About MPG-Net

Challenge other on-line players to games of skill and intrigue on Multi-Player Games Network (MPG-Net). You enter the world of MPG-Net gaming through a Theater in which there are a series of doors. Behind one, you can create your own online persona--your real identity remains unknown to other players. Behind another door, you can chat with other online players or challenge them to a game. You can choose among role-playing fantasy games, such as Kingdom of Drakkar, or adaptations of popular board games, such as Empire Builder. Behind other doors, join a gaming forum, go shopping, or visit the Library to browse gaming articles for downloading to your computer.


Online etiquette

Over time, gamers have developed a set of guidelines for how they treat each other online. Here’s a quick overview:

Respect other players’s anonymity. Do not ask for their real identities.

MPG-Net is an anonymous gaming community. This means your real identity remains unknown to other online players. To protect your identity, MPG-Net lets you create up to 27 online personas. In one gaming forum, you might be known as Bruno, a sailor who hides his intelligence behind a slightly dense facade. This identity might be a disadvantage in another forum where you are known as Gloriosa, a wise healer who schemes behind the scenes.

Have fun chatting in Conference Rooms, but keep your messages brief -- that gives everybody a chance to respond.

MPG-Net is open to people of all ages, so please refrain from using obscenities and from discussing subjects that might be inappropriate.

For etiquette tips for a specific game, please see the online Help for that game.


Connecting to MPG-Net

To connect to MPG-Net games, you must install MPG-Net Showcase software on your computer, and subscribe to MPG-Net. After you set up your account, the easiest way to connect is to create a shortcut to MPG-Net(.exe) on the Windows 95 desktop. The file is located in the System folder of where you installed the software (e.g. C:\Program Files\Mpg-Net\System)

To connect to MPG-Net from your desktop

1	Create a shortcut to MPG-Net in Windows 95 (see Windows 95 Help).

2	Double-click the MPG-Net shortcut icon.

3	Enter your account and password.
If you have already created online personas previously with this account, these will show in a box for you to choose what persona you want to connect with. (You can also change personas anytime while online).

4	Click The MPG-Net logo or press ENTER to connect.

This connects you to MPG-Net Theater.


About the Theater Lobby

When you first connect to MPG Net Theater, you enter the Theater Lobby. The Theater Lobby is the gateway to all MPG-Net games and features. In the Theater Lobby, there are six doors, a marquee, a Newspaper, and a Gold toolbar. Click the yellow Newspaper to read gaming news from MPG-Net. Click any door to enter other rooms, which include:

  	Billing Room: Obtain subscription and account information.

  	Shopping Mall: Purchase gaming items at a variety of stores. (Not yet available.)

  	Game Room: Challenge other players to online games. Each game includes its own Conference Room, where you meet with and invite other players to a new game or continue an old one.

  	Forums: Post messages on online bulletin boards to exchange information with other players about specific games and gaming subjects.

  	Library: Download new games, upgrades, and other files, such as those other players make available, and replays of games. Or upload your own game-related stories or art. (Uploads not yet available.)

  	Control Room: Create up nine persona faces. The Control Room is also where you can enter the Gallery to save your persona faces and create unique shields for them.


Opening Theater Lobby doors

To open a Theater room

Move the cursor over the door. The door will swing open. You can then click inside it to move to that room.


Returning to the Theater Lobby

To return to the Theater Lobby from any of the Theater rooms, press the ESC key, or click the Back button on the Navigation toolbar.


Navigating the Theater

Click the Navigation button from anywhere in the Theater to open the Navigation toolbar. On the Navigation toolbar, you can click the Back button or press ESC to exit any room and return to the room you were in previously. You can click the Theater button from within any room to return to the Theater Lobby, and the Exit button to quit MPG-Net.


Using the Gold toolbar

The Gold toolbar at the bottom of the Theater contains buttons that open sub-toolbars. The Gold toolbar remains at the bottom of the screen when you leave the Theater to enter another room. When you enter the conference room of a specific game, its Game button is added to the toolbar.

The buttons on the Gold toolbar are:

  	Communication button: The Communications toolbar lets you send messages to other players.

  	Help button: The Help toolbar lets you access Theater Help. Help for specific games is available after you begin playing.

  	Personal Accessories button: The Personal Accessories toolbar lets you create and send email to other players, and has other options.

  	Navigation button: The Navigation toolbar lets you move among the rooms in the Theater or exit the Theater.

  	Tools button: The Tools toolbar lets you set advanced user options, such as sound and desktop controls.

  	Game toolbar button: The Games toolbar lets you access game related commands for creating and playing games, reading the game forums, showing game scores etc.
This toolbar shows only while you are in a game Conference Room.

  	Sound Effects button: The Sound Effects toolbar lets you make different sound effects while on the table.
This toolbar shows only while you are sitting at a table.

  	Table Commands button: The Table Commands toolbar lets you Reserve Private Tables, Show list of users on the table, Record messages, Mute players, etc..
This toolbar shows only while you are sitting at a table.

When you are in any of the sub-toolbars, clicking the button that opened the toolbar, which is on the left side of the sub-toolbar, will return you to the Gold toolbar.


Finding out Billing Information
Obtaining billing information

Enter the Billing Room to view or change your account personal information and password, view and buy event tickets or change your billing plan, view your billing history and rate information and more.


Chatting it up in MPG-Net forums

MPG-Net provides many forums by means of a graphical newsreader where you can post and receive messages from other players. Among the main forums are:

 	 MPG-Net Forum

 	 Kingdom of Drakkar Forum

There is also a Parlor forum, Sci-fi forum, War forum, IPX forum and more are added constantly or as needed.
The newsreader can also be launched from the Conference Rooms using the Games toolbar.


Browsing the Library

When you enter the Library, you’ll see a librarian seated at a circulation desk. As you point to various areas in the room, names of the file types in a specific area appear. You can download these files to your computer by putting them in your Briefcase. MPG-Net will soon allow you to upload files from your Briefcase to the Library by putting them in the Deposit Slot. The files that are uploaded or downloaded must have been created while playing in MPG-Net and must have been stored in your Briefcase; you cannot upload while you’re offline.

The sections of the Library and the type of files they contain include the following:

  	Framed picture on the wall: Graphics files of fantasy art.

  	Bookstacks on left: ASCII text files. These typically contain players’ stories about games or replays of a specific game. Players will be able to place files here by depositing them from their Briefcase into the Deposit Slot. ( Uploading not yet available.)

  	Magazines and Newspapers: Articles from MPG-Net forums and the press that are placed here by the system operator. For example, a system operator might post a report of tournaments or notices of planned hunts.

  	Audio Room: Sound files that contain music or sounds from games.

  	Tape racks on right: Software upgrades and new games.


Downloading files in the Library

You can download files that you find in different areas of the Library to your Briefcase. When you enter the Library stacks, Scrolling buttons are enabled in the Navigation toolbar that allow you to browse through all the books in the stacks. Books are color-coded according to the size of file they represent. This will give you an idea of how long it will take to download.

File size (bytes)	Book id	Book Color

1 <= x < 50	0	brown-gold

50 <= x < 100	1	red

100 <= x < 500	2	green

500 <= x < 1000	3	white

1000 <= x < 5000	4	blue

5000 <= x < 10000	5	pink

10000 <= x < 50000	6	brown

50000 <= x < 100000	7	magenta

100000 <= x < 500000	8	blue-green

500000 <= x	9	orange

To download files from the Library to your Briefcase

1	Click the area of the Library you want to download files from, for example, the Magazines and Newspapers door.

2	 In the Magazines and Newspapers room, click a specific stack, such as Games.

Bookshelves appear. The title of each file appears on a book’s spine.

3	To browse through the bookstacks, click the left or right Scrolling buttons on the Gold toolbar.

4	Click the book you want, and then drag it to your Briefcase (if the Briefcase is closed it will open automatically).

The file is immediately downloaded to your computer and a ghost scroll with the name of the file will show the progress of the download.

5	You can view the status of the transfer or cancel the transfer alltogether using the File Transfer Status window. You can open this by double-clicking on any ghost scroll in your briefcase, or using the Quick Access window.

6	To cancel the download., click the X in the upper-right corner of the file’s field In the File Transfer Status window.

Tip  After you place a file in your Briefcase, double-clicking it opens the file in the Email Editor. You can then edit the file and re-save it or send it as an email message.


Reading the Newspaper

The Newspaper presents information about MPG-Net, such as news about MPG-Net, games etiquette, and upcoming games, and bulletins to players about any scheduled times the system will be shut down. The Newspaper is always checked for updates everytime you connect to MPG-Net. During that process and while new articles are being downloaded, the Newspaper will animate showing newspapers being dropped in the box. After this process is complete the animation will stop and you may read the Newspaper. The Newspaper will flash if it contains new articles that you haven’t yet read.

To read the Newspaper

1	Beneath the MPG-Net News sign, click the Newspaper.

2	Click anywhere on a headline or in an article to display it.

Note  A headline flashes when you point to it.

3	Flip through the pages by clicking on the turned-down, upper-right corner of a page.

4	To return to the front page of the Newspaper and the Theater Lobby, click the Back button on the Navigation toolbar, or press ESC.


Welcoming you to MPG-Net

The marquee displays a welcome message to MPG-Net players and is usually followed by other brief information or notices for the day.


Shopping at the Mall

MPG-Net will soon let you purchase gaming items at various stores in the Shopping Mall.


Playing games on MPG-Net

Behind the Game Room door are several doors leading to different areas: Fantasy Games, Board Games, Space Games, War Games and Space Games doors. The room shows four doors at a time and you can use the left or right Scrolling buttons in the Navigation toolbar to show more doors. Point to any door to open it and enter another room, which has doors to specific games. Point to a specific game door, and then click the game graphic inside the door to enter the Conference Room for that game. After you enter the Conference Room, the button for that game appears on the Gold toolbar. Clicking the game button, opens a toolbar with buttons that vary for each game. Most game toolbars have buttons that allow you to load, define rules, and start a game. There is also a button to show the Scores specific to the game as well as a button to load the newsreader to read the game forums.

Some games, such as Kingdom of Drakkar, are perpetual games. They continually run; you can enter and leave them as you choose, and you’re not dependent on other players to play. Other games, such as Empire Builder (an adaptation of a board game), are invitation based games. To play them, you need to invite other players to play with you at an agreed-upon time.

To play a perpetual game

1	Click the Create Game button on the Game toolbar to set options for that specific game.

For example, when you click the Create Game button on the Kingdom of Drakkar toolbar, the Character Creation window appears for you to create a Kingdom of Drakkar character. You must create a character before you can play the game.

2	Click the Start Game button on the Game toolbar.

To play an invitation game

1	In a Conference Room, click the Game button on the Gold toolbar. For example, in the Empire Builder Conference Room, click the Empire Builder button to begin playing Empire Builder.

2	Click the Create Game button on the Game toolbar to set options for the game.

The Talk window appears with the appropriate game loaded and ready for sending invitations.

3	Invite players to a game by clicking the check box of each player’s Business Card for those players you want to invite to the game.

4	Click the Invite Text button on the right-side of the Talk window to send the invitation to the selected players.

6	Click the Start Game button.

NOTE: You can send all the invitations at once or one at the time etc. If some of the players you want to invite are not online at the time you can still invite the ones that are online and you can always add more players in the game later as long as you do so before you start the game.


Inviting players to play

You can invite any player currently online to challenge you to the game of your choice. A circle with a bar through it will appear if you try to invite players before you select and load a game. You can invite players from anywhere in the Theater by opening the Talk window, but you cannot start a specific game unless you are in that game’s Conference Room.

Note  You cannot invite players to Kingdom of Drakkar because you play this game continuously over time. You will be able to invite players to Empire Builder and other games that are invitation based.

To invite other players to a game

1	From anywhere in the Theater, click the Talk button on the Communications toolbar.

The Talk window appears.

2	Click the Invite button on the bottom left side of the window to switch to invitation mode.

3	Click the check box in the lower-right corner of the Business Cards of players you want to invite.

4	Click the Invite Text button to send out invitations to the selected players.

Each player you invite receives an invitation that they can accept or decline. You'll be informed about each player's decision. Once you start the game, only those players who have accepted your invitation will be allowed to join the game. Others cannot join later.

Tips

You can invite players that are offline by dragging their Business Card from your Business Card Filer to the Talk window. A message is displayed telling you that player is offline and asks whether you want to invite them by sending a mail invitation.

When you create a new invitation game, the Talk window automatically appears with that game session loaded.


Continuing an old game

In the Global Game List window, you can store up to five invitation games that you create, per game. The Global Game List will also store games, created by other players, which you accepted invitations to.

To continue playing an old game

1	In a game Conference Room, click the Start Game button on the Game toolbar.

The Global Game List window appears.

3	Click the game you want to play, and then click the Play Game button.


Deleting old games

Games are automatically deleted after 30 days of non-play. You can also delete old games you created and no longer want to play.

To delete an old game

1	From anywhere in the Theater, click the Talk button on the  Communications toolbar.

The Talk window appears.

2	Click the Invite button to switch to invitation mode, and then click the Select button.

The Global Game List window appears.

3	Click the game you want to delete, and then click the Delete Game button.


Interacting in Conference Rooms

Conference Rooms are friendly places to meet and chat with other players, and to begin a new game or continue an old game. Before you begin playing, you can sit around a table and talk directly with other seated players, or exchange Business Cards with them, or ask the system operator questions about playing a particular game.

You can also speak privately to other players at a table by typing a private message, by paging them, or by sending them email. Or you can add a sound effect, such as sighing or giggling, to the conversation.

Each game has its own Conference Room with ten tables, and a private room, which has ten additional tables that you can reserve for private conversations. The private room can be entered from the east wall of the conference room.

Each table seats up to six people, but many more than that can join a table. If there are more than six people, the blue crystal balls contain the last six people who spoke at the table. The other players are listed on the scroll to the left of the table.

To interact in Conference Rooms

1	You can enter Conference Rooms from the Game Room by clicking any of the game doors, and then clicking the game graphic.

When you first enter, you are looking down through a crystal ball at the tables in the Conference Room.

2	To look around the room, click the white rim around the crystal ball in the direction you want to go. You can also move around by holding down the Ctrl key and click inside the crystal ball and move the cursor around. The view will move to the direction of the cursor movement.

3	To sit down at a table, click on the table.

Your crystal ball is now focused on the table you chose. Through your crystal ball, you can see the faces of other players at the table, each in his or her own blue crystal ball. Conversation is displayed in the center of the table.

4	To join the conversation, just start typing.

A chat text bar displays what you type. Press ENTER to send your text to the Conference Table window to be displayed. The lights at the base of a crystal ball light up when that person is speaking. The name arrows flash when a person has just left a Conference Room.

5	To type a private message to another player, click the player’s face. A green light below the ball reminds you who you are sending a message to.

6	Begin typing and a text box appears in which your text is displayed. Press ENTER to send your message.

The other player will see text in a balloon coming from your face on his or her display.

7	To add a sound effect to the conversation, click the Sound Effects button, and then click one of the buttons on the Sound Effects toolbar.

8	To return to the public conversation, click the middle of the screen.

While sitting at the table you can also invite other players to a game, exchange Business Cards, send them email, or page them.

9	To scroll through the chat text in the Conference Table window, click the tail or the arms of the green lizard.

Tip  You can save messages displayed in the Conference Table window by clicking the arrow with the player’s name in it, and then dragging the message to your Briefcase. This will save that particular paragraph in a briefcase scroll.
You can also record the whole conversation by turning recording on using the Record buttons  in the Table Commands toolbar. Using this toolbar you can also mute players, show a complete list of players on the table etc.


Adding sound effects

While seated at a table in a game Conference Room, you can add sound effects that other players around the table can hear.

To add a sound effect to your message

1	In a game Conference Room, click the Sound Effects button.

2	Click the following buttons to add sound effects:

Sad

Laughter

Surprise

Giggles

Attention

Sighs

Claps and Cheers

Comment

When you click any button, a typed message, such as [[Lylace laughs]], also appears as part of your message on the Conference Room’s table.
The sound played will be of either a male or female gender, depending on the gender of the face in your persona.


Reserving a private table

Every Conference Room has a separate Private Conference Room in which you can reserve a private table to chat with specific players.

To enter and use a Private Conference Room

1	In the Game Room, click a game door to enter the Conference Room.

A white rim of a crystal ball appears through which you can view the tables in the room.

2	Click on the right side of the white rim to navigate to the east wall of the Conference Room until you see a set of doors.

3	Click on the doors to enter the Private Conference Room.

4	If you are invited to a private conference at a table that has been reserved, click the number or name on the table and type the password.

To reserve a private table

1	Enter a Private Conference Room, click the Table Commands button on the Gold toolbar, and then click the Reserve Private Table button.

The Reserve Private Table window opens with a table number in it.

Note  You must be in a Private Conference Room to activate the Reserve Private Table button.

2	If you want to change the table number to a name, type a name.

3	In the password box, type a password to the table.

4	Send the password to those players you want to invite to the table.


Entering the Kingdom of Drakkar
Starting Kingdom of Drakkar

You can enter and leave Kingdom of Drakkar whenever you choose because it is continually running. You build the skills and experience levels of your Kingdom of Drakkar characters as you spend time playing.

To start Kingdom of Drakkar from the Theater

1	Click the Game Room door, and then click the Fantasy Games door.

2	Click the Kingdom of Drakkar door, and then click the Kingdom of Drakkar button.

The Character Creation window appears for you to create a Kingdom of Drakkar character. You must create a character before you can play the game.

3	Click the Start Game button on the Game toolbar.


Creating characters in Kingdom of Drakkar

You can create four characters, although you can only play one character at a time. Having multiple characters lets you play characters with different skills and abilities.

To create a Kingdom of Drakkar character

1	Click the Create Character button, which is the same as the Create Game button in invitation games.

2	Click which character to modify (primary, secondary, third, or fourth).

To choose which Kingdom of Drakkar character to play

1	Click the Start button.

2	Click which character to play (primary, secondary, third, or fourth).


Starting a new Empire Builder game

In the Empire Builder Conference Room, click the Empire Builder button to open the Game toolbar. From here you can define a new game, and then invite other players to join you. The player who created the game gets the first turn.

To create a new game and define game rules

1	Click the Game Room door, and then click the Board Games door.

2	Click inside the Empire Builder door, and then click the Empire Builder button.

3	Click the Create Game button.

4	In the Create Game Options dialog box, type a name for the game you are defining.

5	Specify the maximum number of players that can join the game. The maximum is 6.

6	Each player usually begins a game with $40 million. To begin with $60 million per player, click the Quick Start check box.

7	Specify winning conditions:

     Type the number of cities a player must connect with rail lines in order to win. The maximum is 6.

     Type the dollar amount (in millions) needed to win, from $50 to $500.

8	To allow borrowing, click the Enable Borrowing Money check box. Then specify the dollar amount (in millions) that a player can borrow at a time. The maximum is 20. A player can borrow an unlimited number of times during each turn.

9	After you define the game's rule, the Talk window appears for you to invite players.

10	After you've invited players, click the Play Game button in the Game List window to launch the game.


Starting an Empire Builder game
Starting a saved Empire Builder game

To play a predefined game

1	Click the Empire Builder button In the Game Room.

2	Click the Start Game button.

The Global Game List window appears.

3	Click the name of the game, and then click the Load Game button.

4	Click the Play Game button in the Global Game List window.

Notes

In a new game, the player who created the game must be the first person to enter the game, but in a predefined game, players can leave and return when they want.


Creating an online persona

You can create up to nine persona faces, three shields for a total of 27 personas, in the Control Room. Choose your gender, and then create your personality by choosing your skin color and facial features. Next, add your own personal style by picking from a cabinet full of accessories, including eyeglasses, hats, clothes, cigars, cigarettes, and pipes, hair color and style, facial hair, and jewelry.

Note  You can add accessories or features to your persona face in any order.

To create a persona face

1	In the Theater, click the hand on the Control Room door.

2	In the Control Room, click the Male button or the Female button.

3	To choose a face shape, click the Narrow, Medium, or Wider Face Shape buttons, which are underneath the Female button.

4	To choose skin color, click the Dark Skin Color button or the Light Skin Color button, which are below the Male button.

5	To build a face, click the five arrows to the right (male) or left (female) of the Central Screen. The arrows cycle forward and backward through the selections for your forehead, eyes, nose, mouth/chin, and neck/shoulder (arranged from top to bottom in that order).

6	To add accessories, click the Accessories button at the end of the left console.

An Accessories Cabinet appears in the left animation screen if you have chosen a male persona face, and in the right animation screen if you have chosen a female persona face.

7	Click the red arrows in the  Accessories Cabinet to scroll through the accessories of the particular category you chose.

As you scroll, each accessory appears in the Accessories Cabinet and is added to the persona face in the Central Screen. Stop scrolling when you find what you want.

8	To choose a different accessory category, click the red arrows on the right and left side of the Accessory button at the end of the left console, and then click the red arrows in the Accessories Cabinet.

9	To change the color of some accessories, such as clothes, click the palette while you have an accessories option open.

10	To display and choose accessories from different time periods, click Time Period button at the end of the right arm of the console, and then click the red arrows to the left or right of the button to choose between modern, middle ages, and ancient times. (Not yet available.)

11	Type a name for your persona face in the Name box under the Central Screen.

12	To save your persona face, first enter the Gallery by clicking the CD-ROM on the inside of the left console arm, and then drag your new persona face onto a blue square on the Gallery wall. When you exit the Gallery, you will be asked to save the persona face you installed on the wall.

Note  It is possible that two or more players could create an identical persona face. However, it is not possible to create identical shields. If you created a shield that another player has already created, you are prevented from saving it. Instead a message displays telling you that the shield already exists. Thus, by combining a shield with a persona face and a name, you are guaranteed a unique online persona.


Designing a persona face

You can create a face by choosing among three face shapes, five different sets of features, and two different skin colors.

To design a face

1	Choose the persona face’s gender by clicking the Male button or the Female button.

2	Choose its skin color by clicking the Light Skin Color button or  Dark Skin Color button.

3	Choose the size of its face by clicking the Narrow, Medium, or Wider Face Shape buttons, which are below the Female button.

4	Choose its facial features by clicking the red arrows to the right or left of the Central Screen. The arrows correspond to the following features in descending order: forehead, eyes, nose, mouth/chin, and neck/shoulders.


Creating a random persona face

You can have the computer randomly generate a persona face for you by clicking the Dice button below the Male button. Each time you click the Dice button, a different randomly created persona face is displayed on the Central Screen in the Control Room. The different face features and accessories are displayed as they are generated. You can speed up the process by holding down the Ctrl key while you press the Dice button. This will generate the random face in memory and display it on the screen without displaying the process of gererating it.


Saving a persona face in the Gallery

After you create a persona face, you can save it in the Gallery. If you don’t save your persona face, you cannot create a Business Card to exchange with other players.

To save a persona face

1	When you are finished creating a persona face in the Control Room, click the CD-ROM on the left console to enter the Gallery.

The persona face appears on the Easel in the Gallery.

2	Click on the persona face and drag it to a blue square on the Gallery wall.

3	Upon leaving the Gallery, choose Yes when prompted to save the changes.

Note  If you save a persona face over an existing face, all Business Cards and their Profiles in your Wallet with the old persona face will be deleted.


Switching personas

From anywhere in the Theater, you can find out which of your personas currently represents you.

To switch personas

1	Click the Active Persona Card button.

The persona who you currently are (name, face, shield) are displayed in the Your Persona window

2	Click the Wallet button, and then page through your Business Cards to choose a different card.

3	Click the Business Card, and then drag it to the Your Persona window.


Creating shields

No two shields in MPG-Net are identical. When you combine a shield with a face and a name, you create a unique online persona that represents you in Conference Rooms and forums on MPG-Net. You create the shield with the Shield Generator in the Gallery. The Shield Generator lets you choose and manipulate a variety of shield shapes and decorations.

To create a shield

1	In the Gallery, double-click a wooden shield plaque to open the Shield Generator.

2	To generate a shield, click the S button, and then click the top or bottom button in the diamond in the middle of the Shield Generator.

A shield appears in the window in the Shield Generator.

3	Continue clicking the top and middle buttons until you find a shield shape you like.

4	Click the left and right buttons in the middle of the Shield Generator to change the style of the shield.

5	Click the Level Number buttons (1,2,3,4) to add up to four decorations to your shield.

Decorations appear in the four corners of the shield if you selected all four numbers. You can move each decoration by clicking and dragging it to a different position on the shield. Only one decoration, corresponding to the Level Number (1,2,3,4) you currently have selected, appears at a time until you click the A button to show all the decorations on the shield.

6	Click the Swap arrows to switch positions of the decorations on the shield. Click the right Swap arrow to switch with the number above, and the left Swap arrow to switch with the number below.

7	Click the left and right buttons in the middle of the Shield Generator to change the style of the decoration you currently have selected.

8	Type a name for the shield in the Name box in the Shield Generator, and then press ENTER.

9	Click the A button to view all items on your shield, and then click the shield and drag it to a wooden plaque on the wall to save it.

Note  You must click the A button before you move the shield to the wall.

10	To erase the shield you created and start over, click the Clear button. If the A button is selected, clicking the Clear button erases the shield and all decorations. If the S button is selected, only the shield is deleted. If Level Numbers 1,2,3, or 4 are selected, it clears that decoration.

11	To create a random shield, click the Random button. If the A button is selected, clicking the Random button randomized the shield and all decorations. If the S button is selected, only the shield is randomized. If Level Numbers 1,2,3, or 4 are selected, it randomizes that decoration.

Note  You can create up to three shields.


Saving shields

No two shields in the MPG-Net gaming community are alike. If you happen to create a shield identical to someone else’s, a message tells you that the shield already exists, and you won’t be able to save it.

To save a shield

  	In the Shield Generator, click the A button, and then click the shield and drag it to a wooden plaque.

If you drag it to a plaque in which a shield already exists, you will be asked if you want to overwrite the existing shield. If you click Yes, all the Business Cards and Profiles in your Wallet with the old shield will be deleted.


Deleting shields

To delete a shield

  	Click a shield, and drag it to Kiki, the small green creature with a huge appetite in the lower-right corner of the screen.
You will be asked if you want to delete the shield. If you click Yes any and all the Business Cards and Profiles in your Wallet with the deleted shield will be deleted.


Creating Business Cards

You can create Business Cards to exchange them with other players in game Conference Rooms. A Business Card contains the face of one of your personas and a shield and a name. You store your Business Cards in your Wallet and other players’ Business Cards in your Business Card Filer. That way, you can send email and invite other players to play a game even if they are offline.

To create a Business Card

1	Click a face, and then drag it to the left panel of the Easel.

2	Click a shield, and then drag it to the right panel of the Easel.

3	Click the center of the easel, and then drag the Business Card to the Wallet. Your Wallet will open automatically if it is closed at the time.


Exchanging Business Cards

You can exchange Business Cards with other players anywhere in the Theater. You can do so either while at the same table with other players in the Conference Room or by using the Talk window. Having other players’ Business Cards allows you to send them messages and email while they are offline.

To exchange Business Cards

1	In a Conference Room, click the Personal Accessories button on the Gold toolbar.

2	Click the Wallet button on the Personal Accessories toolbar.

3	Choose the Business Card you want to exchange by flipping through the Business Cards in your Wallet.

4	Click the Business Card you want, and then drag it to the table.

The Business Card is automatically entered into the Business Card Filer of all players at the table.

-Or-

Click the Business Card you want, and then drag it to the face of the player you want to exchange Business Cards with.

The Business Card is automatically entered into the Business Card Filer of that player.

You can also hand out your Business Cards to other players using the Talk window as a means to locate such players.

1 From anywhere in the Theater, open the Talk window, and locate the player you want to give your Business Card to.

2 Open your Wallet and drag the Business Card you want from your Wallet and drop it on the player you want to exchange Business Cards with.

The Business Card is automatically entered into the Business Card Filer of that player.


Using the Briefcase

The Briefcase lets you download files from the Library and download messages from Conference Rooms to your computer. It also stores email messages or other documents created in the Email Editor. MPG-Net will soon let you upload files from your Briefcase to the Library in MPG-Net for sharing with other players.

To use the Briefcase

  	To open the Briefcase, click the Briefcase button on the Personal Accessories toolbar.

  	To scroll through files in the Briefcase, click the up and down arrows above and below the lock.

  	To close the Briefcase, click its lock.

  	To open a file, double-click the file name.

  	To move the Briefcase, click the spine, the handle, or the interior area beneath the hinge, and then drag it.

  	To view the progress of a download, double-click the ghost scroll representing the file being downloaded to display the File Transfer Status window.

  	To delete a file, click it, and then drag it to Kiki.

  	To download files and messages, see Downloading files in the Library and Conference Rooms.

Tip  Any Save or Save As messages displayed on screen refer to saving files in the Briefcase.


Canceling a download

To cancel a download in progress

1	In the Briefcase, double-click the ghost scroll that contains the filename of the file being downloaded.

2	In the File Transfer Status window, click the X in the upper-right corner of the file’s field.


Using the Wallet

The Wallet stores the Business Cards created in the Gallery. A Business Card displays a shield a face And a name. Because you can create up to nine faces and three shields, you can create and store a total of 27 Business Cards (personas). You can exchange the Business Cards in your Wallet with other players in game Conference Rooms. You can drag Business Cards from your Wallet to the return address position when you send email, and use them to switch your online personas. You can also create a profile for your persona

To use the Wallet

  	To open the Wallet, click the Wallet button on the Personal Accessories toolbar.

  	To move the Wallet, click anywhere on the Wallet (except the Business Card display), and then drag it.

  	To view Business Cards in your wallet, click the turned-down corner of a Business Card to move forward, or click the area behind it to move backward.

  	To delete a Business Card, click it, and then drag it to Kiki.

  	To use a Business Card to address email, see Sending email.

  	To Add/Update persona’s profile, double click on its business card. This will invoke a new instance of the Profile window for you to add or update its profile. You can also drag a Business Card to an open Profile window to utilize, instead of opening a new instance of it.


Using the Business Card Filer

The Business Card Filer stores Business Cards from other players and from MPG-Net. You can use their Business Cards to address email to them. When you first enter a game Conference Room, InfoBot hands you several MPG-Net Business Cards, including the Help Desk, Billing, and Kingdom of Drakkar Business Cards.

To use the Business Card Filer

  	To open the Business Card Filer, click the Business Card Filer button on the Personal Accessories toolbar.

  	To view Business Cards, click the turned-down corner of a Business Card to move forward, or click the area behind it to move backward.

-Or-

Click the arrow in the upper-right corner to scroll through the alphabet and then click a specific letter.

  	To delete a Business Card, click it, and then drag it to Kiki.

  	You can view a player’s Profile by double clicking on their Business Card or dragging the card to an open Profile window.


Using MPG-Net Mail
Using MPG-Net email

You can exchange email with other players if you have their Business Cards and they have yours. You can find most email features on the Personal Accessories toolbar, including the Inbox button, the Outbox button, and the Email Editor button. Use the Outbox and Inbox to send and receive mail. Use the Email Editor to compose your mail messages. Set mail options with the Email Administrator button on the Tools toolbar.


Composing email with the Email Editor

You can compose email messages with the Email Editor and then automatically insert them in the Outbox for mailing.

To compose a message with the Email Editor

1	Click the Personal Accessories button on the Gold toolbar, and then click the Email Editor button.

2	To create a new email message, click the Create New File button, and then type a message.

3	To open a message you have stored in your Briefcase, double-click the file in the Briefcase to open the Email Editor, or click a file, and then drag it to an open Email Editor.

4	You can edit your message by using any of the following buttons in the Email Editor:

Copy: Copies text and places it on a clipboard.

Cut and Copy: Cuts text and copies it to a clipboard.

Paste: Pastes a section of text you have cut.

Delete Text: Cuts text.

Move Up button: Moves your position in the text one line up.

Move Down button: Moves your position in the text one line up.

5	To save you file in the Briefcase, click the Save File button.

6	To save your file under a different name, click the Save File As button.

7	Click the Mailbox button to add your message to the Outbox to send it.

Tip  You can delete an envelope from the Outbox or Inbox by clicking on any blank area on the envelope, and then drag it to Kiki.


Receiving email

The Inbox button flashes when you have received email.

To open incoming email

1	Click the Inbox button to open the Inbox.

2	Click the tab on the right side of an envelope to open the message.

Clicking the tab breaks the dotted red line along the right side of the envelope when you open a message for the first time. You can also drag the envelope and drop it on an open Email Editor to view or reply to.


Sending email

You can use the Outbox to send email to other players whether they are online or offline. Clicking on the Outbox button opens the Outbox so you can review your outgoing email messages. To add a new message to the Outbox for sending, you must first compose it in the Email Editor, or open a message that you have stored in your Briefcase, and place it in the Email Editor.

To send email

1	Create or place an email message in the Email Editor, and then click the Mailbox button.

2	The Outbox opens and an envelope appears with your Business Card in the Return position.

3	To change which of your Business Cards appears in the Return position, open your Wallet, and then click and drag a different Business Card to that position.

4	To address the email, click the Business Card Filer button on the Personal Accessories toolbar to open the Business Card Filer.

5	Click the Business Card of the player you want to send email to, and then drag it to the To position on the Outbox.

6	Iif you need to make changes to the message before sending,click the tab on the envelope to open the Email Editor. Or, if the message is already loaded in an editor, make the changes and in either case, when you are done making changes, click on the Update Mail Message button  to update the message and return to the Outbox.

7	Click the turned-down corner of the stamp to select a stamp, and then click the stamp to send the email.

An MPG-Net postmark appears on the envelope to indicate it has been sent.


Replying to email

You can reply to email in your Inbox that another player has sent you.

To reply to email

1	Click the Inbox button to open the Inbox.

2	Click on the tab on the right side of the envelope to load the message in an Editor or drag and envelope and drop it on an open Editor.

3	Click the Reply to Message button. The Editor prepares the message for replying to it and you can write your reply.

4	When finished composing your reply, click on the Update Mail Message button  button.

A return address envelope will be created in the Outbox.

Note

•	You can change the address on an envelope at any time. You can modify the text at any time, but any changes you make to the text after the envelope has been created will not be placed in the envelope unless you use the Update Mail Message button  to bring the envelope up-to-date.

•	The Mailbox, Reply to Mail Message, and Update Mail Message buttons are at the same location on in the Email Editor. Email Editor will switch among these buttons as required.


Interacting with other players

MPG-Net provides a variety of ways for you to meet, chat with, and, of course, play games with other players. You can invite players to challenge you in a specific game, sit and chat around a table in a Conference Room, or post messages on one of the bulletin boards in the Newsreader which is accessible in the Forums Room or in one of the Conference Rooms. While chatting in a Conference Room, you can exchange Business Cards, send a message, or page a specific player. If you have players’ Business Cards, you can send them email or invite them to a game even when they are offline.


Talk window
Communicating in the Talk window

In the Talk Window, you can view the Business Cards of players currently connected to MPG-Net, and then send them messages or invite them to a game.

To view players currently online

1	Click the Expand or Shrink Window button on the right of the Talk window to increase or decrease the number of Business Cards displayed in the Talk window.

2	Click the View Control buttons to switch among different views of currently connected players, including face and shield, face only, or a list of players’ names.

3	Click the Business Card or name to find out where a player is.

To communicate with a player

Click either the Invite button, the Page button, or the Message button in the lower-left corner of the Talk Window, depending on the mode you want to switch to. Click the gray box in the lower-right corner of a Business Card for the player you want to invite, page or speak to, then click on the action button to send the request. The action button is labeled appropriately depending on the mode you are in, as Invite, Page or Speak.
When you receive a message sent by another player, it shows in a Speaker box with the face and name of sender, along with the message. You can respond using this Speaker window by clicking on the REPLY button on the message, or you can locate the user in the Talk window and send them a message from there.

Note You cannot invite players to a game until you have selected and loaded a game session in the.Talk window.


View Control buttons
Using View Control buttons

The View Control buttons let you expand or shrink your view of players connected to MPG-Net or change the view to show only the faces and names, or only the names of players. In the expanded view, you can view up to 9 Business Cards or 18 faces with names or 36 names at a time. If more players than that are connected, you can click the turned-down, upper-right corner of the Talk window to move forward or backward.


Locating players

To locate another player

1	On the Gold toolbar, click the Communication button.

2	Click the Talk button.

3	Click the Expand Window button to view players currently online.

4	To view additional pages of players online, click the turned-down, upper-right corner.

You can click a player’s face or name to see the game or room he or she is in.
You can also hold the Ctrl key down while you click on the player to pick their card, which you can drop on an open Profile window to view their Profile. Or you can double click on the player and that will open a new instance of a Profile window and show their Profile.


Paging players

You can page players who are currently online. You should page while you’re in a Conference Room so that players have a place to meet you.

To page a player

1	In a game Conference Room, click the Communication button on the Gold toolbar, and then click the Talk button.

The Talk window appears.

2	Click the Page button in the Talk window to switch to Paging mode

3	Click the check box in the lower-right corner of the Business Card of a player you want to page. You can only send a page to one player at a time.

A notice is sent to the selected player that indicates you are paging them. They can then join you in the Conference Room.


Sending messages
Sending messages to players

You can send brief messages to players who are currently online.

To send a message to a player

1	In a game Conference Room, click the Communication button on the Gold toolbar, and then click the Talk button.

The Talk window appears.

2	Click the Message button to switch to Talk mode

3	Click the check box in the lower-right corner of the Business Card of a player you want to send messages to. You can only send a message to one player at a time.

4	Type a message in the text box, and then click the Speak button. Players will receive the message with a note that it is from you in a Speaket box window. They can then reply directly to you using that Speaker box window.


Theater

In the Theater Lobby, there are six doors, and a marquee, a Newspaper, and a Gold toolbar. Click the yellow Newspaper to read gaming news from MPG-Net. Click on any door to enter other rooms, which include the Billing Room, Shopping Mall, Game Rooms, Forums, Library, and Control Room. To return to the Theater from any of the rooms, click the Theater button or the Back button on the Navigation toolbar.


Billing Room

Obtain subscription and account information. View or change your account personal information and password, view and buy event tickets or change your billing plan, view your billing history and rate information and more.


Library

Download new games, upgrades, and other files such as replays of games, or your own or other players’s game-related stories or art. (Uploads not yet available.)


Audio Room

Enter to download sound files that contain music or sounds from games.


Deposit Slot

Drag files from your Briefcase to the Deposit Slot for uploading to the Library Bookstacks. (Not yet available.)


Game Room

Enter to play games. Contains doors to Fantasy, Board, Space, and War games. Click one of those doors to enter a room with more doors to specific games. Clicking on a specific game’s door leads you into the Conference Room of a specific game.


Crystal Ball

Type messages into the crystal ball for other players to read and respond to when sitting at a table in a Conference Room. To send a message, just begin typing.


Blue Crystal Ball

Contains the faces of the last six players to who spoke at a table in a Conference Room. Click on the face of a particular player to exchange Business Cards or to speak privately. If a particular player you want to send a message to is not in any of the blue crystal balls, you can use the Table User List from the Table Commands toolbar to show all the users on the table. Using the Table User List window, you can double click on the name of the player you want speak to. This will put their face in a blue crystal ball and select them as your private listener. A small ear icon next to their name in the Table User List indicates they are the private listener.


White Rim
White Rim of Crystal Ball

To see who’s sitting at tables when you first enter a Conference Room, you stare through a white-rimmed crystal ball. Click anywhere on the rim, and then point to move around the Conference Room. You can also move around by holding down the Ctrl key and click inside the crystal ball and move the cursor around. The view will move to the direction of the cursor movement.
To enter the private Conference Room, move to the right of the room until you see doors on the east wall, and then click the doors.


Private Conference Rooms

Each game’s Conference Room includes a Private Conference Room with ten tables that you can reserve for private conversations.


Board Games door

Click to play Empire Builder and other parlor games.


Empire Builder

In this adaptation of the board game, you and up to five other railroad tycoons are locked in a power struggle to build a railroad spanning the continental United States. The first player to connect five major cities and amass $250 million wins! Or you can define your own winning conditions before you challenge other players to a game.


Fantasy Games door

Click to play Kingdom of Drakkar and other Fantasy Games.


Kingdom of Drakkar

In this fantasy role-playing game, you’ll pick a character--a thief, healer, fighter, or mentalist, among others--to explore the lands of the kingdom. As you explore, you build your skills and experience by battling foes and adventuring with other players.


Control Room

In the Control Room, you can create up to nine persona faces. The Control Room is also the access point to the Gallery, where you save your persona faces and create unique shields for them and also create Business Cards out of them.


Information screen

Displays descriptions of buttons in the Control Room.


Male Animation screen

Spinning male head in the Control Room.


Female Animation screen

Spinning female head in Control Room.


Animation On/Off Switch

Click to turn the animation screen on or off.


Central Screen

Displays a persona face as you create him or her in the Control Room.


Male button

Click to create a male persona face in the Control Room.


Female button

Click to create a female persona face in the Control Room.


Face Shape buttons

Click the Narrow, Medium or Wider Face Shape buttons to change the shape and size of a persona’s face in the Control Room.


Light Skin Color button

Click to choose light skin for your persona face.


Dark Skin Color button

Click to choose dark skin for your persona face.


Features Arrows

Click to change features of your persona face. From the top of the screen down, they correspond to the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth/chin, and neck/shoulders.


Accessories button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet, which opens first to the hair style accessory. After you choose a hair style, you can choose a different category of accessory by clicking the arrows to the left or right of the Accessories button, and then clicking the Accessories arrows in the Accessories Cabinet. The Accessories button includes buttons for: Eyeglasses, Hats, Clothes, Smoking Implements, Hair, Facial Hair, and Jewelry.


Accessories Hat button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet and choose a hat for your persona face.


Accessories Earrings button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet and choose earrings for your persona face.


Accessories Smoking button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet and choose smoking paraphernalia for your persona face.


Accessories Necklace button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet and choose a necklace for your persona face.


Accessories Facial Hair button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet and choose facial  hair for your persona face. This option is only available for a male persona face.


Accessories Clothes button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet and choose clothes for your persona face.


Accessories Glasses button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet and choose eyeglasses for your persona face.


Accessories Hair button

Click to open the Accessories Cabinet and choose a hairstyle for your persona face.


Naming persona box

Click and then type the name of your persona face. The name can be saved along with your persona face in the Gallery.


Modern Time Period button

Click to change the style of some accessories to the modern era. (Not yet available.)


Middle Ages Time Period button

Click to change the style of some accessories to the Middle Ages. (Not yet available.)


Ancient Time Period button

Click to change the style of some accessories to ancient times. (Not yet available.)


Gallery CD-ROM button

Click to enter the Gallery where you can save your persona faces and create shields and Business Cards for them.


Business Card

Contains a persona face a shield and a name, and is used to communicate with other players. Business Cards are used in exchanging email, inviting other players to games, and paging them. You can create up to 27 Business Cards by combining a total of nine possible persona faces and three possible shields. You can store your Business Cards in your Wallet, and other players’ Business Cards in your Business Card Filer.


Shield Generator

Used to create up to three unique shields in the Gallery. The Shield Generator allows you to choose among shield shapes and up to four different types of decorations, and to name your shield.


Easel

Create Business Cards by clicking and dragging faces and shields to the Easel, which is at the bottom center of the Gallery. Add Business Cards to your Wallet by clicking and dragging them from the Easel to your Wallet.


Gold toolbar

Click buttons on this toolbar to move in and out of rooms in the Theater, locate and communicate with other players, read online Help, and set various other options.


Communications button

Click to open the Communications toolbar.


Talk button

Click to open the Talk window, where you can locate and communicate with other players.  For example, when the Talk window is open, you can invite other players to a game.


Query button

Click to open the Query window, where you can search on players given their name, location, profile info, game preferences etc..


Talk window

In the Talk Window, you can view the Business Cards of players currently connected to MPG-Net, and then send them messages, page them, or invite them to a game. Before you can invite players, you must select and load a specific game in the Global Game List window. From the Talk window, you can also open the Global Game List window using the Select button.


View Control buttons

Click the top button to display faces and shields of connected players. Click the middle button to display faces and names only. Click the bottom button to display a list of names.


Expand Window buttons
Expand or Shrink Window buttons

Click to expand the view of players currently connected to MPG-Net. Click again to return to smaller view.


Turn Page button

Click the turned-down corner to move forward. Click the area behind the turned-down corner to move backward.


Invite button

Click to begin inviting players to play a game, and then click the Select button to open the Global Game List window in which you select and load a game. Click the lower-right corner of the Business Card of each player you want to invite, and then click the Invite Text button.


Page button

In the Talk window, you can only send a page to one player at a time. Click the Page button, check the Business Card of the player you want to page, and then click the Page Text button. You should only page a player from within a Conference Room because that is the only place they can meet you


Message button

Click to begin sending short messages to players. Select the player you want to send a message to, by placing a check mark on their Business Card in the Talk window, then type the message and click on the Speak button. You can only send a message to one player at a time.


Talk Window Close button

Click to close the Talk window.


Load Game button

Click to load the game you have selected in the Global Game List window. If you select a game you did not create, a circle with a bar through it appears.


Play Game button

Click to play a game after you have selected the game and invited other players to it. A circle with a bar is displayed if no game is selected, or if the game was created by another player and has not yet started. You need to be in the appropriate game’s conference room for this button to work.


Delete Game button

Click to delete a game that you created. You can only delete a game you created. A circle with a bar through it will appear if you try to delete someone else’s game. After you delete a game, it remains in the Global Game List window with a status of DEL until the window is closed and opened again.


Close Button
Global Game List Close button

Click to close the Global Game List window.


Games toolbar

Contains the buttons to set up and play games. The number and type of buttons vary depending on the game, but generally include the Create Game button and the Start Game button as well as a Scores button and a Forums button


Create Game button

Click to set options or define rules of a new game. The options and rules vary for each game. In some games, like Kingdom of Drakkar, clicking the Create Game button lets you create a game character.


Create Character button

Click to create a character before you begin playing Kingdom of Drakkar. You can create four characters, although you can only play one character at a time. Having multiple characters lets you play characters with different skills and abilities.


Start Game button

Click to start playing a game after you have defined its options. To define a game's options, click the Create Game button. In some games, like Kingdom of Drakkar, clicking the Start Game button opens the game.


Doorbell button

Click on this button in the Game toolbar to open the Talk window if it has been closed and you want to open it again to invite players.


Game Scores button

Click to show the Game Scores files for this game.


Game Forums button

Click to open the newsreader and read the forums for this game.


Help button

Click to open the Help toolbar.


Help toolbar

Contains the Theater Help button, Credits button, and the Clock button.


Theater Help button

Click to open online Help for the MPG-Net Theater. To open online Help for a specific game, you must be playing it.


Credits button

Click to view the names of people who created the MPG-Net Theater.


Clock button

Click to choose either a digital or a face clock to display the date and time. The clock will remain visible in the Theater until you close it by clicking the MPG-Net logo button. To toggle between a digital or a face clock, double-click the clock. To move the clock, click, and then drag it.


Version Notes button

Click to show the Version Notes file for this game.


Quick Start Manual button

Click to show the Quick Start Manual file for this game.


Game Rules button

Click to show the Game Rules file for this game.


Personal Accessories button

Click to open the Personal Accessories toolbar.


Active Persona Card button

Click to open the Your Persona window and display your current online persona. Double click your face or shield in the Your Persona window to display your Active Persona Card Puzzle.


Active Persona Card Puzzles

Double-clicking your face or shield in the Your Persona window makes each of them into a scrambled puzzle. To reconstruct your face or shield, click on a square next to the single open slot to move the square into it.


RSVP button

Click to display the Invitation window. If another player has invited you to a game while you were online or offline, the Invitation window is displayed. You may accept or decline the invitation, or add it to the Invitation window to decide at a later time if you want to play. Only those invitations you add to the Invitation window are displayed in it.


Briefcase button

Click to open and display email messages and files that have been stored in your Briefcase for downloading or uploading.


Transfer Status window
File Transfer Status window

Click to view the status of files being downloaded. Clicking the X by the file being downloaded stops the download. To delete a file from the Briefcase, click on the file and drag it to Kiki, the small green creature in the lower-right corner of the window. Click the lock on the Briefcase spine to close it.


Business Card Filer button

Click to display the Business Card Filer, which stores Business Cards from other players.


Email Editor button

Click to compose and edit email messages that you want to send to other players.


Navigation button

Click to open the Navigation toolbar.


Navigation toolbar

Contains the Library Scrolling buttons, Back button, the Jump to Location button, the Theater button, and the Exit button, which allow you to move in and out of rooms in the Theater, and exit MPG-Net.


Back button

Click to return to the room that you were in previously.


Theater button

Click to return to the Theater Lobby.


Exit button

Click to exit MPG-Net.


Tools button

Click to open the Tools toolbar, which contains buttons that let you set MPG-Net options.


Tools toolbar

Contains the following buttons that let you set MPG-Net options: Bandwidth Control, Sound Control, Desktop Control, Email Administrator, General Options, Explore Window, Quick Access Window and Game Control buttons.


Bandwidth button
Bandwidth Control button

Click to display the Bandwidth Control window, which lets you to change the bandwidth allocated to different functions in the Theater.


Bandwidth Control window

Allows you to change the bandwidth allocated to different functions in the Theater. For example, you might want to increase the amount of bandwidth available to downloading files in the Library while you are chatting in a Conference Room. The abbreviations in the Bandwidth Control window represent the following:

•	SYS: system

•	MSG: messages

•	USR: user

•	TRM: terminal

•	LIB: Library

•	GAM: games

•	DNL: downloading

•	UPL: uploading

•	RES: reserve


Sound Control button

Click to open the Sound Control window, which lets you turn on or off event sounds, room sounds, and background music in the Theater.


Sound Control window

Click the switches to turn on or off event sounds, room sounds, and background music in the Theater.


Desktop Control button

Click to open the Desktop Control window, which lets you select window pattern, window color, background tile pattern, and screen attributes.


Desktop Control window

Open to select window pattern, window color, background tile pattern, and screen attributes.


Email Administrator button

Click to open the Email Administrator window, which lets you change your receive mail options, reply to mail options, send mail options, and general mail options.


Email Administrator window

Open to change your receive mail options, reply to mail options, send mail options, and general mail options.


Inbox button

This flashes if another player has sent you email. Click to open the Inbox window. Your Business Card appears in the To address position and the sender’s Business Card appears in the Return address position.


General Options button

Click to open the General Options window, which lets you set general options for player messages, paging players, ToolTips, and message logging.


General Options window

Open to set general options for email messages, pages, and ToolTips and message logging.


Explore Window button

Click to open the Explore Window, which lets you navigate through folders on your computer, copy files to and from your briefcase etc..


Quick Access button

Click to open the Quick Access window.


Quick Access window

Displays the windows, such as the Your Persona window, that you have minimized. To minimize a window so that it appears in the Quick Access window, click the down arrow icon in the upper-right corner of the window.
Inside the Quick Access window, each minimized window is represented with an icon button. To show a window, click on its icon button.


Game Control button

Click to open the Game Control window which lets you customize your games. You can position your games on any door, hide them or show them, install them or uninstall them.


Personas

MPG-Net is an anonymous gaming community. This means your real identity remains unknown to other online players. To protect your identity, MPG-Net lets you create up to 27 online personas, some might be good, others evil, wise, or foolish. A persona is the combination of a face, a name, and a shield. You can change your persona as you move from game to game, or even use different personas in the same game if you want to switch playing styles. You create personas in the Gallery where you combine a face with a name and a shield.


Shield

A shield identifies you as a unique persona. No two shields in MPG-Net are alike. You can add up to four decorations to a shield in any position and assign the shield a name. Your saved shields are displayed on the wooden plaques in the Gallery.


Gallery

Where you can save your persona faces and create shields and Business Cards for them. You enter the Gallery by clicking the CD-ROM Player button on the left console in the Control Room. On the Gallery wall are nine blue wall plaques for saving persona faces and three wooden wall plaques for saving shields. At the bottom center of the Gallery is the Easel, where you create Business Cards. Double-clicking a wooden wall plaque opens the Shield Generator, which you can use to create a shield.


MPG-Net Forum

Exchange ideas and stories, and ask questions about MPG-Net by posting and reading messages on the MPG-Net Forum’s bulletin boards.


Kiki

Kiki is a small green creature who devours objects you don’t need: Business Cards, persona faces, Briefcase files, or shields. To delete a file, persona face, shield, or Business Card, click it, and then drag it to Kiki. Kiki only shows up if you pick up an item that can be deleted.


Kingdom of Drakkar Forum

Exchange ideas and stories and ask questions about Kingdom of Drakkar by posting and reading messages on the Kingdom of Drakkar Forum’s bulletin boards.


Framed Picture on Wall

Graphics files of fantasy art for downloading.


Magazines and Newspapers

Download news about MPG-Net from the system operator.


Tape Racks

Download software upgrades and new games.


Bookstacks

Download text files, as opposed to binary files, that other players have uploaded by transferring them from their Briefcase into the Deposit Slot. (Not yet available.)


Create New File button

Opens a new file from the Briefcase and displays it in the Email Editor.


Save File As button

Saves a message under a different name (Saves As) in the Briefcase.


Save File button

Saves your message in your Briefcase.


Cut and Copy button

Cuts text and places it on a clipboard for pasting.


Mailbox, Reply to Email Message, Update Email Message button
Mailbox button

In the Email Editor, the Mailbox button also functions as the Reply to Mail Message and Update Mail Message buttons. Email Editor will switch among these buttons as required. While in the Email Editor, click the Mailbox button to send the message as a mail message, or click to update a mail message after you have changed it in the Email Editor.After you have opened an incoming mail message, click the Mailbox button to reply to it.


Move Up button

Click to move up one line of text in the Email Editor.


Move Down button

Click to move down one line of text in the Email Editor.


Delete Text button

Select text in Email Editor, and then click the Delete Text button to delete it.


Copy button

Select text in the Email Editor, and then click the Copy button to copy it to the clipboard.


Newspaper

Presents news about MPG-Net, such as articles on upcoming games and gaming etiquette.


Kingdom of Drakkar toolbar

Contains buttons that let you set options for and play Kingdom of Drakkar.


Kingdom of Drakkar button

Click to open Kingdom of Drakkar toolbar.


Your Persona  window

Displays your current online persona (face, name and shield).


Outbox button

Click to open the Outbox and send email to other players. You can compose your email message in the Email Editor, and then address it by placing your Business Card appears in the Return address position, and the sender’s Business Card appears in the To address position. Clicking the stamp sends the email.


Global Game List window

Stores up to five games that you created for each game, along with games that other players created which you accepted invitations to. To open the Global Game List window, click the Select button in the Talk window. To scroll through stored games, click the Up and Down arrows on the right side of the window.


A button

Click to view all the decorations you have added to your shield.


Random button

Click to create a random shield.


Clear button

Click to clear current shield or selected decoration.


S button

Click to create a shield, and then click the buttons in the diamond in the middle of the Shield Generator to select the shield shape and style.


Dice button

Click to have the computer create a random persona face for you.
To speed up the process and only show the generated face without showing the process, hold the Ctrl key down when you click on the Dice button.


Communications toolbar

Contains the Talk button that opens the Talk window, which displays the Business Cards of all players currently online in your region. It also contains the Query button that opens the Query window, used to find players. The Talk window also allows you to locate, page, and send messages to other players.


Personal Accessories toolbar

Contains the buttons: Active Persona Card, RSVP, Briefcase, Wallet, Business Card, Inbox, Outbox, and Email Editor.


Wallet button

Click to open the Wallet, which stores your Business Cards that you created on the Gallery’s Easel. Up to 27 Business Cards can be stored in your Wallet.


Accessories Cabinet

Displays the accessories that you can add to your persona face.


Accessories Cabinet arrows

Click to advance through different types of accessories for your persona face. To change the category of accessory, click the arrows to the left or right of the Accessories button at the end of the left console, and then click the Accessories Cabinet arrows.


Palette

Click to change the color of the selected accessory, where appropriate; for example, clicking the palette changes hair color but not earring color.


Conference Rooms

Conference Rooms are friendly places to meet and chat with other players, and to begin a new game or continue an old game. Before you begin playing, you can sit around a table and talk directly with other seated players, exchange Business Cards with them, or ask the system operator questions about playing a particular game. You can also speak privately to other players at a table by typing a private message, by paging them, or by sending them email.


Paste button

Pastes text after it has been cut with the scissors.


Empire Builder button

In the Empire Builder Conference Room, click to open the Empire Builder Game toolbar.


Doorbell button

Use this button to invite other players to play the game.


Green Lizard

Click the tail and arms to scroll messages in the Conference Room window.


Swap buttons

Click the left or right arrows to move a selected shield decoration up one level or down one level, respectively.


Speak button

In the Talk window, click the Message button, type your message in the text box, and then click the Speak button to send it to the player whose Business Card you have checked.


Invite Text button

In the Talk window, click the Invite Text button, after you have placed check marks on the Business Cards of those players you want to invite to a game, and after you have loaded and selected a game in the Global Game List window.


Select button

In the Talk window, click the Invite button, and then click the Select button to open the Global Game List window. You must select and load a game in the Global Game List window before you can invite players to a game.


Sound Effects toolbar

Contains the following buttons for making sound effects while on a table: Sad, Laugh, Surprised, Giggle. Attention, Sigh, Clap and Cheer, Comment


Sound Effects button

In a game Conference Room, click to open the Sound Effects toolbar, which lets you add sounds such as sighing and laughing, to your message.


Laughter button

Click to convey the sound of laughter in a game Conference Room.


Surprise button

Click to convey the sound of surprise in a game Conference Room.


Giggles button

Click to convey the sound of giggling in a game Conference Room.


Sigh button

Click to convey the sound of sighing in a game Conference Room.


Attention button

Click to convey the sound of someone clinking silverware against a glass in a game Conference Room.


Claps and Cheers button

Click to convey the sound of clapping and cheering in a game Conference Room.


Comment button

Click to convey the sound of commenting in a game Conference Room.


Shield Diamond buttons

Click the S button on the Shield Generator, and then click the top and bottoms on the diamond to find a shield shape you like. Click the left and right buttons on the diamond to change the style of the shield shape. Click the A button, and then click a Level Number on the Shield Generator to find a decoration shape you like. Click the left and right buttons on the diamond to change the style of the decoration.


Briefcase

With the Briefcase, you can download files from the Library and download messages from Conference Rooms to your computer.


Sad button

Click to convey the sound of sadness in a game Conference Room.


Library Scrolling buttons

Click to browse horizontally to the left and right through the bookstacks in the Library. These button can also be used in game rooms with more than 4 games, to browse through all the game doors.


Stamp

Click the turned-down corner to choose from three types of stamps. Click on the stamp face to send the email. A postmark will appear when the email is sent.


Games toolbar button

Click to open the Game toolbar for a specific game. The graphic on this button varies according to what game you're opening. The Games toolbar contains the buttons to set up and play games. The number and type of buttons vary depending on the game, but generally include the Create Game button and the Start Game button as well as a Scores button and a Forums button.


Page Text button

In the Talk window, this appears on the right after you have clicked the Page icon button and checked the Business Card of the player you want to page. Click to send the page to the player.


InfoBot

When you first enter a Conference Room after connecting to MPG-Net, InfoBot hands Business Cards for the Help Desk, Billing, and Kingdom of Drakkar Business Cards, which you use these to send email with questions or comments.


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Profile contents drag and drop

You can drag and drop the contents of a profile, from one window to another.  The info copied over includes all the profile information, including the game preferences, but excluding the persona itself.  You can not drop the info to the window where it originated from.


Table Commands toolbar

Contains the following buttons with commands relating to sitting at a table: Reserve Private Table, Table User List, Start/Stop Message Recording and Player Mute/Unmute.


Table Commands button

Click to open the Table Commands toolbar, which contains buttons that let you set options specific for sitting at a table.

This toolbar shows only when you are sitting at a table.


Reserve Private Table button

Click to open the Reserve Private Table window in which you can reserve a private table in a Conference Room. You must be in the Private Conference Room for this button to work.


Reserve Private Table window

Type a table name and a password to reserve a private table in a Conference Room.


Table User List button

Click to show the complete list of users on your table. From there you can make players visible if not in a crystal ball


Message Record buttons

Click to start or stop recording (logging) of messages on the table


Player Mute buttons

Click to mute or unmute a player on the table. You must first select a player’s crystal ball before you can mute or unmute them.