MZF ROM 2.4 compatibility

Please stop writing me about this. It takes away time from working on it!

MZF ROM 2.4 compatibility should be available by September 15, maybe sooner. The main feature is support for the ROM 2.4 server I got last month from http://rom.org/. I don't really know what version it is, but I've also been able to read the ROM 2.4 zones I have gotten from the (down as I write this) Huang's Zone-a-rama.

I have gotten permission from Alander to incorporate some of the ROM 2.4 database reading code, and I am trying for full compatibility with ALL ROM 2.4 features.

For the first release, at least, most ROM bits and ROM-specific settings will be on separate ROM dialogs.

Currently I can read in ROM 2.4 zones, write out ROM 2.4 zones, and convert ROM 2.4 zones to Merc/Envy. Object and Room dialogs are fully ROM 2.4 aware. All that is left is conversion to ROM 2.4, and mobile editing, and those features are almost done. When everything appears to work here, I will announce here and on some builder mailing lists and Usenet.

I'm doing my testing in Windows NT 3.51, but I am sure that Win95 will support this. I intend to have Windows 3.1 be able to use this too, I haven't forgotten everyone using the 386.

ROM is a trademark of Rivers Of Mud. I hope I haven't misused it here.



This is the ROM room dialog. Not a lot new here. You might be expecting more bits here. The more important bits like 'Gods Only' are on the main room dialog. I'm not quite sure myself what 'Owner' is, as it isn't in the ROM 2.4 builders guide I pulled off the ROM distribution (see Area Building! to view on the WWW.)

This is the ROM object dialog. This is where support for objects which give a spell effect will be added. NOTE: Merc/Envy don't support this as far as I know, unless I'm very mistaken please stop writing me asking for this in Merc.

There are a LOT of new bits. I might break this into two or three dialogs. Right now it is way too big. Some new fields, like the new 'either' sex, are on the main mobile dialog.

This is the new non-ROM feature. IMPs will be able to define new object types, and MZF will treat them like the built in objects. It will be easy to do this, and it will be possible to edit a configuration file for the new object types, so IMPs can supply the stuff needed for MZF to recognize vehicles or missle weapons or whatever.
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