EnigmA Amiga Run 1997 February

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RPGBBS Deluxe The Role-Playing Game Bulletin Board System © Copyright 1996 Robert Hurst. All Rights Reserved. DISCLAIMER ========== Micro Wave Software/Robert Hurst ("MWSOFT") make no warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the information and computer software described herein, it's quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Such computer software and documentation is provided on an "AS IS" basis. The entire risk as to their quality and performance is with the LICENSEE. Should the information and/or computer software prove defective, the LICENSEE (and not the creator, MWSOFT) assumes the entire cost of all necessary damages. In no event will MWSOFT be liable for direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the information and computer software even if it has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some laws do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties or liabilities for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply. Table of Contents ================= Introduction The Basics Ability Ratings Character Classes The Arena Bulletin Boards Deep, Dank Dungeon File Section Gambling Casino Naval Area Party Fights The Square Tiny's Tavern Other Options Becoming Immortal Installation Server Client Sysop Introduction ============ The portly man with the bulging coin purse approaches with his two strong, but inexperienced-looking bodyguards. Without so much as extending his hand, he speaks. "So ye think ye want to be an adventurer, eh?" After scanning you over, he continues. "Certainly don't look the type, all sissified and soft. Ye'll be running for yer wetnurse soon enough, I'll warrant. But if ye want to play with the big boys, ye've come to the right place. Ye want to be rich, famous, an' powerful like the rest, don't ye? Aye, else ye wouldn't be here. Well, don't be thinkin' this is a cakewalk. Ye'll be payin' yer dues, and there's plenty of 'em to be paid. By the way, me name's Joe Mollicone. Ye can call me 'Sir', or 'Mr. Mollicone', or simply 'Taxman', that's what I does here, but don't let me catch ye badmouthin' me behind me back." As he turns to leave, he shouts behind him. "Personally, I don't think ye has what it takes. Best to run yer yellow butt back to where it came from." RPGBBS Deluxe is basically a bulletin board built around a medieval role-playing atmosphere (or is it the other way around?). Though it has the standard BBS functions, such as a message base, file section, and e-mail, there are no online games. Instead, you LIVE the online game as you kill, rob from, brawl, and joust the other members to gain levels and fortune. The success of this game is dependent upon the users that play it. Your involvment will not only provide you with entertainment, but also shares your activity with the other players. Please take some time to read the ensuing sections and enjoy the game! The Basics ========== The Taxman hears your footsteps behind him and turns. "Didn't heed me advice, worm? All right, but don't say I didn't warn ye. There's some things ye need to know first if ye hope to make it here, not that I think ye will anyway." Here are some tips worth knowing: · Whenever a prompt asks for a username, you can enter a "?" for a listing by level. · At prompts preceded by [MAX=], you can just type "max" rather than enter the entire amount. · Defeating a Blessed user transfers their Blessing to you - you will receive +10 bonus points to all your character abilities (Strength, Intellect, Dexterity, and Charisma). · Being defeated by a Cursed user will transfer the Curse to you and apply a -10 penalty to all your character abilities. · Be sure to spend your money as soon as you get it. The better your equipment, the more money you will get in the Dungeon. Hoarding gold might attract the Taxman. · Jousting is a quick way to get some much sought-after cash, especially at the beginning. · Do NOT swear anywhere on the system. There are dire consequences to those that do. Ability Ratings =============== "Aye, but ye're a weak one, ain't ye? Ye better pu on some pounds before ye takes on the likes of me an' me men. Oh, don't look so surprised, cur. I'll be back around when ye get somethin' worth taxin'. And if yer some kind of treasonous scum who don't want to help keep this fine city runnin', ye'll have to cut through me an' the boys before enterin'." Your abilities consist of Experience Level, Hit Points, Spell Power, Strength, Intellect, Dexterity, and Charisma. Each is described below. · Experience Level: This indicates how powerful in your class you are. You raise levels by gaining experience points for killing monsters and other users. With each increase in level, you will gain more Hit Points, Spell Power (if used by your class), and a bonus to the four characteristics. · Hit Points: This measures a character's durability. The more Hit Points you have, the more damage you can take. When your Hit Points are down, you can raise them by visiting Butler Hospital, gaining an experience level, or casting Heal or Cure. Each time you log on your Hit Points are restored to full. · Spell Power: This is how much magical energy a character has at their disposal. If the character class uses spells or scrolls, there will be an accompanying Spell Power requirement for casting each. Those classes that use wands do not have to expend any force to invoke them. · Strength: This tracks how hard a character hits. Characters with higher Strength gain more Hit Points when advancing in Experience Levels. More Strength yields more damage in melee attacks. · Intellect: This statistic comes into play mainly in casting and resisting magic. It is also calculated into approximating an opponent's Hit Points. Bonus Spell Power is awarded to those with a high Intellect upon gaining a level. · Dexterity: Your overall fighting ability is measured by how dexterous you are. It is used to calculate who gets the first attack in a battle round, whether a hit was made, jousting ability, and in other applicable instances. · Charisma: A high Charisma will get you more money when selling items in the Square and from defeated foes. Some of the random events that occur tend to favor those with a high Charisma as well. Character Classes ================= "Ye'll be needin' to choose a profession that ye want to pursue here as well. From the looks of ye, I'd recommend shovellin' manure, but that ain't one of yer options. Ye'll just have to find one ye might not be TOO incompetent in." Character classes define the nature and tendencies of a character. Some may hit for more damage, such as the Barbarian, but must pay a higher price to use magic. Others may be able to weave intricate spells, but are poor in physical combat. Each is listed below, with an explanation of benefits and shortcomings. · Alchemist: This character is a master of using poison, getting a 4x bonus when using it on his weapon. Alchemists receive an extra Intellect point when gaining a level. Advantages: Can buy poison cheaply and do a great deal of damage when using it. Disadvantages: Can not buy any magic at all, poor combat abilities without poison. · Assassin: This character class is similar to a ninja in abilities, making him a worthy opponent. Assassins gain an extra Dexterity point upon gaining a level. Advantages: Can use poison well, and generally gets a backstab. Disadvantages: Must purchase expensive wands. · Barbarian: This is the strongest combat-class fighter in the game, but most susceptible to the effects of magic. A Barbarian's hitting power grows as he gains more experience; there will be a point when he can hit for as many points barehanded as with weapons. Barbarians gain +1 Strength point per level. Advantages: Very hard hitter. Disadvantages: Poor magic resistance, must buy wands. · Bard: This class is a jack-of-all trades, an entertainer. Bards gain an extra Charisma point per level. Advantages: Can do it all. Disadvantages: Can not do any of it WELL. · Cleric: These devout fellows have good magic and combat abilities. And extra Charisma point is awarded with each level. Advantages: Normal use of magic spells, can possess very high Charisma. Disadvantages: Poor Dexterity, poor poison use. · Fighter: A one-man killing machine. Fighters gain an additional point to their Stamina when gaining a level. Advantages: Tough opponents. Disadvantages: Poor poison use, must purchase wands. · Jester: The best term used to describe this class is "annoying pest." Though their combat ability is sorely lacking, they are great at dodging blows. Jesters receive a bonus Charisma point upon gaining a level. Advantages: Use spells, can backstab, good robbing ability. Disadvantages: Ineffective poison use, weak combatant. · Magician: This is the magical counterpart of the fighter - strong magical abilities, but weak in physical combat. Magicians gain a bonus point to Intellect per level. Advantages: Use spells well. Disadvantages: Ineffective poison, weak physically. · Ranger: These specialty-fighters have a number of abilities. Rangers gain an extra Stamina point when they gain a level. Advantages: Use scrolls, can hit fairly well. Disadvantages: Cannot use poison, does not excel in a particular area. · Rogue: This class is similar to a Thief, but do not specialize in one ability. Rogues are awarded an extra Charisma point when gaining a level. Advantages: Use scrolls well, good backstab, good robbing ability. Disadvantages: Ineffective poison use, poor physical combat. · Sage: Though this class is the weakest in physical combat, Sages' spellcasting ability rivals that of a God-class. Sages gain an extra Intellect point when gaining a level. Advantages: Super-powered magic. Disadvantages: Ineffective poison use, poor stamina. · Thief: The Thief uses his stealth abilities to sneak in his deadly backstab. Thieves, accordingly, also have the best chance of robbing. This class gains an extra Dexterity point every level. Advantages: Great backstab, good poison use, excellent robbing ability. Disadvantages: Uses wands, weak regular attacks, poor Charisma. The Paladin, Titan, and God classes are described in section Becoming Immortal. The Arena ========= "Think ye're a force to reckon with, do ye? Well, the monsters and your fellow grubs will put ye back in yer place, that I assure ye. Better stick to somethin' safe, like joustin'... or needlepoint!" The arena is the proving grounds, where you test your mettle against monsters and other users. It is relatively safe, as you can retreat at any time, but do not get too complacent - if you wait until you are too far down on Hit Points you may get killed by a powerful blow before you can escape. You can do battle against other users here by typing "U" and providing the levels you want listed. You can only fight someone higher than or up to three levels below you. If you win, you receive experience points, any money they might have in their hand, and their Blessing, if they have one. You will also get their armor and weapon (if it is better than yours). If you are killed, however, your opponent may take your better weapon and/or armor. When you kill a user, they will remain dead until either they log on again or are Resurrected. If you kill a user of higher level than you, they will only be worth the experience points of your level until they log on again. For example, you kill a level 25 Fighter when you are at level 18. If that player becomes Alive! again, the attacker that kills him again, in the interim, will only gain level 18 experience points. Several semi-intelligent denizens like to compete for cash and prizes as well. When doing a Monster Fight, start at the bottom and work your way up slowly. You may do up to three Monster or User Fights per call (or any combination thereof). The Arena also features a jousting field. Here you enter a best-of-five-passes match against a user you specify. Each win increases your Joust Status by two points, each loss decreases it by one point. If you win, you will get a set amount of money, determined by the Experience Level of your opponent. If you lose, your opponent receives the money for your level. You will also gain Joust Status points upon gaining a level. You may joust up to three times per call. You can also cast a non-combat spell and poison your weapon here to ready yourself for battle. In addition to this, you may type "Y" to bring up a mini-status screen. There is even an alley that leads to the Square, but be forewarned - another user may "accidentally bump" you and pick your pocket here. Bulletin Boards =============== "No man be an island, though Tiny is gettin' close to the size. A sissy like yerself will do best to stay in one of these safe areas. The King likes to see his subjects talkin' to each other, so ye best get in there and converse with yer fellow vermin. If ye don't, I'll be collectin' a Silence Tax every time ye visit!" This is your standard message base. If the sysop opts to set a post-to-call ratio (one message must be entered per set number of calls), you must abide by it or be taxed the difference between your post-to-call ratio and the required ratio automatically upon logon. BBS etiquette prohibits entering messages stating, "I'm just posting this to boost my ratio." If there is no existing sub that interests you, suggest one that would to the sysop. To read the messages, simply select a sub's number upon entering this area. Those preceded by an asterisk are ones that contain unread messages. Select "N" to read all new messages, "F" to read a sub's first message, "L" to read the last message posted, and "P" to read the messages in reverse order. Note that if you hit "L" before reading new messages within a sub, your pointer (kind of an electronic bookmark) will be reset to the last message - you will have to hit "P" to scan all previous messages until you hit those you have already seen. You can enter a message in one of two ways. Selecting "E" after entering a sub will allow you to post. If you are scanning messages, you will have the option of using "R" to reply to a particular message, either publicly (in the message base) or privately (via e-mail). When you opt to enter a message, you will be asked to provide an addressee of the message, or just hit the Return key to have it addressed to All. The BBS will automatically supply who the message is from and the date/time. If you address a message to a specific user, that user will be notified at logon that they have a message waiting. Then you will be in the BBS message editor - just type away, and when you are done, type either /s on a blank line to save it, or /q to abort it. Deep, Dank Dungeon ================== "If ye want a REAL challenge, go kill some monsters in the Dungeon - that's where the real money lies. If ye're not scared, that is. Best watch out, though, 'cuz there's plenty of surprises to trip ye up. And if ye run into another limp-livered coward like yerself down there, he's like to mistake yer ugly face for a monster and attack. Maybe ye'll even find the Legendary Wishin' Well down there, but ye'd probably mistake it for a chamberpot." When you enter the Dungeon, you will start on the floor one higher than your Experience Level. Each mazelike level will vary in size; the lower you go, the possibility of a larger floor size. Do not bother keeping maps, as each level is randomly generated each time you enter. The top half of your screen holds a top-view of the current dungeon floor. The player's position is highlighted as -YOU-. The bottom half of the screen is for a rolling, text display. The prompts will guide the player along their adventure. Please note that the dungeon will accept most cursor keys as a substitute for the directions, North, South, East, West. The Dungeon is filled with monsters to slay, most of them commensurate in might to the Dungeon level. On occasion, though, a more powerful creature will work its way up to one of the higher levels, so watch out. Sometimes you will find another user on the Dungeon level matching their Experience Level. Some monsters keep maps of the Dungeon level they are on. If you find one, you will be able to display all rooms on that level. If your Intellect is above 50, you will be able to keep a map of all the rooms you have been in. A key follows: · Mon: A room inhabited by a monster. · Mob: A room inhabited by a mob of monsters! · ?: Unknown. · (Clr): The Cleric, who can heal your wounds (for a price). · (Wiz): The Wizard, which will allow you to teleport out of the Dungeon, up or down a level, or randomly teleport to a room on the current Dungeon level. There are many other items you can find as well. Potions of all types, as well as wands and scrolls, can be found in empty chambers and hidden caves. But beware: sometimes a monster or an armor-spoiling bat may be lurking in the shadows of these "safe" rooms too. Some monsters might even possess weapons that can not be purchased in the Square. These Weapons or Armor may be cursed or have an ego, giving them unique powers. Pay attention to the directions available to go in the Dungeon. Running into a wall will cause damage to your Hit Points. Your options will be available right beside the prompt. File Section ============ "Ye'll do just fine to visit this area as well - ye won't get hurt in it!" When you enter the File Section, you must select an area from those available as you did in the Bulletin Boards. You can then list the files in that area and download one using Xmodem, Zmodem, or Kermit protocols. Uploads must go to a special Uploads directory to be reviewed by the sysop before they are made available to the public. Gambling Casino =============== "Short on cash, are ye? Well, the gods tend to smile on the foolish, so you should stand a good chance. Maybe ye'll even win the Monster Jackpot - and I'm sure ye'll be willin' to fork over the city's share to me." In addition to Blackjack, Craps, Dog Racing, High Card, Keno, Roulette, and the Slots, you can also deposit or withdraw money via the Instant Cash Machine. Naval Area ========== "No, this area don't deal with yer bellybutton, knave. We're talkin' ships here. Get yerself a REAL ship instead of that little dinghy an' ye might be able to bring back a seamonster carcass an' sell it. Or ye can do battle against another mangy cur like yerself and lay claim to their booty. But if ye think ye'll be doin' some fishin' for relaxation, think again!" In the Naval Area, you must first visit the Shipyard to buy a boat once you have saved up enough money. You can then arm it with a ram and one cannon per 50 Hull Points. Once you have made your purchase, you can hunt either denizens of the deep or other users. Hitting "L" will display which users have ships, as well as how powerful those ships are. Each time you log on your Hull Points are restored, though lost Hull Points can be repaired in the Shipyard during the same call. From this menu you can also fish, which will yield some interesting results. I will not spoil the fun by telling you everything that can be caught, but the higher your Charisma, the better chance you have of catching beneficial items. You will, on occasion, catch oysters - the value of their pearls are based directly on how many cannons your ship has. Party Fights ============ "There's strength in numbers, but four cowardly gnats like yerself still won't amount to much. Others got the same idea, an' they'll be more than happy to show ye THEIR strength. If ye think yer gang's tough enough, take on the Monster Mash an' see how some REAL partyin's done!" To get in on Party Fights, you must either join an existing gang or start one of your own. To see if there are any openings, select "L" to list all gangs. Any that have slots saying "-empty-" are available for your membership. Alternately, a gang leader may invite you into a party - you will receive the invitation in your notes when you log on. Listing gangs at this point will show your handle with (Invited) after it in the party into which your presence has been requested. You may want to check the Most Wanted List to ensure that the gang you are about to join does not have a past history of taking a beating on a regular basis. You may resign from a gang, if you have not used your party fight that call. If you would like to form your own Party, simply select "S". You will then be asked to supply a name for your gang. Once that is complete, you can edit the gang, inviting potential teammates. Do not invite users that are already in a gang - chances are slim they will leave theirs for yours. The perfect gang combination consists of a heavy-hitter (Barbarian, Fighter, or Ranger), poison-using class (Alchemist, Assassin, Thief), magic-using (Sage, Magician, Cleric, Jester), and jack-of-all-trades (Bard or Rogue). Keep this in mind when selecting other members. If you do not invite specific users into the gang, any user has the option of joining. As gang leader, you may have the option to replace undesirables at any time. If you would like to put someone else in charge, you can use "T" to Transfer Leadership. Note that if a member of your Party kills you, that person automatically assumes leadership. Any of the four, possible members that have joined the gang may initiate combat with another Party. Only gang members with Alive! status can participate in the gang battle. Any time another Party is defeated, the victors divide the spoils (based on Experience Levels) of all money that was in the losing gang members' hands. If the defeated gang was powerful enough, you will also gain a level. Be sure to use "Y" to check your statistics during battle, and keep in mind that discretion is indeed the better part of valor - if your Party is defeated, you will be logged off. If you are defeated during the fight, your call will only continue if you go up an Experience Level and receive more Hit Points. The Square ========== "Ye'll need to be doin' some shoppin' if ye stand a chance of survival. Not a high one, mind ye, but a chance. Of course, once ye get some coinage saved up, I expect ye'll be doin' yer part to keep this fine city runnin'!" The Square is your character's online shopping mall. The Armory and Weapon Shoppe allow you to buy and sell the tools of your trade. Here is a complete list of items: Dart 1c Wooden Shield 5c Sling 2c Small Shield 10c Dagger 5c Large Shield 50c Staff 10c Leather 100c Club 25c Padded Leather 500c Hammer 50c Studded Leather 100c Mace 100c Ring Mail 5000c Flail 250c Scale Mail 10000c Spear 500c Chain Mail 1s Axe 1000c Splint Mail 5s Harpoon 2500c Banded Mail 10s Short Bow 5000c Bronze Plate Mail 50s War Hammer 10000c Normal Plate Mail 100s Battle Axe 25000c Field Plate Armor 500s Light Crossbow 50000c Full Plate Armor 1000s Javelin 1s Dancing Shield 5000s Short Sword 2s,50000c Dragon Scale Mail 1g Long Bow 5s Elfin Chain Mail 10g Long Sword 10s Minthral Plate Armor 100g Heavy Crossbow 25s Cloak of Elvenkind 500g Scimitar 50s Robe of Blending 1000g Pole Arm 100s Adamantite Plate Mail 5000g Broad Sword 250s Cloak of Displacement 1p Trident 500s Cube of Force 5p Two-Handed Sword 1000s Ring of Invisibility 10p Gloves of Strength 2500s Dart of Homing 5000s Sling of Seeking 1g Dagger of Venom 2g,5000s Staff of Striking 5g Hammer of Throwing 10g Mace of Disruption 25g Axe of Hurling 50g Hammer of Thunderbolts 100g Axe of Lords 250g Crossbow of Distance 500g Sword of Quickness 1000g Arrows of Slaying 2500g Sword of Sharpness 5000g Crossbow of Accuracy 1p Scimitar of Speed 2p,5000g Sword of Wounding 5p Trident of Submission 10p Vorpal Sword 25p Wand of Wonder 50p Rod of Smiting 100p Sword of Life Stealing 250p Wand of Lightning 500p Ring of Shooting Stars 1000p Staff of the Magi 5000p Real Estate and Security are very important - they help to keep you from getting robbed by other users. Here is a complete list of items: Cardboard box 100c Baseball bat 100c Cave 1000c Boulder 1000c Stable 10000c Fence 10000c Shed 1s Padlock 1s Shack 10s Dead bolt lock 10s Barn 100s Trip wire trap 100s Hovel 1000s Barbed wire fence 1000s Cabin 1g Dog 1g Room above tavern 10g Shotgun 10g House 100g Stone wall 100g Mansion 1000g Burglar alarm 1000g Tower 1p Security guard 1p Castle 10p Moat 10p Palace 100p Garrison 100p Fortress 1000p Magical barrier 1000p And you will probably be paying more than a few visits to the Butler Hospital, where you can heal your wounds for a small fee. If you cannot afford to heal all your Hit Points, the Hospital will sympathize and take a loan out for you from the Bank. You can try to Pick Pockets in this busy sector, if you are careful not to get caught by the city guard. And you can take the alley leading to the Arena. In the Mages Guild, you can buy magical wands, scrolls, or spells, depending on which your class uses. As more energy must be expended to create wands, they cost considerably more and may become inoperative after each use. Scrolls are cheaper, but may also be consumed in the casting as are wands. If your class is fortunate enough to use spells, you only need to buy each once and it will stick with you until you reach Immortality. Each spell is described below. · Charisma, Intellect, Strength, Dexterity: Each of these will temporarily raise each respective ability from one to ten points each time it is cast, to a maximum of their class allows. · Shield, Hone: These will augment your weapon and armor. Be careful not to augment them too much! · Teleport: This spell replaces the Wizard in the Dungeon. It can also be cast as a defensive, escape measure in battle. · Heal, Blast: These are used to restore lost Hit Points or cause an opponent to lose some. · Resurrect: This spell will bring a dead user back to life so they can be killed again. · Confusion: This will distract your enemy in battle, making them miss and their spells fail more often. · Transmute: This spell will permanently change your opponent's weapon to something of lesser value. · Cure: This spell will restore ALL lost Hit Points. · Illusion: This spell will summon an ally of the same qualities of the caster. · Disintegrate: This will completely atomize your opponent. · Morph: This spell, which can only be cast in battle, will randomly change your opponent's character class and level. Note that you could make him more powerful, a God class, or force an extermination, a class of None. All spell-casting attempts are subject to failing or even backfiring. The Apothecary sells poison, which will enhance your blade in battle. The more expensive the poison, the better the damage, though some of the lesser weapons can not hold a good dose of the better poisons. Classes unfamiliar with the use of poison must pay extra for a special blend which has been magicked to adhese to the blade, while those very familiar with the application of poison may be able to get several doses out of one small vial. The Apothecary has preconceived notions about certain classes, however, and will not sell poison to certain character classes for fear of being reported to the authorities. Ye Olde Stone Bank is a relatively safe place to store your excess cash, though it has been known to be robbed on occasion. When you are short on cash, the banker may even see his way clear to grant you a loan based on your Real Estate and Security assets. If you are feeling lucky, you can try to Rob the Bank, but the chance is very slim, as the Bank hires the best of security. Tiny's Tavern ============= "I'll let ye go in and check this out for yerself. Tiny an' me's not on the best of terms." You enter the Tavern and are amazed by the size of the barkeep - he must stand over seven feet tall. His appearance - and abnormal height - lead you to believe that human blood is not the only type flowing through his veins. He finishes drying a flagon, places it with several others, and makes an adjustment to the sword hanging above his mantle. He then turns toward you and speaks. "New customer, huh? OK, here's the rules, and I'm only gonna tell ya once, punk. There's some rough-housing that goes on here, so I'll letcha get away with three brawls. A lotta loose talk breezes through here, so you'll wanna keep your ears cocked as well. If you wanna keep up on what's going on in the world, I keep a couple of newspapers lying around here to read. He points a meaty finger at a chart on the wall and continues. "Other people put bounties on the ones that done them wrong. You can put up one of your own, chalk's right there on the sill. Me, I've seen it all working here - gimme a decent tip and I'll give ya one right back. But you'd best watch your mouth, punk, or I'll take ya down a notch. I can stand a little abuse, but some things I just don't tolerate." With that, he flexes a mighty bicep and continues his cleaning. In the Tavern, you can Brawl another user of higher or up to three levels below you. If you win, you receive one third of the experience points for killing them and any money in their hand. If you lose, your opponent will get the same, and you will be knocked unconscious for anywhere from one to ten minutes. Watch out for those wild punches - your enemy may duck and you will hit an unintended target, who may in turn join in the fracas. You can also listen to or join in the arguments going on here. A log is kept of the current and previous days' activities for your review. Or you can have an ale and talk to Tiny, who may have some good advice for you. You can also vent frustrations by Swearing at Tiny, but do not make a habit of it or the consequences could be dire. If you want to exact revenge on someone, but they are too high or low a level for you to do it personally, you can post a Bounty on them, offering an added incentive for another player to do your dirty work. There can only be one active Bounty on a user at any given time. Once another user kills the person you had a Bounty on, they receive your posted cash. If you kill the user that you had a Bounty on, it is lifted. Other Options ============= "There's some other things ye can do here too, so don't let me catch ye sittin' around not doin' anythin'. Ye got two minutes on the sundial to make a decision, then ye'll be escorted to the city limits for malingerin'." The following lists options from the Main Menu not previously covered. <C> Chat With the Sysop: This will page the sysop, indicating you would like to enter chat mode. Also, do not use this option more than once or twice per call - the gods frown on those who page excessively. <E> Electronic Mail and Feedback: This command allows you to send a private message to another user or the sysop. <L> List of Users: Fame & Lame allows you to display the list of users that have obtained the best scores in several categories. <M> Most Wanted List: This command will display the top users in descending order of level. <R> Rob/Burglarize Other Users: By using this command you can attempt to steal money from another user. When you do, their possessions will be slightly downgraded. There is a chance that the user robbed from will be informed who did the deed. The better the real estate and security of your target, the longer it will take for you to break in, and the better the chance the city guard will catch you in the act. <U> User Configuration: This allows you to change your terminal emulation, number of rows displayed, and password. You can also toggle Expert Mode, which will suppress menu display. <X> X-terminate: This option will reset your character and allow you to select a new class. Note that you do not get credit for this type of reroll, and if used as an Immortal class, you will lose the option of selecting that class again. <Y> Your Statistics: This displays in-depth character information. A secondary screen is also shown that informs you how close you are in the Hall of Fame for both Character Class and All-Time categories. For an amount of money based on your level, you can Hire a Scout to show the character statistics for another user. <Z> System Status: This area displays registration info. Becoming Immortal ================= "Ye really think ye can make it to God status? I doubt ye can even make it to Paladin. I've seen a lot smarter than ye fail, jellyfish." Your ultimate goal on RPGBBS Deluxe is to work your way through the Immortal classes, Paladin and Titan, and make it to God status. If you reach level 100 God, you win the game and the board is reset. Descriptions of each follow. · Paladin: This class is the lowest of the superbeings, combining a Ranger's combat skills with a Bard's use of scrolls, and an Assassin's use of poisons and backstab. Their robbing ability is fair as well. · Titan: This class has a Fighter's skill with a Magician's spellcasting ability. They use poisons, backstab, and rob very well. · God: This class combines a Barbarian's strength, a Sage's spellcasting power, a Thief's backstab and robbing abilities, and an Alchemist's use of poison. All Immortals gain two points in each ability as they gain an Experience Level. To advance to the Immortal classes, you must successfully solve the Riddle of the Keys. When you reach Experience Level 100 in any class, you will be presented with a locked doorway, and given four keys - platinum, gold, silver, and copper. If you have made the Hall of Fame in any area, you will be given a Key Hint, such as "Key #2 is not silver". You must then supply which key you will try in the lock. If you guess correctly, you will be rewarded with a {Click!} and are advanced to Paladin class. If not, a ^BOOM!^ and you will be rerolled and must select from the lesser classes.. To attain Titan class, you must unlock the second doorway as a Paladin; to become God class, you must unlock the third doorway as a Titan. The Taxman escorts you back to the city gates. "That's it for yer tour, mongrel. I hope ye enjoyed it. I'm sure I'll be seein' ye again real soon," he says in parting, patting his coin pouch. Installation ============ RPGBBS Deluxe requires a minimum of an Amiga computer using version 2 operating system with 1-megabyte of available RAM. A Hayes-compatible modem is required to allow remote users to logon and play. The program itself can run on a dual-floppy system, but a hard disk is required to handle the storage needs for multiple message and file sections. About 512k of extra RAM is required per additional client. A color monitor and audio speakers are recommended, but are not necessary. All programs were written in SAS/C, utilizing shared libraries and event-driven processing. This makes the BBS operation very system-friendly. Installation is simple. Just double-click the InstallerScript icon and follow the prompts. The following is a listing of files that get placed on your system disk: · Fonts. Two PC-8 compatible fonts are supplied for use with the console, IBM and Venus. IBM style offers a traditional look while Venus suggests a more medieval feel. · Libs. btree.library is a custom database handler for the various files used by the server. iff.library is used to help convert iff brushes into a custom pxl-format. rpgbbs.library contains console emulation and other common functions used by server, client, and utilities provided. xemrpgbbs.library is an external emulation module for terminal programs that support such extensions (like the PD program Term). xprkermit.library, xprxmodem.library, and xprzmodem.library are public domain file transfer protocols, so refer to their documentation files for complete information. The following files are included in your RPGBBS directory: · RPGBBS.access holds user access information. This file can be modified to suit your tastes. · RPGBBS.arena lists the various arena monsters that can be battled in place of a user fight. · RPGBBS.armor contains armor class tables. Each table has an origin and items within each origin. The default origins are Square, Dungeon, and Naval. · RPGBBS.class contains character class tables. Each table has an origin and character types within each origin. The origins supplied are Public, Immortal, Dungeon, and Tavern. · RPGBBS.dungeon lists the 100-supplied creatures that can be encountered. · RPGBBS.license holds registration information. · RPGBBS.magic itemizes the names, costs, and power required of the spells used. · RPGBBS.naval lists the various sea monsters that can be hunted in place of a naval fight. · RPGBBS.paths identify the disk pathnames to be used by RPGBBSclient. Each pathname can be up to 40-characters. If more is required, use a logical assigned to the destination path. The pathnames are defined in the following order: email, bulletins, notes, uploads, # of file sections (1-16), file section name #1, file section path #1, etc. · RPGBBS.poison itemizes the names and costs of the different vials of poison types. · RPGBBS.realestate lists the types of Real Estate that can be purchased in the Square. · RPGBBS.security lists the types of Security that can be purchased in the Square. · RPGBBS.weapon contains weapon class tables. Each table has an origin and items within each origin. The default origins are Square, Dungeon, and Naval. These files are created in the RPGBBS drawer when the game is in use: · GANG.master is a B-tree file holding the related party members. · RPGBBS.callers tracks the last three callers to the system and why they logged off. · RPGBBS.hof holds the Hall of Fame records by the individuals who broke them. · RPGBBS.hol holds the Hall of Lame records by the individuals who broke them. · USER.master is a fixed-length, random file that grows as more players sign-up. It is keyed by the following B-tree files. · USERID.index is a B-tree file that allows random access to each player's record. · USERLEVEL.index is a B-tree file that keeps track of each player's level. This makes lists by levels retrieve much faster. · USERNAME.index is a B-tree file that keeps track of each player's handle, so one player can search for another by typing in the whole handle. These files are created in the Notices drawer when the game is in use: · Announcement holds a message from the Sysop that is displayed upon user logon. · Auto-Message holds a message from a user and is displayed upon every logon. · CallerID is a message that gets displayed if the caller id feature was enabled, but the logon could not be identified. The player is allowed to continue, but he can not interact with the other users. · Intro is a custom message from the Sysop. It gets displayed after a new user completes the registration form. · Logoff is a banner that is displayed when the user logs off. An ANSI version of this file, named Logoff.IBM, can be used as well. · Logon is a banner that is displayed before the user logs on. · Tavern is the arguments held at the local pub. · Today contains today's player activity and can be read from Tiny's Tavern. · Yesterday is yesterday's newspaper, renamed from Today. The disk labeled PIX can optionally install the Pix drawer, which contains text, ANSI, and PXL-graphic files of the various characters and creatures the players will encounter. The disk labeled EXTRA contains IFF sound effects that get played in Local mode only. It also has a Documentation drawer containing various read-me files. Server ====== The program, RPGBBSserver, is required to run before any clients attempt to connect with it. Typically, a script is used in your WBstartup drawer to run RPGBBSserver, like the following example: echo "Booting RPGBBS Deluxe..." cd RPGBBS: RPGBBSserver wait 5 ;allow it some time to init & load files echo "Booting Client..." run >nil: RPGBBSclient Modem#1 The server reads its icon file, RPGBBSserver.info, for Tool Type options. To modify these options, click on the icon once and press Right-Amiga I, for Workbench's Icon Information utility. Once there, you can edit the following Tool Types: · RPG=(BBS, DOOR). Running the server in BBS mode will create a public screen for all the clients to attach their windows to. DOOR mode will boot quietly in the background. · Mode=(screen mode request). Allows you to select a suitable video mode your monitor can display. If this option is missing, an ASL screen request will prompt you for an appropriate screen mode. · Depth=(3,4,5,8). Select a screen depth. 3 (8-colors) is typically used by Amigas using the original 68000 Motorola processor, such as A1000, A500, A600, and A2000. This opens a monochrome screen, which supports bold, dim, and blink attributes. 4 (16-colors) can be used by accelerated Amigas, such as A3000. This opens an ANSI-color screen, but does not support blink. 5 (32-colors) is for AGA chip sets only, such as those found in A1200 and A4000. This, too, opens an ANSI-color screen, but it supports the blink character attribute. 8 (256-colors) can be used by retargetable graphic boards, like Picasso-II, for speed and future palette support. · Width=(640). Select a screen width in pixels. · Height=(200). Select a screen height in pixels. · Font=(IBM.font, Venus.font). Select a PC-compatible font. If this option is missing, an ASL font request will prompt you for an appropriate font. · Size=(8). Select a point size compatible with the typeface. Please note that you are only allowed one option within the enclosed parenthesis. When editing your choice, remove the parenthesis as well, i.e., RPG=BBS. The index files: USERID.index, USERLEVEL.index, USERNAME.index, will be re-built from the USER.master, if the server was not properly shutdown or if any of the indices were missing. Client ====== The client reads the project icon file supplied for Tool Type options, i.e., Local.info or Modem#1.info, when double-clicked from Workbench or passed as a CLI-argument. To modify these options, click on the project icon once and press Right-Amiga I, for Workbench's Icon Information utility. Once there, you can edit the following Tool Types: · TITLE=(Client description). Enter any text to appear in the client's window bar, for example, the telephone number of the line used by its modem. · FONT=(IBM.font, Venus.font). Select a PC-compatible font. · SIZE=(8). Select a point size compatible with the typeface. · DEVICE=(LOCAL, serial.device). Select the serial-device software driver to use or LOCAL if this client is to run from the local keyboard only. · UNIT=(0-255). Select the device number to be used, typically 0 for the internal serial interface. · BAUD=(300-?). Enter the baud rate to set this client's modem as. If the baud rate is set to 9600 or higher, it will not change regardless of the connected carrier rate. Only for settings up to 2400 baud will it adapt to the remote user's modem rate. · INIT=(AT-command string). This modem command string is sent after the line has been initialized. An example may be ATMS0=1 to instruct the modem to shutoff its internal speaker and to answer the phone on the first ring. · QUIT=(AT-command string). This modem command string is sent after the client has been instructed to shutdown. An example may be ATZ to initialize the modem back to its default settings. · AREACODE=(###). This is your local area code number. It is the supplied default whenever a new user does not specify one in their telephone number prompts. · CALLBACK=(0, 1, 2). This is the call-back verify level indicator. 0=none, 1=local calls only, 2=any. · CALLERID=(0, 1, 2). This is the caller id level indicator. 0=none, 1=result returned is in NMBR=########## format, 2=result is in hexadecimal format. Caller ID is an optional service your telephone company may offer. Further, your modem hardware must be equipped with caller id capability. · DELAY=(# of minutes). This is a fairness count of how many minutes a player must wait between calls. This helps prevent a user from hogging the line. · OFFSET=(# of rows). This is the number of rows you want the client window to be placed from the top of the server screen. Sysop ===== This utility can only operate while the server is running. It allows you to further customize the BBS/DOOR and edit any player's record. Accessing its options is by use of pull-down menus.