DMAGNETIC(6)

💖 dMagnetic 💖

okay so this whole page is about dMagnetic, it lives in section 6 of the manual, and it's tagged LOCAL. buckle up bestie, it's giving classic text adventure excellence 🦋

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✨ NAME ✨

dMagnetic — A Magnetic Scrolls Interpreter 🎀

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🌸 INTRODUCTION 🌸

You wake up on a sunny August morning with birds singing, and the air fresh and clear. Very cottagecore of you. HOWEVER. Your joints are stiff, and — plot twist — you have not woken up in your bedroom like you would have expected. 😭 Trying to recall what happened the night before, you manage to piece together a few brief glimpses to give the following account...

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💅 SYNOPSIS 💅

dMagnetic [-mag MAGFILE.mag] [-gfx GFXFILE.gfx]
dMagnetic [-msdosdir DIRECTORY/] [-vmode high_ansi2]
dMagnetic [-tworsc DIRECTORY/TWO.RSC] [-vmode high_ansi]
dMagnetic [-d64 DIRECTORY/FILE1.d64,DIRECTORY/FILE2.d64] [-vmode sixel]
dMagnetic [-amstradcpc DIRECTORY/FILE1.DSK,DIRECTORY/FILE2.DSK]
          [-vmode utf]
dMagnetic [-spectrum DIRECTORY/DISKIMAGE.DSK] [-vmode none]
dMagnetic [-archimedes DIRECTORY/DISKIMAGE.adf]
dMagnetic [-atarixl DIRECTORY/FILE1.ATR,DIRECTORY/FILE2.ATR]
dMagnetic [-appleii 1.NIB,2.2MG,3.WOZ]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vrows ROWS] [-vcols COLUMNS]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode none]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode monochrome]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode low_ansi]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode low_ansi2]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode high_ansi]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode high_ansi2]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode utf]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode sixel] [-sres 1024x768]
          [-sforce]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-valign left]
dMagnetic [-savegames advanced]
dMagnetic [-savegames classic]
dMagnetic [-vlog LOGFILE] [-vecho]
dMagnetic [-help] [-helpini] [-nodoc] [-v] [-bsd]

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👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

dMagnetic is an interpreter for classic text adventure games, aka interactive fiction, like "The Pawn" and "The Guild of Thieves". The following games are being supported:

• The Pawn
• The Guild of Thieves
• Jinxter
• Fish!
• Myth
• Corruption
• Wonderland

Seven whole legends. we ate. 🔥

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🎀 GAME BINARIES 🎀

Currently, binaries in the .mag and .gfx format from the magnetic scrolls memorial at https://msmemorial.if-legends.org/memorial.php are being supported. Once you've downloaded them, their position has to be made available to dMagnetic by editing dMagnetic.ini first. yes, first. do not skip this step bestie 🫶

Other possibilities are loading the games from original releases, such as

• the MS-DOS binaries
• the Magnetic Windows Resource Files
• the Commodore C64 images in the d64 format
• Amstrad CPC and Spectrum128 images in the DSK format
• Acorn Archimedes images in the ADF/ADL (aka ADFS) format
• AtariXL/Atari800 images in the ATR format
• Apple II images in the 2MG, NIB or WOZ format

so many formats. it's giving options on options on options 💅

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🌈 STARTING THE GAME 🌈

Once the game(s) have been downloaded, the .mag and .gfx files can be provided via

dMagnetic -mag pawn.mag -gfx pawn.gfx

Alternatively, binaries from the MSDOS version of "The Pawn" or "The Guild of Thieves" can be used. The directory, in which they are, has to be provided via

dMagnetic -msdosdir DIRECTORY/ -vmode high_ansi

It is recommended to use the [-vmode high_ansi2] option, since this renders the half-tone images slightly different. 👀

A third option is to use the resource files from "Wonderland" or the magnetic scrolls collection. For this, the location of the file ending with TWO.RSC has to be provided.

dMagnetic -tworsc DIRECTORY/TWO.RSC -vmode high_ansi
dMagnetic -tworsc DIRECTORY/GTWO.RSC -vmode high_ansi -ega

The names of the other resource files is being calculated from that. With the optional parameter -ega, the EGA versions of the pictures are being shown. vintage visuals, no cap. ✨

A fourth option is to use D64 image files from the Commodore 64 releases. They come in pairs, since both sides of the floppy disk were occupied. So the parameter requires a list of them, separated by komma:

dMagnetic -d64 DIRECTORY/FILE1.d64,DIRECTORY/FILE2.d64 -vmode sixel

A fifth option is to use DSK image files from the Amstrad CPC releases. They come in pairs, since noth sides of the floppy disk were occupied. So the parameter requires a list of them, separated by komma:

dMagnetic -amstradcpc DIRECTORY/FILE1.DSK,DIRECTORY/FILE2.DSK -vmode sixel

A sixth option is to use DSK image files from the Spectrum releases. Since this platform did not have the pictures, a single floppy disk was enough:

dMagnetic -spectrum DIRECTORY/DISKIMAGE.DSK -vmode none

one disk. minimalism. iconic. 🎀

A seventh option is to use ADF/ADL/ADFS image files from the Acorn Archimedes releases.

dMagnetic -archimedes DIRECTORY/DISKIMAGE.ADF

An eigth option is to use ATR image files from the AtariXL/Atari800 releases. Those come in pairs.

dMagnetic -atarixl DIRECTORY/FILE1.ATR,DIRECTORY/FILE2.ATR

An ninth option is to use image files from the Apple II releases. dMagnetic can handle NIB, 2MG and WOZ. For this platform, up to three disks were used, so three floppy images are required.

dMagnetic -appleii 1.NIB,2.NIB,3.NIB
dMagnetic -appleii 1.2MG,2.2MG,3.2MG
dMagnetic -appleii 1.WOZ,2.WOZ,3.WOZ

It is also possible to edit the dMagnetic.ini file and start a specific game, by using one of

dMagnetic -ini dMagnetic.ini pawn
dMagnetic -ini dMagnetic.ini guild
dMagnetic -ini dMagnetic.ini jinxter
dMagnetic -ini dMagnetic.ini corruption
dMagnetic -ini dMagnetic.ini fish
dMagnetic -ini dMagnetic.ini myth
dMagnetic -ini dMagnetic.ini wonderland

When you see the prompt, the game is ready to accept your commands. For example EXAMINE CLOTHES. Or GO EAST. Or ASK KRONOS ABOUT THE WRISTBAND. main character energy fr fr 💜

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😭 LEAVING THE GAME 😭

Type in "QUIT". Duh! 💀

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🍓 SAVING/LOADING PROGRESS 🍓

The game can be saved at any type by typing SAVE, and loaded by typing LOAD. Followed by a filename.

SAVE myprogress1.sav
LOAD myprogress1.sav

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🧚 TEXT ALIGNMENT 🧚

Changing the alignment of the output text can be done with the .ini file or the commandline.

dMagnetic -valign left
dMagnetic -valign block
dMagnetic -valign right

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⭐ GRAPHIC MODES ⭐

dMagnetic has been developed with ANSI-consoles in mind. To select a video output that best suits your needs, please try one of the following

dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode none]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode monochrome]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode monochrome_inv]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode low_ansi]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode low_ansi2]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode high_ansi]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode high_ansi2]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode utf]

To change the number of rows/columns to render the images, use

dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vcols COLUMNS]
dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vrows ROWS]

Sixels are a signalling mode for some terminal emulators (like mlterm, or xterm -ti vt340 , for example), that offer the possibility of drawing high resolution images. It can be selected with

dMagnetic [-ini ini-file] [GAME] [-vmode sixel] [-sres 1024x768]
[-sforce]

where the -sres option offers a way to scale the images. The maximum allowed width is 4096 pixels. Instead of automatically using a matching aspect ratio, the -sforce option can be used to force the resolution.

high res pictures in your terminal?? the way that -sres scales and -sforce forces... obsessed 🫶

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🌸 GRAPHICS IN WONDERLAND AND THE MAGNETIC SCROLLS COLLECTION 🌸

Before you can see the beautiful graphics in "Wonderland", or from the Magnetic Scrolls Collection, you have to type in graphics to enable them. that's it, that's the whole trick 💖

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and bestie, that's only part 1 — more is coming 🌈

✨ COMMAND LINE OPTIONS ✨

okay bestie, this is the main character section, so buckle up 🎀 these are the little flags you can throw at dMagnetic to make it do your bidding.

• -bsd — shows you the license. legal girlie behavior, we love to see it 💅
• --help — shows the detailed help. when in doubt, ask the game itself ✨
• --helpini — shows you a working example of a dMagnetic.ini file. so you can copy it and thrive 💖
• -nodoc — lets you play even if you don't have the original documentation lying around. no manual? no problem, bestie 🫶
• -mag MAGFILE.mag, -gfx GFXFILE.gfx — point it at your .mag and .gfx files directly.
• -msdosdir DIRECTORY/ — hand it the name of a directory, and it'll go find the original MS-DOS version chilling in there.
• -tworsc DIRECTORY/TWO.RSC — give it the location and the name of the second resource file, TWO.RSC.
• -d64 DIRECTORY/FILE1.d64,DIRECTORY/FILE2.d64 — feed it D64 images from the Commodore 64 releases 💾
• -amstradcpc DIRECTORY/FILE1.DSK,DIRECTORY/FILE2.DSK — DSK images from the Amstrad/Schneider CPC releases.
• -spectrum DIRECTORY/DISKIMAGES.DSK — DSK images from the Spectrum releases 🌈
• -archimedes DIRECTORY/DISKIMAGES.ADF — ADF/ADL/ADFS images from the Acorn Archimedes releases.
• -atarixl DIRECTORY/FILE1.ATR,DIRECTORY/FILE2.ATR — ATR images from the AtariXL/Atari800 releases 🕹️
• -appleii 1.NIB,2.2MG,3.WOZ — NIB/2MG/WOZ images from the Apple II releases 🍎

so like. the whole vibe here is that dMagnetic is a Magnetic Scrolls Interpreter, and to actually play the games you have to bring the game binaries yourself. it does not come with them, no cap. and the way you bring them is genuinely flexible, it's giving "choose your own adventure but for file formats":

• the .mag and .gfx format from https://msmemorial.if-legends.org/magnetic.php
• the name of the directory where the original MS-DOS version lives
• the location and the name of the second resource file TWO.RSC
• D64-images from the Commodore 64 releases
• DSK-images from the Amstrad/Schneider CPC releases
• DSK-images from the Spectrum releases
• ADF/ADL/ADFS images from the Acorn Archimedes releases
• ATR images from the AtariXL/Atari800 releases
• or even NIB/2MG/WOZ images from the Apple II releases

pick your fighter, fr fr 🔥

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now, the other way to tell dMagnetic where all your stuff lives is through an dMagnetic.ini file. obsessed, honestly. here's how that looks:

[-ini dMagnetic.ini pawn]
[-ini dMagnetic.ini guild]
[-ini dMagnetic.ini jinxter]
[-ini dMagnetic.ini corruption]
[-ini dMagnetic.ini fish]
[-ini dMagnetic.ini pawn]
[-ini dMagnetic.ini myth]
[-ini dMagnetic.ini wonderland]

(yes, pawn shows up twice in that list, and honestly? pawn said "I'm the moment" and we respect it 👑)

so instead of spelling out the .mag and .gfx locations, or the image files, or the directory name, you can just drop them in a dMagnetic.ini file and point at that. check helpini or dMagneticini(5) for an example of a working dMagnetic.ini file — genuinely, go look, it's right there.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED that the default location for dMagnetic.ini is in the user's home directory. If the file is located there, "The Pawn", for example, can be started by typing

dMagnetic pawn

literally that's it. one word. main character energy 🎀

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• -rmode pseudo, -rseed SEED, -rmode real — some parts of the game rely on chance, because of course they do. and the virtual machine inside dMagnetic gives you two ways to do randomness:
  • pseudo — you're playing against a "pseudo" random generator, which gives you a certain degree of determinism. same energy, same outcomes, every time.
  • real — you're pulling "real" random values straight from the operating system, which allows for a completely new experience. chaos mode, activated 💀
• -savegames advanced, -savegames classic — saving and restoring game states is a major part of playing interactive fiction, periodt. dMagnetic can load the classic formats so players can keep going on their 30-year-old game (nostalgia slay 🥹). but it prefers the advanced format, which is more robust. trust her, she knows.
• -vrows ROWS, -vcols COLUMNS — dMagnetic was designed with terminal windows as the main output, in her mind, always. a terminal window has a fixed number of rows and columns for printing text. its size is limited, but she uses it to render the beautiful BEAUTIFUL pictures as well 🖼️✨. so if you wanna restrict the space those pictures get rendered in (in glorious ANSI art, no less), these two options set the upper limits.
• -vecho — so when you run dMagnetic and redirect the output into a file, the inputs go missing. this option reprints whatever was typed in, which lets you build a spoilery script 😭 iconic, honestly.
• -vlog LOGFILE.log — sort of a travel journal 📓 this one lets you write the commands that were typed into a file. your whole playthrough, documented. scrapbook behavior.
• -vmode none, -vmode monochrome, -vmode low_ansi, -vmode low_ansi2, -vmode high_ansi, -vmode high_ansi2, -vmode utf, -vmode sixel, -sres 1024x768, -sforce — this lets you pick a different mode for rendering the images, in case the current one turns out to be unsuitable for whichever terminal program you're stanning. -sres takes a resolution like 1024x768, and -sforce is there to force it through 💪
• -version — shows the current version of dMagnetic. quick lil vibe check ✨

🐛 BUGS 🐛

found a bug? report it to <dettus@dettus.net>. and bestie, please — make sure to include DMAGNETIC somewhere in the subject. she gets a lot of mail 🫶

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Written by Thomas Dettbarn.

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

dMagneticini(5)

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okay that's the whole page, you're officially a dMagnetic scholar now, no cap 🎓💖 this was pulled from the OpenBSD version, dated January 22nd, 2023, and it's page dMagnetic(6) — go forth and play, bestie 🌸🦋