2017-05-16 02:20:30 (edited by Caccio72 2017-05-16 04:46:38)

Greetings!

This time I need some assistence regarding the VIP MUD client itself.

My operating system is a 64 bits Windows 8.1.
For playing MUDs, I am mostly using VIP MUD client v2.0.
Since some of my favorite MUDs, like Discworld and Materia Magica, require a registered version of this MUD-client, I payed for its registration to GMA Games a couple of days before,(it was their site I downloaded the program from round a month ago), and the process seemed to function just fine, only a few minutes after my PayPal payment, my VIP MUD program got registered, it only asked for my registration name at its start, (just like before), and after I inserted it, I received no more demo-related warnings when running it. )ever again since that very moment)
For my logic, it is obvious that the program got registered, I just find it a bit strange, how the process happened this fast, and why I was asked no personal ID, code, or serial number, which were sent to me in email a few hours later, but I asked around inside certain MUD communities, and other mudders approved, that this is the way how the process usually works with VIP MUD.

However, asuming my registration is indeed complete and successful, I have the following issue with my VIP MUD copy:
According to the so called, TTS Discworld soundpack instalation instructions for VIP MUD v2, there are supposed to be 3 files in the original VIP MUD installation folder, (which is by default inside C:/Program Files (x86) directory), 3 files, which are supposed to be copied to the VIP MUD directory located in" my (users) Documents" folder.
I noticed, that 2 of those listed files already exist in both of the mentioned folders, wile the 3rd one is completely missing from both of them.
Since I still do have problems, or at least issues regarding the Discworld TTS soundpack, (for example neither ignoring, nor playing sounds of classes is functioning, not even gag-settings in general), I must presume, that the required 3rd, missing file is causing those issues.
Normally I also asked around, and found out, that the most of players using the registered version of VIP MUD v2, do have that file in their default VIP MUD installation folder, so I fear the problem may be either with my client-settings, or eventually with its registration, which may still be in some kind of pending phase.

What I ask of You guys is the following little favor:
Those of You, who use the registered version of VIP MUD v2.0, please check, if a file named bg.dm is present inside Your default VIP MUD installation folder, and if so, please notify me of it here, along with the operating system You are using. )namely, I suspect, that the existence or non-existence of that file, can have something to do with the OS used by our computers, or even directly depend on it)

So once again, the name of that dubious file is: bg.dm
And it should be located in the VIP MUD installation folder, which is by default under the "Program Files (x96) directory" of Your C: drive.
Please don't forget to name Your operating system as well!

In case even those of You, who use the same operating system as myself, meaning a 64 bits Windows 8.1, do have that file in Your VIP folder, I shall contact GMA Games, and ask them about the matter, but there is maybe no issue present at all, so I would like to avoid disturbing, or alerting them without any valid reason.

Regards,
Caccio
from Hungary

Edit:
I would also welcome any explanations of the function of that bg.dm file, meaning what is it actually used for by the VIP client, since I haven't managed to find any clues for it on the internet so far.

2017-05-16 09:39:44

Hi Caccio.

I  checked in my 64 bit version of windows 10 and sure enough, no sign of the bg.dm file in either  main installation folder in program files x86, or the Vipmud 2.0 save folder in documents and my copy of Vipmud 2.0 is  definitely fully registered.

one thing I'd suggest checking is whether the instructions relate to a copy of vipmud 2.0 installed ontop of a previous 1.0 version, since the two versions handled their various scripts and save files rather differently. !1.0, being created back in Xp days shoved everything in  it's installation folder, while 2.0 has the folder in My documents.
You theoretically could! install a version of 2.0 ontop of 1.0 if you wished, although when I installed 2.0 myself on my old xp machine I removed .0 to save script confusion.


As to registering the games, the Gma games registration process is fairly simple.
When you order the games you get a registration key tied to both your computer's id number and your user name, and if you register within the program itself all that info is sent to Gma games directly by the program.
If you want to check, you can go onto Gma games and look up your account (this is also a good place for removing reg keys if you want to install on a different system since you get three installs by default).

David greenwood implemented this system because back when he used the standard email notification method he was getting endless  from people for replacement keys, and this way people could effectively replace their own.
Suffice it to say, if vipmud says it's  registered then it is registered, I've installed it  on four separate machines over the years as I switched desktops and laptops (and I'll soon be installing it on another when I get a new windows 10 laptop).
Btw, Gma games isn't a "they", it's pretty much just David Greenwood I believe with occasional contributions from others like Phil Vlasac.

David Greenwood is a  very decent fellow, albeit he does play things rather close to the chest in terms of development, but if you send him the instructions to the diskworld pack he might be able to shed some light on the situation, indeed I do wonder if something is a bit off since as I recall I did try the soundpack myself when I was trying diskworld but couldn't get a peep out of it.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-16 20:29:47 (edited by Caccio72 2017-05-16 20:46:30)

Well, it seems I will have to contact either Mr Greenwood, or Blind James Spencer about this matter then, Mr Spencer is the developer of the Discworld soundpack btw.
I never had VIP MUD v1 installed, I already started mudding with v2, so I cannot have any compatibility issue regarding the program.
I keep trying things out for 3 days now, in order to make the soundpack fully functional, it would take hours to list what I already tried out so far, and have definitely reached the limit of my current, decreased software-handling capabilities, so yes, I will need the assistence of one of the above mentioned 2 peoples.

The strange thing is though, that the TTS soundpack for Discworld was released only 2 years ago, in 2015, so it is unlikely, that in these 2 years, due some unexpectedly fast developement of the MUD, the soundpack became totally obsolete and non-functional, so there must be something I still haven't set the right way, some option or setting, either of the VIP client program itself, or inside the Discworld MUD game, or eventually between its TTS soundpack settings...but I have really ran out of possible clues and solutions by now.
My only remaining idea, actually a mere guess, is about the so called "blind mode", which adjusted my Discworld MUD settings to screen-reader friendly.
It is called a "dumb" connection method or type there, and it is possible, that it's some more recent addition, so a feature, which didn't exist yet when the soundpack was released.
In that case, I will have to ask inside the Discworld MUD, how to reset my settings to so called "normal ones", and try out the so far non-functioning features of the soundpack then, with the default, original Discworld settings.

2017-05-16 21:23:12

I doubt caccio that the blind mode in the diskworld mud itself will be affecting the client, since most of the things the blind mode alters are things like ascii decorations and in game coloured text and I doubt any of that are things the soundpack would use.

I am actually a bit confused as to why the soundpack is talking about these mysterious files at all, since other soundpacks in muds generally work by  work by having the script files and the sounds themselves, I've never actually heard of these bg.dm files at all indeed I'm a little confused as to why you would need to start copying files around the installation folders since one of main purposes of Vipmud is! it's easy scripting for different muds.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-17 00:07:31 (edited by Caccio72 2017-05-17 00:51:42)

Well...of the MUDs I play regularily, Miriani is the one with the largest number of active, vip players, I asked about that bg.dm file there, and some of the VIP client users confirmed, that they indeed have such a file in its installation folder, while some of them didn't have it at all...

So it is definitely that guy named Blind James Spencer, the developer of the TTS soundpack, who I will have to contact regarding this matter.

Btw, his installation instructions of the soundpack for VIP MUD v2.0 are the following:
(after unzipping, this same textual instruction file is present both in TTS data, and in its sounds folder as well)

The contents of this cabinet should be placed under your "Program Data" directory.
IE: "C:\Program Data\VipMud Data\"

At this level in the VipMud Data directory, you should also have the following files:
* bg.dm
* character.mud
* start.set

These will contain details specific to you and your characters, including passwords, so do not distribute them to others.
Simply copy/paste them from the VipMud installation directory under your Program Files.
Once VipMud has been configured to look for these files here, the scripts will be able to load when you open the client.

Also, The "Sounds" directory should be placed at this level. Any soundpacks will be placed inside that "Sounds" directory.

My comment:
The part of those instructions, which puzzles me the most is:
"Once VipMud has been configured to look for these files here, the scripts will be able to load when you open the client."
According to this sentence, it is quite possible, that my VIP client must be specifically configured for using the TTS soundpack, which it is obviously not...at least currently.
Or am I interpreting that statement the wrong way?

2017-05-17 03:06:10

I do not recall install a this sound pack for vipmud, but awhile back I installed a vipmud soundpack for discword, but I do not recall using it and or playing discworld after installation. I personally think you should follow the installation instructions of another soundpack instead of the directions on this one. I am betting that the only difference is the name of the sound pack and the name of the folders included.
first you want the scripts to go under the discworld folder which belongs in the vipmud folder in your document folder.
You will find the sounds folder under this vipmud folder.
In this sounds folder you will have a discworld folder. In this discworld, you will place the sounds.
Beyond this, we will have to look at the soundpack. Matter of fact, I do not even know why those files were even being talked about seeing that you do not touch them at all during install of said sound pack. If you put up a link, one of us can do a walk through of installing said sound pack for you. It should be easy enough. To me, I would even go through the setting within vipmud to show you what exzackly needs to be done within vipmud to make it work. That should only require the mud name field of vipmud is set right and that is an easy enough field to fill out when saving the connection details in your connection list. HTH.

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
DropBox Referral

2017-05-17 05:15:27

I agree with Cw here, you really shouldn't have to monkey with installation files for installing a soundpack.
I'll also say that on the matter of "configuring vipmud to look for  the soundpack files" the instructions are a little misleading.
By default Vipmud 2.0 looks in the documents/vipmud folder for it's scripts, character logs  and sounds, indeed as I said earlier  this was one of the major changes with 2.0, locating scripting elements in a different folder from the folder in program files x86 where vipmud is installed.

You can! if you wish configure Vipmud to use a different folder for it's scripts and such if your not happy using the vipmud folder in documents, but why you would want to I don't know.

I'll confess  am a little suspicious of this soundpack (as I recall I couldn't get it to work either).

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-17 05:50:23

Since those instructions were not clear enough to me either, initially I did the installation in the "traditional" way, meaning the one you described above, but as I mentioned, I tried out many things, applied many changes later, both inside, and outside the VIP client and the Discworld MUD, in order to make the soundpack work properly...and still haven't succeded with it.
The actual serious problem is, that I don't know of existence of any other soundpack for Discworld, at least for VIP client, so I have no other alternatives.
No matter what I tried, this so called TTS soundpack works only in a limited way:
Some of the sounds from its "sounds" directory are displayed just fine, while the others, totally regardless of the settings I apply, just won't function, along with some other settings of the soundpack, like ignoring classes, or turning gag-filters on and off.
The options themselves appear to work, I mean when I turn a setting off, it indeed shows being turned off, but takes no effect at all, no difference, as if it is still turned on. (and normally vice-versa happens the same too)
example: There exist sounds for some pets in the "sounds" directory, like cats, chickens, and frogs. I started, and heard those sounds myself, so they are there, but they still won't be played inside the game. Some other sounds, like doors, bells, prayers, weapons are displayed just fine, but those animal sounds, totally regardless of the settings I apply, just refuse to start and play, despite being in the very same directory with the above mentioned other, well working sounds.
Furthermore, as I mentioned, settings like ignore classes or filter gags are totally useless, I keep hearing the comments about all classes and actions, all the time, regardless of the current, active ignore class, and gag filter settings.

So this was a more detailed description of some of my, more important TTs soundpack issues for Discworld, and the link I downloaded the soundpack from, (normally its latest version from the list), along with the sounds themselves is here:
https://sites.google.com/site/blindjame … /discworld

2017-05-17 12:12:32

Ok. I think it is time to look at the pack to see exzackly what it is doing. I would think that installing it in the usual way would work, but looking at the scripts themselves should give us some clue about what is going on here. Who knows, it might be using some file path or something else that is not exspected. Who is good at looking at these? I can look, but it may take me a bit to figure things out.

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
DropBox Referral

2017-05-17 12:56:22

Caccio,
I have some knowledge of VIP MUD 2.0. I think your problem is that David Greenwood tried to make it default inside C:/Program Files (x86) directory, but that doesn't work well on Windows since 8.1.
Windows 8.1 doesn't like any changes inside C:\program files.
I have been skipping the default installation and changing it to
c:\users\philip\games
For you it should be something like,
c:\users\Caccio,
You would have to uninstall VIP mud and reinstall it in the new folder using the install in x86 adjustment.

2017-05-17 17:34:02

Hmmm, does that still happen on Windows 10 phil? I have Vipmud installed in program filesx86, but as I said all the packs and such go into the vipmud folder in documents, I've not had any problems running packs for games like cosmic rage, while at the same time that Diskworld pack wouldn't work even on my old xp machine.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-17 22:39:52

Dark,
I don't know if it would fix the Diskworld  problem but fingured it coudn't hurt as that is were I installed VIP mud.

2017-05-18 03:04:06

Well as I said Phil, I have the program installed in program files x86, and all the scripts in the vipmud folder in documents and have had no trouble at all. Whether this is a difference between windows 8.1 and Windows 10 I don't know.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-18 05:31:33 (edited by Caccio72 2017-05-18 06:02:07)

No Dark, the locations of those 2 VIP MUD folders are the same in Windows 8.1 as yours.

Regarding Phil's advice:
I know how sensitive windows 8.1 is with the Program Files (x86) directory, its write protection has caused me some problems in the past, so I thought of reinstalling VIP MUD into a different location, or different drive even, but I kept delaying that step by now, as the last possible alternative.
If I finally decide for it, there are 2 possible issues I am afraid of:
The 1st one is the VIP MUD client registration. Will my computer still remember it after such a step, and if no, how can I avoid to pay the 30 dollars registration price again, by re-registering the program?
As second, losing all the data, scripts, preset character and soundpack settings, etc. True, the folders and files for those are located in my users documents directory, but also under a folder named VIP MUD, which will very likely be deleted along with the program itself, and after reinstalling it, only the original, default settings will remain.
Currently I have the characters, and sounds data of 6 MUD-games there, and I would really hate the idea of losing all those, and starting all the configurations and settings for each of them over, from the very scratches.

As for my current problem, I did make a small progress in it, by adapting all the Discworld options and features to screen-reader, (it can be done with a special command, and is not included in the default blind-mode settings), so there are more sounds I can hear now, but the previously mentioned, more important problems still prevailed: Still cannot hear all the sounds included in the soundpack, and none of the vital soundpack options, or features seems to work, including the ignore classes, and the gag spam settings.
However, this made me wonder, what if there are still certain other settings left inside the MUD, some options I still haven't adjusted the right way, so further Discworld settings and options, which are preventing the soundpack features from functioning properly?

2017-05-18 13:08:07

Caccio72

The way David does registration now is during installation the game looks on the GMA web site to see if you have the game registered.
You can run MyAccount.exe from the game's links to find out if it is.

2017-05-18 13:48:57 (edited by Caccio72 2017-05-18 14:53:12)

Thanks, but this solves only the 1st part of my problems regarding the VIP MUD reinstallation.
So if I re-install the program into another directory, hopefully it will still remain registered to my name, and there is a way to make sure of it, yes, I got this, but how about the 2nd possible problem I listed, meaning the one about my VIP client data and MUD settings, preset character list, soundpacks, scripts, etc, all located under users/documents directory?
Those are currently all linked to the VIP MUD folder in the Program Files (x86) directory, right?
What will happen to them, after the client will be relocated to some other installation path?
Will they still function?

I fear they won't, since I made the following experiment recently:
I simply installed another copy of the VIP client to my D: drive, while keeping the old one in Program Files (x86) too, and started the new one, it couldn't locate and find none of those settings, so I had to uninstall that new copy, and reinstall the program to its old location again, by overwriting all old files there, in order to make its settings function properly again.
Back in my sighted period, I was quite adept with Windows software operations, so even in that case, I teorethically exactly know what should be done, meaning adjusting the paths of all the settings and data to the new path, and it wouldn't have taken much of my time, but please try to understand, that I wish to avoid this alternative now, with significantly decreased software-handling capabilities, unless it is evidently necessary, meaning when the final success is definitely granted. (which in this case is a fully working Discworld soundpack)

2017-05-18 15:30:43

I believe you can change the paths for the vipmud client relatively easily (there is a section in the manual on it), though as I've never had to change the install location I've not bothered.
To be honest though given that the other soundpacks I've installed have worked fine, as have all the muds I've played without soundpacks, I'm afraid it sounds like the problem here is the disc world soundpack itself.

As I said I personally never got the dam thing to work even on xp which had no potential protection issues.

Before going to the drastic step of effectively having to reconfigure everything, I'd suggest contacting either david greenwood, or preferably the pack's creator.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-18 15:36:55

i want vip mod link

2017-05-18 20:59:29

When changing your directory, I'd make sure that your triggers aren't using absolute paths as well. That would make changing things a lot easier. A simple find and replace in Notepad will do the trick there. IN VIPMud 2.0, Sound triggers should be using the %SoundsFolder variable, and all sounds should be in a folder for that MUD in the sounds folder.

I still wonder about that missing file this thread was about originally though.

2017-05-18 21:20:34

Yes, that missing file may be the key to solution of this case, since Dark's example could provide us with a clue:
He doesn't have that file either, and also couldn't make that TTs soundpack functioning properly.
Its really that guy named Blind James Spencer then, the developer of the Discworld soundpack, who I should contact regarding this issue.

2017-05-19 12:36:15

Mahdi,
VIP Mud

Vip Mud provides access to hundreds of Mud-style games throughout the

Internet. It was built for both the beginner and the well-seasoned Mud

gamer. After
downloading and installing VIP Mud, you can be playing with other

people in minutes.
http://www.gmagames.com/vipmud.shtml


VIP Mud - Mud Client version 2.0.16
download link, Size 9 MB
http://www.gmagames.com/vipmud20016.exe