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Text File | 1991-11-28 | 15.8 KB | 350 lines

File MazeMake.Doc Release: Maze 5.0 January 1992 ===== General Notes: =================================================== The first time reader should note that understanding what is captured in this document is NOT required to setup and run MAZE.EXE. It comes with a complete set of Dungeons ready to go. So set this aside for a fireside reading session later. The design of maze put the logic to deal with the user into the maze.exe file and the data about the world (the dungeon), into a data base that is kept in the directory mazedata. What this means to you is that the game's world is completely configurable and you can modify the existing mazes to add/delete/move adventures. In fact you can completely design brand new mazes and replace or add them to the game. The maze.exe file supports up to 99 different levels in the game's dungeon. --- Time Out --- When you unzip Maze50.zip one of the files you get is MazeData.zip which you put into a maze subdirectory of the same name. When you unzip that file while in the directory mazedata out comes two more zipped files. One called RunData.zip and the other RawData.zip. Most sysops will never unzip the file RawData.zip as its not required to run the game. But it is required to modify any existing dungeon level or build new ones. It contains Tdoodle a utility to make dungeons and the raw dungeon data for the existing game. This is the actual data used to make the version of production data being used by the game now. --- Time In --- Supplied with the game is a utility Tdoodle.com which can modify ansi pictures. Behind each production level of the game .. like "MAZE5.DAT", is the original ansi file from which it was built .... like "MAZE5". As a dungeon designer you play with "MAZE5" using Tdoodle.com until you like it. After which you use MazeUtil.exe to create the file MAZE5.DAT using the MAZE5 data you like. --- Time Out --- If you are upgrading from Maze version 3.6 and you created mazes for that release they will work fine with Maze 5.0 --- Time In --- Data bases are kind of particular and MazeUtil.exe will do two things. First it verifies you have followed all the rules creating your dungeon and second it outputs your ideas into the precise format expected by Maze.exe to insure it doesn't get surprised during operation by a user. Well so much for the overview, now lets get down and dirty! ===== General Logic Description: ======================================= ***** Comments on Maze Data Base Effects on Maze.Exe Operation: ***** For purposes of our discussion here lets assume we are talking about a particular level of the maze, say level "5". When a user in level 6 steps on a "U" or up stairway the maze program recognizes that the user is going up to level five and looks for a very structured file named "Data5.dat" to know what to do to the user. This file, "Data5.dat", contains information on where the up and/or down stairways are located; and where to put a user that the game teleports into this level. So a user coming up from level 6 would simply need to be located where level 5 has a down stairway. So armed with this information it locates the user on the new level and makes a copy unique to this user of the maze level 5 and what the user can see, which at this point is nothing. Now, every time the user takes a step the maze program looks to see if the user is stepping on anything and if so what it wants to do about it. Some of the actions are pretty simple. If a user is in a room he can not walk into a wall. If the user is on a path he can not leave the path until he steps through a doorway. A user in a room can step on letters you put in the original maze data when you create it. The Maze program knows about these letters, how to display them and what to do if the user steps on one of them. All unrecognized letters are erased to eliminate repeated user confusion. So for example: If the user steps on a "p" we erase the "p" from the maze so it can't happen again here to this user. We display the user where the "p" used to be so he/she see's they moved. Then we call the Wild Boar, p=pig, program to attack the user because we know, from info to follow, that's what a "p" really means. As the user moves around its a bit like drawing a map and the maze that he/she is exploring becomes exposed to their view. If the user quits we simply save their copy of the maze and what they can see and tuck this away until they return again. --- Time Out --- If you look, give a dos dir command, in the mazedata directory you will see files like game1.dat .. game?.dat. These are user copies of what the dungeon they are in is like right now. --- Time In --- Ok, time now for some thoughts to keep in mind as you create new dungeons. ===== Dungeon Master Responsibilities: ================================== Our responsibilities in this whole thing is to create interesting combinations of adventures, discoveries, and trickery in the geometry of the maze itself at our level 5. This requires a certain proper balance between putting items that are good, like weapons, and bad like "c" for crooks. In the perfect world our player would survive but only barely. The lowest levels of the maze should not have many, if any, attacks on the player. Give them time to collect a few weapons, etc. For the same reason we should not start them in a level with lots of locked doors. The game may offer prizes, valuables, and these should most likely be limited to one/level. The money in Treasures will vary from a small amounts in the lowest level to pretty large sums close to the top of the Dungeon. Similarly the cost of things at the vendor's shop will vary with level. --- Time Out --- Remember however, If you don't eventually take things away from the player they can't find them again! The getting, losing and getting again is what's fun. Hummmm... sounds like the plot to just about every love movie I've ever seen. --- Time In --- I suggest you study the supplied maze's using MazeUtil.exe, I think you might find some interesting ideas. For example; in one level when you come up to it from below you must chose which way to go and only half of the maze is exposed either way. Only one way has access to the next level up, as a result you may have to go back down before you can make any further upward progress! Note: Doorways should be either left unblocked or have a locked door symbol, "l", there. ===== General Mechanics of Making a Maze: ============================== The maze you create should be no wider than 63 columns and deeper than 18 rows. The MazeUtil.exe converter will put boarders around the edge of the maze so you only really need to define what's in the middle. This program will show you the maze in the same location and way as the user will see it with the exception that the letter you place on the maze to make things happen will be displayed as "?" or blanks to the user. The items O,V,W,H will only be displayed and activated if the user needs at least one of these things so you can spread around quite a few without slowing up the play of the game if you want to keep your users well stocked. --- Time Out --- There isn't a thing you can give a user that Maze.exe during execution can't take away. I lost sleep thinking up ways to some of it. Like blowing out a lit torch by a gust of wind when a player steps through an open doorway. Maybe I was born to be a villain. --- Time In --- It is important to balance the number of "O"'s used with your use of locked doors and player requests to eat and drink. In general you should have a few more "O"'s than needs, especially in the lower levels where it should be a little easier. I suggest you make the play more difficult as the user progressives towards level 1. You should probability limit each level to only a couple of "V"'s as these are quite valuable. ===== Letters allowed in the maze: ====================================== Note(s) on: O W V H These items will be offered to the user only if he/she needs them and the participular item offered will be selected from what the player needs using a random selection method. When offered the player will see a "?" and when not offered the player will see a " " and nothing will happen when the player steps on that location of the map. When the user gets the last item available of one of these classes he is allowed to land on the symbol one more time. This last time will weave some gory story about a dead body, etc. Note after release 3.0 the user is more likely to consume offensive and/or defensive weapons in player/player attacks. I expect Flares will get a lot of use when users figure out how useful they can be. It's too bad I made so many of them duds! O ........ Helpful Supplies; Water, Food, Torch, Key and Shovel. W ........ Weapons five types selected randomly. V ........ Valuable treasures; Gold, Coins, Diamond Ring, Gems and Pearls. H ........ Defensive items; Flare, Armor, Helmet, Magic Charm and Horse. Note: The following items are always active. l ........ Locked door. This must appear right at the entrance to a room. The user must be carrying a key to get the door to open. If he is the key may break, be removed from his inventory. t ........ Trivia Treasure. The value of a trivia treasure like the "V" items already mentioned is determined using random numbers but is also a function of the level of the maze. So things get more valuable as you approach level 1. The odds are 30% that the treasure will be buried. If so the player will need a shovel to get to it. If a shovel is used it may break getting the chest out. The program insures that the same question is not asked twice during the same session. The maximum number of questions that can be handled is 250. I suggest you have at least 50 to 150 to keep it interesting for all. The default set of questions supplied with the game are not to bad but I also included a collection of tough ones you may want to consider using. They are in the MazeData directory in a file called HardTriv.dat The set used by the game must be named MazeTriv.dat w ........ The player needs a drink. When stepped on while carrying water the odds are 50% that the water will be all used up. When the player does not have any water with him the odds are 50% he will die from thirst. The player will not see a "?" for either a "w" or "f" so place them where he is likely to walk. Putting two along a long narrow coridor ups the odds that the player will be killed. f ........ The player needs to eat. When stepped on while carrying food rations the odds are 50% that the food will be used up. When the player does not have any food with him the odds are 50% he will die from hunger. b ........ Black Knight. This adventure may be started by the sysop or by stepping on a "b". If started by stepping on a "b" the user must be in local mode or connected and 2400 baud or faster for the feature to start. A "B" will appear and move about every 2 seconds towards the user. The Black Knight will speed up a little with each move. In the end the user will be caught! When the Black Knight reaches the user he attacks and either takes away a weapon or if the user is unarmed the Black Knight kills him. Note: ALL Kills, user died, are followed by a visit to the doctors office and a visit from some tough guys working for my God Father's collection agency. c ........ Crook. When stepped on the player is robbed. He loses both some weapons and valuables. This is GOOD as it allows him to find more valuables in his explorations. The odds of a player dying is 50% is he doesn't have lots of offensive and defensive weapons. If a player is killed Bit Bucket will bring them back to life. In doing so he may take away some of their inventory and/or send them into a lower level of the maze. p ........ Wild boar. If a player has both a horse and spear then they automatically win the battle but they lose the horse and spear. If they have less than 2 offensive or 2 defensive weapons then they are routinely killed and left to Bit Bucket to revive however he wishes. If they have 2 or more of each offensive and defensive weapons then they are about 30% likely to die, 20% likely to be unhurt, and 50% likely to lose all their weapons. h ........ Horny princess. If a player has less than two valuables with him after a brief affair the princess kills him. If he can pay the price then he lives but loses all of his valuables. This is not always bad for the player as he can then find more and they might now be worth more points as he/she is in a higher level. X ........ There should be ONE and ONLY ONE of these in each maze level. It is the teleport location where any player teleported into this level of the game will be sent. ===== Technical How To: ================================================ 1. Back up all of your original maze? and maze?.dat files if you haven't already done so. 1. Run Tdoodle after reading its documentation, loading and making a simple change to one of the maze raw data files like "Maze7". 3. Save the file, without any ansi graphics, under a new name like "Maze80". 4. Execute MazeUtil and convert the level 80 file you just made into a maze file, it will be called "Maze80.Dat". 5. Continue to use MazeUtil view the maze level 80 to see if your changes were incorporated. 6. If all still looks good teleport yourself into level 80 and after reviewing yourself to make sure you are really there exit the mazeutil.exe program. 7. Go through the steps needed to run maze under your own name and play around with the new level you are in. Note: don't try to use the "U" or "D" stairways as their are no maze files for levels 79 or 81. 8. When you become comfortable with the process do it for real adding a few more levels to the existing maze. Remember: a. To modify maze.CFG to set the new lowest level in maze. b. To add a "D" to what used to be the lowest level in the maze. c. Not to have a "D" in the newest lowest level. d. Have a "X" in each level for game teleporting. Note: At this time you have succeeded in developing the skills to really turn this door into something of your own creation! ====================== End of Maze.doc =================================