PROBLEMS (Q) AND ANSWERS (A) FOR SRE! [last updated 10/2/92] 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I can't figure out why ... A. Check SYSOP.LOG. It records any errors that SRE detects. If you report bugs to us, it may help if you include the contents of that file. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I am registered but I can't get nuclear & chemical weapons to show up on the menu. A. Each player will need to find nuclear or chemical weapons. Since they are outlawed by the Galactic Coordinator, they are not easily available; I suggest keeping more covert agents than planets so that the agents will search the planets looking for people who can sell you a nuclear / chemical weapon. If one is found, a question will be asked ("Do you wish to buy a nuclear weapon?") in the profits/ news screen. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I can't get SRE to run with WWIV. A. SRDOOR has a little bit of trouble with WWIV. One thing you might try is seeing if it works remotely but not locally. (You can force it to run locally with the /LOCAL parameter.) Also, if you call our BBS, we have a program called WW4SR20.ARJ that claims to get SRE to work with WWIV. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I can't get SRE to run with Genesis Deluxe A. The best thing to do is to get the door converter called GENPC. It supports directly converting to SRE's DOORFILE.SR format. Once you run GENPC, you can take SRDOOR out of your batch file. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. Why don't you have PC-Board support working? A. I don't know! It's partly because the designers of PC-Board wrote PCBOARD.SYS so that it's incompatible with languages other than BASIC. Since SRE & SRDOOR are not written in BASIC, it's harder to read it. There _is_ a converter called P2SR available on our board that lets you run SRE with PC-Board 14.x. I'll eventually write PC-Board support into SRDOOR. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. SRDOOR doesn't read the door file correctly. A. We have tested SRDOOR for DOOR.SYS and DORINFO1.DEF. If you are unable to use these, you may be able to experiment with the formats for other BBSes. Unfortunately, we have not fully tested the other BBS formats. If you have any information about the door file produced by your BBS, please send us a letter! 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I get an error message about running SRDOOR! A. Run INSTALL SRE to install the correct BBS type for your system. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. SRE doesn't read the ANSI status of the user. A. SRE currently ignores the ANSI status, even though it's in the door file, so that users can play black and white if they'd like. (It's faster without color!) 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I can't figure out what to put in my batch file to run SRE. A. Run INSTALL SRE to set up a batch file automatically. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I don't know how to set up my BBS software to run SRE. A. Consult your BBS manual for more information. Look for information on running DOORS. You also need to produce a DOOR FILE when running SRE. Select a door file format that is compatible with the options listed in INSTALL. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I have a high speed modem running at locked baud rates. A. Read RESOURCE.HLP for the "LockBaudRate" parameter, which lets you tell SRE that you're using locked baud rates. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I want a bulletin with the instructions for the game. A. Run: SRE INSTRUCTIONS /ANSI=0 /LOG REN SRE.LOG SRETEXT.TXT SRE INSTRUCTIONS /ANSI=1 /LOG REN SRE.LOG SRETEXT.ANS Then SRETEXT.TXT & SRETEXT.ANS will have the (long) instruction file for SRE. For the short instruction file, SRE DISPLAY SREHINT.TXT /ANSI=0 /LOG REN SRE.LOG SREINTRO.TXT SRE DISPLAY SREHINT.TXT /ANSI=1 /LOG REN SRE.LOG SREINTRO.ANS The reason these files aren't included is that the SREHELP.TXT file, when ZIPped, is 14k, and including it three times (the normal one, the ANSI version, and the non-ANSI version) isn't good for long distance callers trying to download SRE! 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I get snow on my CGA monitor. A. Use the /BIOS switch when running SRE to remove snow. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. SRE runs too slowly. A. SRE's file routines have been re-written to get high speed, but to maintain security (read "p r e v e n t c h e a t s"), SRE has to save often. If you still need more speed, try running a small disk cache. SRE's data files are *.SR (rarely over 100k) and are accessed often. (Try to use a read-only disk cache; some caches don't write to the disk when SRE wants them too; if SRE crashes, you may lose important game data!) Also, to save memory, SRE swaps to disk. If you have EMS or XMS, SRE will swap to those, which is much faster (you have to enable some options in RESOURCE.DAT, so read RESOURCE.HLP for more info). You could also disable the safe saving (see RESOURCE.HLP for info), but this is a SECURITY HOLE! (There are many cheats possible then...) 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I am using DESQview and running SRE produces trash on my screen. A. Use the /BIOS switch to ensure compatibility with DESQview. Try virtualizing your screen in DESQview to prevent screen bleeding. Turn off VGA effects, because SRE will change the color palette when VGA is on (see RESOURCE.HLP). 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I have a monochrome monitor. How can I play locally without color? A. Use the /ANSI=0 switch to turn off ANSI color. Also use /BIOS to make sure SRE is compatible with your monochrome display card. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. My modem buffer causes the pauses and Yes/No prompts to be extremely slow on the remote side. A. Use the /NOSPECIALEFFECTS switch to turn off the special effects at the pauses and Yes/No prompts. Alternatively, (preferably) you can edit RESOURCE.DAT to set up your system configuration. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I want to know what the users have done in SRE. A. Use the /LOG option to write all output to the file SRE.LOG. Note: this file is overwritten every time SRE runs, so you should save it somewhere if you want the log of more than one user. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I want a separate file to contain the scores. A. SRE automatically creates SRESCORE.ANS (ANSI file) and SRESCORE.MSG (non-ANSI file) when it runs. You can modify the batch file to copy these files to your BBS's bulletins or any other place you may need the files. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I want to register but I don't want my name to appear. A. Your name will appear at the end of the game in the registered version. We do not register to your handle for legal reasons. (A handle is not a legal recipient of registration benefits.) Sorry! 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I want to register but I don't want my name to be added to junk-mail mailing lists. A. Don't worry! All registerers of SRE will NOT be added to any junk-mail list. Our list is used ONLY for notifying registered users of updates and/or bulletins. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I'm running OPUS. A. Switch to Telegard. Actually, in our experience, very few people have been able to run SRE on OPUS. Remote Access, Telegard, Spitfire, TAG, Searchlight, and Wildcat are able to run our games. You will need to make OPUS create a door file such as DORINFO1.DEF or DOOR.SYS (short format) to run SRE. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. My computer is an oldie 4.77 mhz 8088 with CGA... A. Don't worry! It'll be an antique worth millions of dollars in 70 years! And besides... SRE was written on a 4.77 mhz CGA computer! 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. SRE locks up occasionally. A. We're working on this, but it is hard to track down. You may want to try running the game with more memory (remove some device drivers), or outside of DESQview to see what's causing the problem. You may also want to look at SYSOP.LOG to see if there are any errors listed. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. SRE is terrible. A. Then why are you reading this? 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I need to delete a user. A. Use SRE EDIT to delete a user, change his/her/its handle, or change the name of the empire. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I've received my registration numbers and I want to know how to get the registration benefits. A. Type SRE REGISTER and enter your registration numbers. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. Why is there no full editor in SRE? A. Many sysops want a full editor; many more users don't. They are afraid that the temptation may be too great for sysops to give themselves extra money. The main reason is that I have been trying to work on other enhancements & bug fixes and I don't have the time to write a full editor. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. This game is registered to somebody else! A. Delete STATUS.SRE. It won't display "Registered to Joe Bloggs" anymore. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I'm registered and I want a bank. A. Type SRE BANK to set up a bank. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Q. I'm registered and I want the new attacks. A. Type SRE ATTACKS to enable or disable Guerilla/Nuclear/Chemical/ Pirate Raid attacks. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Any more questions? Write to Amit Patel 4851 Cairnsean Houston, TX 77084-2541 Re: SRE Question or if you have Internet access, send email to amitp@rice.edu