Palace Builders guide

INTRODUCTION This guide was written for first time palace owners with a section for new wizards. The Palace Builders Guide is a general purpose guide for Palace Owners that just started out. If you are looking for a more technical and detailed information we recommend you check out the Palace Server manual when your finished with this one. Just click the Server button in the top menu.

INTRODUCTION

This guide was written for first time palace owners with a section for new wizards. The Palace Builders Guide is a general purpose guide for Palace Owners that just started out. If you are looking for a more technical and detailed information we recommend you check out the Palace Server manual when your finished with this one. Just click the Server button in the top menu.

The main guide will talk about planning, design ideas and management of your palace. Other experienced palace owners/builders out there are invited to correct any inaccuracies in this document. Just write to the forum and tell us what it is.

This guide was not written to take away the fun and spontaneity of creating your own palace, rather it aims to minimize potential problems that can crop up in the future.

To link to the palaces, you must have The Palace Client installed. In the remote chance that you don't have it, visit Palace Planet downloads to get a copy.

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Choose from the list of topics:

Virtual Planning
The secret behind a good palace is good planning. Palace Planning explores the strategies that you can use, with tips and tricks to make your palace unique and interesting.

The Wizard University
Whether you have a big palace or a small palace, your choice of staff will either make or break your palace. This section was written as a guide for new owners and new wizards alike.

The Art of Noise
The palace is a multimedia experience which uses various sound formats. Learn how to make the most of the sounds formats available on palace, and how to incorporate sound files that aren't.

Palace Housekeeping
At some point, you'll need to tear your head away from the all absorbing task of building and creating your masterpiece and get down to the nitty gritty of daily maintenence. Don't let all your blood, sweat and tears be washed down the drain just because you forgot to do a simple palace chore.

Palace Premiere
You've done all the planning, your A-team is waiting and raring to go, and your meticulously crafted backdrops adorn every room... now it is time to unveil your creation to the world.

The Unwritten Code of Conduct
Unwritten that is, until now....

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GETTING STARTED

Starting your own palace is easy. The tools to build your own palace is incorporated in The Palace Client itself. You will need a server to host the palace, however, and that can be run off your own computer or be hosted through another computer. Most people start with their own private server, running off their computer. In days of yore, when Communities.com roamed the earth, a free 8-person capacity server was offered free to everyone who wished to download it. This came with a free 8 person capacity licence and the full single palace server program. This allowed you to start your own palace off your computer, and people could visit your palace by using your ip address.

In today's palace environment, The Palace Server is still available for download. However, the licence is not. But don't let that deter you! There are spare free 8-person licences if you just ask around. If you want something a little less restrictive, ask around some more!

8 person licences will be more than enough for small private palaces. 25 person, 50 person and unlimited person licences also exist, although these were paid for in the past.

Before you start...

Installing the program is easy, What happens afterwards gets a little tricky. There are a few files that you need to know about to run your palace.

pserver.pref
This has all the information about your palace preferences, from the maximum number of people allowed in your palace at one time, to the directory where images are kept. If you are running palace off your computer, you may use the Palace Server program to indirectly edit this file.

pserver.pat
This is your palace in script form. All the pictures, sounds, interactive scripts, and room information is encoded here in iptscrae format. Iptscrae is the scripting language for palace and don't worry if you haven't got a clue what it is. You will soon find out... You use The Palace Client to indirectly edit this file.

Both these files may be edited directly via Notepad or Wordpad. Make sure you save the text in plain text format.

Common teething problems

Where is the image directory?
The default directory is C:Program FilesCommunities.comPalaceServerpalacemedia
You may change this using the Palace Server program to set a different directory for all your backdrops and overlaid gifs.

What's a template?
The free server came bundled with a few nifty looking standard templates to get you started. You have three choices: Fantasy (Spacescapes), Corporate (Convention Center) or Sea Resort Theme. You will find it easier to use these as starting blocks as they also come with simple greeting messages and sometimes animations. Choose anyone of them, then do your own thing.

Is it a big deal if I share someone elses Palace Licence Code?
In days of yore... when bladiblablah... well... way back then, the Palace Licence Code also served as a unique identity for each palace, and was relevant when each palace had their own customizable webpage hosted by the CC website. Now that the website is gone, this problem of unique identities is no longer an issue. However, ethics remains a raging debate in Palace circles. Does sharing a regcode constitute dishonest behaviour? Or is it acceptable because no one is profiting from it anyway? I leave the choice up to you.

Warning from the Surgeon General

If you intend to launch your palace upon the internet void, then you need to know what you're getting into. Depending on how big or how small you imagine your palace to be, your commitment will vary. But note the keyword here: COMMITMENT. Palace is an all engaging past time and can be very addictive indeed (ahem! ahem!). A successful palace demands a lot of time be spent chatting to visitors as well as working in the background on the graphics, scripts and music. Let's also not forget the running costs that can be expensive if you are having the palace hosted commercially.

Say goodbye to your friends, your family and your social life.

You have been warned...

 

Planning your Palace

Original text written by Tristan. Please respect the work of others and do not reproduce in part or whole, the material in my website to pass off as your own work. Link to me instead!

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