THIS WILL BE THE LAST PUBLIC RELEASE OF CASTLE DUNGEON FOR THE PARAGON/STARNET BBS SOFTWARE. I have made the switch to DLG PRO due to lack of professionalism on the part of both authors of Paragon and StarNet and the fact that they seem to support their software only when they happen to feel like it. I highly suggest any other disgruntled Paragon/StarNet owners to make the switch to DLG PRO as it is one of the most amazing hunks of code I have ever encountered. ALL FUTURE VERSIONS OF CASTLE DUNGEON WILL BE WRITTEN TO RUN AS A DLG DOOR. Instructions on setting up Castle Dungeon version 1.05 If you already have an earlier version of Blackmar's Dungeon, you will have to restart your game as Castle Dungeon's dungeon files are not compatible with the older version of the game and I haven't had the time to write a conversion program. Any future versions of Castle Dungeon will include a conversion program for older Castle Dungeon files if the new version isn't compatible with them. 1: All files must go in dir Doors:Dungeon. This means your door directory MUST be assigned as doors: and a directory inside it will be named Dungeon. This is usally most peoples mistake. 2: A config file is now provided. It contains one line with the number of moves per day. 3: All the text files for the monsters can be edited to any monster you want. Rooms can also be edited but you must leave the doors in their appropriate places. 4: Put the Map.txt up for download, or as a Bulletin (if you want). Thats about it, I wrote these instruction's assuming you have set up other doors game before, so I wont get into how to do that. For updates or bugs, call Les's Place: The Mansion (313) 391-6856, USR HST 14.4K (My BBS). Or you can contact me via USENET at Les@lppl.mi.org. Sincerely, Les Jenkins ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Castle Dungeon. This has been updated and includes the original history for Blackmar's Dungeon so you may want to at least skim over it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally, this door program was known as Blackmar's Dungeon and was written by a fellow who only left his alias as any clue to his identity. It became a very popular door for Paragon shortly after it's initial release. As far as I know, the last version Blackmar himself put out was version 1.25 which is still running on many systems today. Following is his history of the game up until version 1.25. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back around 1982 I used to play Avatar on the Plato system. This is a multiuser network, kinda like Genie or Compuserve but more educationally based. Many times there were 50 people or more in the dungeon. Users could not fight each other, but they could go in groups like real D&D. After graduation, I no longer had an account on Plato. I wrote a small version on my TI99. This version had a randomized map, everytime the game was run. It was not multiplayer and not a online game. In the summer of 1990 I started writing a version for my Amiga, in BASIC, and it worked with a small host that I also wrote in BASIC. After getting a small working version done, I showed my results to Broken Lips, who liked the game, and joined in the effort with ideas and programming. Then Chris Timmerberg logged onto my BASIC host and tried the game. He also like the idea, and offered to translate the BASIC code to C code. I accepted, since then it could be run as a Paragon Door, and since I didnt know C, the source code would enable me to learn. Chris converted the pre-beta in about 2 weeks, and had it pretty much bug free. At first I couldnt add anything, because I was lost in his code. But Broken Lips who also wanted to learn C made it alot easier for me. In about 4 weeks I released the beta version. Mr. Dos did alot of testing and suggestions. Also Joe at his work added the moves per day function. There has been several versions since, and the game keeps growing. The source is twice as big as the 1st pre-Beta C version was. The game is now played in several countries. I now work on the program mostly by myself, with occasional help from Broken Lips. The most important thing about Blackmar's Dungeon is I learned C while writing it. Ive never had any instruction in programming, I just do it as a hobby. Look for Phil Hypos "Knight Realm" from Italy. A game similar to mine, with some D&D stuff that I left out of Blackmar's Dungeon. I really appreciate the comments and bug reports that I have gotten. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chris Timmerberg released Dungeon 2.0 along with it's source code a few months back and I haven't seen an update since then either. He said in his doc file that he would be making a version 3.0 with a new display system. The fact that he released the source code to version 2.0 I took as a sign that he MIGHT release version 3.0 if he ever got around to writing it and decided I would pick up the reigns were he and Blackmar had left off. This of course means there may be more than one version of this game floating around before we are done. ;-) First off, I want to thank both Blackmar, for giving us such a wonderful game to begin with, and Chris, for releasing a nicely updated version along with the source code. Castle Dungeon 1.0 would not exist if not for the wonderful code these two authors put together. Next, I want to thank the man who has co-written the changes to Castle Dungeon along with me. Namely Dead God (as he is known on my system) without whom, I wouldn't be learning Amiga C as well as I am. Please see the file CHANGES.TXT for a list of changes from Blackmar's 1.25 and Dungeon 2.00 and for a list of future additions to the game. Please send all bug reports/complaints/complements/etc to my BBS either at the number provided above or via Netmail. The latest version of Castle Dungeon can always be found on my BBS. Castle Dungeon is copyright 1991, 1992 Les's Place Productions Ltd. All rights reserved. Castle Dungeon is FreeWare. You are free to place it on your BBS system and pass it around to other Paragon sysops as long as all files in the original archive are kept together. If you feel like sending a donation to help support my BBS and the production of Castle Dungeon, I won't stand in your way. Send all donations to: Les's Place: The Mansion 3905 Westlyn Orion, MI 48359 Make checks payable to Lesley Jenkins. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy Castle Dungeon and keep watch for new versions via ADS. Sincerely, Les Jenkins (A Guy Known As Les) Dead God (Dead God)