Cream of the Crop 12

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Cream of the Crop 12 / Cream of the Crop 12 (Part II) / Cream of the Crop 12 (Part II).iso / BBS / SDLOCO14.ZIP / HELP.FIL < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1996-02-24 | 10.6 KB | 271 lines

STARDOCK LOCO HELP.FIL Stardock Loco 1995 Copyright, A. Alanen ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Make sure you read: README.NOW, PACKING.LST. This file includes: Simple Help, Modes of Operation (local, door), Scripting Information, IGM information and locations, Support Info. Any bug reports would be appreciated at the addresses at the end of the file. Includes the number for the support BBS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SIMPLE HELP: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Error message appears: Critical Error [OpenDoors]: Unable to read door information (drop) file. A: What this means: Stardock Loco cannot find the door file specified by the path that you are giving it. It's not there! What to do: Check the path in your batch file that you are using for the door. Make sure that it complies with the description given below in the different modes of operation section. **** Double check the trailing \ on the path! It must be there! Network Problems: If you have your system on a network, make sure that the map that you have set is correct for the file path. If it still doesn't respond, try copying the door file to another directory on an unmapped drive before you run the door. Then give the door the new path to the copy of the door file. If that doesn't work, try running it off a node that isn't on the network. Just see if it will work. Other help: If your system supports it, give it the path to a different type of door file such as DOOR.SYS or DOORINFO.FIL Stardock Loco can't find a file: Somehow one of the files was deleted. If it is the player.lst try to use the backup file player.bak, and rename it to the player.lst. Any other file, just make a blank text file, and name it the name of the missing file. UPDATE: I added a bulletin area to Terran Pete's at the last minute. It has not been thoroughly beta tested. Should you experience problems with the game, rename or delete BULLETIN.EXE. The game does not require this IGM. I only tested this for 3 days, and the rest of the door game has been tested for months. I believe that this IGM will work fine, but I want to make sure that the game works on your system, and this could be a cure if you have problems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Different modes of operation for Stardock Loco: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- sdloco11 /l Local mode for the sysop. The sysop can play the game, or any player can play the game from local mode. The game will ask for the players name at the initial screen. [path] sdloco11 c:\BBS\ Normal configuration to use the game. Reads the DOOR.SYS, CHAIN.TXT, DOORINFO.FIL From the command line. Should work without a problem. If not, use the custom.cfg file. Example batch file, for a Wildcat! System: d: cd\doors\sd sdloco11 d:\wildcat\wcwork\node%wcnodeid%\ cd\wildcat exit sdloco11 /c Custom configuration for non-standard BBS's and for those having a problem running in normal mode. Additional sysop options can be created from the Custom.cfg file. Use it if you like. Or not at all! It is not crucial to the game, and the settings are ignored unless the /c option is used. If you cannot get Stardock Loco to run using the default settings, try using the custom configuration file. The file is named custom.cfg. Follow the short directions in the file, and run Stardock Loco like the following: sdloco11 /c This will force Stardock Loco to read all information about your system from the configuration file. Before you try this, double check the path that you have for Stardock Loco. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- IGM/Expansion Module Information: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Programmers can create modules for Stardock Loco. Expect to see numerous versions to add to your game. If you wish, you can put the sd_devlp.zip into your file base for your programming members. A programmer needs the following files: sd_devlp.txt <-programming info module.c <-source code Run SD_DEVLP.BAT to automatically zip all the files necessary if you wish to. Creates the sd_devlp.zip. * There are 2 types of modules that can be added. The first is run by Stardock Loco without any installation needed. The first two letters of it's name must be one of the following: up*.exe <-upstairs at Terran Pete's dn*.exe <-downstairs at Terran Pete's nd*.exe <-from a player's ship Example: upMYMOD.exe <-will run from Terran Pete's upstairs. 5 others can be run from the Favrie Colony. They are: 1fc*.exe 2fc*.exe <-the number makes them run from the corre- 3fc*.exe sponding slot on the colony's New Developments 4fc*.exe menu. 5fc*.exe These require descriptions that can be typed into a text file. You or the writer of the module have 50 characters. The description files are the following: 1fc*.dsc 2fc*.dsc 3fc*.dsc <-description for corresponding slot. See 4fc*.dsc sd_devlp.txt for changing colors in the 5fc*.dsc description. Example: 1fcJung.exe <-executable for first slot in Colony. 1fcJung.dsc <-description for first slot in Colony. If you put one of these in your Stardock Directory, the game will run it automatically. NOTE: If you have two with the same first letters in the directory, it will run the *first* one it finds. You can always rename the one you don't want in the special location, and use SD_ADD.EXE to make it a regular module as described below. Regular Modules: These are run from the ShipYards under the <M> Expansion Modules menu. they can have any name that is created by the third party. Hopefully they will have included an install utility to install it, but if not, use SD_ADD.EXE to add it to the MODULE.LST and it will work fine. ---------------- You will find as you get more modules, that you may have to rename the files or executables to put them into the correct spot in the game. However, you can customize your game and put them wherever you please. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scripting Information: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- If a user wishes to write a script for Stardock Loco, they can without knowing a programming language. Included in the zipped package is an editor that can be used to write the scripts. These are different than IGM's or expansion modules because they are accessed differently, and do not run independantly of Stardock Loco. What they need: sdcreat1.exe <- the editor for writing the script sdcreate.txt <- how to write the scripts scrphelp.txt <- additional help for the script writer trade.ans <- example ansi screen trade.qst <- example quest artifact.ans <- example ansi screen artifact.qst <- example quest sample.ans <- example ansi screen sample.qst <- example quest Run SCRIPT.BAT to automatically zip all these files into a zip file called sdcreat1.zip. If you have a member that creates a quest, you will have to put it into the SCRIPT.LST by running SD_ADD.EXE. Follow the short directions for adding the path and the description of the quest. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Registration Key Help --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you order your registration by disk, skip this part. If you have ordered a registration key and are receiving it by e-mail, read this. Your registration key is sent to you in an e-mail message. There are certain steps that you must use to get the file to work with the game. Not to worry, it's easy. Once you have received the file, follow the directions in the e-mail message. NOTE: When recieving the file by e-mail, you must be able to capture the message with a screen capture, or copy the text into your text editor from an off-line mail reader, or manually re-create the file (Hardest method). All you are doing with any of the steps, is taking the key file and making it a readable file for the game. When the file is in message format, it is missing the very important carriage return characters at the end of each line. What you need to do is to put them back into the file, and save the file with the correct name. The format of the file is what is shown in the registration message. If you have to enter the key information manually, follow that template, and save the file by the correct name. Hopefully you can just do a screen capture, or a copy, and rename the file correctly after putting the carriage returns (Enter key) back into the end of each line. If you still cannot get it to work, contact me at the addresses that follow this message for additional support. I will help you to the best of my ability as quickly as I can. Your registration is important to me, and I believe in helping you to get your registered game up and running as quickly as possible. Any additional questions can be sent to me at the following addresses: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The support BBS for new versions of Stardock Loco is the Sherwood Forest BBS. This BBS is run by a friend of mine, John Myers, aka Little_john. The number is: (602) 876-0013. To access the file and message areas for Stardock Loco, use the following log-in: First Name: Stardock Last Name : Loco Password : Support My name, if you forgot, is Aaron Alanen. I can also be reached by i-mail/e-mail at alanen@mail.hvs.com (Rock Garden BBS, Phoenix, AZ) Other ways to reach me: aaron.alanen@jccs.parasol.stat.com MajorNet: notme atall@rok The Stardock Loco Homepage is located from a link from the Sherwood Forest BBS Homepage on the (ugh!) WWW: http://www.starlink.com/~jam I can also be reached in Phoenix, Arizona at the following BBS: JCCS BBS : (602) 582-4200 (Note: I am only a member there, and not the SySop!) Or snail: Aaron Alanen 6502 E. Vernon Scottsdale, AZ 85257-1140 USA. See the ORDER.FRM to get information on registering Stardock Loco! Thanks for reading this far!