ILAB OLC Beta 1.1
7th April 1995

Jason Dinkel	jdinkel@mines.colorado.edu



=== What is ILAB OLC?

ILAB OLC = "I Love Amy Barr" On-Line Creation.

ILAB OLC is a constantly revised online creation system distributed by
Jason Dinkel.  It was based on the public domain version of OLC written
by Surreality and distributed by Locke in The Isles 1.1.  The first
release was in December of 1994.  Since then many changes have occurred
that make it a much better system to use for you online creation needs.


== Why use ILAB OLC as a player?

This package is meant to make the building process easier for beginners.
Looking up values for everything in a MUD can sometimes be very time
consuming and this package minimizes this paper flipping.

ILAB OLC has the benefit of using a system similar to the standard way
MUD commands are entered and therefore lessens the learning curve for
people experienced with the normal MUD system.

ILAB OLC has the benefit of building most of its help files straight from
the code. '? <category>' displays lists of bits used by the game for the
given category.  These are very easy to add in bit.c.  'commands' displays
the possible commands available in each editor.  All commands display
their own syntax if used incorrectly.  This means you won't have to wait
for the implementor to write new help files before you can use the new
features.

You will get to see the results of your area immediately and not have to
wait for somebody to install the area into the game.

You can take care of your players at the same time you are building.

You can design quests on-the-fly.


=== Why use ILAB OLC as an implementor?

If you are considering changing your area format in any way ILAB OLC makes
it easy to save the whole world in a new format.  You just edit olc_save.c
and execute an "asave world".

Because ILAB OLC uses table lookup for much of its information it is easy
to keep it up to date.

The new modularized system for ILAB OLC makes it simple to add new commands
and features to you editor.  It also aids in debugging problem areas.

With OLC you no longer have to check over the syntax of a builders area that
was mailed to you.  You won't have to edit AREA.LST ever again to get the
areas loaded in the correct places.


- Jason