- Why Upgrade?
- What Won't I
Like?
- How do I Upgrade?
- Troubleshooting
- Fixing Corrupt
Settings Files
- Fixing Corrupt Map Files
- Scripts
that Don't Work
- Final Thoughts
zMUD has gone through a lot of changes between version 4.x, 5.x, 61x and
7.0x. Some of these changes might make upgrading to v7.0x a bit more difficult than
expected. Of course, if you have kept up with all of the beta versions,
7.0x
will
seem warm and friendly. But taking the leap from 5.55 directly to 7.0x might be
somewhat of a shock and require relearning some of zMUD features. Migrating
from v6.62 to v7.0 should be much easier. However, be
assured that 7.0x is big of improvement over older versions. Both new users and
advanced users will find many important features in 7.0x that make MUDding even
better. Also, most all of the known bugs in previous versions were fixed.
I'm assuming that you are using zMUD for MUDding because it has the
best user interface and the most power and speed compared to any other MUD client
available. Well, comparing v7.0x to older versions:
- v7.0x is faster than any other version of zMUD. Text scrolling is
faster, script execution and trigger processing are faster, and speedwalking
in the mapper is faster. Depending upon your scripts, this version can
be 5-10 times faster than previous public versions.
- v7.0x has a completely redesigned mapper. This mapper uses a
database format to store the map data that is compatible with zMapper and
any other program that can read Microsoft Access database formats.
Using zMapper, you can customize the map with many different graphical
features, import/export map data, etc. See zMapper
for more information.
- v7.0x allows you to use VBScript or JScript (or any other scripting
language that is installed into the Microsoft Scripting engine) for your
scripts. You can mix normal zMUD scripts with VBScript or JScript.
So now you can program zMUD using the language of your choice.
- v7.0x has new Advanced Trigger support. These new trigger states
allow you to write much more powerful triggers, or combine some of your old
triggers together for greater efficiency. See the article called Advanced
Triggers for more details. Perl Regular Expression triggers are
also supported.
- v7.0x has full support for Windows XP, including Themes.
- v7.0x has better support for various Internet standards. MXP support
is fixed in this version (it was very buggy in v6.16), as is the MCCP
support. Telnet option negotiation works better with many MUDs, and
support for SOCKS5 Proxy servers has been added.
- v7.0x has many other new features, including support for floating-point
math, better COM/ADO scripting, better plugin support, more mapper
scripting, better array support, improved timers and wait command, and much
more.
- v7.0x uses a new version of the eLicense copy protection system that works
better on Windows XP systems.
When upgrading to version v7.0x, you will be required to re-enter your
registration code. So, you will initially see the Trial screen for v7.0x. Don't panic! You do NOT need to buy a new registration
code. Simply click the License button, enter your registration code into
the Order ID field, then click Install License. If you have lost or
forgotten your registration code, simply go into your eLicense Control Panel,
double-click the Zugg Software icon, then right-click on the first zMUD icon and
select License Receipt.
This new version of zMUD makes extensive use of the Microsoft Data Access
Components (MDAC) that are part of Windows. MDAC is shipped with all
versions of Windows since Windows 98, but there have been a large number of
versions of MDAC, some of which are slow or incompatible with zMUD. If you
have Windows 2000 or Windows XP, then you shouldn't have any problems. If
you have Windows NT or Windows 98, it will depend upon how up-to-date you have
kept your system with service packs and what other software, like Microsoft
Office, you might have installed. If you have Windows 95, you will
probably have to install the MDAC system software before you can use the new
version of zMUD. zMUD should prompt you if it detects problems with your
MDAC/ADO software. It will direct you to the http://www.zuggsoft.com/data
page for help with installing.
For most systems, the best way to get a reliable MDAC system seems to be
installing MDAC 2.8 first, followed by installing the Jet 4.0 OLEDB
files.
If the new mapper is really slow (for example, if it takes more than 30
seconds to load your map or a zone), then you probably have the old MDAC
software. Try the above procedure to update MDAC to see if that
helps. Also, if you have used any BETA versions of zMUD between 6.30 and
6.68, then you should make sure to re-convert your maps using the new zsConvert
program that comes with zMUD to make sure you have the fasted and most stable
maps.
Here is a step-by-step procedure for upgrading to v7.0x
- Make a copy of your old zMUD directory. In windows, just
select the zMUD folder, then select Copy from the Edit menu in Windows. Then select
the Paste option in the Edit menu and Windows will create a copy of your zMUD folder.
- Download the Full version of zMUD v7.0x.
- Double-click the
EXE file that you just downloaded to run the zMUD installer. When asked for the name
of the folder to install zMUD, select your old zMUD folder so that v7.0x keeps all of your
existing settings and preferences.
- At the end of the installation, run zMUD...you should be all set!
Of course, since there have been so many versions of zMUD, not all upgrades might go smoothly. The most common problem is corrupted *.MUD
settings files (contains your aliases, triggers, etc) or corrupted *.MAP files from the
old automapper.
If zMUD hangs or crashes when you try to connect to one of your
characters, your *.MUD settings file for that character might be corrupted. It is
actually easy for files to get corrupted. Saving your settings after getting an
Access Violation error is the most common way for this to happen. v7.0x
has been improved and there is less of a chance of corrupting your files if
you use the new version. Some older versions corrupted files very
easily. However, not all
is lost.
- First, find the *.MUD file for your character. It is usually in
the folder for the MUD you are playing, within the ZMUD directory.
- Rename this MUD file to something else.
- Run zMUD again and connect to your character Offline. This
allows zMUD to create a new, blank MUD file for your character.
- Select the Import/Settings command from the Settings menu, and when
prompted for a filename, select your old MUD file that you renamed. You should be
able to import your aliases, triggers, etc, from your old file.
- If the Import doesn't work (because the old file is badly corrupted),
go to your Copy of your old zMUD folder and run the old version of zMUD. Load
your character offline, and select the Export option from the Settings menu. Export
your settings to a text file. Then, go back to your previous version
of zMUD and open your blank character,
and use the Settings/Import/Ascii menu command to read the
file you just exported. If you have trouble, you can edit the text
file that you saved and as least import some of your settings.
- When you have recovered your settings, don't forget to save them with
the Settings/Save menu command.
v7.0xx should automatically convert your old *.ZZZ and *.MAP files into the
new *.MDB database format. If it fails to do this, then you might have
the incorrect MDAC/ADO system software on your system. Go to http://www.zuggsoft.com/data
for more information on upgrading this system software.
There were several bugs in the script and trigger parsers in older versions
of zMUD that were fixed in v7.0x. If you were using some of these bugs, then some of your
scripts may no longer work. You might have to tweak some of your aliases or
triggers. Refer to the online help guide or the zMUD Programming
Manual on the web. You can also post scripting questions to the Discussion Forum
where several zMUD Gurus are prepared to help you.
It has been a long time between the 6.62 and 7.0x releases and I hope
you like what you see. Most of the improvements are suggested by zMUD users
themselves. If you have ideas for improvements, feel free to send them to me at zugg@zuggsoft.com. Of course, if you find bugs
you can report them to me also. Keep an eye on the Beta Forum for the latest breaking zMUD version news.
Happy zMUDding!
Zugg
(10-Mar-04)
Home
Forums
Downloads
Documentation
Zugg's Blog