


The Clans (InterBBS) v0.95
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (C) 1997-2002 Allen Ussher

http://theclans.sourceforge.net





















[0.0]  Table of Contents
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction to The Clans
=========================
Description ...........................................................   0.1
Disclaimer ............................................................   0.2
Registration ..........................................................   0.3
No Multinode ..........................................................   0.4
*** Lazy Sysop's Guide *** ............................................   0.9

Setting up The Clans
====================
Setting Up The Clans ..................................................   1.1
Resetting The Clans ...................................................   1.2
Daily Maintenance .....................................................   1.3
Starting an InterBBS Game .............................................   1.4
Joining an InterBBS Game ..............................................   1.5
Local InterBBS Games ..................................................   1.6
Troubleshooting .......................................................   1.7


Introduction to The Clans
===============================================================================

[0.1]  Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Clans is a mix of role playing game and strategy war game for your BBS.
The greatest feature of The Clans is its InterBBS support.  The InterBBS
feature should help increase the number of calls to your BBS from users who
don't normally call.  They may originally call to play the game but given
time, they may choose to write messages and do other things as well.

The InterBBS gaming can be summed up like this:

    1. Each BBS acts as a "Village" in the league.
    2. A player logging into Village A can choose the "travel to another
       village" option in the game.  If he chooses to travel to Village B,
       his user data will be sent over to Village B (the BBS running the
       Clans as Village B, of course).
    3. During maintenance, the data from BBS A is sent to BBS B and the
       player will be able to log into BBS B the next day to play The Clans
       there with his clan.
    4. On top of that, each Village will have its own power struggles between
       clans and the ruler (which will change often).  The ruler sets such
       things as tax rates so it is in the player's interest to visit each
       Village in the league to find the best one for him.
    5. Each village will be able to attack other villages in the
       league and steal supplies.  Clans in that village will be able to
       help supply the village's army with troops and other things.

Here is a run down of some of The Clan's features:
- Addictive gameplay.  Trust me.  Watch your users play this game
  religiously each day. :)
- Unique InterBBS gaming!




[0.2]  Disclaimer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*No warranty* is provided for this product.  Allen Ussher, the author, is
not liable for any damages incurred by use of The Clans.  The Clans is
provided "as is" and a warranty of any kind is neither expressed nor
implied, all of are hereby explicitly disclaimed.  Any damage caused by The
Clans directly or indirectly is not the responsibility of Allen Ussher.
There is also no guarantee that this software will continue to be updated
or that support will be offered.


[0.3]  Registration
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Registration is no longer required for The Clans.  If you wish to donate any
amount, contact me through email first at tigertigr@yahoo.ca.
Thanks.


[0.4]  No Multinode
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because of the complexity of the game and its strategic, somewhat turn-based
nature, multinode play is not featured in this game.  However, The Clans will
ensure no two users enter the game at the same time.  It will alert a user
trying to enter while someone is on that the game is currently in use.  To
do this, an ONLINE.FLG semaphore file is created in the Clans directory.  If
something occurs which causes the file to still exist even after a user has
exited the door, you may simply delete the file (otherwise, users entering the
game will be told someone is online even though they are not).  This file is
also deleted during maintenance.


[0.9]  Lazy Sysop's Guide
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, you're lazy (as are most of us) and don't want to waste time reading this
file (although I highly recommend you do anyway).  To set up the game
(locally only -- you MUST read the docs to set up InterBBS) follow these
simple steps:

       1.  Run CONFIG.EXE.  Configure your node data here.
       2.  Modify RUNCLANS.BAT to suit your BBS.  Call RUNCLANS.BAT from your
           BBS as a door.*
       3.  Run RESET.EXE from DOS.
       4.  Add "Clans /M" to your nightly maintenance.

That's it.  If you were lost anywhere above, you better read the regular
setup guide below. ;)

*NOTE: If you are planning on joining an InterBBS league, YOU MUST set up
       your BBS software to call the door with REAL NAMES ONLY.  This
       will "standardize" the league and make it easier for players to travel
       from BBS A to BBS B.  Handles can change from board to board but
       real names can't (or shouldn't).


Setting up and running The Clans
===============================================================================
Please refer to section 1.7 Troubleshooting if a problem occurs.


[1.1]  Setting Up The Clans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, you must run the setup program, CONFIG.EXE.  This program allows you
to specify which nodes you have on your BBS and their dropfile directories.
The Clans doesn't need to know what type of dropfile it should look for.  It
will do this automatically.

To run the clans, you must create a batch file which runs the game.  How to
set up a door on your BBS is not covered here as there are several types of
BBS software, each of which has a different setup.  Please refer to your BBS
documentation for information on how to set up a door.  You must set up the
BBS so that it calls a batch file like the following (RUNCLANS.BAT):

--[beginning of file]--                 [notes]

cd \TheClans                            Change this to your Clans directory.
Clans /N%1                              %1 is the node you wish to run.
cd \bbsdirectory                        Change this to your BBS directory.

--[end of file]--------

To run this batchfile, simply use "RUNCLANS.BAT [node]" where [node] is the
node on the BBS from which you are calling from.  To run from Node 1, use
"RUNCLANS.BAT 1".  If you wish, you may create your own batch file, but
remember *YOU MUST CHANGE TO THE CLANS DIRECTORY* and *you must specify the
node using "CLANS /Nx" where 'x' is the node*.

Now that the game is setup for local play, you must reset it.  Please see
the next section for information on resetting the game.

*NOTE: If you are planning on joining an InterBBS league, YOU MUST set up
       your BBS software to call the door with REAL NAMES ONLY.  This
       will "standardize" the league and make it easier for players to travel
       from BBS A to BBS B.  Handles can change from board to board but
       real names can't (or shouldn't).



[1.2]  Resetting The Clans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To reset the game*, all you must do is run the reset program RESET.EXE
within the Clans directory.

You will be given several options for the reset of the game.  After you are
done entering the information, the game will be reset (all data files from
the previous game will be removed automatically).

If you are in a league, you must also run CLANS /I after you run RESET.EXE.
But be sure that all your configurations have been set up already before
doing this!  Have your WORLD.NDX file and ROUTE.CFG files created before
running CLANS /I.  If you have set up a local IBBS league (i.e. on one BBS
only), you must run CLANS /LIBBS /I (note the /LIBBS option added).

* You MUST reset the game the first time it is installed.



[1.3]  Daily Maintenance
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is recommended that you run The Clans maintenace each day by adding this
command line to your nightly BBS maintenance:

        cd \TheClans
        CLANS /M
        cd \bbsdirectory

As with the previous batch file example, please modify it to suit your BBS.

If you do not include this in your nightly maintenance or, for some reason,
the maintenance is not run, The Clans will automatically run maintenance the
next time someone enters the game.  However, it is highly recommended that
you run the maintenance daily to ensure that stats are calculated properly
(this is especially true for InterBBS games).


[1.4]  Starting an InterBBS Game
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Clans uses an InterBBS setup similar to other games so if you are already
  familiar with InterBBS game setups, you should find setting up The Clans
  easy.  If you are new to InterBBS gaming, you will also find it easy as
  each step in the setup is outlined for you.

If you are new to InterBBSing, you may wish to choose to join an existing
InterBBS game of The Clans (see section 1.5).  However, if you wish to start
an InterBBS game, you shouldn't find it too difficult.  You should have at
least a minimal understanding of fido-style networks (but it's really not
necessary).

First of all, let me go over some terms:

      League                 The system of BBSes which are linked together
                             to play The Clans.  The league can also be
                             thought of as the "world" which the game takes
                             place in as each BBS is considered a "Village."
      LeagueID               This is a two-character identification code which
                             differentiates one league from another.
      League Coordinator     This is the sysop of the main BBS which is
      (LC)                   coordinating the game (YOU, if you are starting
                             a new InterBBS league).
      BBSID                  This is a numerical ID which each BBS in the
                             league uses.  Each BBS has a unique BBS ID.
                             The main BBS (the LC's BBSID should be 1).

To set up an InterBBS game, follow these steps thoroughly:

   1. (Obviously, you must find out which boards are going to be in your
      league.  It is assumed that you have taken care of this trivial
      step by now.)  First, you must set up the WORLD.NDX file.  The
      WORLD.NDX file is a file containing the information on your league
      setup.  See WORLDNDX.SMP for a sample WORLD.NDX file.  While
      modifying the WORLD.NDX file, you may wish to go through the
      following steps:

       A.  Choose a LeagueID.  This is a two-character alphanumeric
           identification code.  Basically, you can use any characters which
           you can use to name files in DOS.  i.e: none of the following:

           . ? * % / \ etc.

           When choosing an ID, ensure that no other league in your area is
           using the ID.  This way, a BBS can play in two leagues.

       B.  Choose a World Name.  This is not too important but adds to the
           fun of the game.  This is the name of the "world" which
           encompasses all the villages (i.e. BBSes) in the game.  Be
           creative.  You can use whatever name you want here (it doesn't
           matter if another league is using the name).

       C.  Now you are ready to create the entries needed for each BBS in the
           league.  Set up each BBS in the league using these keywords:

           BBSId        - The BBSId of the BBS in the league you are adding.
                          This is unique.  The first BBS has BBS ID of 1.
                          The 2nd board in the list would use BBS ID 2 etc.
           BBSName      - The name of the BBS.
           VillageName  - The name of the Village for that BBS.  You should
                          find out what each Sysop wants for his Village
                          name before adding this option.  If VillageName
                          is left out, the BBSName is used.
           Address      - This is the network address of the BBS.  The BBSes
                          in the league do NOT need to all belong in the
                          same network, as long as they are all connected
                          somehow.


           Here is an example of the BBS entries in a WORLD.NDX file for a
           league of 3 BBSes:


           BBSId           1
           BBSName         Revolution Nine
           VillageName     The Village
           Address         1:1/1

           BBSId           2
           BBSName         Joe's BBS
           VillageName     Joe's City
           Address         1:1/2

           BBSId           3
           BBSName         Frank's BBS
           VillageName     Franktown
           Address         1:1/3

       D.  Optional, but pretty darn cool.  You can create an ASCII text file
           using pipe codes for colours which is displayed whenever a user
           plays on a board in the league.  See WORLDNDX.SMP for an example.
           Basically, start all lines with an Ascii keyword and place
           whatever you want after it:

                Ascii  [ put stuff here ]
                Ascii  [ and here ]
                Ascii  [ and optionally here ]

   2. Now that your WORLD.NDX file has been created, you are ready to send it
      out to each BBS in the league.  Tell the BBSes in your league to copy
      this file to their Clans directory.  Next tell them to set the game
      up for InterBBS by enabling the InterBBS option in the CONFIG.EXE
      program.  They should follow the Joining an InterBBS League steps
      outlined in the following section.  Be sure you give them the BBS Id
      for their BBS.  YOU must also choose the InterBBS option in the
      CONFIG.EXE program (enter the BBS ID as 1 since you are the head
      BBS in the league).

   3. The game is almost ready to play.  Now run the reset program
      from DOS:

      RESET

      Enter all the important information as you would a normal reset and
      choose "Leaguewide reset ..."  After doing this, you must run
      CLANS /I from DOS so that Clans will create outbound packets telling
      each BBS in the league to get ready to begin the game.  You should
      have set the game start date to perhaps a week ahead of the day you
      set up the league so that everyone can get ready.

   4. If everything is set up properly, the other BBSes should get a packet
      telling their game to reset for InterBBS.  Then Clans on their BBS
      should send a reply to your BBS saying they received the packet.  You
      may check the league coordinator's log LC.LOG to ensure each BBS
      received the Reset packet and sent a receipt packet.

   5. It is also a good idea to create a VillInfo section in your WORLD.NDX
      file.  See the WORLDNDX.SMP for an example.  Basically, this section
      acts as a way of advertising the BBSes who are running The Clans in your
      league.  Whenever a user chooses to travel to another BBS and chooses a
      BBS, a small advertisment (from this file) will appear.  This is
      extremely useful for attracting people to call your board and very
      helpful in keeping a link to other boards (for people who don't do
      messages).

   6. You may also wish to choose a routing method (this may not be needed for
      small leagues).  See the section below for information.

You're done.

** IMPORTANT: **
* As a league coordinator, you MUST remind your fellow sysops to use real
  names only when running the game.  This ensures no duplicate players are
  formed and also ensures that players may jump from board to board easily.

****** Be sure you toss your netmail right after packets by The Clans are
       created.
** IMPORTANT: **

Adding a new node while a game is in progress
---------------------------------------------
It is easy to add a new node to your existing game.

   1. Simply modify the WORLD.NDX to accomodate the new BBS.  Do this by
      creating a new entry for the BBS in the file.  If you use the HOST
      routing method (see below) you may also need to add the new node
      to one of the host BBSes.

      After creating the new entry for the joining BBS, tell the sysop of
      the joining BBS what his BBS Id is.  He will need this information!

   2. Now, you must distribute the updated WORLD.NDX file.  To do this is
      easy.  Run CLANS with the /NewNDX parameter and it'll send out the
      NDX file to all boards in the league:

                CLANS /NewNDX


That is all!


Routing methods
---------------
The Clans uses two methods for routing packets and you may use either one or
both.  The Clans will route data internally so you need not modify your
existing mail system if one is already in place.

Similar to other InterBBS games, Clans can use the HOST routing method.  This
method allows you to set up BBSes which act as hosts for other BBSes.  For
instance, this is a possible BBS setup in a league (each number represents
a BBS):

                 1
                / \
               2   3 - 8
             / |   | \
           4   5   6  7
          /
        9

* BBS 1 hosts BBSes 2 and 3.
* 2 hosts 4 and 5.
* 3 hosts 6, 7, and 8.
* 4 hosts 9.
* 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are not hosts.

In the WORLD.NDX file, you would represent this system by using the Host
keyword.  Normally, a node would be represented in the WORLD.NDX file this
way:

BBSId           1
BBSName         Revolution Nine
VillageName     The Village
Address         3:2/1

To use the host method, use the Host keyword anywhere after the BBSId in
the block of data:

BBSId           1
Host            2 3
BBSName         Revolution Nine
VillageName     The Village
Address         3:2/1

The format, as you can see, is "Host a b c d ..." where a, b, c, and d are
the BBSIds of the BBSes which are nodes of that host.  Following this pattern,
the above hosting method can be specified this way (only BBSIds are used here
for clarity.  In the file, you'd use all the data as in the previous example):

BBSId           1
Host            2 3

BBSId           2
Host            4 5

BBSId           3
Host            6 7 8

BBSId           4
Host            9

BBSId           5

BBSId           6

BBSId           7

BBSId           8

BBSId           9

Since BBSes 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are not hosts, they do not use the Host keyword.

The other method for routing is the ROUTE.CFG file.  This file allows you to
individually set which BBSes you want to route your data through and whether
or not you wish to CRASH or HOLD packets.  However, ROUTE.CFG will likely
differ for each system as each one may have different BBSes which they wish
to route through.  See ROUTE.CFG for more information on how to use the file.

The ROUTE.CFG file (if used) may NOT be the same for each BBS in the league.
Be sure to tell your nodes if you will use the ROUTE.CFG file or not.

Both the above methods can be used in conjunction with one another.  If the
Host method is found in the WORLD.NDX file, it will be used.  Anything that
appears in the ROUTE.CFG will supersede whatever was used in the WORLD.NDX
file.  In other words, if the Host method is used and it specifies that
packets being sent to BBS #3 are to be routed through BBS #1 BUT the ROUTE.CFG
file says to route the packets through BBS #5 instead, BBS #5 will be used
and not BBS #1.

By using both methods, you can set up more specific methods by using the CRASH
and HOLD keywords (see ROUTE.CFG for information).


Note For Beginners
------------------
If you are unsure about routing and the BBSes in the league you are creating
are all local (i.e. no long distance), all are open 24 hours a day (or a
close to it), and the league is a small one, you don't need any routing.

However, the simplest method of routing (if you desire one) is to send all data
through the league coordinator's BBS (BBS #1) by using this keyword in the
ROUTE.CFG file:

        ROUTE ALL 1

NOTE:  THE LEAGUE COORDINATOR'S ROUTE.CFG SHOULD NOT USE ANY ROUTING IF THIS IS
       USED.  If the coordinator used ROUTE ALL 1, all his packets would be
       sent to himself and would NOT be sent out to the other BBSes!  For the
       league coordinator (if using this simplistic routing), all packets
       would be sent directly to their respective BBSes (i.e. NO routing).

       To repeat, if using the "ROUTE ALL 1" for your league, everyone in the
       league EXCEPT the league coordinator should use that setup.  The
       league coordinator would not use the "ROUTE ALL 1" line in his
       ROUTE.CFG!


[1.5]  Joining an Existing InterBBS League
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1. First, you must find an existing Clans league to join.  If you find none,
      you may wish to start your own league (see the previous section).

   2. Once you find a league to join, tell the league coordinator you would
      like to join and tell him what you would like to use as your Village
      name.  The LC will then supply you with a WORLD.NDX file and
      instructions on the ROUTE.CFG file.  Copy the WORLD.NDX file to your
      Clans directory.  The coordinator will tell you what your BBS Id is.
      Remember this number!  Run CONFIG.EXE in your Clans directory and choose
      the Setup InterBBS option.  Next choose the BBS Id option.  Enter the
      BBS Id given to you by your league coordinator.

      You should also enter your netmail directory, inbound directory, and
      choose your mailer type while in the CONFIG.EXE program.

   3. Now you must set up your mailer to process packets for The Clans.
      Add the following lines to the batch file or run a batch file after
      getting any packets with your mailer:

        cd \clans               (change this to your clans directory)
        clans /I                (this processes packets coming in)

   4. Once everything is in place, run the reset program:

        RESET

      Choose the "Join a league" option and you're done.
      This will reset the game and have it "wait" for a message from the
      main BBS telling it to start its game (i.e. let local users on).
      Finally, run CLANS /I to complete the reset process.

   Your game is now ready for InterBBS warfare!  You don't need to add anything
   to your BBS's nightly maintenance.  (You SHOULD already have "CLANS /M" in
   the nightly maintenance, if it's not there, however, the game will
   automatically run the maintenance the first chance it gets each day.)

****** Be sure you toss your netmail right after packets by The Clans are
       created.


[1.5b]  How InterBBS Packets Are Handled
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following information is provided so that users who wish to set up an
IBBS game without a mailer or mail network can do so.

Packets
-------
Information between nodes is sent through files called packets.  These packets
are named in the following manner:

        CLxxxyyy.ida

xxx = BBS ID the packet is from
yyy = BBS ID the packet is destined for
id  = league ID
a   = arbitrary character used by the game to name packets (from 'A' to 'Z')

For instance, a packet from BBS #1 in the league to BBS #9 in league 22 might
look like this:

        CL001009.22F

The packets leaving BBS #1 appear in the OUTBOUND directory of the clans
directory.

The inbound directory is where the inbound packets go.  For BBS #3, the
inbound packets would be named CL???003.ida.

Send Packets
------------
The main reason a mailer is used for InterBBS is because it will automatically
send these packets to their respective BBSes.  If you do not or cannot use
a mailer, you will need to be able to send these packets back and forth
between the BBSes.  There are many ways you could do this, via a terminal and
script or manually.  However, you will still need to set up the WORLD.NDX
files and ROUTE.CFG files the same way.  For the addresses, you can put in any
arbitrary addresses.

When you receive a packet from another BBS, put it in a directory you chose
for the inbound directory in the Clans configuration.  Then run CLANS /I
to process it.  That's pretty much all you need to do.  Just get those packets
sent back and forth properly somehow. :)


[1.6]  Local InterBBS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is possible for you to set up several copies of the Clans and have each
one act as a village right on your own computer.  In fact, this was how The
Clans' InterBBS features were tested.  You do not require a mailer or anything,
but you will have to set up a mail/outbound directory.  To set up a local
InterBBS game, follow these instructions:

   1.  Install The Clans in a directory corresponding to each Village.  For
       instance, if you want 3 villages, you might set it up like this:

                C:\VILLAGE1             -- first Clans game goes here
                C:\VILLAGE2             -- second game
                C:\VILLAGE3             -- third game

   2.  Next, set up the batch files to run each game as you would normally for
       a local game but add on these parameters:

                /LIBBS

       So you might have for node 1:

                CLANS /LIBBS /N1

   3.  Have a daily maintenance run for each copy like so:

                CLANS /LIBBS /M

   4.  Set up the ROUTE.CFG for each like this:

                -- start of file --
                NORMAL ALL
                -- end of file --

   5.  Set up the WORLD.NDX file so each BBS is listed (as you normally
       would).  For the addresses, you can use whatever numbers you want
       since this is just a local game.  Here's an example set of addresses:

                village1        -- 99:1/1
                village2        -- 99:1/2
                village3        -- 99:1/3

   6.  Copy WORLD.NDX to each village directory.

   7.  Modify each clans.cfg file for each board so that each has its own
       unique BBS Id.  You should make one of them the "Main BBS" by setting
       its BBS Id to 1.  Make sure each also has its InterBBS flag enabled
       (use CONFIG.EXE).

   8.  Finally, make an outbound directory called CLANOUT and place it
       anywhere you want.  You could have C:\CLANOUT for instance.  Then,
       modify each game's config so that EACH ONE'S outbound directory is
       CLANOUT and each one's mail directory CLANOUT as well.  This is where
       the data is exchanged between the different games that you are
       running.

   9.  Finally, run RESET on all games.  For the main village (BBSId=1)
       choose Leaguewide reset.  For the other games, choose Join a league.

  10.  To process the packets created by the main Clans game (BBS Id=1) you
       can optionally run each copy of The Clans in each directory with
       the /I parameter:

                CLANS /LIBBS /I

       That should be it.  You're done.



[1.7]  Troubleshooting (+ Q&A)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Problem]  The game is rewriting my DOOR.SYS file and setting the username ot
           all caps and is changing the user time as well.
[Solution] Use another dropfile type such as DORINFO1.DEF.  OpenDoors screws
           up with DOOR.SYS for seem reason and chooses to write it again...

[Problem]  Why is your IBBS so crappy?  Let's see some clan attacking and
           better support for international leagues!  What the hell is this
           crap?  Clan travelling?  What are you on?!
[Solution] Play another game if you want those aspects.  Clans was meant to
           be this way and whining and complaining will get you nowhere.  I
           wanted something different and put that in, I didn't want the same
           thing as other games.  Some other ideas people suggested (or
           maybe I think they suggested) but I don't think fit the game:

                - a tavern
                - somebody to flirt with (yeah, right)
                - healing (I think maybe somebody suggested this)
                - put back the bank (I think it is pretty pointless)

[Problem]  Why's it taking so long for the next version to come out?
[Solution] I'm university dammit, I've got lots of assignments and studying to
           do, get off my back.

[Problem]  It tells me it can't find the WORLD.NDX file.
[Solution] You only need this file if you are in an InterBBS game.  If you
           aren't in an InterBBS league, make sure you turn OFF the InterBBS
           option in the CONFIG.EXE program.  If you ARE in a league, be
           sure to get the WORLD.NDX file from the league coordinator before
           continuing.  If you ARE the LC, read the documentation on how to
           create a WORLD.NDX file.

[Problem]  It tells me it can't find the WORLD.DAT file.
[Solution] You'll need to reset to create this file.  Run RESET.

[Problem]  Users on other boards and in the league come to my board to play
           but they always have to make new players.  Their data isn't
           transfered or what?!
[Solution] Make sure you have set REAL NAMES ONLY for running your door and
           that all other sysops have done the same.  If this isn't the
           problem, be sure your routing is working properly and is set
           right.

[Problem]  You're game is awesome.  I have ideas that you can use, where
           do I go!?
[Solution] Hey, that's not a problem.  But email me your ideas anyway:

                tigertigr@yahoo.ca

           If it fits with the context of the game and is a good idea
           which can be implemented fairly easily, I'll probably put it in!

[Problem]  I added a new node to my Clans league but it hasn't received a reset
           packet from me.  What's the problem!?
[Solution] It's likely you set up the WORLD.NDX incorrectly.  If you were
           using the host routing method, stick with it!  That is, whenever
           a new node is added, stick him into the hosting hierarchy somehow
           or else the reset packet (directed to the new node) will be sent
           to the wrong guy (it shouldn't cause him to reset though since
           it's not FOR him).  To fix the problem, edit out the new node
           from your WORLD.NDX file (put # chars in front of that node's
           entry) and run The Clans with the /I parameter from DOS.  Then
           fix up your hosting method and uncomment the new node (remove
           the # chars).  The Clans should now send a reset packet once
           more to the new node but this time do it correctly.

[Problem]  I've reset and everything and it's been a couple days now and
           nothing is being received by the other nodes.  It says that they
           are still awaiting the ok by the league coordinator.
[Solution] Be sure that the ROUTE.CFG file (if used) is correct.  If you are
           using a "ROUTE ALL 1" type config where everything is routed through
           the LC's BBS, then be sure the LC's ROUTE.CFG DOES NOT have
           "ROUTE ALL 1".  If it does, it'll create an infinite feedback loop
           where LC's packets will go to itself and screw up everything.

           Another you must be sure of is that your netmail is being tossed.
           Whenever The Clans creates a null-message (in netmail) the message
           must be tossed by your mail tosser.

[Problem]  I don't seem to be getting any packets and the game doesn't seem to
           be making any.  How can I check my setup to see if it is correct?
[Solution] Use the /Recon parameter when running CLANS to see if a packet is
           created properly.  The game will create a recon packet (won't
           affect the game) directed towards the BBS you specify.  For
           instance, to create a recon packet for BBS #9, use

                CLANS /Recon 9

Some common errors with configs (see if you did this if you have problems):

        WORLD.NDX --

              * Host method is used but some BBSes are left out.
                Ex (only two lines are shown for clarity):

                BBSID   1
                Host 2

                BBSID   2

                BBSID   3

                Here BBS #3 is not linked up to anyone, all BBSes must
                be linked up in the host hierarchy.

        CLANS.CFG --

                BBS ID is incorrect.  Make sure your BBS Id is the as the
                one listed in the WORLD.NDX file.  If it isn't, change it!



[1.8]  Miscellany
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Clans was first developed around the fall of 1996.  Coding began, around
December of that year.  First beta appeared on the webpage on March 25, 1997.

Special thanks to:

Rev.Nine users  -- thanks for playing the game so rigorously and loving it!
Title Page Man  -- thanks for helping me test out the InterBBS features!
All beta testers who emailed me with bugs -- thanks. :)
Phil205 Prof    -- thanks for an incredibly dull class which forced me to
                   think up ideas for this game.
The following bands for providing me with music in my CD player while I
programmed in the wee ours of the night:  My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Sloan,
Blur, Teenage Fanclub, Stereolab and The Beatles. :-)
The Clans v0.95b7:  Upgrading
-----------------------------

All this fixes is the clans.pak file (i.e. NPC not found error message is
no longer encountered in mines)

IMPORTANT:


If you are using a version BELOW v0.95b4:

* You must reset after upgrading.

* If you are in a league, get everybody to upgrade then have everybody reset
  and choose the Join a league option while you (the LC) reset the whole
  league.

* If you have any packets lying around from previous league games, delete them
  all before upgrading!  They're easy to spot, just look for files of the
  form CLxxxyyy.* in your inbound directory

If you are using v0.95b4 or higher and upgrading, no reset is required.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email me with bug reports please:  tigertigr@yahoo.ca
