B&B Setup Instructions The following is the the B&B setup instructions text file. Prospective buyers should read over this to ensure that they have the technical knowledge necessary to set up the template. If help is needed with any of the topics in this manual there are a plethora of sites on the Internet which offer helpful tutorials. Any search engine will help you find the information you need. Thank you for purchasing the B&B game template system. This text file will help you set up your own customized template game. GENERAL NOTES - This code is available for purchase at: http://www.bbtemplate.com/ If you received this code anywhere other than there you are using an illigitimate copy. - These instructions assume that you already have access to an NT webserver and that your domain name is registered and functioning correctly. - It is recommended that you keep the original B&B zip file that was emailed to you so that you will have a copy of the original template files as you start to customize this copy. - The B&B zip file contains four main items: two copies of this setup file (.doc and .txt), a folder with the game scripts in it, and a blank copy of the game's database in Microsoft Access format. - Once you’ve set up your game you are free to customize it as much as you want. You can add new features, modify existing ones, and alter the code in any way you please. SETUP INSTRUCTIONS 1) Set up the database and DSN. If you plan on using the Microsoft Access database to run your game you’ll need to upload it to your webserver and create a DSN (data source name) linking to the database file. You’ll want the database file in a directory that web users will not be able to access. If you’ll be using Microsoft SQL Server you’ll need to import the data from the Access database into your SQL Server database, and then set up a DSN to that database on your SQL server. 2) Upload script files. Upload the directory structure in the Game Scripts folder to your websites root directory. From now on you’ll need to remember to upload files again as you change them locally on your hard drive. Not much will work on the website at this point, as you’ve yet to customize any of the game’s variables. If you’re running your script from a subfolder within your domain the "includes" folder MUST still be in your root folder for the scripts to run. If you can’t place the includes folder in your root directory you’ll need to change the path of every includes tag in every script to point to your chosen directory. Unfortunately this could not be done with global variables since the path for an include tag may not contain any variables. 3) Set game variables. The variables that allow you to customize your game are in the three files in the folder /Game Scripts/includes/variables. Directions for customizing the variables are available within the files themselves - simply open them in notepad and follow the directions there. You may capitalize the first letter of variables like your game’s name, unit names, and so forth, without these capitals show up in the middle of sentences on the page. If the script needs a lowercase version of a variable to be gramatically correct it will automatically convert the variable to lower case. Don’t forget to upload your changes! 4) Rename database tables. All of the tables in the database currently start with the letters ABBR. These letters need to be replaced by whatever you set GameAbbreviation to in global.asp when you were setting the variables. Your abbreviation doesn’t have to be four letters. This is done mainly for the SQL server users - it allows you to run multiple template games out of the same database, since webhosts usually charge extra for additional databases. 5) Create your owner account. Whatever user you set the GameOwner variable to in global.asp needs to actually be created. Do this through the signup form on your website. 6) Redo the images. You’ll want to redo the title.gif and online.gif images in the Game Scripts/images folder. title.gif - Shows up at the top of all the pages in your site. online.gif - An icon shown beside users who are currently online. 7) Customize the site look. To customize the look and feel of your site you’ll want to edit the HTML in the following files (all are in /Game Scripts/includes): header.asp - This is the top of all member pages. Also you can customize the look of the header function defined at the bottom of this file. footer.asp - This is the bottom of all member pages. headervisitor.asp - This is the top of non-member pages. Also you can customize the look of the header function defined at the top of this file. footervisitor.asp - This is the bottom of all non-member pages. errorprinter.asp - This is the page that displays when something on the site goes wrong (for example a field is left out on a form). 8) Schedule daily server resets and hourly revives. The file /server/reset.asp needs to be configured to run at midnight daily. Similarly, /server/revive.asp needs to run on an hourly basis. For one reason or another the webhost I used could only configure CFM files to run at scheduled intervals, so I made a CFM file for resets and revives which could be scheduled instead (they point to the corresponding asp file). If you choose to schedule the CFM files you’ll need to open them and update them with your game’s URL. If you can schedule the ASP files directly you may delete the two CFM files. In addition to this, you’ll want to adjust the date in /server/lastreset.txt to the current date. 9) Insert some message boards. To allow people to chat in your game you’ll need to define a few message boards in the ABBRBoards table. This is pretty intuitive and should not need much explaining. 10) Set your administration password. If you go to the file /includes/admincheck.asp you’ll be able to set the variable for your administration password. Once this is done you can go to this URL: http://www.yourdomain.com/admin/default.asp?pwd=[yourpassword] 11) Insert new items and units. From your admin panel you’ll be able to use the item and unit generator. Alternatively, you can enter raw data for items and units into the ABBRUnitTypes and ABBRItemTypes tables. If you take this route you’ll also need to specify which item subclasses can be used by each unit class, and you can do so in the ABBRAllowances table. For more information on item and unit classes and subclasses you should read over the beginners guide available in the members section of your game. 12) Adjust round reset dates. By default a new round will start on the first of every January, April, July and October. This can be adjusted if necessary, but it’s a touch complicated. To make the changes you’ll need to go to server/reset.asp, scroll to the part commented "Check if new round must begin", and adjust the month numbers two lines below that comment. Also, you’ll need to adjust default.asp in /members/misc/rounds so that it displays the proper start date of the next roud. This code is under the comment "'When does this round end?". If you’re not very familiar with programming it’s recommended that you leave this setting alone. 13) Get board moderators. To add board moderators to the site you’ll need to enter players into the ABBRPermissions table, and set the prmAccessible field of the record for each mod to "boardmod". This is the only function of the ABBRPermissions table at this point. 14) Create a Terms of Service It’s a good idea for any website to create a valid Terms of Service document - you may do so in the file /Game Scripts/tos.asp. That’s it! You’ve got yourself a game! Your B&B template game should now be ready to play, though as time progresses you’ll surely want to make more modifications and adjustments. As mentioned above, you may alter and add to the code for this game in any way you like, however, you are not permitted to resell or distribute the code for this game. If you’d like to create another game owned and ran by yourself from this template that’s fine, but it cannot be distributed to others. Enjoy!