mephbot.txt

Mephbot version 0.91 by Syadasti

Copyright (c) 2002 by Mike Gogulski

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE FILE AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE CONTACTING ME
FOR HELP.

PLEASE READ README.TXT BEFORE CONTACTING ME FOR HELP.

PLEASE READ THE MEPHBOT SUPPORT THREADS IN THE D2 BOTS FORUM AT
http://www.blizzhackers.com/ BEFORE CONTACTING ME FOR HELP.

Mephbot is a work in progress.  Don't expect miracles of it (or of me).

Latest version and updates available from:

http://www.otaku-elite.com/syadasti

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Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mephbot is free software.  Redistribution is freely permitted, provided that
full source code is included, and original credits retained.  You may not
sell, rent, lease, or otherwise take money for the distribution of any part
of Mephbot.

Based on original code by MozartMcLaus, FallNAngel, Mousepad, ackmed, thohell,
Gayak, g0llum, icky, Onlyer, YobGuls, druttis, Cigamit, masterste0,
Herzog_Zwei, and others.

Includes PrcView v 3.6.2.1 command line utility by Igor Nys

Includes MString - Dynamic string data type library Copyright (C) 2001 by
Jesse L. Lovelace (jllovela@eos.ncsu.edu)


BIG THANK YOUS to the Mephbot Alpha testing team:

Gayak, Karia Iachi (for hosting as well), Guillaume (Sharantyr),
x-aumix@USWest, berto, Eric (Taiwan), Talon60k, studchris@USWest
yoda-ak@USWest, blackcore@USEast, yup_thatsme, hAlo, Nathan W., Don
lotusa@USWest, Aukid

And to all the good people who grabbed the first betas at Blizzhackers.com,
for your support, feedback, and contributions.

I couldn't have done it without you!

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What is Mephbot?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mephbot is a set of programs which work together to automate the "magic find by 
killing Mephisto repeatedly" task of advanced Diablo II players on Battle.net.

         ***********************************************************
         *** MEPHBOT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR HARDCORE CHARACTERS! ***
	 ***   You'll die, you'll be sorry, it'll be your fault  ***
         ***********************************************************

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Requirements
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Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (Classic is NOT supported)
IBM PC-compatible (Macs not supported)
Sorceress (Other classes not supported)

Mephbot is built around my Sorceress build, but should be configurable for
use by any type of sorceress with sufficient skill development and good 
allocation of stat points.

REQUIRED SPELLS:

	Static Field
	Teleport

If you do not have these spells, Mephbot will fail with a "Connection
Interrupted" message.

Mephbot optionally uses weapon switch when Mephisto is about to die, so you
should have something with good MF in there (I use an IST-IST Blade of Alibaba
and an IST-IST-IST shield) if you're going to use it.

My current setup includes:

	Level 35 Frozen Orb
	Level 18 Static Field
	Level 15 Shiver Armor
	Level 15 Thunderstorm
	Level 35 Nova
	Level 15 Teleport
	About 600% magic find from items and charms
	1007 life
	1280 mana

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Files included with this package
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	mephbot.exe
	mephbot.aut

		Mephbot wrapper.  This is the bit that starts D2, loads
		d2hackit, logs into battle.net, selects your character, and
		then hands off control to Mephbot proper.  Requires
		mephbot.ini, included, WHICH YOU MUST EDIT as described
		below. 
		
		Mephbot.exe is a compiled AutoIT script.  You can decompile
		the script to see what it does using the full version of
		AutoIT, available from http://www.hiddensoft.com/AutoIt/
		Source code is also included in mephbot.aut

		IF YOU EVER FIND A VERSION OF MEPHBOT THAT HAS AN ENCRYPTED
		MEPHBOT.EXE that you can't decompile, IT DID NOT COME FROM ME,
		and is probably infected with a virus/keylogger or some other
		piece of evil code like SubSeven or NetDevil, aimed at
		obtaining your passwords and access to your computer.
		DO NOT RUN THESE!!!  Also, check the md5 checksum information
		at the end of this document.

	mephbot.d2h
	mephbot.ini

		The guts of Mephbot.  Requires mephbot.ini, included,
		WHICH YOU MUST EDIT as described below.
		
	pickit.d2h
	pickit*.ini

		Automatic item pickup module by Gayak.  Comes with my own
		customized pickit.ini, configured to pick up only valuable
		items.  YOU SHOULD EDIT THIS FILE TO YOUR OWN TASTE. Refer
		to http://gayak.50megs.com/ for more information

	loader.exe
	d2hackit.dll
	d2hackit.ini

		Thohell's d2hackit plugin framework, version 0.56

	pv.exe

		PRCView, utility used to kill the Diablo II process when
		necessary.

	src\*.*

		Source code, header files, and Microsoft Visual C++ project
		and workspace files for mephbot.d2h and the Mephbot wrapper,
		mephbot.exe.  Also includes source for PKTK code linked into
		Mephbot, and the MString freeware CString replacement library.
		You will need the Microsoft Windows Platform SDK to compile
		Mephbot (requires IP Helper API).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Installation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unpack the ZIP file to a directory of its own.  DO NOT UNPACK INTO YOUR
D2HACKIT OR DIABLO II DIRECTORIES!  YOU WILL BE SORRY if you do this!

Also, if you are upgrading from a previous version of Mephbot, do not unpack
the archive into the same folder as your previous installation.  Create a
new folder.

Mephbot is not compatible with some D2 no-CD loaders.  Onlyer's works.
http://onlyer.yeah.net/ (This is the loader that comes with Infinite
Pindlebot)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Configuration           *** VERY IMPORTANT ***
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Open mephbot.ini in Notepad or your favorite text editor.

Select your character slot under [_global_], and in that slot configure the
account name and password.    You will need to enter your Battle.net account
name, password, and the character number (position in the character selection
screen). See instructions in mephbot.ini for more information.

Configure the parameters:

ProtectionSkill1=Thunder Storm
ProtectionSkill2=Energy Shield
ProtectionSkill3=Shiver Armor
ProtectionSkill4=
ProtectionSkill5=
ProtectionSkill6=
ProtectionSkill7=
ProtectionSkill8=
PrimaryAttackSkill=Frozen Orb
PrimaryAttackHand=Left
SecondaryAttackSkill=Telekinesis
SecondaryAttackHand=Right
FastCastPercent=50
DelayStep=10

See the instructions in mephbot.ini for an explanation of all of these.

These are the options I was using at the time of release, and may not be the
best for you.  My Sorceress wears 30% faster run/walk gear, so if yours has
less you may need to increase the DelayStep option.

IMPORTANT NOTE for Sorcs who are using Lightning, Chain Lightning, or Inferno:

	These spells aren't affected by fast cast, but by increased attack
	speed.  IAS is not currently directly supported.  Set
	FastCastPercent to zero for trouble-free (but suboptimal) operation,
	or to your actual fast cast % or your IAS % and hope for the best.

Optionally configure the parameters:

MephMinHealthToCastStatic=50
MephWeaponSwitchHealth=10
ChickenLifePercent=20
ComboChickenLifePercent=40
ComboChickenManaPercent=10
MinManaPercentBeforeAttackRun=70
AwayMessage=
StashVisitGameNumber=5
MinDistanceToMeph=8
MaxDistanceToMeph=15

See the instructions in mephbot.ini for an explanation of all of these.

	*** NOTE THAT THESE DELAYS ARE IN TENTHS OF A SECOND ***

See the comments throughout mephbot.ini for information on what the other
parameters do. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before starting Mephbot, make sure that your character is ready to go:

	Start D2
	Log in
	Select the char that's going to do Meph runs with Mephbot
	Create a game in the difficulty you want the bot to run
	Make sure you have at least 5000 gold between your inventory and stash
	Drink, sell, store, or drop all your mana and rejuv potions
	Make sure your Horadric Cube is in the stash, NOT in inventory
	Clear your inventory, cube, and stash out as much as possible
	Make sure your weapon switch is set to your primary (attacking) weapon.
	Make sure character is in Run (not Walk) mode
	Waypoint to Act 3 Kurast docks
	Exit game
	Close D2


To start Mephbot:

	Close D2 (if it's running)
	Open the Mephbot folder
	Double-click mephbot.exe
	Don't touch the keyboard or mouse until the D2 window minimizes itself


Mephbot commands

	.mephbot debug

		Toggles debugging log on/off.  Debug output gets sent to the
		file configured in mephbot.ini, and to the screen.  Debug
		output is voluminous, and configurable in the INI.

	.mephbot quitgame

		Immediately exit the current game.

	.unload mephbot

		Unload the module.  Not recommended.  May cause crashes.
		Not supported.

	I suggest using thohell's bind.d2h plugin to create keyboard shortcuts
	for these commands.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managing Mephbot
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Mephbot is designed to detect and correct for all manner of game
	crashes, disconnects, and unexpected conditions.  You may see the D2
	window close and get restarted periodically because of this.  The
	small utility "pv.exe" is used to kill the D2 process when this
	occurs.  When the game is restarted, please leave the keyboard and 
	mouse alone until the D2 window minimizes itself.

Quitting Mephbot

***	To quit Mephbot, press ALT-TAB to get back to Windows if you're in
	full-screen mode.  Locate the AutoIT icon in the system tray (blue "A"
	on a black background).  Right-click the tray icon and select Exit.
	Then kill D2 using Task Manager.

Statistics

	Mephbot will log statistics on a per-invocation basis to
	mephbot-stats.ini in the Mephbot directory.

Debug log file

	If you have debugging enabled, Mephbot will output the debug messages
	you specify with DebugLevel= into the mephbotlog.txt file in the
	Mephbot directory.  See mephbot.ini for more information.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What happens when... ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mephbot starts

	Mephbot's basic order of operations is thus:

		Start D2
		Log in
		Select character
		Join random channel
		Set configurable away message
		Create game
		Walk to Ormus
		Fill belt with Super Healing potions
		Deposit gold and unid'd items in stash and cube every so often
		Take waypoint to Durance 2
		Find stairs
		Take stairs to Durance 3
		Wait for mana recovery if necessary
		Teleport to Meph
		Kill Meph
		Teleport to Meph's corpse
		Wait for item pickup
		Exit
		Restart

	When an item's durability falls below 10%, Mephbot will	visit Hratli
	to repair your character's equipment, and then restart.

Player dies

	Mephbot will detect this, resurrect the player, pick up the corpse,
	clear the player inventory of potions, and then continue doing Meph
	runs.  If you see your character dying a lot, increase your
	chickening threshholds in mephbot.ini.

Inventory fills up with Winforces and Grandfathers

	Mephbot will detect the inventory full condition, and cease operation.
	(If Mephisto begins dropping wfs and gfs, please let me know!)  This
	behavior can be overridden by setting ContinueWhenInventoryFull=1
	in mephbot.ini.

Diablo II crashes

	Mephbot will detect almost all types of D2 crashes and react to them.
	What you will see is possibly a message box saying there's an error,
	followed by a brief pause.  Then the box and D2 window will disappear,
	and then D2 will restart.  You must keep hands off the mouse and 
	keyboard until D2 minimizes again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's next?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please see the file "mephbot-dev.txt" for an up-to-the-minute log of what I'm
working on, what's new, known bugs, and what I'm thinking about for the next
release.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How do I report bugs?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE FILE AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE CONTACTING ME
FOR HELP.

PLEASE READ README.TXT BEFORE CONTACTING ME FOR HELP.

PLEASE READ THE MEPHBOT SUPPORT THREADS IN THE D2 BOTS FORUM AT
http://www.blizzhackers.com/ BEFORE CONTACTING ME FOR HELP.

If you have followed ALL of the directions, and if you have reviewed ALL of 
the Frequently Asked Questions in readme.txt, and if you have reviewed ALL of
the Mephbot support information available in the D2 Bots forum at
http://www.blizzhackers.com/, then you may send me a bug report.

Please report bugs to me at mike@gogulski.com.

In your bug reports, please include:

	A description of the problem

	Your system specifications (CPU, speed, RAM, graphics card, OS)

	A description of your character (level, life, mana, skill levels,
	equipment, game difficulty level, stats)

	mephbot.ini

	The Mephbot debug file section for the game that you saw the problem in

And, if the problem is causing D2 to crash:

	In mephbot.ini, set DebugLevel=1023 and Debug=1 

	Delete mephbotlog.txt 
	
	Go into your Diablo II directory and delete all of the "D20*.txt"
	files 
	
	Run mephbot.exe 
	
	When the game starts, kill the AutoIT wrapper as described above
	
	When the game crashes, press "OK" in the "Diablo II Exception"
	dialogue when the error appears

	Then, send me an email containing a ZIP of: 

	- Your mephbot.ini (take out your passwords) 
	- Your mephbot-stats.ini 
	- Your mephbotlog.txt 
	- The file in the Diablo II directory named "D20(whatever).txt"
	  (file for the current date) 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Legalese
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mephbot is free software.  Redistribution is freely permitted, provided that
full source code is included, and original credits retained.  You may not
sell, rent, lease, or otherwise take money for the distribution of any part
of Mephbot.

Battle.net, Diablo II, and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction are registered
trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment.
Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction are Copyright (c) by Blizzard
Entertainment
AutoIT is Copyright (c) 2002 by Jonathan Bennett.
PrcView is Copyright (c) by Igor Nys.
MString is Copyright (c) 2001 by Jesse L. Lovelace (jllovela@eos.ncsu.edu)

I have nothing to do whatsoever with any of the above companies and
individuals.

All third-party d2h modules are Copyright (c) by their respective authors.

I make no warranties, expressed or implied, whatsoever, with regard to this
software.  If Blizzard cancels your account, you lose your Windforce, or your
computer explodes in a tower of flame, don't come crying to me.

YOU USE MEPHBOT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
md5sum information
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

md5sums for executables in this distribution:

a18c4bbd5c8c3672cea6bc559e7da049 *D2HackIt.dll
9f69f7b0571817d0d6f334bb82710f4b *d2kill.exe
10b7191ab52720c54f989cdb33d47617 *Loader.exe
ed448825e4dab47d8110ae0e2b7413e1 *mephbot.d2h
27af07df05b7afacfa39ab2f6d0633fe *mephbot.exe
9db038e9d278ef25663be046c858eee3 *pickit.d2h
bbd176033efd0c796fc3c65a8f67ad26 *pv.exe