Fourth Bryan Productions Proudly Presents: ChrHack A program for IBM computers and compatables with EGA/VGA graphics to play NetHack with graphics. Redefine the symbols of the games like walls, sinks, fountains, and traps to resemble what they are and not like some text character. Also define items to look like amulets instead of quotes, rings instead of equal signs and gold instead of dollar signs. Change monster icons to resemble nasty things trying to kill you instead of letters of the alphabet. ChrHack version 2.3 Written for NetHack 3.1 Copyright(c) 1991-1993 Mike Marcelais Another Fourth Bryan Production Changes since version 2.2: Added command line support for file loading Added icon transfer command in ChrEdit Changes since version 2.1: Fixed Runtime Error 006 (definitely) Better Parser in install. Nethack.add file. Contains lines to be added to nethack.cnf for people that want to do a manual installation. Nethack.cnf file removed because it would overwrite people's existing file. Include nh.bat file. Included sample font that has monster graphics (Font file is the same between version 2.1 and 2.2 -- No convert needed) Changes since version 2.0: Fixed Rogue Level error Convert program to upgrade font from 2.0 to 2.1 Included sample nethack.cnf file Features: (* indicates new feature since 1.0) Define symbols like walls as graphics *Define items like weapons as graphics *Define monsters like orcs as graphics *Redefine the normal text characters to get a fancy font. NOT a TSR, does not use any extra memory EGA/VGA required. *Install program will write batch file and update nethack config file automagically. Font editor to customize the graphics used Sample graphics file included IF YOU ARE UPGRADING FROM 2.0 1) Run 'convert' which will translate the font file from 2.0 format to 2.2 2) Edit the font file. Two new symbols were added (under the Rogue Menu) that need to be defined. 3) Run the install program. IF YOU ARE UPGRADING FROM 2.1 1) If you were having problems with the old install program, then run the install program included. 2) The font format is unchanged. No conversion needs to be done. IF YOU ARE UPGRADING FROM 2.2 1) Simply replace the executables. Everything else is compatable. Usage: 1) Put all of the ChrHack files into your nethack directory. 2) Run install to modify your nethack.cnf file. All old options are preserved. BIOS, rawio, and IBMgraphics options are added as well as the commands to redefine the monsters, items, and graphics symbols. If you have weird results (ie, it stops after the first two lines, etc) make sure that you have a DOS style text file, not a unix style text file. (One distrubution of NetHack had a unix config file in it.) 3) Run nh to play nethack. This batch file will enable the character set and start nethack, passing all arguments through. To edit the characters: 1) Run chredit. The symbols are put into five groups: a) Items Things you can pick up. b) Text Font that messages are displayed in. c) Symbols Things that don't go elsewhere. d) Monsters I A-Z and all special symbols e) Monsters II a-z f) Rouge Symbols Things on the rogue level 2) Chredit.cnf allows you to define the colors that the editor uses. Help on the config file is found within the file itself. It is very similar to the nethack.cnf file. To use another data file: Simply use the name of the file as an argument to chredit or chrset. eg. chredit monsters.dat chrset monsters.dat If a name is not provided, chrdata.dat is used. Files: Validate is a small program that will return verification information about a file. The Method 1 and 2 columns are the validate checksums for the files in this archive. File Name Size Date Method 1 Method 2 chredit .exe 60431 3-29-1993 AF69 05DB Font editor chredit .cnf 616 3-29-1993 C92A 15C5 Font edit config chrset .exe 7721 3-29-1993 D986 137A Enable font install .exe 14555 3-29-1993 9DB3 1EF6 Install program convert .exe 8940 3-29-1993 967C 14C2 2.0 --> 2.3 font conv. chrdata .dat 4096 3-29-1993 4646 0AD7 Font data file monster .dat 4096 3-29-1993 F507 0334 Font /w monsters nethack .add 252 3-29-1993 C493 0661 Lines to add to config validate.com 12197 3-29-1993 D5BB 166F File verification validate.doc 2415 3-29-1993 1C90 19F9 Doc about validate readme .txt 6944 3-29-1993 ???? ???? This file nh .bat 73 3-29-1993 0B71 0B09 Created by install Disclaimer: Although I think this program has value, you may disagree. If you do, then don't use this program. Although extensive testing has shown that this product will not harm monitors, hard drives, and computers in general; if it does damage anything then it is who and not I that is responsible for the damage. In short, if this program causes you to lose 1 million dollars, then it is you who is out the million and not I. (This is basically the same disclaimer that is written in all software but I wrote mine in plain english while their's is in legaleze. :-) Shareware: The idea behind shareware is simple. The program is freely distributable. Users try out the program for a week or two and if they don't like it, they erase it. If they continue to use the program, they should consider paying the author of the software a small sum to continue to support his efforts. This price is much less than commercial software. If you enjoy using this program, please send $10 to me. Benefits are simply: update notices and a feeling that you made a software author feel important. (Helps pay my bills also.) Registring also increases the chances that I'll listen to you when you have problems or give suggestions. US checks, money orders, cach, etc may be sent to: Mike Marcelais 4109 Livingstone Place Durham, NC 27707 Current E-mail address: mrmarcel@eos.ncsu.edu Alternate address: mrmarcel%eos.ncsu.edu@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu Credits: Many thanks to the 'Dev Team' for creating NetHack 3.1 Many thanks to Kris Preacher, Scott Tillman, Alan Olmstead, Scott Starin, and Adam Majewski for creating the sample font file and testing the program. Many thanks to Joshua John Buergel for beta testing. Many thanks to E. Stephen Mack for the monster data file.