Setting Up the Database (cont't):

Editing Server Files:

The screen shown at log in, and the information provided in `info', `news', `help', `man', `mpi', and `motd' (Message of the Day) are all stored in the server directory game/data.

One of your first tasks will be providing a new log in screen, to replace the TygressMUCK screen supplied with the server. To do so, edit the file game/data/welcome.txt. Note: Though many players currently have large screens, it's a good idea to limit the file to 78 characters by 20 rows. This is all that can be seen at one time by someone running TinyFugue in `visual' mode on a standard 80 x 24 monitor, or a similarly limited terminal program on some other platform.

You can add to or edit the documentation provided in `news', `info', `help', `man', and `mpi' by editing the files `news.txt', `info.txt', `help.txt', `man.txt', and `mpihelp.txt' respectively. Or, you can add files to the directories `news', `info', `help', `man', and `mpihelp'. Adding a file called `join' to the `news' directory would create an entry that players can read by typing `news join'.

The MOTD will usually be updated online, with the `motd' command (syntax: `motd <message>' to add an entry; `motd clear' to clear all entries). The motd command gives no control over formatting, however, and you can only clear all the entries, not one or some. If you want to make more precise changes to the MOTD, edit the file game/data/motd.txt.