.TOPIC:                                           
Doors Configuration

                       VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- 2-K-1


	 ͻ
	  CHAPTER TWO ANNEX K    A. DOORS CONFIGURATION                  
	 ͼ

		VBBS will run almost all modern doors and online games
	 created for use on BBSes, either straight from the command line
	 or through the use of an external door converter, such as DOORWAY
	 or DoorMaster.  Doors can be called from function blocks or from
	 scripts, as well as this internal doors configuration.
		VBBS shrinks out of memory for all external programs, re-
	 serving only a small amount of RAM for its "hooks" that allow
	 the user to return to the BBS.  VBBS creates the CHAIN.TXT,
	 DOOR.SYS, and DORINFOx.DEF "drop files" which contain user infor-
	 mation for use by the door program; most doors will accept at
	 least ONE of these formats.  It should be noted, however, that
	 some games, particularly WWIV- and PCBoard-specific games, re-
	 quire the use of a door converter because of their use of DOS
	 interrupts and their methods of handling ANSI graphics.

		When you choose item [A] from the VCONFIG Main Menu, you
	 will see a scrolling-window screen listing the door programs you
	 have installed, along with the SL needed to access them.  Moving
	 the highlight bar and pressing [Enter] selects that program's
	 configuration entry.
		When configuring a door program in VCONFIG, you will be
	 prompted for the following information:

	 1) Program Name
	    
		The name of the door program, as it will be presented to
		the user.  Try to keep it short; long names will be trun-
		cated (not good if you like to include version numbers).

	 2) Command Line
	    
		The name of the batch file or command line to execute the
		door program, along with any command-line parameters that
		need to be passed to the door.  Again, full pathnames are
		recommended.

	 3) Security Lvl
	    
		The MSL (remember *that* abbreviation?) needed to access
		the program.

	 4) Access Flag
	    
		If set, allows only those users with matching access flags
		to access the program.  Access flags are set in the user
		editor; for more information, see "The User Editor".

	 ͻ    Access flags can be useful in "beta-testing" door programs
	 ͼ    to see if you've installed them correctly.  Before announ-
		cing you've got a new online game, give a couple of your
		trusted users access to the game using access flags and

                       VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- 2-K-2


		get them to try to crash the game, tweaking your game set-
		up as necessary.  Once all the glitches are fixed, THEN
		drop the access flag requirement and announce your new on-
		liner; this can spare you some grief from vexed hard-core
		gamers (the kind of feedback you LEAST want to hear).

	 5) Single User
	    
		Indicates whether the game is playable on single nodes or
		multi-nodally.  Single-line installations should leave
		this set to YES.

	 6) Credit Cost
	    
		Allows sysops running a credit system to charge credits
		for door program access.  This is configurable for each
		individual game.

	 ͻ    Setting up a credit cost for games can either be a great
	 ͼ    boost for your message-base traffic, or it can be a night-
		mare.  If you use this feature, make sure you don't set
		your credit costs so high that it takes an inordinate
		number of posts or uploads to earn enough credits to play 
		the games.  

	 D) Delete This Entry
	    
		Self-explanatory.


	 ͻ    Getting door programs to run correctly, especially upon
	 ͼ    exiting and re-entering the BBS, is probably the most
		difficult task a sysop faces.  Door games are rapidly
		becoming more complex, and as they do so, their indivi-
		dual requirements and quirks are doing likewise.

		In installing door programs, patience IS a virtue; many
		times, installation involves a good deal of trial and er-
		ror.  The importance of reading the door program's docu-
		mentation, especially with regard to installation, can
		not be overstressed.

		In addition, Appendix J contains sample batch files and
		command lines for some of the more popular online games.

	 ͻ    Some door converters (not included with VBBS) will allow
	 ͼ    the sysop to configure a remote sysop drop-to-DOS; this
		is a chancy business at best, and caution is advised.

	      For installation of games under OS/2, please refer to
		Appendix D for information.

