NOTE! The following images are actual screen grabs from Windows 95 and zMud. It will be easier for you if you simply print this page. To save toner, turn images off, but be sure you copy off the information in the two screen grabs denoted by the little pickle-guy you'll see floating to the right of each.
Use Windows Explorer to create a folder called 'zdown' on your C: drive
Select Drive C: in explorer
Then menu item File|New|Folder
While the new folder name is highlighted and the cursor
is flashing, type the name zdown, then press
the enter key
Point your browser at:
http://jazz_band.tripod.com/download.htm
Look for "ZMud -- The greatest mudding proggie I've ever used."
IMPORTANT NOTE: This link was active as of September 7th, 2000. But the net being as it is, should you get a file-not-found error message, simply enter the word 'zMud' and "16 bit" into my favourite search engine (Google-below) and you will be presented with many pages that offer you an option to download this software. The older versions (both 16 and 32 bit) are quite adequate and are (even better) free!
and select the appropriate FREEWARE download link (16 bit for Windows 3.x or 32 bit for Windows 95, 98 or NT)
When prompted for what to do with a 'zip' file, tell
your browser to save it. When asked where tell it the
'zdown folder' on drive C:
Press the Save or OK button and wait for it the file to download
Once downloaded, go back into Windows Explorer, and open the 'zdown' folder on drive C:
Double-click on the file zmud32f, this should
open WinZip (if you have it - if you don't you'll have to
download and install it first).
Select the extract button and fill in the dialog that
appears as shown below
Now press the Extract button on the dialog
Once extracted, go back to Windows Explorer and select the zmud32f file. Press the delete key and say yes when asked if you want to send the file to the recycle bin.
Now select the file zmud.exe and drag it onto a
blank area on your desk top (you may first have to make
the Windows Explorer window small enough to see your
desktop).
Close Windows Explorer
You should now have an icon on your desktop entitled
Shortcut to zmud.exe
Double click on the icon and you should be presented
with the zMud startup screen. Press the Char Database
button.
A new dialog will appear, and we need to make some
settings applicable to MOOs which we can use for all MOOs
we want to connect to. Press the Empty button.
A dialog will appear, displaying a tip; just press OK.
A blank screen and more menu options will appear. Select
menu item Settings | Load...
Select the file default.mud, and press the
Open button.
Select the menu item Settings | Parse
(this will turn the tick off)
Select the menu item Settings | Save as...
Type the filename moo.mud in the Save As
dialog box that appears. Press the Save button.
Close the blank (black window) window.
Now we need to set up the connection details for 2 different MOOS. We will use one as a training ground - it has a great walkthrough tutorial (I know, I wrote it)! The other is the one that hosts the bipolar support community.
Select the menu option File | Another Char...
First, our training MOO.
This time click the New button
Fill in the boxes on the right hand side as shown below:
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Now on the left side of the window, click the row
AFTER the selected one
The details you just filled in should now show in
the list (as follows).
Now for the support MOO...
Press the New button again (as before), but this time fill in the information on the right hand side of the screen as follows:
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Now on the left hand side of the window, click
the blank row at the bottom
Your full list of character should now look like
this:
From now on, you can connect to either of these 2
MOOs by selecting one in this window, then pressing
the Connect button
In future, to actually bring up this window
either press the Char Database button when
you first start Zmud
or (if you're already in Zmud) by selecting the
menu item File | Another Char...
As we already have the connect window up, we may as well go ahead and try to connect to AussieMOO (where the tutorial is).
Ok, you should have AussieMOO selected on the left side of the window - if not, select it now.
Press the Connect button
If all works, you should see the following:
Don't be put off by the overwhelming amount of rubbish that is assualting your eyes, the front screen of AussieMOO is just ugly - but it's nicer inside :)
The actual instructions are listed on the screen, but to save you looking, I'll tell you waht you need to type :)
Everything you type on the MOO should be entered in the box at the bottom. So type in:
co guestthen press enter
As you can see, MOOs are entirely text based environments but are really nowhere as intimidating as they look. They have basic commands for speaking, moving, hugging, picking up and droppin objects etc.
To learn these basic commands, you should do the tutorial. To do so enter:
tutAnd you will be taken to the first of the tutorial rooms. From there follow the instructions. If you get stuck at any point, enter
@hintIf that still doesn't help, enter @hint again (and again and again..). Each type you ask for a hint, it will give you a hint that is more detailed that the last - right up to the last 'hint' which actually just tells you the command you need to enter.
To disconnect from the MOO at any time, enter
@quitA zMud window will appear telling you it will attempt to reconnect to the MOO in 10 seconds. Just press the Close button before it reconnects. If it DOES reconnect again, enter @quit again.