# This is the original standard readme file for Tartarus release 1.0 #

This is Tartarus 1.0 beta version based on ROM2.4 beta code and previous
Merc2.1 and Diku base code.

Tartarus code is a derivative mud of ROM2.4b which in turn was a
derivative of Merc Diku Mud. This code release adds many additional spells
and skills, as well as a lot of other additional code. It is not some
super new MUD but an addition to ROM.


RELASE NOTES:
- I have included an area that was not written by me called arkham.are by
Lillith. I have included this because one of my areas (legion.are)
requries arkham to link it to New Thalos. I have been unable to contact
the author of arkham.are but if the author reads this and contacts me they
can have their area removed if need be, or proper credit given.

- Make sure you have a file (empty of otherwise) called Zzz.plr in your
pfile directory or the mud won't boot up (it'll go into an infinite loop).

- There may be a problem compiling object limit loading on non POSIX
compliant systems. If so edit out the limit loading in db.c (I assume if
you're trying to build/run a mud you know enough C to comment out unwanted
code).

- There is no real documentation of new features other than that
in the file "tartarus.new". Sorry about this, but I really don't have time
to write a couple of hundred helps for the new skills/spells and also
update the area writing documentation. Please ask your MUD coders about
new stuff if you need it. (Or better still write help files and stuff and
they can be added to the release with full credit given).

- Any bugs or problems in this source release are mine and not those of
the Diku, Merc or ROM coders, unless it was a previously existing problem
from their releases. Do not email them complaining if something isn't
right :)

- This code base is very messy source for two major reasons:

1) It has not been released as an exercise in neat, perfect coding but as
a way for the author to share his code with the Diku MUD community. Rather
than taking apart and posting it as acouple of hundred seperate snippets I
found it far more convenient just to post the entire code base. If you 
don't like the messy coding or some of the less efficient methods feel 
free to erase them, fix them, modify them, butcher them, slaughter them,
or simply ignore them.  

3) The release is not just code by the author but also a lot of new areas.
The author wrote almost all these areas and the additional derivative
code alone and as such had his hands pretty much full. 

- When you log in test out the various commands and skill/spells. Some of
them do rather weird things that may not be apparent at first glance (eg,
one spell group-gates but you won't notice this until you actually try it
while in a goup,etc). Just use what code you wish to from the Tartarus
release, as it's available in full code-base form simply because it's
easier to do it this way rather than as individual snippets. Have fun.