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-
- January 1992
- P R O B L E M . D O C
-
- f r o m
-
- M A Z E 5 . 0
-
-
-
- Topic: Frequent problems & their solution
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- CONTACTING FAST FINGERS
- =======================
-
- I only get a few calls for help and they are almost exclusively related
- to the initial setup of the game. I have tried here to pass along some
- comments on the most frequent difficulties experienced and how they are
- corrected.
-
- If none of this helps I will respond to mail left on my BBS or matrix
- mail that arrives to my Fido address. In the case of Fido mail I will
- reply using Matrix mail if you are in the USA.
-
- For difficult problems I may need you to send .. upload to my system, a
- file you should name MAZEHELP.ZIP that should contain:
-
- HELP.TXT ...... A text file you create describing:
- 1. Information about you .. see REGISTER.DOC
- 2. Information about problem and/or observation
- 3. Registration Serial #, if you're registered
- OPENDOOR.SAV .. Copy of file by same name in your BBS directory
- OPENDOOR.CFG .. Ditto
- OPENDOOR.ERR .. Ditto
- OPENDOOR.SYS .. Ditto
- MAZE.BAT ...... Ditto
- MAZE.CFG ...... Copy of file by same name in your MAZE directory
- MAZE.ERR ...... Ditto
- MAZE.SYS ...... Copy of OPENDOOR.SYS file in your MAZE directory
-
- Questions beyond those concerning setup of the game will be reserved for
- registered sysops only.
-
- Contact me @ Fido: 1:120/181 or 313-247-0094 at 9600+ baud
-
-
- Fast Fingers ...
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- GAME DOESN'T RUN IN LOCAL MODE
- ==============================
-
- Check that the maze game directory is the current directory and it
- contains: maze.exe, mazemesg.in1, mazemesg.in2 and a subdirectory
- called "mazedata". The subdirectory mazedata must contain the files
- maze1.dat, maze2.dat ... maze13.dat and mazetriv.dat.
-
- FIX SETUP
-
- ----------
-
- The most common error is that the directory "MazeData" is either not
- a subdirectory of your game directory or that you gave it a different
- name.
-
- FIX SETUP
-
- ----------
-
- The second most common error is that you played around with the file
- called "maze.cfg" and goofed it up.
-
- SEE RESTART INSTRUCTIONS or FIX MAZE.CFG or DELETE MAZE.CFG and let
- the program create a new one.
-
- ----------
-
- Another common error is that you have an opendoor.sys file that is left
- over from your last remote caller and you forgot to tell the game you
- wanted to run in local mode ...
-
- TRY AGAIN typing the following at the DOS prompt
-
- C:\BBS\GAMES\MAZE > maze.exe local joe blow
-
- ----------
-
- For a complete restart insure that only the files described in the first
- paragraph exist in your game and mazedata directories. This will restart
- the setup all over again.
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- GAME DOESN'T RUN IN REMOTE MODE
- ===============================
-
- Problems here fall into the following cases:
-
- A. MAZE.BAT ....... Nothing happens .. file doesn't get called
- B. OPENDOOR.EXE ... Doesn't work (generates an error message)
- C. MAZE.EXE ....... Starts in Local Mode or not at all
- D. MAZE.EXE ....... Tries to start and croaks.
- E. MAZE.EXE ....... Runs Ok but then BBS is screwed up.
-
- Note: Over 90% of sysop setup errors are in getting the MAZE.BAT file
- modified right.
-
-
- (A) MAZE.BAT .. Nothing happens
- -------------------------------
-
- Look for the following and correct accordingly:
-
- 1. Did you give your BBS the name of the right batch file?
- 2. Did you put MAZE.BAT into your bbs directory?
- 3. Did you put OPENDOOR.EXE into your bbs directory?
-
-
- (B) OPENDOOR.EXE .. Doesn't work
- --------------------------------
-
- Look for the following and correct accordingly:
-
- 1. Did your BBS output either DORINFO1.DEF or PCBOARD.SYS
-
- 2. IF #1 = False
- a. Did your call some utility to create one of these files?
- b. Did you name the utility's output to a file name expected
- like Dorinfo1.def or PcBoard.sys?
- c. Did you make sure this utility's output file was in the BBS's
- directory?
- d. Did you check DOOROPEN.ERR to see if it recognized the format
- of the file your utility created?
- e. IS the date on the dorinfo1.def or pcboard.sys file the same as
- today's date with a time earlier than when you call Opendoor.exe?
- f. Are you running version 4.1 or later of OpenDoor.exe?
-
- 3. IF #1 = True
- a. Are you running version 4.1 or later of OpenDoor.exe?
- b. Did your BBS put the file in the BBS's directory?
- c. Did you check DOOROPEN.ERR to see if it recognized the format
- of the file your utility created?
-
- Note: If it doesn't either get another utility or send me the
- information described in OPENDOOR.DOC so I can upgrade if
- its a newer format.
-
- If its simply an improperly formatted, not to standards,
- output .. you're on your own. It's unfortunate but some
- BBS systems output only a particular file and I can't do
- anything about that.
-
- The QBasic 4.0 source for OpenDoor is available on my
- system and it's easy enough that some sysops have modified
- it to directly accept whatever it is their BBS's produce.
-
- d. IS the date on the dorinfo1.def or pcboard.sys file the same as
- today's date with a time earlier than when you call Opendoor.exe?
-
- Note: A couple of BBS systems just allow doors to keep reusing
- the same dorinfo1.def file over and over. To run in this
- mode you will need to use a couple of DOS copy commands to
- insure the date and time stamp are current for opendoor.
-
- e. Did you tell OPENDOOR.EXE to look for something different than
- what your BBS produced. I recommend leaving it set to look for
- anything and letting it sort things out.
-
-
- (C) MAZE.EXE .. Doesn't start or local mode
- -------------------------------------------
-
- Look for the following and correct accordingly:
-
- 1. Did you change the current DOS drive and directory to
- be in the MAZE directory?
- 2. Did you copy OPENDOOR.SYS into the MAZE directory?
- 3. Did you try running in local mode after you setup the game to
- insure issues associated with that situation have been solved?
- 4. Does your MAZE.BAT file call MAZE.EXE?
- 5. Did you get the "IF EXIST" lines in your batch file correct?
-
-
- (D) MAZE.EXE .. Starts then croaks
- ----------------------------------
-
- Look for the following and correct accordingly:
-
- 1. Did you try running in local mode after you setup the game to
- insure issues associated with that situation have been solved?
- 2. Did you change the current DOS drive and directory to
- be in the MAZE directory?
- 3. Did you copy OPENDOOR.SYS into the MAZE directory?
- 4. Did you get the "IF EXIST" lines in your batch file correct?
- 5. Are you running a locked baud operation and maybe forgot to change
- the OPENDOOR.CFG and MAZE.CFG files to indicate locked baud operation
- and the correct locked baud speed?
- 6. Are you running on COM2: not COM1:,using pcboard.sys output from
- your BBS and forgot to make a file in your BBS directory called
- OPENDOOR.2 ... see OPENDOOR.DOC
-
- Note: This is not required for dorinfo1.def output from your BBS.
-
- 7. Did you goof around with either OPENDOOR.CFG and/or MAZE.CFG and just
- maybe screwed something up? Check the format of the files carefully.
-
-
- (E) MAZE.EXE .. Runs Ok but BBS Screwed Up Now
- ----------------------------------------------
-
- Look for the following and correct accordingly:
-
- 1. Are you running a locked baud operation and maybe forgot to change
- the OPENDOOR.CFG and MAZE.CFG files to indicate locked baud operation
- and the correct locked baud speed?.
-
- 2. Does your BBS.BAT file need called as the last line in the MAZE.BAT
- file logic?
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