![[IMAGE]](bar3.gif)
10-9-98
[[[ Lunatix Online Official Web Site ]]] The official Lunatix Online Home Page is at www.prowler-pro.com/logic now. It will move to www.prowler-pro.com/logic when our domain name starts working. Unlike the BBS versions (which were stand-alone games that could be downloaded for BBS play) Lunatix Online will actually be a web-based gaming site of its own. Check out all the info at the Prowler Productions home page, or at the Lunatix Online official site mentioned above.
[[[ Changes Coming Soon ]]] Finally, a little integration is going to take place. We've just registered the domain www.prowler-pro.com (for our Prowler Productions site) and everything is going to be moved over there. This includes all our BBS games and my Dink Smallweb D-Mod site.
[[[ Lunatix, the Next Phase ]]] It's already in development and looking good. Lunatix Online: Global Insanity Crisis is a web-based version of Lunatix which we will host and allow players free 1-week accounts with subscriptions available for $5 monthly. More info will be available at the new prowler-pro site when it is ready.
[[[ The Ultimate N-E-WARE Deal! ]]] Finally, the entire Lunatix package is available at a discount... a CHEAP CHEAP price. The original price breakdown was $15 for Lunatix, $5 for LunEdit, $8 for Ultra Floors, $5 for the Chat Room IGM, and $5 for the Gift Shop of Illusion. That's $38.
No more. This is all available for just $10!!! Shift Zone (not Lunatix related) is even thrown in for free! Simply mark the new price on the Register.TXT file included with any of the games, but be sure to make note of the correct mailing address: Mike Snyder, 1916 E. 52nd St. S, Wichita KS, 67216. If you want your codes emailed back, be sure to include your info!
[[[ New IGS For Download ]]] A new IGS for Lunatix, The Electrical Outlet Adventure, was just sent to me today. He even included an INSTALL1.BAT file for adding it to the game (or, you can add it to your BOOKS.DAT manually if you prefer).
[[[ Dink's Doppleganger ]]] I'm hard at work on my latest D-Mod for Seth Able Robinson's Dink Smallwood... this one is called Dink's Doppleganger. For more information about Dink Smallwood and the D-Mod I'm working on, be sure to visit The Dink Smallweb and my N-E-Ware Forums! (Be sure to check out the forums for BBS-related areas as well!!!)
[[[ Home Page Changes ]]] I've done a little reorganizing and house cleaning. Links now have a separate page, and I've tried to get rid of invalid links and add a few new ones. (If you have a good BBS related link, send it to me!) I've also moved the N-E-Ware door games to a page of their own. I've removed most of the chatter off the home page to leave room for other things... and to simplify it a bit.
[[[ Shift Zone Developer Info ]]] I've made a decision to write a developer's kit (or at least a file explaining the structs) for Shift Zone, thanks to the never-ending interest in this game from Dubioz Don of the Lex-Icon BBS. I'm not sure when this will be ready, but I expect to begin soon after the demo of my latest Dink Smallwood module is ready.
[[[ Fixed Ultra Floors Install ]]] I likely would never have found this bug, but one troubled sysop wrote me because when trying to install Ultra Floors, the setup program would abort and proclaim “FILE NOT FOUND” (or something similar). The problem was due to the way 4DOS (and possibly other operating systems) display a list of files. It's been fixed and tested. The version is still the same, but the updated setup.exe is included.
[[[ New Version of Hospital Lobby ]]] This is the ONLY traditional 3rd party IGM for Lunatix 4.xx, and it was updated recently. The new file, hloby25x.zip, replaces the old kfs2-23c.zip. You'll notice that it is way less buggy, I'm told. Pick it up from the Lunatix page!
[[[ N-E-Ware Interchange ]]] You might have noticed a new front-end to the web site. This is because I've added more and more areas. I hope it isn't too confusing. Simply pick the area you wish to visit -- “N-E-Ware” to get here.
[[[ New Lunatix RIP Screens! ]]] Here's something cool to download -- A complete 16-room RIP package for Lunatix by Mike Collard. It even includes RIP music. An included .txt file explains it. Even if you don't use RIP on your BBS, some of your users might be and it's well worth the quick download. You don't even have to install it -- just pkunzip it inside your main Lunatix directory, and that's all! Any users who have the RIP interface will automatically see these new screens. You'll find it on the Lunatix page, under the 3rd party section.
[[[ New Forums ]]] Do you have a question about Lunatix, or anything else? I've just added a CGI Message Forum to the web site. Check it out and feel free to use it! It's brand new, so not much is there yet. There is even a forum dedicated to Time Port, for anybody wishing to share information or ask for help in using the Time Port source code, playing it, etc.
[[[ Dink Smallwood Development ]]] I've started working with Seth Able Robinson's Dink Smallwood engine. In fact, I coined the term "D-Mod" which means "Dink Module" -- a new map/adventure for the game! For information about my D-Mod efforts, see The Dink Smallweb.
%%% LunEdit '98 is Here! %%% The long-awaited (and long-promised) Player Editor for Lunatix has just been released. It has an awesome, easy-to-use interface and will allow you to change almost ANYTHING about a player. The demo can be downloaded from the N-E-Ware home page and is free, however it does not allow you to add a new player or delete an existing one, plus you are limited to editing the top five names in the list (sorted alphabetically). This is to provide an incentive to register -- otherwise nobody would. When registered, you can add and delete players, as well as edit all players in the list.By allowing sysops to modify the first 5 players, you'll be able to actually USE the system and see how it works. You can't add or delete in the demo but hey -- that's self-explanatory. Give it a try, you'll love how it works! If you like it and would like to unlock the rest of the list, registration is just $5. Download it and at least look it over. :)
%%% Lunatix FAQ To Be Released %%% Frequently Asked Questions -- they're frequently asked of me all the time. It seems that there is a big interest in finding out the best tips and tactics for the game. I plan to compile a list of everything I can think of to help play the game to its fullest.If you have a bit of information you've discovered as a player or a sysop, PLEASE email it to me at wyndo@cxo.com. I'd like to make this FAQ as large and useful as possible.
%%% Time Port Source Code Released %%% Over the years, I've had numerous requests for help in designing a door game -- Anything from “How do I get started” to “How do I make it multi-user?” I've tried to help where I can, but I'm forever busy and helping with each request is something I can't often do. So, I decided to release the complete source code to Time Port (which can now be downloaded from the N-E-Ware Home Page). This is THE COMPLETE SOURCE, which includes all the .BAS files needed to re-compile Time Port. With this, anybody who programs in QuickBASIC 4 should be able to modify TP and/or use it as a shell for creating a whole new game. In essence, Time Port was Lunatix with different text -- so the TP source code is a real gem!! I'm not even charging for it. Simply download it from the N-E-Ware Home Page and use it as you like. The only stipulation is that you remember to give credit to me if you use it as a shell for a new game, make changes, or use any of the code in your own products.
%%% Stand-Alone Games Page Added %%% Door games aren't the only thing I program (they're just what I'm known for). I also write stand-alone games. None (yet) are going to “wow” you the way modern 3-D style games would, and some of them are even text-based. Nonetheless, I decided to add them to my web site for downloading. A few of them require Windows or Windows 95, but most will work under DOS.
%%% Home Page Changes %%% Those who frequent the N-E-Ware site will notice a slightly new look. I've added a navigation and information column down the left-hand side of the page, primarily for quickly linking to sub-pages or downloading the most common files. I'm also a very good Java-Script programmer and I even know a little Perl (plus I have tons of CGI scripts), so I might be adding a message forum... maybe.
%%% LunEdit '98 Is Coming %%% When? Soon. I've gotten side-tracked with a few things, but I expect to complete LunEdit '98 soon.
Doh! The first “bug” in Ultra Floors was reported today. The erroneous message “Fossil Not Initialized” popped up when attempting to run online (did fine in local mode). This was due to a structure change in Lunatix a few versions ago, in which the FOSSIL speed of new modems can be locked much faster than anticipated. In short, the problem has been found and (I believe) fixed in version 1.1b. NOTE: A fossil driver isn't required (unless your BBS requires it) but it can definitely improve performance of Lunatix and its IGM's.As always, please send ANY comments, questions, or suggestions to me: wyndo@cxo.com.
Ultra Floors is now in version 1.1a. After the beta-testing dust settled, there were NO BUGS REPORTED! I don't know if I've just made history (to release a bug-free beta) or what, but I've made a few alterations to the IGM and the new version is now out.It's almost done! LunEdit 98 is in the final stages of completion. No longer must you go without a GREAT editor for Lunatix. Want to delete, rename, and otherwise modify players? LunEdit 98 is the answer! Unlike that “other” Lunatix Player Editor, you can actually save your player changes IN THE DEMO!
Lunatix was first released in March of 1995 -- it's almost 3 years old! Thanks to all the sysops and players around the world, Lunatix has enjoyed a lot of success as one of the all-time best BBS door games.In September of 1996 -- a year and a half after the Door version was introduced -- Lunatix was re-written for use as a Worldgroup/MajorBBS module. It received immediate attention on some of the largest BBS's in the world, such as THe GaRBaGe DuMP (dump.com) and GameNet/Worldnet Ohio (worldnetoh.com). This new version (5.xx) allowed for better player-to-player interaction by incorporating teleconferencing (actions, chat, and so forth) right into the game! Lunatix 5.xx continues to enjoy this success.
However, the popularity of the door version (4.xx) has slacked over the last several months as BBS's vanish and users flee to the Internet.
A new IGM for Lunatix 4.xx has just been released, and we bet you'll love it! Now, all those IGM's that have been written just for Lunatix 5.xx will work with the door version!! Yes, you read that correctly! “Ultra Floors” is the last IGM you'll ever need!
...almost. Ultra Floors acts as a doorway to Script IGM's... so once you get Ultra Floors, you can add as many Script IGM's as you can find! There are currently almost 3 dozen available. Download them from http://www.prowler-pro.com/majorbbs/. Registration of the Ultra Floors IGM is only $8, and the shareware version is available for free!
What else is in the works? A brand new Player Editor, LunEdit 98, will be available soon! The registration cost will be $5 - it's not yet determined whether or not a shareware demo will be available.