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Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.announce,rec.games.misc,comp.answers,rec.answers,news.answers Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hookup!yeshua.marcam.com!MathWorks.Com!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!emory!news-feed-2.peachnet.edu!concert!decwrl!adobe!mmwang From: mmwang@mv.us.adobe.com (Michael Wang) Subject: PC GAMES FAQ <- Guide To The Gaming World (Part 1 of 2) Message-ID: <1994Apr14.034538.2211@adobe.com> Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc Summary: This FAQ has answers to common questions and other useful information that all new readers of the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.* newsgroups should read before posting. Sender: usenet@adobe.com (USENET NEWS) Supersedes: <1994Mar26.021743.12038@adobe.com> Organization: Adobe Systems Inc., Mountain View, California, USA Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 03:45:38 GMT Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu Expires: Sat, 30 Apr 1994 07:00:00 GMT Lines: 1345 Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.announce:443 rec.games.misc:5810 comp.answers:4903 rec.answers:4894 news.answers:18046 Archive-name: PC-games-faq/part1 Posting-frequency: two times per month Version: 1.18 Last-modified: April 13, 1994 Editor: Michael Wang (mmwang@mv.us.adobe.com) / \ / \ / \ =========================================================================== +:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+ INTERNET PC GAMES FAQ :+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+: =========================================================================== Guide To The Gaming World \ / \ / \ / This FAQ contains answers to questions that appear frequently in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.* (csipg.*) newsgroups. New readers of the csipg.* newsgroups are encouraged to read this document before posting to any of the groups. This FAQ not only answer frequently asked questions, but holds general information about PC games and Internet resources. Reading this document can save you from embarrassing moments and getting into annoying discussions. This FAQ is posted twice per month to the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.announce, rec.games.misc and news.answers newsgroups. It can be retrieved by FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in the /pub/usenet/comp.answers/PC-games-FAQ/ directory. The questions presented in this document are not always frequently asked questions. Some may be questions that people don't dare to ask, to avoid looking stupid or to avoid flames. Other questions are just here to introduce some useful information. The word "guide" could be a better term to describe this document, but things aren't always what you want them to be on Internet. For answering some of the questions I used information written by other persons. The names are mentioned just above the texts that they wrote. I hope I got them all right. Some of the submitted texts have been altered slightly. I had to, I'm the editor. If you think there is some information missing in this document, or if you think something should be changed or deleted, just send me a message. You can email me at mmwang@mv.us.adobe.com. But please don't ask me to help you solve your problems. Post your questions to the newsgroups. If it appears you had a very frequently asked question, that should be included in this FAQ, I will probably notice or else be notified by others. The answer will then be included in the next version of the FAQ, for future readers. Enjoy! =========================================================================== CONTENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sections that have been changed since the previous version have an asterisk "*" by them. 1.0: USENET NEWSGROUPS 1.1: What are the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games groups for? 1.2: How did the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games groups come to exist? 1.3: What topics are commonly discussed? 1.4: What groups are in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games hierarchy? 1.5: What are the differences between subgroups? * 1.6: Are there other newsgroups related to PC games? 1.7: What guidelines should I follow when posting? 1.8: What do I have to avoid when posting? 1.9: How do I post a spoiler? 1.10: How do I post to csipg.announce? 2.0: GENERAL INFORMATION 2.1: What does the term ... mean? 2.2: What does the acronym ... mean? 2.3: Which other FAQs about games exist? 2.4: Which mailing lists for game players exist? 2.5: Where can I find email addresses of game publishers? * 2.6: What is Game Bytes? 2.7: What is the Top 100? 3.0: FTP GUIDE 3.1: How do I FTP? 3.2: What are the most important FTP sites? 3.3: How can I find a game or file? 3.4: Where can I find shareware, freeware and public domain games? 3.5: Where can I find demos? 3.6: Where can I find solutions, hint files and cheats? * 3.7: Where can I find cracks, editors and updates? 3.8: Where can I find archivers? 3.9: How do I use Archie? 4.0: HARDWARE ISSUES 4.1: What special hardware is made for games? 4.2: What are the most important alternatives? 5.0: SOFTWARE ISSUES 5.1: Who is that company? 5.2: Who is that person? 5.3: What general problems do game players experience? 5.4: What does the acronym ... mean? 5.5: Which games have different names? * 5.6: Which games have multi-player abilities? * 5.7: Which games have additional files available for free? * 5.8: What are the known bugs? 5.9: Which games are we all waiting for? =========================================================================== 1.0: USENET NEWSGROUPS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1: What are the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games groups for? (From: Christina Warren) The purpose of these groups is to provide a forum for the discussion of games for the IBM PC and compatible machines. This is not just limited to MS-DOS, but extends to OS/2, Windows and anything else that can run on an IBM PC compatible machine. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.2: How did the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games groups come to exist? (From: Christina Warren) The group comp.sys.ibm.pc.games (csipg for short) arose out of rec.games.misc. For some time, that group had been dominated by discussions of MS-DOS games. This proved confusing to new readers, and tended to starve out non MS-DOS game and non-computer game oriented traffic. Therefore a new group for PC games was created in May 1992 called comp.sys.ibm.pc.games. This group became so very popular that it was split into 7 subgroups in May 1993. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.3: What topics are commonly discussed? Most of the discussions on the csipg groups are about current, past and upcoming games, problems, bugs, hints, companies, reviews, previews, demos, strategies, patches, solutions, FTP-sites, shareware and vaporware. This list is just an indication of the variety of subjects and is by no means comprehensive. If you don't know what some of these words are, you're reading the right document. Keep going. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.4: What groups are in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games hierarchy? Currently there are 7 groups available: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (csipg.action for short) comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (csipg.adventure) comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.announce (csipg.announce) comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim (csipg.flight-sim) comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc (csipg.misc) comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg (csipg.rpg) comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic (csipg.strategic) Officially, the main group (comp.sys.ibm.pc.games) doesn't exist anymore. It has been replaced by its seven children. Some people may still be able to post to it, but that's not how it should be. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.5: What are the differences between subgroups? (From: Ron Dippold and Joseph Cochran) ------ comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action This unmoderated group is for the discussion of action/arcade games. Action and arcade games are generally fast paced games which have a simple goal, and usually require good hand-eye coordination. Examples: Doom Mortal Kombat X-Wing ------ comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure This unmoderated group is for the discussion of adventure games. Adventure games are generally games in which an unchanging character is presented with puzzles, problems and obstacles which must be solved to attain the game's goal. Generally, combat is not a major feature of the game, and all players are confronted with the same puzzles in the path to the solution. These games usually transport the character from place to place in discrete steps, using stylized art to enhance the backdrop and setting of the game, and present the player with unique puzzles that have unique solutions. Examples: Hand of Fate Judgment Rites King's Quest 6 ------ comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.announce (moderated) This moderated group is for announcements that are useful to the entire PC computer gaming population, including but not limited to new release announcements, software publisher news, bug information, reviews, Top 100 and Game Bytes information. Follow-ups will be directed to csipg.misc or another appropriate subgroup at the moderator's discretion. The moderator is Joseph Cochran, jsciv@polaris.async.vt.edu. ------ comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim This unmoderated group is for the discussion of flight simulation games. Simulation games are games which simulate a real or theoretically plausible air vehicle (using today's current technology as its basis), and allow players to manipulate it as if it were real. Examples: Aces Over Europe Air Warrior Falcon 3.0 ------ comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc This unmoderated group is for the discussion of all topics that do not fall under another games subgroup. This group has taken the place of the old csipg and carries all discussions that should not be carried out in other games subgroups, including those about sports and puzzle games. Examples: The Incredible Machine Links 386 Pro World Circuit/Formula 1 Grand Prix ------ comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg This unmoderated group is for the discussion of role-playing games. Computer role-playing games are generally games in which a character is presented with puzzles, problems and obstacles which must be solved. Player, object, and monster characteristics are usually given in some numerical or other discrete form. The most common example is "Hit points" to indicate remaining health. Role-playing games are typically characterized by continuous maps instead of discrete painted backdrops and standardized options for attack, defense, and other forms of dealing with obstacles. The intent of a RPG is to set the player's adventure in a larger framework of an internally consistent world, as opposed to having the player only relate to the game world through the particular puzzles that are posed to him or her. Examples: Dark Sun: Shattered Lands Lands of Lore Ultima VII Part 2 ------ comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic This unmoderated group is for the discussion of strategy games. Strategy games usually involve complex manipulation of game resources in many different ways, which directly affects the progress and outcome of the game. Also included within this description are wargames, which often involve similar strategic planning operations. Examples: Civilization Master of Orion V for Victory series --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.6: Are there other newsgroups related to PC games? There are many newsgroups for games, but only some of them have some relation with PC games: alt.cd-rom For all who have a CD-ROM drive alt.games.doom Doom discussions. alt.games.vga-planets VGA Planets is a shareware PC game comp.sys.amiga.games Many PC games are ported to/from the Amiga comp.sys.mac.games Many PC games are ported to/from the Mac comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.* You can discuss here what's inside your PC comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc The group for anything that concerns the PC comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard This one may be interesting for game players misc.legal.computing If you insist talking about piracy rec.arts.int-fiction This group is for designing adventure games rec.aviation.simulators Some PC flight-sim games are discussed here rec.games.corewar Corewar can be played on the PC rec.games.design There's much talk about the PC rec.games.empire Empire can be played on the PC rec.games.hack Hack can be played on the PC rec.games.int-fiction This group concerns text-based adv. games rec.games.moria There are some Moria variants for the PC rec.games.mud.* Includes discussions on running MUD clients and servers on PCs rec.games.programmer Here's a look behind the screen There are more groups in rec.games.*, which you can check out for yourself. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.7: What guidelines should I follow when posting? If you follow this advice and the advice given in 1.8, you will probably not be flamed by anyone. You will be considered a good Usenet citizen. Use a good subject header that explains what your message is about. Mention the game that you're going to talk about and/or the kinds of information that readers can expect. For example: U7: problem with installing /* You have a big problem with Ultima 7 */ 4SALE: 6 strategy games /* You want to get rid of 6 games */ But don't use meaningless subject headers, like: Read THIS! /* Some people will be curious, most people will skip it */ Help me pleazzze /* Ditto */ Having words like HELP:, SPOILER:, BUG:, 4SALE:, REVIEW: or any other at the front of the subject line (like the name of the game), is some sort of convention that is used by some people in the newsgroups. It can make life a bit easier for the readers. For most games people use acronyms to make the lines shorter. This has been done for Ultima 7 in the example above. You can find most common acronyms in section 5.4. An additional question mark or exclamation mark can make quite a difference. For example: UW2: walkthru UW2: walkthru? UW2: walkthru! The first subject header leaves people to wonder if you are looking for a walkthru (Ultima Underworld 2, in this example) or if you are providing one. The other two subject headers are much clearer in that respect. Always post your message to the correct newsgroup. It's very obvious but there are people violating this principle every day. If your message is about an action game, then it should be posted to csipg.action; if your message is about a sports game and a strategic game, then it should be posted to csipg.misc and csipg.strategic. In the latter case you crosspost the message to these two groups. This means you post one message to several groups at the same moment. Your message will then be stored only once, but can be read in both groups. Please don't post a message to all the groups, unless you think of yourself as a Very Important Person with Big News. Finally, if you are posting a follow-up to another message, don't quote too much text. Some people find it necessary to quote entire messages and then add a single line. This is a waste of bandwidth and a waste of the reader's time. Don't do it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.8: What do I have to avoid when posting? Don't ask for codes that are in the manual of the game. You will be flamed so intensely, your hair will catch on fire. People on the net don't like to discuss with others who get their games in a not so legal way. It's the biggest taboo you can think of. So don't get yourself involved in piracy, and if you do, don't let it show. In fact, try to avoid mentioning piracy at all. It has already been discussed much too often in the newsgroups. People get very tired of it. Don't spoil other people's fun in playing a game. Don't give away a clue without giving a warning in advance. You can read below, in 1.9, about how to use spoilers. Don't use the net for commercial activities. If you're from a company that wants to announce the release of a new game, that's OK. But don't fall into the temptation of inviting people to order it. There are flame throwers on the net with an unlimited amount of ammunition. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.9: How do I post a spoiler? It may be necessary sometimes to give away part of a solution to a game to have a useful discussion. Be aware that some people may not have found this solution yet and don't want to read about it. They paid for the fun to find the solution themselves, so don't spoil it. (From: Christina Warren) At minimum you should include the word SPOILER in your subject line and a line in your message that indicates that a spoiler follows. One way to do this is as follows: [SPOILER ALERT] ^L /* control-L */ 24 carriage returns <text of spoiler> [END SPOILER ALERT] Spoilers should definitely include a form-feed character (control-L) to avoid 'giving away' the secrets. Use of multiple CR's to support readers in window oriented environments, like the Mac, is recommended in addition to the control-L. Some people argue with justification that newsreaders that don't support control-L as a pause are broken, and some people argue that control-L doesn't make sense in a window environment. In any way, spoilers should definitely have a ^L included to follow Usenet conventions and support workstation readers who may have large screens. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.10: How do I post to csipg.announce? The csipg.announce newsgroup is a moderated group. This means that all messages have to be approved by the moderator before they are posted. The main goal for this group is to provide information about games and their publishers, like reviews, release dates, addresses and other info to be announced to the public. The moderator is Joseph Cochran, jsciv@polaris.async.vt.edu, and if you have any questions about the group, he will be glad to answer them if he can. (From: Joseph Cochran) The csipg.announce group exists to provide a low-noise environment where information of interest to the general PC gaming population can be read without a lot of searching through threads. Here are some brief guides to help you submit. Check csipg.announce for more detailed guidelines, posted every other Thursday. Send submissions to csipga@polaris.async.vt.edu or post directly to the group (most news software will then automatically forward the message to the moderator). Any announcements of game releases should be either from the publisher directly or first hand. Game reviews are gladly accepted. Please make sure that your primary intent in a review is to inform the prospective buyer rather than to start a discussion. The moderator will work with you on getting a review posted. The following types of articles cannot be accepted: articles which ask a question, voice an opinion (game reviews have limited freedom with respect to this particular point), ask to be subscribed, or list forsale items. These types of articles are better served in the other csipg groups, where follow-ups can be made and arguments can ensue. =========================================================================== 2.0: GENERAL INFORMATION --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1: What does the term ... mean? add-on A new release of software that should be installed with another game you already have, like new planes for a flight simulator or new missions for a strategy game. bug Any behavior by a program that is not intended by the developers, due to a design or coding error or omission. Some bugs effect gameplay, mostly in a negative way. Serious bugs can often be fixed by getting the appropriate patch by FTP or from the company itself or its BBS's. bugfix A bugfix is an update that fixes problems encountered in a game that has already been released. cheat A cheat is a description of how to change the gameplay of a game, so that playing it becomes easier or offers new possibilities. Some cheats are built in the code by the developers, usually for debugging purposes, and kept secret until some player discovers them. They are referred to as the "debug mode". Other cheats require that you have a binary file editor that can change the datafiles or code of the game. crack (From: Neil Ensor) A crack is a method for evading copy-protection on games, ranging from copied documentation to actual patches that change the program to skip or nullify the copy protection. demo (From: Neil Ensor) There are two meanings for this one: (1) The demo of a game is anything from a playable demonstration program to a simple slide-show of pictures. It exists with the intent of getting people to buy the real game. (2) A demo of the capabilities of the computer is usually a non- interactive show of graphics and music that highlights very impressive capabilities of the computer, usually pushing the boundaries of the hardware. dox (or docs) This term is short for "documents". It refers to any printed material that came along with the purchase of a game, including the manual and possibly a reference card. It can also refer to electronic versions of this material that are distributed illegally. They are used heavily by people who "have lost their manual". Dungeons & Dragons/Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (acronyms: D&D, AD&D) (From: Dups) These terms refer to games invented by Gary Gygax and others in 1973 which involve real people playing the role of fantasy characters through a set of rules based on dice rolls with one person controlling the flow of the game (called the Dungeon Master). It was and still is the basis of many RPG games for computers and otherwise. Some are based upon D&D, others upon AD&D. Yes, these two are different. editor An editor is a program that allows you to change something in a game in any way you like. Some editors change the statistics of the characters in a game to make them stronger of weaker. Other editors may change the maps or twist the plot in another way. face-to-face (acronym: FTF) This refers to playing a game with someone else at the same physical location. fantasy role-playing game (acronym: FRPG) This is a role-playing game that involves fantasy, specifically the "Swords and Sorcery" genre, with ghosts, strange creatures, wizards, spells, etc. freeware (From: S.M.Sabri S.M.Ismail) Freeware programs are free copyrighted software. Sometimes the copyright on freeware allows the programs to be copied and modified as long as the new program has the same or less stringent copyright restrictions. Other times you're not allowed to change anything at all and you can just use the program for free. gouraud shading (From: Ken Fishkin) Gouraud shading, also called intensity interpolation shading or color interpolation shading, elminates intensity discontinuities. Gouraud shading extends the concept of interpolated shading applied to invididual polygons by interpolating polygon vertex illumination values that take into account the surface being approximated. head-to-head (acronym: H2H) This refers to playing a game with someone else, usually by modem. hint Hints are descriptions that send you in the right direction to solve a game or a part of a game. Some people consider them as spoilers, others don't. A hint should make your effort of finding the solution to something a bit easier, without giving away too much. On all FTP sites hints and solutions are stored in one directory. They are not handled differently. It's one of the reasons why people may use these terms as synonyms. nagware This term is used for shareware that has a message pop up much too often, which says that you should register the program. non-player character (acronym: NPC) (From: Neil Ensor) This is a character usually found in an RPG, which is a computer controlled character that your player character may interact with. They are sometimes called "actors". Usually the player has little or no control over these characters and they may come and go as the game progresses. patch A patch is a piece of code that changes the behaviour of a game. The patch may be a program itself that literally modifies the code of the game you have installed on your harddisk. It may consist of one or more files that replace some of the files of your game or they may just be added to it. A patch can also be a TSR that you should run before playing the game. It will then monitor the behaviour of the game and react to it where necessary. Patches usually fall in two categories: cracks and updates. player character (acronym: PC) This is a character that the player is supposed to control in a game. In adventure games there is usually only one Player Character. In role-playing games there may be up to 6 (or more) player characters. play-by-email (acronym: PBEM) (From: Sir Launcelot du Lac) This is the term used to describe the process where players play their turn, save the game and then send the save game to the next person in turn through email. play-by-mail (acronym: PBM) (From: Sir Launcelot du Lac) This is like Play-by-Email, only the save game is sent by regular postal mail instead. preview A preview is a short review, for a game that is not yet released. public domain (acronym: PD) (From: S.M.Sabri S.M.Ismail) Public domain programs are free non-copyrighted software. Anyone is free to copy the programs and modify them. People can also copyright the modified programs and even resell them as commercial programs. This is the reason many free programs are now copyrighted (freeware). rendering The process of creating images from models is called rendering. review someone who has no relation with the publisher of the game. It contains hardware and software specifications, a description of its functionality, the pro's and con's, possibly some bugs, usually the opinion of the author and sometimes a kind of rating for graphics, sound, gameplay and other characteristics. role-playing game (acronym: RPG) (From: Neil Ensor) A role-playing game is a game where the player controls one or more characters he/she generated and named. These characters progress in skill and gain new abilities over the progress of the game, usually by battle with enemies. This distinguishes role- playing games from adventure games, which only allow you to play a pre-generated character. rotoscoping This is the act of capturing performances by actors on video, and convert them to animation on the computer screen. saved game This term refers to a file which is used by a game to store details of the progress of the game player at the time it was saved. Saved games are loaded to restore gameplay and continue at the point where the player had stopped. shareware (From: Dups) Shareware are programs produced by companies that do not have the size of commercial companies such as Origin, Electronic Arts or Microsoft. They release their programs to the public via BBS's and FTP sites on a trial basis. Typically you can try these programs for 30 days, and if you still like them afterwards and continue to use them then you must register them for a fee.The registration makes you receive documents and (sometimes) newer or additional software. Shareware can be distributed free of charge but you must include all the files that originally came with it. shovelware (From: Mitch Aigner) CD-ROMs have over 600 Megabytes of space available for code. As a result, one would naturally expect that the CD-ROM version of a game would have spectacular graphics, sound, etc. This is typically not the case. Software vendors simply take the same exact code provided on the normal floppy-disk based version of the game and "shovel" it onto the CD. They then jack the price up. Also, this term is used for CD's that consist of a huge amount of small useless programs. Most of the stuff is shareware, so you have to pay registration fees on top of the CD price. simulation (abbreviation: SIM) (From: Blair Prescott) A computer program that attempts to mimic the essential features of some system in the real world, usually placing the player in a situation that is not normally available. Some simulations have a concrete goal, like military victory, while others just allow the player to explore the dynamics of the system. Various simulation games deal with vehicles like aircraft, cars, tanks and submarines, strategy of military forces, corporate business dealings and environmental systems. solution (also solve or walkthru) The solution to a game consists of a complete set of instructions on how to finish the game. Solutions usually exist for adventure games and RPG's. They are The Biggest Spoilers You Can Imagine. spoiler Any information that gives away (part of) a solution to a puzzle in a game or events that can be expected. You should avoid spoilers in your posts, unless they have been asked for or when they are unavoidable. If you have spoilers in a message you should warn the readers in advance. See 1.9. texture mapping (From: Ken Fishkin) As detail becomes finer and more intricate, explicit modelling with polygons or other geometric primitives becomes less practical. An alternative is to map an image, either digitized or synthesized, onto a surface, a technique pioneered by Catmull and refined by Blinn and Newell. This approach is known as texture mapping or pattern mapping. The image is called a texture map, and its individual elements are often called texels. update An update is a patch released by a game publisher to change the behaviour of a game they have already released. Updates usually fall in two categories: bugfixes and upgrades. They may also be a combination of the two. upgrade An upgrade is a newer version of a game that has already been released. It offers new functionality and usually enhances gameplay. There are differences in the definitions of patches, cracks, updates, bugfixes and upgrades, but many people in the newsgroups use them more or less as synonyms. So, when reading other people's posts, don't hold onto these definitions too much. vaporware Vaporware is any software product that is highly anticipated, that has already missed several deadlines and that is still not released. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2: What does the acronym ... mean? You can find acronyms of game titles in 5.4. Here's a list of acronyms for all other kinds of terms: AD&D Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (game type) AI Artificial Intelligence (game design) FS FlightStick (hardware) FSPro FlightStick Pro (hardware) CRPG Computer Role-Playing Game (game type) CGW Computer Gaming World (magazine) D&D Dungeons & Dragons (game type) EMS Expanded Memory Specification (MSDOS) FCS Flight Control System (hardware) FMV Full Motion Video (game design) FTF Face To Face (game design) FRP Fantasy Role-Playing (game type) GB GameBytes (magazine) GUS Gravis UltraSound (hardware) H2H Head To Head (game design) HMA High Memory Area (MSDOS) IF Interactive Fiction (game type) IHHD Internet Head-to-Head Daemon (game design) MB MIDI Blaster (hardware) MUD Multi-User Dungeon (game type) NPC Non-Player Character (game design) PAS Pro Audio Spectrum (hardware) PBEM Play By E-Mail (game design) PBM Play By Mail (game design) PC Player Character (game design) PD Public Domain (copyright type) RCS Rudder Control System (hardware) RPG Role-Playing Game (game type) SB Sound Blaster (hardware) SB16 Sound Blaster 16 without Advanced Signal Processor (hardware) SB16 ASP Sound Blaster 16 with Advanced Signal Processor (hardware) SBPro Sound Blaster Pro (hardware) Sim Simulation (game type) T&T Tunnels & Trolls (game type) TSR Terminate and Stay Resident (MSDOS) UMA Upper Memory Area (MSDOS) UMB Upper Memory Blocks (MSDOS) WB Wave Blaster (hardware) WCS Weapon Control System (hardware) XMS Extended Memory Specification (MSDOS) There are also many words and acronyms that are not specific to the PC game groups. Some of these are: Flame Anything that is meant not so nicely, directed at another person. Newbie Someone who is new to Internet or to a newsgroup in particular. BTW By The Way FAQ Frequently Asked Questions FTP File Transfer Protocol IMHO In My Humble (Honest) Opinion RTFM Read The Fucking Manual RTM Read The Manual You can find a lot more information about Internet jargon on: mc.lcs.mit.edu /pub/jargon/* nic.funet.fi /pub/gnu/* ftp.denet.dk /pub/doc/jargon/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3: Which other FAQs about games exist? Apart from this main FAQ for PC games, some other FAQs exist. Some are for one game specifically, some are for other newsgroups that are in some way related to PC games. Check out the FTP site first. If the FAQ is not there, or no FTP site is mentioned, try mailing the author or have a look in the newsgroup. Title: Adventure Game Authoring Systems FTP site: rtfm.mit.edu Location: /pub/usenet/rec.answers/games/adventure-systems Maintainer: Nathan Torkington <Nathan.Torkington@vuw.ac.nz> Newsgroup: rec.arts.int-fiction Title: Adventure Game History FTP site: ftp.gmd.de Location: /if-archive/rec.games.int-fiction/adventure-game-hist. Maintainer: Hans Persson <unicorn@lysator.liu.se> Newsgroup: rec.games.int-fiction Title: Air Warrior FAQ Maintainer: Gary Cooper <GRCooper@aol.com> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim Title: alt.cd-rom FAQ FTP site: rtfm.mit.edu Location: /pub/usenet/alt.answers/cdrom-faq Maintainer: rab@cdrom.com Newsgroup: alt.cd-rom Title: Australian Air Warrior FAQ Maintainer: Adam Eberbach <adam@arcadia.cs.rmit.EDU.AU> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim Title: Civilization FAQ FTP site: ftp.uwp.edu Location: /pub/msdos/romulus/hints/civ.faq Maintainer: Dave Stanworth <djh@wcl.bham.ac.uk> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic Subject: When requesting by mail, the subject must contain "Civ FAQ please" Title: Civilization 2 proposals Maintainer: <buckel_j@oldham.gpsemi.com> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic Title: Commander Keen FAQ FTP site: ftp.uwp.edu Location: /pub/msdos/games/romulus/hints/keenfaq.zip Maintainer: Brian Milner <Brian.Milner@brunel.ac.uk> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action Title: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard FAQ FTP site: rtfm.mit.edu Location: /pub/usenet/comp.answers/PCsoundcards/generic-faq Maintainer: Joel Plutchak <plutchak@porter.geo.brown.edu> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard Title: The "Official" DOOM FAQ Maintainer: Hank Leukart <ap641@cleveland.Freenet.Edu> FTP site: ftp.uwp.edu Location: /pub/msdos/games/id/homebrew/doom/doom??.faq Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action Title: Dune 2 FAQ & Strategy Guide FTP site: ftp.uwp.edu Location: /pub/msdos/games/romulus/hints/dune2_??.lzh Maintainer: Simon <sepollit@cs.adelaide.edu.au> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic Title: Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures FAQ Maintainer: John Kochmar <kochmar@sei.cmu.edu> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg Title: Frontier (Elite 2) Guide Maintainer: M.J. Welford <c2mjw@dmu.ac.uk> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action Title: Gravis Ultrasound FAQ FTP site: rtfm.mit.edu Location: /pub/usenet/comp.answers/PCsoundcards/generic-faq Maintainer: Matthew E. Bernold <meb117@psuvm.psu.edu> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard Title: Lemmings FAQ FTP site: ftp.uwp.edu Location: /pub/msdos/games/romulus/hints/lemfaq.zip Maintainer: Brian Milner <Brian.Milner@brunel.ac.uk> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc Title: Master of Orion FAQ and Strategy Guide Maintainer: Dave Chaloux <chaloux@mandolin.mitre.org> (Dave Chaloux) Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic Title: Multi-player Civilization FAQ Maintainer: Bilbo Baggins <ws523669@longs.lance.colostate.edu> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic Title: Pro Audio Spectrum FAQ FTP site: ftp.uwp.edu Location: /pub/msdos/proaudio Title: rec.aviation.simulators FAQ FTP site: rtfm.mit.edu Location: /pub/usenet/rec.answers/aviation/flight-simulators Maintainer: John Mechalas <mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> Newsgroup: rec.aviation.simulators Title: rec.games.corewar FAQ (Core Wars) FTP site: rtfm.mit.edu Location: /pub/usenet/news.answers/games/corewar-faq Maintainer: Stefan Strack <stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu> Newsgroup: rec.games.corewar Title: rec.games.design FAQ FTP site: rtfm.mit.edu Location: /pub/usenet/rec.answers/games/design-FAQ Maintainer: Travis S. Casey <casey@cs.fsu.edu> Newsgroup: rec.games.design Title: rec.games.hack FAQ (Nethack) FTP site: rtfm.mit.edu Location: /pub/usenet/rec.answers/nethack-faq Maintainer: Yu Cao <yucao@cco.caltech.edu> Newsgroup: rec.games.hack Title: rec.games.int-fiction FAQ FTP site: ftp.gmd.de Location: /if-archive/rec.games.int-fiction/FAQ Maintainer: ???? Newsgroup: rec.games.int-fiction Title: VGA Planets FAQ Maintainer: Gary Grothman <grothmag@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu> Newsgroup: alt.games.vga-planets Title: Wizardry 7 FAQ Maintainer: <jim@thinkage.on.ca> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg Title: Wolfenstein-3D / Spear of Destiny FAQ FTP site: ftp.uwp.edu Location: /pub/msdos/games/id/home-brew/wolf3d/w3d_???.faq.Z Maintainer: Stanley Stasiak <stasiak@tartarus.uwa.edu.au> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action Title: Internet Guide to X-Wing Strategy FTP site: wpi.wpi.edu Location: starwars/X-Wing/X-WingGuide? Maintainer: Nick Vargish <vargish@sura.net> Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.4: Which mailing lists for game players exist? If you want to subscribe to a mailing list, you have to send a message to a certain address, with a certain subject header and a certain line in the message body. Name: Air Warrior (666th-etal@cactus.org) Subscribe: listserv@cactus.org Name: Bitnet Games-l Subscribe: listserv@utarlvm1.uta.edu Body: SUBSCRIBE GAMES-L <your full name> Name: Falcon 3.0 Subscribe: major-domo@onion.rain.com Body: subscribe falcon3 Info: <jeff@onion.rain.com> Name: Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures Subscribe: frua-dev-request@andrew.cmu.edu Name: Harpoon Subscribe: cz-request@stsci.edu Name: Hi-Tech Simulators Subscribe: major-domo@onion.rain.com Body: subscribe hitech-sim Info: jeff@onion.rain.com. Name: Internet Head-To-Head (ihhd@cactus.org) Subscribe: listserv@cactus.org Name: MUDs Subscribe: jwisdom@gnu.ai.mit.edu Subject: mud list Name: PC Sports Simulations (pcsports@gsucupr.gsu.edu) Subscribe: listserv@gsucupr.gsu.edu Body: SUB PCSPORTS <name> Name: World Circuit/Formula 1 Grand Prix Subscribe: wcf1gp-request@divsun.unige.ch Subject: subscribe <your address> Body: <your name> This list is now inactive. Afzal <afzal@divsun.unige.ch> is looking for a new home for this list. People interested can mail him. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.5: Where can I find email addresses of game publishers? Here are some addresses from game publishers and developers, or people working for them. The list is not comprehensive and not all the addresses have been checked: Access Linkspro_1@aol.com Accolade 76004.2132@compuserve.com Apogee apogee@delphi.com joe.siegler@crs.com DC Software 72557.336@compuserve.com Digital Integration digint@cix.compulink.co.uk Dragon's Eye Productions cat@wixer.bga.com Electronic Arts 76004.237@compuserve.com ea@cix.compulink.co.uk Epic MegaGames 70451.633@compuserve.com EpicGames@aol.com GlenEpic@delphi.com Id romero@idsoftware.com jay@idsoftware.com help@idsoftware.com Impressions 71333.463@Compuserve.com Intergalactic 76356.2172@compuserve.com Interplay 76702.1342@compuserve.com interpla@orion.oac.uci.edu LucasArts 75300.454@compuserve.com LucasArts@aol.com Maxis 71435.276@compuserve.com 71333.1470@compuserve.com Maxis@aol.com zoinks@netcom.com Merit 76711.2470@Compuserve.com Microprose 76004.2223@compuserve.com MicroProse@aol.com New World shannon@inter.com order@inter.com Omnitrend 70300.245@compuserve.com Origin 76004.2612@compuserve.com OSI@aol.com Origin_CS@aol.com origin@world.std.com Ozark 76326.403@compuserve.com Papyrus papyrus@world.std.com QQP 75300.3233@compuserve.com Sierra 76004.2143@compuserve.com Sierras@aol.com SierDan@aol.com ShadowSoft 76056.1537@compuserve.com Sir-Tech 76711.33@compuserve.com SSG 72040.340@compuserve.com Spectrum Holobyte S_Holobyte@aol.com SSI 76711.250@compuserve.com StratSim@aol.com Three-Sixty 76711.240@compuserve.com threesixty@aol.com Wizard 71764.3137@compuserve.com WizardScot@aol.com Fitzgerald@delphi.com Sir Launcelot du Lac (swkgohw@leonis.nus.sg) is the keeper of the address lists for software and hardware companies. These lists hold email addresses, ftp sites, BBS's, telephone numbers etc. You can find the most up-to-date lists in csipg.announce. You can also contact Gary Cooper (cooper@grebyn.com). He has an up-to-date list of email addresses only. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.6: What is Game Bytes? Game Bytes is a free electronic magazine. It has reviews, interviews, reports and actual screen shots from games. You can find it at the following sites: ftp.uml.edu /msdos/Games/Game_Bytes/* wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/games/Game_Bytes/* nic.funet.fi /pub/msdos/games/gamebyte/* The editors are Ross Erickson (rwericks@ingr.com) and Daniel Starr (starr-daniel@yale.edu). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.7: What is the Top 100? The Net PC Games Top 100 is a ranking of PC games published weekly in csipg.announce. It is compiled using votes from game players on the Internet. If you want to join, you can simply send a message to Jurgen Appelo (jojo@hacktic.nl). You will receive a document that explains how to vote and how the system works. The editions of the Top 100 sometimes include a small list for each of the different game categories. =========================================================================== 3.0: FTP GUIDE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1: How do I FTP? This is the Very Very Very Short FTP Walkthru: From your system prompt type "ftp <host-name>", where <host-name> is the name of the host machine that you are trying to get to. When you connect to the host, you will have to enter a login and probably a password. Type "anonymous" as the login name and your full email address as the password (e.g. "xxx@yyy.zzz"). After you have successfully logged on, you can use "cd <directory>" to get where you want in the directory tree. Use "ls" to list the files. Once you are in the correct directory and know what files you want, you can use "get <filename>" to download single files to your own system. You can use "mget <filenames>" to copy multiple files. If the files you are copying are not ASCII text files, you have to set the transfer mode to binary first. You can do this by typing "binary". To switch back to ASCII text mode type "ascii". Stop the FTP session by typing "quit". Try this as an example: > ftp nic.funet.fi /* connect to the site; a message follows */ > anonymous /* type this when it asks for your name */ > <your email address> /* type your address as the password */ > cd pub/msdos/Info /* go to the directory you want to be */ > get ftp.man /* get the file */ > quit /* stop this mysterious thing */ You now have downloaded the Beginner's Guide To FTP written by Brian O'Neill. Read it. You can also get the How To FTP Guide. Use the example above, only with this ftp site, directory and filename: typhoon.berkeley.edu /pub/Library/Network/how.to.ftp.guide --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.2: What are the most important FTP sites? For game players, these are the most important sites. They are mentioned throughout this FAQ. If your system doen't recognize the name of the site, try its IP number mentioned here. ftp.denet.dk (129.142.6.74) ftp.gmd.de (129.26.8.90) ftp.uml.edu (129.63.17.1) ftp.uwp.edu (131.210.1.4) garbo.uwasa.fi (128.214.87.1) mc.lcs.mit.edu (18.111.0.179) msdos.archive.umich.edu (141.211.164.153) nic.funet.fi (128.214.6.100) oak.oakland.edu (141.210.10.117) Simtel mirror risc.ua.edu (130.160.4.7) rtfm.mit.edu (18.70.0.209) wpi.wpi.edu (130.215.24.1) wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4) The numbers next to the names are IP addresses. If "ftp <site-name>" doesn't seem to work, try "ftp <IP number>" instead. You can find a list of many ftp sites (not only for games) at: ftp.uwp.edu /pub/ftp.list/ftp.list/sites --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.3: How can I find a game or file? There is a description of how to find sources on FTP sites around the world. It includes a description of how to contact Archie, the worldwide database for file locations. It is posted regularly to news.answers and you can find it at: rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet/news.answers/finding-sources --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.4: Where can I find shareware, freeware and public domain games? You can try the following FTP sites. There may be more directories and other sites available, but this should at least get you in the right direction. ftp.uml.edu /msdos/Games/Misc/* /msdos/Games/Apogee/* /msdos/Games/Epic/* /msdos/Games/TextAd/* /msdos/Games/Cards/* /msdos/Games/Sports/* /msdos/Games/Windows/* ftp.gmd.de /if-archive/* ftp.uwp.edu /pub/msdos/games/id/* msdos.archive.umich.edu /msdos/games/* nic.funet.fi /pub/msdos/games/adventure/* /pub/msdos/games/apogee/* /pub/msdos/games/arcade/* /pub/msdos/games/board/* /pub/msdos/games/card/* /pub/msdos/games/epic/* /pub/msdos/games/puzzle/* /pub/msdos/games/strategy/* wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/msdos_uploads/games/* /pub/msdos_uploads/windows/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.5: Where can I find demos? These sites carry gamedemos. You can check them when you're planning to buy a new game: ftp.uml.edu /msdos/Games/Demos/* ftp.uwp.edu /pub/msdos/demos/demos/* wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/msdos_uploads/game_demos/* nic.funet.fi /pub/msdos/games/gamedemos/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.6: Where can I find solutions, hint files and cheats? Everyone has been stuck in a game once. These sites can get you out of it: ftp.gmd.de /if-archive/solutions/* ftp.uwp.edu /pub/msdos/asa/* /pub/msdos/romulus/cheats/* /pub/msdos/romulus/hints/* wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/msdos_uploads/game_solutions/* nic.funet.fi /pub/msdos/games/solutions/* risc.ua.edu /pub/games/solutions/* /pub/games/solutions/cheat.several/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.7: Where can I find cracks, editors and updates? You can find all sorts of small additional programs for big commercial games on these sites: ftp.uml.edu /msdos/Games/Editors/* /msdos/Games/Patches/* ftp.uwp.edu /pub/msdos/asa/* /pub/msdos/romulus/cracks/* /pub/msdos/romulus/misc/* wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/msdos_uploads/games/* /pub/msdos_uploads/upgrades/games/* nic.funet.fi /pub/msdos/games/editors/* /pub/msdos/games/patches/* irz.inf-tu-dresden.de /pub/incoming/ms-dos/games/patches /pub/ms-dos/games/patches Matthias Rauhut maintains The Patches List which details what patches are available at many of the above sites. The list is posted to c.s.i.p.g.announce on a regular basis. Remember that cracks uploaded to these FTP sites only exist for people who have legal copies of their games. Do not use these cracks for piracy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.8: Where can I find archivers? Most files on FTP sites are packed (archived). You have to have the correct archiver to be able to unpack a them. Here's where to find them: ftp.uml.edu /msdos/Archivers/* ftp.uwp.edu /pub/msdos/arcers/* nic.funet.fi /pub/msdos/packing/* msdos.archive.umich.edu /msdos/compression/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.9: How do I use Archie? Archie is a database of anonymous FTP sites and their contents. It can help you find games, solutions, patches and other files available somewhere in the world. Below are some machines that are currently running the archie service: archie.ans.net (147.225.1.2) archie.au (139.130.4.6) archie.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.11.3) archie.funet.fi (128.214.109.110) archie.mcgill.ca (132.206.2.3) archie.ncu.edu.tw (140.115.19.24) archie.rutgers.edu (128.6.18.15) archie.sura.net (128.167.254.194) archie.unl.edu (129.93.1.14) archie.wide.ad.jp (133.4.3.6) cs.huji.ac.il (132.65.6.5) You can access archie at most of these machines in different ways. You can telnet or rlogin to the machine with username "archie" and no password. Or you can send mail to archie@<machine>. Send a message with "help" in the body to find out more about the machine and its service. More information about this can be found in: rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet/news.answers/finding-sources =========================================================================== End of part 1. If you do not own part 2 of this FAQ, you can download it by FTP at rtfm.mit.edu from the /pub/usenet/comp.answers/PC-games-faq directory. -- Michael Wang mmwang@mv.us.adobe.com