THE PYROTO MOUNTAIN BBS & GAMING SYSTEM Release: C2.03 Operator's Manual Spring 1991 Edition P I N N A C L E S O F T W A R E Post Office Box 714, Airport Road Swanton, Vermont, U.S.A., 05488 (514) 345-9578 NOTICES This publication could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. The software product is provided "as is" with no guarantees or warranties express or implied. Requests for copies of this product and for technical information about the system should be made to your authorized Pyroto dealer or to the address indicated in the licensing agreement. Version C2 of the Pyroto program is distributed as "Shareware". You may try the program out at no charge, but if after 30 days you are still using it, you must pay a registration fee of $45 ($35 if you have registered another Pinnacle Software product). Turbo Pascal source code is available to registered users, for $55. Version C2 of Pyroto Mountain product is Copyright (C) 1988 by Pinnacle Software. Upgrades and Support Registered users of this product will be informed of new releases, major bugs, etc. In the past, it has been the policy of Pinnacle Software to offer upgrades at reduced prices. TABLE OF CONTENTS NOTICES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii Upgrades and Support WHAT IS PYROTO MOUNTAIN? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introducing TSOTL Your Role as Mediator Scary Things and Crafty People Why People Love Pyroto Ready to Start? INSTALLING PYROTO MOUNTAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Ultra-Quick Install What You Need Basic Steps STEP 1. Make a Copy of the Packaged Diskette STEP 2. Prepare a Place for the Files to Go STEP 3. Put the Files Where They Belong STEP 4. Updating the CONFIG.SYS File STEP 5. Determine What Kind of Mountain You Will Run STEP 6. Select Your Spell Specifications STEP 7. Customize Pyroto According to Your Needs STEP 8. Run a Local Test STEP 9. Run a Remote Test TROUBLE-SHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Problem 1. Installer Error Problem 2. Modem Configuration Problem 3. File Problem Problem 4. Pyroto Bug Problem 5. Incompatible Hardware BASIC WIZOPRY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Duties of the System Operator Signing On Locally Signing on as SERVANT OF TSOTL Function Keys Wizop Privileges You Are Always In Control WIZOPERATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Backups User File Maintenance Message File Maintenance Question File Maintenance Other Maintenance WIZOP SPELLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Sanctify Close Demote Correct Feed and Starve Hurl Inscribe Listen Manna Steal Probe Change Spells and Help Observe Omniview Pyroto Utilities THE IDEAL WIZOP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Impartiality Silence Tolerance Imagination How Much Presence? Manna Sales ZOMBIE-BUSTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Types of Zombies General Principles Initial Identification Finding the Zombie-Master Moving in for the Kill Additional Tricks Conclusion THE WIZARD'S ASCENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 A Difficult Quest Charge Cloak Timing MISCELLANEOUS OPERATIONAL NOTES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Color Baud-Rates Gear Shift Customization LOGO.TXT; Other .TXT Files; SPELLS.DAT Rating the Messages Password Changes The Status Line Online Sanctification and Banishment DENIZENS OF THE MOUNTAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 TSOTL Wizop Guardians Midmanmo Wizards Seismoros Elementals Pronunciation Guide NON-GAME AND DOOR OPERATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Using Pyroto as a Regular BBS Door Operation APPENDIX A -- SUMMARY OF SPELLS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Communication Spells Climbing Spells Assistance Spells Information Spells Attack Spells Miscellaneous Spells Wizop-Only Spells APPENDIX B -- THE PYROTO PHILOSOPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 WHAT IS PYROTO MOUNTAIN? Fantasy role-playing games are all the rage, these days. Pyroto takes the concept one step further: a never-ending battle for domination of the magic-laden slopes of a mystic Mountain. The players are locked in a struggle to reach the Pyroto Pinnacle. Over the weeks and months, they rise higher by answering the skill-testing questions posed by the Mountain's extraordinary Guardians. As they climb, they gain the ability to cast new, more powerful spells. But first, they have to learn how to use them! One careless move can spell disaster! Introducing TSOTL Overlooking this combat is a benign, though sometimes impatient Spirit: The Spirit Of The Land, known and respected as TSOTL. He (she? it?) listens in on the telepathic bands and assesses the very words of the wizards. If you speak well, you gain TSOTL's Esteem, without which you can not ascend to higher levels of power. Your Role as Mediator You serve as the mediator between the wizards and TSOTL. In your position as SERVANT OF TSOTL, you have power beyond the dreams of mortal wizards. How you choose to use this power is up to you. Scary Things and Crafty People Other mysteries abound. Wizards try to fathom the nature of the gigantic apparition known as The Seismoros Spirit. They repeatedly try new variations with their spells, trying to find effective combinations. They go to enormous lengths, seeking to earn TSOTL's Esteem, or to get more of that all-important source of magical energy: Manna! (Not to be confused with the term Mana, which is a different kind of magical energy not found or needed on TSOTL's Mountain.) The Pyroto Mountain BBS/Game System is played with passion. Be prepared to have a magical battle erupting from your computer! Why People Love Pyroto Pyroto is a world unto itself. In this microcosm, the wizards - Experiment with various philosophies and forms of government. - Become familiar with the effects of aggression. - Become familiar with the problems of peace. - Experience the ecstasies and agonies of power. - Send interesting messages in an effort to gain Esteem. - Earn a position of real responsibility, in which they become an important part of the online community. Pyroto is much more than a game -- as any dedicated wizard will tell you. It is an absorbing, fascinating experience. Ready to Start? If you're willing to dedicate your computer, your modem and some of your time, you will be greatly rewarded. As SERVANT OF TSOTL, you can earn great respect from the wizards, and learn much about human nature. Pyroto Mountain is a challenge for all. May TSOTL guide you to great wisdom! INSTALLING PYROTO MOUNTAIN Ultra-Quick Install NOTE: This ultra-quick install is for very experienced computer users only. 1. Copy the files to a directory on your hard disk named PYROTO. 2. Run PYCONFIG (do not skip this step!). 3. Start up Pyroto from the DOS prompt as PYROTO LOCAL to test. 4. Start up Pyroto from the DOS prompt as PYROTO to run with the modem. 5. If you have problems, see the trouble-shooting section of this manual. What You Need To run Pyroto Mountain, you need a PC-compatible computer with at least 256K of RAM, 2 floppy disk drives (or a hard disk) and a "smart" modem. If you don't have a smart modem, you can still run Pyroto in "local" mode. Pyroto will run on MS- or PC-DOS Version 2.00 and higher. Basic Steps What follows is a brief description. More details are given later. To get Pyroto running on your system, you must follow these steps: 1. Make a backup copy of the original diskette. 2. Prepare a destination for the Pyroto files. A. If using a hard disk, this means creating a directory, usually named PYROTO. B. If using floppies, this means formatting two diskettes -- one with DOS and one without. 3. Copy the necessary files from the original diskette to their proper place (on a hard disk or a floppy). 4. Prepare your system for Pyroto by placing a FILES=20 statement in your CONFIG.SYS file. 5. Determine what kind of system you are planning to run. Stand-alone game (the usual choice), stand-alone non-game BBS, or door game. 6. Select your spell specifications. If you're running a stand-alone game, you can skip this step. 7. Configure Pyroto to work according to your wants and needs. The configuration section of the HELP program helps you do this. 8. Run a local test. The PYROTO LOCAL command will do this. 9. Run a remote (modem) test. The PYROTO command does this. STEP 1. Make a Copy of the Packaged Diskette 1. Insert the original diskette into your A: drive. 2. Enter the following DOS command: COPY A:*.* B:*.* 3. Prepare a label, reading BACKUP OF ORIGINAL PYROTO DISKETTE and affix this to the diskette from the B: drive. STEP 2. Prepare a Place for the Files to Go FLOPPY DISK USER 1. Format a diskette with DOS and label this PYROTO A. 2. Format a diskette without DOS and label this PYROTO B. HARD DISK USER 1. Change to the root directory of your hard disk. 2. Enter the command MD PYROTO to create a directory. STEP 3. Put the Files Where They Belong FLOPPY DISK USER 1. With the original diskette in the A: drive, log on to the A: drive and enter the PYINST command. 2. After PYINST is finished, place the diskette marked PYROTO A in the A: drive and the PYROTO B diskette in the B: drive. HARD DISK USER 1. With the original diskette in the A: drive, change to the PYROTO directory of your hard disk. 2. Enter the following DOS command: COPY A:*.* STEP 4. Updating the CONFIG.SYS File Pyroto keeps quite a few files open at once, so you will have to use a text editor (such as the Turbo Pascal editor, or Wordstar in non-document mode) to modify or create a file called CONFIG.SYS. FLOPPY DISK USER: The file will go on your PYROTO A diskette. HARD DISK USER: The file will go in your root directory (C:\ usually). The file should contain the following lines: FILES=20 BUFFERS=20 In order for the CONFIG.SYS information to take effect, you must boot from a disk containing that file. Remember: the file is read when you boot. Pyroto won't work if you boot from a floppy that doesn't have the proper CONFIG.SYS file. For more information about CONFIG.SYS, see your DOS manual. STEP 5. Determine What Kind of Mountain You Will Run Pyroto can be configured in many different ways. This package includes three popular set-ups, but you may design your own when you're familiar with the system. For now, choose one of the following: Stand-alone game: This is the usual choice: people will dial into your computer to play the Pyroto Mountain game. Non-Game BBS: People will dial in to your computer to use a pure mess- age base with no "game" aspects. This provides a unique, powerful messaging system that retains the same magical Pyrotian atmosphere that people enjoy so much. Door: This runs the game as an option on another BBS, such as RBBS or PC-Board. This lets you give your users upload and download capability and all the other features of those BBS's, in addition to the great game of Pyroto. The Non-Game BBS and the Door versions of Pyroto are described in more detail later in this manual. When in doubt, choose the stand-alone game. STEP 6. Select Your Spell Specifications FLOPPY DISK USER: You should now be logged on to the A: drive. HARD DISK USER: You should now be in your PYROTO directory. If you're in a hurry to get Pyroto running, you can skip this step and come back to it later. Type this command: DIR SPELLS.* There are four SPELLS files. Three of these (.GAM .BBS and .DOR) are samples, while the .DAT is the actual data file used by Pyroto. At install- ation time, it contains a copy of the SPELLS.GAM file. Your next command will depend on what kind of Pyroto you want. Stand-alone game: COPY SPELLS.GAM SPELLS.DAT Non-Game BBS: COPY SPELLS.BBS SPELLS.DAT Door: COPY SPELLS.DOR SPELLS.DAT FLOPPY DISK USER: Now that you've selected your spell specifications, you can delete the GAM, BBS and DOR files to make room. If you are using 360K diskettes, you will need to do this. Don't delete them if you haven't made a backup diskette! STEP 7. Customize Pyroto According to Your Needs Enter the HELP command then select Setup and Configuration. This will take you through all the steps needed to configure your system. Select the "First-timers" checklist on the menu. After you've done that, select the "Total Configuration" option. This must be run in its entirety before you try to run Pyroto. FLOPPY DISK USER: Once you've configured your system, you can delete the HELP.EXE and PYCONFIG.EXE file to make room. If you are using 360K disk- ettes, you will need to do this. Don't delete it if you haven't made a backup diskette! STEP 8. Run a Local Test Make sure your time and date are set correctly, then enter this command: PYROTO LOCAL This runs Pyroto without any reference to the modem. You can always run in this mode, even if you're configured for Door operation. The first time you run Pyroto, it will create some data files. This can take a while -- especially on floppy-based systems. Once that is done (hopefully without severe errors) you should see a large PYROTO logo, followed by the words "Awaiting Visitor". This means everything is functioning properly. If you'd like to sign on now, refer to the "Basic Wizopry" section of this manual. If you want to move to the remote test, however, simply press the F9 key (explained later) to put Pyroto into "Shutdown Mode", and press the RETURN key. If you had any problems, refer to the "Trouble-Shooting" section of this manual. STEP 9. Run a Remote Test If you're running a stand-alone game or non-game BBS, you can now start up Pyroto with full modem support by typing the command: PYROTO If this gives you any problems, refer to the "Trouble-Shooting" section of this manual. If you're running Pyroto as a door, you should read the section entitled "Door Operation" before proceeding. But if you feel confident that you understand everything, you can try this command to make Pyroto start up in Door mode: PYROTO /DOOR///0/ (This opens a console-directed door) or PYROTO /DOOR/SAPPHIRE (Use this format for Pinnacle's Sapphire BBS) This command should go into the "door batch file", as described in the host BBS documentation. There is no need to install a carrier-watcher, such as the WATCHDG product, since Pyroto does this for itself. If you have problems, read the "Door Operation" section. TROUBLE-SHOOTING In order of likelihood, the most common problems are: 1. You omitted a step or misunderstood the instructions. 2. The modem isn't configured right. 3. There is a file problem of some kind. 4. Pyroto has a bug. 5. The hardware is incompatible. Problem 1. Installer Error We apologize for listing you as the most probable cause of the problem. Since you have shown an interest in Pyroto, we are convinced that you are an exceptionally bright person and probably the kind of person we'd like to call our friend. However, most installation problems arise because the person doing the installation has either skipped a step or didn't understand the instructions. Please review what you have done, or ask somebody else to re-read the instructions. Statistically, this gives you the best chance of solving your problem. Problem 2. Modem Configuration If you had a problem running Pyroto in LOCAL mode, then your problem wasn't the modem; skip this section. If you have a Hayes-compatible modem, with Hayes-compatible switches, make sure your switches are set this way: Switch 1 UP: Computer should use the Data Terminal Ready (DTR) line I.E. Don't lock it "High" or "Low" Switch 2 UP: Result codes sent as words Switch 3 DOWN: Result codes are sent to the computer Switch 4 UP: Echo incoming characters Switch 5 DOWN: Don't answer incoming calls Switch 6 UP: Computer should use the Carrier Detect (CD) line The positions of switches 7 and 8 are variable, depending on your phone type and your modem brand. Switch 7 will usually be UP for home installations. Consult your modem's manual to determine what should be done with Switch 8. Some modems don't have switches. The function of the switches is taken by what are called "& commands". These make permanent changes to the modem's configuration. You can add the appropriate commands to the Modem Initializa- tion string (set via the HELP program's Configuration section). Typically, adding &C1&D1 at the end of the standard string will configure your modem correctly, but since all modems are different, you may have to refer to your modem's manual to determine the right commands. The important thing is to find the commands that will accomplish everything that the switches (de- scribed above) were supposed to do. If you have an external modem, are you sure that pins 8 and 20 are connected from one end of the cable to the other? These are, respectively, the Carrier Detect and Data Terminal Ready signals. Pyroto can operate without the DTR signal (see the configuration section of HELP) but it's best to have both signals available, if possible. When Pyroto talks to the modem, you should see something like this: Modem: ATS0=1 Response: OK If you see something like this: Modem: /////// Response: ...it means Pyroto can't see your modem. Check in the configuration section of HELP to make sure that you specified the write COM port. Or if you have an internal modem, check that it's really on the COM port you think it's on. If you see something like this: Modem: /////// Response: OK It means that your modem is seeing the command and accepting it, but not echoing back the characters. Check your modem set-up string to make sure that you've told the modem to echo. (Since the first command sets the echo, sometimes it will be displayed as slashes; this is normal.) If you see nothing whatsover -- not even "Modem:" -- it means that your modem has the CD (Carrier Detect) line locked on. Pyroto won't try to send commands to a modem that supposedly has a carrier there, since a carrier means there's a caller at the other end. If your modem has dip-switches, set them correctly (described above). If your modem uses & commands, you will have to get into a terminal program (such as ProComm, Boyan, QModem, Telix, etc.) and type the command to unlock the CD line. This command is typically AT&C1. Some other kinds of modem problems can be fixed by experimenting with the modem settings configured by the configuration section of the HELP program. By the way, some computers and modems just can't survive running 24 hours per day. If your system occasionally crashes, try turning it off for an hour a day. In the original Pyroto system, it was necessary to install a cooling fan in the computer unit and remove the back panel of the modem. This solved all over-heating problems. Never overlook the obvious. If you have wierd modem problems, check your cables and so on. Is everything plugged in solidly? Problem 3. File Problem If you suspect you have some kind of file problem, ask yourself these questions: 1. Did you put FILES=20 in your CONFIG.SYS file? If you did this, you must re-boot your system for this new value to take effect. (This CONFIG.SYS oversight is the #1 cause of installation errors for Pyroto.) 2. Are all the required files are available to Pyroto? Did you specify the correct drive and/or directory when providing the file path data with the configuration section of the HELP program? 3. If you're using floppies, do you have the right floppies in the drives? Neither should have a write-protect tab. 4. Is it possible you inadvertently deleted a file? If you did, get a new copy from the installation disk. If you get I/O errors, you can look them up in a copy of the Turbo Pascal manual. This might help you solve difficult problems. Problem 4. Pyroto Bug This version of Pyroto was tested for over a year, but it's always possible that we've missed a few bugs. If you think you've spotted a bug in Pyroto, send us a letter describing the problem. The most important thing you can do is make it happen on demand. That is to say, before you report a problem, try to understand it well enough to make it happen on purpose. To assess a problem, we appreciate getting as much information as possible. Send us information such as: 1. What do you think causes the problem? 2. How often does it happen? 3. Does it happen to everybody or just certain people? 4. Did it start just recently or has it always happened? 5. If it just started, what changed just before it started? 6. What have you done to try to solve the problem? Print-outs and screen-dumps can be helpful in assessing a problem. Problem 5. Incompatible Hardware Pyroto has run problem-free on a wide variety of computers, with many different brands of modem. However, it is possible that certain types of modem (especially internal modems) might not behave properly. If you suspect your modem, try borrowing another brand for a while. If you figure out what is going wrong, let us know and we'll try to fix Pyroto to work with your hardware. BASIC WIZOPRY Duties of the System Operator The user-name for the system operator is: SERVANT OF TSOTL. As the SERVANT OF TSOTL (which we'll simply call "The Wizop"), you have three main duties: 1. Validation. When a wizard reaches level 15 and wishes to go higher, he must have your approval to do so. At this point, you will have to phone him up to make sure he's not a duplicate player (i.e. using more than one name on the system). If everything checks out, you can use the SANCTIFY spell (command) to let him rise further. 2. Intermediation. You may occasionally be called upon to settle disputes within the context of the game, or to calm people down when they forget that it is a game! 3. Question Screening. High-level wizards are permitted to contribute some of their own "skill-testing questions", which are then used by the automated Guardians. From time to time, you may have to use the CORRECT spell (command) to fix up some of the questions. That's all that you have to do to keep Pyroto running smoothly. Pyroto can run unattended for weeks, since it doesn't require any regular "maintenance" operations. Understand, though, that even though Pyroto "runs itself" from a computer software point of view, from a game point of view, you'll have to be there during the first few weeks, to keep people's enthusiasm high. If you are running Pyroto as a "door", it will not succeed unless you give it an initial "push". Three years of experience has taught us that once the game is underway, it will be a smashing success -- literally "the talk of the town". But because Pyroto is such a complex game, people need help and encouragement when the game is just starting up. In other words, Pyroto won't succeed unless you make it exciting. Signing On Locally When Pyroto is waiting for a caller, press any key. This will "wake up" Pyroto and freeze out the modem by putting it "off-hook". You can then sign on as if you'd dialed up. If you don't want your phone off the hook, you can start up Pyroto in a non-modem mode. At the DOS prompt, type: PYROTO LOCAL This completely ignores anything to do with the modem. Signing on as SERVANT OF TSOTL The information presented below is based on the default set-up. The "Ser- vant's Word" should be modified (using the configuration section of the HELP program) as soon as possible. 1. Wait until Pyroto is waiting for a visitor. 2. Press a key to wake it up. 3. When asked for your "name or nickname", press Space-bar, then Return. 4. When you're asked for the Servant's Word, type PINNSOFT then Return. 5. When you're asked for your private magic word, type .ABIA. then Return. Function Keys The function keys are active whenever somebody is connected. Here's what they do: REGULAR FUNCTION KEYS F 1 Function-key help. F 2 Enable/disable Yoo-Hoo. Makes a noise when specified person shows up. F 3 Removes 10 minutes online-time from whoever is connected. F 4 Adds on 10 minutes online-time to whoever is connected. F 5 Enable/Disable the chat-with-wizop (CONTACT) spell. F 6 Chat (CONTACT) with the person who is currently online. F 7 Not used. F 8 Not used. F 9 Enable/disable shutdown. Pyroto closes when wizard disconnects. F10 Wizop sound effects on/off. ALT FUNCTION KEYS F 5 Announce mode on/off. In announce mode, nobody can log on. All people get to see is your sign-on logo. Handy for announcements. See the LOGO.TXT file for more information. F 6 Transmits a text file. You can use this to show somebody a file while in chat mode. The file-transmission procedure is identical to the one used for reading messages, so "privates" and "exclusives" are treated in the usual way. F 7 Instant validation. Permits whoever is online to rise past level 15. F 8 Instant banishment. Removes whoever is online from validcaller list. F 9 Global prevention of any attempt to earn higher levels via ASCEND, CLOAK or CHARGE spells. This is used to "freeze" the situation when you're in a dilemma about how to solve a major game dispute. It can also be used effectively during a fund-raising campaign. F10 Instant Wizop key. Don't let visiting people touch this! In any case, the computer squawks when Wizop mode is engaged. Wizop Privileges As wizop, some spells will behave differently for you than they will for other wizards. You also have a few extra high-level spells. The Pyroto program also protects you from suffering over-much from attacks from the wizards. They are unable to prevent you from carrying on normal operations. Note that you have no limit on your use of the all-important MANNA spell. This is all explained in more detail in the "Wizop Spells" section of this manual. You Are Always In Control Your keyboard is always active. If a user is online, you can type for him. If your users complain of mysterious transmission noise during the night, put your cat in another room. WIZOPERATIONS Backups Perhaps the most important thing a wizop can do is make backups! There are two files that should be backed up on a regular basis: -- The user file USERLIST.DAT -- The question file QUERIES.DAT When making backups, it's a good idea to have a "father" and "grandfather" copy. You can do this easily with a batch (.BAT) file. Here's a sample batch file for backing up the user list: ECHO OFF ECHO Backing up Pyroto User List file DEL USERBAKB.DAT RENAME USERBAKA.DAT USERBAKB.DAT COPY A:USERLIST.DAT USERBAKA.DAT DIR USERBAK*.DAT You may also wish to backup the messages, but this is not as critical. (If you have the time, it is still a wise move.) If you decide to do this, the files to be backed up are: -- The message-pointer file MSGNEXT.DAT -- The message-index file MSGTIMES.DAT -- The B* files in the message directory (e.g. B0000001) How often you do backups, and which files you backup, depends on how much time you have to guarantee the integrity of your data. Remember, though: the wizards might forgive you for losing a few of their messages, but they'll get extremely annoyed if they lose a few dozen levels! User File Maintenance Don't worry about the user file. It takes care of itself. It will hold up to 350 user names, which has proven to be more than enough for a good game. (Multi-user "door" systems may decide to run multiple copies, but in our experience, this has not been necessary.) When a new user signs up, Pyroto looks for an inactive user to replace. The higher the level of the wizard, the longer it takes for him to be considered inactive. For example, a Level 21 wizard must make a call within 30 days, while a Level 500 wizard can wait 70 days between calls. Message File Maintenance Don't worry about the message files. They take care of themselves. Pyroto maintains 225 message files. When the last one is used up, the first one is replaced, thereby "deleting" the oldest one. All messages share the same space. There is no way to preserve a message permanently. If you have something you want to keep available for a long time, insert it into the ARTICLE.TXT file and tell the wizards to use the ARTICLE command to review it. If you really must get rid of a message (perhaps because it's offensive), use the HURL command to throw it back to DATE:MINUTE 0:0. This will render it inaccessible. Question File Maintenance Don't worry about the question list file. It takes care of itself. It will hold up to 1000 questions. After that, it will randomly replace old ques- tions with new ones. If you must fix something up, use the CORRECT spell. This can also be used to replace bad questions with a good one of your own. Other Maintenance Don't worry about it. As you've probably already guessed, Pyroto was designed to run with very little fuss and bother. Apart from the Validation, Intermediation and Question Screening duties (see "BASIC WIZOPRY") and regular backups, Pyroto takes care of itself. WIZOP SPELLS As noted in the installation documentation, certain spells have special functions when used by the wizop. Sanctify The Sanctify spell is reserved solely for the wizop. This spell enables you to modify a wizard's statistics. The following items may be modified: -- Sanctification level (i.e. the maximum level to which he may climb) -- TSOTL's Esteem (use this feature very sparingly) -- Wizard name (i.e. alias or nick-name) -- Real Name, Phone Number, Password You can also use the Sanctify spell to remove a wizard from the Mountain. To do this, "change" his wizard-name to "DELETE". In actual practice, it's usually better to use a BANISH, though. Presumably, you are deleting the wizard for a reason covered, in some way, by the RULES. If you BANISH him, then INSCRIBE the reason, it will be more consistent with the game. Close The Close spell shuts down Pyroto. This is exactly the same as pressing the F9 function key and typing BYE. Demote The wizop can completely reset somebody's level with the Demote spell. Instead of simply dropping the wizard one level, the Demote spell will ask you for a new level. This can be above or below his current level. This feature should be used sparingly, to deal with problems. To stay within the context of the game, you should avoid modifying peoples' levels. Correct As wizop, you can not only correct a question, but the answer, too. Both of the inputs (for question and answer) will accept a Return. If you press Return, the existing question (or answer) is left intact. If you re-type it, though, it will be changed. You can use this feature to keep the question list "fresh". When you notice that a certain question is known by everybody, you can change it to a new question. If you CORRECT two questions per day, your wizards will face a constant challenge. The question list can hold up to 1000 questions. After that, each new SUGGEST will replace an existing question. Feed and Starve The wizop can check the level of Seismoros without actually giving him any Manna. Thus, FEED 0 will report his level. What does Seismoros do? When he is 100% energized (which takes 40,000 Manna), the Mountain undergoes an earthquake. All wizards are cast down to the bottom. Higher wizards retain some of their levels, but it's unlikely that a pentacenturion (Level 500 wizard) would end up much higher than Level 25. Hurl The Hurl spell is the correct way to get rid of a message. Don't use the DOS DEL command to delete the message file. The wizop and high-level wizards can select a time to which to HURL a message. You can use this to cast a message out of the way, but still accessible via REVIEW. Another typical use: you can cast a PROCLAIM forward in time, so it will be seen each time a wizard logs on -- until the time of the message is past. Repetitive PROCLAIMs are annoying, though, so reserve this feature for only the most important announcements, like casually mentioning that your birthday is coming up. Inscribe You should use the SCROLLS for most of your announcements. If a wizard doesn't read them, it's his loss, not yours! (This one factor goes a long way in separating the skilled wizards from the pretenders.) Of course, any wizard of sufficient power can INSCRIBE, but it seems that people tend to leave the SCROLLS to the wizop. There's nothing wrong with an occasional PROCLAIMed reminder to read the SCROLLS. Listen High-level wizards can read the BESEECH messages. Most don't bother, because BESEECHes tend to be rather dull. However, if you've had problems (such as people giving out their phone number), modify the SPELLS.DAT file to place the Listen spell at Level 500. Any spell at Level 500 can be used only by somebody with wizop capability, and will not show up in the HELP or SPELLS reports of regular wizards. (Pyroto will inform the BESEECHer that other wizards can read the BESEECH.) Manna The wizop can use the Manna spell as often as necessary, and each times gets 5000 Manna. It might be argued that a wizop should get a total recharge, or maybe not even get charged Manna for his spells. However, that would subtly affect the wizop's attitude, and make him too far removed from the wizards. It's better to have a constant reminder that Manna isn't free. Steal It's improper for a wizop to use this command. Use DRAIN if you must take away somebody's Manna. Besides, STEAL costs you Esteem. Probe The Probe spell will give you additional information about a wizard, such as "relative esteem" (the basis from which Esteem is calculated). This enables you to assess complaints such as "I never get any Esteem!" This complaint sometimes arises due to the fact that Esteem reports are rounded. Change Unlike other wizards, you can CHANGE another person's messages. Try not to abuse this privilege; it's very annoying to find your message has been edited. Spells and Help These spells will report wizop spells. (i.e. Spells that are at Level 500 in the SPELLS.DAT file.) Observe The Observe spell will report a few things that other wizards can't see, such as failed logon attempts (in some versions), and failed file accesses. Omniview The wizop will see some additional information, including the phone number. This gives you a quick (albeit not very rigourous) method for spotting duplicate wizards. High-level wizards also see statistics about traffic and message through-put. Pyroto Utilities For some helpful functions, such as question deletion and printing, and user- list searching and printing, you will require the Pyroto Utilities package. This may be purchased from Pinnacle Software -- though it is quite possible to run a Mountain effectively without the utilities. Included in these utilities are programs for "Zombie-Busting" operations. (See the section entitled "Zombie-Busting".) The programs ANALOG and ANAUSER read in the user log and user list respectively, and subject them to complex analysis -- frequently uncovering some illegal activity! THE IDEAL WIZOP Every wizop has his own idea of how to run his Mountain, and it is not my intention to tell you what to do on your own computer! However, some guidelines may help you spot problems with your "style". These techniques have been evolved on several Mountains, and have proved effective. Impartiality The wizop should not get involved. He must be considered above reproach. He must not express opinions about who is "right" and "wrong", since these things have no meaning to TSOTL. If you must express an opinion, you might consider signing up as a pseudo-wizard. Rather like a "Servant's Assistant". People will understand that you are making a separation between your personal opinions and your duty as Servant. Needless to say, the pseudo-wizard can not participate in anything tactically significant. Silence The less you say, the more people will enjoy your Mountain. It is very tempting to comment on everything that happens, but you must realize that, given your position, your every word will have an effect on what happens on the Mountain. A Mountain should not have to suffer a chatterbox wizop who posts a dozen PROCLAIMs every day. In so doing, he tends to dominate the Mountain. This detracts enormously from the fun of the game, since the wizards are constant- ly reminded that they will never really control the Mountain. Tolerance Once some wizards have reached a level of power, they may implement some rules that you don't happen to like. If you say, "You can't do that!" then you're just proving that they never really had any power. On the original Pyroto, there have been long reigns of terror. Sometimes, the board would die out for a week. People would stay away, because the people who were "in power" were making life miserable. But they always came back. Why? Because they knew that if they got into power, they'd have the freedom to exercise that power. For some, this is the primary thrill of Pyroto. During a "reign of terror", you can tell people, "I don't personally approve of the policy, but TSOTL isn't doing anything about it. Just be patient. TSOTL will deal with them, eventually." Imagination Some wizops have enhanced the imagery of the Mountain by creating some additional characters. For example, on the original Pyroto, I created a "Board of Directors of Pinnacle Software" and posted "Minutes of Meetings" in the SCROLLS. These were enthusiastically received by the wizards and enabled me to make a few dry comments without seeming partial. (I could do that by having a non-Servant character make the observation.) If you'd like to emulate this, the characters in my Board of Directors were: Servant of TSOTL: Pious, harried Chairman of the Board. Never in complete control of the meetings. Danger Cabbage: Nervous, easily bored "Servant's servant". A wimpy fellow who people squash for fun. Llebpmac Mit: Artist, and guitarist, with wierd ideas. Nobody listens to his songs, for good reason. Iamnattsfa Neap: President of the Guardian's Union. Loves to antagonize. Despises Danger Cabbage. Very, very odd culinary habits. These meetings were presented in the form of "scripts", which seem to be an efficient way to write stories on a BBS. Whatever you do, it can't hurt! Pyroto has its built-in imagery, but you can really bring it to life with a few story-like messages about life on the Mountain. How Much Presence? While you should avoid talking too much, you should also avoid talking too little! It's hard to specify an "ideal" amount of message-sending for a wizop. More than one message per day is clearly too much, while only one message per week is obviously too sparse. Manna Sales Some wizards have complained that it's "not fair" that it is possible to buy Manna. However, the price of "two pennies per Manna point" makes this an expensive way to get ahead, and few people will use this option. But it has happened! In such cases, you need only point out that Pyroto is a reflection of life, and money is a part of life. Besides, no matter how much a wizard spends, he can't buy his way out of a concerted DRAIN attack by all the wizards on the Mountain. ZOMBIE-BUSTING This is, by far, a wizop's most difficult job: finding out who is using multiple characters. This is largely a problem of "young" Mountains, though. I once caught a pentacenturion with an illegal zombie, and BANISHed them both. Since then, no high-level wizard has considered it worth the risk (as far as I know!). Types of Zombies There are several types of illegal zombie activity: ZOMBIE: A person (the zombie-master) who has another wizard (zombie). MANNA-COW: A real person who doesn't really play, but has been signed up for the purpose of gaining Manna to BESTOW to the master. MANNA-BULL: A real person who doesn't really play, but has been signed up solely in order to carry out attacks, per the master's orders. THRALL: A real person who does exactly what he or she is told by the zombie-master, but actually types the commands him/herself. READER: Used mostly by sub-centurions (people under Level 100). Used to read the 0 and 1-29 bands. Never asks to be Sanctified. PRE-ZOMBIE: An almost legal zombie signed up in anticipation of a DRAIN attack. (This sort of thing should be gently discouraged.) There are some other variations, but these are the main kinds. In the following discussion, the word "zombie" will mean "illegal zombie". General Principles First of all, convince yourself that you will never catch all zombies. Some wizards are incredibly clever, changing their calling times, typing styles, diction and baud-rates to throw you off the track. It's basically a battle of wits. If they win, perhaps they deserve to have their illegal zombie! However, the majority of zombie-masters aren't that elegant. Just remember: it does you no good whatsoever to BANISH a zombie. You must catch and REDUCE the zombie-master, as well! If somebody looks like a zombie, leave him alone and try to figure out who owns him. WARNING: Err on the side of caution! REDUCEing somebody who isn't really a zombie-master casts grave doubts on your ability. It also gives people an "out", next time you catch a zombie. They'll say, "Remember? You were wrong, last time!" When in doubt, leave it alone! Try to get at least four strong hints and two examples of incontrovertible proof. It's also wise to keep your methods private, so as not to aid later generations of zombie- masters. Initial Identification Most zombies are presented as "beginners", but they either know things that beginners wouldn't know (such as command-stacking) or they are hugely ignorant of all the right things! (It's always suspicious when somebody knows exactly which questions to ask...) Zombies also tend to climb faster than real beginners. It is extremely hard to resist typing in the correct answer when you know it. If you see a Level 0 wizard getting the answer to a question that has stumped dozens of wizards, keep your eyes open. In general, a wizard who seems sure of himself when in command mode, and totally confused in the text of his messages, is almost certainly a zombie. Finding the Zombie-Master There are two ways to locate the zombie-master. The first method is called "Call Strings". Using the OBSERVE spell, you can note when somebody signed up, or signed on. If you notice that the same two people always call together, you can conclude that there is some kind of relationship (although it may simply be that they are valid players sharing the same computer). The other method, which is more time-consuming, involves the identification of similarities. You can use the SCAN (with TIMEWARP), TUNE and FOCUS spells to zoom in on typographic habits. For example, if a suspected zombie has a habit of starting his paragraphs with the word "Anyways, " you can search the messages with these commands: <(500)> TIMEWARP 0 0 <(500)> TUNE ANYWAYS, <(500)> SCAN (Don't forget to DETUNE, afterwards.) This may turn up several wizards who use that particular mis-spelling of the word "Anyway". You can use this technique, plus ordinary visual inspection, to identify likely candidates. The trick is to concentrate on unconscious habits: things that people do without realizing it. Some typical habits that people don't control are: -- Paragraph indentation (and how consistent is it?) -- Linefeeds between paragraphs -- Spaces before and after punctuation (none, one or two) -- The use and application of colons, semi-colons and ellipsis (...) -- Predilection for either single or double quotes -- Use of uppercase for emphasis -- Alternate-spelling choices (e.g. Realize versus Realise) -- Habitual spelling errors and typos -- Characteristic line noise and complaints about same -- Characteristic words (especially epithets) -- Greeting habits (e.g. all messages starting with "Hi, there!") -- Salutation habits (e.g. "See ya'll later.") -- General coherence (especially selection of paragraph break-points) -- General level of word-selection (elementary or college level?) I personally have run some anonymous characters on various BBS's, but some people have reported that they can always tell it's me. I asked them why. "Because your bulletins always make sense and have some kind of point to them, no matter how bad your typing and spelling!" That kind of detective work can spot even the most devious zombie. Moving in for the Kill Once you've made the connection between zombie and master, and you've amassed a fair bit of solid evidence, it's worth-while making a phone call to the zombie. Typically, this is a person who has little or no idea what is happening on the Mountain. A typical conversation: SERVANT: "Hello, can I speak to Fred?" FRED: "Speaking..." SERVANT: "Hi, I'm calling from Pyroto Mountain." FRED: "From where?!?" That one's pretty obvious. Let's move on to the harder cases. FRED: "Oh, yes. Pyroto. What do you want?" SERVANT: "I'm just checking my files. You have a character on the Moun- tain, don't you?" FRED: "Uh, yes." (Not too proud of it, if he doesn't say the name.) SERVANT: "Well, I'd like to verify that my files are okay. What is your wizard's name?" FRED: "Lord of Evil Death." SERVANT: "Okay, that's fine. When did you last call?" That last question catches 90% of all zombies. They may have been prepared with the latest info on what's happening, but they never seem to know when they last called. FRED: "Oh, I don't remember, exactly." (Usual response) SERVANT: "Well, roughly, how long ago?" FRED: "About a week, I guess." (Usual response -- do they consult?) SERVANT: "That's funny. My records show you called yesterday." FRED: "Oh, yeah! I called yesterday. I forgot." SERVANT: "Well, you sent me a BESEECH." (No he didn't!) FRED: "Oh, ummm, I forgot what I said." SERVANT: "That's okay, it wasn't too important. What Level are you?" FRED: "Uhhh, well, I don't call that often." (Odd, but typical response) SERVANT: "Are you sure you're the one using that wizard?" Most people will confess by this time. It's strange; they could simply hang up on you, and it would be rather rude to pursue the point. (Although that reaction would be proof, in a way.) But people don't want to "take the rap" for somebody else's deception. Still, this Fred guy is a tough case... FRED: "Well, it's not really me, but a friend asked me to sign up. I'm not supposed to say his name." SERVANT: "That's okay, I already have a pretty good idea who it is. I just wanted to make sure. You know Benny Bright, don't you?" Note that I didn't say, "It's Benny Bright, right?" That would be asking him to rat on his friend. I merely asked if he knew him. It's all over but the shouting. Time to thank Fred for his help and give ol' Benny a call. Another zombie bytes the dust. Time to BANISH, REDUCE and INSCRIBE a warning for all wizards. Additional Tricks When I'm sure I've caught a zombie, I sometimes leave him alone (if he's not too high on the Mountain) and PROCLAIM a "zombie amnesty" period, saying that I know there's a zombie out there, and if he confesses, I'll merely BANISH his zombie and halve his level. This sometimes flushes out a few confes- sions! But don't try it unless you've already caught a zombie! And don't let your amnesty period last more than a few days! This "amnesty" method looks like a trick; you should make it clear that it's not the desperate act of a clueless wizop. Also, don't crow about how smart you are, because there are probably other zombies out there that you haven't caught -- and maybe never will! Conclusion Zombie-busting is the wizop's game. While day-to-day operation of any BBS will sometimes get dull, zombie-busting is an intense challenge that is always interesting. When you reach that point at which you know that a wizard has been cheating, and you know who it is ... it's exhilirating! It's the stalk, the chase and the kill! You could say that Pyroto is two games in one. Nevertheless, make it clear to your wizards that illegal zombiism is indeed cheating. It's like putting a pawn back on the chess-board when your opponent isn't looking. On the original Pyroto board, a couple of people were banished personally from the BBS for six months, due to repeated illegal zombiism. THE WIZARD'S ASCENT A Difficult Quest Being a wizop is easy compared to being a Wizard. Wizards endure sleepless nights to get in tactically important calls. They spend hours at the library researching questions. Things get harder as a wizard climbs. He gets the Tax Guardians, who charge him exorbitant Manna fees to climb to the next level. He loses the "dot- clues" that help him guess the answers to questions. And then the Guardians start screaming "WRONG!" before he's even had a chance to think. On top of all that, there are attacks from other wizards and the endless politics as power groups struggle to get the support (or at least non-aggres- sion) of the masses. And finally, there are the vagaries of nature (in the form of the Elementals and other monsters of the Mountain). All this, and you're still expected to keep TSOTL happy with your messages! There are solutions to these problems! Charge The Guardians don't take their "tax" if you CHARGE. As a wizard progresses, he relies more and more on the CHARGE spell, since ASCENDing or CLOAKing become prohibitively expensive. Cloak Some clever high-level wizards notice that they can go down to the lower levels to use the Cloak spell, thereby figuring out the "dots" for the answers to questions. This is perfectly legal. But don't tell them about it! Let them find out for themselves! Timing When the Guardians are impatient, there's a trick to keep them from throwing things at you: simply rest on the backspace key. They don't have to have the whole answer within a few seconds, but they do want to see you typing something. Don't tell the wizards; let them find this out! Note that this keeps somebody tied to his keyboard, so he'd better have his reference material close at hand. MISCELLANEOUS OPERATIONAL NOTES Color If you have a color display adaptor but a monochrome (non-color) screen, you might find it hard to read some of the text. In this case, enter the DOS command MODE BW80 before you start Pyroto. This will make Pyroto (and some other programs) more clear. Baud-Rates There is a special spell that is not normally available but can be installed easily (see "Customization -- SPELLS.DAT", below). It is the BOOST spell. The BOOST spell allows people to adjust their baud-rate on asynchronous modems. We had a 300-baud modem running (with some glitches) at 550 baud, though a 1200-baud modem could only do about 1205, since it's synchronous. Unfortunately, very few commercial terminal programs allow this incremental adjustment of baud-rate. There's a possible problem, though. The modem you use for Pyroto may get confused if a user signs off while BOOSTed. Some brands do and some don't. If yours seizes up, Pyroto will become inoperable. For this reason, the BOOST spell is not normally installed. But if you operate in an area in which there are a lot of 300-baud callers, you might considered trying it out. 450 baud is easily handled by most 300-baud modems, and that 50% increase in speed is extremely helpful. Gear Shift Pyroto supports adjustable output speed. During output, a user can press one of the number keys to "shift gears" for a comfortable reading speed. The keys run from 1 (slow) to 9 (fast). The 0 key is the "top gear" key. It sets output speed to maximum. When the main command prompt comes up, output is reset to full speed. This has proven to be a convenient arrangement. Customization There are several files that you can modify to your taste. If you're just beginning, you can skip this -- but come back to this section after you've finished your initial experimenting. To modify these files, you will need a text editor. The standard EDLIN editor is a good example of a text editor. You can also use the Turbo Pascal editor, or Wordstar in non-document mode. Most word processors have a "Text" or "DOS Text File" mode. In technical terms, a text editor is any editor that marks separate lines with a "Carriage Return" character and marks the end of a file with a "Control Z". LOGO.TXT You can modify the LOGO.TXT file to specify a 15-line banner that your users will see at connect time. You can mention the name of your BBS in this banner. The name "Pyroto Mountain" does not appear anywhere in the program itself (except for a copyright notice). The terms TSOTL, SERVANT OF TSOTL and the "mountain" analogy are inextricable. However, I encourage you to retain the name "Pyroto Mountain". That way, the only changes you'll need to make is the address listed in the following files: INFO.TXT The file used by the INFO spell STRAIGHT.TXT The file used by the STRAIGHT spell NEWHELP.TXT The new-user sign-on help file If you can't use the name Pyroto (perhaps because there is another Pyroto system in your area), you should consider a name with 6 letters, such as "Mystic" Mountain. This will save you from the need to re-format the text files described below. Other .TXT Files The informational text files are as follows: NEWHELP.TXT The new-user sign-on help file INFO.TXT The file used by the INFO spell STRAIGHT.TXT The file used by the STRAIGHT spell RULES.TXT The file used by the RULES spell HINTS.TXT The file used by the HINTS spell GIMMICKS.TXT The file used by the GIMMICKS spell NATURE.TXT The file used by the NATURE spell ARTICLE.TXT The file used by the ARTICLE spell These contain straight text for the wizards to read. You should read them yourself; you'll learn what they'll learn and you'll spot any changes that must be made, such as address and Mountain-name information. While the preceding files can be modified in any way, you should be very careful when modifying the following files, because their format is critical: GUARD1.TXT First part of Guardian descriptions GUARD2.TXT Second part of Guardian descriptions GUARD3.TXT Third part of Guardian descriptions CMDDESCS.TXT Spell (command) descriptions, used by HELP Before altering these files, you should make a back-up copy. SPELLS.DAT This DAT file can be modified by a text editor. But don't do so until you've run the Mountain for a few months. You may wish to customize certain spell costs and levels, but it's best to wait until you fully understand the game. Even if you are sure a spell should be defined differently, please think twice before changing anything. These spells specs have been tested and re- tested. They work. But if you've run the Mountain for a long time and want to tweak it a little, you have the power to do so. NOTE: The format of the SPELLS.DAT file is critical. Make a backup before you work on it. Rating the Messages Pyroto analyzes every message that is sent for: -- Content -- Organization -- Punctuation -- Spelling -- Succinctness -- Considerateness The algorithm that does this isn't very complex, but it does seem to work. The resulting score is used to determine a wizard's right to advance. Password Changes There is an undocumented feature in Pyroto which allows users to change their passwords. If you sign off by typing BYE PASSWORD (no abbreviations) you will be asked for a new password. This feature was not explicitly documented because there has long been an argument amongst computer security experts about the wisdom of letting users change (or even select) their passwords. If might be best to keep the BYE PASSWORD feature secret if you give users a new password when you "sanctify" them. Or perhaps you'll decide to avoid letting them change their password simply because they tend to forget what their new password is. Whether or not you let your users know about this feature is up to you. The Status Line The top two lines of the Pyroto screen provide you with some information about what is going on. The top line lists time left, sorcery level, state icons (explained later), and the last item that went in the system log. The second line lists the wizard's real and game name, phone number, plus his maximum level on the Mountain. The state icons are single-character indicators. You can think of them as on/off lights, if you wish. Here's what they mean: Downwards-pointing triangle: The F9 key was pressed to put the system in "shutdown mode" and will be closed when it next disconnects (i.e. when the current visitor logs off). Memory aid: points downwards to mean "going down". Infinity symbol (sideways 8): Wizop mode is on. This is turned on and off by the ALT-F10 key. This key also makes a long, loud, raucous sound to alert you if somebody using your system locally hits it "by mistake" -- even if you turned the sound-effects off with the F10 key. Memory aid: the infinite power of the wizop is available. Diamond: The system is waiting for somebody in particular to show up. You can specify a list of names by pressing the F2 key. Memory aid: the people in the list are highly prized. Happy face: People who use the CONTACT (chat-with-wizop) spell will be placed directly in conversation, instead of seeing an "unattended" message. Memory aid: you're in a good mood, so you'll talk to people. Question mark: the current user entered the CONTACT spell to try to get in touch with you. The CONTACT spell makes a noise if you have the sound turned on. Memory aid: "Hello? Wizop?" Exclamation mark: You pressed the ALT-F6 key to put the system into "announce only" mode. People will only see the LOGO.TXT data before getting disconnected. Memory aid: "Hear ye, hear ye!!!" Del (triangle): Climbing via ASCEND and similar commands is possible. This will not be the case if you pressed the ALT-F9 key, or if you are running Pyroto as a non-game BBS. Memory aid: looks like a little mountain. Double-note: Sound is on. Turn it on or off with the F10 key. Memory aid: music is sound. These icons may take a while to get used to, but before long, you'll be able to tell at a glance what's happening on your system. Online Sanctification and Banishment ALT-F7 and ALT-F8 will sanctify or banish the current wizard. However, the ALT-F7 key does not update the file until the wizard disconnects, so if you have a system crash, the file will still reflect the old value. In general, all data affecting a wizard's current session is lost if your system crashes, since the wizards information is written only "on the way out". For this reason, it is not possible for a wizard to cast any spells at himself. DENIZENS OF THE MOUNTAIN If you are to truly live the idiom of the Mountain (which is vital for a vibrant and successful Mountain), you should know about the various beings that populate its slopes. As wizop, you should not reveal anything about these beings -- not even the fact that they exist! The wizards must discover this for themselves. Half the thrill of Pyroto is in discovery. Don't spoil the fun. TSOTL Make sure you understand this spirit! It is explained in the section entitled "The Pyroto Philosophy". Wizop That's you. Somebody specially selected by TSOTL. Somebody who gives wizards the impression that perhaps there is something beyond pure power. You're their scout into philosophical mine fields... Guardians You can't appreciate these critters until you've read the descriptions. Does "A white-hot lizard wearing a tall top hat" mean anything to you? These outlandish creatures, products of TSOTL, are bizarre in the extreme. And they're unionized, too! Guardians are the backbone of the Pyroto idiom. Midmanmo If a wizard is online when the day changes, he will not get any Manna regeneration for that new day. Midmanmo will absorb it. From TSOTL's stand- point, Midmanmo ("The Silent One") is one of the most potent of all creatures on the Mountain because it operates so subtly that even experienced wizards forget it exists. Wizards These people, innocents or otherwise, are trying to get to the top of the Mountain. What have they learned during their climb? You're their guide! Treat them impartially and help them understand TSOTL. But don't make their ascent too easy! There is much to be learned by climbing. To stress this point: do not let any wizard see this manual! This manual is full of arcane secrets, so hide it from prying eyes. Seismoros This monster is the very big and very strong. Most of the time he simply sleeps peacefully. But when wizards feed him Manna, he grows in strength. When he reaches 100% energization, he shakes the Mountain and brings it crashing downwards. All wizards (except the wizop) lose their levels -- although those who were higher retain a few. After a Seismoros quake, the highest a wizard can be around is about level 30. Elementals The Elementals are creatures that attach themselves to wizards and affect certain aspects of his action. Some visit for a while, while others tend to grab on to a wizard for weeks. Some Elementals always seem to be around, and some disappear for a long time. Each Elemental also has a particular range of altitudes that it prefers. Here are the names of the Elementals, and what each one does: Acatalytos Wizard's name disappears for BANISHment and REDUCEment Agnarti Saves you from CHARGE disconnect 6 out of 10 times Amphios To your DRAINs or STEALs, adds a bit himself Chronos Reduces the wait-time required between calls Dictos Occasionally mentions which Elemental is with who Ea Banish and Reduce usable against wizards at Level - 1 Elthac The dots (answer clues) show during ascent Ittimittu Disables the "tax guardian" effect Klequin Warns if you over-spend manna, so you won't get logged off Lycasrotl Lets you cast any spell, no matter what your level Malignos Interjects a sort of line noise; the only all-bad Elemental Nihilos Wizard's name disappears for most spells directed at him Omecratom Like Nihilos, but absorbs manna, passes it like Shazoth Ossadas Wizard's name disappears for DRAINs and STEALs Salgev Lets you DEMOTE a higher wizard, if < 400 above you Shazoth Used to pass manna between callers Shizmito Guardians never busy while you're climbing Teos Obscures any OBSERVEable spells that you cast Tidaretti No function; wizards go crazy trying to figure it out Ysam-Icaad All spells cost 25% less As wizop, you can find out where the Elementals are (assuming they're attached to somebody) by using the OmniView spell. No other wizard has this power -- not even a Pentacenturion (level 500 wizard). Notice that most of these Elementals are mixed blessings. Nihilos is nice to have, because you're protected from attack. But you're also protected from help! Some Elementals also show exact Esteem when you do a CHECK command. Some also occasionally add a little extra Esteem if you send a good message. Pronunciation Guide As wizop, you should know how to pronounce the names and terms used around Pyroto. Here is the proper pronunciation for the most commonly mispronounced words. NOTES: The "oase" sound rhymes with "dose". Dashes are inserted to help with pacing. Words without UPPERCASE are not accented (as in Japanese). Acatalytos a KA-ta-lih toase Agnarti ag NAR-tee Amphios AM fee oase Chronos KRO noase Dictos DIK toase Ea YA Elthac ELL thak Ittimittu ittih-mihtuu Klequin KLEH kin Lycasrotl liy kass RAW-tuhl Malignos mah LIG noase Midmanmo mid MAHN-mo Nihilos NIE-ihl oase Omecratom oh MEK ra tom Ossadas AW suh-duhs Pyroto pie ROW toe Salgev SAL gev (hard g) Seismoros SIZE-em oh roase Shazoth sha ZOTH Shizmito shiz ME toe Teos TE-oase Tidaretti TIH-duh reh-tee TSOTL tuh SAW-tuhl Wizop WIHZ op Ysam-Icaad IH-sahm ih-cahd NON-GAME AND DOOR OPERATION Using Pyroto as a Regular BBS As explained in the "Installation" section of this manual, the SPELLS.BBS file can replace the SPELLS.DAT file that is included in this package. It will disable the "game" aspect and make Pyroto into a "regular" Bulletin Board System. In BBS mode, the following normally available spells have been defined as "Level 501" and are thus removed from the valid spell list: ASCEND CHARGE CLOAK CORRECT DESCEND DRAIN HINTS NATURE REDUCE RULES STARVE STEAL STRAIGHT SUGGEST Since no climbing spells are available, all levels are set directly by the wizop. Wizards move within their permitted altitudes with TELEPORT. Level 0 wizards (people who just signed up) have these spells: BESEECH BYE CHECK HELP INFO READ SCROLLS SEND SPECS As such, they can't do much but send on the 0 band and ask for permission to go higher. Level 1 wizards get a lot more useful spells: ARTICLE CHANGE DEFOCUS DETECT DETUNE FOCUS INQUIRE REVIEW SCAN SPELLS TELEPORT TIMEWARP TUNE Between the 0 and 1-29 band, they have plenty of communicating power. A 30th level wizard gets these extra spells: CONTACT INSCRIBE RECALL ROSTER It's nice to be able to restrict that CONTACT spell. Those wizards also get to add to the SCROLLS. The next step is a 100th level wizard: OBSERVE OMNIVIEW PROBE They get to see what's going on. Finally, a "co-wizop" gets the following spells at level 500: MANNA LISTEN BANISH CLOSE SLOWTIME SANCTIFY BESTOW STOPTIME PROMOTE PROCLAIM DEMOTE HURL The layout of these spells (see the SPELLS.DAT file for more information) is one method that works. You can experiment. Perhaps you'll define a class of co-wizop that can use PROCLAIM but not SANCTIFY. You have a fine control on who gets what spell. Be sure to make a backup of your SPELLS.DAT file before you modify it. Door Operation This manual is not intended to be a tutorial for door operations. Please consult your host BBS's documentation for full details. In general, however, you will create a batch (.BAT) file which will call up Pyroto, using a special start-up command that will be explained shortly. Pyroto handles problems such as lost carriers, so there is no need for watchdog timers and suchlike things. To run as a door, copy the SPELLS.DOR file over the SPELLS.DAT file. This sets the following normally available commands to "Level 501" so they are unavailable: STOPTIME CONTACT SLOWTIME There is no reason why these command must be removed for door operation. If you wish, you can continue to use the SPELLS.DAT file. One advantage of that approach is that you'll always have the choice of running Pyroto as a door, or stand-alone. But many sysops prefer to remove the above commands. To start up Pyroto under Pinnacle Software's Sapphire BBS, create a batch file in your Sapphire directory which looks like this: CD \PYROTO (Switch to the Pyroto directory) PYROTO /DOOR/SAPPHIRE (Start up Pyroto as a Sapphire door) To start up Pyroto under other BBS's, place the following command in your batch file: PYROTO /DOOR/real-name/time-left/port/ real-name .... If omitted, none assumed (sign-up will ask for one) time-left .... If omitted, assumes 90 minutes maximum visit time port ......... Current port address, in decimal (e.g. COM1 = 1016) If 0, no modem reference (i.e. console) If D, door is forced open (use after system crash ONLY) Here are some examples... PYROTO /DOOR///1016 No name assumed, 90 minutes on COM1 PYROTO /DOOR//15/0 No name assumed, 15 minutes, console PYROTO /DOOR//15/0/ Trailing / is optional PYROTO /DOOR/JOE SMITH/60/1016 For Joe Smith, 1 hour on COM1 Information such as real-name, time-left and port can be determined by a program you write to build a command line. On a multi-port system, such a program is vital. The real-name information is handy, because it means your validation efforts for the host system will apply for Pyroto, too. APPENDIX A -- SUMMARY OF SPELLS Some spells are listed more than once because they can be used in more than one way. For example, you can use HURL yourself, or against somebody. The descriptions shown below are as generated by Pyroto's HELP command, along with some extra notes to clarify matters slightly. Communication Spells ARTICLE An article added to promote discussion -- added by wizop BESEECH Send message to The Spirit of the Land -- read by wizop CHANGE Change messages you've sent previously -- an editor CONTACT Speak to The Spirit Of The Land (TSOTL) -- chat with wizop DEFOCUS Reset the "display" spells after FOCUS DETECT Display info about previous messages -- list old messages DETUNE Reset the "reading" spells after a TUNE FOCUS Focus "display" spells on given phrase -- or wizard name for READ HINTS Display handy survival and usage tips HURL Cast a message back to the dawn of time -- effectively deletes it INFO Display some info about this place -- general description INSCRIBE Write upon the Tidings (news) Scrolls -- wizop writes here LISTEN Display the messages sent via BESEECH -- wizop reads here NATURE Read the about the True Nature of TSOTL -- the great enigma PROCLAIM Write a new greeting (sign-on) message -- shown at sign-on time READ Display messages you're allowed to read -- on the current band REVIEW Re-read a single message by DAY:MINUTE RULES Display rules imposed on the Mountain SCAN All-bands READ -- use with FOCUS & TUNE SCROLLS Display the latest, most important news -- usually by wizop SEND Leave message for other wizards to read -- on the current band STRAIGHT Straight Talk article from the Servant -- ask for contributions TIMEWARP Set a time after which you wish to READ -- to read old messages TUNE Tune "reading" spells for given phrase Climbing Spells ASCEND Attempt to pass into next sorcery level -- questions if needed CHARGE Attempt ascent - disconnect if you fail -- questions if needed CLOAK A protected form of CHARGE -- very safe -- questions always DESCEND Go downwards to visit the less powerful TELEPORT Instant transition to specified level Assistance Spells BESTOW Give some of your MPs to another person -- give Manna-points DEMOTE Demote somebody to lower sorcery level -- helps if Esteem low PROMOTE Promote somebody to next sorcery level Information Spells CHECK Display pertinent data about yourself HELP Display your usable spells (this list) -- only those available HINTS Display handy survival and usage tips INQUIRE Display how long until TSOTL gets tired -- and he disconnects you OBSERVE Display recent activity on the Mountain -- up to 250 events logged OMNIVIEW Display PROBE stats for all wizards PROBE Get information about specified wizard RECALL Display report of previous visitors ROSTER Display the names of all the wizards SPELLS Display the Levels & MP costs of spells -- shows all spells Attack Spells BANISH Banish somebody and destroy his power -- must re-sign up DEMOTE Demote somebody to lower sorcery level DRAIN Subtract 10 Manna-points from somebody HURL Cast a message back to the dawn of time REDUCE Reduce somebody to sorcery level zero -- need not re-sign up STEAL Like DRAIN, but cheaper -- costs Esteem SUGGEST Provide the Guardians with new question Miscellaneous Spells BOOST Boost transmission speed (baud rate) -- optional installation BYE Depart (disconnect) from this place CORRECT Rewrite one of the Guardians' questions ESP Get some Manna-points if you're psychic -- silly game, good test FEED Add some energy to the Seismoros spirit -- see DENIZENS section MANNA Get a generous recharge of Manna-points SLOWTIME Add fifteen minutes to TSOTL's patience SPECS Alter the way things look around here -- sets screen width STARVE Remove energy from the Seismoros spirit -- see DENIZENS section STOPTIME Double the time TSOTL will tolerate you TIMEWARP Set a time after which you wish to READ -- Works on most displays Wizop-Only Spells CLOSE Shut down system, close all files, etc. SANCTIFY Permit a user to rise to higher levels -- user validation APPENDIX B -- THE PYROTO PHILOSOPHY NOTE: I am assuming that you have already read the NATURE spell on Pyroto. If you haven't, please do so before you continue. It will make this article a little easier to understand. Let me make clear, at the outset, that the philosophy behind Pyroto is not meant to be construed as "the answer". It is not so much an answer as a question. Or, more accurately, an exploration. Pyroto is, in effect, a laboratory for certain types of philosophy. I take pains to point this out because of the quasi-deitic nature of The Spirit Of The Land (TSOTL). Pyroto is not a religious statement, but an attempt to identify certain facets of humanity. To further reduce confusion, TSOTL is referred to herein as "it", rather than "he" as is typical on Pyroto. What is TSOTL? The answer to this question is so obvious to some wizards that they arrive at the solution before they even get to read the NATURE spell. True, as the Servant of TSOTL on the original Pyroto, I do tend to drop hints from time to time, but I'm nevertheless impressed by their perception. TSOTL is: Existence, Creation, Gestalt and Reality. With just those four words to guide them, some people have figured out what I was trying to demonstrate with the TSOTL concept. I call these four words "The Four Phases of TSOTL". Existence Before you can encounter TSOTL, there has to be a place for it to be. TSOTL doesn't create the place; it must already be there. Creation This is the second phase, which is described by the NATURE spell. TSOTL describes a specific phenomenon that occurs spontaneously amongst creative people. Now, just as an artist moves towards an artistic goal without laboriously pre-planning the steps, so too does a group create its own reality. This process of creation is affected by individuals to a greater or lesser extent, but no one person can claim to have single-handedly created TSOTL. Gestalt Once this group of creative people have created their own TSOTL, it takes on a life of its own. There is a "community mood". It may be a mood of combativeness, co-operation or something else entirely. It can't be ac- curately described, but people know what it is. Reality The reality of TSOTL is that we have here, on Pyroto, a very tightly regu- lated gestalt. That is to say, the "world" of Pyroto (seen to be the world in microcosm) is very limited. As such, we have a way to examine -- under a microscope, as it were -- this principle of gestalt. We can see how people interact, how they contribute to "the spirit" of the "place". Definition TSOTL is "the center-point of the principles and motivations of a group of people". This is embodied in the Pyrotian saying, "Everybody follows the rules, but nobody knows them". To differentiate between this definition and the mythologized TSOTL of the various Mountains, I will use the word "tsotl" instead of "TSOTL". (The uppercase version could be misleading, inasmuch as you might try to over- apply your own Mountain's tsotl to the discussion.) Beyond the Mountain Each Pyroto system has its own tsotl. Indeed, every BBS has one. There are tsotls in research laboratories, hospitals, offices ... you can apply the concept anywhere. As we move from group to group, we are affected by that group's tsotl, and we in turn affect it. What about the world in general? Can all those tsotls form a gestalt of tsotls? A meta-tsotl? Can we really apply the lessons of Pyroto on a larger scale? Perhaps. The original Pyroto has been running for a year, and that has given me time to see various alliances and "governments" come and go. I am getting used to this little scene: I turn on the TV news, listen to an official governmental proclamation, and remark, "That's nonsense! I heard that this afternoon on Pyroto, and it was nonsense then!" Yes, on Pyroto we've seen democracies, theocracies, technocracies, merito- cracies, communism, corporation rule, dictatorships, libertarianism -- you name it. Each "government" can function more effectively if it understands the Mountain's tsotl. "TSOTL IS PLEASED" Societies create their gods in their own image. They might make a man a god because he approximates the society's tsotl. They might make a god out of a philosophy, such as capitalism or socialism, simply because their environment created an equivalent tsotl. In no case is the tsotl the creation of one man, any more than the USSR can be said to be the creation of Karl Marx, or the USA to be the creation of Thomas Jefferson. A god that doesn't match his worshippers can not survive. Of course, we have to look at the time scale carefully. As the Servant of TSOTL on the original Pyroto, it has sometimes been my unpleasant duty to ignore the wailing of the lower wizards, who are being cruelly dominated by the higher wizards. All I can say is, "Give it time!" Oddly, even in times of ruthless dictatorship, people continue to call voluntarily to the Pyroto system. Why? Because they know that even the worst dictator will eventually fall prey to what one wag dubbed "The 501 Blues". This happens when a pentacenturion (Level 500 wizard) does not get the feedback, from the people, that he needs. He gets bored and eventually disappears for one reason or another. In assessing this, we should realize that, as a political simulation, Pyroto is extremely time-compressed. One wizard might represent a long line of dictators. It's rare for an "empire" to last more than a few months. It is also absolutely imperative that the Servant of TSOTL does not get involved in the experiment, since he has the power to colour the results. Obviously, the design of the Pyroto software is a colouration, also. It tends to favour the literate. This is another aspect of the "reality" phase of TSOTL, and it is a good example of the Uncertainty Principle: in order to study a tsotl, we must first set up some parameters for it! Conclusion The Pyroto Mountain BBS/Game system is a philosophical experiment. It's also very entertaining! You don't have to take it too seriously and actually study what happens. We learn every day through our interactions. Pyroto is a tiny community reflecting a larger one. You can't help but hear the echoes. INDEX Can't find it here? Check the Table of Contents. 450 baud 29 ALT-F10 32 ALT-F6 32 ALT-F7 33 ALT-F8 33 ALT-F9 32 Announce 14 ARTICLE 16 Backspace 28 Backups 15 BBS 37 BESEECH 18 BOOST 29 Bugs 10 Call Strings 24 CHARGE 28 Close 17 CONFIG.SYS 5, 10 CONTACT 13 Copyright ii, 30 Crash 9, 33 Demote 17 door 15, 38 Quick summary 7 Elementals 35 Esteem 35 F10 32 F2 32 F9 32 Function keys 13 Guardians 12, 34 Hayes modem 8 Help! 8 HURL 16 I/O error 10 Icons 32 Inactive user 15 LOCAL 13 LOGO.TXT 32 maintenance 12 Manna 19 MANNA-BULL 23 MANNA-COW 23 Message files 16 NATURE 42 Passwords 31 PRE-ZOMBIE 23 Probe 19 Problems 8 PYCONFIG 9, 10, 13 QUERIES.DAT 15 Question 12 Question list 16, 18 READER 23 Sanctify 17 SCROLLS 18 Seismoros 18, 35 Servant's Word 13 SPELLS.BBS 37 SPELLS.DAT 6, 31 Switch 8 Tax Guardians 28 THRALL 23 TSOTL 1, 42 Utilities 20 Validation 12 Versions ii Wizop 21 Yoo-Hoo 13 Zombie 23