are set
    accordingly.  Other users who read this Forum will also see your reply
    as part of a thread.


    (E)mail (private) reply

    You can reply privately to the author of a message in a Forum using the
    (E)mail reply option.  The author will see your message in his
    electronic mail.  No other user will be able to see it.


    Follow (T)hread

    A thread is a bunch of messages on the same topic.  The messages are
    formed into a tree by replying and re-replying.  You can move through
    the thread in these ways:

     Thread (F)orward, (B)ackward, or to (P)arent (? for help):

    The thread options can be combined into character pairs:  Rather than
    typing T RETURN P RETURN, you can type TP RETURN (using
    concatenated commands).

     TB  (T)hread (B)ackward       skip back to earlier messages
                                   on the same topic, in
                                   chronological order

     TF  (T)hread (F)orward        skip forward to newer messages
                                   on the same topic, in
                                   chronological order

     TP  (T)hread to (P)arent      jump back to the "parent"
                                   of this message -- the one
                                   it was a reply to

    You can continue to type TF RETURN TF RETURN to move through
    the thread, etc.

    All this threading is a digression:  you'll resume your original scan
    from where you left off when you choose the (N)ext or (P)revious
    message.


    (P)revious or (N)ext message

    Skip chronologically through the messages in the Forum.  You'll often
    use P RETURN P RETURN P RETURN ... to zoom backward in time,
    or N  RETURN N RETURN N RETURN ... to zoom forward.  You can
    also type NNNN RETURN to leap over four messages at once -- seeing
    all their headers as you do.


    F=Filescan -- look only for messages with files attached

    The Filescan option from the Forum menu operates exactly like the read
    option with one important difference:  only messages with files
    attached are scanned.  Everything else in the above description of
    reading messages also applies to file scanning.


    Q=Quickscan multiple Forums

    Here's another powerful variation on reading messages.  You can specify
    your own preferences for some of the Forums, and even the kind of
    information you'd like to see in those Forums.

    That way you're saved the trouble of switching to several different
    Forums each time you log on, or of wading through reams of messages
    that you're not interested in.


    Configuring Your Quickscan

    The first step is to configure your quickscan by answering these
    questions:

     o   Which Forums are you interested in?
     o   Do you want to narrow the scan down to messages with certain
         keywords?

    Here's an example of some keywords and possible matches:

     Keyword             Example of a match
     -------             ------------------
     1. COMP COMMUNIC computer communications, company must communicate
     2. MODEM COMMUNIC   modem communicating
     3. PACKET SWITCH    packet switching networks, packet of switches


    Keyword Phrases

    The search will look for messages that match any of the above 3 keyword
    phrases, but the match must be complete on all of the words in a
    keyword phrase.

    In more technical terms, the search is looking for a message with:

     COMP and COMMUNIC
     or
     MODEM and COMMUNIC
     or
     PACKET and SWITCH


    Which Forums

    When deciding which Forums to include in your Quickscan, here are some
    things you might type:

     V                   View the Forums now included in your quickscan
     -<forum name>       Remove a Forum from quickscan
     +<forum name>       Add a Forum to quickscan
     -<forum> +<forum>   Reset scanning in a Forum to the beginning
     -ALL                Remove all Forums from your quickscan
     +ALL                Add all Forums to your quickscan

    All new Forums will automatically get added to your quickscan.  If you
    aren't interested in them, you can remove them any time.


    Starting your Quickscan Pointers From Scratch

    If you want your quickscan to review a Forum from the beginning, you
    need to reset your pointers for that Forum, because quickscan tries to
    give you only "new" messages.  To do this, just remove and then add the
    Forum:

     Enter K, V, + or -, or ? for more info: -/ANTON +/ANTON

    Now your next quickscan will start the "/Anton" Forum from the first
    message.  This might be particularly handy if you've changed your
    quickscan keywords, and want to review what you might have missed.


    W=Write a message

    In a Forum, you can write your message to ** ALL ** users, or to a
    specific user.  When you write to a specific user, the message may
    appear in his electronic mail "in-box".

    After making the choice of who your message is to, you can begin
    writing your message.  If your terminal has ANSI capability, you enter
    the full screen editor.  You can type your message a line at a time,
    move the cursor around with the arrow keys, delete lines with CTRL-Y,
    and so on.  CTRL-S saves your message and exits the full screen editor.

    If your terminal doesn't have ANSI capability, you enter the Line
    Editor.  Just type one line at a time here.  The editor will
    automatically wrap lines as you run into the right margin.  When done,
    type "OK" on a single line to save your message and possibly edit it a
    little more.


    After writing a message to a Forum

    After you write a message, you get the option of uploading a file and
    attaching it to the message (assuming you have access).

     Do you wish to "attach" a file to this message (Y/N)?

    Be careful to complete this step or your message will get lost.  For
    example, if you type 'X' to exit instead of yes or no, you'll lose the
    message.


    T=Teleconference

    Every Forum has its own teleconference channel.  The topic of the
    channel is the topic of the Forum (from the Forum header).  See more on
    the teleconference in the "Teleconferencing" section.


    /RECENT Global Command
    ----------------------

    Type /RECENT at any prompt to see a list of the most recent users to
    logoff the system.

    DOORS
    -----

    What is a Door?

    A door allows you to access DOS applications online.  These
    applications appear to you like any other BBS function.  You may
    need to configure your terminal for "Doorway" mode or "IBM-PC"
    emulation for some doors to work properly.  Please ask your Sysop.

    Here are the Doors menu choices:

    E ... Enter a Door

    You will be prompted to enter the name of a Door.  It may take a
    few seconds before the door program begins execution.  Once you've
    entered the Door, follow the operating instructions for the program
    you've selected.  You can exit the Door at any time by typing a
    special character three times in rapid succession (a message will
    appear when you enter the Door that will tell you which character
    to use).

    L ... List available Doors

    This option will give you a list of the Doors available to you.
    It will show the Door's name, a short description and the surcharge
    for using this Door.  The surcharge is the number of additional
    credits you will be charged per minute while in that Door.

    X ... Exit Doors

    Exits the Doors module and returns to the previous menu.





     Polls and Questionnaires
     ------------------------

     Polls and Questionnaires allows you, the user, to answer questions
     created by the Sysop or a Poll-Op and on Polls, provide real-time
     result feedback to users.

     The Sysop can create a virtually unlimited number of Polls or
     Questionnaires with up to 100 questions each.  The Sysop can configure
     either to allow you to replace your previous answers with new ones or
     to only answer a Poll or Questionnaire once.

     Some Polls or Questionnaires, per the Sysop and Poll-Op's preference,
     may be displayed during the logon process.  There are three
     different logon messages you may see.  There is the basic announce
     message informing you of NEW Polls or Questionnaires.  Another is
     the ask message informing you of a NEW Poll or Questionnaire and
     then allowing you to answer Yes or No whether you want to take it
     right then.  Lastly, there is an insist message that will inform
     you of a NEW Poll or Questionnaire and then force you to complete
     it before allowing you to continue with the logon process.


     The main Polls and Questionnaires menu will look like:

     Polls and Questionnaires Menu:

     G ... General information
     T ... Take a Poll/Questionnaire
     R ... View results for Poll
     L ... Look up results for an individual

     Enter your selection, or X to exit:

     Selection "G" (General Information) will display basic information
     about the Polls and Questionnaires module giving a brief overview
     of options "T", "R" and "L".

     Selection "T" (Take a Poll) will list all Polls and Questionnaires
     that you have access to.  From this listing you can enter the poll
     name or the index number next to the poll name in order to access
     that poll.

     Selection "R" (View Results for Poll) will list all Polls that you
     have you have result access to.  From this listing you can enter
     the poll name or the index number next to the poll name in order to
     view results for that poll.

     Selection "L" (Lookup Results for an Individual) will display results
     for a particular individual for a given Poll or Questionnaire.  You
     will be prompted to enter the User-ID of the individual to lookup and
     will then be presented with a list of Polls and Questionnaires that
     this individual has completed.  From this listing you can enter the
     poll name or the index number next to the poll name in order to view
     the individual results for the selected user for this poll.

     Selection "X" (Exit to Previous Menu) will return to the menu where
     the Polls and Questionnaire module was originally entered.



    QWK-mail
    --------------

    In order to use  QWK-mail, you must first have an offline quick
    mail reader such as SLMR, EZ-Reader, BlueWave, or Freddie.  Shareware
    versions of these programs are available on many BBSes.  The
    Cincinnati Multi-Player connection BBs has a shareware version of
    SLMR in the UTILITIES library of files.

    OPERATION

    You log onto the BBS, select the  QWK-mail menu and request
    download of a QWK packet.  A QWK packet is a file with a filename
    unique to each BBS and the extension of .QWK.  QWK-mail scans for
    messages you have not yet read in the forums in your Quickscan, along
    with all private E-mail messages to you, and includes them in your QWK
    packet.

    You are requested to select one of The BBS file transfer
    protocols for download.  After the QWK packet is downloaded, you can
    log off and read the messages using your offline mail reader.  The
    offline reader will allow you to write responses and request file
    downloads.  These are assembled into a REP (reply) packet.  A REP
    packet is a file with the same filename as the QWK packet plus an
    extension of .REP.

    You now log back onto the BBS, select the QWK-mail menu and
    select upload of the REP packet.  You are requested to choose one of
    The BBS file transfer protocols for upload.  After the upload is
    complete, you can exit QWK-mail or log off the system.  The
    uploaded REP packet is queued behind other users' REP packets for
    processing.  It can take several minutes for your REP packet to be
    processed.  When the REP packet is processed, the reply messages are
    sent as if you did them online.  Requested files will be included in
    your next QWK packet.  You will be notified when processing of your
    REP packet is completed, if you are still online.

    MENU OPTIONS

    Here are the QWK-mail menu options:

    D - Download <bbs-filename>.QWK packet

    Downloads a QWK packet containing all messages you have not yet read
    either online or via QWK-mail.  You can filter the messages which
    are downloaded by configuring your forum Quickscan parameters.
    QWK-mail displays each forum and the number of messages included in
    the packet while the QWK packet is being built.

    QWK-mail will ask you to specify the download protocol.  After
    the download successfully completes, your current message pointers will
    automatically be updated so that your next download will only include
    new messages.

    U - Upload <bbs-filename>.REP packet

    Uploads a REP packet which you built using your offline reader.  You
    will be asked to specify the upload protocol.

    If you are still online, you will be notified when processing of your
    REP packet has completed.  This can take many minutes due to REP
    packets queued ahead of yours.

    A - Attachment toggle (currently <ON|OFF>)

    When ON, this option includes file attachments in your QWK packet.
    Normally, you would leave this option OFF to prevent downloading large
    file attachments which you are not interested in.  You can request
    download of a file attachment you do want in your next REP packet, by
    writing E-mail to GALQWK with a topic field of REQUEST <#>, where <#>
    is the message number of the message whose attachment you want.

    R - Reset message pointers

    This resets your current message pointers to the message number you
    specify.  Normally, you don't have to change your message pointers,
    since QWK-mail automatically maintains them for you.

    However, if you are interested in downloading all messages since a
    certain date, you can reset the message pointers to the number of a
    message slightly older than the time you're interested in.  Your next
    download will include messages newer than the one specified.

    Resetting the message pointers to 1 will cause your next QWK download
    to include all messages in the forums in your Quickscan, along with all
    private E-mail messages to you.

    ? - Help

    Displays a screen of useful information on using QWK-mail.

    X - Exit, return to main menu

    Exits QWK-mail and returns to the menu tree.  Processing of REP
    packets will continue even if you exit QWK-mail or log off the
    BBS.


    Registry of Users
    -----------------

    The registry allows you to put information online for other users to
    view.  This is optional.  You may want to remain confidential or
    anonymous on the BBS and there's usually no penalty for doing so.  By
    the way, the questions you answered when you signed up are for the
    Sysop only.  See him or her if you have any confidentiality concerns.

    When you create your own entry in the registry, you type in the answers
    to several questions.  The operator of the BBS can configure his own
    set of questions.  The last one is always a "summary" question.  If you
    don't want to answer a question, you can always enter "N/A".

    You can scan a list of users alphabetized by User-ID, and see their
    summary lines.  Also, you can look up other users directly by User-ID.
    Of course, you'll only see information on users who have voluntarily
    answered the registry questions.


    D - Directory Search

    Use this command to list out the users that have answered the registry
    questions.  You may start anywhere in the alphabet you please, and only
    the User-ID and summary line will appear for each user.


    L - Looking up Another User

    This is used to look up a specific user's registry.  You will be able
    to view the user's answers to all registry questions.  If you don't
    know the exact User-ID you want to look up, just enter what you know,
    and the BBS will try to find an exact match for you.


    Y - Creating or Editing Your Entry

    When you create your entry, you answer the registry questions one after
    the other.  Each answer has a limited number of characters it can
    accept.  To find out how many, you can just type a long line until you
    run into the limit.

    After creating your entry, you can go back later and edit your answers.


    User Account Display/Edit
    -------------------------

    This service allows you to:

     o  View some statistics on your account
     o  Edit many of the answers you gave when you first signed up
     o  Transfer credits from your account to another
     o  Change the default language to use when you log on


    Credits

    Some BBSes track your usage or charge for your usage by issuing
    "credits".  Being online consumes credits and using various services
    also consumes credits.  If the BBS does deal with credits then you'll
    see them in your account menu:

        User-ID:  Arthur Berg
        Credits:  693150

        S ... Display statistics on your account
        A ... Display or edit account information (address/phone/password)
        T ... Transfer credits to another user

     Your choice (or X to exit):


    S = Display Statistics on your Account

    This choice shows you a few statistics on your account.

        User-ID:  Arthur Berg

        S ... Display statistics on your account
        A ... Display or edit account information (address/phone/password)
        T ... Transfer credits to another user

     Your choice (or X to exit): S

      User-ID .................... Arthur Berg
      Account Created ............ 02/09/91
      Last Logon ................. 05/14/92
      Account Class............... CUSTOMER
      Time Limit Per Call......... UNLIMITED
      Time Limit Per Day.......... UNLIMITED
      ANSI setting this session .. ON


        User-ID:  Arthur Berg

        S ... Display statistics on your account
        A ... Display or edit account information (address/phone/password)
        T ... Transfer credits to another user

     Your choice (or X to exit):

    Your account was created when you first signed up.  The day you last
    logged on, (prior to your current session) is recorded also.

    Your class determines how long you can stay online and what services
    you are allowed to use, and on some systems, whether you are charged
    for using the BBS or not.  In the above example, Arthur has no limits
    on how long he can stay online.  The ANSI-ON condition means that his
    terminal is receiving color and cursor movement commands from the BBS.
    You can change your ANSI setting if you like.  More on that below.


    A = Editing Your Account Information

    On most BBSes, you can edit your answers to the sign-up questions.  You
    won't be able to change your User-ID, though.  And some custom
    questions are only asked at sign-up, and can't be changed later.

    The Full Screen Data Entry service is used to change your account
    information if your terminal has ANSI capability.  You'll see all your
    account information on screen.  Use your up and down arrows keys to
    move around to different fields.  To retype a field, just type over the
    old information.  To change a field, start by moving the cursor right
    or left to the correct position.  Then type over the old stuff, or:

     <Del> or <Backspace>     delete a character
     <CTRL-F>                 insert a character

    See below for editing your account information when you don't have ANSI
    (using the Linear Data Entry service).

    You can leave this screen any time by hitting one of these keystrokes:

     <CTRL-G>    Save your changes and exit
     <CTRL-O>    Quit and abandon your changes


    Name, Address, Phone Numbers

    On some of these fields there are certain minimum lengths required.
    You'll be notified if your answer is too short.  This information is
    treated by most Sysops as highly confidential.  It would be used mainly
    to contact you in the event of a question or problem with your account.
    Many Sysops also use this information to mail announcements,
    newsletters, etc.


    Computer System

    On some systems, different menus are provided for users that have IBM
    computers and users that don't.  IBM computers as terminals can display
    a wide variety of special extended ASCII characters, including box
    borders, shading, international characters, etc.  The only other impact
    of this question is on demographic statistics that the Sysop can see.


    ANSI Preference

    This answer concerns whether or not your terminal should be receiving
    ANSI commands for cursor positioning, colors, and other attributes.

     ON       ANSI commands will be sent to your terminal

     OFF      ANSI commands will not be sent to your terminal

     AUTO     Each time you log on, the BBS will decide whether
              or not to send ANSI commands to your terminal.  The BBS
              may automatically detect whether you have ANSI or not,
              or it may ask you, or it may be prewired by the Sysop
              to be on or off.

    Usually you can leave it set to AUTO.  But if this appears to be making
    the wrong choice sometimes, you can change it.  If you see bland
    colorless text on your color monitor, set it to ON.  If you see lots of
    annoying bracket characters with numbers and letters after them, like
    "[33m" or "[0;1;47;52m", you may want to set it to OFF.


    Screen Dimensions and Pausing

    Here are some examples of different screen configurations:

     Screen size: 80 columns by 24 lines
     Pause output?  PAUSE
                                 Standard 80x24 terminal, the BBS pauses
                                 when it has 23 or more lines to display

     Screen size: 80 columns by 24 lines
     Pause output?  CONTINUOUS
                                 Standard 80x24 terminal, the BBS doesn't
                                 pause, display is continuous

     Screen size: 80 columns by 43 lines
     Pause output?  PAUSE
                                 Enlarged 80x43 terminal, pause each 41
                                 lines


    Default Editor

    This answer helps to determine if you should be placed in the Full
    Screen Editor or the Line Editor when the system needs to invoke
    a system text editor.  The chooses are FSE or LINE.


    Password

    Your password appears as a string of asterisks (****).  You can retype
    your password once in a while to keep your account secure.


    Save or Quit

    When you're done editing, you can answer the question at the bottom:

     SAVE        Save your changes and exit
     QUIT        Quit and abandon your changes

    Just pick S or Q and hit RETURN to exit the service back to the User
    Account Display/Edit menu.


    Editing your Account when you don't have ANSI

    If your terminal doesn't have ANSI capability or if your screen isn't
    long enough (24 lines is enough), then editing your account information
    will have to proceed one question at a time.

    Use the RETURN key to skip each field you don't want to change.  When
    you get to a field you want to change, you can back up over the
    information that's already there and type new information, or just
    start typing in completely new information.

     To edit the information that's there,    start with a <Backspace>.

     To replace the information that's there, start by typing the first
                                              character of the new
                                              information

    If you make a mistake, just use:

     <Ctrl-U>     to back up one field.


    T = Transferring credits

    With the Sysop's permission, you can transfer credits from your account
    to another user's account.  There's usually a minimum amount you can
    transfer.  By default it's 600 credits.  Just select the T option if
    you wish to transfer some of your credits to another user account.

    L = Change language/protocol preference

    If the Sysop allows it, you can tell the BBS to automatically switch you
    to a particular language and protocol each time you log on (this switch
    will take place right after you enter your User-ID and password).

        User-ID:  Arthur Berg
        Credits:  693150
        Language: English/ANSI

        S ... Display statistics on your account
        A ... Display or edit account information (address/phone/password)
        T ... Transfer credits to another user
        L ... Change language/protocol preference

     Your choice (or X to exit): L

    When you select this, you'll get a prompt something like this:

     Which language/protocol would you prefer to use on this BBS?

         1. English/ANSI     The standard English language version
         2. English/RIP      The English version of RIPscrip graphics
         3. Spanish/ANSI     Espa±ol/ANSI
         A. Automatic        (no preference)

     Choose a number from 1 to 3, or A:

    Choose the number of the language/protocol you'd like to be your
    default, and from then on the BBS will attempt to switch you to it each
    time you log on.  If you have no particular preference, you can choose
    'A' for Automatic, and the BBS will try to sense what protocol you're
    dialing in with (ie. with ANSI or RIP?) and set your language
    accordingly.  For the most part, you should keep this set to Automatic.




    Game Connection (tm)
    Version 1.40 User Documentation
    -------------------------------

    Game Connection allows you to play MODEM-to-MODEM games
    while logged onto this system.  With the two player games, this may
    allow you to play the game with someone who is not in your area,
    which would previously have cost you long distance charges, or to
    play a game with someone without having to give them your home
    phone number.  The REAL ADVANTAGE here is the ability to
    play MULTI-PLAYER (i.e.  more than two player) games online.
    This ability depends on the version of this program running on this
    system, as there is a two-player only version of Game Connection,
    and a multi-player version. The Cinti Multi-Player Connection BBS
    is running the multi-player version.

    Multi-player modem games would normally require one user to have
    several phones and modems, or are only playable by more than two
    persons if connected by a LAN.  Using Game Connection, you can
    play supported multi-player games as easily as the two player
    versions.


                          Beginning a Game
                          ----------------

    The first thing to is to call a The Cincinnati Multi-Player Connection
    BBS and enter Game Connection.  Some games have a chat mode that
    will allow you to do this from within them, but the majority require
    you to pre-dial.

    Pre-dialing refers to calling the BBS with your normal
    communications program (e.g. Telix, Procomm) in order to log on,
    enter Game Connection, and begin game mode.  This is explained in
    more detail below.  Make sure any notes on modem configuration are
    taken into account.  Some games require special modem
    configuration.

     NOTE: It is usually a good idea to have everyone at the same
     baud rate.  If you are not, game data may be lost if a low speed
     system is not able to accept the data as fast as the higher speed
     system(s) send it.

    After entering Game Connection, a menu selection allows you to see
    what other users on the system have set their game request flag,
    and which game they are interested in playing.  You can also get a
    list of all players currently in Game Connection, and their status
    (e.g.  Playing DOOM).



    YOU MUST SELECT: "M) MULTI-PLAYER" IF THE GAME TO BE PLAYED
    IS A MULTI-PLAYER CAPABLE GAME. EVEN IF YOU ONLY WANT TO
    HAVE TWO PLAYERS IN THE GAME.

    YOU MAY SELECT: "J) JOIN TWO PLAYER GAME" IF IT IS A TWO PLAYER
    ONLY GAME (DOES NOT SUPPORT MORE THAN TWO PLAYERS). YOU
    MAY, HOWEVER, SELECT "M) MULTI-PLAYER"  FOR TWO PLAYER ONLY
    GAMES AND SELECT THE "DISTRIBUTED MODE" OF PLAY.

    WE AT CINCINNATI MULTI-PLAYER CONNECTION BBS RECOMMEND
     SELECTING "M) MULTI-PLAYER" FOR ALL GAMES BECAUSE OF THE
     CHAT CAPABILITY (MINI-TELECONFERENCE) OF THAT SELECTION.
     IT IS  MUCH EASIER TO MEET AND GET READY TO START THE GAME
     WHEN YOU CAN TALK TO YOUR OPPONENTS.

    If you want to play a 2 player game, select J)oin Two Player Game
    from the menu.  If the person you will be playing is already
    there, you can select him/her and begin playing.  Otherwise, you
    can select someone else on the system who has set their game
    request flag, and they will be notified of the challenge if
    possible.  (NOTE: If the system you are on has the multi-player
    version, and there are sufficient MP channels, you can play
    two-player games in an MP channel using distributed mode.)  Then
    just wait until they come to Game Connection to join you.  DO NOT
    EXIT THE WAITING PROMPT TO THE MENU or you will cancel
    your challenge.

    To play a multi-player game, select the menu option to enter an
    MP channel.  You can join one of the existing games if it is not
    already in progress, or you can set up your own game channel, which
    you will be the moderator of.

    Some games allow open entry.  The only one that we know of at this
    time is Spectre VR.  Open entry means that a player can enter a
    game while it is in progress.  To do this, make sure that the game
    is not full (8 players for Spectre VR), and enter your game.



                             Moderating

    Setting up a game channel is just a matter of answering a couple
    of questions:

          Which game will be played?

    Just enter the name of the game you are planning to play.  This
    will allow other users to join you if they wish to play the same
    game.

          Playing mode?

    Several playing modes are available.

    The default selection is "Distributed" mode.  In this mode,
    everything coming from one player will be sent (distributed) to
    each of the other players.  This mode is not useful for most
    multi-player games, but works well for two-player games.  Of
    course, you are always welcome to try this mode for games that do
    not have their own mode and do not follow one of the standard
    protocols provided by Game Connection.

    If you cannot get a game to work in distributed mode, you may
    wish to attempt another non-game specific mode.  Such as
    "Master-Slave" mode.

    "Master-Slave" mode assumes one player is the master and sends
    all data from him/her to everyone else, while routing all data from
    the slaves to his/her channel only.  You may have some luck with
    this mode if the game is designed to have everyone call a master
    system and that system takes care of all communications.

    "Daisy Chained" mode is not likely to work.  It was thrown in
    just in case a need for it arose.  In this mode, everything is
    passed from one user to the next, and they are responsible for
    echoing it to the next player, or stopping it if they originated
    it.

    Two standard protocols are provided to allow games to be written
    for Game Connection: The Game Connection Protocol (GCP) is a binary
    protocol that is currently being used in game development, and
    Line Mode is an ASCII based protocol for games that wish to be
    compatible with 7-bit networks.  Additionally, GCP7 is a seven bit
    variation of the GCP protocol.

    All other modes are game specific (e.g. "Empire Deluxe" mode), and
    are special modes for particular games.  If you have a
    multi-player game that is not specifically supported by Game
    Connection, you are welcome to try these modes, but don't expect
    too much. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT GAMES YOU TRY AND THE
    OUTCOMES.  WE WILL OFFER OUR ASSISTANCE  IN TRYING TO
    MAKE THE CONNECTION.


                              Commands

    Once a channel is setup, you are in a mini-teleconference.  There
    are a number of commands that can be done from here before the
    game starts, such as JOIN another channel.  These commands are
    listed as you enter, and help is available online.

    If you are the channel moderator, you have additional
    capabilities.  You can remove people from the channel, limit the
    number of players who may enter, change the playing mode, etc.
    Again, these commands are listed when you enter the channel.

    When everyone is ready, the moderator can begin game mode by
    typing START.




                          Playing the Game
                          ----------------

    Once you are in game mode, either by joining another user in a
    two player game, or typing START in a multi-player channel, you
    need to exit your communications program, unless you called through
    your game, and bring up the game.  Shelling out is usually not
    sufficient, as most games require a lot of memory.

    Your games will then be in contact with each other, and you can
    play them as normal.  Make sure you have called the BBS at a baud
    rate supported by the game, and that the game is configured to use
    that speed.  If the game tries to use a speed other than what you
    called at, the data will not make it through to the other side.

    Most games have a direct connect mode to use a null modem cable or
    an established modem connection; this is the communications mode
    you will need to select.


                           Ending the Game
                           ---------------

    When the game is over, you will need to go back into your
    communications program again, unless you called through your game,
    and type a series of Ctrl-Z's.  After about two seconds of
    inactivity following the Ctrl-Z's, you will be returned to the
    mini-teleconference for multi-player channels, or the Game
    Connection main menu for two-player games.



                           Supported Games
                           ---------------

   Most two-player games (or multi-player games in two player mode)
   will work flawlessly in Game Connection.  Some, however, do not have
   a chat mode that would allow you to log on to the BBS, and insist on
   hanging the modem up and dialing themselves.  These games will not
   function via Game Connection.

   We are constantly in the process of adding specific support for more
   games, and working on known incompatibilities and problems with
   supported games.  Below is a list of the games that either we have
   tested, or have been reported to work, along with comments about
   their performance.  If you find a game that is not listed here, or
   that you have alternate comments on, PLEASE CONTACT THE
   SYSOP, and let us know the name of the game, the developer, and
   any success or failures you've had with the game.

   Read the notes on the game you are attempting to play prior to
   calling the BBS.  Some games require special modem configuration.

   If a game hangs up on you when attempting to begin the game, or in
   the middle of the game, there are a couple of ways to get around it.
   One is to add &D0 to your modem init string prior to dialing.  If
   the game is dropping the DTR signal to your modem, the modem will
   automatically disconnect unless this configuration option is used.
   You will have to hang your modem up manually if you do this,
   however, since most modems are hung up by dropping DTR.

   The second possibility is that the game is sending +++ to put your
   modem in command mode, and then issuing a hangup command.  This can
   be disabled by adding S2=255 to your modem initialation string prior
   to dialing.

   NOTE:

     * Multi-player games require the multi-player version of Game
         Connection for more than two players.

     Pre-dial - means that you will have to call a The BBS system
          with a com program (such as Telix or Procomm), enter
          Game Connection, and go into game mode prior to running
          the game.  These games do not have a chat mode that would
          allow you to log on and get to The Game Connection from
          within the game.

          When you pre-dial for a game, select the option that says
          "Direct Connection", "Established Connection", or "Serial
          Connection" if available.  There is no need to select modem,
          because you do not need to initialize or dial.

          When pre-dialing from Windows, you will have to minimize your
          com program, but leave it active, or Windows will disconnect
          you from the BBS.


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

DOOM  (ID Software)      Up to 4 players               (shareware)

     If the system you call is running the multi-player version of Game
     Connection V1.40 or higher, then you will need the SIRDOOM front
     end to play, and can play 2 to 4 players.  Otherwise, see the two
     player instructions below.

     Dial Method: Dial from SIRDOOM's built in terminal program

     Buad Rates: Any

     Comments: Unzip the SIRDOOM front end into your DOOM directory.
          We are working on a configuration editor, but for now you
          will need to edit the configuration file to set up your com
          port, baud rate, etc.  See SIRDOOM.DOC for complete
          instructions.

          SIRDOOM and DOOM Mode were designed to work together.  In
          order to use SIRDOOM, you must select DOOM mode, and the odds
          of any other DOOM loader working in this mode are nil.

          Once you are in game mode, that is about it.  One player
          needs to host the game by typing Alt-S.  SIRDOOM will
          automatically pull the rest of the players in, and return you
          to teleconference mode when you complete the game. (You will
          not have to type Ctrl-Z's)

          Again, if you have any questions or problems, see SIRDOOM.DOC.


DOOM - For Two-player Game Connection (or < V1.40)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Any (w/ SERSETUP replacement)

     Comments: You will need to replace your SERSETUP files with the
          ones provided in DOOMSER.ZIP.  See the sample batch file for
          running the game and instructions on using the SERSETUP
          replacement.  This replacement is not required, but makes the
          game much more playable, because it allows high speed
          connections with V.42bis)


Spectre VR  (Velocity)   Up to 8 players

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Any (skips from 19.2K to 57.6K, ie. no 38.4K)

     Setup: Execellent Virtual Reality game.

          Select direct connect under network setup.

          If the BBS you are calling has the multi-player version of
          Game Connection V1.40 or greater, there is a mode for this
          game that will allow 2-8 players in the same game.  No front
          end or patch is required.

          This game allows open entry.  Once the game is started, other
          players will be allowed to enter unless you have limited the
          number of users in the channel.

          When you enter, it will notify you that you are in game mode.
          Run SVR as normal and try to click on PLAY between flashes
          (or just type P).

          This game seems to conflict with a number of TSRs.  If you
          get black boxes on some of the screens, or your screen goes
          completely black, try booting with only necessary drivers and
          TSRs.


Empire Deluxe  (New World Computing)  Up to 6 players

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Up to 19200

     Comments: Modem initialization MUST include &D0.  This game drops
          DTR constantly, and without &D0, your modem will hang up.

          This game plays very well, and allows 2-6 players at a
          time out of the box.  Use Empire Deluxe mode for more than 2
          players.

          Once you are in game mode, exit your terminal program and run
          Empire.  Click on 'Play Game'.  All players but one should
          click on 'Remote Slave'.  The remaining player is the host or
          master player.  He/She should click on one of the game modes:
          Basic, Standard or Advanced and then decide what map will be
          used.

          Then the host should configure a slot for each player that
          will be in the game; setting each as remote via the same com
          port (the one your modem is on).

          Each person should select the appropriate baud rate (whatever
          you called in at) direct with automatic connect control.  All
          players should be at the same baud rate if possible.  The
          game should play even if they aren't, but it may lock up or
          play slowly.

          After that, click on OK, and you are started.

          If at all possible, the host should enter the game before the
          last player.  Otherwise, Game Connection will figure out who
          the host player is and start passing data.  This will allow
          player number requests to build up in the host's buffer and
          can confuse the game as to how many players there are which
          may cause odd behaviour.

          Don't be afraid to save the game and take it up again later.
          A large map and skilled players can drag Empire Deluxe games
          out for days.  Just exit the game, and it will prompt each
          player for a save file.  The next time you play, just chose
          'Load Saved Game'.  The only player who must save the game is
          the host, but the slave players will have to re-issue all
          commands when you resume play.


Global Conquest  (MicroPlay/Microprose)  Up to 4 players

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Up to 19200

     Comments: Requires a patch to play over the BBS.  You will need to
          copy DRIVER2.OVL (from GLOBOVL.ZIP) into your Global
          Conquest directory.  Then, when you enter Global Conquest, select
          Special DRIVER2.OVL.


Power Monger (Electronic Arts)

     Dial Method: Pre-Dial

     Baud Rates: 300 - 4800

     Comments:   Run PM (press space bar to enter game).  Enter your
          name. Click on one of the game options (e.g. 'Start New').
          Click on compass symbol.  Appease the copy protection gods.
          Click on the game options symbol (floppy disk).  Click on
          GAME and then MULTI PLAY.  Set up the correct com port and
          baud rate.  Choose a color, and click on CONNECT.

          NOTE: We were not able to get this game to play in 256 color
          mode, and the 16 color mode still had problems with the
          graphics.


Grandest Fleet (QQP)

     Dial Method: Call through built in terminal

     Baud Rates: Any

     Comments: War strategy game, to start the game, one person should
          click on 'Select Control' and then escape out of modem area.


Seawolf (Electronic Arts)

     Dial Method: Pre-Dial

     Baud Rates: 9600 Only

     Comments: Submarine battles.  Run TWOPLAY.BAT.  Select B or C for
          COM1 or COM2 direct connect.  You can now chat to see if you
          are properly connected, and then each person should hit ESC
          to begin the game. Player 1 selects "Two Player Missions",
          then select a mission and click GO.


F-15 Strike Eagle III (Microprose)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Any (9600 suggested)

     Comments: After connecting, Use MENU option (top of screen) to
          set Baud and Com Port.  Both players must click on phone
          (to enter modem mode) and it will say connecting, hit #
          and the game should start.  If you have not played F-15
          via modem before, reading the F-15 Technical Document is
          highly recommended.


Falcon 3.0 (Spectrum Holobyte)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Any

     Comments: Works well.  A TSR in FALTSR.ZIP is available that
          allows compression and higher baud rates, and speeds up the
          initial connection.

          Set up your squadron and theater, and then click on the
          middle video screen that flashes COMMS.  Configure a direct
          connection with the proper baud rate and com port.  When you
          accept the configuration, it will attempt to connect to the
          other player.


Tornado (Spectrum Holobyte)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 9600

     Comments: Flight Sim/Combat game.  Select direct connect mode.
          One player should select Red Leader, and the other should
          select Blue Leader.


F16 Combat Pilot (Electronic Arts)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 1200-9600 (9600 suggested)

     Comments: Flight Sim/Combat game.  Select MISSIONS (Jacket on
          door).  Select Gladiator mission in upper right corner.  Set
          your com port an baud rate.  One player should select red
          leader, and the other blue leader.  Click on direct to begin
          game.


Knights of the Sky (MicroProse)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 1200-9600 (9600 suggested)

     Comments: Flight Sim/Combat game.  Low detail, but works well.
          Select head-to-head, configure your port and baud rate, and
          'connect directly' to begin.


Stunt Driver (Spectrum Holobyte)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 1200-38400

     Comments: Click Options and then Head-to-Head.  Set baud and
          port, and select direct connect.  Click DONE to start the
          game.


VETTE! (Spectrum Holobyte)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Any

     Comments: At any point before beginning the race, hit ESC to bring
          up the pop-up menu.  Select COMMUNICATIONS and set it up for
          a direct connection at the appropriate baud rate and com
          port.  One player should select call and the other answer.
          Click done and start the race.

          NOTE: Both players must select the same track.


Tetris Classic (Spectrum Holobyte)

Super Tetris   (Spectrum Holobyte)

Wordtris       (Spectrum Holobyte)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 2400 to 9600

     Comments: Select direct connect.  One player should select dial,
          and the other should select answer.  Then select
          head-to-head mode.


Command HQ   (MicroPlay/Microprose)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 1200-19200

     Comments: Plays well with modem connections, although currently a
          bit slow when played via an X.25 network such as Compuserve.

          You will need to replace SERIAL.OVL with the replacement in
          CHQOVL.ZIP from your Game Connection support library.

          This game limits the transmission speed to less than 2400
          bps, so anything faster will only be for your convenience
          when logging on.

          Start a new war and select ANOTHER HUMAN as your opponent.
          Select DIRECT SERIAL, the appropriate com port and baud rate,
          and BEGIN GAME.


Conquered Kingdoms (Quantum Quality Productions)

     Dial Method:

     Baud Rates: Any

     Comments: Reported to work.


WW2: Battles of the South Pacific  (Quantum Quality Productions)

     Dial Method: Built in terminal

     Baud Rates: 2400-9600

     Comments: Reported to work.  A patch is required for playing
          on X.25 networks.  V1.2 patch is suggested, as it fixes some
          of the communications problems.


Perfect General  (Quantum Quality Productions)

     Dial Method: Built in terminal

     Baud Rates: 9600 baud recommended.

     Comments: Reported to work well.


Tank (Spectrum Holobyte)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Any

     Comments: Select game type and then multi-player, direct.


Tom Landry Football

     Dial Method: Has a chat screen, but pre-dial is suggested.

     Baud Rates: Any

     Comments: Reported to work.  Select direct serial connection.


Victory or Defeat

     Dial Method: Built in terminal.

     Baud Rates: 1200-2400-9600

     Comments: Windows program.  Reported to work.


IndyCar Racing  (Papyrus)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 9600 only

     Comments: One player should select answer, and one player should
          select dial.  The player selecting dial should enter first.


ARCHON Ultra  (Strategic Simulations, Inc.)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial (You can log on through the modem window,
          but this is difficult to do with only a partial line.)

     Baud Rates: 2400 only

     Comments: Before beginning a game, use the right mouse button to
          bring up the menu, and select CONNECT.  Both players must do
          this within 30 seconds of each other.


Theater of War  (Three-Sixty)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial (You can log on through the modem window,
          but this is difficult to do with only three lines.)

     Baud Rates: 1200-38400

     Comments: Strategic board game similar to chess.  Both players
          must select the same warrior set.  Select PLAYER-VS-PLAYER -
          REMOTE and click PLAY.  Set the proper baud rate and com
          port.  It may be necessary to set the com port before hand
          with the CONFIG utility.  If you are logging on through the
          chat window, type ATDT<phone number> to place the call and
          enter game connection at this time.  Once both players are
          connected and ready, click PLAY.


Battle Chess 4000  (InterPlay)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 300 only

     Comments: Before dialing, you must add &D0 to your modem init
          string and re-initialize your modem.  Otherwise, the game
          will cause your modem to hang up at various times throughout
          the game.

          Once you are in the game, select MODEM from the CONTROLS
          menu.  One player should set white/red to human and
          black/blue to human, and the other should set them the other
          way around.  Then click on OK, and you are playing chess.


Line Wars                                              (shareware)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial (from Windows)

     Baud Rates: Up to 19200

     Comments: Space game.  Set up as DUEL mode, DIRECT LINE.


MegaTron                                               (shareware)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: Up to 9600

     Comments: Robots at war in a maze.  Make sure your modem is
          initialized to ignore "+++" by adding S2=255 to your modem
          init string before dialing.  Configure your com port and baud
          rate, and click on OPEN.


PanzerKrieg for Windows                                (shareware)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial (from Windows)

     Baud Rates:

     Comments: Use the serial connection option.


TeleCards  (Cutlass Software)                          (shareware)

     Dial Method: Pre-dial

     Baud Rates: 2400

     Comments: Two player graphics card games.  Includes Crazy Eights,
          Gin Rummy and Cribbage.  Just select option 3 (direct
          connection) and follow the instructions.

          NOTE: Also available in a Windows version

    ON-LINE GAMES AND TELECONFERENCING

    ANDROIDS!
    ---------

    The year is 2089.  Humans have merged with machines to become the
    ultimate power of the known universe:  ANDROIDS!  The Androids
    stay in fighting trim by playing a game in which "prizes" of different
     values appear at random at various locations within an enclosed playing
    area. The object of the game is to accumulate as many points as possible,
    both by beating your opponents to the prizes, and by "ramming" your
    opponents to take their points away.  You may become invisible at any
    time, to avoid pursuit, or to ambush your opponents.  Special
    high-voltage obstacles litter the playfield, and the border is made of
    duodenum alloy... points are deducted for colliding with any of these.
    "Top-Three" listings include Total Points and Points Per Hour.

    Androids! was the first real-time multi-player ANSI-graphics game
    developed for use with The BBS.  Each player is represented by a
    letter (or sometimes a question mark) that moves around under that
    player's control, picking up "prizes" (represented by digits, question
    marks, or diamonds), and trying to "ram" the letters representing the
    other players.

    Running over a prize adds that prize's value to your score, and makes
    the prize disappear.  Similarly, when you ram into another player,
    points are subtracted from that player's score and added to yours
    (assuming the other player has any points to give you), and the other
    player is sometimes teleported to a random new location.  Each time you
    collide with a wall or any of the obstacles in the playfield, you lose
    points.

    If your system-type is "IBM PC or compatible", then "IBM extended
    character set graphics" are used to display the playfield.  Otherwise,
    simple @-signs are used, although they may appear in different colors
    if your system has color-display capability.

    Upon entering the game, you're given this prompt:

     Enter 'P' to play, 'T' for Top-Three, 'D' for details, or 'X' to exit:

    If 'P' is selected, then the screen clears and the playfield is drawn.
    If your cursor-movement keys generate ANSI output, you can use them to
    move around.  This works under standard PC comm programs such as
    ProComm and Telix.  Otherwise, use the diamond-shaped set of keys I, J,
    K, and M:  I means "move up", J is "move left", K is "move right", and
    M is "move down".  Hit the space bar to become invisible.  Hit RETURN
    or <Enter> at any time to interrupt play.

    Top-Three listings are maintained in two categories:  total points, and
    points-per-hour.  This is because total points achieved can be
    arbitrarily high, if a user is willing to stay on long enough.  So in a
    sense, a top rating in points-per-hour is a better indicator of game
    skill, whereas total points measures perseverance.


    Teleconference Link-Up
    ----------------------

    Teleconferencing is like a conference room where people gather to
    present and exchange information, or to chat socially.  The
    multi-channel feature makes it like a vast building of conference
    rooms.  There's the "main" channel, where everyone can meet, there's a
    channel for each Forum (for special, Forum-related discussions), and
    there's even a private channel for every, single user!

    Teleconferencing simply allows several users to converse with one
    another over their terminals.  When you type something, a message goes
    out to all the other users in the same teleconference channel telling
    them what you said.

    This teleconference is different from any others in many ways, one of
    which is its ability to "link" to other teleconferences around the
    world, connecting teleconferencing sessions between different BBS
    systems.  Another way this teleconference is different is its use of
    "actions" -- you have the ability to express certain actions to other
    users in your channel.  You can hug users, kiss them, kick them, or
    even smack them.  You just type the action, followed by the User-ID you
    want the action to apply to (or even "all").  You can use actions to
    just plain express yourself:  entering just "smile" will let everyone
    else in your channel know you're smiling joyfully.  For a list of all
    the available action commands, enter "action list".

    In the teleconference, you get a colon (:)  for a prompt.  When you
    type a message and hit RETURN, that message is broadcast to all other
    users on the same teleconference channel (if it's not an action or a
    special command).

    All of the special commands available in the Teleconference Link-Up are
    described here.  Each command has a longhand and a shorthand form.  To
    un-type a command you may either use the backspace key several times,
    or end the command with the caret (^) character -- the entire command
    will be ignored.


    <Return>

    This will let you know who else is on your current channel by listing
    their User-IDs.  A "forgotten" user (see the "FORGET" command) will
    appear with an "(F)" next to his User-ID.


    WHISPER TO <User-ID> <Message>
    /<User-ID> <Message>

    Using the "whisper" command, you can send a message to just one other
    user -- no other users in your teleconference channel will be the
    slightest bit aware of the exchange.


    USERS
    #

    Displays a list of all the users currently logged onto the system, and
    the name of the module they are working in.


    ?
    /?

    Display a list of the commands available in the teleconference.


    X
    /X

    This takes you out of the teleconference, back to The BBS main
    menuing system.  If you come back to the teleconference before logging
    off, you will be in the same channel.


    EDIT
    /E

    Invokes the Teleconference Profile Editor.  The editor will permit you
    to configure your usage of the teleconference.  Some of the things you
    can edit are:

     o  Is ACTION turned on or off when you log on?
     o  By default, do you allow others to page you (and how often)?
     o  When you first log on, what's your private channel's topic?


    MAIN
    /M

    Returns you to the main channel from a private or Forum channel.


    SCAN
    /S

    Show a directory of the other users in Teleconferencing, and what
    channel they're on (i.e. main channel, private channel, or Forum
    channel).  If you have "forgotten" or "invited" any of the other users
    on the system, it will be noted in the SCAN.


    INVITE <User-ID>
    /I <User-ID>

    You may invite another user to "JOIN" your private channel.  The other
    user is so notified.  The invitation remains in effect for as long as
    the other user is on the system.

    A special use of this command is "INVITE ALL" or "/I ALL".  This will
    permit any user logging on to the system to enter into your private
    channel.


    JOIN <channel name>
    /J <channel name>

    You type this to switch channels.  The channel name may be:  "MAIN" for
    the main channel; the name of a Forum for a Forum channel; the User-ID
    of another on-line user, to switch to their private channel (see
    "INVITE", above); or the channel name may be omitted, to switch to your
    own private channel.


    UNINVITE <User-ID>
    /U <User-ID>

    You do this to uninvite another user from your private channel.  If the
    unwanted user is already in your channel, then the user is forcibly
    returned to the main channel.  He will no longer be able to enter your
    private channel.

    A special use of this command is "UNINVITE ALL" or "/U ALL".  This
    will have the affect of cancelling the "INVITE ALL".  Any users currently
    in your channel will remain there.  In order to remove users from your
    private channel, you'll have to uninvite them one at a time.


    FORGET <User-ID>
    /F <User-ID>

    This command allows you to completely ignore another user.  Any
    messages, whispers, chat requests, and actions will not be received.
    The "forgotten" user will be notified of this each time that he does a
    directed action (a message or action specifically directed at you).
    Forgotten users still show up in the "SCAN" and "<Return>" commands.


    REMEMBER <User-ID>

    This command will reverse the effects of a "FORGET" command.  The
    named user will again be able to make direct contact with you.


    ACTION <On/Off/?/List>
    /A <On/Off/List>

      On  Puts you in "action" mode.  Action commands from you will have
          colorful effects.

     Off  Puts you in normal teleconference mode.  Action commands are
          transmitted to other users literally.

       ?  Displays a brief help message on the "action" feature.

    List  Will display a list of the valid "action" words.


    CHAT <User-ID>
    /C <User-ID>

    "Chat mode" is where two users can converse directly with one another.
    Each keystroke from one user is immediately echoed to both users.  To
    request someone join you in chat, simply use this command.  The other
    user will be able to accept by using this same command.


    PAGE <On/Off/Ok>
    /P <On/Off/Ok>

     On   This will allow others to page and request youo in chat, but not
          more often than your current "page/chat interval" allows.

    Off   This will not allow others to page you or request you in chat.

     Ok   This will allow others to page and request you in chat as often
          as they wish.


    PAGE <User-ID> <message>
    /P <User-ID> <message>

    The "PAGE" command broadcasts a message to another user who is not in
    the teleconference (or not on the same channel).  The command may be
    used to send a special message to the other user.  If <message> is
    omitted, the command will simply request the user's presence in the
    teleconference channel from which the page command was entered.  If the
    page does not go through, the sender is so notified.

    Use the /P form of this command when you want to page someone from
    somewhere other than the teleconference.

    If you page the Sysop when the Sysop is not on-line, your page (and
    your message, if any) will be displayed on the Sysop's main console.


    TOPIC <channel topic>
    /T <channel topic>

    This command sets the topic for your private channel.  The "SCAN"
    command shows the topic of each channel with users in it.  Using this
    command without a <channel topic> erases the topic.


    Playing Blackjack

    Tele-Blackjack is the game of 21, in which the players compete against
    each other to win the "pot" -- the sum of all of the players' bets
    minus a "house cut".  Aces count as either 1 or 11, and the person
    whose hand comes closest to 21 without busting (going over) wins the
    game.  If enough users request to play, the game will automatically
    begin, and proceed via normal Blackjack rules.  In the event of a push
    (tie), the pot is divided among the winners.

    To list all of the Teleconference Blackjack commands, just type "bj
    help" from inside the Teleconference.


    Playing Poker

    Tele-Poker is standard five-card draw Poker, interfaced with The BBS
     teleconference.  Players ante and bet their online credits, and the
    winner of the hand wins the "pot" -- the sum of all bets made by the
    players, minus a "house cut".  If enough users want (request) to play,
    the game will begin automatically, and proceed via normal Poker rules.
    (Aces are high, not low.)

    For more information about the poker commands, just enter "poker help"
    from inside the Teleconference.


    Playing Tingo

    TINGO is a Bingo-style game interfaced with The BBS
    teleconference.  If enough users online "request" to play, the game
    will begin automatically and play will continue until one user wins by
    getting five marked spaces in any row, column, or diagonal.  The
    winning user (or "users" if two or more users get TINGO at the same
    time) is given a credit prize, automatically.

    Once in the Teleconference, simply type "tingo help" to get information
    about the commands available.


    FAZUUL
    ------

    You have arrived on FAZUUL, a lush pleasure planet discovered years
    ago by a number of shipwrecked space captains.  At the time of its
    discovery, FAZUUL was a harsh, forbidding world of intense dry heat
    and endless rolling sand dunes.  Now, however, through the miracles of
    kwish-age engineering, FAZUUL has been transformed into a beautiful
    leisure paradise, fully equipped with all of the essentials of the
    up-to-date resort planet.

    Due to a quantum fluctuation of the void, however, the entire tourist
    mass transit system on FAZUUL has been incapacitated.  Vacationers can
    beam in but they can't beam back out!

    Or can they?  As a marooned vacationer on this paradise planet, you and
    your fellow marooned vacationers may be able to figure out the alien
    technology lying around, pool your resources and knowledge, and find a
    way to escape.  Or, if you like, you can spend your time playing the
    various Galactic games that have been installed as part of the resort's
    facilities, such as Foon-Ball and Umflungoo.  Or, you are free to just
    explore around, talk with other players, fight with them, or whatever
    you like!


    Talking

    You can talk to other players in your immediate vicinity by typing the
    word "say", followed by whatever it is you want to say to them.  If you
    want your voice to carry further, use "shout" or "yell".  Everyone
    within hearing distance will hear you.

    If you want to communicate privately with another player in your
    immediate area, you can type "whisper to so-and-so", followed by your
    confidential message -- other players nearby will only know that you
    have whispered something, not what it is you whispered.


    Moving around

    You move around by telling FAZUUL the direction in which you want
    to move:  north, south, east, or west (or just N, S, E, or W for short).
    Sometimes, depending on the situation, other moves will also make
    sense.  FAZUUL keeps track of the last five places you have visited,
    and gives you the full description of the place only if it is not one
    of these last five.  You may tell FAZUUL to always give you short
    place-descriptions by typing "brief" (this may be undone by typing
    "nonbrief").


    Trading

    You can trade crackers, goods, services, and information with other
    players any time you like, in any way you like.  Typing "give
    such-and-such to so-and-so" will cause the item to be transferred to
    the player you specify, assuming that (a) you possessed it in the first
    place, and (b) the specified player is in your immediate area.  The
    item can be either a device you are holding, or a count of crackers
    (for example, "GIVE 5 CRACKERS TO BEELZEBUB").  The terms
    and conditions of any sale are entirely yours to work out with your
    co-conspirator.


    Exiting the game

    To quit FAZUUL, type "exit", or just "x".  Your player will be placed
    into "hypospatial stasis", which means that you will vanish from the
    FAZUUL universe but that your complete status will be saved, awaiting
    your return to the game.  Any objects you are holding go into
    hypospatial stasis with you, so that you can pick up playing again
    right where you left off.

    If you are lost in the jungle or something and merely wish to restart
    the game afresh, just type "restart".


    Strategy

    The original inhabitants of FAZUUL all perished thousands of years ago
    of biological causes, leaving behind odd bits and pieces of incredibly
    advanced technology.  The technology takes the form of the various
    objects with strange names that you find lying around here and there.
    Since they are based on advanced alien technology, their various
    purposes may not be apparent to you at first, but by experimenting
    around with them you may find that some of them have amazing
    properties.

    You can also assemble the objects together in various ways to make more
    complex and interesting devices (e.g.  "ATTACH THE GWINGUS TO THE
    MONGOO").  These combined devices can then be further combined, and so
    on.  A major portion of the information you will be trading with other
    players relates to which devices combine with which others, what they
    do when combined, how you activate them, the side effects they might
    have, and so on.


    Getting help

    Once you're in the game, help is available on all of these topics.
    Just type "help" from inside FAZUUL for more information.


    Hangman's Secret Cove
    ---------------------

    Hangman's Secret Cove is a take-off of the ol' time favorite word game
    of hangman, but with a twist of casino-type gambling!

    You make a bet, and then the computer randomly chooses a word/phrase
    from its large database.  You then may guess one letter at a time in an
    attempt to figure out the word/phrase.  You may only guess each letter
    in the alphabet once (all occurences of the letter will be shown with
    the first guess).  After 6 wrong guesses, you lose your bet.  At any
    time, you may also take a guess at the entire word/phrase, however if
    you guess incorrectly, you'll lose automatically.  There are only
    letters (no numbers, hypens, or special characters) in each
    word/phrase.  You may exit in the middle of a game by typing "*", but
    you will lose half of your wager.  There is a minimum wager of 10
    chips, and a maximum of 1000 chips.

    Each time you log into the system, if you have less than 100 chips, you
    are given 100 chips to play with.


    KYRANDIA
    --------

    KYRANDIA is a multi-player interactive game, where many people at once
    can be adventuring with each other in the SAME simulated adventure
    world.  Players can help one another, engage in battle, trade
    information, or just "shoot the breeze" -- true interaction.

    To move about in KYRANDIA, merely type the direction you wish your
    character to go (north, south, east or west).  To talk with other
    players, simply put a verb of speaking before what you want said (i.e.
    "say hello there!").  You may pick up objects and do things with them.
    You can "look" at your current surroundings or other players.  Almost
    any mundane action you can think of can be performed.

    However, the world of KYRANDIA is much, much more.  The underlying
    theme of the entire game is the use of magic.  Similar in concept to
    the popular role-playing game "Dungeons & Dragons", players are
    "magic-users" who start at "level 1" (Apprentice) and advance
    themselves to higher "levels" and more powerful magic.

    Although you must be the one to discover all the details (and many
    there are) of the magic of KYRANDIA, we'll give you a little help to
    start off with.

    Spells are magic cast by players, sometimes at objects or other
    players.  To cast a spell a player must first have it "memorized".
    He/she must also have enough "spell points" to cast it, and must be of
    high enough level for certain spells.  Also, some spells require the
    player to have certain components (objects) to cast them.  To actually
    cast the spell, a player must type "cast" and then the secret
    incantation of the spell to be cast; sometimes, a direct object must be
    included as well, such as "at the elf".

    The physical strength and endurance of a player is determined by
    his/her "hit points".  A player's "hit points" increase as he/she gains
    "levels" or by magical means.  It is through "hit points" that most
    players battle each other; when a player's "hit points" reach 0, he/she
    is killed, and must start from scratch at the beginning again.

    Once you select KYRANDIA from the main menuing system, you can see
    what spells you have memorized and how many spell points you have by
    typing "spells".  To see how many hit points you have you can, type
    "hits". To see what objects you are holding, you can type "inv".  And if
    you need it, you can always type "help" for more information.


    Super LOTTO
    -----------

    In this module, you can purchase lotto tickets, each of which is
    comprised of a special sequence of numbers that you select.  Each lotto
    ticket you buy, you buy with credits you have on-hand, and those
    credits are immediately added to the day's "pot".  This pot accumulates
    all day long -- every time a user buys a ticket, the price of that
    ticket is added to the pot.

    Every night, a winning ticket is drawn.  If any of your tickets match
    the winning one (the order of the numbers doesn't matter), you win the
    entire pot!  (If more than one user has the matching numbers, the pot
    is divided evenly between the winners.)


    SuperNova
    ---------

    Your mission is, simply put, destroy the enemy's galaxy before he
    destroys yours.  You do this by entering sector coordinates where you
    wish to detonate your SN-101 Hydroplasmatic Antimatter Destruct
    (H.A.D.) bomb.  This bomb is capable of destroying entire planetary
    solar systems by causing their sun to explode into a supernova.

    Each of you will be given a chance to hide your stars.  You have five
    stars to hide (making up your galaxy).  When your galaxy is destroyed
    (when your opponent hits all five stars), you lose.

    You will see two grids on your screen:

              YOU             OPPONENT
         1  2  3  4  5      1  2  3  4  5
       .---------------.  .---------------.
     1 | *  .  .  .  . |  | .  .  .  .  . |
     2 | .  .  .  *  . |  | .  .  .  .  . |
     3 | .  *  .  .  . |  | .  .  .  .  . |
     4 | .  .  .  *  . |  | .  .  .  .  . |
     5 | .  .  .  .  * |  | .  .  .  .  . |
       `---------------'  `---------------'

    The asterisks (*) on your grid indicate the locations that you chose to
    hide your stars.  The player who completes the hiding of his stars
    first gets the first shot.

              YOU             OPPONENT
         1  2  3  4  5      1  2  3  4  5
       .---------------.  .---------------.
     1 | *  .  .  .  . |  | .  .  .  .  . |
     2 | .  .  .  *  . |  | .  .  .  O  . |
     3 | .  *  .  .  . |  | .  .  .  .  . |
     4 | .  .  .  *  . |  | .  X  .  .  . |
     5 | .  .  .  .  * |  | .  .  .  .  . |
       `---------------'  `---------------'

    On the opponent's grid:

    O - Indicates you guessed this sector and missed.

    X - Indicates you guessed this sector and hit one
        of his five stars causing it to go supernova.

              YOU             OPPONENT
         1  2  3  4  5      1  2  3  4  5
       .---------------.  .---------------.
     1 | *  .  .  .  . |  | .  .  .  .  . |
     2 | O  .  .  *  . |  | .  .  .  O  . |
     3 | .  X  .  .  . |  | .  .  .  .  . |
     4 | .  .  .  *  . |  | .  X  .  .  . |
     5 | .  .  .  .  * |  | .  .  .  .  . |
       `---------------'  `---------------'

    On your grid:

    O - Indicates your opponent guessed this sector and missed your stars.

    X - Indicates your opponent guessed the correct sector of one of your
        five stars and destroyed it.


    Score

    Your score is based on the number of games played, number of games won
    and the number of kills you have.  The chart below displays the best
    score and the worst score:

        BEST ====>   100.0
                        .
                        .
        WORST ===>     0.0