From: "Gordon Lewicky" <glewicky@dowco.com>
To: "Gary" <gary.hartzell@verizon.net>
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 01:54:09 -0700
Reply-To: "Gordon Lewicky" <glewicky@dowco.com>
Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: PMMail 2000 Professional (2.20.2475) For Windows 98 (4.10.1998)
Subject: Re: mail codes in Lord

On Thu, 19 Sep 2002 13:40:46 -0400, Gary wrote:

Hi Gary,

>Thanks Gordon!  It's kind of funny you sent me the C++ structures by Mike
>Dillon, as he is the only other person who replied to my query.

I was just thinking. better check thode headers as to which Lord ver they refer to, since
the latest lord player files post Seth's v4.00 have been changed by Preslar, I believe
I think if he's changed them then he's just added  to the dat files, but it would screw things up.
the ascii drop is the best and safest way to go for player info. I think he also reads that back in after
exitting from the igm. Not too sure on this.

>I think I have a handle on writing to the mail file now.  The file that is
>dropped is info(n).dat.  I'm still working on how I would use this info to
>retrieve info from the player.dat file.  Maybe I should just go one step at
>a time and get the mail stuff working first.

As long as your additional stats are done via the mail codes, then no probs, but that still means
that they would have to read their mail before the changes would be implemented, normally done
by exitting and entering the game. That's the only drawback to the mail code method.

Instant changes would have to be done via the player.dat files, unless there are environ vars which
can be used to pass the new stats back to the game. Thinking about the settable &P vars in Lady.
I haven't checked into whether the igms use this method as well. Or if the info[n].dat file is
read back in. Might be worth looking into.

>I just wish there was source code out there from IGM's using C++, but I
>guess I'll have to do without.

Haven't run across any, but haven't really looked for any code either.
But with opendoors there shouldn't be any probs, other then finding a way to pass back
the new stats maybe a msg to preslar would give you more help, or Bryan Turner.
There is something in the docs as to how an igm should be installed and archived,
written by Seth, may still be on his old robinsoft site or the lord legacy site.
Best I can do for you from here.  Good luck! :)

Cheers...
Gordon Lewicky

Langley, BC
glewicky@dowco.com