Resources 1: Internet
Return to Main Menu
Return to Part 5
| alt.dragons-inn | Role-playing via Usenet |
| alt.fan.dragonlance | Fans of Dragonlance, unite! |
| alt.games.adnd | Like rgfd, only different |
| alt.games.adnd.forgotten-realms | Discussion about the Realms |
| alt.games.frp.dnd-util | Posting & discussion of utilities, etc. |
| alt.games.frp.2000ad | Discussion of the 2000 AD game |
| alt.games.frp.dnd-util | Posting of new utilities, screen shots, etc. |
| alt.games.frp.live-action | Discussion of live-action fantasy rpg's |
| alt.games.frp.tekumel | Discussion of the Tekumel game |
| comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure | Discussion of IBM adventure games |
| comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg | Discussion of IBM computer RPGs |
| comp.sys.mac.games.adventure | Discussion of Mac computer RPGs |
| rec.games.frp.advocacy | Which game system is the best/worst? |
| rec.games.frp.announce* | Con announcements, gamers/games wanted |
| rec.games.frp.archives* | Fiction, programs, house rules, etc. |
| rec.games.frp.cyber | Discussion of rpg's involving cyberware |
| rec.games.frp.dnd | Discussion of *D&D |
| rec.games.frp.gurps | Discussion of GURPS |
| rec.games.frp.industry | Industry issues, concerns, discussion |
| rec.games.frp.live-action | Discussion of live-action fantasy rpg's |
| rec.games.frp.marketplace | Buy/sell (usually used) gaming supplies |
| rec.games.frp.misc | Discussion of all other RPG topics |
| rec.games.frp.moderated* | Discussion of all other RPG topics |
| rec.games.frp.storyteller | Discussion of White Wolf's games |
| rec.games.frp.super-heroes | Discussion of super-hero games |
If you have something to say which doesn't really fit in rgfd, but seems to fit more in one of the others, please post it there. This is especially true for auctions, sales, and items wanted posts, which belong in rec.games.frp.marketplace, and entire combat or magic systems, which belong in r.g.f.archives.
There are many other newsgroups that may be of interest to someone looking for ways to spice up a fantasy role-playing game; far too many to list here. However, some groups deserving of notable mention are: [Select for Preformatted table]
| rec.games.pbm | Discussion of PBMs and PBEMs |
| rec.games.mud.announce* | Advertisements for MUDs |
| rec.games.mud.diku | Discussion of DikuMUDs |
| rec.games.mud.misc | Discussion of MUDs in general |
| rec.games.mud.tiny | Discussion of TinyMUDs, MUSHes, etc. |
| rec.heraldry | Discussion of coats of arms |
| rec.org.sca | The Society for Creative Anachronism |
| soc.genealogy.medieval | Genealogy of people living AD500-1600 |
| soc.history.medieval | Discussion of medieval history |
MPGN has 60 simultaneous anonymous logins available, and only rarely are all of them in use, so there shouldn't ever be a problem getting in.
If fantasy art is more your thing, rather than *D&D-specific files, then be sure to check out the University of Iowa and Washington University, St. Louis archives, as both have extensive selections of art files, quite a few of which are in the fantasy genre. Unfortunately, both of these sites are extremely busy; it's a good bet that you will not be able to get in between roughly 9am-9pm, Central Time (10am-10pm, Eastern; 4pm-4am Greenwich). MPGN also has a few directories of artwork, mainly specific to the worlds of DragonLance and SpellJammer.
If sound files are your cup of tea, you may wish to look into MPGN's Ravenloft Sounds directory.
Most ftp sites (including MPGN) have a directory dedicated to providing copies of the various packer/unpacker programs. Many will also automatically unpack certain formats of downloaded files as you download them if you simply leave off the file extension when you request the file. If your site does not already carry the program you need, either check for such a directory at the ftp site, or ask your local sysadmin for assistance. [Select for Preformatted table]
| Extension | File type | Transfer as | Then... |
|---|---|---|---|
| .arc | Archive | binary | un-archive |
| .asc | Text | ascii | read normally |
| .au | Unix Sound file | binary | player needed |
| .bmp | Graphic (bitmap) | binary | viewer needed |
| .doc | Word/WordPerfect file | binary | viewer needed |
| .exe | Executable file | binary | execute |
| .gif | Graphic | binary | viewer needed |
| .gz | GNUzip compressed file | binary | un-compress (gzip) |
| .hqx | Macintosh encoded file | binary | un-encode |
| .jpg | Graphic | binary | viewer needed |
| .lzh | LHarc archive | binary | un-archive |
| .mpg | Video graphic file | binary | player needed |
| Adobe/Acrobat file | binary | viewer needed | |
| .ps | Adobe PostScript file | binary | viewer needed |
| .sit | Macintosh compressed | binary | un-compress (Stuffit) |
| .tar | Unix tape archive | binary | un-archive |
| .tar.z, .taz, .tgz | Compressed Unix tape archive | binary | un-compress (gzip) then un-archive |
| .tif | Graphic | binary | viewer needed |
| .txt | Text | ascii | read normally |
| .uue | Unix encoded file | ascii | un-encode (uudecode) |
| .voc | Soundblaster sound file | binary | player needed |
| .wav | Sound file | binary | player needed |
| .z | Unix compressed file | binary | un-compress (gzip, decompress) |
| .zip | Compressed file | binary | un-compress (pkzip/unzip) |
If you try to transfer a binary file as ASCII, all you end up with
is garbage.
If you try to transfer an ASCII file as binary, you can lose the
line breaks, which means the entire file will transfer as one long
line.
Note that gzip, though it has the default file extension of .gz,
additionally uses the extension .z; gzip will also handle any .Z
files condensed with compress.
To help clear up some of the confusion, here is a section quoted from an FAQ posted on rgfd by (but, to my knowledge, not written by) Boudewijn Wayers.
How to get files by ftp.
FAQ lists cross-posted to news.answers and rec.answers can be gotten from rtfm.mit.edu (18.70.0.209), under /pub/usenet/news.answers or under /pub/usenet/more.specific.group.name.
"Anonymous ftp" is just a way for files to be stored where anyone can retrieve them over the Net. For example, to retrieve the latest version of the Moria FAQ, do the following: [Select for Preformatted table]
| ftp rtfm.mit.edu | connect to the site; a message follows | |
| anonymous | type this when it asks for your name | |
| [your email address] | type your address as the password | |
| cd /pub/usenet | go to the directory you want to be | |
| cd rec.games.moria | one level down (no slash) | |
| dir | look at what's there | |
| get r.g.m_F_A_Q | get the file; case-sensitive | |
| quit | stop this mysterious thing |
If your ftp program complains that it doesn't know where the site you want to use is, type the numerical address instead of the sitename: [Select for Preformatted table]
| ftp 18.70.0.209 | connect with numerical address |
If you don't have ftp access, send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the single word "help" in the body of the message.
Getting binary files (executables, or any compressed files) is only slightly more difficult. You need to set binary mode inside ftp before you transfer the file. [Select for Preformatted table]
| binary | set binary transfer mode | |
| ascii | set back to text transfer mode |
FAQs and spoiler lists are generally ascii files; everything else is generally binary files.
Generic help can be found in the FAQs of comp.binaries.[your_system] for how to transfer, extract, and virus-check binary files (at rtfm.mit.edu).
If you can't FTP from your site, use one of the following ftp-by-mail servers:
For complete instructions, send a message reading "help" to the server.
If you don't know exactly what you're looking for, or exactly where it is, there are programs and servers that can help you. For more info, send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the body of the message reading
Since listing every single *D&D-related web page would roughly double the size of this entire FAQ, what follows is a sampling of the many, many web pages out there which deal in some way with *D&D or may be of significant interest to a *D&D player.
Other URLs which contain *D&D information:
www.dem.csiro.au/~matthewt/personal.html
www-zeus.desy.de/~hungbhy/rpg.html
www.acc.umu.se/~stradh/
www.ed.ac.uk/~geas/
www.geocities.com/Area51/1966/
www.cp.jyu.fi/~np/rpg/
www.pathguy.com/lipo.htm
www.netrpg.com
spitfire.ausys.se/johan/cave/default.stm
members.aol.com/jimvassila/
www.io.com/~tenzil/rpgs/adnd.html
www.wirehub.nl/~quinon/add.htm
www.bath.ac.uk/~su3blarp/
www.inforamp.net/~gthoms/
www.mit.edu:8001/people/jerrod/dnd/dnd.htm
users.interconnect.net/indy/
www.perkworks.com/erda/
www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=tcadndwr;list
www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=adnd;list
www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=planes;list
www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=ircadnd;list
kunst.uib.no/Dragonlands/
www.pazsaz.com/dundrag.html
home.att.net/~hwid/Wod/Wod.html
www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/2937/
lune.webjump.com
roleplaygames.miningco.com/mbody.htm?COB=home&PID=2759
www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/7633/RPG/
www.webcom.com/~apcrypha/
www.pbm.com/~lindahl/pbm.html
Other URLs of possible interest for shoppers:
An alternative to ftp is making the program available via a WWW page. To do this, you must either have a personal page, or convince one of the existing *D&D WWW page keepers to include your program in their page. This latter course of action is not as difficult as it sounds, as people tend to be looking for new things to add. Once it gets added to a page, post a note to rec.games.frp.dnd listing what the program does and the URL of the page on which it may be found.
If this doesn't seem like your cup of tea, you can try posting it to Usenet. If you decide to take this course of action, the correct group to post it to is alt.games.frp.dnd-util. Postings such programs to rec.games.frp.dnd is strongly discouraged. If you do not get alt.games.frp.dnd-util, ask your Usenet sysop to add it. If you do not get this newsgroup, and your sysop refuses to add it, then and only then should you try posting it to rec.games.frp.archives. This is a moderated newsgroup, so all postings are mailed to the moderator, who then decides if each message is worthy to be posted, so there is a chance that he will decide not to post your program. Once it gets posted, then post a note in rec.games.frp.dnd explaining what the program is supposed to do and in which newsgroup people may find it.
The final course of action you can take is not to upload it at all, but rather to post a note to rec.games.frp.dnd that anyone interested in trying your program can send you e-mail and you can e-mail the program to the interested parties.
No matter which of the above methods you use, there are certain protocols which should be followed. When done, your methods should be explained in a companion text file (if uploading to an ftp site or placing on a web page) and in any advertisements you post to Usenet.
TSR has also released the entirety of Dragon #1-250 on CD-ROM, in PDF format. The search feature of that product, while it isn't exactly a true "index," is probably close enough to it for most users.
Other, independent, attempts at listings and/or reviews of every *D&D product can also be found at www.acaeum.com, and members.tripod.com/~phammer/dndlist0.html.
Revised versions of these files, in which all of TSR's trademarks and any quotes from TSR's books have been removed, are slowly making their way onto the net, via rec.games.frp.archives and a web page, as the compiler finishes them. As none of them are really AD&D-specific now, they are all called "The Complete RPG Guide to..." or "The Fantasy Guide to..." Direct any questions about, as well as any requests for copies of the Guides to Reid Bluebaugh.
On a side note, if you happen to find a copy of a '92 version of the Guide to Sex--or a copy of any of the guides which is dated before 1996--pass it by. There are much better, much more complete (some 200+ pages longer in a couple instances), and much more recent versions available.
A partial list of Complete Guides is as follows; more are created as "the Guide Creator" thinks them up:
Some examples of net.books are:
There are many more Net.Books out there; MPGN has several, and several Web pages have many more. Check out MPGN and the Web sites listed in the answer above before posting a request to rgfd.
There is also a list which occasionally circulates around the ADND-L mailing list, and is infrequently posted to rgfm & rgfd, of current Net.Book projects, with short descriptions and contact addresses.
One of the more popular *D&D-related mailing lists is ADND-L, which is very similar to rec.games.frp.dnd in direction and topics of discussion. A major difference between ADND-L and rgfd is that contributors are limited by common practice to two posts per day on ADND-L, both in order to cut down on the amount of mail received and to keep enough space on the listserver archives to maintain a six month backup. Anyone can look up and retrieve recent articles. To this end, many of those people who have a proclivity towards longer posts put a table of contents at the top of each message. [Select for Preformatted table]
Mailing Lists
| Listservs | |
|---|---|
| al-qadim-l@oracle.wizards.com | Al-Qadim |
| ADND-L | General *D&D discussion (digest possible) |
| ADND-L | Alternative address for ADND-L (no digest) |
| birthright-l@oracle.wizards.com | Birthright |
| corerules2-l@oracle.wizards.com | Core Rules CD-ROM |
| dark-sun-l@oracle.wizards.com | Dark Sun |
| dnd-l@oracle.wizards.com | More *D&D discussion (digest possible) |
| dragonlance-l@oracle.wizards.com | Dragonlance |
| greyhawk-l@oracle.wizards.com | Greyhawk |
| Greytalk | More Greyhawk discussion |
| mystara-l@oracle.wizards.com | Mystara, also OD&D |
| planescape-l@oracle.wizards.com | Planescape |
| qadim-l | Al-Qadim |
| ravenloft-l | Ravenloft |
| realms-l | Forgotten Realms |
| rpganews-l | RPGA News (read only) |
| spelljammer-l@oracle.wizards.com | Spelljammer |
| taogm-l@oracle.wizards.com | The Art Of Game Mastering |
| tsrannounce-l@oracle.wizards.com | TSR Announcements (read only) |
| Majordomos | |
|---|---|
| birthright@lists.mpgn.com | Birthright |
| dark-sun@lists.mpgn.com | Dark Sun |
| dragonlance@lists.mpgn.com | Dragonlance |
| greyhawk@lists.mpgn.com | Greyhawk |
| planescape@lists.mpgn.com | Planescape |
| ravenloft@lists.mpgn.com | Ravenloft |
| realms@lists.mpgn.com | Forgotten Realms |
| spelljammer@lists.mpgn.com | SpellJammer |
| Other | |
|---|---|
| GMAST-L | Roleplayers' discussion |
Subscribing to a Mailing List
Listservers: If you are interested in joining a listserv list, send
a message to LISTSERV@[listserv domain name] with "SUBSCRIBE [list name]
[name/pseudonym]" in the body (without the quotes). For example, to
subscribe to the ADND-L mailing list, you would send mail to
listserv@utarlvm1.uta.edu
with the message
SUBSCRIBE adnd-l Aardy R. DeVarque
You will get a message in confirmation of your subscription, which also
details some of the ways to use the listserv. When the time comes for
you to send your first message out to the readers of the list, send it to
the address listed above for the listserv, which, in the case of ADND-L,
would be
adnd-l@utsrlvm1.uta.edu
To unsubscribe, send a messsage to LISTSERV@[address] with the message
UNSUBSCRIBE adnd-l
It does no good to send unsubscribe messages to the main list, you will
just get laughed at. You have to send them to the listserver itself.
Majordomos: Subscribing to a majordomo list is similar to the
method for subscribing to listservs, except you sometimes include your e-mail
address instead of a personal name. For example, to subscribe to a majordomo
mailing list, you would normally send mail to
majordomo@[domain]
with the message
SUBSCRIBE [listname] joeshmoe@foo.bar.edu
However, when subscribing to the mailing lists at MPGN, the server
automatically finds your address from the mail headers. Therefore, you only
need send mail to
majordomo@lists.mpgn.com
with the message
SUBSCRIBE [listname]
Once again, you will receive a confirmation message with more details.
For majordomos, as with listservs, do not send unsubscribe messages to the
main list; send them to the majordomo, as you did to subscribe.
Digest means that the list's messages are collated into a large message and then mailed to you, usually on a daily basis. This is useful to prevent your mailbox from being swamped with 200 messages per day, but does not save you anything in terms of disk space. People who only check their mail once a day or so and people who have to pay per message received usually prefer this method. Information on how to get the digest form of a list, if one is available, is usually included in the introductory material sent to you when you subscribe to the list. Listservs usually require you to send a special command message to the listserver, while majordomos usually require you to subscribe to a slightly different list name to begin with. The lists at MPGN all have digests available, by subscribing to [group]-digest@lists.mpgn.com instead of [group]@lists.mpgn.com.
There are numerous other mailing lists which are dedicated to other RPGs, or which are more general; a complete list is regularly (if infrequently) posted by Alistair Lowe-Norris on most, if not all of the rec.games.frp.* newsgroups and gaming mailing lists.
If you are looking for more generalized information, or just information which is not *D&D-specific, a good place to check is the rec.games.frp.* FAQ, archived at both MPGN and rtfm.mit.edu.
Those interested in web-based chat have to look no further than TSR's web page. TSR's chat area generally requires that you download and install special client software from iChat in order to properly access the chats. TSR has set up various chat areas, including two set aside specifically for on-line role-playing.
The only other resource commonly available on the Internet which has not already been discussed is IRC, namely the chat areas #AD&D and #RPGA. There, you can have real-time conversations with other gaming enthusiasts about life, the universe, and role-playing. There are also several campaigns being run on IRC which are advertised on #AD&D; if you're interested, look there first. Simply /join #ad&d, then /msg noppa games to see a list of IRC campaigns. There is also a chat line called #rpg_inn, which is dedicated to running real-time free-form gaming.
GEnie, Compuserve, and Delphi also have large discussion areas dedicated to AD&D. Check around in the Games Special Interest Groups and you'll find them. Unfortunately, if you do not have an account with one of these companies, you're out of luck; there is no way to get there from the rest of the 'net.
Continue on to Part 7
Copyright © 2001 by Joel A. Hahn