FRUA Designers FAQ
Dirk-Robert Jacobs
The Designers FAQ for Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures
Last Update: 29.07.96
This is the Designers List of Frequently Asked Questions concerning SSI's
Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures. Why 'Designers' you might ask? Wel=
l,
there is an 'official' FAQ which resides at
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/usr/jk9t/FRUA.html, managed by John Koc=
hmar.
But, as he's very busy ( I believe ), the FAQ wasn't updated for a very l=
ong
time. and nearly every week new tips, ticks and bugs are discovered. So I
decided, to put together all the information, which appear on the mailing=
-list
into a FAQ, to have a kind of first-hand reference for questions.
Note: Most of the topics found in this FAQ are pc-related! I'll try my be=
st to
add things for mac, but as I am a hopeless PCrianer I have to rely on
informations from Mac-people.
If you find any problems with this FAQ, or have something you think shoul=
d be
added, please, let me know. Send any comments to me ( mel...@cs.tu-berlin=
.de ).
General Information:
1. What is Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures?
2. What is the current version of the game and are there any updates?
3. So where can I get it?
4. Are there any online-resources?
5. Any other information resources?
Bugs and Features:
1. Are there still any bugs in FRUA?
2. Bugs in the Game/event options
3. Bugs in specific events
4. Bugs in Monster effects
5. Bugs in items
6. Bugs in spells
7. Misc. bugs
Modules:
1. Where can I find a list of all available modules?
2. What should I do, when my module is finished?
Tools and Utilities:
1. What tools and utilities are available for FRUA?
2. Where can I get those tools?
Hacking FRUA:
1. The CKIT.EXE
2. The STRG001.DAT
Music and FRUA:
1. How can I use my own music in FRUA?
2. Anything to be aware of, when converting midi-files to FRUA?
3. How do I know, if my converted midi-files are correct?
Graphic and FRUA:
1. Which gfx's can I change?
2. Which programs should I use for creating art?
3. Is there a list of all available pictures?
4. How can I=A0create color-cycling pictures?
5. Creating Wall Sets
6. Creating Maps
Thanks and kisses (umpffhh!) go out to all active members of the UA-maili=
ng-list
and the staff at responsible for the UA Newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------
General Information:
Subject: 1) What is Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures?
Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures (FRUA for short) is a program from =
SSI
=A0(http://www.ssionline.com) to design computer-role-playing-games simil=
ar to
'Pools of
Radiance' or 'Dark Queen of Krynn' from the SSI Gold Box games. =A0The AD=
&D based
modules you create with FRUA =A0( or as it's often called just UA ) are b=
ased on
the rules of AD&D and can be shared with other owners of the game, so you=
must
have a copy of FRUA to play the modules.
With FRUA you are able to create and use your own art, maps, text, events=
and
combat sequences ( and with the help of some utilities you can even do mo=
re!!
See the Subject ... )
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 2) What is the current version of the game and are there any up=
dates?
Well, as a matter of fact, FRUA isn't supported by SSI =A0anymore. There =
are two
bugfixes available, which patches FRUA to version 1.1 and 1.2 ( which is =
the
current version, what a shame! ). You can find the patch on:
Macintosh:
ftp://ftp.cco.caltech.edu/pub/UA/misc/mac-ua11.sea
ftp://ftp.cco.caltech.edu/pub/UA/misc/UA_12_Patch.sea.hqx
PC:
ftp://ftp.cco.caltech.edu/pub/UA/misc/fruav12.zip
(more sites to come...)
Unfortunately, these patches fix only some bugs and there are a lot still
around!
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 3) So where can I get it?
As FRUA is a very old it isn't available as a standalone-program anymore.=
You
can however try to get the CD-Collection called 'Fantasy Fest' from SSI.
Included on this compilation is FRUA together with some other
fantasy-/strategy-games from SSI ( Dungeon Hack, ... ).
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 4) Are there any online-resources?
First, and most important source for information is the frua-mailing-list=
(taken
from John Kochmars FAQ):
The list, frua...@andrew.cmu.edu, can be mailed to, and it will reach al=
l of
the developers. To get onto the list, send mail to
frua-dev...@andrew.cmu.edu, and request to be added to the list (all
administrivia should be sent to the request address, such as adds and
deletions.)
All mail sent to the list will be rerouted to all of the people on the li=
st as
soon as it is recieved at the routing machine. There is no longer a daemo=
n that
creates digests of the messages.
Second, some FRUA discussions happen on the netnews newsgroup
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg. Some discussions had taken place on rec.games.=
design,
but they have died out there. You should note, however, that any post mad=
e to
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg about FRUA should have the string "FRUA" in the
subject. This allows for easy identification of FRUA articles.
There are three main FTP sites for FRUA:
ftp://ftp.cco.caltech.edu/pub/UA: Caltech frua site
ftp://ftp.csua.berkeley.edu/pub/frua: Berkeley frua site
and the last ( but really not the least at all )
http://www.giga.or.at/pub/ua: Thomas Klausner's FRUA ftp site
there are also some small ftp-sites which are usually limited due to thei=
r
providers ftp-space limit ( hello AOL!! ):
ftp://members.aol.com/autery/FRUA: Autery's 1st ftp site
ftp://members.aol.com/auteryd/FRUA: Autery's 2nd ftp site
ftp://members.aol.com/sirpaladim: Sir Paladim's ftp site
ftp://members.aol.com/evenflow16/frua: Evenflow's ftp site
ftp://members.aol.com/kaviyd/: David Knott's ftp site
And there are a couple of WWW-sites concerning FRUA (non-complete list):
http://www.contib.andrew.cmu.edu/usr/jk9t/: John Kochmar's FRUA page
http://members.aol.com/autery/index.html: Autery's Homepage
http://members.aol.com/pccjohnr/: John Rudy's FRUA homepage
http://members.aol.com/SicnarfEel/FRUA/: Sicnarf Eel's FRUA page
http://www.cs.tu-berlin.de/~melwin/frua.html: Melwin's FRUA page
http://members.aol.com/jgb4907/index.html: James Blair's FRUA page
http://members.aol.com/SirPaladim/: Sir Paladim's homepage
http://members.aol.com/evenflow16/frua.html: Evenflow's frua page
http://www.together.net/~saveall/ Dredge's UA page
http://www.thenet.net/%7Ejmartin/d&d.htm St.Geoffery's UA page
and finally, there is an FRUA-section on Ameria Online ( ???? )
(descriptions of the sites follow in the future...)
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5) Any other information resources?
There is the frua newsletter called UANL ( current version is 14 ). It fe=
atures
previews, art, =A0module =A0and tool reviews, tips and a beginners sectio=
n.
UANL can be downloaded from the ftp-sites ( see above ) and there is also=
an
HTML-version ( formatted by John Kochmar and Tom O'Shea ) online availabl=
e at
=A0http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/usr/jk9t/.
------------------------------------------------------
Bugs and Features:
Subject: 1) Are there still any bugs in FRUA?
Taken from Autery's Big Bug List:
With the UA version 1.2 patch upgrade, many of the original bugs in FRUA =
were
fixed, but to anyone who' s spent an hour or more designing, it's evident=
that
problems still abound. Even in the newer uploaded games, authors tend to =
miss a
bug or two. With this in mind, the bug list was created to inform designe=
rs of
what difficulties to expect and, hopefully, to help in avoiding or overco=
ming
those problems. ;) The list isn't all inclusive, but you're welcome to e-=
mail me
at aut...@aol.com, or send additional comments to the UANL editor,
pccj...@aol.com, regarding any new bugs you find. Likewise, if you find =
a way
to fix any of them, please let us know: :)
(Note: solutions to most of these problems can be found at
http://members.aol.com/auteryd/buglist.html. )
FRUA lists PC Paintbrush and Deluxe Paint as supported paint programs. I=
n
addition, Corel PhotoPaint, Deluxe Paint II Enhanced, and Neopaint work w=
ell
with the .PCX files, but Draw (I forget who produced it) does not.
PhotoPaint supports .PCX files by default, and works nicely with the FRUA
templates. The cost for the Corel package is a little steep, but it comes=
with
other tools and fonts people might like.
Deluxe Paint II Enhanced supports both .PCX and .LBM files. It supports m=
ost
video cards and is the only package that will allow you to create cycling
colors. It's published by EA and runs around $80.
Neopaint will do 1024x768 for most popular cards in 256. 320x200 is also
possible by specifying the image size within the video mode. It also supp=
orts
TIFFS and GIFs in addition to .pcx files. It sells for around $45.00, and=
is
available to 30 day evaluation via anonymous ftp (consult archie -- searc=
h for
neopaint.zip.) The commercial version has even more features than the ano=
nymous
ftp version (which is quite good in its own right.)
Draw, which is has support for .PCX format files through import & export
commands, does not work properly with the FRUA art. Exported .PCX files f=
rom
Draw give a bad header message when you try to import them into FRUA.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 2) Bugs in the Game/event options
Taken from Autery's Big Bug List:
1.Auto Approach -- Choosing auto approach in the combat event has no effe=
ct on
the final range of the monsters. In fact, unless a sprite is chosen for a=
rt, and
the monsters are set for nearby or far away, this choice will have no eff=
ect at
all.
2.Execute event at destination -- You may want to test this option if usi=
ng it
(with a transfer module) to send characters to an overland map. In most c=
ases,
the event at the destination won't fire until the party leaves the space =
and
then returns.
3.The Overland Bug (revisited) -- The "execute event at destination" does=
not
work properly in overland modules. In fact, most of the time, it doesn't =
work at
all What this has meant for designers was that it was never possible to h=
ave
events trigger as soon as a character party transferred to an overland. I=
n games
where the designer didn't know about this quirk, a player could wander a =
map for
hours, never knowing that his/her party was supposed to get instructions,=
a
battle, or some other important event immediately upon arriving...
4.Graphics -- If a big picture is used for combat graphics, and a treasur=
e event
happens afterwards, the character names will not appear on the latter scr=
een.
The treasure can still be given out, but the player won't know who's gett=
ing the
items without a bit of experimenting. The problem (missing character name=
s) will
happen on almost any event following one where a big pic is used. While i=
t's not
much problem before a "treasure event," it can be frustrating if followed=
by a
"Who Tries" event (to disarm a trap, for example...) in which only one ch=
aracter
in the party has a chance of succeeding...
5.Module Art -- Choosing "River" art seems to have no effect. In some of =
the
older gold-box games, characters would actually be faced with a river, am=
ong the
other obstacles on the map. I've been unable to duplicate this.
6.Party Never Dies -- This option (in the combat event) allows the design=
er to
set up a combat in which a character party won't be defeated simply by lo=
sing a
combat. In fact, if the battle is lost, all previously unconscious charac=
ters
(even those who were that way before the battle began ;) will be restored=
to 1
hit point. The option isn't absolutely fail-safe, though; it *IS* still p=
ossible
for a party to lose. In one situation, I had a "traitor NPC" in my party
(basically, an NPC who joins the opposing side in combat). In such cases,=
the
"party never dies" option isn't really available. The game treats the spe=
cial
npc as a friendly pc who fled from the combat..
(From: Kav...@aol.com) Also, there is an additional complication of "Part=
y Never
Dies": If any party member flees or is charmed, party members who stick a=
round
until the end are still lost from the party.
7.Set Level -- The "Alter" menu allows players to change the level of the=
game,
making it easier or more difficult by changing the hit points of the mons=
ters.
However, the experience points for the encounters don't change, no matter=
what
the level. The pointer for this has probably been misplaced as well.
8.Sleep events -- if you have more than one sleep event in the same zone,=
the
second and succeeding events will only happen if whatever triggers the ch=
ain
always happens. Ie., if the first event in the chain is supposed to only =
happen
at night and the next only happens during the day, the party will never b=
e
awakened during the day.
9.No graphics in "rest" events...
10.Summoned Monsters -- If the monster type chosen in the global info of =
a
module happens to have a fear aura, an interesting effect will occur...wh=
enever
characters go into combat on that level, whatever monsters they face will=
have
to save vs. that fear aura (just as if it were radiated by a party member=
). Note
that a monster needn't be summoned for this effect to occur.
Note: For a number of modules, both PC and MAC versions exist. The PC ve=
rsions
will end with .zip, and the MAC versions will end with .sit. Shortly, we =
hope to
have a MAC and PC version for each module available.
While the information below refers only to the PC version of each module,=
the
modules are translated mechanically, and thus should be identical to the =
PC
counterpart. If you find that a MAC module that you wish to download is n=
ot
available, please contact John Kochmar (koc...@sei.cmu.edu or jkochmar@a=
ol.com)
for information about availability.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 3) Bugs in specific events
Taken from Autery's Big Bug List:
1.NPC Says event -- you can't tie an event to 'happen' if this 'doesn't h=
appen'.
Presumably, the game treats this event as if it happened, whether the NPC=
is in
the party or not. This doesn't prevent the event from happening in the fu=
ture if
it's set to 'do only once,' but it does make it impossible to set up a ch=
ain of
events on the NPC not saying something.
2.Add/Remove NPC event -- same as above.
3.Shops -- this isn't really a bug, but it bugs me (as a designer, not a =
player)
when I see it: If you design a module with several shops in it, don't set=
one to
sell things at x2 and the other at x10. Unless the module is a demonstrat=
ion of
capitalism and good business sense, and it doesn't matter if the characte=
rs have
all the money they could ever want by walking from one store to the other=
- the
lowest priced store should be set to no less than 1/2 the highest priced =
store.
The only exception is for non-magical arrows, bolts, darts, and javelins.=
Since
these can't be re-sold, a shop that sells only these items can reasonably=
be set
to far lower prices than the other stores.
4.Combat Treasure -- This event doesn't have to be placed immediately bef=
ore a
combat to work. It could be placed anywhere on the map or any time before=
the
actual combat. If placed on the map, the treasure will be given after the
party's first battle (provided the party has passed over that area of the
dungeon). Avoid removing the "do only once" option if you do this, though=
--
multiple "combat treasure" events are cumulative, so a party which passes=
over
the event 5 times will receive 5 times the treasure after the next combat.
5.Encounter Event -- The "advance" option has no effect on the monster ra=
nge in
combat. This contradicts the "help" file. Virtually the only way to set
different ranges is to use different combats on each chain of this event =
(one
for combat, the other for talk, etc.).
6.Pass Time -- This event has no effect on character age. Aside from visu=
al
effects, its only purpose is to make spells on party members wear off.
7.Quests -- Contrary to the help text, quests CAN be set to failed or com=
pleted
with another event -- Utilities. If 128 is stored in the quest, the quest=
is
"failed." To give "quest complete," use the utilities event to store 255 =
in the
quest. Another error in help file is that text will only be displayed if =
a yes
or no question is used with the quest. In reality, all text placed here w=
ill be
shown no matter which option is chosen.
8.Who Tries event -- If using this event to perform "ability checks" (i.e=
.,
comparing strength, etc., to a dice roll), it doesn't seem to matter what=
type
of die is chosen. A character apparently has the same chance of succeedin=
g
whether a d20 or a d100 is used.
9.Guided Tour Bug: -- Occasionally, questions are raised about whether or=
not
there's a bug with guided tours.. To my knowledge, no real bug exists, al=
though
glitches arise from time to time because of the differences between UA ve=
rsion
1.0 and 1.2. The most common bug question that arises from guided tours h=
as to
do with events not activating at the end of the tour.
10.The "No Art" option won't work for the temple event -- This is one of =
those
rare problems that crop up from time to time, but because many designers =
don't
use the event in this way, they don't see it.. ;] In this case, the idea =
was to
set up a temple event without a picture. Unfortunately, choosing "no art"=
for
the event doesn't work.. As soon as the event is triggered (via "test des=
ign" in
the Utilities area or in actual game play), the default pic of a temple p=
riest
appears. Afterwards, if the event is checked, "no art" will have been rep=
laced
by "temple priest."
11.When in the Encamp menu, the picture automatically switches to whateve=
r is in
Camp2 Pic after selecting spells. That means you select Camp3 as the pict=
ure
while designing, then the player encamps. They see Camp3... but they choo=
se
spells to memorize. Suddenly after the memorization selection has been
completed, it switches back to the Encamp screen. Now they see Camp2! Oh,=
well.
(I am pretty sure it also works when you view a char. or view the spells =
that
are on them.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 4) Bugs in Monster effects
Taken from Autery's Big Bug List:
1.Monster Items -- Another contradiction in the help text, monsters won't=
use
special magic items (scrolls, wands, etc.) in combat. At least, none will=
that
I've found...
2.Owl Bear Hug -- This monster effect will keep a character from moving (=
if it
succeeds), but it seemingly has no other effect. The crushing damage is i=
gnored,
and normal attacks continue.
3.Monster immunity to confusion -- selecting this in the monster editor s=
eems to
have no effect (confusion spells work on them quite well).
4.Monster ability scores -- adjusting these numbers higher than the defau=
lt
seems to have no effect, at least so I've found with dexterity and streng=
th.
I've seen this mentioned on-line, regarding NPCs and "who tries" events, =
so I
assume other abilities might be the same. Ability scores can be raised by
copying from a monster who has the desired scores or higher
There is apparently no way to differentiate between a combat that the par=
ty won
(killed all the monsters) and one which they simply survived (all members=
either
fled or where immobilized.) In other words, if the party runs from your s=
uper
duper combat, the chain continues down through the next events, giving th=
em
quest points, etc. just as if they had won!
In addition, if at least one party member is held, charmed, or otherwise =
being
affected by a temporary spell that removes the character from players con=
trol,
and all other friendly creatures are dead or down, the combat ends as if =
the
held/controlled players had fled. Keep this in mind while designing your =
combats
[although it isn't something you can do something about, its interesting].
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 15) Bugs in items
Taken from Autery's Big Bug List:
1.Thrown weapons -- any weapon that can be thrown and retrieved after bat=
tle
will increase the xp award for a combat.
2.Bundled or joined items -- items that are joined and then sold in a sho=
p are
worth more than the sum of their individual values--at least, so the game=
seems
to think. In effect, if 2 items are joined, they can be sold at 4 times t=
heir
worth, if 3 are joined, they sell for 8 times, and so forth.
3.Potions of giant strength -- these have a limitless duration.
4.Armor glitch -- Leather armor can't be worn by Rangers or Paladins. 30.=
Scroll
of Protection from Dragon Breath -- A glitch sometimes occurs in the game=
when a
character attempts to ready this item -- the program states that "^ is al=
ready
wearing armor!" A more serious glitch sometimes happens if a mage is carr=
ying
the item and already has it equipped. When he uses it, he loses the abili=
ty to
cast spells (permanently).
5.Weapon glitch -- Slings can be used by mages (and not by thieves). Thou=
gh I
take shameless advantage of this as a player, the item is set wrong in th=
e .dat
files. The item editor will fix this as well. I haven't checked all sling=
s, but
+1 slings are currently usable by mages, while +5 slings are not...
6.At present, the only type of event that takes items away from an unwill=
ing
character is a "Transfer Module," and this works only on "drow" items. I =
believe
something like this was used for the item loss experienced in the game, "=
Pools
of Darkness" (when the party makes the journey through Limbo to the body =
of
Moander).
7.Item 2 in a character's inventory is never removed. Thus, unless you kn=
ow that
the character is carrying only one item, there is no way to guarantee an =
item's
destruction. Robbing a character of all items, if you elect that option, =
would
require two transfers. And money is unaffected, naturally.
8. (From: FET Sel...@aol.com): =A0The encumbrance of the Composite Short =
Bow and
the Composite Long Bow are reversed. The Long Bow should be 80, and the S=
hort
Bow 50.
9.(From: FET Sel...@aol.com):"According to AD&D 1st Ed. rules (page 28 in=
DM
Guide), magical armor is supposed to weigh 50% less than normal armor. Be=
cause
they are made of lighter and stronger metals (like Frodo's mithril shirt)=
, they
allow freer movement and are less bulky. 2nd Ed. rules word it a little
differently, saying that the weight of the armor is the same, but that th=
e
character receives a bonus to their overall encumbrance instead. To the p=
oint.
All of the magical armor in FRUA weighs the same as its normal counterpar=
t.
Besides the AC increase; there is no encumbrance bonus at all. I've teste=
d it.
This is not a BIG point, but it is a nice thing for the player. It worked=
in
Pool of Radiance."
10.(From: FETS...@aol.com)The pointer for "arrows" is 30. It is the onl=
y one
that you can use for making arrows. If you edit another Pointer...say 78,=
and
make it "Is an arrow or bolt," it doesn't work. When you make an item wit=
h that
Pointer the game will not recognize it as an "arrow". Instead it does all=
kinds
of strange things...like corrupting that item slot. If you have a back-up=
of
your original item(s).dat you can still import the original item and poin=
ter
back over it. So basically you're stuck with only one pointer for arrows.=
Change
it and all arrows in the game are changed! I know, it's tragic!
There appears to be only 2 cursed items in the game: a cursed crossbow, =
and a
ring of vulnerability. So, players can safely use items without having th=
em
identified if they are not rings or crossbows.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6) Bugs in spells
Taken from Autery's Big Bug List:
1.Dispelling Disease -- Casting "dispel magic" on a diseased character ha=
s
drastic effects...the disease remains, but the character loses 4 points o=
f
charisma!
2.Resurrection spells do not remove a constitution point, while 'raise de=
ad'
spells do
3.(From: FETS...@aol.com): The Cleric's HOLD PERSON spell only affects
"humans". It is supposed to also affect: brownies, dryads, dwarves, elves=
,
gnolls, gnomes, goblins, half-elves, halflings, half-orcs, hobgoblins, ko=
bolds,
lizard men, nixies, orcs, pixies, sprites, and troglodytes. =A0(Kavid@aol=
.com
adds:) This same bug also applies to the Mage version of the spell as wel=
l as
Charm Person.
It is possible to hack CKIT.EXE so as to change what qualifies as a "Pers=
on".
No, and yes.
No, you cannot create items like swords with special abilities, or make y=
our own
spells. The following is from James Young, who worked on the development =
of
FRUA:
Again this has to do with our license agreements with TSR as these items=
,
spells are essentially owned by TSR. We were lucky that they allowed us t=
o edit
monsters (or did we get away with it:>). Also by allowing users to edit s=
pells
and items would have created an immense headache for the programers.
So, it appears you can't create your +1 sword +3 against enchanted creatu=
res.
There also doesn't appear any way of deciding what spells go on a scroll,=
which
means you can't tailor your scrolls to your adventure.
However, you can tailor events based on the existence of an item in the p=
arty's
inventory, so with a little work, you can special create items like "the =
bandage
of St Skywiler" that reduces the damages inflicted by certain traps, or "=
the
Scepter of Lord Kickbutt" that reduces the morale of monsters by 25% on c=
ombat
events.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 7) Misc. bugs
Taken from Autery's Big Bug List:
1.Dungeon 36 -- once you've saved this level, 'do only once' events will =
never
occur. It's still possible to use the level, but keep this in mind. Other
strange bugs have been reported regarding this dungeon. If your mod. isn'=
t 36
dungeons long, don't use it.
2.(Another UA bug found, by Kav...@aol.com) This bug is in the section th=
at
defines weapons for which Elves get a bonus to hit. In the "default" vers=
ion of
UA, Elves have a bonus of +1 to hit with the trident and the light crossb=
ow.
3.Self-Corrupting Dungeons -- At times, one event chain will copy over an=
other,
making two of one chain and removing the other one. Worse, the lost event=
s (and
text) still count against the total of that module. If you attempt to del=
ete one
of the duplicated sets, both are deleted at the same time. This glitch ca=
n cause
serious problems in your games if (for example) the missing chain of even=
ts is
vital to continuing the adventure. Unfortunately, the problem isn't limit=
ed to
any specific module in FRUA -- I've seen it in overland 4 and dungeons 4,=
12,
and 14. The only way to "repair" the faulty module is to clear it and sta=
rt
over, so the best course for designers is to save often and watch out for=
the
glitch. If it happens, revert to your saved module and avoid using the lo=
cation
on the map where the problem occurred.
4.Berserk Mice: Whenever I'd try to use the mouse in the game (or in the =
design
portion of a module), the thing would become extremely erratic. The curso=
r would
jump all over the screen, occasionally placing events where they shouldn'=
t be,
and/or otherwise doing things it had no business doing.
5.Art Gallery -- Although you can put as many pics in your art directory =
as
you'd like, FRUA will only list (show) a limited number. For some systems=
, this
can be as few as 24 pics, while others may range to as high as 640 or mor=
e...
The amount of available RAM seems to have little bearing on this problem,=
so I
have no explanation for it.
6.Constitution 19 -- According to the help text, a character with a 19
constitution should regenerate 1 hit point per hour. Although this worked=
in
SSI's earlier games (and perhaps in UA version 1.0), it doesn't in FRUA v=
ersion
1.2.
7. If you save your game while the party is using area view, when you try=
to
edit the game, you'll get area view as well. To fix this, go back to norm=
al
playing mode, change your party's viewpoint to 3-D, then save the game. :=
]
8.(From: Kav...@aol.com):.I made an interesting discovery that could have=
some
applicability to science fiction modules. It seems that if you give a cha=
racter
a sufficiently low base movement allowance (say, 3 or less), putting heav=
y armor
on that character actually increases his movement rate.
9.Determining if Party Won or Lost a combat. There isn't a way to determi=
ne the
difference between parties who won a combat normally vs those who won by =
fleeing
(or succumbing to charm) via "normal" FRUA methods; there are work-around=
s,
however. ;)
------------------------------------------------------
Modules:
Subject: 1) Where can I find a list of all available modules?
The (pc) module-list was hosted by Alan S. Estenson (Mycroft=A0) and is t=
he
listing of all FRUA modules known to be available by anonymous Internet F=
TP from
various sites. (I've heard rumours, that it is no longer maintained?)
It can be found at: http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/usr/jk9t/FRUA-MLIST=
.html
There is new list, called the Grand List 'O Modules
(http://www.together.net/~saveall/frua-mli.htm), hosted by Dredge.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 2) What should I do, when my new module is finished?
The best is, to put it on one ( or all ) of the available main FTP sites,=
post a
mail to Mycroft=A0 (he is hosting the module-list and can be reached per =
email at:
este...@gold.tc.umn.edu - or - este...@aem.umn.edu - or - aestenson@aol=
.com=A0)
and send a (short) mail to the frua-mailing-list.
Before you upload your module:
1. Compress the whole stuff and make sure, that you've included every =
file
needed to play the game! Best compressor to use is PKZip, altough AR=
J and
LHARC are also possible.
2. Create a .txt file with a similar name (e.g.: mymodule.zip ->
mymodule.txt). In UA Newsletter 8 a sample layout for the txt-file w=
as
given ( call it a standard ):
SUBJECT: FRUA Module
Module Name: =A0here goes your module name
Date: date of the upload
File: filename (e.g.: mymodule.zip) (filesize in bytes)
AUTHOR: well, your name
E-Mail: your e-mail address
EQUIPMENT: SSI's Unlimited Adventure (commercial)
TYPE: Freely Distributed
Despcription: put here whatever you want the people to tell about your mo=
dule
(best is a short summary of the introduction, spiced up with some mouth-w=
atering
features of your modules=A0=A0
------------------------------------------------------
Tools and Utilities:
Subject: 1) What tools and utilities are available for FRUA?
For PC:
GFX-tools:
BackG (backg.zip): This is a program to allow new artwork to be imported =
into
Backgrounds for FRUA. This allows you to change the 3D view seen while th=
e party
is moving.
Combat Sprite Import Utility (cspredit.zip) from James Blair: A simple ut=
ility
allowing you to import combat effect graphics, like what an arrow or fire=
ball
looks like.
Dungeon Wall Import Utility(dungedit.zip) from James Blair: UA graphics t=
ools,
which allows import of different walls for combat.
FontEdit (fontedit.zip): a quick and dirty utility that enables you to ed=
it the
text font used to display text in Unlimited Adventures. It is the first p=
rogram
written specifically as an add-on editor for UA Shell.
PC Icons Import Utility (iconedit.zip) from James Blair: a PC Icon Import
Utility that uses the same PCX files that the monster slots use (as long =
as
they're small icons).
PCX Backdrop Editor (backedit.zip) from James Blair
UA256 (ua256_10.exe): This utility can be used to convert 256 color .PCX =
files
for =A0use with FRUA. It squeezes the palettes and moves the palette entr=
ies to
where FRUA expects them. You can convert Pictures, Big Pictures, Sprites,=
and
all sizes of =A0Combat Icons.
Wall Import Utility (walledit.zip): A program for importing own images to=
use as
wallsets.
Wilderness Combat Art Inserter (wild11.zip): This program will take custo=
m made
artwork and insert in into FRUA for use =A0as Wilderness Combat Art.
Wilderness Combat Art Increaser (growwild.zip): from Peter J. Kos: This p=
rogram
will increse the amount of Wilderness Combat Art for FRUA.
Wilderness Import Utility (wildedit.zip) from James Blair
Text and string tools:
TextEdit&STR_Edit (textedit.zip): A versatile way to edit various strings=
within
the main UA executable. Some strings are set up with pointers that can be=
moved
around to accomodate strings of differing lengths (TEXTEDIT handles these=
),
while others lack such pointers and must be the same length as the origin=
al
string or smaller (STR_EDIT handles these).
ItemBatch (it_batch.zip): This small utility takes a text file called
STRINGS.TXT, which contains a list of item string names, and plugs those =
item
strings into the CKIT.EXE file. It is a LOT quicker to use if you're repl=
acing
virtually all of the item strings, and if something messes up you have a =
record
of your desired item strings!
Character and Monster tools:
Charedit (chredt21.zip) from jac...@agcs.com: This program (charedit) al=
lows
editing of characters, theirs abilities, ability scores, alignment, baseA=
C,
baseMV, Class, HP, Levels, MR, NPC type, Saving throws, spellbooks and
treasures.
Monster Generator ( RPGBAS.EXE) from Ermac Red
Monster Mover (fruamm.zip) from Peter J. Kos: This one let's you capture =
=A0other
designers monsters. People can take Monster Stats, Combat Art, and Sprite=
Art,
all in =A0one bunch.
Monster Name Generator (RPGBAS.EXE) from Ermac Red
NPC Name Generator (RPGBAS.EXE) from Ermac Red
Hacking tools:
UA Shell (uashell.zip): A program that enables you to run and edit hacked=
UA
adventures.
UA Tools(uat130.zip):
FRUA Module Unprotector (unprot.zip): a small program that will display a=
nd
disable passwords in FRUA modules. This can allow you to view other modul=
es.
Beta-versions:
Wall Rendering Utility (wallrend.zip) from James Blair
Race/Class Editor (rc_edit.zip) from James Blair
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:2) Where can I get those tools?
Most of the above mentioned tools should be available from all the main
FRUA-ftp-sites, except for the BETA-files, which are only available from =
the
author's ftp-site.
------------------------------------------------------
Hacking FRUA
Subject:1) The CKIT.EXE
Due to the endless efforts of many people, some of the mysterues of the C=
KIT.EXE
has been unraveled. If there is no tool for any adjustments you want to m=
ake for
your adventure, a good ( but hard ) way to do this, is to change the CKIT=
.EXE by
hand. In order to do this, you'll need a binary hex-editor ( some people =
say,
that the UGE (Universal Game Editor =A0) is best suited for this task ) t=
o change
the according bytes. For a detailed description of unraveled secrets, get=
the
file ckitform.zip from ftp://members.aol.com/kaviyd/.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:2) The STRG001.DAT
The STRG001.DAT-file contains information on the menus of the ART GALLERY=
, the
PICTURE, SPRITE, COMBAT ICON, BIG PICTURE and OVERLAND MAPS in each modul=
e and
on the Monster names. Hacking the STRG001.DAT-file allows you, to change =
an
image to be used as a different picture (e.g.: you can use a PICTURE as a=
BIG
PICTURE, SPRITE or OVERLAND MAP).
More details about the STRG001.DAT are given in the UA Newsletter 12!
------------------------------------------------------
Music and FRUA
Subject:1) How can I use my own music in FRUA?
FRUA uses the eXtended MIDI-format for it's music- and sound-files. There=
are
four sets of files in the \FRUA\DISK1 (or equivalent) directory: ADDQ?.XM=
I (
ADlib Dark Queen for ADlib-compatible soundcards ), PCDQ?.XMI ( PC speale=
r Dark
Queen for PC speaker only [terrible]), RODQ?.XMI (ROland Dark Queen for
Roland-compatible soundcards) and TYDQ?.XMI (TandY Dark Queen). The Dark =
Queen
in all these files means that, these files originated in the Dark Queen o=
f Krynn
game. The "?" stands for a number between 1 and 3, with 1 being the overt=
ure, 3
being the final score and number 2 contains the various other scores.=A0
To convert conventionell MIDI-files to XMI-files, you need the MIDIFORM.E=
XE
utility (available at http://members.aol.com/pccjohnr/frua.htm).
To use your own midi-files with XXXX2.XMI-file, you have to combine six (=
short!)
scores like this:
MIDIFORM DQK2.XMI 1.MID 2.MID 3.MID 4.MID 5.MID 6.MID
More information about music conversion to FRUA can be found in the UA
Newsletters 10 + 12!
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:2) Anything to be aware of, when converting midi-files to FRUA?
Your converted midi-files are limited by memory (not by length), =A0if it=
is
bigger than the original, it will cut at the end. Next thing to be aware =
of, is
that the xmi-format only supports a limited number of channels ( that is =
2-8 for
music, 10 for percussion ) and last, but not least, you can't have more t=
han 32
notes being played simultaneously!
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:3) How do I know, if my converted midi-files are correct?
Two ways to do this:
* First, copy the converted files to your DISK1 directory (backup the
originials before) and start a module.
* Second, get the XMITEST program from syfon. This is a little command=
-line
utility for testing the ability of UA to play an XMI file. If the XM=
I file
plays in XMITest, and you include the INSTR.AD file with your upload=
of the
music (or UAShell/UAT1.3-compatible module which uses the music, the=
n UA
WILL play it. It supports the 6-tune minifile (DQK2.XMI), so you can=
play
all six tunes from XMITest, without having to run it over and over a=
gain.
------------------------------------------------------
Graphic and FRUA:
Subject:1) Which gfx's can I change?
As far as I know, you can change any kind of graphic used by FRUA. Apart =
from
the usual pictures (PICTURE, BIG PICTURE, OVERLAND,..) you can change the
wall-art, the backdrops used with the wall-art, the combat-backgrounds, t=
he font
used for displaying texts and the frame-gfx.
(more to come...)
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:2) Which programs should I use for creating art?
Best program to use is Electronic Arts' Deluxe Paint or Deluxe Paint Anim=
ator,
as these are the only program capable of creating color-cycled pictures.
(from autery):Deluxe Paint II enhanced (and/or Deluxe Paint Animator) can=
be
ordered directly from Electronic Arts. :] The phone number is (510) 783-4=
695.
The last address I have for the company is:
Electronic Arts
26557 Danti Court
Hayward, Ca. 94545
There are also some verrryy good programs on the shareware market:
For Windows: Paint Shop Pro ( latest shareware version: 3.12 ) available =
for
win3.1 and win95
For Dos: Neopaint
Both should be available on any big ftp-site
(more to come...)
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:3) Is there a list of all available pictures?
The list is simply called the "Pic List" and is a comprehensive text (ASC=
II)
listing of UAs' Pics, Big Pics, Maps, and Sprites (for IBM) located in th=
e UA or
frua libraries (IBM).Each picture is listed alphabetically, by name, file=
name,
archive, and author.The list is formatted to be easily viewed with a stan=
dard
text viewer, text editor, Web Browser, and/or Word for Windows.
The Pic List is available at Thomas' ftp site (eris.giga.or.at) and auter=
y's web
site (http://members.aol.com/autery/).
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:4) How can I=A0create color-cycling pictures?
From PCCJohnR: The only program you can use in this case is Deluxe Paint =
II or
Deluxe Paint Animator. Electronic Arts holds a strangle hold on "true" LB=
M
files, such as what's necessary for Backdrops for BACKG and color-cycling.
There were recent news about color-cycling-utility from Dark Fiber, but a=
s far
as I know, it's not finished yet.
If you don't have DPaint you might try this little trick:
* First, load one wall-art, which uses color-cycling into your art-pro=
gram.
Look at the palette of the gfx, to find out, which color-slots are u=
sed for
cycling.
* Now load and edit your picture and use these color-slots to draw the
color-cycling parts of your picture ( don't mind, that they are pink=
in
your paint program! ).
* Save it and import your wall-art (don't import it as a color-cycled
picture, use a standard one). There seems to be a nice bug ( or a fe=
ature )
in FRUA, which allows your (not true color-cycled) picture to have
color-cycling.
* Load your wall-art in one of the wall-slots for your dungeon, and th=
e true
color-cycled wall-art in another one. You have to do a little bit of
testing, as in which slot to put which wall-art (the order is import=
ant! ).
But finally, when you test your dungeon ( and all worked fine ) you =
see
your walls and instead of the pink colors you see: color-cycling!
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:5) Creating Wall Sets
There are some things to be aware of, when creating wall sets:
Wall Slot 1 is used as a background for the other wall slots 3,4 and 5 (t=
hat's
why they're smaller), so wall slots 3,4 and 5 are just overlays to wall s=
lot 1.
When FRUA paints the walls (3,4,5) on the screen, it will first put wall =
slot 1
on screen and than paste the appropriate wall slot 3, 4 or 5 above it. Wh=
en
creating these wall slots, you'll always have to keep an open eye on this=
fact,
to get neat and clean pictures.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject:6) Creating Maps
There is an easy way to create maps, if you own Neopaint:
John Rudy created map stamps for Neopaint (unfortunately Neopaint is the =
only
program, that can use thiese stamps) for easy map-making.
The stamps are available at PCCJohnR's web page:
http://members.aol.com/pccjohnr/index.htm
------------------------------------------------------
Mail you questions and comments to: mel...@cs.tu-berlin.de