MUDSOCK WinSock MUD/MUCK Client by Timothy Fay Welcome to MUDSOCK, a MUD/MUCK WinSock client for Windows! If the version number on your copy is 0.x, then this is one of several Beta-test versions. Chances are a newer version already exists and you can find it via my MUDSOCK homepage at: http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m279/fayxx001/mudsock To install MUDSOCK, just download the installation program, MS10.EXE. This is a self-extracting archive, so copy this program to a temporary directory or onto a floppy disk and run it. After the files are extracted, run the SETUP.EXE program that you will find in that temporary directory or disk. SETUP will install MUDSOCK for you. On-line help for MUDSOCK will be available soon. For more information, check out the MUDSOCK homepage (see above). I'll compose a help page and a MUDSOCK FAQ based on input from users. Hopefully, the program is intuitive enough to use, especially to anyone familiar with Windows applications. MUDSOCK works like a regular "Telnet" client, except all your output goes to one window while your input is typed into another window (similar to TinyFugue, a popular MUD/MUCK client for UNIX-based systems). When you start the program, MUDSOCK will prompt you to enter the name, address, and port of a MUD/MUCK. You can also connect by selecting File | Connect to a MUD from the Main Menu bar, or by pressing the F2 key. Once you have connected to your MUD/MUCK you can connect to a character by selecting Game | Connect, or by pressing the F3 key. The program will prompt you for a character/password combination. MUDSOCK will then connect you to your character and initialize the program for you. There are several functions and buttons available in MUDSOCK to help make MUD-ding a little easier for you. Be sure to look at the notes on the MUDSOCK.INI file, below, for more information on some of the advanced features of MUDSOCK. MUDSOCK works best with TinyMUCK's using MPI (such as FurryMUCK at furry.org 8888), but it should work with almost any MUD/MUCK (though some of the features, like the "who" buttons, may not work on all MUDs). You can connect to multiple MUDs/MUCKs by launching multiple copies of MUDSOCK. You can switch between them by using the Alt-TAB key or the taskbar (in Windows 95). IMPORTANT NOTE: MUDSOCK is shareware, so if you find the program useful I request that you send me something in return. I'm not looking to make a lot of money off this project, however I would like to make back some of the costs incurred while creating this program. Send whatever you feel it is worth to you -- $5, $10, $100... :) As an additional incentive, anyone who sends me $25 or more will have the "Idle" and "Walk" features enabled. "Idle" will send a CR (ASCII 13) to the MUD/MUCK you are using every 30 seconds. "Walk" will take your character on a random walk (also known as a "drunkard's walk") through the MUD/MUCK, i.e., your character will move in a random direction at random or pre-determined time intervals. You can also save these moves to a file. *** ADDITIONAL NOTE to users who have "Idle" and "Walk" enabled *** Many MUDs/MUCKs have policies against the use of "auto-unidle" features, so be sure to check with the MUD/MUCK administrator(s) *before* using Idle or Walk. If you have any questions regarding the use or distribution of MUDSOCK, please e-mail me at fayxx001@maroon.tc.umn.edu. I hope that you'll find MUDSOCK useful. It runs well under Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, Windows NT and even OS/2 (using Windows emulation). However, if you should spot any bugs please let me know right away. Also, I welcome any and all suggestions and ideas you might have to improve the program. Thanks for giving MUDSOCK a try! I hope to hear from you soon. -Timothy Fay fayxx001@maroon.tc.umn.edu Notes on the MUDSOCK.INI file: ============================== Macro Keys: These are the bottom-row keys on the main MUDSOCK form. You can define a different set of Macro Keys for each MUD/MUCK listed in the MUDSOCK.INI file. The format is: Macro N=