-- Messages from file: [SUMEX-AIM]<LENAT>MESSAGE.TXT;1
		 -- Tuesday, January 16, 1979 15:36:32 --

Mail from CMU-10A rcvd at 16-Jan-79 1529-PST
Date: Tuesday, 16 Jan 1979 1827-EST
From: Jeffrey Lomicka at CMU-10A (C425JL12)
Subject: Re: dnd
To:   Lenat at SUMEX-AIM
CC:   kjk at SAIL
Message-ID: <16Jan79 182727 JL12@CMU-10A>
In-Reply-To: Lenat's message of 16 Jan 79 15:38

DND  used to consume a  lot of disk  I-O. Now it is  fairly mild with
that, because the KL has a LOT more user available core than where it
was written.  (Can you imagine a  KA with a 29K limit on user area?).
The  some-odd 4 modules (of  crufty BASIC code) were  combined into a
"BIGCORE"  version that is  the default here.  (Smallcore version was
pretty bad,  It  did horrid  things  to disk  performance!)   The
program grows.  The current  theories  are that  it either  fails  to
recover I-O  buffers when files are opened and  closed, or it doesn't
reclaim space when string manipulation is done. For this reason it is
a good  idea to watch how  big it gets and do  a QUIT-RESTART when it
gets too large.
I did not write it. I had  a hand in it, and share 30% of the profits
on it, but  the greatest amount of work was  done by one DAN LAWRENCE
at PERDUE (Junior-Computer Science).  Work is currently well underway
on a  SIMULA language  version that  won't havve  to have  the  whole
(freaking) high segment follow it around. I will release the source to
this on a limited basis, when it is done, but would rather not  simply
have a dungeon source in every pot, because it does give away some
tricks. (Each system could have a "Dungeon Master".)
We've already sold the  8080-Z80 rights to the original BASIC source,
which is the main reason it is kept secure.


The following document should tell you all you need to know:


The installation document is:

To install DND on a DECSYSTEM-10 or DECSYSTEM-20 the following
modules must logically be on the following devices.

SYS:
BASCOM  EXE    75  <055>   14-Dec-78    17H(143)-2      DSKB:[5,1]
BASCRF  EXE    70  <055>   14-Dec-78    17H(143)-2
BASERR  EXE    35  <055>   14-Dec-78    17H(143)-2
BASIC   EXE    70  <055>   14-Dec-78    17H(143)-2
BASXCT  EXE    85  <055>   14-Dec-78    17H(143)-2
BASDDT  EXE   125  <055>   14-Dec-78    17H(143)-2
  Total of 460 blocks in 6 files on DSKB: [5,1]
All of which reside on BAS: ([5,1]) at CMU.
If all you are interested in is running DND, then BASXCT and BASERR
are the only needed files. If one is interested in playing with
this extended BASIC, you may also want the documents:

BASIC   MEM   125  <055>    1-Apr-77    TEMP:[C425JL12]
BASNEW  DOC    15  <055>    9-Jan-79
  Grand total of 140 blocks in 2 files

That much is BASIC. The dungeon programs and data files must be
on device DND:, these are:

DND.SAV found in TEMP:DNDR.SAV[C425jl12]
DNDDC.SAV found in TEMP:DNDDCR.SAV[C425JL12]
DNDLVL.DAT[C425JL12] with write access.
DNDOP.BAS found in TEMP:DNDROP.SAV[C425JL12] Allow ONLY THE DUNGEON
        MASTER access to this program. It allows the data to be modified.
        There is, however, little or no documentation on how to use it.

The first time DND is run the user should have write access
to DND: and should create a character. The files
DNDCHR.DAT
and
DNDORB.DAT
will be created by the program and should be protected so that
all dungeon players can access it.
This document is TEMP:DNDINS.DOC[C425JL12].

In the user's area, a file nnnDND.TMP is used and should be deleted
at the end of a game. BASIC cannot yet delete files, so you have
to do it yourself.

Until MAY 1981, problems and newer versions may be solved and
made available through me, LOMICKA@CMUA.


A note on terminal types. A fairly large number with their own
quirks are supported. If all else fails, use ASR33 or GDP modes.
The differences are in what is used for clearscreen, backspace,
and linefeed. VT52 uses escape sequences for cursor left and
cursor down. Many others feed a FF for clearscreen and let the
monitor do it. Most use the LF char for linefeed and ↑H for
backspace. Non-video type don't clear screen. INFOTONs backspace
on ↑Z.  If you need a specific type (and aren't happy with the
simple minded ASR or GDP) then I will add it. This is a simple
change.


                        Jeff