Barren Realms Elite

Barren Realms Elite or BRE is a multi-player strategy door game for bulletin board systems created by Mehul Patel. BRE is based on Solar Realms Elite (SRE) by Patel's brother Amit, and is considered by many to be SRE's successor. BRE is set in a post-apocalyptic future. BRE is currently owned by John Dailey Software and can still be registered.

Name                       Barren Realms Elite
Internal Code              BRE
Start-up Directory         ../xtrn/bre
Command Line               bre
Clean-up Command Line
Execution Cost             None
Access Requirements
Execution Requirements
Multiple Concurrent Users  Yes
Intercept Standard I/O     No
Native (32-bit) Executable No
Use Shell to Execute       No
Modify User Data           No
Execute on Event           No
Pause After Execution      No
BBS Drop File Type         (R) Solar Realms DOORFILE.SR
Place Drop File In         Start-Up Directory
Time Options               As needed for your BBS

BRE and the other SR / John Daily doors are easy with Synchronet since it supports SR doors native DOORFILE.SR. Basically just place the DOORFILE.SR in BRE's directory and you're home free. Note: BRE is not Multiplayer and can only be used on one node at a time. However, we can leave Allow Mulitple Users ON in SCFG as BRE will inform the player the door is in use by itself.

From the command prompt, in the BRE directory, run the BRE998.EXE executable. Once that is completed, run the UNPACK.BAT file. This will create the DATA and DOC directories. BRE.DOC is in the DOC directory. Next, run INSTALL.EXE...

Install Barren Realms Elite (Y/N)? - Yes.
Next screen 'BBS Types', select #10 (Synchronet (DOORFILE.SR).
Ignore next screen which contains 'Setup Instructions' by pressing any key.

Game Setup Screen
BRE 0.988 setup:
The BRE Directory is '[The directory to which you installed BRE]'
Which directory is your BSB in? [Enter the Directory to which you installed BRE]
Hit 'Enter'
Enter the full path to your BBS's door files: [Enter the Directory to which you installed BRE]
Hit 'Enter'
Batch file to create: [Enter the Directory to which you installed BRE]\bre.bat
Hit 'Enter'
BRE Can use the fossil driver for communications.
Do you want BRE to use the FOSSIL? (Y/N)
Hit 'Y'
If you have locked baud rates, please enter the baud rate:
Hit 'Enter'
Hit 'Enter' again

Score File Setup
Enter the location for the ANSI score file
Enter the location for the ASCII score file
Hit 'Enter'

News File Setup
Enter the location for the ANSI News file
Enter the location for the ASCII News file
Enter the location for Yesterday News ANSI file
Enter the location for Yesterday News ASCII file
Hit 'Enter'
Hit 'Enter' again

BRE creates the following BAT files:
@ECHO OFF
C:
CD \SBBS\XTRN\BRE10
COPY C:\SBBS\XTRN\BRE10\DOORFILE.SR .
BRE
C:
CD \SBBS\XTRN\BRE10

Since SBBS places the doorfile in the startup directory, edit it to match this
@ECHO OFF
BRE

Contact the League Coordinator for the League you wish to join and they will send you the files needed to setup InterBBS play. Once you have those files, run BRE IPSETUP and fill out the information as needed.

You are about to create a BBS.CFG file for InterPlanetary warfare.
Proceed? (Y/N) - Yes
Sysop Name: Enter your Name
BBS Name:   Enter your BBS's Name
The Net/Node number should include zone only if BRNODES.DAT has it.
Input as: (zone:)net/node
Net/Node Number: Enter the information given to you by the League Coordinator
The Following questions are related to your front end mailer.
Incoming FILES Directory:     Enter the location where your mailer places inbound files
Outbound NETMAIL directory:   Enter the location where your outbound netmail is placed
BRE Planetary League Number:  Enter your BRE League number
Your mailer must be one of the following:
FRONTDOOR     BINKLEY     DBRIDGE     DBRIDGEOLD     OTHER     NONE
DBRIDGEOLD is the setting that should be used for DBridge v1.32 and lower mailers
Front End Mailer: Enter the type of mailer you are using (Note: Argus/Radius/Taurus use NONE)

Hit 'Enter' and your BBS.CFG file will be created. Copy the BRNODES.DAT into the BRE directory.

Edit the RESOURCE.DAT file and make the changes requested by the League Coordinator to match the other systems in the League. Normally these are:

DeletionDays
ReconUpdate
OldestRecon
TimingCheck

From the command line, in your BRE directory, run BRE RESET and set the information to match what your BRE League Coordinator has given to you. Here, for example, are the settings for League 10:

  BRE League 10 settings for game starting Jan. 5, 2016
      -=[ Current version used at this time v.988 ]=-

         Next Start will be around Jan. 2, 2017


-=-=- Barren Realms Elite Configuration Editor -=-=-
Game Start Date                :  1/6/2016  00:00:00
Game Join Date                 :  1/8/2017  00:00:00
Turns per Day                  :  15
Turns of Protection            :  60
Initial Market Land            :  3000
Created Land per Day           :  4000 or 5000
Bank Interest Rate             :  75      
Standard Investment Rate       :  75
Steady Investment Rate         :  Enabled
Tax Rate                       :  85
Max Regions/Turn               :  500
Days Between Turns             :  1
Max Players/BBS                :  25
Buy Military                   :  Yes
Maintenace Costs               :  Medium
Trade Deal Costs               :  High
Region Costs                   :  Medium
Attack Damage                  :  Medium
Attack Rewards                 :  Low         Medium
Sabre/Handling                 :  Enabled  (?) User Select/Original Setting
*Attack Cost                   :  High
*Terrorist Cost                :  Medium
*Individual Attacks / Day      :  4
*Group Attacks / Day           :  4
*Terrorist Attacks / Day       :  25
*Bombings / Day                :  4
*Days for "Lost Attacks"       :  3
*Gooie Kablooies               :  Enabled      disable
*Bombing Operations            :  Enabled
*Missile Operations            :  Disabled
*Local Attacks                 :  Disabled
*Local Attack Scoring          :  Disabled
*Dupe Checking                 :  Enabled

From the command line, run BRE TEST and take a look at the RESULTS.TXT file generated. This will tell you if there are any issues.

I run a BRE inbound whenever my system receives mail. 

BRE INBOUND

I also run the following every midnight in my nightly maintenance batch file.

::BRE League 10
CD C:\sbbs\xtrn\bre10
BRE INBOUND [Processes any inbound BRE packets]
BRE SCORES [Creates InterBBS score files]
BRE PLANETARY [Runs daily Maintenance for BRE]
BRE REQUEST [Create global recon updates and requests]
BRE BBSINFO [Creates a text file of all League BBS's, their version number and date of last recon.]
BRE OUTBOUND [Processes any outbound packets]
cd outbound
move *.* c:\taurus\out\[filebox name] [Moves outbound packets to the filebox for the League Hub system]
del c:\taurus\out\[filebox name]\*.msg [Deletes extraneous MSG files]

BRE can still be registered at John Daily Software. If you plan on joining a InterBBS league, I highly suggest you register the software to have all functionality available to your players. Registration cost is $15.00. You can purchase the “Bundle” the includes BRE, FE, TAL and FH for $45.00

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