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Text File | 1996-05-27 | 21.5 KB | 543 lines

PHANTOM OF THE CATACOMBS: Quick and Easy Install Info is 1 SCREEN DOWN! ;) WHAT'S NEW: More Quests! More gold when completing a quest! 2.15 fixes the problem that SOME systems had with 2.11 when installing via Desqview or networks. I did not ship the databases, but created them during install, which took up more memory. If memory was depleted, it would stop the creation of the database, leaving a partial database and causing an error on runtime. Now I ship all databases WITH the archive so that there should be no installation problems. This is a STANDALONE game and OPTIONAL IGM. The price is $15.00. You may wish to check out the PACKAGE DEAL. See REGISTER DOC. DISCLAIMER: (For License see SYSOP2.DOC) It is *your* responsibility to make sure the game works on YOUR system BEFORE registering it. Although I will try to help you in setting up the DOOR before or after registration, I will NOT be responsible for getting it to work. I will NOT be held responsible for any problems on your system which you may think are caused by my games. PHANTOM OF THE CATACOMBS: I don't care to hear how this is so difficult to install for an IGM. This is a STANDALONE game and an OPTIONAL IGM. If you don't care to go through a more indepth installation process, DON'T RUN IT. Quick and Easy install: 1. Create a unique directory for Phantom with any name. 2. Unzip this archive within that directory. 3. Type: INSTPHAN SYSOP Do item #1, and item #2. UPGRADES UPGRADES UPGRADES: (If Upgrading, only do item #2. Unless this is a BETA version and you get database errors when entering the sysop mode. Then you'll have to go back to the older version and uninstall by typing: PHAN SYSOP and the uninstall function.) 4. If you wish to run as an IGM for LORD answer Yes to the question in item #1 when it asks if you wish to run it as an IGM. 5. See the sample.bat file for setting up as a standalone game for your non-LORD playing players. Both standalone and IGM will use the same game from the same directory at the same time. Yeah! Your players will need to choose if they wish to play it as an IGM or as a standalone. They will be allowed to enter once per day. 6. For further details, keep reading. This games will not be supported if you wish to run it using LORD's local mode from the DOS prompt. You must load it via your BBS so a drop file will be created, if you wish to run it from a local node. If you wish to run Phantom locally, just type: phan local "Your Name" CONTENTS: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── LORD IGM OR STANDALONE RUNNING WITH MULTIPLE LORD GAMES SYSOP MODE INSTALLATION NEW INSTALLATIONS UPGRADE UNINSTALL REGISTER RESET SYSOP2.DOC MAINTENANCE NIGHTLY MAINTENANCE MONTHLY RESET RESET Sample Door Batch File for Standalone Mode OPTIONAL CUSTOM CONFIG FILES CONFIG FILES Local Mode Running from Type 7 Shell to DOS MULTI-NODE PHAN MULTI-NODE SUPPORT SHAREWARE -- TRYING IT OUT Full Features in the Registered Version Benefits of registering SYSOP PAGING ERRORS/PROBLEMS LORD IGM OR STANDALONE: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── PHANTOM of the CATACOMBS: can be played as an IGM for LORD or as a standalone game or both at the same time. If a player enters PHAN from "Other Places" within LORD, the gold and experience they have earned for the day (as well as other items of value) will be passed back into their player record for LORD. If you have players who do not play LORD, they can still get in on the fun of playing PHAN without having to enter LORD. Set up a menu item for Phantom of the Catacombs and set it up as a regular standalone game. All LORD related menu items will be disabled for them. LORD players and non-LORD players can play the game at the SAME time, competing with one another! RUNNING WITH MULTIPLE LORD GAMES: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If you choose to run this IGM with multiple LORD games, you should have a different directory with a different game for each version of LORD you are running as well. This game only allows players to enter once per day. INSTALLATION: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Phantom of the Catacombs SHOULD NOT be loaded in the LORD directory. It should be loaded in its own directory with ANY name, ANYWHERE on the system! Pains have been taken to ensure that file names will be unique so as not to copy over any LORD files, if you do accidentally unzip this archive in your LORD directory (except for the REGISTER.DOC), so if you did unzip in the LORD directory, type INSTPHAN SYSOP and use UNINSTALL to remove the PHANTOM files. Then create a new directory and install it in there. This game must be loaded in its own unique directory. Unzip the archive in the unique directory created. SYSOP MODE: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── PHAN SYSOP NEW INSTALLATIONS: ────────────────── Type: INSTPHAN SYSOP For new installations, you must do item #1, creating the needed installation files. You must also do item #2, installing and setting attributes for the needed files. If you are runnin WindowsNT, the file system does not support the dos attributes command and you will need to manually set the attributes for these types of files to READ ONLY: *.EXE *.ANS *.TXT If you are upgrading, you will need to undo the read only attribute before running #2 for the upgrade. Then you will need to set them again after. UPGRADE: ──────── Type: INSTPHAN SYSOP You must do item #2, installing and setting attributes for the needed files. 1. You will be asked if you wish to run with or without a fossil driver. A fossil driver such as X00 or BNU is recommended for best system operation, but use with no fossil is supported. After answering this question, config.cfg will be created with ; NoFossil or NoFossil in the file. If you wish to add more unusual settings pertaining to IRQ's, etc. see the section in the documention on the config.cfg file. 2. You will be asked if you wish to run this as a LORD IGM. If you answer yes, the correct lines will be added to the 3rdparty.dat file in the LORD directory. You will input the path to the LORD directory. The system will check for a valid directory by looking for lord.exe. If this is not found, it will exit and ask you to find the correct lord path. 3. MOONCHAT is a new feature which will be added to all Shining Star Software games and doors. This will allow users to page and chat multi-node with one another while on-line and using any SSS game or door. Select a desired directory where you wish to load the MOONCHAT files. When you upgrade to a SSS door with this feature, use the same path for all SSS doors so that users can chat and page one another no matter what SSS door they are using. 4. Bulletin file path and names. You will be asked for the path and name to your ansi bulletin file and to your ascii bulletin file. 5. You will be asked how many nodes you run and the path and name of the drop file for each node. If you copy your drop file to your game directory, DO NOT enter the path, just the drop file name. UNINSTALL: ────────── After installation, if you wish to uninstall, type: PHAN SYSOP And select the Uninstall option. REGISTER: ───────── If you are registered. Make sure you have your key handy. After installation, type: PHAN SYSOP Select the Register option. RESET: ────── Use this option if you wish to delete all players and reset the game. The high scorers list will be retained. Type: PHAN MAINT R ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── For legal junk, support and sysop commands, read SYSOP2.DOC ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NIGHTLY MAINTENANCE: ──────────────────── This game uses databases. To keep it cleaned up, delete old records, and reindex databases, maintenance must be performed in your nightly maintenance batch file: PHAN MAINT MONTHLY RESET: ────────────── Phantom of the Catacombs can be played for contests. If you begin your contest on the first of each month, you can have it automatically reset every month by using this in your nightly maintenance file: PHAN MAINT M RESET: ────── If you wish to start your contest in the middle of the month and wish to reset the game at any time, you may delete all players and reset the game by running this from DOS: PHAN MAINT R Sample Door Batch File for Standalone Mode ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── See the sample.bat file for setting up a standalone game. Example: @echo off cd\games\phantom phan game 1 cd\pb\node1 or @echo off cd\games\lord\phan phan game %1 cd\pb\node%1 In the above example: Change to the phantom directory. Call the .exe name: phan The Second Parameter tells the game whether you are running as a LORD IGM or as a standalone game. If running as a standalone game, the second parameter will be "game." The third parameter is the node #. You may use a macro for the node number or pass it as the actual number if single node or if creating a separate .bat file for each node. If you answer "yes" during installation that this is to be run as an IGM, the command lines will automatically be added to your LORD 3rdparty.dat file: In the 3rdparty.dat file for IGMs, the second parameter will be "lord." In the 3rdparty.dat file for LORD IGMs, the node number will show as "*". OPTIONAL CUSTOM CONFIG FILES ──────────────────────────── If your system requires unusual settings be added to your *.cfg file, you may obtain customized information in the sample.cfg file. Rarely, but sometimes, a system might require a separate .CFG file per node. If this is true for you, create a separate .CFG file for each node and name them: CONFIG1.CFG CONFIG2.CFG CONFIG3.CFG etc. Then, on the command line pass this parameter at the end like so: phan game 1 custom This will tell the system to NOT look for CONFIG.CFG, but instead to look for custom .CFG files with the number of the appropriate node as above. If running as a LORD IGM, edit the 3rdparty.dat file and add the word "custom" to the end like so: c:\games\phantom\phan lord * custom CONFIG FILES: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DO NOT ALTER THE *.CFG FILE(S) UNLESS YOU HAVE SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS! IF you do need to alter the .CFG file(s), please see the SAMPLE.CFG for instructions on options which you may add to your CONFIG.CFG file. NOTE: THE SAMPLE.CFG FILE IS NOT NECESSARY IN 99% OF ALL CASES. It allows you to optionally customize the game if you wish to use unusual IRQs or PORTS, etc. The file to refer to is the sample.cfg file. Most BBS systems will have no need of looking at this file. If you DO need any of the options in the sample.cfg file, simply add them at the bottom of your existing CONFIG.CFG file. Local Mode ────────── The door can be tested in Local Mode before setting up your .bat file(s): PHAN local "Your Name" If you just type: PHAN local The system will default to "Sysop" as your name. Within the game you will be asked to give an alias for play. If your entire family is playing locally, each one can pass their real name on the command line for identfication and then if they play via the BBS as well, it will use the same record for play. Running from Type 7 Shell to DOS ──────────────────────────────── PHAN 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 phan.bat or command.com *C phan.bat Proboard: *Z phan.bat Phantom of the Catacombs runs on MANY, MANY BBS systems, the above two are JUST examples. MULTI-NODE PHAN: ───────────────── CALL PHAN MULTI-NODE THE SAME AS SINGLE NODE. The drop file paths and names are setup when you first install PHAN. Drop file path and name information is stored in: SETUP.FIL The 15th line of SETUP.FIL contains the drop file path and name for node 0. The next line for node 1, the next line for node 2 and so on. If you wish to alter the drop file path and names or add nodes, please edit the SETUP.FIL with a normal text editor for alteration. If you do not use node 0, please leave that line blank. MULTI-NODE SUPPORT ────────────────── PHAN 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. Chat 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. The score list shows "who's on line" and from what "node" they are calling. The installation automatically takes care of setting the *.exe, *.ans, 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. This is a (hak kaff) "feature" of using Turbo C/C++ as a compiler. Sorry. ;) PHAN 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. SHAREWARE -- TRYING IT OUT ────────────────────────── You may run PHAN from DOS to try it out first. Just issue the following command from dos: phan local The non-registered version allows you to experience EVERYTHING in the REGISTERED version...BUT instead of getting the full number of Quests, users will only be allowed to go on 3 quests which will reloop. Once the game is registered, they can REALLY get into some competition by tackling all the Quests. There is no expiration date. There is no request to remove it from your system after so many days. 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. Full Features in the Registered Version ──────────────────────────────────────── 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 more Quests. Benefits of registering ─────────────────────── 1. More 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. SYSOP PAGING: If you wish to allow sysop paging, please add the following section of text, altered according to your wishes to the CONFIG.CFG file(s). ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ; ; Sysop paging hours. Sysop paging will be permitted beginning at the start ; time, up until, but not including, the end time. Times should be in 24-hour ; format. To disable paging on a particular day, set the paging start and end ; times to the same time. ; ; Start Time End Time SundayPagingHours 9:00 22:00 MondayPagingHours 8:30 22:00 TuesdayPagingHours 8:30 22:00 WednesdayPagingHours 8:30 22:00 ThursdayPagingHours 8:30 22:00 FridayPagingHours 8:30 22:00 SaturdayPagingHours 9:00 22:00 ; ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ; ; Duration of sysop page. Value indicates the number of beeps that compose the ; sysop page alarm. ; PageDuration 10 ; ;------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ERRORS/PROBLEMS: ──────────────── 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 "PHAN MAINT" and it happens again, you will need to unarchive the game and replace the corrupted files. If your remote callers get aschii dumped characters on the screen when playing, but locally it looks okay: If you have a config.cfg file, please edit it and make sure anything referring to Personality is totally deleted. For some reason on some systems the Personality profile causes this to happen. Deleting it seems to resolve the problem. ERROR -120: This error occurs when your disk is full. Check and make sure you have a lot of hard disk memory. Perhaps you're getting low. Clear up some hard disk space. ERROR -200, -300, -310: One of your database files or indexes is probably corrupted. Run the nightly maintenance. If that fails, you will have to delete your entire directory and unarchive the original and install it new. To uninstall the entire directory, enter sysop mode: PHAN SYSOP And use the Uninstall option. If you are registered, make sure you have a backup of your key, it is stored in the file: reg.key. ERROR -920: Out of memory. The game tried to allocate memory from the heap, but no memory was available. When entering IGM from LORD, it says: "Screw it! .... is missing!" You didn't do the INSTPHAN SYSOP item #2 for updating or installing the files. Make sure when you upgrade or install that you do #2: INSTPHAN SYSOP If this is a new installation, you must also do item #1. Order doesn't matter. I will NOT try to offer support of this game when used with a wide beta release of LORD. Don't report bugs to me unless they are reproduced in a working non-beta version of LORD. INSTALLATION PROBLEMS: Here is a letter and reply from someone who as having installation problems: > I tried to set up your new IGM, but apparently > have some corrupted .dbf files. At first I couldn't > even get it to install correctly. Finally had to get > out of DESQview and QEMM to get the install to finish > renaming the INSTPHAN executable. The installation routine actually creates the majority of the databases to keep the archive small. The creation process can be memory intensive. If you are installing it from within desqview or from a network, it may be that your memory is so low that it cannot finish creating the databases. Even if you went back in to finish up, the database that had trouble being created would not work for you. > Once it had done this I figured I was all set. > Yet, when I tried to fire up the game, it began to > give me an error. The Error Number was -330 Tag Name > Not Found. TAG_MC_ALIAS <Press A Key> After a few key Yes, this indicates the moonchat.dbf or moonchat.cdx was either not created, or partially created and is corrupt. > presses I would get another line of text saying: Talk > defined with nothing to say! 197108 I then ran the > nightly maintenace as recommended to fix the > databases, but it still did the same thing. I then Unfortunately, the nightly won't fix this kind of problem. > uninstalled and did a complete reinstall with the same > results. I figure maybe I have a bad file somewhere. I Sounds like you again tried to uninstall via DesqView? > am running Wildcat 3.90 Multi-Line using DESQview > v2.62 and QEMM v7.04. I have 12 meg of RAm and I am > running the LORD game in a 4 meg RAM cache. I would RAM cache? Where did you place moonchat? On an area on your hard drive or in a temporary cache? It needs to be permanent. > like to get this running and register both IGMS for > the $20 that you offered. I can do it snail mail can't > I? My credit card is taking a rest right now. <vbg> Yes, mail is fine. > Hope to hear from you soon! I am FREQ'ing the file > from you and going to try it again. Thanks for your > time... Here is my suggestion: Do *NOT* install from within desqview. Take it down and do it when no one is on-line. I know this is a hassle, but evidentally, you just don't have the memory for the install routine if done via Desqview. Phantom uses databases and the database creation routine is just a memory hog!! I use the codebase library for creation of these. It should work with just doing it from dos and no desqview loaded taking up all your memory. If you had stuff in your moonchat directory when you tried to reinstall, it would not try to recreate the files again, and you'd still be working with old files. So when it asks you if you want to uninstall moonchat portion, say yes. Run the uninstall. Check the 3rdparty.dat file and make sure all references to Phantom are gone. Check the Moonchat directory and make sure everything in it is gone. Check the Phantom directory and make sure all is gone. Then unarchive in the Phantom directory again. Run your first test from DOS by typing: phan sysop "Your Name" This will go in and make sure all is running and created correctly. Not usually necessary, but might as well. Then you can load up desqview and go from there.