GameHouse, Inc. Installation Instructions for Java Based Games. What you should receive: 1 ZIP file for each game you have licensed. 1 License.txt file If you require assistance during the installation of these games, please contact GameHouse's technical support staff toll free at at (888) 442-6066, or send an email to support@gamehouse.com. Technical support is available from 10am until 5pm Pacific Time. Installation: 1) Extract the files from the ZIP file you received to a directory that is accessible via your web server. All GameHouse games are "directory compatible," so that they can be extracted to the same directory. Doing so can save disk space and optimize downloads, since many games share files. When using WinZip, be sure to check the "Use Folder Names" box, so that the files are extracted to the appropriate subdirectories. Under linux, the command to use is "unzip". 2) Copy License.txt file to the same directory that the game as been extracted to. 3) At this point, you should attempt to launch the HTML file that was included in the ZIP file through your web server. 4) Modify the HTML file to reflect your website's design, and add the content you wish to include with the game. (optional) 5) If you wish to locate the HTML file in another directory, set the codebase option in the APPLET tag to the game directory. For example, if the game directory is accessible via your webserver through "/games", set the CODEBASE parameter as shown: Optional Settings: Copyright String - The copyright string will always start "(c) 2000 GameHouse, Inc." or equivalent. The second part, which by default is "http://www.gamehouse.com" can be changed by passing a parameter to the applet. Images or Ads on Loading Screen - You can specify images to display while the game is loading, and/or a URL to link to when the applet is clicked on while loading. The link will always open a new window. You can also specify how long to display the image (minimum) The parameters are ADURL, ADSECS and ADIMAGE: Note that the ADIMAGE URL must be on the server that the applet is loaded from, as the browser security mechanisms do not permit Java applets to read data from any other server, including images. Foreground and Background Color - you can configure the background color during the "loading" page, as well as the text color for the copyright string. These settings are BGCOLOR and TEXTCOLOR, and are hexidecimal coded strings (with no # sign). For example, this sets the background to white and the text to bright red: High Scores - Many of the games support high scores when used in conjunction with GameHouse's BoomServer technology, which requires a separate license. However, some of the games, including BattleTank, support a simplier form of High Scores for no additional charge. The necessary files for this option must be obtained from GameHouse technical support through support@gamehouse.com. High Scores require GameHouse software running on your webserver, and can be in the form of servlets or perl scripts. Questions: I haven't received my license.txt file, how do I get it? The license key files are sent via email from your representative. Your representative will need to know the URL you will be hosting the games at, and all variations or internal testing URLs you will need. Be sure to specify all valid names that can be used to access your site. For example, "gamehouse.com" and "www.gamehouse.com" need to be specified separately. Please call your representative at (888) 442-6066, or send an email to sales@gamehouse.com. The game I got doesn't include the CHAT button or High Score button or Ads? These features are not part of the games that we license. These are features of the website we use to present the games. The Chat server and client can be licensed separately, as can the BoomServer which provides High Score and registered use functionality. Please contact your sales representative for more information. What happens if I need to change my IP address? For Java games, license keys work against IP address (ie. 192.168.0.1) or the URL common name (ie "www.gamehouse.com"). As long as the name used to access the site has not changed, the games will continue to work. However, you should contact GameHouse to receive new keys, in case you need change the site name at a later date. How long are the license keys valid? You will need to ask your GameHouse representative. Generally, keys are generated to expire in 6 months, unless you paid in advance for a longer period. You should receive updated keys every 4 months. I am getting the message that the game is not licensed, but the License.txt file is in the right place. What's wrong? 1) Make sure there are no license keys being passed applet parameters. These would look something like this in the HTML file: Delete any parameter with the name LICENSE0. 2) Check the URL you are loading the games through, by looking in the address line of your browser. Make sure it is the same name that was provided to the GameHouse representative that gave you the license.txt file. 3) If problems persist, contact GameHouse at (888) 442-6066 or sales@gamehouse.com The game doesn't load, all I get is a black box where the game should be. What's Wrong. This is probably a problem with the license keys. 1) Make sure there are no license keys being passed applet parameters. These would look something like this in the HTML file: Delete any parameter with the name LICENSE0. 2) Check the URL you are loading the games through, by looking in the address line of your browser. Make sure it is the same name that was provided to the GameHouse representative that gave you the license.txt file. 3) If problems persist, contact GameHouse at (888) 442-6066 or sales@gamehouse.com The game doesn't load, all I get is a gray or white box where the game should be. What's wrong? This is an installation problem, usually cause by a missing .class file. You may be able to see the name of the missing class file in the browser's status bar. Make sure you followed the directions for installing the game correctly, and that you are loading the game from the correct location. Note: Internet Explorer will cash loaded Java Class files in memory, even after you clear the cache. If you need to reinstall, you may need to reboot your machine for the changes to take effect. Netscape has a similar issue, as you will need to shut down all instances of Netscape, and leave them closed for several seconds in order to clear loaded Java classes from memory.