This blog will now digress into the details of playing EMPIRE, largely because I have been unable to find a tutorial on how to access and play the game once I have access to PLATO. It is quite simple, but for some reason, here in my vacuum, with no help from the outside world, having never used the PLATO system, it felt a bit like trying to shoot rats in total darkness...
Gain access to the Cyberserve system by requesting a login.
https://cyber1.org/register.asp
Download the Pterm PLATO terminal emulator for your computer system. There is a version for most computer systems, including versions for MacOS, Windows, Linux, and a Java version is in the works (May 2010).
http://www.cyber1.org/pterm.asp
Download the keyboard translations. I made a copy of the screen image, which I open in a graphics application to allow viewing the translation table while I work. The PLATO system relied on a great many special command keys (Stop, Next, Back, Help, etc.). In general, the Pterm application uses a combination of the modifier key and the first letter of a command to deliver the desired command to the PLATO system. Some commands require also using the modifier key at the same time.
https://cyber1.org/keyboard.asp
Now you are ready to start.
A note on my shorthand. I will only use the lower case letters to indicate pressing a letter key. I will use "<alt>s" to specify holding down the alt key while pressing the s key once, and I will add <shift> to indicate that the shift key should be held down at the same time as all the rest, like this "<shift><alt>s", which means you hold down both the alt and shift keys while you press the s key once.
Open the Pterm application.
You are greeted with the infamous "Press NEXT to begin" screen. Hold the key down and press the 'n' key once. In my shorthand this is "<alt>n".
You now get the CYBIS welcome message. Type in your login name, but not your group name. If the login they give you is "bob/inetc", then inetc (the bit after the /) is your group name. I am in the inetc group, which I assume means internet, group C. This page will timeout in about 60 seconds, so don't take too long.
After you type in your name, use n to give the NEXT command. This takes you to the group name entry screen. You must use "<alt>s" to give the stop command - to tell the machine you are done entering your group name. This page will also timeout quickly, about 60 seconds.
You have the password entry screen "Enter your password...". Type in your password, and follow that with "<alt>n". This page will also timeout, maybe 120 seconds. Timing out here will take you back to the "Press NEXT to begin" screen.
You should see the "AUTHOR MODE" screen. You have successfully logged on once you reach this point. You must have special knowledge to go further. It is easy if you know just a few things. There is no list of available programs (to my knowledge), and yet you must type in the program name to run it. Not exactly a GUI.
At this point I expand my shorthand. Upper case meta symbols like "<DATA>" indicate a standard PLATO command, which you must use the appropriate keys to emulate in Pterm. In other words, I mean the PLATO DATA command, which you type "<alt>d" (no quotes) to generate in Pterm.
• faq will get you a list of helpful notes, including a list of games.
• empire will enter you into the currently running Empire III game.
Here is a list of games from the faq pages as of 2010/05/19:
GAME NAME GAME TYPE
0empire Space War
0moria D&D
avitar D&D
2avitar D&D
zavitar D&D
vavitar D&D
oubliette D&D
orthanc D&D
dnd5 D&D
dnd8 D&D
panther Tanks
asteroids Asteroids
BTW - The <enter> key (<return> on Mac keyboards) will also generate <NEXT>.
In general, <BACK> will take you to the previous mode. From notes/faqs, it will take you back to AUTHOR MODE, etc.
If you look at the list of faqs, and you want to read the games note for example, you give the number of the note you want to see , followed by <NEXT>.
Once you are looking at a faq file, to see a response, use <LAB>. Use <NEXT> to go to the next note, and <BACK> to go to the previous note. If you are at the last response to a note, <LAB> will take you to the next note.
Starting points, note #13, talks about all kinds of neat things to do, including
bigjump -- An index to games, lessons, and notefiles on the system.
Who are the players?
www.cyberserv.org
www.cyber1.org
VCampus Corporation - Providers of the www.cyber1.org and www.cyberserv.org web sites
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