home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Cream of the Crop 22
/
Cream of the Crop 22.iso
/
bbs
/
ab2v061.zip
/
SYSOP.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1996-09-25
|
31KB
|
913 lines
******************************************
* ARROWBRIDGE II - Guardians of Darkness *
* v0.60 SYSOP DOCUMENTATION *
******************************************
1. PREFACE..........................................1
2. DISCLAIMER.......................................2
3. INTRODUCTION.....................................3
4. INSTALLATION.....................................4
5. SETUP OPTIONS....................................6
6. COMMAND LINE SWITCHES............................9
7. SYSOP OPTIONS...................................11
8. CREATING YOUR OWN MAPS..........................12
9. REGISTRATION....................................13
10. HELP & SUGGESTIONS.............................16
11. GETTING THE LATEST VERSION.....................17
12. SPECIAL THANKS.................................18
APPENDIX A - COMMON ERROR CODES....................19
Arrowbridge II Page 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. PREFACE
Welcome to the land of Arrowbridge. This game is has evolved over nine
years due to a passion that I have for medieval culture and lands of
fantasy. Arrowbridge I was first released to the public in early 1993 and
grew to be very popular.
Recently, I have combined hundreds of new ideas into this new game -
Arrowbridge II: The Guardians of Darkness. This game is set thousands of
years after Arrowbridge I and is designed to compliment the original.
I trust you will enjoy the second game in the Arrowbridge saga.
Arrowbridge II Page 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. DISCLAIMER
This product is completely (C)opyrighted by Mark Sinclair of Legend
Electronics. The program can be freely distributed as shareware without any
modifications to the object code. Unauthorised modifications could result
in an abnormal function with the program, in which the author bears no
responsibility from the user. The distribution or use of versions with
unauthorised modifications of the code is highly illegal and offenders will
be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
This program shall be used by the user with no guarantee to the user or
liability against the author. If there is any doubt about the program's
integrity then do not run it!
Arrowbridge II Page 3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. INTRODUCTION
Arrowbridge II is a ANSI Dungeons and Dragons style online game. The game
has several new and exciting features.
* Arrowbridge II includes a map editor, running under MS windows, which
permits game coordinators to edit the wilderness map, dungeons, hints and
even missions.
* Arrowbridge II features adventuring parties that can contain up to four
characters who fight simultaneously.
* Arrowbridge II has much much more!
3.1 Operating Environment
This version of Arrowbridge II has been thoroughly tested on Remote Access
V2.0x and PCBoard but should work on any BBS that creates a DORINFOx.DEF or
DOOR.SYS file! Arrowbridge II does not require a fossil driver to operate.
Arrowbridge II has been designed to run under MSDOS, 4DOS/NDOS and OS/2.
Arrowbridge II should function with all fossils adopting the fossil
standard, including X00 and BNU. For OS/2, the SIO driver produced by Ray
Gwinn should be used instead of the standard OS/2 fossil drivers from
maximum success.
Arrowbridge II can also be played on a multi-node basis! Make sure that
SHARE.EXE is resident if you intend to run several copies of Arrowbridge II
at once - failure to do this could result in file degradation
Arrowbridge II Page 4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. INSTALLATION
The following information details the procedure for installing Arrowbridge
II for the first time. If you are upgrading, please read the -UPGRADE.DOC
file.
A De-compress the file into a directory that is to contain all of the
Arrowbridge II files.
B Set up a BBS door and batch file taking into account the following:
> Arrowbridge II supports only DORINFOx.DEF and DOOR.SYS drop files. Most
BBS types support one or both of these drop file standards.
> If you are running with locked baud rates then you must either use the
DOOR.SYS drop file (from which the locked baud rate will be read) or use
ABTOOLS2 SETUP to edit the nodes (see later).
> Systems that only produce DORINFO1.DEF files must rename the file
according to the current line of the BBS as DORINFOx.DEF (where x=line
number) before running the AB2.EXE.
A general batch file example for a single node BBS is
C:
CD \BBS\AB2
AB2.EXE /NODE1 /Pc:\BBS\line1
CD \BBS
The Arrowbridge II command line tells Arrowbridge II that the game is
running as node1 and the path to the drop file is C:\BBS\LINE1.
Examples for specific BBS types are found below. If your BBS type is not
listed then send me a netmail message at FIDO 3:711/520 and let me know how
you managed to set up the game.
* Batch file for REMOTE ACCESS & EZYCOM SYSTEMS
Create a door exit (Type 7) in your BBS menu to run the Arrowbridge II
batch file that is to be created in the following step.
eg. Command Line :
*C /C C:\RA\AB2.BAT *M *N
Create a batch file to run AB2.EXE with the BBS node number and drop file
path as a parameter, ie. use the /NODEx switch (where x=node number) and
/P[path] switch where the [path] is the full path to your drop file (see
section 6.1 for more information).
eg. Sample batch program for Remote Access & Ezycom (%1 = node number)
COPY DORINFO1.DEF DORINFO%1.DEF
CD \RA\AB2
AB2.EXE /NODE%1 /Pc:\ra\line%1
CD \RA
Arrowbridge II Page 5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Batch file for PCBOARD SYSTEMS
Enable DOOR.SYS in the doors setup. Create a batch file to run AB2.EXE
with the BBS node number and drop file path as a parameter, ie. use the
/NODEx switch (where x=node number) and /P[path] switch where the [path]
is the full path to your drop file (see section 6.1 for more
information).
Choose (S)wap out of PCB
--[ batch example for line 2 - modify as necessary ]--
@echo off
d:
cd\ab2
ab2.exe /NODE2 /Pc:\pcb\node2
c:
cd\pcb\node2
@echo off
------------------------
C Run ABTOOLS2 SETUP & enter the information as described in Section 5.
Pay particular attention to the paths and dropfile type entries. Also,
don't forget to set up your nodes!
D Change into the Arrowbridge II directory that you have created and run
ABTOOLS2 CREATE
This will create all of the game files and the MAPS, DUNGEONS and PLAYDNG
sub-directories necessary for Arrowbridge II to run successfully. Do not be
concerned if you see the message "directory already exists".
E Run INSTALL.BAT to copy the dungeon files into the DUNGEONS subdirectory.
Note that this will overwrite any existing dungeon files.
F You are ready to play! (Try running AB2 /LOCAL!)
Arrowbridge II Page 6
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. SETUP OPTIONS
ABTOOLS2 SETUP allows you to customise the game as discussed below.
5.1 BBS Details
* BBS Name
This tells Arrowbridge II what system name the game is registered to and the
registration code is checked against that name. Note that the rego check is
not case sensitive.
* Sysop Name
This tells Arrowbridge II what sysop/user name the game is registered to and
the registration code is also checked against that name. Once again, the
rego check is not case sensitive.
* Registration Strings
Enter your registration codes here.
* Drop File Type
Arrowbridge II supports two drop file types which are compatible with most
BBS systems - DOOR.SYS and DORINFOx.DEF. Please select the drop file that
is applicable to your BBS software (See Section 4 for applicability).
5.2 Game Options
* Seasons follow date?
If you wish the seasons in the game to follow the current calendar date then
answer 'Yes'. If not, the seasons will change monthly.
* Hemisphere (N/S)
If you wish the seasons to follow the date then select the hemisphere you
wish to follow. That is, in January, the northern hemisphere is in Winter
and the southern hemisphere is in Summer.
* Maximum Time per Character (default 60 mins, maximum 199 mins)
The time per character is determined by this setting. Giving players too
much time is not advised as users will play Arrowbridge II continuously and
tie up system resources.
* Number of Turns per Character (default 600, maximum 9999)
Arrowbridge II Page 7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The number of turns per character is determined by this setting. Note that
this figure applies to Knights, Wizards and Rangers. The setting for
Thieves is this figure multiplied by a factor of two. The time of day will
progress based on the number of turns played and the number of turns
available. Setting this figure too high could result in the time of day
never getting to sunset and many Wizards will not be happy with this!
* Display Rego Name?
This determines if the Sysop or User Name that the game is registered to, is
displayed when a user exits the game.
5.3 Nodes
* Comport
Specifies which com port to use. Note that Arrowbridge II will attempt to
read the com port from the drop file BEFORE using this value.
* IRQ
Specifies which interrupt to use with this port. If the value of IRQ% is
ZERO (0), then the default IRQ values are used (COM1 & COM3 use IRQ4, COM2 &
COM4 use IRQ3). This is what most systems will use. Specify an IRQ value of
1 through 15 when you want to use an IRQ value other than the default. Such
as when you want to use IRQ15 with COM3. NOTE: Be careful when choosing an
IRQ value other than the default. Most machines use some of
the other IRQ inputs for other machine functions such as the Hard drive and
system clock. Arrowbridge II DOES NOT chain the interrupt, it takes it over
entirely. If you choose an IRQ that is used for something already, your
machine will most certainly operate improperly.
If you are using a FOSSIL: No IRQ value is necessary in FOSSIL mode since
all communications tasks are handled outside of Arrowbridge II. The IRQ used
with a particular "port" will be determined at the time the FOSSIL driver is
installed, probably through the same configuration method mentioned above.
* Locked Baud
Specifies the rate at which the baud rate is locked.
Valid rates are -
If you are using a FOSSIL : 300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200, and 38400
If you are NOT using a FOSSIL : 300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600,
and 115200
* Handshake (Flow Control)
An integer specifying the type of handshake you wish to use between the CPU
and Modem (or destination device). Valid numbers are: 0 = NO handshake, 1 =
XON/XOFF, 2 = CTS/RTS, 3 = XON/XOFF and CTS/RTS.
Arrowbridge II Page 8
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Fossil (Y/N)
Specifies which mode the Arrowbridge II communications driver will operate
in.
5.4 Paths
* Arrowbridge II Path
This is the full path that points to your Arrowbridge II directory. It MUST
be defined for successful operation. The trailing backslash (\) is
optional.
eg. C:\RA\AB2
Arrowbridge II Page 9
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. COMMAND LINE SWITCHES
6.1. AB2.EXE [Command]
/LOCAL Play Arrowbridge II locally (Default Node 0 unless
specified)
/P[path] This is where the path for the location of the drop file
is entered. For a single line system, this switch should
look something like the following example:
eg. /Pc:\bbs\line1
For a multi-line system, a batch file which recognises
each node must be written. This file will differ from
system to system, but an example is:
eg. /Pc:\bbs\line%1
where %1 is the node number passed into the batch file.
/NODEx Used for multi -node operation. "x" denotes the Line
number of the BBS. The default value for remote operation
is "1". Do NOT run multiple copies of Arrowbridge II
without using this switch! This is only required for
multi-line operations, and an example is shown below:
eg. /NODE%1
where %1 is the node number passed into the batch file.
Problems?
If you encounter any problems with setting up Arrowbridge II then do not
hesitate to send me a message via FIDO 3:711/520, or mail marks@acay.com.au
or ask at any distribution site for help.
Arrowbridge II Page 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2. ABTOOLS2.EXE [Command]
CREATE Create/reset Arrowbridge II
SETUP Change game setup (see section 5)
6.3. AB2EDIT.EXE
This utility permits the game coordinator to make basic alterations to the
user file such as moving the player back to the starting point, increasing
the number of turns remaining or the amount of time.
Further functions will be available in the near future (see 3rdparty.doc for
player file structure if you wish to make your own editor or utility).
Arrowbridge II Page 11
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.1 SYSOP OPTIONS
ALT-C - CHAT Mode
Chat with users while online. ESC will abort the chat mode.
7.2 CUSTOMIZING SPECIAL TEXT
The gamedata.abr file contains two lines of text:
fall
Armor
These two words feature different spelling in different parts of the world.
For example, these two words would be autumn and Armour in the UK. If you
would like to edit this file, please feel free to do so!
Arrowbridge II Page 12
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. CREATING YOUR OWN MAPS
Follow these steps to create a new wilderness map or dungeon for Arrowbridge
II.
STEP 1
Run the Arrowbridge II Map Editor. This is a windows program available from
all Arrowbridge registration sites and from http://www.acay.com.au or
http://www.fbo.com
STEP 2
Create the required wilderness or dungeon map using the editor. This will
create your map database. Note that the help file in the editor will guide
you through map creation.
STEP 3
Compile the map database and copy the data files.
* For a wilderness map database, use AB2MC.EXE to compile the map that you
created using the map editor. This will produce three files - ARROWMAP.DAT,
TOWNS.DAT, MISSIONS.ABR & HINTS.ABR. Copy these files to the main
Arrowbridge II directory.
* For a dungeon map database, use AB2DC.EXE to compile the map that you
created. This will produce two files - filename.DNG and filename.STR. Copy
these to the /dungeons subdirectory of the Arrowbridge II directory. You
will also need to make sure that the dungeon filenames match those in the
wilderness map. This is done by loading the wilderness map in the
Arrowbridge II map editor and clicking the right mouse button on the dungeon
that you have added/changed.
STEP 4
Go play it!
Arrowbridge II Page 13
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. REGISTRATION
This game is distributed as Shareware. The game is totally playable in its
unregistered state, and feel free to use it for an unlimited period, but the
following restriction applies:
* Players will not be able to advance past level 9
This restriction has been introduced to encourage sysops to register the
game. I am a professional engineer working in the defense industry and have
spent thousands of hours creating this game. This is by no means a money-
making exercise, but my time in the commercial sector does not come cheap.
I devote my spare time to Arrowbridge II when I could be out in the real
world making some serious money - but I would rather be writing online games
and working for myself :)
Registration is inexpensive and will encourage me to add more functions to
the game. Your registration code will function with ALL versions of
Arrowbridge II - The Guardians of Darkness. In the event of another sequel
to Arrowbridge, you will receive a discount for registering the new game.
Fill in the registration form (REGISTER.DOC) and send it to the address
shown or Crash Mail it with an attached message to Arrow Entertainment
System (FIDO 3:711/520). After the registration form is received, you will
be sent a registration code by post. This will be dispatched within 24
hours of receipt, and as a result, you should receive it well within 10
working days worldwide!
Alternatively, call one of the International Arrowbridge Registration Sites
listed below to register the game (for BBS or private registration only).
Their registration forms are included in this archive, but please confirm
the price with the site operators before registering as prices fluctuate
with the international exchange rates. Please use only authorised
registration sites to register Arrowbridge II. If you are in any doubt then
contact Mark Sinclair at FIDO 3:711/520 or marks@zeta.org.au for information
on registration sites.
Once you receive your registration codes, simply add them to the game using
ABTOOLS2 SETUP. Please ensure that your BBS name and Sysop name are match
that included on your registration application (they are not case
sensitive). After the codes have been entered, your BBS name should be
displayed in the Arrowbridge II title screen. Note that your registered
copy may only be installed on one PC at any point in time.
*** PLEASE NOTE *** Using illegally modified or hacked versions of
Arrowbridge II is not only a crime, but it is a serious risk to your
computer through virus infection. Please report all incidents of illegal
file tampering and distribution so that legal action may be taken.
Arrowbridge II Page 14
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.1 COMMERCIAL REGISTRATION
Commercial registrations are available to those who wish to operate
Arrowbridge II in a commercial environment. BBS's that charge for
membership are NOT classified as commercial systems, provided that their
main activity is that of providing a bulletin board service.
Commercial registrations must be obtained directly through Legend
Electronics of Australia. Please consult the REGISTER.DOC file for more
information.
Arrowbridge II Page 15
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.2 REGISTRATION SITES
The cost and procedures of registering Arrowbridge II vary according to each
registration site. CHOOSE WHICH EVER SITE IS CONVENIENT FOR YOU. Consult
the corresponding registration file included in this package.
* AUSTRALIA/NZ and Commercial Registrations *
System : Arrow Entertainment System
SysOp : Mark Sinclair
Location: Australia
Phone : +61-43-533-117
Address : FIDO 3:711/520
Reg File: REGISTER.DOC
* ASIA *
System : NITS BBS
SysOp : Wong Qc
Location: Singapore
Phone : +65-745-7267
Address : FIDO 6:600/247
Reg File: REG_ASIA.DOC
* CANADA & USA *
System : FireBurners BBS
SysOp : Don Bindley
Location: USA
Phone : +1-541-336-4538
Address : FIDO 1:3418/2
Web Page: http://www.fbo.com
Reg File: REG_US.DOC
* EUROPE *
System : The Matrix Harbour
SysOp : Michael Grigutsch
Location: Germany
Phone : +49-4451-959046
Address : FIDO 2:2426/5020
Reg File: REG_EUR.DOC
If there are any problems encountered with registering at any of the
registration sites then please let me know.
Arrowbridge II Page 16
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. HELP & SUGGESTIONS
An Arrowbridge echo area is available on the Australian and US Fidonet
backbones which will report all future releases of Arrowbridge I & II, give
plenty of hints and tips and allow you to let me know of bugs that you
encounter. Any suggestions that you may have for the game would also be
appreciated as the game functions are only limited by our imagination.
Please keep in mind that I have to read through hundreds of messages per
week and, as a result, I may not have enough time to reply to them all. I
will do my best though!
10.1 MORE POPULARITY?
In order to make Arrowbridge II popular on your system, try the following:
* Post the PROMO.ANS file in your daily bulletin - this file will let the
users know (in bold ANSI) that you are running Arrowbridge II!
* Run a competition where the first person to reach a certain level in the
game will be declared the winner and receive a prize
* Avoid playing the game yourself - users are often disheartened by a sysop
who is winning the game and can see every move they make
Arrowbridge II Page 17
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Getting the Latest Version
Arrowbridge II is regularly improved and updated. If you wish to get the
latest version of Arrowbridge II then you can do so on the Internet, from
the Registration Sites listed in Section 11 or from any of the BBS's listed
below.
11.1 INTERNET
* OFFICIAL FTP SITE
The very latest version of Arrowbridge II is always available at the
following FTP site:
ftp://ftp.acay.com.au /pub/disc2/arrow
Visit the official Arrowbridge Web Site at http://www.acay.com.au/~marks
* OTHER SITES
Other FTP sites which *should* have the latest version of Arrowbridge II
include:
ftp://ftp.fbo.com /arrowbridge
ftp://ftp.Europa.com /outgoing/DOORS/arrowbridge
ftp://ftp.Uniserve.com /pub/bbs_doors
11.2 OFFICIAL ARROWBRIDGE BBS
ARROW ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM - The Home of Arrowbridge
All rates up to V34/VFC!
Phone INTL +61-43-533-117 (28.8kbps max)
Fidonet 3:711/520
BattleNet 169:3269/1
Echo Areas : ARROWBRIDGE (Fidonet)
BN_ARROWBRIDGE (BattleNet)
File Request the very latest public version of Arrowbridge II and the map
editor (24 hours a day)
Arrowbridge II Filename : "AB2"
Arrowbridge II Map Editor : "AB2MAP"
Arrowbridge II is also available for public access to download.
Arrowbridge II Page 18
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. SPECIAL THANKS
Many people have contributed to Arrowbridge II over the years and I would
like to thank you all for your help and suggestions. Special thanks must go
to the following people who have helped with Arrowbridge II development:-
Barrie O'brien, Carla & Julian Perry, Lisa Chevallier, Don Bindley, Tony
Frank, David Smith, Vladimir Carlos, Michael Grigutsch, Wong QC and my wife
for letting me do all this programming.
ANSI Artists:
A big special thanks to: John Holden, William Brooks, Shane Minors
Beta Test Team:
Thank you for all of your support and patience!
Vladimir Carlos New Age BBS BN 169:3269/8
Lisa Chevallier Gargoyle's Lintel FIDO 3:632/361
Tony Frank Neptune II FIDO 3:632/553
Carla Perry death... by chocolate FIDO 3:632/360
David Smith The Fox's Lair FIDO 3:640/238
Arrowbridge II Page 19
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix A - Common Error Codes
===============================
Here is a brief list of the common error codes associated with Arrowbridge
II. Please let me know if you discover any more.
Error # 5
Illegal function. Please report this immediately.
Error # 6
Overflow error. Please report this immediately.
Error # 7
Out of Memory. Increase the memory of the Arrowbridge II window. Make sure
the BBS swaps out and frees up as much memory as possible. Arrowbridge II
requires at least 350kB free for execution.
Error # 9
Subscript error. Please report this immediately.
Error # 53
File not found. Check the paths in ABTOOLS2 SETUP are valid and correct.
Unpack the AB2 archive into the Arrowbridge II directory to re-freshen the
data files if required.
Error # 61
Disk full. Free some disk space!
Error # 62
Input past end of file. Unpack the AB2 archive into the Arrowbridge II
directory to re-freshen the data files. Check that kingrule.abr is not
corrupt.
Error # 64
File name invalid. Check the paths in ABTOOLS2 SETUP to ensure that all
path names are legal for MS-DOS and contain no illegal characters.
eg. "/" is illegal where "\" is legal.
Error # 70, 71 & 72
Drive permission problems. Check the functionality of the Arrowbridge II
drive!
Error # 76
Path not found. Check the paths in ABTOOLS2 SETUP are valid and correct.
Also check that MAPS, PLAYDNG and DUNGEONS subdirectories exist off the main
AB2 directory.
Arrowbridge II Page 20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEX
4
4DOS.......................................................................3
A
AB2
/LOCAL ...................................................................9
/NODEx ...................................................................9
/P[path] .................................................................9
ABTOOLS2
CREATE ...............................................................5, 10
SETUP ................................................................5, 10
B
BBS name...................................................................6
BNU........................................................................3
C
Chat mode.................................................................11
D
DOOR.SYS...................................................................3
DORINFOx.DEF...............................................................3
drop file..................................................................6
E
Error Codes...............................................................19
Ezycom.....................................................................4
F
ftp.......................................................................17
H
hemisphere.................................................................6
I
installation...............................................................4
internet..................................................................17
L
locked baud................................................................4
M
MSDOS......................................................................3
multi-node..............................................................3, 9
Arrowbridge II Page 21
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
N
NDOS.......................................................................3
O
OS/2.......................................................................3
P
paths......................................................................8
PCBoard.................................................................3, 5
PROMO.ANS.................................................................16
R
registration..............................................................13
registration strings.......................................................6
rego name..................................................................7
Remote Access...........................................................3, 4
resetting.................................................................10
S
seasons....................................................................6
SHARE.EXE..................................................................3
sysop Name.................................................................6
T
time of day................................................................7
time per character.........................................................6
turns......................................................................6
U
upgrading..................................................................4
W
web site..................................................................17
X
X00........................................................................3