Stab's New User Voting Version 1.10 -- Program & Design by Dark Lord Copyright (C) 1999 DISCLAIMER The author has taken every precaution to insure that no harm or damage will occur on computer systems operating this package. Nevertheless, the author shall NOT be held liable for whatever may happen on your computer system or to any computer systems which connects to your own as a result of operating this package. The user assumes full responsibility for the correct operation of this software package, whether harm or damage results from software error, hardware malfunction, or operator error. NO warranties are offered, expressly stated or implied, including without limitation or restriction any warranties of operation for a particular purpose and/or merchantability. If you do not agree with this then do NOT use this program. INTRODUCTION: ------------ Thanks to the help of DDPlus I was able to make this great program. REQUIREMENTS: ------------ At this point in time the only requirements are FILES=10 (or more) in your config.sys file and you have ANSI.SYS loaded. SHARE must also be loaded if you intend to use NUV in a multi-node environment OR under DesqView. NUV is RIP aware but does not support RIP at this time. A FOSSIL is NOT required to run NUV, although one will be supported if it exists. Automatic time slicing support is provided to most common multi-taskers as well. Files Included -------------- Below is a listing of all files for . If you are missing any of these files (except for the DOC and FRM files), NUV will NOT function. Feel free to give out copies of the ENTIRE archive package of NUV but make sure all the files below are in that package: NUVTITLE.ANS - ANSI IntroMenu Screen/Display Screen for Way Freight SAMPLE1.BAT - A sample BAT file which runs the game program from the game directory. SAMPLE2.BAT - A sample BAT file which runs the game program from any node directory. SAMPLE3.BAT - A sample BAT file which can be used for WildCat bbses. GAME.CTL - Un-edited Control file for setting up Way Freight and hereafter referred to in the game documentation as GAME.CTL. SAMPLE.CTL - A copy of the NUV.CTL file which I use on my BBS to run the game (Renegade 10-05 System, 386 33Mhz Computer, Single Node, 8Mb RAM, Windows 2.41/QEMM 7.03, BNU Fossil locking port #1 at 19200 and using FrontDoor 2.02 and a US Robotics DS Modem, ANSI.sys loaded and SHARE loaded). NUV - The main New User voting EXEC File READVOTE - Reads the votes. DDSET661.ZIP - Compressed copy of the DDSETUP.EXE program and associated files. Use this to make your NUV.CTL game configuration file. Files created by the game when first played: USERS.DAT - The New User Voting Users File. Keeps track of what People have voted on. NUVVOTES.DAT - Data file to store the voting questions and how many votes they each have. Files created by the game when errors are encountered: ERROR.LOG - Log of system errors which happen during game play. Installation ------------ --> NOTE: The word "game" is used in place of the program name for both the executable file (example GAME.EXE), and the CTL file (Example GAME.CTL) in the documentation from this point on. GAMEDIR is used in place of the program directory in the documentation from this point on. 1. Create a directory for the game (example: "RENEGADE\DOORS\NUV") 2. Make sure that ALL files listed above from the game package are moved into that directory. 3. Unzip the DDSET661.ZIP package in the game directory. Type the Command "DDSETUP" and then the enter key. When asked for the name of the control file enter "NUV.CTL" and hit the F5 key or click on the continue button to continue to the next page. Use the on-line help key (F1) or click on the Help button for anything you do not understand how to fill out. There is a DDSETUP.DOC provided if you need further information on how to use the DDSETUP.EXE program. Two fully commented versions are also provided. One is identified as GAME.CTL and this is the UN-EDITED version and the other is identified as SAMPLE.CTL is what a CTL file should look like AFTER it is edited (if the commented lines are left in that is). If for some reason the DDSETUP.EXE program fails to work on your system you can always manually edit one of the two examples provided and rename the one you use to "NUV.CTL". Where to put this file? Put this file wherever you are running the game executable file from. If you are running multi-node you could put a copy in each node directory and run from there. If you change directory to the GAME directory put the file here. See the example SAMPLE#.bat files. 4. To insure proper multi-node use DOS SHARE must be loaded prior to the game and prior to DESQview. 5. In order to run the game program online the following parameters may be used. "/Bxxxxx" This tells GAME.EXE to lock its baud rate at xxxxx. In order to get the most efficiency out of a high speed error correcting modem (9600 baud or above), you may lock the baud rate to a speed higher than what the caller is actually using. By locking the baud to say 38,400, the modem can compress text data that is being sent and achieve a baud rate much higher than the actual transmission rate. This will lock the baud rate at the same value for all nodes that use this command line. If you perfer a more selective way to lock baud use 'LOCKBAUD' command in the GAME.CTL file. "/Cx" (where x is 1..4) This specifies a comport number. Some bbs software does not create door information files (dropfiles) that contain the comport number. If your bbs does have a comport listed in the dropfile then there is no need for this parameter. The default is comport 0, local mode. "/E" - Expanded Memory Specification If your machine has over one megabyte of memory, then you may have some available. GAME.EXE can utilize EMS to improve game performance and reduce conventional memory requirements. This command will tell GAME.EXE to use EMS memory to hold its overlay buffer. Otherwise disc area may be used to hold this buffer. This needs a memory manager and when enabled and is compatible with DESQview. "/L" This tells GAME.EXE to load up in LOCAL mode. This is good for testing or when a sysop just wants to "try out" the door without messing with his BBS setup. The "/L" mode will ask the user for his name and run the door in local mode. "/Nx" (where x is 1..9) This specifies a "node number". Some bbs software support multinode environments in which you must know the node number of the drop file to use. For example, RBBS-PC uses DORINFOx.DEF. If you specified "/N2" then GAME.EXE would use DORINFO2.DEF. "/Mx" (where x is up to 2 filename acceptable characters) Used to specify one of Multiple control files. If you have created more than one GAME.CTL file (GAME1.CTL, GAME2.CTL, etc.) for each node or network PC then you can select the one you want by using the /M parm. Example: "/M2" will force GAME.EXE to use GAME2.ctl. "/Pyyy" This specifies the path to the drop files. For example, "/PC:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1" would tell GAME.EXE to look for the drop file in C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1. If this is left out the program assumes the drop file is local. "/V" This command will tell GAME.EXE not to show any display on the local screen. Only a colored screen and a message will be displayed. The cursor will not move as it will be turned off. Saves a little processing on multi-tasking systems. "/W" This flags the program that a network is present even though no multitaskers are detected. This is useful if the door is run on a network such as Novell that doesn't use multitaskers. COMMON ERRORS 003 File path not found. Check to make sure the game directory is correctly named as GAMEDIR. 201 Files not found. Check to make sure that all required games files are in the GAMEDIR directory. 6. Install the door into your BBS software (see your BBS software documentation for more information). A batch file is normally used to do this. To run the program just have your batch file change to the GAMEDIR directory and run GAME.EXE - Thats all there is to it! Three different batch files sample are included to help you run the game. These are included with the game for editing and your use. For dorinfo systems use the following: Sample Batch File ----------------- COPY DORINFOx.DEF \RENEGADE\DOORS\NUV\*.* CD \RENEGADE\DOORS\NUV NUV.EXE x <-=- NODE number !!DO NOT USE "x"!! del dorinfox.def CD \RENEGADE Or if you don't want to copy the drop file ------------------------------------------ CD \RENEGADE\dOORS\NUV NUV.EXE /P\RENEGADE\DOORS\DORINFOx.DEF CD \RENEGADE -=*=- Please note that you replace the "x" with the appropriate node number. Ex: Dorinfo1.def ; Dorinfo2.def ; etc... 9. Surprise! There is NO daily maintenance to be performed. WHAT TO DO IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS -------------------------------- Every effort is made to ensure that the game runs correctly before it leaves my BBS as Shareware. If you are experiencing problems please do the following BEFORE calling me: 1. Read ALL the SYSOP.DOC to ensure you have setup the program and have met all the program requirements. 2. Use the B4UASK.DOC as a checklist to ensure that you have not done anything wrong. Multinode use ------------- This game supports multinode use and provides automatic multi-tasker support (time slice releasing) for a wide variety of multi-taskers. Common Problems (Locked Bauds, High Speed modems, etc) ------------------------------------------------------ 1. The door does NOT require a fossil driver to run. 2. If you are running a high speed modem (9600 baud or above), then I suggest you run your bbs/mailer/doors at a locked baud rate. On high speed error correcting modems, locking the baud rate will have a noticeable increase on the speed of text that is sent. It's beyond the scope of this document to discuss configuring your BBS and mailer for a locked baud rate; you may wish to consult those docs for information on that. Here are a few things to keep in mind when setting up GAME with a locked baud rate: a. When using a locked baud rate, I highly recommend using a FOSSIL driver. This game will work at high speeds without one though. BNU is a good fossil driver which can even be loaded and unloaded before and after you run this game. b. If you are using a fossil, then make sure to tell the fossil that the port is locked. For BNU, to lock com1: at 38,400, you would use something like "L0=38400" on BNU's command line. c. If you lock the baud for one program, it must be locked for everything. You can't lock the baud for just this game, but not your BBS/mailer. d. You may need to use the /B switch on the game.exe Command line to specify the locked baud rate. For 19,200 this would be "/B19200" and for 38,400 this would be "/B38400". Please note there is no space between the "/B" and the baud rate. 3. What follows is some information on possible strange situations that may occur: a. Low speed users can play the game, but high speed users get garbage. - If you are not using the DORINFOx.DEF or DOOR.SYS drop file then you may wish to find a converter program to convert whatever drop file your BBS produces to the DORINFOx.DEF or DOOR.SYS format and tell game.exe to use that. Several converter programs are readily available on most BBS systems. CallDoor is a good one if you can find it. b. The game hangs up when a user enters the game. - Sounds like the game is getting the wrong baud rate somehow. Try switching over to the DOOR.SYS drop file method if possible. c. Text and screens are getting cut off. - If you are running with a locked baud, then this could be caused by some sort of FLOW CONTROL problem. Try using a fossil if you aren't already. d. If you're using something other than the DOOR.SYS drop file, then I always suggest trying to use DOOR.SYS if possible. It is the most reliable method and has had the most testing. If that is not possible try DORINFOx.DEF as an alternative. e. A door locks up node 1. This can happen with fossils or the internal communications routines because it uses the default comport of 1 when NONE is found in the dropfile or game.ctl file. To correct this make sure the right port is shown in the dropfile OR game.ctl file. f. ANSI is reflected correctly on the local screen but the user is getting garbage. Assuming the user has ANSI installed then most likely the problem is at your end. First make sure you have configured the game.ctl file to show the correct locked port rate. Second make sure the dropfile is passing the locked port rate INSTEAD of the actual conncet rate. If it is not passing the locked port rate then you may need to use a different dropfile format OR use a dropfile converter program to change the line to show the locked port rate INSTEAD of the actual connect rate. "Corrupted" data files ---------------------- It is possible that something could happen to your game data file. A power outage, game crash, or other event could damage the data files. If you get one of these messages, then the best thing to do is eliminate the NUVVOTES.DAT and USERS.DAT files and start the game again to create a new one. CREDITS: -------- This relatively small section is just to recognize the GOOD people who have made the DDPLUS based game a possibility. Scott Baker -=*=- The authors of the original DoorDriver Kit and are to be thanked for releasing the Derrick Parkhurst source code to their great kit! Without that act of kindness DDPLUS would NOT be possible and neither would this game. Scott is the author of several door games, most notably Land of Devastation, which uses the original doordriver kit. Steven Lorenz -=*=- The author of the enhanced add on package to Scott Bakers DoorDriver Kit. Thanks to his code modifications, add ons and enhancements DDPLus is a much more complete and capable package then originally released in the DoorDriver Kit. He is also responsible for the DDPlus setup program which he freely donated. Steve is the author of several door games, most notably Railroad Empires, Romans At War, and Empires at War, all of which use DDPlus. Bob Dalton -=*=- The author of most of the DDPLus documentation and contributor of the MISC.PAS and INITOVER.PAS units used in the game. Bob is the author of several door games, such as GodFather of Crime, Rise To Power, Task Force Broadside, Ship of the Line, Grunt Fest, Way Freight and the Adventure Door Game Toolkit, all of which use DDPLus. DESQview is a registered trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems. Ripscript & Ripterm are registered trademarks of TeleGrafix Communications. Where to reach me ----------------- I can usually be reached at my BBS system. Virtual Graphix 708-545-0198 - or at any of these EMail addresses Sam.Stauffer@Aquila.Com Bug Reports/Comments/Suggestions -------------------------------- I have made every attempt to make sure the game is free of bugs, BUT the possibility always exists that one may have been missed by me or the playtesters. If you find a bug, or have a suggestion or comment to make which would make future versions better please print out the BUGRPT.FRM and mailer, fill it out, and send it to me. I read ALL of them and those people that lead me to find a bug or generate a better game will receive credit in the game documentation. PLEASE DO NOT NOTIFY ME OF PROBLEMS AND EXPECT ME TO FIX THEM IF YOU HAVE FAILED TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE BUGRPT.FRM AND ANY ERROR.LOG WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN GENERATED BY THE GAME DURING PLAY.