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DREAD_AD.ANS = Use this ansi on your startup or logoff screen to announce
the new 10-minute Dr. Dread! For Proboard users: rename this file NEWS.ANS
and place in your proboard TXTFILES directory for your startup screen.
NEW IN 2.8/2.9: Maintenance must be performed in a nightly maintenance batch
file, making sure the dorinfo1.def file provided is in the dread directory,
call dread maintenance like this:
dread maint
DREAD SYSOP MODE:
dread sysop
BEFORE MUDDLEING THROUGH THIS ENTIRE FILE
(WHICH IS FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO MUDDLE) --
THOSE WHO DON'T LIKE TO MUDDLE: READ THIS:
To install --
USE THE INSTALL.BAT
For sample .bat file --
SEE DREAD.BAT
DO NOT ALTER THE DREAD.CFG FILE UNLESS YOU HAVE SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS!
That is short & sweet and should do it. If it doesn't, then start muddleing.
│ ───── ─────
││ ──── ││ ──── Version 2.6
│││ ──── │││ ────
│││ │ │││ ─────
o││ ││ │││ ────
│o│ ││ ││ ────
│││ │ │││ ────
│││ ──── │││ ───── ──
││ ──── ││ ───── ────
│ ──── │ ──────── ──
│ ─────────── ──────
│ ───── ││ ────── │ ──── │ │ ─────
││ ──── │ ───── │││ ││ ││ ││ ────
│││ ──── ││ ──── │││ │││ │││ │││ ────
│││ │ │││ ──── o││─────── │││ │││ │││ │
o││ │ │ │││ ───── │o│ ───── │││ ──── │││ o││ │ │
││ ││ o││ ──── │││ │││──────││ ││ │ │
│││ │ ││ ──── │││ ││ ││ │││ │o
│││ ──── │││ ──── ││ ────── │││ │││ │││ ────
││ ──── │││ ───── │ ──── ───── │││ │││ ││ ────
│ ──── ││ ───── ││ ││ │ ────
│ ──────── │ │
Copyright 1995 Nannette Thacker. All rights reserved
SHINING STAR SOFTWARE
Overview
────────
WHO IS DR. DREAD?
In the year 2011, a genius won the Nobel Peace prize for his work
in chemistry, robotics, and electrical sound waves. It is rumored
that 2 years ago, in 2023, a lab worker spilled a deadly mixture
of gases, killing himself, and rendering the genius totally insane.
Since then, he has gone by the name, Dr. Dread, and seeks to
destroy the world as we know it in order to take over the planet.
It is your mission to ultimately stop him. You will be up against
Dr. Dread's powerful Electro Droids. You will be sent on missions
which will require that you make your way past these Droids
in order to rescue hostages, find secret papers, stop chemical
disasters, and many other acts of bravery.
Full Features in the Registered Version
────────────────────────────────────────
I know it is difficult to get enough money to register all the games
you would like to register. You are not limited to a trial time period.
You may keep the unregistered version on your BBS as long as you wish.
Yet, remember, this is NOT FREEWARE, it is SHAREWARE, and at such a
time as you can afford the SHAREWARE registration fee, please send it.
The game is fully functional, but with the registered version, your
users will get 93 more Zones, 9 more key quests, three times as many
missions, 50 more Droid Difficulty Levels, and will be able to attempt
to capture Dr. Dread and receive their name on the Dread Head List!
Benefits of registering
───────────────────────
1. 100 Zones, more Missions, more Key Quests!
2. All future updates FREE when freqed from BBS's carrying the files.
3. Author support.
4. Top priority for suggested game features and enhancements.
5. Dread Head listings -- List of those who have made it to Dr.
Dread's Lab and attempted to capture him.
Running from Type 7 Shell to DOS
--------------------------------
DR. DREAD can be run from your bbs with a type 7 shell to dos. An example
command line within your BBS system config would be:
Quickbbs:
command.com /c dread.bat or
command.com *C dread.bat
Proboard:
*Z dread.bat
Sample Door Batch File
──────────────────────
@echo off
cd\pb\games\dread
dread c:\pb\node1\dorinfo1.def 1 dread.cfg
cd\pb\node1
or
@echo off
cd\pb\games\dread
dread c:\pb\node%1\dorinfo%1.def %1 dread.cfg
cd\pb\node%1
Call the Dread Sysop Mode, which provides a User Editor and
Input of the Registration Key by adding the word "sysop" to
the end of the command line. The sample dorinfo1.def file must
be in the directory if you are running from DOS.
dread sysop
Local Mode
──────────
The door can be tested in Local Mode if you make sure the sample
dorinfo1.def file is in the DREAD directory. Simply call DREAD from
DOS within the DREAD directory:
DREAD
or you may pass command line parameters if you wish: (not necessary)
DREAD DORINFO1.DEF 1 dread.cfg
This will give you a chance to test the door in local mode before
setting it up on your system. You may wish to replace the player
name in the sample DORINFO1.DEF file, with your own name (the name
at the bottom of the file). It is not necessary to replace the BBS
name or the Sysop Name at the top of the file.
RESETTING THE GAME
══════════════════
Go to Sysop Mode and use the "Reset Game" option.
Run sysop mode from dos by typing at the dos prompt:
dread sysop
MULTI-NODE SUPPORT
══════════════════
Dr. Dread is a true Multi-User Door Game. It supports multi-nodes. We have
tested it on six nodes successfully, and I'm sure it will support even more.
Multi-players can actually "see" each other "traveling" in the zones. A
"phone" feature allows sending public or private messages to other on-line
players. It also features "rewinding" up to 9 messages and "putting messages
on hold" to "play back" later. Players can "walk" across another player
to see who they are and challenge them to a friendly battle. The score list
reports "who's on line" and what "node" they are calling in on.
The installation .bat files automatically take care of setting the *.exe
and *.txt files to READ ONLY. This is necessary for multi-user play since
users will get a sharing violation if they try to access those files at
the same time from within the game. As this is an in-depth program with
many modules and options, it is overlaid and multi-user requires the above
mentioned file be set to READ ONLY. If you are familiar with setting up
multi-user applications, this will not be new to you.
Dr. Dread will use the record locking options built into SHARE from MS DOS
3.30 or later. Or you may use your Network's Sharing capabilities.
Even if you are a single node system, if you intend to run Dr. Dread
locally WHILE A PHONE NODE IS PLAYING, it is necessary to pass a fake node
number in the command line, in order to have the other player SEE you and
be able to interact multi-node with you:
dread dorinfo2.def 2
Sysop Mode
──────────
Sysop mode can be accessed by DOS:
DREAD sysop
SYSOP MODE MENU FUNCTIONS:
──────────────────────────
Enter Registration Key
Scores by Agent Name -- YOU MAY NEED TO RESELECT PLAYER WHEN DONE
Scores & Last Date On by Real Name -- MAY NEED TO RESELECT PLAYER
Where located in Game by Agent Name -- MAY NEED TO RESELECT PLAYER
Select Player to Edit by Alias
Delete Player
Move Player to Zone 1 Command Center (in case trapped somewhere)
Reset Game (will delete all players)
Toggle Long/Short Mode On and Off
Quit Editor
Current Player Alias: MoonDust Name: Nannette Thacker
ENTER REGISTRATION KEY
──────────────────────
After we have received your registration form in REGISTER.DOC, we
will send you a registration key. You will use this menu item to
enter the key. Master Card and Visa registrations are also available.
SCORES & WHERE LOCATED
──────────────────────
You can choose to view the scores by the Agent Name, the Player Name,
or you can View the Agent's by where they are located in the Zones.
This will help you to identify what the real name of a player is.
When done viewing the player list, it will set you to the end of the
database and you may need to reselect the player, if you had a player
selected before looking at the list.
SELECT PLAYER TO EDIT BY ALIAS
──────────────────────────────
Once you have viewed the player list, you can select the player you wish
to work with by their alias name. Then you can DELETE or MOVE them.
DELETE A PLAYER
───────────────
This will permanently remove a player from the game. S/he can still
come back as a new player and start over. This allows you to
delete players who may have entered an "obscene" alias.
MOVE PLAYER TO ZONE 1 COMMAND CENTER
────────────────────────────────────
Why would you want to do this? Well, so far, there is no reason. But
have you heard of other games where the player is stuck out on a
mountain or in the ocean somewhere and can't get out. Well, that's
what this is for.
With the ability of teleportation, the player may ignorantly use
their last teleportation to teleport to a zone where they trap them-
selves in a mountain or something. Hopefully they'll be smart enough
to only use their last teleport to teleport to a safe Command Center.
QUIT SYSOP MODE
───────────────
This exits the Sysop Mode and takes you back to the BBS.
CURRENT PLAYER ALIAS: NAME:
────────────────────────────
Current Player Alias: MoonDust Name: Nannette Thacker
This gives the name of the player and his/her alias in case you
are trying to track down a certain agent for disciplinary or other
reasons.
RESET THE GAME
──────────────
(Start over): This will delete all players in the player database
and allow you to reset the game. The list of Dread Destroyers or
Dread Heads will be retained. All messages will also be deleted.
BACKUPS
───────
If you are limited on backup space, but would like to backup the
crucial Dr. Dread files, the ones to back up are:
MAINT.DBF
PLAYERS.*
DESTROYS.*
The maint database contains your maintenance information, to be used
with the nightly maintenance routine.
The players database and indexes contain the scores and inventory of
all the players.
The destroys database and indexes contains the list of agents who
have succeeded in making it to Dr. Dread's Laboratory and attempting
to capture him. Players might be somewhat upset if they make it through
and their name gets lost from this list.
DR. DREAD MAINTENANCE
════════════════════════════════
The DREADM.exe is no longer used and can be deleted from previous
versions. It will automatically be deleted if you install with the
INSTALL.BAT.
In order to perform daily maintenance you must do it in your nightly
maintenance .bat file. Making sure the dorinfo1.def file provided
with dread is in the dread directory, call maintenance like this:
cd\bbs\games\dread
dread maint
That's it! It will automatically delete inactive players more than
30 days old. It will delete old messages and phone chat. Reindex
databases, etc.
SHAREWARE -- TRYING IT OUT
══════════════════════════
You may run Dr. Dread from DOS to try it out first. Just issue the
following command from dos -- making sure the sample dorinfo1.def
file is in the directory.
dread
The non-registered version allows you to experience the Command Center,
the Zones, the Missions, the Traps, Transporting, Maps, Key Quests --
and more, all before you register. There is no expiration date. There
is no request to remove it from your system after so many days. The
registered version offers more Zones, more Missions, more Droid
difficulty levels, and more key quests -- more FUN!
When you can afford to register, all you will need to do is plug in a
number. You won't need to install a new EXE. You won't need to download
a key every few weeks. Your key will be valid for new versions. All
upgrades are FREE. *We reserve the right to change keys if we find our
key has been hacked and released to others. In that case we will notify
you of the new key when the new version comes out.
Everything is fully tested for many weeks before final release.
┬┬ ┌┬─┐ ┬ ┌┬──┐ ┌─┬┬─┐ ┌┬──┐ ┬┬─ ┬┬─ ┌┬──┐ ┌─┬┬─┐ ┬┬ ┌┬──┐ ┌┬─┐ ┬
││ ││ │ │ └┴─┬┐ ││ │├──┤ ││ ││ │├──┤ ││ ││ ││ │ ││ │ │
┴┴ ┴┴ └─┘ └──┴┘ ┴┴ ┴┴ ┴ ┴┴──┘ ┴┴──┘ ┴┴ ┴ ┴┴ ┴┴ └┴──┘ ┴┴ └─┘
┬┬──┐ ┬┬──┐ ┌┬──┐ ┌┬──┐ ┬┬──┐ ─┬┬──┐ ┬┬ ┬ ┬┬──┐ ┬┬──┐
│├──┘ │├─┬┘ ││ │ ││ │├─ ││ │ ││ │ │├─┬┘ │├─
┴┴ ┴┴ ┴─ └┴──┘ └┴──┘ ┴┴──┘ ─┴┴──┘ └┴──┘ ┴┴ ┴─ ┴┴──┘
┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌┌
┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘
INSTALLATION PROCEDURE:
Sorry this has to be so lengthy, but it seems there are a wide variety
of systems out there that require different installation instructions
so here they are. Just read the header and then read the stuff that
applies to you.
For info on the new SYSOP MODE: USER EDITOR AND REGISTRATION KEY EXE,
please refer to the appropriate section in this document. It is new as
of 2.6:
dread sysop
Run Nightly Maintenance in your Nightly Maintenance .bat file:
dread maint
***********************************************************************
MANUAL INSTALLATIONS FOR OS/2 AND NON-WORKING DOS COMMANDS:
***********************************************************************
If you are unable to do commands like attrib +r, or you have your choice.com
removed from DOS, you will need to follow the MANUAL INSTALLATION
INSTRUCTIONS following the AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS below:
***********************************************************************
AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION:
***********************************************************************
NEW SITES INSTALLATION WITH WORKING DOS COMMANDS:
or
UPGRADE INSTALLATION WITH WORKING DOS COMMANDS:
***********************************************************************
1. Please create a DREAD directory. (Or you may use any other name. Most
sysop's place the DREAD directory within a GAMES directory such as:
c:\bbs\games\dread\*.*
2. Unzip DREAD*.zip into your DREAD directory.
3. Run the INSTALL.BAT file and follow the instructions.
4. Read elsewhere in this file for how to set up a .bat file for Dr. Dread.
***********************************************************************
MANUAL INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
***********************************************************************
New Sites:
***********************************************************************
Please run install.bat
Please continue from install.bat if test fails.
Please set the attributes for all text files to READ ONLY.
attrib +R *.txt
Please set the attributes for all executable files to READ ONLY.
attrib +R *.exe
Please look at DREAD.bat file for example setup.
***********************************************************************
MANUAL INSTALLATION:
***********************************************************************
Upgrades from 1.9 or newer release:
***********************************************************************
Please set attributes for all *.txt and *.exe files in directory to
NOT read only so that new files can copy over old ones.
attrib -R *.exe
attrib -R *.txt
Please run install.bat and select upgrade.
Please continue from install.bat if test fails.
Please set the attributes for all text files to READ ONLY.
attrib +R *.txt
Please set the attributes for all executable files to READ ONLY.
attrib +R *.exe
Please look at new DREAD.BAT file for example setup.
***********************************************************************
DREAD.CFG:
***********************************************************************
NOTE: THE DREAD.CFG FILE IS NOT NECESSARY IN 99% OF ALL CASES.
You have the ability to customize Dr. Dread if you wish to eliminate
the use of a fossil driver or when you are using an unusual drop file.
The file to alter is the dread.cfg file. Most BBS systems will have no
need of setting up this file or altering it.
***********************************************************************
INSTALL.BAT
***********************************************************************
The installation bat file will ask how you wish to install Dr. Dread.
It will ask if this is an upgrade, or new site.
All you need to do is answer the installation questions.
***********************************************************************
MULTINODE!
***********************************************************************
IF YOU INSTALL WITH THE INSTALL.BAT, this will be taken care of
automatically:
If you are running a multi-node BBS or plan to play the game locally
while someone else is playing it on a node, some of the files must be
set to READ ONLY for multi-use.
In order to do this, the install.bat sets the *.txt files and the *.exe
to read only so they can be accessed by all users.
ATTRIB *.TXT +R
ATTRIB *.EXE +R
If your DOS command for setting attributes is not available, you must
make these changes to the files yourself.
IF UPGRADE:
All *.txt and *.exe files must have the attributes set to NOT READ ONLY
before beginning if this is an upgrade. The install.bat will inform you
of this and give you a chance to exit and set the attributes. (The unzip
function will not be able to write over a file that is READ ONLY.)
If this is a new site installation and the DOS attrib +R command is not
available, you must set the attributes for all *.txt & *.exe files to
READ ONLY when it is done.
CALL DR. DREAD MULTI-NODE THE SAME AS SINGLE NODE:
dread c:\bbs\node1\dorinfo1.def 1 dread.cfg
dread c:\bbs\node2\dorinfo2.def 2 dread.cfg
dread c:\bbs\node3\dorinfo3.def 3 dread.cfg
^
^
node #
Please pass the drop file and path, the node number, and optionally the
name of the configuration file (dread.cfg or if multi-node and you want
different configurations, dread.cf1, dread.cf2, etc. If using same
configuration, they can all use the same config file).
ERRORS:
If you get an error -70 during packing and reindexing of a database,
refer to the database name on the screen. That error will happen if someone
else is using the game while you are trying to do maintenance on the
other node.
If that is NOT the problem, then that database is probably corrupted.
If you run "dread maint" and it happens again, you will need to
unarchive the game again. You may pull your maint.dbf from backup
to save your registration information.