=========================================================================== Murder Motel, v1.51 UpDate by: Dotoran of Frontiers =========================================================================== Murder Motel, v1.51, contains no new GAME code over the previous v1.3 release by Frankie. This version simply expounds upon a good idea to make it even better. The following additions were made to the game: - MCI Colors were updated to use the NEW MCI format, as well as using the High Intensity versions, where applicable. The color BLUE was replaced with the color CYAN to make text more readable. - All 13 maps were REDRAWN using IBM ANSI Color/Graphics with built-in pauses where needed. - The game prompts were cleaned up a bit, so as not to continually be printed on the screen if you typed an invalid command. - A fully functional MAINTENANCE MENU has been added to this version. - An IBM ANSI Title Screen was added for those who can appreciate it. - Couple little cosmetic changes I wasn't real pleased with were also made, like auto capitalization being added into the Alias routines... There were also some programming changes included in this version having to do with filenames and support files. The following changes were made: OLD Filename NEW Filename =============== =============== main.menu menu.Main motel.menu menu.Motel setup motel.Config defense motel.Defense newuser motel.New weapons motel.Weapon2 weapon2 motel.Weapons motel.intro motel.Title menu.Maint - NEW File For v1.51! The "motel.intro" file was not included in my 1.3 Archive, but a file by that name was supported internally by the program, so I included one here. Also, the "Map.info/" directory was RENAMED to "Maps/" so as not to interfere with diskmaster type programs that "mask out" .info files. Because there were changes made to most of the above files, you should DELETE the files you may have under the OLD Filename and copy the NEW files above into your DOORS:Motel/ directory. Here's some simple install instructions: If installing for the FIRST time: 1: Copy the "Motel" directory into your DOORS: or PFILES: directory. 3: Add the "MurderMotel" file as an Arexx Door. 4: Inside the "Motel/Maps/" directory you'll find another archived file titled "maps.lha". You will need to unpack this file from inside of this directory to activate the rooms used in Motel. 5: Inside the "Motel/" directory, find the "PutInNews_Motel" file and copy this item to your NEWS: area. Use the CNet Editor to modify the wording to suit your bbs, then change the signature at the bottom of the file to reflect YOUR name. This will help to get NEW players for the game! Skip to where it says "Finishing up:"... If converting from v1.0 and/or v1.3: 1: Using the chart above, DELETE all the files that use the OLD Filename and replace them with the file equivalents that use the NEW Filename. 2: Copy over all files starting with "Map.Dis.#?". These are the new IBM ANSI Map files. The "Map" files(Map0, Map1, Map2, etc) have not been altered, so need NOT be copied over. 3: RENAME the "DOORS:Motel/Map.info/" directory to "DOORS:Motel/Maps/". 4: Delete the "motel!" file in your DOORS: directory. The "MurderMotel" file is stored inside the "Motel/" directory now. 5: None of the files located in the "Motel/Maps/" directory have changed, so you needn't worry about replacing any of these. 6: Inside the "Motel/" directory, find the "PutInNews_Motel" file and copy this item to your NEWS: area. Use the CNet Editor to modify the wording to suit your bbs, then change the signature at the bottom of the file to reflect YOUR name. This will help to get NEW players for the game! If converting from v1.5: The easiest way would be to PURGE your system of the older version. This will involve deleting the "pfiles:motel/" directory, as well as the file "Motel!" which is stored in the "pfiles:" path directory. There have been so many little changes made to all the various files, it's better off to just start anew! ;-) As always, Enjoy! Finishing up: In the "DOORS:Motel/" directory is a file called "motel.Config". You should load this file into any text editor and make any changes you think are appropriate for your system, then RESAVE this file. That's It! Maintenance Menu Commands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Murder Motel, v1.51, now includes a powerful Maintenance Menu. Below is a description of each new command: C - Complete RESET of Game. - This is NEW to v1.51 and will delete all necessary files as if Motel had just been set up for the first time E - Edit a Player's Statistics. - Not as powerful as it COULD be, but I was already rewriting a bunch of this code anyways, so decided to stop while I was ahead. You can edit the following info on each player: - Their Alias - Their User ID # - Their Player Status (Alive or Dead) - Total Number of Turns Taken Today - Total Number of Points Earned - This Players Assignment (or 0 for NO Assignment) - This Players Present Location (Floor - Room) - Does This Player Have Maint Menu Acess (Yes/No) S - Start Game Over. - This is identical to the "C" command, except the Motel Wall file is left intact when this command is used. L - Restart the Motel Log File. - Simply deletes the "DOORS:Motel/log" file. R - Edit the Motel Reminder File. - This is one item I'm not sure why was included in the game. I didn't want to get rid of the file, so here it is. The "Reminder" text is only shown to users who do not support 80 columns, or for ALL users if the "DOORS:Motel/motel.Title" file cannot be found. Perhaps it was intended to offer 40 column users extra help the 80 column users didn't need? I haven't a clue... P - Play Another of YOUR Aliases. - According to the v1.3 docs, a "$" command was supposed to allow a user with maint access to play Motel using ANYONE's Alias, but looking at the code I discovered it wasn't even being supported. I then discovered that if you used the "#" command(which is now the "A" command below) to ADD another player using YOUR UID#, the next time you entered the game it put up a list of all your Aliases and asked which one you wished to play. I decided to offer this same ability from WITHIN the game, so in other words, this command will allow you to play Motel using another ALIAS that is associated with YOUR UID#. A - ADD Another Player to Motel. - This command allows a Maint Access user to ADD additional players to the game. You'll be asked for an Alias and a UID#. If you choose YOUR UID#, a second ALIAS will be created for your use. You can play this second alias using either the "P" command above, or select it from the list which will be displayed upon your next entry into the Motel file. As far as I can tell, you can have as many "Alter-Ego's" as you wish. F - Filename Toggle On/Off. - This is another command that I can't really find a use for. I guess it was probably used by the programmer to initially test out a floor to make sure it worked? What it does is to display the filename of the room you are currently in, as it appears in the "DOORS:Motel/Maps/" directory? Again, haven't a clue as to an alternate use of this... K - Kill a Player from Motel. - This command will DELETE a player from the Motel game. That players data files will be removed from the game. This is permanent, NOT the same as setting a users "Status" to "Dead". Dead players can Revive themselves, KILLED players are beyond Revival! M - Toggle Maint Access for Players. - Allows you to say which Players will have access to this menu and any of the other built-in maint features discussed below. Q - Quit Maintenance Menu. - Does just what it says. ! - About the Maint Menu. - HEY, I WROTE IT, I DESERVE SOME CREDIT! hehehe Other Maintenance Stuff: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are also a couple places within the program itself where Maint type commands/features are used. Here they are: List Players- - For regular users, a simple list of numbers and aliases. - For Maint users, that "Detailed List (Y/n)" prompt comes up. - If Yes, you'll also be shown each players Handle and Assignment. if their Alias is preceded by a green *, this signifies that player is DEAD. Motel Log- - For regular users, a simple "what happened" type log. - For Maint users, that "Complete Log (Y/n)" prompt comes up. - If Yes, you'll also be shown any maint related entries like deletions, shortenings, etc. - Also, when the log becomes large, you'll be asked if you wish to shorten the log or not. Turns- - Maint users have an unlimited amount of turns(200). Even if 200 turns are taken, you'll find out you can still play. Last Couple of Notes & Such: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Other "internally" created files still exist for this game, but are not needed for the first time startup. You may have noticed one or more of these files included in your v1.3 archive. They still exist, but just haven't been created yet: log, wall, playerlist, game.info, and any alias files needed within the "DOORS:Motel/Players/" directory. There are a couple maps that contain MAZES. On the v1.3 maps, directional symbols were shown so the MAZES could be traversed easily. That was dumb, so I deleted the directionals from the new maps. Half the fun is attempting to map a floor out yourself. You already have a general map layout online, so I think the users can figure out the MAZES for themselves. The "motel.Help" and "motel.New" files were also updated to show correct information having to do with the game. For instance, the "motel.New" file now correctly states there are 13 floors and close to 400 rooms, instead of 3 floors and over 100 rooms and so on. The "startdisplay" file, located in the "DOORS:Motel/" directory of the v1.3 edition was incorporated directly into the main file, so was DELETED from the "DOORS:Motel/" directory. The following Arexx Routines, located within the "Motel!" command file are Copyright, 1993 by Dotoran: MAINT, MAINT2, RESET, EDITREMINDER, EDITPLAYER, EDITPLAYER1, EDITPLAYER2 The STARTDISPLAY routine was also completely rewritten, so I'll take responsibility for that routine as well. All other routines, so far as I can tell, are Copyright, 1990 by Frankie. The End! ~~~~~~~ This file is in dire need of a major rewrite, as are some of the existing maps(kinda hard to believe you could fit ALL the rooms on a couple of these newer floors into the existing Motel), but I just don't have that kind of available free time. I simply wanted to "spruce" the game up a bit in hopes that it'll attract a couple new players from my bbs. It is my hope that it will do the same on your boards. If you are experienceing problems with the code, I will avail myself to any messages and/or comments you wish to make. I'll attempt to find the bug and correct it. It's not the easiest code to understand, but I feel I've become accustomed to it. Ah well, later! Dotoran! ============================================================================ THE END OF THIS FILE HAS JUST BEEN REACHED! ============================================================================